Yes, I'm clearly a horrible man for sharing my family's personal tragedy. I
got dozens and dozens of private emails telling me what I vile man I was for
mentioning that my wife was ill and very close to dying. But I had a RIGHT
to post about it on this list, because I have a RIGHT to do anything I want.
Yeah, right.
This list is a public place, no question about this. It's open to anyone
that has an interest in the topic. Yes, the topic, of the list. We don't
always agree, sometimes we can get snippy. Sorry to bring you in on this
Larry, but I am going to use you as an example. Larry and I have disagreed a
lot over the last couple years. Sometimes things have been more
mean-sprited, from both of us, than they should have been. From my side, I
am sorry about that, and I suspect Larry is too. We don't agree on some
things, on others we do. I suspect we agree on a lot more than either of us
realizes, and I have great respect for his knowledge in areas where I have
little background. For example, when a question comes up about the best
third party lenses for an OM body, there is no one I would direct them too
more quickly than Larry. He knows his stuff. I have learned from him. His
goal isn't to just tear people down. Others that have been on this list;
two in particular, can't claim that.
The difference between my off-topic posts and the recent ones is, and it is
an important difference, I didn't keep posting and posting and posting and
posting, even when politely asked to bring the topic back on topic. I posted
a topic once, happily accepted the support, and moved on. Even in the times
of most distress in my family, I still answered as many questions as I
could -- often from a hospital room. No one here has any understanding,
with the exception of Ken Norton, how horrible it was. When a doctor comes
out and tells you that it is very unlikely that she will wake up and that I
should begin preparing for the worst, you know you've hit bottom in your
life. How could I go home and tell my kids their Mommy wasn't coming home.
I am happy, no make that thrilled, that things have taken a turn for the
better. Are they great? Hell no, Debbie will never be healthy -- it will
always be a daily struggle, but we're happy with where we are and we have a
great life together.
No question that the terrorist situation is absolutely horrible. Just
horrible. I am very sympathetic to the situation of all those touched
directly by it and am, in my way, trying to help and support where I can. I
hope everyone on this list is doing the same. I don't care whether that is
monetary, or giving your time, or praying in whatever faith is important to
you, I hope we're all doing something.
The posts on this list that went so far astray, though, were not from people
personally affected. They were not posts from someone that lost a spouse, or
a brother, or a close friend. The posts that went on and on and on were
from people, no make that one person, that I don't believe, or at least
certainly didn't mention, that they knew a single person affected by it. I
did. The son of a co-worker was in Tower 2. He's gone. Did I know the son.
No. Did I know the Dad? Yes, I do, and I can't imagine what it would be
like to lose a child. No parent should ever outlive their child. People
that were customers of the company I work for are gone. Not tens of them.
Hundreds of them. Was there a point in bringing that out on the list. No.
It didn't help them and wouldn't bring them back.
OK, perhaps I am rambling, but I truly don't understand the point of trying
to destroy this list. Make no bones about it, that is what you are trying
to do. Why? I am sure you believe it is because you were kicked out of the
club for no good reason.
Not true.
You are a sociopath. In case that goes over your head, here's the
definition from dictionary.com:
"One who is affected with a personality disorder marked by antisocial
behavior"
Couldn't have said it better myself.
So here's a suggestion. Go get a life. Being here isn't gaining you, or
us, anything. Do you get a cheap thrill out of being disruptive? You must.
Why else would you act like this. Deep down, I suspect it is a reaction to
your own stupidities. You acted like an idiot. You're embarassed by it.
You have to justify it to yourself, so you can feel better about yourself.
My guess is you're young enough to have been brought up in schools where
'self-esteem' was more important than respect and appropriate behavior.
"Oh, he's just acting out". Bullshit. He's being an idiot and should be
punished. Wish there was an easy way to do so.
If your goal is to get Giles to shut down the list, then I believe you will
fail. To quote from George W. Bush, "We will not tire, we will not falter,
and we will not fail." I know I am unwilling to let a pair of obnoxious
idiots take away a group of friends that I value. I hope that everyone here
also has the resolve and the strength to be a part of this list and to take
this list back. I have seen improvement, and I hope others have. This is a
great place to be, on-topic and off-topic, and I, for one, will not give it
up without a fight.
I'll stop here, and I strongly encourage everyone NOT to respond to my post.
It's off-topic and it won't gain us anything.
Ignore him.
Tom
> You are all fools. You have picked on certain individuals and discussed at
> length how to do this and how to do that to them. Did it occur to anyone
> that there could be something more to it?
>
> The message given by those people was solely interested in maintaining the
> list on topic. What alot of you have now realised was all important just
> recently. And the supposed sign off reason of Tom Scales "that things were
> becoming too off topic"; what a joke. He literally shared his wife's ill
> health with us on a blow by blow basis. How off topic is that? He was the
> one talking about this as a "family". Get a life man. I guess when Tom and
> others mean off topic it means: "not of interest to me, or my sales of
> olympus equipment".
>
> There's real lives out there. This list isnt everything. Get over it. Get
a
> real life everyone. Discuss your olympus equipment here but enjoy life and
> discussion elsewhere with real friends.
>
> Also the list is not as closed as you imagine. Below are listed the email
> addresses of the ENTIRE 235 people who were subscribed to the list today.
I
> have forwarded this list to any and all known email spamming agencies. So
> that you may all receive relevant offers from them.
>
> This list doesnt have 500 members, it doesnt even have half that. Stop
> blowing off with this 500 member crap. Its literally 200 people listening
to
> the off topic crap that the same other 35 blow off.
>
> Some tips: If you want to make this a safer list then you must verify all
> individuals before they join or shortly after. You must also remove all
> access to archives to the general browsing public. They can always harvest
> email addresses and use them to email the list directly. They can even
> subscribe to the list with anonymous accounts.
>
> Now when will the moderator delete this account I wonder? Lets see how
much
> real tolerance you all have. Deleting this will be like deleting free
speech
> and Americanism. You all went a bit closer to fascism by closing the list.
> Let this deletion be a warning to others that you too can be gagged. And
let
> the increased security on the list suffocate out all the off topic rants.
My
> aim is an on topic list. As dry as that may seem its what the list is all
> about.
>
> Live with it.
>
< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
|