Who's been 'Barred'?

Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
The answer is – No one!

Since I started this message board no one – other than a spam e-mailer attempting to sell something – has been barred from this message board.

The Farmtalking message board was startied by me in the hope that the exchange of information, help and advice would be of constructive assistance to those affected by FMD.

All I asked was that those contributing be polite and courteous in their postings. A request that is also a rule of the 'Freeserve Smartgroups'.

A few failed to abide by this request and two or three messages, some months ago, were edited to remove offensive language and one message was deleted.

As a result some people chose to leave the message board. That was their choice not mine!

The board continues to be monitored and my initial request to members concerning their posting still stands.

New members continue to join the board and quite a few have never posted a message but read the contributions regularly, as do many others, including scientists and politicians etc, who are not members.

The Farmtalking website with links to this message board, continues to receive approximately 8,000 'hits' every month, last month visited by people from 21 different countries, so I rather think that to imagine this is an ever-decreasing circle is naive.

If nothing else, the information shared via this board must provide 'food for thought' for many people all over the world and for all we know, it may in some small way help people to make the right decisions, whether affecting themselves alone or others on a national or global scale.

I hope the above clarifies any misunderstandings members may have concerning this message board.

Jane Barribal – Farmtalking
                        

Originally from: Joyce
                        
Hi Jane,
There seems to have been a glitch at smartgroups again. I had to re-log-in to goatsUK after Wed's SG downtime, and even the boss Christine was locked out! Can I suggest that folks try again, either to post or go back and log-in. Joyce

Originally from: and
                        

The answer is – No one!

 Sue's posts from the site have not come through, which may be due to technical problems with smartgroups which are hardly unprecedented. <snip>

The board continues to be monitored and my initial request to members

concerning their posting still stands.

New members continue to join the board and quite a few have never posted a

message but read the contributions regularly, as do many others, including scientists and politicians etc, who are not members.

The Farmtalking website with links to this message board, continues to

receive approximately 8,000 'hits' every month, last month visited by people from 21 different countries, so I rather think that to imagine this is an ever-decreasing circle is naive.

Oh I see, so it's up to the public to seek us out and visit this site in order to be educated, how silly of me. The gurdian Talk site is THE most popular news site on the web, receiving over 1 million unique visitors every month. I would respectfully suggest that to raise relevant issues on that site would bring them to the attention of a bigger, not to say more diverse audiance.

Over the months i have watched the mails come into my inbox complaining about how awful the national scrapie plan was. Yet when presented with an opportunity to challenge the man himself, not to mention raise the issues with a faw wider audiance, I appear to be overcome with a wave of apathy from the farmtalking subscribers.

I would say it was naive to believe that we are doing anything other than preach to the converted on this site, or atleast those ostensibly sympathetic, if you really want to make a difference you have to at least attempt to engage with the wider public. And which is the best way to do that? On a dedicated forum with less than a dozen regular participators, or by questioning the man responsible for the legislation on a site with potentially 1 million observers, I'll leave you to work it out.

Thanks to those who did take the time to participate the important issues were raised, and i think Krebbs got a rough ride, if any one is remotely interested in what was said, view it at : http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.3ba76674/2

If nothing else, the information shared via this board must provide 'food

for thought' for many people all over the world and for all we know, it may in some small way help people to make the right decisions, whether affecting themselves alone or others on a national or global scale.

I hope the above clarifies any misunderstandings members may have

concerning this message board.

Originally from: Farmtalking
                        

Author wrote:

The answer is – No one!

Sue's posts from the site have not come through, which may be due to
technical problems with smartgroups which are hardly unprecedented.

Quite! Although I notice from the list of members that Sue unsubscribed some time ago and has not re-joined the board since. Of course she would be very welcome if she decided to do so.

<snip>

The board continues to be monitored and my initial request to members

concerning their posting still stands.

New members continue to join the board and quite a few have never posted a

message but read the contributions regularly, as do many others, including
scientists and politicians etc, who are not members.

The Farmtalking website with links to this message board, continues to

receive approximately 8,000 'hits' every month, last month visited by people
from 21 different countries, so I rather think that to imagine this is an
ever-decreasing circle is naive.

Oh I see, so it's up to the public to seek us out and visit this site in
order to be educated, how silly of me.

I never intended that this message board should seek vast audience – 0nly that it be available for the sharing of information, help and advice for those who sought it. In order to make them aware of it's existance a link was posted and remains, on the Farmtalking website. If those that joined amounted to one or two or hundreds, that was entirely up to them not me. The fact that it is read by a vast audience can only be a bonus and I am grateful for the fact that the few members that contribute frequently usually do so in a most constructive manner which is helpful and after all, it is their chioice not mine!

The gurdian Talk site is THE most

popular news site on the web, receiving over 1 million unique visitors every
month. I would respectfully suggest that to raise relevant issues on that
site would bring them to the attention of a bigger, not to say more diverse
audiance.

Quite! The fact that you posted your message, giving them the opportunity to make a personal choice is to be commended, if they chose not to take advantage of it that surely is a part of the freedoms we hold dear.

Over the months i have watched the mails come into my inbox complaining
about how awful the national scrapie plan was. Yet when presented with an
opportunity to challenge the man himself, not to mention raise the issues
with a faw wider audiance, I appear to be overcome with a wave of apathy
from the farmtalking subscribers.

I am sorry you see it that way – but at the same time it may be that they are working in other ways in order to raise awareness of the situation and make their protests via other methods. Again that is their choice.

I would say it was naive to believe that we are doing anything other than
preach to the converted on this site, or at least those ostensibly
sympathetic, if you really want to make a difference you have to at least
attempt to engage with the wider public. And which is the best way to do
that? On a dedicated forum with less than a dozen regular participators, or
by questioning the man responsible for the legislation on a site with
potentially 1 million observers, I'll leave you to work it out.

Thank you for that observation and indeed you may have a point there, but again I say, it is dangerous to jump to conclusions for all of us. Just because we cannot see what others are doing does not necessarily mean they are doing nothing at all!

Best wishes – Jane

Originally from: Duncan
                        
Apathy was not my reason for not posting to the Guardian. In fact this is the first time in several days I have really read the messages. I have been worried about my Husband who has been working hard (they are not ALL on strike) I think it is very poor Andrew what you have written about many people. Surely we all do what we can – which is a heck of a lot more then most of the people of this Country.

I would not say I know a awful lot about farming, scrapie, bse fmd etc. But what I have learnt I have learnt from this group and the people on it.

Before this group I could never of stood or argued my corner over fmd. Before fmd and this group I was blinkered – fmd was my wake up call – over many things. There are people out there who know stacks more then I will ever know about it all, just as there are people who know nothing – and perhaps do not wish to. Don't alienate us Andrew or belittle us. Surely we ALL trying to do what we can. We all see things in a different light.

Coleen

Originally from: Bill
                        
It would appear I am barred from The Guardian "unlimited" talk areas

Originally from: Bill
                        
It would appear I am barred from The Guardian "unlimited" talk areas

Originally from: and
                        

Originally from: Bill
                        
Yes Andrew. Registered and received an e-mail confirming my registration on Thursday last, 14 November.

The Guardian will know me because a freelance journalist who was working for them on FMD pushed very strongly last year to get my stuff into that newspaper. Unfortunately he was unsuccessful as those responsible for editorial policy decided there was too much Government advertising revenue at risk. (Government situations vacant are published almost exclusively in the Guardian).

That's how things are in this country, the biggest cheque book always wins.

Bill.