Posted by allisonm on April 24, 2002, at 7:35:36
In reply to not clear what led to this, posted by mist on April 24, 2002, at 1:17:05
Hi, Mist.
It was late. I was tired. At the time it did feel like a tidal wave. I have been posting since around 1998. Like you, I have seen a lot over this time. Remember BBob et al? Remember when a lot of people started feeling unsafe because whoever it was who would say hurtful things, get blocked, then come back in another form, would email individuals with very hurtful messages? Remember what happened to Cam? People stopped routinely identifying their email addresses so that others would write them directly. A lot of people left and never came back.
Some went to another board called A Safe Haven, but many didn't.On PB, it was too dangerous to post one's feelings or anything personal. The tone of the board went from mostly cohesive and supportive, to what felt to me like a minefield. Over time, I have visited here and there. So many people started posting that it got to a point where I didn't recognize anyone's name anymore. Once in awhile you'll see Noa, SLS, Greg, Shar (I think). Sure, everything has to change, and things don't always change for the better. IMO, it's not especially supportive anymore, except perhaps for the newer ones who didn't go through the other stuff. Remember a time when there were no "please be civil" messages? I remember when Bob had to start doing that.
So yea, the board has changed. Maybe excluded isn't the right word. Maybe it should be alienated.
Some of us formed close friendships before the anonymous personal attacks and loss of trust. Now I am seeing a few of them back on this 2000 board. I've not seen some of them in a long time. I like talking to them because a lot of them don't post much or at all on the regular boards anymore because of a large rift that you might not be seeing. It was a bigger deal than I think you recall. To me, the current boards still are not safe places and never will be again (think back about Anyuser's introductory point in "Gee whiz<allisonm." That kind of crap didn't happen. People were civil, even if they disagreed). Seeing the few old timers on the 2000 board gives me an opportunity to reconnect to people who were here back when anyone could talk, everyone got along for the most part, and it was safe.
poster:allisonm
thread:4303
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020420/msgs/4506.html