Why are Potter-Haters Still Here? (Ranting)

[Geoff Bannister]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "jeanico2000" <jeanico2000 at ...> wrote:
>
> Katie: actually, I totally feel the same way you do. I'm no longer 
> visiting the main list for those very reasons. The negative threads 
> are choking out all the positive ones... and there is just too much 
> negative (a bit like devil's snare gone rampant). it's no longer fun 
> to go there, IMHO.     
> Best,
> Nicole

Geoff:
I would respond by saying, don't give up on Main. There are many of 
us who think positively about the books who are still around.

I have been a member of the group since July 2003. I used to post a 
good deal more frequently than I now do. I keep an archive of all the 
posts I have sent and over that period, I have written just over 2200 
messages - some long, some brief.

In the last couple of years, my posting rate has dropped noticeably 
and it is to do partly with the "feel" of the group.

I think some of the present problems date back to the publication of 
HBP in 2005. At that time, there seemed to be a sea change on the 
group and instead of a wide swathe of threads running in parallel - 
often short and sometimes humorous, we began to get long, deep 
threads about Snape, Horcruxes and the manner of Dumbledore's 
death. One recurring problem is what I have been credited with 
defining as the "tennis match" exchange where the thread runs 
along the lines "Oh yes it is", "Oh no it isn't " with the same arguments 
being reiterated ad infinitum.

I have suggested that this is perhaps a development of Basil Fawlty's 
theory about foreign visitors in "Fawlty Towers", namely, that if you 
speak slowly enough in English and repeat the phrase again and 
again, they will understand.

There are from time to time, members arrive who give us their views 
and seem to expect that we have to conform to their theories and 
interpretation of the books. We all need to accept that everyone on 
the group has their own take on the story and will not necessarily 
agree but that, while some contributors are saying that the result 
has spoiled the story for them, others are quite happy. That is 
everyone's right. Remember that our view of JKR's conclusion is 
subjective; we cannot force other readers to agree if they don't. 

So I believe that those of us who feel positively about the events 
should be prepared to hang in and add our ideas to the mix. As 
far as I am concerned, after my first read of DH, I felt that I had 
got very mixed feelings. A second read has left me feeling much 
more positive. 

But ti's a matter of choice what you read or write on the group. 
At the risk of being excommunicated by everybody, I will state 
that I had never had any deep concerns or feelings about Snape,
either negative or positive, so I tend to skip over threads about 
him. There are other threads for whichI do the same.I read the 
books to enjoy them, and use the "willing suspension of disbelief". 
I'm sufficiently dense to overlook flints or contradictions until 
someone points them out.

I hope, as I said at the beginning, that the naysayers will not drive 
away those with a more positive view. I have enjoyed being on the 
group over the years. I have made a number of friends and I would 
be saddened if members felt unwilling to put in their twopennyworth 
(or more) for fear of being rubbished or patronised by contributors 
holding opposite opinions.

Let's make it fun again, Nicole. :-)_