I wasn't leaving, but just showing the thought process. And in teaching, I've learned to ask questions first.

Like Jules, I'm trying real hard to be the shepherd.

Cool.I don't fully understand you there though, to be honest. What questions? The problem with losing your temper, as I experience it, isn't so much an inability to ask questions, but either not asking the right ones or not arriving at particularly good answers.

I was saying, by you and Lucia's posts, I would've been 99.7% certain that you were in fact talking about me. So I asked if in fact you were. That's what I meant.

Really? Fucking hell. I wasn't.

Do you get what I mean when I called the internet completely frigging mental now? There's something in its make-up that always seems to lead to paranoia, misunderstandings and discussions like these. It's just fucking silly innit.

I have totally lost the fucking plot on this thread.

I do get it Mat. That was kind of my point. I would've bet a million dollars you and Lucia were talking about what I said to Horse.

That's why if I have an issue, and this has been the case over the past two years (as I feel I've avoided every ruck in 2 years,) is to ask a question if it is in fact myself being discussed.

WOM, I was involved with a really nasty and personal ruck 5 years ago...in the first few pages of this thread. I would've thought that when it was brought up again, that I was being talked about.

So yes, I'm so vain, I bet I thought this thread was about me.

So, it seems this thread can fuck things up from beyond the grave. Blimey.

Just realised how long I have been away from OTF proper. This thread is over 4 years old and I don't remember any of it, have confused most of the characters invloved apart from the ones I have met - all of whom have been decent in real life. I'd like to think that the only person I had regular spats with and one complete over the top bawling (balling?) out with I would get on with in real life. Never put it to the test though.

Controversial I know, but for the older hands Justin H was driven off the board by bullying. Now I would not defend his actions but is very clear to me that the use at the time of anonymous posting (which I defended at the time - wrongly) was used to taunt someone and deliberately wind him up when he was in a highly vulnerable state. As I said I wouldn't defend his retaliation either.

I think the 'anonymous posters' must have been regulars for the most part because who else would just be lurking here all the time waiting to take potshots at someone who spent all his time here. This was clearly bullying.

I am very glad he is living a happy life in another country AND beginning to watch hopeless football teams again.

Banana Banana (since last world cup) previously Chirpy / Chippy / Chris F

OTF allowed anonymous posting once? Yikes, that must have been something.

At least you don't seem to be plagued with sockpuppets, or no obvious (to me) ones anyway.

For the most part it was friggin' hilarious.

There's always been a critical mass of tolerance and reasonable argument on this board, which enabled it to survive the Great Rucks era.

Unfortunately the rest of the internet — by and large — hasn't been so lucky. Unmoderated comment sections have become rocks that trolls inhabit, they make the whole browsing experience so poisonous and depressing I avoid it almost completely.

It's sad. For awhile it looked as if the web was going to be an excellent communication medium, but I guess that was just naive.

Wow. The mention of Justin. I was a lurker on the site back then (2001-2003 or so). Justin was someone who ruffled many feathers but was a fascinating read. He had one posting, perhaps a finale, on 'a kicking' that was frightening and disturbing - obviously enough that i still remember it. Good to hear from Chippy that he is well.

I think you should rethink the word "retaliation".

jv, just to reassure you further: I hadn't even noticed this thread until it got revived, and didn't read any of the posts that went up before last week (long arguments about nothing aren't my bag, and I gather it was one of those from years ago). So I was completely mystified just now as to why you might think I had you in mind!

I was blethering on about myself, really, and narcissistically building that into a universal truth. This is the kind of legerdemain that got me where I am today.

I'm scared to read this. I've had a lovely evening reading poetry, and I don't want to harsh my blissed out buzz. Wait. Can you have a blissed out buzz?

The first 8 pages are poetry. Inadvertently, as it turns out.

LL, that's just why I asked. It kind of proves both of your points.

This has been an interesting 12 years. Speaking without all of the thousands of visual cues humans have when speaking face-to-face.

Wyatt Earp wrote:


I don't know what happened but I know something happened between you and Justin.

So I realise that this might imply that I think that you were responsible for the online and/or anonymous bullying. I really don't think you were and apologise if this implied it.

There was a lot of bullying of Justin going on and a lot of the anoninimity was barely disguised. I also thought that he was being ganged up on overtly and then backed-up by anonymous posters who would stick the boot in more - at the same time. It was horrible bullying and gleeful goading of someone who was clearly unstable at the time.

The whole episode was shocking. People here goaded him for being odd and then had their beliefs about him for being odd confirmed when he overreacted to the bullying in an undefensible way. That was bullying surely?

We're all odd. We're on an internet forum.

EIM: I believe you can, on heroin for example.