The English Forum Today

[Lynn]

Dear EFers

I have mulled over this post for a while now. I have multiple drafts and keep going back and forth about posting this...

For those of you who have been on the EF prior to Mark's sudden and tragic death you will be aware of some of the points or issues I am about to raise. Those of you who have not, well, feel free to read on but you may or may not understand what I am about to say.

Mark's untimely death in March has thrown the Forum off balance. For a while, it was unclear as to the future of the English Forum, the ownership and other legalities and technicalities. I, as one of its founding members alongside Mark, felt very passionately that this, his legacy should survive and continue to grow and flourish. I watched the forum grow and become successful and saw the many late nights and the hours and hours of time Mark invested in it. It has felt as though the survival of the EF was one of the last pieces of my former life with Mark I had left.

As the weeks and months passed I struggled to understand what was happening on the forum. I often ended up feeling "left out of the loop". Pieces of information were hinted at but things were not explained and yet there seemed to be expectations of what I was supposed to do or be doing. Despite asking for clarification on technical requirements asking what I could do to help maintain the forum, I received little to no information.

This keeping me in the dark has further culminated in my rights to view certain parts of the forum (from the banal off topic chit chat through to the staff sections which I used to be able to access) has taken on rather a childish course. Furthermore, this attitude has swept over to comments being made to people in face to face situations about me and my "actions".

To receive this kind of petty disrespectful treatment, after my many efforts to help and support the admins and moderators resulted in my decision to leave the English Forum. I am sure, you can understand how deeply hurt and angered I am by all of this.

I have not been able to do this one last thing for Mark. I was unable to maintain his legacy. I have had to watch as his hard work was washed away and ruined. I am utterly disgusted, disappointed but above all, heartbroken.

[Lynn88]

Lynn, I am truly sorry for your loss and will really miss your posts in the forum if you really decide not to take part anymore.

[kalahari Girl]

I agree with Lynn88, I enjoyed your posts...

[NatsBrit]

Hi Lynn

I am really saddened to read your post.

I do not contribute often and have never met you but it still saddens me that in your time of need "we" have disappointed you and I am sure that I'm not alone in saying that if there is anything we can do to keep you, please let us know.

I must admit that I also feel that EF has changed but continue to hope that it will either return to where it was (which I doubt because EF WAS Mark and without him it cannot be the same) or settle down into a "better" rhythm.

Good Luck and remember that many of us remember Mark and cannot begin to understand how your life has changed this year.

Kind regards
Nats

[Lynn]

	Quote:	NatsBrit
	I do not contribute often and have never met you but it still saddens me that in your time of need "we" have disappointed you and I am sure that I'm not alone in saying that if there is anything we can do to keep you, please let us know. I must admit that I also feel that EF has changed but continue to hope that it will either return to where it was (which I doubt because EF WAS Mark and without him it cannot be the same) or settle down into a "better" rhythm.

I would like to just add, I have been amazed at the support I received from those who I never met, nor have they met Mark. Sadly, I expected that warmth and support from those who had and who should have been able to maintain the forum in Mark's vision.

I continued to support the admins and moderators as I fully appreciate the thankless task they do. However, their actions have shown little respect to my efforts and what is worse in my opinion, the respect towards Marks work erroded. And that is the reason for my disappointment.

For those who have been a godsend and support, in the months when I really needed you, and didn't even know you... Thank you. Your actions were what could be interpreted as Mark's legacy

[sharon]

Lynn

Thats such a shame. I never met you or Mark but it seems that things must be really bad if you are leaving EF - we'll miss you!

Its been a horrible year for you - I hope next year is miles better

S

[Oldhand]

Dear Lynn

I cant get my head round what I've just read and I'm sure many more members will be just as confused. I hope you find the strength and courage to get through this latest blow and continue to be the brave woman that I admire and respect.

Lynn

[Castro]

Dear Lynn, I hope you will reconsider.

I fear we are getting closer than ever to losing this wonderful forum. I wish there was something us common or garden members could do to make things better.. donations, help out etc.. because once its gone, its gone

[Sutter]

I have read this, and re-read it and i could not post before because i was too upset, and lost for words. Lynn i fully respect your decision, and i can understand why you want to leave as i also noticed a change in the forum. I also agree with you that it is Marks Legacy, and it is ashame it is no longer the same because he his no longer with us to look after it. But it breaks my heart that you are leaving the forum, because you are a big part of it, and you will be missed very much. I really wish you would reconsider, and stay on the EF.

