Iain Watson <(Address removed)> said:
I'm torn on this one too. Simon is a very different person off UKD, tbh I often have to remind myself they are the same person.
He has been responsible for a lot of people leaving over the years, but I still believe if people are so sensitive they can't handle an net war of words then they shouldn't be on it in the first place.
What I find hard to take from Simon is that he's aware that he's made people leave but insists on maintaining his hard-nosed persona when dealing with people. I think a month ban or something would make him realise he's done a lot of people wrong and to change his ways, but 6 months seem way over the top considering he's not actually been "offensive" in the traditional sense.
iain
What like naming me in full and calling me a 'dick'? Leopards don't change their spots. I know loads of people who've left specifically because of him, I know he's ignored admin requests to pipe down (which shows a certain contempt IMO). We're down to about 1/2 the number we were 3-4 years ago - and we've not had any new people turn up and stay during that time.
I don't open up on here anymore because of him. He trashes fora left right and centre. I got back in touch with Luca yesterday (remember him?), he said 'had a brief lurk a while back, just the same old arguments'. IIRC he's launched random and unprovoked attacks on, to name but a few, Luca, me, Ravi, Rebekah, Dullwitch, etc ,etc, out of the blue.
In this current climate, we need to stick together not tear a strip off each other. Social capital is vital.
Ultimately this is about the 'timbre' of the board. He's the only consistently antagonistic person on here. Who amongst us has personal axes to grind? Yeah he can be ignored, but he isn't - he gets enough grist to keep his mill grinding, some fecker always fans the flames and feeds the troll, or excuses his behaviour because of his alleged jekyl and hyde character.
Any potential newbies don't know this about him (I've not found it either tbh, but maybe that's just me) and can't make allowances. UKD desperately needs new blood, and a more equal gender mix, or it will inevitably wither (further) on the vine. These contretemps are very 'male' and show too much bad blood and previous - and deter new people from contributing.
If this board softens a little and people feel they can let their guard down a bit, it may become a cohesive community that people what to join again.
Here's hoping.
This month I have been mostly liking 16-bit lolitas. Nice chuggy canterhouse, great for 'tasks characterised wholy or partly by repetitive actions' such as twatting tiles off walls, painting, etc.
Been in the new dolls house for a couple of weeks now, casualities - one magnolia (don't dig em up, they don't like it) and a cat, still missing, too stupid for its own good..
Within a day we'd met all the neighbours, got a German post doc on one side and the worlds most tedious taxi driver on the other (we used to get him coming back from Sankeys sometimes, fair put a dampener on those nights for a bit).
Takes a bit of getting used to, being so close to othe people - but I actually like the 'howdy neighbour' ness of it all. Bigger houses beget bigger walls.
