The Forum Is Back. But What Is Going On?

[ethernautrix]

Yeah. I'd noticed that, and so I'm wondering what's in it for the Andersons. Lisa's implication in the fb thread was that Dan hadn't attempted to reach Eric. Hm....

There is nothing in it for us. Nothing at all but a happy community. So many people were unhappy about the forum being down so we both (separately and unknowingly that the other was doing the same thing) contacted Eric to see if the forums could be brought back online. Eric has been and will always remain a very good friend. Lisa didn't say Dan hadn't attempted to reach Eric. Rather Eric was indeed accessible.

Ah. I see that I interpreted Lisa's comment as "Dan hasn't tried very hard to contact Eric, cos Eric is very accessible," which showed Dan in a negative light, rather than "Eric has ignored Dan's attempts to contact him" -- and he might be behaving unreasonably or not. Which brings me back to my original position, which is that I do not have enough information, and probably that information is none of my business. Unfortunately, putting the website and forum on a time-out (especially without warning) inevitably turned a private matter into a public spectaculation (portmanteau word I just created: spectacle + speculation).

I've been trying not to speculate out loud, but I'm not great at that; It leaks out here and there.

From a superficial point of view as a user, fpgeeks was running as usual (I hadn't been paying attention to the blog so much, until the LA Pen Show review, and even then my focus was on only that), then the long-absent owner returned and shut down access, and I couldn't help but wonder why the owner hadn't monitored the website even cursorily from abroad (knowing I'm inferring that he hadn't), and if he didn't like the direction of the blog, why he didn't intervene sooner. Was the administrator left alone to make decisions? Is the administrator a paid position or volunteer? Does this matter to, concern, affect me?

Well, I like Dan. I don't know him well, but I feel I know him better than I know Eric (who was absent for a couple of years), and by like, I mean I respect how he maintains and moderates the Forum. I'm not going to think badly of either Dan or Eric (my opinion's being worth oh just about nothing, just another voice whispering into the ether), unless it comes out that one of them is a bad, bad man. Hahaha, and I don't think that's true.

I am glad that the Forum is up and appreciate your intervention.

And, off-topic, when are you and Lisa bringing your Esterbrooks to Pen Show Poland?



(Laughing) I know. It's a long way for a show.

[ethernautrix]

Interesting.

Anyone else remember a time in the Pen Hobby before there were Forum Boards?

Yesterday I got a care package from a long time dealer in Texas. We chatted at a pen show, I mentioned I was looking for a few things. They showed up and I sent a letter back with a check in it. No email, no Paypal, no eBay, no boards, not even a phone call just pens. Makes be want to go fire up the B...

Farmboy

I remember those days, before February 2008. I had been alone in the pen wilderness for a couple of decades, unable to share my quirky fondness for pens with anyone while my purchases were treated as an inexplicable, albeit harmless, oddity. There was no one with whom I could share the frustration of well-meaning people (friends, co-workers) bringing me a bagful of disposable ballpoints with a huge, beneficent grin on their well-meaning faces, saying, "Here, I know you like pens" or the weird joy of how long it takes to determine which pens get to be in the current rotation or the confusion of what constitutes a user versus a collector (which, actually, I never considered this question prior to participating in fpn).

It was just me, on my own, sending leaky pens back to the manufacturer or suffering nibs that were not quite the size indicated on them and giving them away. Repair pens that manufacturers couldn't quite make right? What? Nib meisters? Vintage? NAKAYA?!

Yeah, I remember those days, and it's much better now. I started Pen Posse for face-time with my invisible pen friends from around the globe! So there is balance between the bytes and the beings, at least for me.


***And then I lost my Internet connection. ARGH! Thank goodness for auto-save.

Last point: Some folks can't easily make it to pen shows or gather pen nerds for a Pen Posse, so hooray for the Internet!

[Manny]

Why do you want to look away?

[Quantum Sailor]

I certainly don't know what's going on, and don't necessarily speak for anyone else. But my opinion is that the damage that Eric claims to be seeking to avoid has already happened to a certain extent. From the outside looking in, and I say that because while I have been somewhat active on the forum, and this is the only forum I would consider myself active on, you have one side is a person who has supposedly been mia for years coming back and trashing what has been done in the absence, backed or at least with a public support/who knows exactly what the relationship is pen company owner. I find some irony in that part of the situation. I'm not criticizing as I don't know anyone involved personally, I'm just taking what I have observed at face value making no assumptions. And then you have the other side who has apparently been putting the work in on the forum for the last few years, in accordance to guidelines or not, the work has been done. I don't know if there was a pay structure, what was said when one person went absent, any of that so again just at face value and the information I know, which is next to nothing.