Lynn,
I don't pretend to understand what's going on behind the scenes but whatever it is, it's very sad to see you go like this.

[jacek]

Dear Lynn,

Do not give up on us and please reconsider your decision

[Hsiang]

Hi Lynn,

i hope you realise the common member knows a lot less than you. I bet anyone who's read the OP is going I sure as hell am! that said, please do stay. and...

	Quote:	Castro
	I wish there was something us common or garden members could do to make things better.. donations, help out etc.. because once its gone, its gone

...what he said.

[mannie organ]

Hi Lynn,
I really wish you would reconsider I think you are very valuable member. I hope as we have not heard from any Mods that they are all without exceptions pm'ing you.
Regards Annie

[PlantHead]

Lynn I'm lost...are you attacking the current moderators and the actions they have taken? or are you saying the direction the forum is being taken by the posters is contrary to Mark's vision?

[mannie organ]

	Quote:	PlantHead
	Lynn I'm lost...are you attacking the current moderators and the actions they have taken? or are you saying the direction the forum is being taken by the posters is contrary to Mark's vision?

From my understanding Lynn is feeling left out as she is not being informed of things happening behind the scenes. Please forgive me if I am completly wrong.

[goodhill]

Why does it have to be this way? The ones responsible, please just own up (either to the affected parties) or rethink your own actions.

[Papa Goose]

	Quote:	PlantHead
	Lynn I'm lost...are you attacking the current moderators and the actions they have taken? or are you saying the direction the forum is being taken by the posters is contrary to Mark's vision?

I think someone so core to the creation of the EF has every right to express her feeling, and our responsibility is to listen and accept it, not to question it. I have seen a difference in the forum from this side, from Lynn's side there is clearly something amiss, so much so that she feels she must walk away....so sad, but whatever you decide Lynn I wish you well.

[barryinc]

I have never met Lynn or Mark but am truly sorry for you Lynn. First for your loss of Mark and then for whatever has went on behind the scenes to you that seems unfair. It would be a shame for this wonderful forum to be lost because of a few people who will not communicate with you. I hope that this will get resolved so we can continue to see this wonderful creation Mark has left for us grow into the future.

[PlantHead]

	Quote:	Papa Goose
	I think someone so core to the creation of the EF has every right to express her feeling, and our responsibility is to listen and accept it, not to question it. I have seen a difference in the forum from this side, from Lynn's side there is clearly something amiss, so much so that she feels she must walk away....so sad, but whatever you decide Lynn I wish you well.

I asked a question, which hasn't been answered.
If you wish to listen to everything you are told and never ask a question that's your business, not mine.

Personally this thread seems counter productive. If Lynn has problems with the moderators that are insolvable, then so it goes, posting about it doesn't help matters or fix the "problems" with the forum.
These "problems" seem to have been going on long enough, drama out of a crisis springs to my mind.
If people keep banging on like this and in the same rut, then the forum will go, which would be a helluva shame. There is far too much useful information here to let it be ruined by in fighting, petulant adolescent angst or cheesy back slapping (cheers GG)
Bored house wives prattling on about fluffeh is one thing, but internal destruction of what's left is entirely different and I wish it would stop.
The forum is a good social thing, and a massive source of information for people settling into Switzerland, and that seems to have been forgotten.
All this rubbish about visions and aims seems a little useless if it means the forum gets switched off.
The real danger here is of course that the server this lot is running on gets no support or maintenance/ backups and the whole lot is lost the next time something breaks. Attacking the people looking after the whole lot isn't going to motivate them to keep it all going (for free), Lynn's post seems to be doing this rather nicely.


That's why I asked the question, I wanted clarification on who was being criticised and why, it seemed important to me.

[alaind]

That's a pretty sad story. As a user who enjoys this place a lot, I think we owe a lot both to Mark and to the current admin team.

I know this is not a democracy, and that whoever owns the forum can do pretty much what he wants with it, however this is also a community and this community deserves some explanations of what's going on both with overall forum leadership, and specifically about the situation with Lynn.