Posted by PeterH on May 21, 2006 at 22:13:52 from 86.130.131.160 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: The Cairn on Kanchenjunga: some musings on an ancient debate posted by Jock on May 21, 2006 at 19:31:01:
This post is made in a genuine spirit. I very much agree with Jock when he laments the dearth of ‘extended essays’ on Tarboard. I think, with respect, that I know one of the reasons for this dearth. It is to do with ‘climate’. To post up an extended essay is hard work, and is also a bit self-revealing. In short, it requires some personal courage, and you leave yourself open to attack, and even mild ridicule. My evidence – Ed Kiser, who has posted up many lengthy and brave expositions of his love for AR, but has occasionally been met with hostile remarks. And I should add that in 'ridicule' I include bursting into a serious thread and switching to a superficial topic. This is really discouraging for the author of the original serious post.
Forgive me, but I can't help remarking on a tendency on Tarboard lately for short posts, dissing one of AR’s characters, or wandering off-topic altogether, or when all else fails, blaming that old whipping-boy, TARS. I, and others, get awfully tetchy when we have to correct laboriously some of the wilder assertions, and this generates a similar reaction. It also leaves us little time to compose ‘extended essays’. The time I took researching to prove that the Dogs Home isn't being mismanaged could have been spent, eg, considering the importance of Peggy in the stories. I think I have made my point. I welcome a climate in which the usual targets were put aside and there was time and safety to post extended positive considerations of AR’s work, of the type Jock wishes to encourage.