Needless to say I'm watching and simply waiting to see what will happen. I have however lost some esteem for the board administration in the process already. It has come across as infighting and handled in a seemingly schoolyard immature way. I'm not sure if the esteem that has already dropped will return, I am sure that will come in time and however the situation is resolved.

If you look at my previous posts you will find that I have professed a great enjoyment of this board and the people in it, my esteem for the people in the board forums has not changed, I continue to find them to be very generous kind people and am glad to call myself a member/lucky to have met the people here in as much as I have met them.

So in conclusion of far too many words, I feel like the admins/owners/whoever is behind the scenes of this board has done a great disservice to the people of the FPGeeks community and done far more damage than a simple here is what's going on ever could have. Sides have been chosen already by some, and as more information comes to light if it comes to light will be chosen even more so. If it doesn't come to light my initial assessment will probably remain, which is unfortunate to me.

[Neo]

Why do you want to look away?

that is an assault on the ears!

[rpsyed]

Removed as it's been addressed earlier in the thread.

[Jon Szanto]

So there is balance between the bytes and the beings, at least for me.

That is a beautiful turn of phrase, and a prime example of why you are such a lovely part of this pen-world. I very much hope you make it to the SF Pen Show, Lisa.

[ethernautrix]

So there is balance between the bytes and the beings, at least for me.

That is a beautiful turn of phrase, and a prime example of why you are such a lovely part of this pen-world. I very much hope you make it to the SF Pen Show, Lisa.

Thanks, Jon. Blow it out your ass, wheeeee!




Hehehehehehehehe, hahahahahahaha - couldn't resist! See how NICELY I said it? It's practically a compliment! Hahaha!

In all seriousness, though, thank you, and that is the plan, SF Pen Show! Hope to see you there!

[Jon Szanto]

Bazinga! See You At The Sofitel!!

[L'ETALON]

Is there a simple explanation of what's going on?

Sure is. The reason will come clear in due time. We should all thank Eric for getting the forum back up, I just suggested it.

thanks to all ...for bringing FORUM back from the brink

[jfsisler]

[QUOTE=eriquito;118735]My thinking is in line with that of jfsisler - no one wants to know the truth. Knowing would only cause people to form opinions, make judgements, and take sides. I don't want that. All I've ever wanted is a fun place on-line where we could all happily geek out over fountain pens while waiting to attend the next pen show. I don't believe that's asking too much and I know it can be accomplished.



Thank you, Eric, for understanding where I am coming from. I have been put in the middle of disputes between friends enough to know that never ends well. I will continue to pray that this will end as well as it can.

[Uncle Bud]

Thanks Eric for getting this forum back. Surely there is something we all can do to ensure we survive. Given time we will all learn what is up and then as a community we will all work together to ensure fpgeeks remain a strong community. I'm sure we will be able to help sometime soon..

[manoeuver]

The only other item I would like address at this time is Tim Hofmann's beautifully disturbing diatribe. It's based on partial knowledge and much ignorance, but I will say this: I know Tim - and he would have been perfectly happy saying all of that to my face. For that, I salute him. Heck, I'd even hug him if I were at the Baltimore Pen Show. He's a good guy.

Eric, I just saw this. As you can imagine I'd like nothing more than to be proven terribly wrong. I return your salute, although sadly. See you at the next show.

[Woody]

Well, it is sad. I haven't commented because the forum is back. It's all about FPgeeks.com which I enjoyed very much. In fact I thought that Dan was the main man for the longest time - he did a LOT of work on the forum - and for people who have joined in the last year or two - Dan is the man. Having donated a couple of times because I really like the forum I do hope it all goes to keeping the forum up and running. And I do hope that Dan and Eric can get together and talk it out. I didn't see any problem at all with Dan noting that he fixed a few pens. After all nib masters don't grow on trees. But I do really miss fpgeeks.com and many others do as well.