Mafalda

[hpfgu_mods]

Dear Listmembers,

We know you may all be wondering why the Moderator Team has been 
relatively silent regarding the charges raised by "Mafalda Hopkirk" 
last week and Sinead's subsequent on-list confession. We've now spent 
the better part of a week trying to sort out what happened, what the 
motivations were and what we should say and do about all this.  
Obviously, we wanted to have as much information at our disposal as 
possible before we made any statements.

We are satisfied that Mafalda was Sinead Clements, but Dai Evans has 
indicated, in communication with members of the moderator team, that 
he was also involved. The main complaints against Penny Linsenmayer 
and John Walton and the issues with the main HPfGU list had been 
raised by Dai in December, in an off-list message to a moderator.  
Although Sinead has confessed to being responsible for the Mafalda 
messages, we have information indicating that Dai was involved in 
composing and sending them.

We would not ask any listmember to leave HPFGU over a matter like 
this, and we have not asked Sinead or Dai to do so.  Dai decided to 
leave of his own accord, for a number of reasons, including what he 
had perceived as inaction on some of the points he had raised 
previously.  Sinead is now back on OT-Chatter using the name "dismal 
sentence". To avoid any future unpleasantness of this sort, they will 
be on ad hoc moderated status on all our lists.

As a community, HPfGU recognises that people make mistakes and there 
is clearly a capacity to forgive foolish or irrational behaviour in 
others. However, this was an attack on some of the moderators and the 
general administration of the club by people they had trusted, so, at 
the personal level we need to take stock and sort out our views on 
the matter. Some of us who had met Sinead and Dai have to deal with a 
complex mix of feelings, whilst others have been deeply hurt or 
angered by false or misleading statements.

We have no intention of engaging in a point-by-point refutation of 
Mafalda/Sinead's remarks. One factual matter bears addressing, 
however.  Mafalda/Sinead alleged that Penny opposed a member's elf 
nomination because of that member's position on shipping. That is 
completely untrue. Because this allegation concerns a list member who 
is not a moderator, we believe it is appropriate to set the record 
straight on that point.

As a team, we can only repeat our previous assertions that: -

(a) we listen to and respond to questions or complaints if they are 
sent to us off list at magicalmods at yahoogroups.com;

(b) we aim to be fair and balanced in running the HPfGU lists;

(c) we are human: we make mistakes; we can also be hurt.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has 
written in support of the HPfGU administration in relation to this 
matter, on list and off list.
  
We would also like to thank all those who have sent complaints, 
criticisms and comments to the HPFGU-Mod address.  We love hearing 
from you, even when we disagree with what you have to say, and often, 
what you have to say makes us think and affects the way this list is 
run.  So keep those cards & letters coming!

And now, please return to the active discussions on Saturday Night 
Live skits, palindromic moments of time and ice skating.

Magically,

Cindy C.
Catherine Coleman
Penny Linsenmayer
Kelley Thompson
John Walton
Neil Ward
Amy Z

The HPfGU Moderator Team