For a variety of reasons, one being time, I don't contribute/read AHB much these days but when I do, it is always great to see some of the older posters still chugging along making a difference, in many different ways. There are also a few new guys I think who are doing the same.
Just a quick read through this thread from the start and some great names pop up...
MHB: Always excellent advice coming from a well-educated brewer. He's also never afraid to get into a scruff to try and get the right information across. Not an easy task. More often, risky! Definitely a bloke to listen to and/or enjoy.
Gryphon: Always provocative (eg, this thread - lol) but like MHB is a highly educated and accomplished brewer. A beer with Nev is always great fun and educational. Also like, MHB, he will do anything to get you brewing well.
Tony: I can't imagine AHB without Tony. It is a true pleasure corresponding with him if you get the chance and, if you read through his posts, they are always full of information that is based on his experience. He has a lot of experience and I can't remember him posting anything but sense, quality and friendship here.
manticle: manticle came on the scene just as I was heading out so I'm not sure if I have this right, but my
impression is that he goes out of his way to provide consistent, quality and detailed information. I am not totally sure of this as I only drop in from time to time. If he is, good on him and you newer members should acknowledge his effort and any others I am missing in this thread if you are reading it.
InCider: This guy is one of the nicest blokes around. He'll be the first to tell you he posts a lot of shit here but this guy has a great spirit and this contributes a lot. He is a very good thinker and some of the most compelling stuff I have seen written here has been written by him. Also some of the funniest. Choosing between him and Sqyre as to who is the funniest poster would be a hard call.
ThirstyBoy: Dan is totally passionate about handing the right sort of knowledge on. And he has some stamina - his posts are as long as mine! He's a guy that likes to be very precise, as I do, but this is very hard to do even in long posts! Dan and I have had pages of frustrating correspondence in the past arguing about even how a single word can be interpreted, or worse, misinterpreted. If you ever find a bad post by ThirstyBoy (this would be very hard), take the time to read a few of his posts before and you'll see a consistent pattern of dedication and quality. (If he and I have ever disagreed on anything, just remember,
I am right
.)
Batz: I remember heading off to my first swap and shitting myself because Batz would be there. I had the same impression of PostModern - another moderator. Batz might write briefly and bluntly at times but once you meet him (or PoMo), you realise what truly fun blokes they are. These guys knows about brewing, always have a heap on tap and will welcome anyone. If you ever get to visit the Bat Cave and get talking with Batz, you are in for a real treat especially if you have or enjoy a dry sense of humour. Certainly can't imagine AHB without Batz (or Doc). If you're reading this, you silly old bat, check your Batz2 email will ya!
TidalPete: Pete is another guy you need to meet in real life to get the full enjoyment. Pete's one of the many guys from QLD I really miss.
I've pretty much only commented on the names I have seen in this thread but there are many more. For example, just thinking through the mods, PintofLager is another that went to great lengths to help me out in my early days on this forum.
All of the above though I think have passion.
Most of the above have been around long enough to convert that passion into knowledge and many into wisdom. A couple give us rare glimpses into wisdom that is non brewing-related.
All of them have, what I think, is the "right" spirit. (Only one needs to lift a bit but I am not going there - lol. He has too much value off-forum.)
If all of us though posted in the right spirit 95% of the time and were forgiven our or forgave other's (tolerated, as InCider said) 5% of bad posts, then I think this forum would be more productive. People who bugger up more than 5% of the time need to be looked at. Those who do more need to be got rid of.
In the old days here, you could edit or delete your posts. If you were really bad, someone would usually quote your post and you would be pulled up and then you would have to justify your error/atrocity. You usually got time to breathe though. In those days, you'd see the occasional atrocity which would be apologised for
or the person would be rightly ostracised. Most of the time though, any edits or deletions were done in the spirit of improving the post or just getting rid of something that was a ramble or added no value.
When they disallowed edits and deletions on this site, I thought it was because of me as I edited
nearly every post I wrote over several hours or days, occasionally months if they were threads I started and wanted to get the information right in the first post that new people would read. (I deleted a few atrocities as well - maybe 1% of my posts - sorry about those
.) Doc told me though that this decision was not made at all because of my edits or deletions. Phew! This decision was because of another culture developing - I'm not actually sure what it was but a lot of posts started getting made without the right spirit/intent.
Maybe when a forum gets big, it needs more moderators? Perhaps it even needs sub-moderators - those who are willing to devote the time to reading everything in a single sub-forum so as they know the culture and the characters?
A bit more moderation might allow some of the characters I have mentioned above to be appreciated more and allow people like me to 'see' others I haven't been able to see. More importantly, it might give all of us a chance at 'hearing' better the questions that are being asked.
Anyway, that's a ramble of appreciation and my apologies to the hundred or so people I didn't honour but should have.
It's also a ramble hoping to catch the attention of what is known in forum-speak, as the forum, "founder." There is ever only one person that has ultimate cultural control over a forum, so, any forum is a reflection of that Founder's intentions, motivations, efforts and, day by day, results. I am hopefully wrong but I haven't seen a single suggestion or complaint that has been 'appreciated' here in several years. 'Appreciated,' means simply acknowledged, let alone acted upon. All of us who have given up, have primarily given up due to these deaf ears. It's pretty sad I think.
I recognise the old names but I would like to see and acknowledge the new ones but I can't see you through the existing mud.
So, donya, to all you posters who are, in my opinion, and with hardly any back-up, are still striving to make a difference to new or existing brewers here. (I am still trying to do my bit but on another site so I haven't given up!) I hope others are trying to find you and
do see you...
Namaste,
Pat
