Now’s as good a time as any to post this little speech and I am not referring especially to Mr Blair here.
There is a reason I have chosen now to take a stand.
I strongly believe that this reason is important for internet forums in general.
I’ve been around this forum for a while and a couple of others.
I have observed that strong , thick skinned, bombastic types… eventually take over all forums.
The more sensitive and often intelligent poster is barged out.
The very nature of internet forums, is that all should be heard.
The people I most want to hear are the pensive and, yes, intelligent, quieter types. Unfortunately they get pushed out by the rhinoceros skinned bullies. The bullies do this to cover up their own inadequacy, it is the nature of bullying.
The irony is that we need the bullies too, if they did not feel threatened by the eloquent types, they would feel no need to bully as a defence mechanism. There is nothing to defend, the bullies are intelligent too, they just don’t always realize it.
My inclination after I have been manipulated, misquoted, or otherwise had my opinion misrepresented is to leave. This is what a lot of intelligent and interesting people do…they leave.
This plays into the hands of the bullies.
I want to take a stand… the internet forum is not just for thick skinned, intransigent bullies. It will be a better place if some of the shrinking violets of this world are allowed to say their piece unmolested.
This is the only reason I am still here, I don’t like being bullied.
I don’t need to learn how to cut a tree off you lot, but I do enjoy a bit of a yarn about one of my areas of interest when there’s nothing much on the telly.
For better or worse you lot are my lot.
This does not mean that I think I am the type I describe, but I do want to hear their views on a regular basis on any forum.