Rethinking LOB
It's been a year since we started this humble blog and as the footie season is wrapping up this next week, it seemed like as good a time as any to try and reflect on the successes and failures of this novel form of communication. I've enjoyed every minute of chatting with all of you; yet, at the same time I've been disappointed that we haven't been able to get more FJHS and LHS alums involved. Now, a lot of that has to do with people being busy and perhaps corresponding with grade school buddies isn't a priority; at the same time, I'm aware that the LOB has dwindled in participation in recent weeks, so I'm open to any suggestions that you might have for improving it.
For example, is there too much footie? It's been suggested to me that we might be missing out on some individuals who used to participate in email threads because we're so footie dominated. I don't apologize for the focus because I've always seen LOB as a democratic forum and people should feel free to post on any topic.
Is the tenor of the discussions driving people away? That's a hard one to assess, but again it's been suggested that this might be happening. It's incredibly hard to locate that fine line between reasonable, civil discourse and OTT and I'm sure that I've been guilty of plenty of offenses. Still, I would encourage all participants to keep it good-natured and remember that we're all mates, right?
That's it from me. I'm determined to keep the LOB flag flying and I look forward to your comments. Cheers!
posted by gatorbob @ 11:09 AM
10 Comments:
I prefer the blog to the email threads. If I had the time, I'd love to spend 90 minutes each week blogging with you and Dave while a match was on. Indeed, I thoroughly enjoyed setting up shop mid-day with my laptop during an England World Cup match last summer. However, it's very rare that Saturdays will offer an opportunity for such pursuits and I very much regret that. (This Sunday the power was off -- hence, my absence)
I agree with your observation that anyone can post alternative threads and I've enjoyed the non-footie threads we've had.
I'd like to see Gooner participate of course. I fed him four bangers from Myers of Keswick on Saturday eve. Phil and his family came over and we had Susan Dauber and Cheryl Dunson in town from Chicago and Atlanta for a mini-Feltwell reunion. I don't sense Gooner is going to blog again anytime soon, but I may be able to bribe him with some more bangers.
I absolutely love the blog. I love the banter that occurs between mostly Bob and I. I really wish more were involved.
I feel that I drove away The Gooner with some anti - The Arse comments but nothing malicious was meant by it. Many of the same, were sent my way by one and all and I just tell all of you to SHUT IT!!! NINE TIMES CHAMPIONS IN FIFTEEN YEARS!!!
As for the postings, I love the footer stuff but don't get into the politics as much as some of you. I still read Bob and John's comments on the debate and was entertained. I just don't think I had anything worth while to add.(some of you would say the same about footer too)
I will be here until it no longer exsists and long may it continue!
Hey Bob, thanks for posting this.
I have been keeping an eye on the blog though I've chosen not to participate in the footie chatter. Here's my 2cents.
I left because I was fed up of getting the needle from Dave, at a time when just everything was going wrong at the Arsenal. And just to head you off, I know what was happening at Leeds and West Ham was far worse.
Even though I accept Dave's statement that he didn't mean anything malicious, I maintain that he was at best clueless and just o-t-t. United were so obviously in-form and streaking away to the title that to this day, I don't see what joy Dave got from poking fun at one Arsenal debacle after another. Though we did get the results against the top teams, we didn't look like catching either of the top 2 this year.
It didn't make sense to me that when we failed again against Bolton, Dave was there crowing about our loss, IN CAPITAL LETTERS. When the FA went medieval on us while giving Chelsea a pass on their behavior, again, no sympathy. Even when simply everyone acknowledged that we'd gotten the shaft on something, Dave was there playing devil's advocate, sticking the boot in. Didn't notice that he did the same to everyone.
And remember, I'm watching the match upstairs. Bad enough I've just lived through Baptista's half dozen missed sitters, Hleb's color-blinded passing, and Jen's schizophrenia. I didn't and don't need to then come downstairs to read that what's killing me, is also killing Dave--with derisive laughter. This pastime is supposed to be a respite from the annoyances of the life that really matter, and when it became a chief irritant, I simply had to decline to participate.
I'll put my hand up for a comment or ten that I've made, but I'll also say that when I started getting tired of all the cheap laughter at my expense, I quit. So when we turned them over at Old Trafford, I didn't say or post anything triumphant.
