Cliques and cartels in Ripperology

[mariab]

No pressure then eh?

You said it! :-)
I was also very happy and honoured to have met and have walked around Whitechapel (including visiting The ten bells and Miller's Court, i.e., obviously, the spots where they used to be) with Rob Clack, John Bennett, Mark Ripper, and Andy Firth after the conference on September 26th, 2010.

We share an interest and enjoy each others company. Is that any different from Paul, Keith, Don, the late Melvin, Richard, Robin, Stewart or any of the greats meeting up over a pint, or at a BBQ?

Absolutely. And I wish I knew who Richard and Robin are. (As I'm still totally newbie/clueless with the older generation.)

As for the Dutfield Yard photo “controversy“, this is something that would NEVER happen in my own field (musicology). But we've had other ugly occurencies. (For instance, how about putting out someone else's book as a reprint, without their knowledge, under a misleading title – such as, say, The C5 – crimes by JTR? for a book concentrating on, say, Berner Street? And yes, there's been a lawsuit and a prestigious German Press went down as a result of this, which forced me into changing the Press for my upcoming book, even if completely uninvolved in the quarrel. Only my boss was.)

To DrHopper:
My post #15 is meant ironically for most of it (i.e., for the offensive part of it). And believe me, it's safer for you to not know to what I'm referring. ;-)

[Chris]

What prompted the posting was simply that something as simple as the addition of some red lines to an already contentious document can cause the ripperological world, at least online, to revert to a seeming default of civil war. Much like one of those African states that the moment something happens to the government, old tribal instincts pick up and before you know it, there are massacres and all sorts of nonsense.
Believe me, as an outsider of sorts, this kind of rubbish is insane.

To some extent I think all online discussion forums suffer from precisely that problem (unless they are very strictly moderated, and that kind of cure can easily become worse than the disease). But I do think it's important to bear in mind how few people were involved in the real hostilities on that thread - only a tiny proportion of the total number who post on Casebook.

[Tom_Wescott]

An Observation

I notice sometimes that a newbie will suddenly start posting about all the fights and name calling, etc., at a time when it's been relatively peaceful for weeks or even months. I think this is because the newbies are reading back on long threads or old threads and are becoming exposed to fights that the rest of us have forgotten about. LOL. The fights are new to them and might even be a bit shocking, so they react as soon as anything resembling discourse occurs.

Again, I'm not saying this is the case with Doc, but it would explain some of the strange occassional outbursts we see from newbies.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[mariab]

Who's Debra Arif?

I SO knew you would come up with something like this, it's kinda like your standard joke. Can it be that my “controversial“ posts #15 and #20 are an indirect influence from your twisted style rubbing off on me – or something?

[Tom_Wescott]

I've no doubt you'd love me to rub off on you, Maria, but that would only make Ally jealous and catty, and having her in my clique is the only thing that has kept me from being banned all these years.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Natalie Severn]

Hi Monty,
I have tried to make myself clear----jibes about photoshop yes,a hoax no.But heck it was all such a real shame ,all of it. Lets move on.......don"t you just love Tom Monty?
Cheers,
Norma

[Ally]

I've no doubt you'd love me to rub off on you, Maria, but that would only make Ally jealous and catty, and having her in my clique is the only thing that has kept me from being banned all these years.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

If ever there was proof I have no power it's that your sexist pig ass wasn't tossed to the curb long ago. Dammit. D

[Monty]

Hi Monty,
I have tried to make myself clear----jibes about photoshop yes,a hoax no.But heck it was all such a real shame ,all of it. Lets move on.......don"t you just love Tom Monty?
Cheers,
Norma

No, he stated Philip had hoaxed it with photoshop. I recall it clearly.

No, I dont love Tom. Those rumours are unfounded.

Monty

[Scorpio]

I notice sometimes that a newbie will suddenly start posting about all the fights and name calling, etc., at a time when it's been relatively peaceful for weeks or even months. I think this is because the newbies are reading back on long threads or old threads and are becoming exposed to fights that the rest of us have forgotten about. LOL. The fights are new to them and might even be a bit shocking, so they react as soon as anything resembling discourse occurs.

Again, I'm not saying this is the case with Doc, but it would explain some of the strange occassional outbursts we see from newbies.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

How many posts does it take to be considered a non-newbie? i wander.

[Tom_Wescott]

No, I dont love Tom. Those rumours are unfounded.

Ever since I accused Monty of faking orgasms. AP Wolf backed me up.

How many posts does it take to be considered a non-newbie? i wander.

3,197.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[mariab]

But I do think it's important to bear in mind how few people were involved in the real hostilities on that thread - only a tiny proportion of the total number who post on Casebook.

The problem, I'm afraid, is not about the newbies being shocked or about how few people are involved in the real hostilities. What concerns me is that ill-timed exchange in the threads might have immediate and severe repercussions on the sources' availability. And that's very unfortunate, in my book. As the sources is the only thing I care about, really.

Tom Wescott wrote:
I've no doubt you'd love me to rub off on you, Maria, but that would only make Ally jealous and catty, and having her in my clique is the only thing that has kept me from being banned all these years.
You're welcome to try, but you should know I'm quite a bit thorny at times, so, proceed at your own risk.
Ally wrote:
If ever there was proof I have no power it's that your sexist pig ass wasn't tossed to the curb long ago. Dammit.
Maybe I've been warned about his sexist pig ass by “the majority who talk crap behind the backs of others, with much whine from this grapevine“, to quote him.

[mariab]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scorpio
How many posts does it take to be considered a non-newbie? i wander.

3,197.

He's just trying to appear younger, is all.

[Tom_Wescott]

I'm sure of that, Maria. The girls around here are worse than a sewing circle. Who's a sexist pig? Certainly not me.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Monty]

Youre the only one I ever had to fake it with Tom.

Monty

[Tom_Wescott]

Weird. Look at my last two posts. BOTH say post 3,196. I wonder what this one will say? Am I forever condemned to be a newbie...and by my own hand?

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott