Truth is the reason for closing was petty and they know it. Petty and vindictive. They now try to put the repercussions of that choice as the cause of that choice instead of admitting they fucked up and are responsible for their own situation.
Here's an honest question for you (remember, I don't really care either way here):
Is it possible that the truth is somewhere in the middle? That what we have is ten years of perceived or real bitching and at least some serious stalking, AND a case of being human and having enough, and reacting like a human, full of flaws?
Not saying vindictiveness can't be a part of it. Of course it can. But I don't think any of this happened in a vacuum, isolated. To me it sounds as if it all added up and finally it all came down crashing.
I've met very few truly nasty and vindictive people over the years, but a whole lot of them who get things wrong, act spazzy and, above all, prioritise very differently from me.
That includes myself, but I'm not in the position to judge that because most of my past decisions made sense to me at least at some point.
Good question. Here is my honest answer. I think Amy is nuts and I think that the only reason that AFF managed to claw back activity and credibility was do to Nu. That guy after the exodus when about 50 + members were banned or left DUE to Amy having an Amy (and Gareth backing her).
Nu went back threw his pride away and copped a lot of shit to work with and for the forum. He ran it basically himself in the end and then announced his resignation. His presence there had kept Amy out of harm's reach.
With him gone she swagger back in and I figured it would all turn to shit pretty quickly. I was right. Amy had an Amy and Gareth backed Amy.
I think that Gareth is her co-dependant in this respect. Possibly being pushed into adult male role before he was ready by a middle-aged woman that was not his mother or guardian but an apparent equal partner, may have meant that he has missed something in normal emotional development or something. Who really knows?
As for whether it was the straw that broke the camel's back? Absolutely and not at all. I know that Gareth posted in his throw it at me thread of his ambivalence to teh forum and his want to give it to someone else to run. So that is fact. I know that recently he was saying that he is not wanting to find someone to sell it to or give it to and that he was all sad about it. Is THAT true too? So the straw that broke the camel's back is one way to term it, but I would more likely guess it was terribly convenient.
Remember, this is not the first time they have done this forum shut down this. It was all blamed on organised conspiratorial backstabbing trolls last time too. They then own up to nothing. The most I have ever had from Gareth is an admission that it was not their finest hour.
Fact is that if every time this happens, it can't be everyone else's responsibility BUT theirs. 50 people last time, 20 people this time. That logically suggest something a little different.
I do find humour in the outlandish efforts they go to, to back themselves.
So no this does not happen in a vacuum, but I think that in not the way you are thinking of this. I think that a month ago there was really no issue and everyone was relatively happy with everyone and everything. Not me of course, I am a cantankerous moody bastard but meh.
The catalyst was Amy coming back into the picture. Shit was going to go crazy from that point on.
