birding-aus

The Decline of BA

To: Jenny Spry <>
Subject: The Decline of BA
From: John Leonard <>
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 2016 02:28:18 +0000
Just to qualify, by 'robust response' I meant a reply that disagreed with me 
without being very roundabout, certainly nothing that has made me angry or made 
me think less of the poster.

What you report is obviously in a different league.

John Leonard

> On 5 Jan 2016, at 11:43 am, Jenny Spry <> wrote:
>
> Hi  John and B-A,
>
> In the context of this discussion I think the phrase "robust responses" could 
> have something to do with the problem. Maybe it is all in the interpretation, 
> and how the receiver feels about getting "robust responses". Oh, and please 
> don't read any of the following as a general comment on the 99% of wonderful 
> and very interesting B-A contributors, the people currently in this thread - 
> this is for the 1% who do act as trolls, and so far they have not joined in.
>
> If I am sent a "robust response" in public I am unlikely to make another post 
> so as to avoid a second such response. When it is sent to me in private I 
> feel especially threatened; I had one case where I replied to the sender 
> requesting that he never contact me again and his reply was that that was not 
> possible because he sent so many emails he would never be able to remember 
> who had asked him not to send emails; and that was when I dropped out of B-A. 
> Sigh.
>
> In general it is interesting to me that "sledging" and "robust communication" 
> are now seen as being acceptable forms of communication. And I do think that 
> there is a gender difference (not "sexist") in how communications are sent 
> and received. Male to male "sledging" and "robust communication" seems, to me 
> anyway, to be a form of verbal jousting, a challenge to be met and engaged 
> with. When it is male to female, for me anyway, it is an attack. When it is 
> female to male it seems, to me anyway that, by the "trolls", the woman will 
> be branded as a "F***king Witch".
>
> Maybe you are right, maybe trolls do only attack women, or perhaps when the 
> trolls attack men it is read as just "robust communication" or "sledging". 
> Who knows. So much in communication styles have changed and possibly 
> (probably) over the decades I have not changed with them.
>
> I will try putting up a few trip reports again but should I get a "sledging" 
> or "robust communication" in private I will post the offending email on B-A 
> and drop out again.
>
> I am going to drop out of the thread now before I attract a troll (smile).
>
> cheers
>
> Jenny
>
>
>
>> On 5 January 2016 at 10:44, John Leonard <> wrote:
>> Hi Jenny
>>
>> I am astonished and saddened to hear of your BA experiences.
>>
>> I have been a reader and contributor to BA for 20 years, and in that time 
>> have made my views known on a number of topics,  but during all that time I 
>> have not received a single email of an abusive nature. (There have been a 
>> few robust responses to my contributions, but only sent to the group as a 
>> whole).
>>
>> Is it that trolls only target women?
>>
>> Anyway, I'm sorry we do not now have your contributions because of his 
>> harassment.
>>
>>
>> John Leonard
>>
>
>
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