Boredom

FredL

When I first began participating in BonsaiTalk about 2 years or so ago, after having a bad experience at Garden Web, I found it very interesting. Alot of it had to do with the participation of Walter Pall. He, more or less, set the tone here and an extraordinarily genial and stimulating tone it was. Everybody respected Walter. For me it was close to veneration. Not just for his knowledge of Bonsai but for his intellect and his character and personality. Oh, he had his quirks, like his silly stuff about Americans being unduly sensitive to honesty, or discourtsey, depending on which side of the table you were sitting at, but, across the board, he was, and is, really an extraordinary presence here. Everybody profted enormously from seeing how he role-modelled how communication at a bonsai forum should take place.

He hasn't been around much lately and a young man who joined us in April has, more or less taken his place, not really as a person commanding a whole lot of respect but as a person pretty much dominating the conversation. He has an opinion on everything and seeming unlimited amounts of time to devote to expressing his opinion on everything. I find myself wondering whether he goes to school or has a job like other people. Myself, I'm retired, but for sheer volume, I sure can't match him.

I started out disliking him when he jumped all over me early in his time here. As time went on, I progressed to a degree of detatchment. Increasingly, I found him, and the entire forum, which increasingly seems dominated by his agenda, simply boring. I no longer go to this forum first thing in the morning, but come to it increasingly infrequently, mostly to confirm I just don't find it very interesting anymore. I don't like to contribute to it because I don't find that the responses are very interesting anymore and I'm always expecting one from our new leader that leaves me wishing I hadn't said anything in the first place.

Well, all good things must come to an end, I guess. As well as, "This, too shall pass".

Now, I don't want this to be interpreted as a dramatic "I quit! If I can't have my way, I'm taking my toys and leaving!". No, it's just a weary confession that I no longer find BonsaiTalk all that interesting and I'm unable to overcome the lethargy that it now inspires in me. If I see something that interests me, I'll comment. It's just that I don't really expect to see much of that anymore. And, If I feel something really needs to be said. I'll say it. It's just that the cost of doing that is now so steep that I don't really expect to pay it very often any more.

My best to all of you, Fred

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grampz

Mr Fred,

I for one would like to thank you for this post...I was almost sure I was the only one with these feelings...Now I know there are at least two of us...I was beginning to think that perhaps this new member you speak of was really the new 'messiah of bonsai', and I was just too stupid to realize his real value...I have noticed he is always right about everything, and if you disagree he will simply outpost you to prove you wrong...At first I thought we just had another 'forum post count monger' amoung us, but now I believe we have a much more serious 'ego' problem here...

I will continue to check this forum daily in the hope things will return to somewhat like they have been in the past...I sincerely hope you will continue to do the same...There is still a lot of valuable information being shared on this forum...We just have to wade through a whole lot more BS to find it...

Regards
Behr

RonMartin(deceased)

Good God I hope this thread goes away.
What possible good can come from it. Its silly, useless and for the most part just plain stupid.
You guys are embarrassing yourselves.

pdbbonsai

Why would you even concider posting this? If ya have something to contribute, do so. If ya want to check in from time to time, go for it. If your bored, find another hobby. I myself have seen this forum morph over the last couple years, I still find what I am looking for here. With or without the likes of Andy, Al, Walter, Rip or the many other faces here.

No need to point fingers at who ruined the pudding. Things change on their own accord, as many people discover this forum, they make it their own, and contribute what they can, that is the beauty of it.

I cannot believe that you are laying this out on one person. Its negative attitudes like this one Fred that pull this forum down to the level of decline you are stating..in the future, leave it go unsaid. And Ron is right, this thread needs to go. Unfortunately, comments like mine, are going to keep it alive. For this I apologize. But I cannot let this thread go with out commenting. I have a 1000 plus posts......does that mean I contributed to the decline as well?

Paul

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It is essential to experience all the times and moods of one good place. (Thomas Merton)

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