I realised exactly WHY Skyblue has decided to do this. OK sue me for being so slow of the mark but I failed to see that he would be so petty. Ready to laugh OR alternatively please feel free to shake your head at the thought that a man old enough to be my Father (yes I am turning 43 and I mean that quite literally - my father is his age) would this blatantly petty.
The self-styled Resident Silverback no less, degrading himself into a little petty bitch.
I could not quite work out what was the catalyst from being sad and butthurt to throwing caution to the wind and now I have got it. That crucial bit from September 6 - October 31.
READY???
Skyblue sent me a PM on here asking if I wanted to combine the boards. He waited for the best possible time (my forum went down for two days due to a hacking attempt) AND I politely rescinded his offer and wished him the best. That was on September 26.
So he filled his time in the next month spreading lies and rumours and hearsay in an attempt to discredit and smear my forum.
Well I think at least this is his base intent.
"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." It was penned by William Congreve, 1670-1729But leading on from this something a little more desperate too. Something that an insecure, desperate little man may concern himself with.
It started coming together
....I have granted cynara permission to open and close the board. That in case I get suicidal again and close it down. My fees are paid for two years (cheaper than what you say you are paying for one year) so AFN will continue busy or not, with or without me, for some time to come.....
This part of his quote seemed strangely redundant. Had I questioned how long it would be up or running? Or perhaps if he would be around the site or not? Or perhaps questioned how busy it was? No so where was this connection?
It only REALLY makes sense IF there was either an existing conversation about these things, which there was not OR HE was worried about these things and wanted to reassure himself.
if viewed in light of him a month ago requesting he join me, it makes more sense doesn't it?
Why?
...... In that Sky started off announcing that I was going to start my own forum and have it up in 24 hours and so on. It was the first I knew. Having experienced difficulties of his own in getting it up and running and being that he alone had access to the email addresses and was Admin of the temp forum full of ex-AFF'ers and I was no longer a member there, it was him setting me up to either fail or scramble back to him to ask to be retained as his dutiful lackey an apologise for my impatience.
He failed......
I was being a little modest. I have not only not failed but I am doing great and have a good atmosphere and culture, I am very active, i have great plans and happy members.
I can tell you, not that it matters much to me (but it obviously does to Skyblue), that we opened one week apart and with he having the obvious advantages listed, over me.
I am closing in on 19000 posts
He is slowly pushing to 8500 posts
I am not that interested in his forum and if it does well it is a "Yay Neurodiversity Activism" moment and if it dies in the arse, it is a "Oh well, could be worse, could be me" moment
This is why it was enough for him to overreact from me doing a very polite (considering he had been an arsehole and I had kindly let him just do his own thing) rebuke. Why it matters enough to smear my forum and try to discredit me and the forum. Why it matters so much.
The irony is that I could not give a shit about his forum. Apart from a few very noticeable exceptions, I would not wish the company of most of those on there that are not already active members with me. I certainly do not covert the site. Nor have I really focused on it.
To ask me to combine forums with his forum and to make that otherwise redundant comment, he is defensive over the lack of activity and success of his own forum and wants to bring me down to his level.
Petty does not describe the level of epic fail.
Funny though.