Text 21183, 90 rader
Skriven 2011-07-23 10:31:43 av Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555)
  Kommentar till text 21007 av Robert Bashe (2:2448/44)
Ärende: Vicious comments
========================
Hello Robert,

On Monday July 18 2011 09:52, you wrote to me:

 RB>>> Bjorn effectively publishes a header and footer every week,

 MV>> When was the last time YOu wrote an article?

 RB> I don't claim to be the editor of Fidonews and don't have any
 RB> responsibility to provide content,

I think you do. When you get yourself involved - and you do by commenting on
the lack of content - you have a responsibility.

FidoNet is a volunteer organisation. Nobody gets paid for writing articles for
FidoNews and the editor does not get paid either. It is not a day time job and
he can not be expected to do it all alone. FidoNews depends on articles written
by volunteers. If you are not prepaired to contribute yourself, you lose the
right to complain about lack of content.

 RB> for example by soliciting comments here and elsewhere.

The invitation to contribute is in the "how to submit an article" section of
every issue.

 MV>> The odd thing is that these rumours about bad reacheability and
 MV>> articles refused all come from a very small number of very vocal
 MV>> sysops. *I* never had a problem getting an article published.
 MV>> Have you?

 RB> No experience, but I wouldn't like to try having one critical of Bjorn
 RB> and his style published. Figure it would "unfortunately" be lost due
 RB> to a "technical glitch".

So you just have it from hearsay, you won't even try for yourself.

 MV>> Says who?

 RB>>> he'd fight you tooth and nail if you tried to take over anyway.

 MV>> I would not try to "take over".

 RB> And thus you remain his friend,

Did it ever occur to you that the reason I appear to be his friend, is that
instead of whining about lack of content, I actually DO somethihg and sumbmit
articles?

 RB> particularly since you support him and his style here.

And you do not contribute, you just whine. You think that is a good recepie for
making friends?

 MV>> very bad precedent of the ZC1 grabbing the authority to appoint a
 MV>> new editor. That was a slap in the face of the readers in other
 MV>> zones.

 RB> Some people are very sensitive.

Take a look in the mirror...

 RB> So why didn't YOU (to turn the tables) make sure plenty of Z2 articles
 RB> were poured into Fidonews then?

I did my fair share and then some. Go back in the archives and you will see
that I have contributed dozens of articles over the years. And not just since
Björn is editor.

There was a problem with Warren Bonner though. I submitted an article - IIRC it
was about why pointing was so popular in Europe and why it never took off in
the USA. Warren did not publish the article. I never had an article not
publisehd and it never happened again, but that is the decision of the editor,
to not publish an article. So I accepted it.

What pissed me off was that he wrote a comment, selectively quoting from my
article, and giving his opinion. And THAT he published! That pissed me off and
I decided not to submit articles any more while Warren Bonner was editor.

His successor Frank Vest agreed that it was not done to publish a comment
without giving the reader the opportunity to form his own opinion on what was
commented on, and he published my article in full. I have submitted many more
articles over the years.

I have earned the right to complain about lack of content. You have not.


Cheers, Michiel

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