Loosing faith in the Amiga "community", like so many before me

[SlimJim]

Regardless of ANY other issues, you shouldn't let yourself being worked up over posts from Neko. Matt Sealey is evidently a very knowledgeable persion (in many different issues), but he is so constantly angry at everything and everyone that any facts he may have is conceiled in a red veil of shouts and insults - is he still banned from the AmigaONE mailinglist? I havent's kept tabs .
 
Reading those poison-dripping posts over the years
(especially over at Moobunny where he has his loyal little court of hateful followers - some of which appear here as well) is actually pretty gruesome. Nowadays he don't appear all that often in the forums where I am. I'm content to see him mostly as an interesting curiosity.  
- and this is the _personal_ impression from someone who hasn't even been flamed by him ever...
 
Regardless of what I personally think of your journalism, Mike, you shouldn't give in due to Neko-semantics. Just learn to select the constructive criticism of those with good intentions (you should generally know who _haven't_ by now...) and evolve as a writer. If someone says you're biased - from any "camp" - be humble and assume they're right. Consider how you might improve the wording next time. First rule of a journalist - don't give up (or was it "bring forth the truth"? - oh well...)
.
SlimJim

[SlimJim]

"Its get your copy done in time for last orders at the bar and damn the consequences."
 
Hehe. I should have known there was a relation between the declining newpaper quality and the legal closing-time of bars...
:-)
.
SlimJim

[SlimJim]

[...]"best things come to those that wait"!...
 
That's a rare quote in those grim amiga days. Keep that flame of hope of yours burning, man!
:-)
.
SlimJim

[SlimJim]

>> This "community" is officially a bloody shambles.
 
> I agree.
 
The reason people think like that is that you and others keep repeating it. Sure, there are some rotten eggs here, only looking to stir up trouble and annoy people. But there are also _always_ people (here as well as on ANN) trying to give honest, constructive comments and even positive remarks(!). But the strange thing is that noone care to respond to such constructive and/or positive posts. Instead people bicker to and forth with those few eternal nay-sayers. That's the reason they seem to take so much room these days - the very much existant "worthy comments" are simply ignored.
 If you select to reply to only the negaitive stuff you have yourself to blame when the thread turns into a negative flamewar.
 
So in all, it's you and me that give the few (in our opinion) 'rotten eggs' too much space. Focus on the serious, constructive people (and they ARE there, some of you have just learned not to see them) and stop going on about "the community is in shambles" like it's some god-given truth you (or I) cannot do anything about.
.
SlimJim

[SlimJim]

> That sounds suspiciously like sticking your head in the
> sand Jim
 
Actually, I don't think so. My theory (and experience) is that there are a few people (like many famous Anonymous on ANN) that just pops into a thread and spit out something stupid to stir up trouble. It happens all the time and it's mostly very obvious. What bothers me is that everyone starts replying angrily to that "stir-up" post, and simply IGNORES the four-five _sensible_ posters that almost always appear to post "good"/constructive/serious comments right behind the Anonymous one. Those potentially interesting and noteworthy threads are simply lost - and then people start saying that everyone in the community is a fanatic and that all they see is negativity.
 
As long as people don't take time to reply to sensible comments, the "stir-ups" will reign.
 I guess people just like more to follow a good flame-fest then to pick up on the sensible stuff.

> The user base is just constantly gnawing at each other
> at the moment
> and sure, trying to correct it could even perpetuate it
> but ignoring
> it is not going to make it go away either.

I think we should be mature enough to identify and ignore those who only live to pick a fight for the sake of it.
 
> Yep, its a shambles - thats what a shambles means Jim
> it means
> something that needs to be sorted out, tackled and
> turned around
> but is in such a mess that you don't really know where
> to start or
> what approach to use.
 
A community is all in how you perceive it. When I read ANN, I'm constantly amazed when the good/insightful posters are subsequently insulted (albeit indirectly) by people saying that noone does anything but bicker and that the community is crap. Call it "sticking the head in the sand" if you will, but if people would just learn to ignore the right people, the impression of this community as a whole would change to the better.
.
SlimJim

[SlimJim]

@DaveP

Since when have you seen an "ignore the troll" policy work on USENET for example?

 
True. I'm not saying it's possible to eliminate the trolls by ignoring them, what I'm opposing is that people ONLY take the trolls into account, and base their opinion of the community on those alone. People say they don't know how to fix the community. This is my proposal.
 

But I do not think this is even what Mike complains about in the community. I am paraphrasing but he does not like the fact that those perpetrating "illegal" activity are getting away with it and their "supporters" are "winning" the argument.

Yes I suppose that is his grievance, and that is of course a much more serious problem/accusation than mere troll mentality. I cannot comment on that though as I don't know enough about what is happening behind the scenes. All I see of the community is what I see in the forums.

The reason I think the "community" is a shambles is not because of ANN per se but because it has no focus on what it is there for.

 
Ah, this is a good point Dave. On this definition of "in shambles" I agree and there is not all that much to do about it.  Until we get some new products to discuss that is - then that problem will just melt away I imagine.
.
SlimJim

[SlimJim]

@strobe
 
At first I thought I was seeing double, but you DO post essentially the same post over and over again in as many forums and threads as you possibly can don't you?
.
SlimJim