It strikes me that at least a few members of this site (having sweated honestly for a significant slice of their existence, in order to achieve true freedom through the bounteous miracle that is consistently profitable trading) have at last, to mention but one benefit, earned the right to exempt themselves from the often pernicious, circular and soul-destroying office politics that can undermine constructive endeavours in the conventional workplace. At this point of personal achievement, I'd have naively imagined that a welcome respite on one's laurels would be in order: a thick skin has been duly grown and there is nothing left to prove, except to oneself.
Yet, incredibly, having surmounted a devious and difficult obstacle - and having been granted a priceless and rare luxury - they still cannot resist finding another medium in which to involve themselves in these destructive politics, of which one is this site, specifically a few particular threads therein. I simply do not understand this mentality and I probably never will.
This is a largely anonymous internet forum and to be frank I am amazed by the number of seemingly mature, dedicated, well-educated and intelligent individuals who seem to devote a significant proportion of their time to the acrimonious splitting of hairs, defamations of character and miscellaneous negativity (all of which oft pervade the very working environments that we have all tried so desperately to escape).
I may be naive, complacent, ignorant or indeed cynical - I've no idea, given my confused interpretation of the context - but this state of affairs nevertheless breaks my heart and leads me to believe that continuing my duty as a moderator is a somewhat worthless endeavour.
In my nascent, perhaps idealistic, role of "moral guardian" I sincerely believed that it was possible for the members of a site such as this to be able to discuss trading in a civilised, pertinent, open-minded manner, without the perennial blight of the next, oh-so-predictable "You are a **** but I'll say it subtly" post; our job was simply to remove the screamingly obvious bad elements, such as serial spammers, dishonest vendors, the vociferously rude, bitter and envious etc. Yet I am beginning to believe that, even given the removal of the obvious, the dark side of human nature will always ensure that this ideal is unachievable. What a pity.
Perhaps in any situation - however unconventional - humans naturally seek the establishment of some kind of pecking order, however at odds the means used may seem to be with the ideals that are ostensibly being embraced.
Despite my usual level of bombast that yet again obscures what I really mean, I stand shoulder to shoulder with Rossored whose post imho is neither naive nor cynical, just straight to a rather obvious point that many seem to miss in their quest to pick repeatedly at the pointless, while perhaps forgetting why they're members of this site in the first place.
This post is not directed at anyone in particular - believe me - rather it is simply a culmination of the depression that I feel when encountering the same old trivial **** time and time again. I am not taking sides for or with anyone.
As Arabella Weir might say in the Fast Show: "No offence." And, hey, it's a Bank Holiday. Relax a little, people, for the love of Roast Beef
