To all my fellows on Quoteland, friend and foe alike, the time has come to bury the hatchet(or indeed,axe).
I am resigning the position of moderator of the 'I Need A Quote' forum.
It has been an amazing journey over almost the last four years, sometimes a wild and bumpy ride but never at any time dull, boring or uninteresting.
My style of moderatorship has been oft criticised but I believed that during the time when it was needed it offered a dependability and stability which the forum required to steer it through some of its rougher patches.
It has latterly been made abundantly clear to me that the roughshod frontier justice which I summarily dispense has become out of tune with the kinder more gentle persona that Quoteland wishes to assume but I find it very difficult at this late stage in my life to become suddenly tolerant of behaviours and attitudes which I have always held in disdain.
I am unable to put up with the deconstruction of the language for which I have an overriding respect simply in the name of convenience, laziness, ignorance or fashion. Many of you will be constantly texting away to your little hearts content and that is well and good for you but I will NEVER accept the surrogation of correct written English for the abominable practice of textspeak. These are MY faults but I am unable to change them now so it is I who must give way and allow for a new generation.
Because I am unwilling to relax or relent these personal attitudes, I feel that my usefulness to INAQ is pretty much at an end as I can no longer in good conscience abide by the practice which will allow the constant bastardisation of the language to go unchecked or uncorrected on a forum which I ostensibly control.
To all those who have supported me over the years, to David and Adam, to my fellow moderators and my many many friends and fellow members with whom I have exchanged ideas and from whom I have learned so very much you have my eternal and boundless thanks. It would be invidious of me to single out individuals at this stage. There are so many I could name who have over the years shown me support, kindness and understanding; so many from whom I have received wisdom, knowledge and insight and so many who have shown loyalty, friendship and camaraderie that were I to begin, quite apart from breaking my heart, it would make a list of such length that it would put the worst of the Oscars 'Thank You' excesses to shame.
There are also many of you out there with whom I have tangled on many occasions who may dislike me with varying degrees of intensity for the way you may perceive that I have mistreated you, calling attention to your mistakes and correcting you; but without wishing to sound holier- than-thou my intent was never to demean, belittle or disrespect you but simply to try and educate. I would that we could part as friends but if that is not possible, I would settle for your understanding of where I was coming from.
It has long been the practice on quoteland for retiring moderators to nominate a successor but on this occasion I am unable to pick a member upon whom to foist this particular poisoned chalice. I could not do it to a friend, as they would soon after cease to be my friend and I could not do it to someone whom I dislike as it would simply confirm to them that I had it in for them from the beginning...... I'm afraid I am going to have to lob this particular ball back into the court of the administration and the moderators for their collective ruminations and wisdom. I will remain at the helm for the period necessary for a new moderator to be appointed and to bring them up to speed.... Whomever the 'lucky' individual is, Good Luck and may God have mercy on your soul.....
To you all, friends and foes, I bid you a fond adieu; my life will not be the same without you. It's been real, and it's been fun..it hasn't always been real fun but there ya go.......
quote: My style of moderatorship has been oft criticised but I believed that during the time when it was needed it offered a dependability and stability which the forum required to steer it through some of its rougher patches.
Name a moderator/admin person on any website, whose hasnt been criticised at all. Not even once. There isn't any
quote: There are also many of you out there with whom I have tangled on many occasions who may dislike me with varying degrees of intensity for the way you may perceive that I have mistreated you, calling attention to your mistakes and correcting you; but without wishing to sound holier- than-thou my intent was never to demean, belittle or disrespect you but simply to try and educate.
This is a moderators job. You shouldnt really apologise for doing something right.
To my knowledge, you are and always will be the best moderator INAQ has. Thank you so much for everything. It takes a great deal of selflessness to be a moderator, and to be a good moderator it takes much more than that. Quoteland was gifted to have you And I hope to always see you around, atleast as a fellow member now.... -Harsh...
YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL PERSON, PLEASE ACCEPT MY ROSE...
~* Joint ownership of Pinna with Belesprit, please do not write in his box *~
You are a beautiful person please accept my rose @};-
Posts: 3196 | Location: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: 06-26-03
Note: Before I am accused of double posting, I will pre-emptively confess. EC also posted his resignation on INAQ where I originally posted my response. I have copied it here. If that is unacceptable, I will take my wrist-slapping without excuse or complaint.
