Well the “usual vultures” are out in style, & sadly that group is sliding into anarchy. I won’t quote any of the slanging match comments on my blog, many are disgusting & derogatory. The vultures seem to get a kick out of verbally eating people alive. The other day I was judged & abused on a personal level by a bloke who should’ve known better, it was too much for me & I left the group. And yes, you know who you are – someone I considered as a friend… (There’s 4 of us gone within 48 hours).
Fortunately non of the “vultures” are bloggers, from experience I’ve learned we are a different species altogether. Altogether being the appropriate word, because we are a diverse community of boaters yet we still get along, there is no abuse, nothing resembling it. In summary I like to think we all respect each other & it shows…
Yesterday I felt very sorry for Alan Fincher who’s standing for CART as a candidate he was invited to represent himself within the group, so people could get some idea of his background, his principles & his reasons for putting himself forward & he got eaten alive…
There are around 200 members in that group, with about 10 bad apples & they literally take over with their scathing comments. One of whom doesn’t even own a boat…
But whatever was said to me is of no consequence when it comes down to the fact that The Boaters Manifesto was started by Peter Underwood, & several other boaters contributed towards its content. It was then presented to the Trustees for approval. As yet, several of the key points within the Manifesto have been approved, which is a good start from a boaters point of view – or should be... After all it was created by boaters – for boaters…
My main concern is that if any of the Trustees see what’s happening on the Boater’s Manifesto Facebook group – with all the aggression & lack of consideration for others points of view they’d be horrified. There is nothing constructive on there & it could even give us all a bad name. If I’d created that group – I’d have taken it down a while ago. Peter has retreated into the shadows on there, he’s tried to calm things down, but I suspect he’s given up…
I don’t know who set up the group, perhaps someone else does…? I’ll leave a message on Peter’s Farcebook wall. I’d really like to speak to that person & ask them why on earth they haven’t blown it into the ether by now…
10 comments:
It was brave of Alan to chance his arm there. I have been asked my views on the manifesto - which I broadly support - but my reservations are how we realise the aims.
This election isnt bringing out the best in some quarters.
Heth,
It's politics, isn't it? Not exactly eaten alive, although they do seem a bit determined in the Boater's Manifesto group to now carry on fighting long after I have politely bowed out.
Very fair of you to mention me here though, and link to my site.
No surviving hard feelings towards anyone in that group, but if I'm allowed by you to say so on here, it looks like what might have been mainly a good idea, completely scuppered by the attitudes of those promoting the BM.
I accepted an invitation there, I didn't seek them out.
Best wishes, if anyone wishes to let me know what they think the priorities are, they can find me at my Facebook group, but I am not going to dissect the manifesto paragraph by paragraph, however much people want me to!
Regards,
Alan
Hi Andy,
Somewhere on there I managed to get a link to your statement page. I mentioned that you had a lot of support from the bloggers who knew you online.
One guy said he was glad of the link & then I got laid into again. So there's a link on there somewhere if any of them can be bothered to see it.
If you do get an invite to join, it's up to you, I can see how you must want to get your aims out there, but IMHO stick with the blog :-)
PS: I've just asked Peter Underwood who set up the group - not got a reply yet....
H
Hi Alan,
Glad you're ok, you're right, agreeing to every word of the Manifesto shouldn't be a precondition. Took me a while to realise what the hek they were on about!
Do they know it all / do they adhere to it steadfastly? I bet they don't even know any of it. And I'm sure politeness towards fellow boaters is mentioned somewhere in there..
Right, that's enough, stop it Heth!
Good luck, I'll be voting for both of you :-)
Joined one day, out the next. I agree, that group cannot be taken seriously now which is a shame for the amount of thought and effort that went into the Manifesto.
That is not the way to conduct things, no wonder the NABO candidate has said he will not discuss anything on social sites.
Alan Fincher was treated to a roasting which he didn't expect, all praise to him for his replies for so long. But enough was enough for him, he had no replies left at the abuse.
I think we need to look at the candidates through our own eyes instead of looking at them through a group like BM facebook for sure.
Trouble is finding out who they all are.
I wonder if groups like the Keennet & Avon Boaters or the London Boaters are going to have a candidate each?
I do hope the Council won't be swamped with single boat type users or that will leave me without a representative!
Hi Sue,
I agree, & am having difficulty working out whether different kinds of boaters are being compartmentalised by the new Trust. Or whether boaters are doing so themselves.
The Boaters Manifesto is now a mockery, I don't think anyone expected so much in-fighting. Even nominees have been accused of bias in their own favour. I'd like to think that isn't the case, because potential Trustees might focus on their own area & some stretches of the canal system are more populated than others = more votes!
H
Yes for sure, and that WILL be a problem not only for all boaters outside that clique but for the new Trust as well.
It is not inconceivable (sp?) that a huge group like the London Boaters or K&A Boaters get a couple of people in.
If that happens then there will be trouble!
Hi Sue,
I've suspected the same - London will be well looked after, it always is. Sod the rest of us. Hope I'm wrong, but as things stand it's inevitable!
H
I have yet to see evidence emerge of a candidate from London boaters, or K&A boaters, but one might expect it, I guess. Of course some of the K&A people are still firmly taking the "stop this going ahead" line, so might be less keen to actually do anything that embraces CaRT, even grudgingly ?
There is a candidate for the Lee & Stort, very much into local live-aboard boaters rights, but the feedback I'm getting is that there are plenty residentials on the L&S who don't want to be treated as special cases, and would rather sign up to the idea that we all need to be in there together, whether residential on a fixed mooring, CC, or leisure boaters, (my view).
Fortunately there do seem to be many that agree we are far better uniting in a common cause, than fighting each other, so I'm hoping those with very specialist areas of interest will not succeed, (I don't think they will).
On the other hand I'll freely admit that anyone standing truly independently, like me or Andy, has a huge task ahead to not be edged out by IWA, RBOA & NABO sponsored candidates. It doesn't mean we should not offer the alternative though, and I think boaters generally will be better represented for each of us that succeeds.
Couldn't agree more Alan, there seems to be plenty of "fragmentation" going on at the moment due to people being interested in their own patch rather than standing together regardless of location..
H
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