I recently had a post deleted from the North Wales Birding Form that went along the lines of ‘…..I have visited the Point of Ayr and Oakenholt Marsh in excess of four hundred times combined and have never seen Colin Wells -- the site manager for the Dee Estuary - at either in location in the last five years…’
Apparently this constituted a personal attack – a statement of fact.
You would expect this sort of thing to happen in China or Syria, but on a birding website?
I can appreciate that administrating a website can be a difficult task and that you are never going to please all of the people all of the time, but was this really necessary?
Perhaps the best thing about the NWBF over the last six months has been the threads that have broken out into rancour, dispute and hot debate. A few insults flew around, but are people really so thin-skinned and sensitive?
I think the NWBF is now very sterile, and the most offensive aspect of the forum is the banal drivel that now constitutes ninety-five percent of its content – the other five percent is taken up by Alan Davies PLC.
Until later.
So you made the mistake of venturing onto the NW Happy Snapping Forum, actually posting a comment and faced the wrath of the duck.
ReplyDeleteYou should have uploaded a dozen fuzzy poorly exposed images to accompany the comment and this would have gone down much better.
Why bother.
Happy Grousing,
The Dee Birder.
Happy Snapping Forum - I like it! I bet the Snow Buntings at Abergele and Pensarn are the most photographed flock of birds in the world...
ReplyDeleteThis does not surprise me one little bit!
ReplyDeleteCome now, do you realise what you're missing by no longer participating in the Forum?
ReplyDeleteHere's just a couple of recent posts...
"I drive an old car not a vintage but old, people say have you still got that old car, it still goes so what the heck, why buy a sparkling brand new that will cost a fortune."
and let's not miss out
"My Mum makes an awesome Home Made Rice Pudding"
can you really live without sort of information?
Must admit this blog is pretty riveting too.
ReplyDeleteOops ... forgot the words of wisdom to finish
ReplyDeleteHow about "Hare rama", yep that will do !!!!!! lots of smilies etc
Couldn't agree more Dave: Jai Radha Madhav, Yasodanandana Brajajanaranjana...
ReplyDeletePaul, I agree that the NWBF has in fact become sterile and what was a superb source of local information has not that much to offer at the moment because many members have stopped posting. Why I'm not sure but it appears there are various factions who must feel that the NWBF doesn't represent their interests any more.
ReplyDeleteThe result is that we now have various splinter groups with their own blogs, flicker sites etc etc.
So be it. If that's what those individuals want they are quite entitled to do so but it's also apparent that those individuals also miss what was once a great forum because they still read it !!
There is a saying ( more words of wisdom !)that blowing someone else's candle out doesn't make yours shine any brighter, especially when much of what you criticise is evident in this blog too.
Maybe one of the best things about the NWBF is that it tries to avoid personal attacks, accepts everyone from novice watcher to avid listers, happy snapper to wannabe professional photographers.
If a novice birder is delighted to find something different, no matter how common, in their back garden, celebrate with them, don't knock their enthusiasm.If someone has discovered a rarity that most would have missed, celebrate with them too. If someone posts a fuzzy image it's because they were delighted with their achievement so don't knock them because you have £'ooo's of gear.
The only thing I find unacceptable is when people try to destroy what is good. The NWBF has been plagued by mischief maker(s) this year and they have come close to achieving their objective.
I'd like to see the NWBF back to how it was but we need everyone onside for that to happen.
If it does, great. If it doesn't so be it.
However, I have made so many friendships through the forum no matter what happens in the future it has served me well.
I wonder if the class of 2011 can look forward to similar ?
cheers Dave