Eulogy to a gem of a different sort
emeraldcitizen, your name is legend. By the time I signed up for membership (earlier than my profile indicates) you had pretty much established law and order in INAQ with the exception of an occasional newbie who would post in abandon, making demands with a time frame (I want it now!!!!!), with no regard for any of the established rules of grammar, spelling, punctuation, or a complete thought. Attempting to read the request could result in an acute brain cramp and permanent blindness from shock to the optic nerve.
You seemed to have an uncanny sense of those who just needed a gentle nudge to point them in the right direction from those who required an I-beam on the cranium to get their attention. Your responses were priceless. Some threw terrible tantrums and went away rather than change and adapt to the standards you set for your forum; others snorted, grudgingly complied and eventually became good members. Years may have gone by but I still occasionally see a post that reminds me of those earlier days. The most recent one was a perfect example. There was no immediate response and an inexcusable tantrum followed. It was behavior that I would not tolerate in my home or in my business. Learning self control is a necessary part of maturing.
It is a sad day on Quoteland. Your presence as a moderator will be missed. In light of recent developments, I don't believe that you were left with any other option since any authority you had was stripped in full view of the membership. It left you in an untenable position.
I wish your successor all the best and hope that you will now have more time to participate on the site as a member. For you, emeraldcitizen, only the best.......a jug of mudslides to toast and a standing ovation!!!!!!!!!!!
Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. M. Kathleen Casey
One thing- You have been here for about FOUR years?! I knew that you have been here since long but I didn't realize that you have been here for SO long! Wow!
I'm sorry the reason for your retirement is the one you stated, though .
I know that my usage of language is far from perfect but I try to use atleast reasonably correct language and that's what I like others to do as well, accordingly I liked the rules in "INAQ!" (No textmessage language, etc.) , they help in keeping this site from turning into a chatroom...
You wrote:
"These are MY faults but I am unable to change them now so it is I who must give way and allow for a new generation."
If wise people as you start thinking so, I wonder where this world would head !
Good work you’ve done, sir. I wish you good luck for everything!
If you’re retiring as a moderator, it’s still OK… if you’re planning to retire or almost-retire as a member too, as some of our recently retired moderators have, then I don’t think I have any more to say, but ""…
Please do continue as a member. Take care of yourself.. And again, please do continue as a member ..please~
Posts: 4372 | Location: Back At Quoteland :) | Registered: 08-18-02
Though I didn't often venture into the INAQ forum, the times I did, I always thought that the way you ran the forum was great. It was funny and, at the same time, didn't suffer the irritating immature demands well, which may have irritated those people, but in the long run, I believe served them well, and I appreciated that. I am sorry to see you leave. Best wishes.
s-
*** I would rather die of thirst than drink from the cup of mediocrity. *** A man can't deny what he is. He can convince everybody else he is someone else, but never himself.
"Everywhere, we learn only from those whom we love."
Source: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 Aug 1749 – 22 Mar 1832) quoted by Johan Peter Eckermann (1792 – 1854) in "Conversations with Goethe", 12 May 1825.
Dear EmeraldCitizen
If Goethe is right I must love you, for I learn from you.
quote: I am unable to put up with the deconstruction of the language for which I have an overriding respect simply in the name of convenience, laziness, ignorance or fashion. Many of you will be constantly texting away to your little hearts content and that is well and good for you but I will NEVER accept the surrogation of correct written English for the abominable practice of textspeak.
Here! Here!
But why quit? Why surrender in mid-battle? Be sparked to wage war on the deformulation of not only English words, but the very foundations of syntax and semantics! In memory of you I'm going to take a hard yet sensible line the Workshop until I see an appreciation of language and a capability in its use growing among those who claim structure to be objective and obsolete! If I do not see this eventuate among at least a few poets, if I don't see one or two of those who write abominably learn to write well, then I will leave quoteland's poetry forums forever...
It was an honor to have worked with you, even if it was for too short of a time.