Didn't say anything about exits from the Champions League or the occasional slip up. I'll also point out that it's not nearly as easy to take a slap when things are bad as it is when you're in form.
So, from time to time, I'll post on non-Premiership matters. Bob, you've noted that we've got some non-partisan stuff coming up, EC England qualifiers, the Copa, MLS, etc. That sounds pretty safe and non-partisan. We all want England to do well, we all want the US to do well.
And your point on non-footie is well taken. I enjoy that just as much as anything else, more in the weeks that Arsenal face sides that go unpunished and even championed for kicking us off the pitch. So I'll comment and maybe post on that too.
Congrats on seeing this forum through a year. Long may it last.
Johnno, that's got to be worth at least another 4 bangers. My cardiologist thanks you-not really!
Be honest now, Gooner, did Eric get a sniff of the two I sent you home with? . . . I wish you could've been here on Sunday when Cal came home from his sleepover, said he was thirsty, and I proceeded to draw him five glasses of water, each with a different Pokemon glass. . . Cal's smile outshone mine when I saw how we completed the double over ManUSA!
Enjoy your double win Trev, we'll get our double on Saturday.
I just want to say that I have been cast as the baddie or being stupid. I have been abuse all time and I just shoot it back. There is nothing met by it. It is what we do.
I am not that bad of a guy!!!
Just to let you know, this is what The Guardian said about me after I took today's quiz.
Tuesday's quiz
You scored 10 out of a possible 10
Top marks! You have achieved everything there is to achieve in this game, and have nothing left to prove.
What else can be said?
Thanks for the comments, lads. I'm not sure it's settled anything but perhaps it's a move in the right direction just to get things aired.
One issue I've become aware of recently is that some of the participants were bounced off the blog when we went to the new system. I've sent out new invitations to Blubber, AZ and some others who I've been working on for the past year.
It would be great to get Gooner back for some of the non-partisan matches this summer. Also the political threads will be increasing as we go into the campaign season in the next period. That'll start tonight with the Fox News GOP debate. I won't be on hand to blog live, but I'll put up a post and feel free to leave your comments there.
Gator San, If you have the energy, keep the blog going.I just started a new job (at my same company), but kept the old one - 80 hours weeks are fun! I tend to be handcuffed to e-mail and usually respond. Still the blog is more appropriate. Keep the monthy python and utube videos coming. They are welcome relief in the odd hours of the morning from my daily toil. AZ
Great to hear from you, AZ. 80 hrs a week, eh?! Blimey! I shall keep the YouTube clips coming for you. And if you have a spare nanosecond, drop in on us from time to time. Yours will be a much needed right of center voice during the upcoming campaign. Cheers!
I definitely think this thread is necessary to clear the air. I sense that David's feeling as bad as I felt before I decided to drop out.
I am not saying that David's a bad guy or stupid. But David, the suggestion that I am saying that is a demonstration of the tin ear that I think you have to my feelings and my expectation of what this forum was supposed to be. I am saying that you haven't been careful enough to avoid pissing me off repeatedly, not just once or twice. I am saying that you have gone after my same weak points relentlessly and wouldn't stop even after I'd stopped trying to fight back, or provoke you. David, you say give and take, but it hadn't been give and take between you and me for 2 months before I quit. I am still a bit pissed off because it drove me away.
If I wanted to feel worse about my disappointing season, I can read Kevin McKarra, James Lawton, Harry Harris, Danny Kelly and whatever coward hides behind the title of "Editor" of www.football365. I can watch a session of the same FSC/Sky commentary team--week after week of Alan Parry and Robbie Earle, a guy that couldn't trap a bag of laundry in one go, going on and on with their retrograde views that what Arsenal need is more balls from the back to a big lad up front--you really think that I can't find anti-Arsenal bigotry and that what I am really looking for when I read this blog is one additional slap from you?
You can't put yourself in my shoes for a second and imagine what I might feel about having a squad of excellent technical footballers that prefer not to, won't, can't put the ball in the net to win games? You really have to ask or point that failure out? Really? Really?
Here's the thing David. In a community like this one, a little self-censorship is required so that no-one gets pissed off and so that everyone can enjoy the discussion.
You're not a bad guy, and you're not stupid. I hope you finally understand what I'm pissed off about.
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