Hello everyone
Recently we have had a small number of 'fallings out' on the forum, and I wanted to post something to give a perspective from Rosemary and I, as creators and curators of TAS.
(Many of you will have absolutely no idea what I'm going on about - I'm referring to a tiny percentage of the activity on here that for one reason or another becomes tense or fractious - the vast majority of activity is helpful, supportive, smallholding-related discussion, with banter and personal goings-on in the Coffee Lounge.)
We see TAS as an extension of our home and our smallholding, even though it's grown well beyond what we ever imagined it might. And we see you all in some small way as guests in our home, and although we can't read or participate in every thread (although Rosemary seems to try sometimes
) we have an emotional and personal investment in everything that goes on here. You can dismiss that as twee and sentimental if you wish, but it's our truth.
We try to be even-handed and fair in our moderation of the forum, and sometimes that means biting of tongues, turning a blind eye, and trying to interpret what people were trying to say when they posted
that. As has been said many times before on here, email and other electronic communications are inadequate for expressing the range of emotions we all feel (even me
) and misunderstandings are inevitable. Fallings out happen. What really pees me off (and upsets the boss) is when members treat TAS as a channel for personal grievances, belittle others, or show no respect to members (including us).
It is perfectly possible to help people without being patronising, initmidating, controversial or aggressive, it just takes a little thought and communication. To trot out some more hackneyed phrases, no one was born knowing this stuff, and the only stupid questions are the ones you don't ask.
We love having you all here and would hate to lose anyone else. What we really, really want is for everyone to pause for thought before posting anything personal, aggressive, or deliberately provocative, and ask themselves whether they would behave that way in person, in a social gathering, in someone else's house. If the answer's 'no' then please don't post it.
Thanks,
Dan