If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world. So let it be —Scottish Blessing
~How do you draw a blank?~ I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach ten thousand stars how not to dance - e e cummings
Posts: 1953 | Location: On a tree branch.....way up high. | Registered: 11-12-02
Ah, Emeraldcitizen, always one with a flair with words
quote:It has long been the practice on quoteland for retiring moderators to nominate a successor but on this occasion I am unable to pick a member upon whom to foist this particular poisoned chalice. I could not do it to a friend, as they would soon after cease to be my friend and I could not do it to someone whom I dislike as it would simply confirm to them that I had it in for them from the beginning
Very impressive.
"No violence, gentlemen -- no violence, I beg of you! Consider the furniture!" ~ Sherlock Holmes, in "The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone"
Since it is obvious that there is no turning back from your decision to step down as moderator, I will just say it has been an honor to have served with you.
"You can understand that, with my routine of work, I should find myself on familiar terms with half the rogues' gallery, and you will agree that exceptions are invidious." ~ Sherlock Holmes, in "The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone"
True to form, you used a word that I had to look up. I will miss the passion you provided for Quoteland.
...the image of Justice, in their courts of judicature, is formed with six eyes, two before, as many behind, and on each side one, to signify circumspection; with a bag of gold open in her right hand, and a sword sheathed in her left, to show she is more disposed to reward than to punish. ~ Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels http://ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext97/gltrv10.txt
"Know all men by these presents, that I, Henry Thoreau, do not wish to be regarded as a member of any society which I have not joined." [...] If I had known how to name them, I should then have signed off in detail from all the societies which I never signed on to; but I did not know where to find such a complete list. ~ Henry David Thoreau http://www.constitutional.net/duty_civil.html
[This message was edited by thenostromo on 06-24-04 at 05:29 PM.]
Here's wishing you all the luck, love and happiness you can manage, emeraldcitizen. You will be sorely missed.
--------Sanya--------
Stella Splendens December 22, 1985-March 27, 2003 Rest In Peace --- I found your picture today I swear I'll change my ways I just called to say I want you to come back home I just called to say, I love you come back home (Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock)
Posts: 2558 | Location: Middle of Nowhere | Registered: 04-12-02
Like Enola I don't go to INAQ very often. If I had I would have seen what was going on. How could there be criticism of anyone upholding the English language?
Bollocks.
I try to speak and write properly and I like to have my mistakes pointed out. If we use our language correctly then we understand what each other is saying. Jeez, we only have to read a paragraph of Jane Austen to behold beauty in the written word.
Bollocks.
I'd say that we have a duty to correct others' mistakes and a responsibilty to accept correction, gladly. Who has been giving you grief, Emeraldcitizen? Let me at 'em! If they don't want to learn then what are they doing here at Quoteland? Every single one of us has learned something from our membership, and quite often something of value. If any one of us does not want to learn from the membership then naff off. Now.
! Oh no! I have always admired your passion for the battle of retaining the quality of the English language, and it saddens me to see you go. I would hope of course, as the others, that you would perhaps reconsider; however, I do respect your decision and wish you the very best of luck in all that you do in life. Hopefully we will still see you around the boards?
Best of luck to you, and thank you for doing the great job that you have done with the INAQ forum.
-Emily
I shall not commit to the fashionable stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as stupid - Carl Jung
Posts: 499 | Location: the City | Registered: 08-06-02
Asa's reply on this thread using the word "bollocks" gave me the idea to post a quote from the movie "The Limey" starring Terence Stamp. I included an image of Terence Stamp, but somehow the URL for the picture got linked to an extremely inappropriate and offensive picture. I apologize to anyone that saw the picture. I never even actually saw it, but based on what I heard from David and others, it was pretty bad. Again, I apologize. By the way, the webpage was titled what would Terence Stamp say?
Bridge players tell me that there must be some money on the game 'or else people won't take it seriously'. Apparently it's like that. Your bid - for God or no God, for a good God or a Cosmic Sadist, for eternal life or nonentity - will not be serious if nothing much is staked on it. And you will never discover how serious it was until you find that you are playing not for counters or sixpences, but for every penny you have in the world.~C.S.Lewis
Do ya really havta go????
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"…
I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach ten thousand stars how not to dance - e e cummings
