Halcyon days ??

[moongazeruk]

This has been brewing for a while really, but a recent re-visit to a site I was a very active member of wayyyy back has really brought it to the fore for me.  And I know you are all thinking "ahhh - UKP", but its not UKP at all, although that has made it all a bit more topical

Nay - the forum in question is a Yahoo group for solitary witches, and at

Comments

[jarmara]

I'm a late coming to this, Comf gave me the link the other week but I'm not often happy reading LJ's I'm not friended on, it feels like snooping.

However, other LJ's recently make me think to seek it out and just 'snoop' anyway. I think if I'd read it at the time of posting I'd have said 'It's not worth it', mainly because I was reliving my own online tribulations of times past and found it surprisingly raw.

I've been lurking around UKP this week and it seems that many of the people I enjoyed interacting with back in the day have moved on but a surprising amount are still there. Of these people I can't believe they'd hang around all this time if the site was completely overrun with posturing idiots, but occurs to me that you're right, it's a vicious circle. One person gives up and leaves, one less reasonable voice. Other resonable people notice that there's less reason about the place and eventually, they too leave. Pillocks grow from minority to majority not because more join but because they don't give up. Eventually (over years) a site becomes all pillock and something beautiful dies.

For all the pain, the feelings of betrayal and tears I shed over UKP, for all that I felt it had nothing for me anymore, strangely I can't bear to think of that happening to it.

It's not a war, I can't go back to fight someone's corner or 'clear out the trash' but I can go back to stand alongside those I respect, those whose voices should be heard as much as the others. UKP is, should be, a community with contributions to the community from all walks of life. If I'm not too late to join the cause, I'd like to try.

[moongazeruk]

Yay!!! Hello Petal (((hug))) I am sure you will be welcomed with open arms, and it will be nice, nay wonderful, to have another voice of reason - specially as some of our favourite voices of reason are feeling a bit wobbly. And dont forget, there are people who will stand by you too :)

And I am more than happy to add you as a friend if you like, I've always been rather fond of you and Thunarr, even if we havent seen eye to eye on occasions. And tis not snooping, not when you've been invited by Comf.

xxx

[jarmara]

Added you back, I'm rather fond of you too.