Forums are funny places. I don't really know why I do it, why I keep it up, why I sometimes (all too often) just flip from forum to forum muttering things like "there's nothing I can add to
that" "no point in posting
there" etc. etc. But sometimes ...
I think it all stems from a fundamental conflict in the human design: humans evolved to instinctively
communicate (cue David Attenbourough) and yet humans are so often
poor communicators. I certainly consider myself poor at person-to-person 'networking' (or whatever the buzzword is).
I remember well the efforts of a former line manager at my workplace to get us all on a 'bonding' or
team-building exercise. It consisted of bussing us all to a hotel and getting us to assemble jigsaw puzzles. The upshot was, I came damned close to punching my manager on the jaw in front of all my colleagues. I desisted, but certainly let forth a vitriolic stream of effing and blinding. The manager in question was later fired. I kept my job...
What does the above anecdote say about human communications, and the internet as medium of communication in particular? Not a lot, I suppose, but I'm illustrating a point.
I was a P&L regular since Day 1 and I've always tried to keep it intelligent, robust and rational. I always found it funny how many people seemed to care so much about a part of the forum they claim not to visit and not to like... Anyway, ironically, I do agree that it's no fun anymore and I'm not posting there for the foreseeable. I enjoy the pics of people's rebuilds and so on in the Gallery and the Fixie / SS section. I've always liked the discussion in Racing, but that's quite dead these days. Commuting seems to consist of a certain poster from near Birmingham's incomprehensible dribblings on one hand, and then everyone else on the other... so occasional visits to the cafe seem to be it for now for me. Anyway, I'd like P&L to be fun again... because it's probably my natural habitat here.
Don't you think that, to make P&L 'fun again' you need to work on it from inside, i.e. stay inside P&L? Walking away from something and sniping from a distance, doesn't really work, as I learnt the hard way, forum-wise (I still remember ACF - vividly). Think about re-entering the fray. Wear protective gear if necessary...
Being 'virtual' doesn't make people 'not real'.
None of the CC'ers are 'virtual'. We have no robots. There is a real person typing behind every keyboard. Always remember that.
Well - with one particular exception, that is. But on that matter I'm sworn to secrecy ....
