Respect

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 180310

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "eggplant107" <eggplant107 at ...> wrote:
>
> "Geoff Bannister" <gbannister10@> wrote: 
> > the apparent harshness of a number of your
> > responses jars against the camaraderie 
> > which many of us have shared over recent
> > years on this group. 

Eggplant: 
> You know Geoff I've got to say your words do not move me, not one bit,
> and I will tell you why. If there is anyone this group should have
> shown camaraderie toward it is JKR, but she received none, instead for
> the last few months this group has treated her with great disrespect,
> a prominent member of this group came right out and said "I have lost
> all respect for her". And who criticized her for saying something so
> hateful against the person who has given us such joy for so many
> years? Just me, nobody else, just me. Lets call a spade a spade, this
> group has treated JKR like dirt for the last several months, and you
> should all be ashamed of yourself, especially the moderators who did
> nothing while the group degenerated to this point.    
> 
> And who would be the second most insulted person this group has aimed
> their sights on? Well that would be me. And my crime? Being just about
> the only one willing to publicly defend JKR. I said before I think
> this demonstrates an appalling smallness of spirit, and I stand by
> that statement. 

Geoff:
I awaited your reply to see if it was what I expected and, sadly, I was 
not disappointed. Having read many of your posts and exchanged 
views with you on numerous occasions, I find your reaction and
answers to many messages are very often extremely predictable. In 
this latest post, I fear that you have resorted to making sweeping 
generalisations and in so doing have managed to malign two groups 
of people - every member of this group except yourself, and then the 
team of Moderators.

Several months ago, I expressed concern that contributors posting 
about whether they had liked DH or not were tending to express
disappointment and I remarked that I did not feel that this was 
necessarily the view of everyone. I personally have stated on more 
than one occasion that, in general, I was satisfied with the book 
and I certainly haven't disparaged JKR and her work.

If I might misquote Edmund Burke: "All that is necessary for the 
triumph of dissatisfaction is that satisfied men do nothing." After 
I posted that message, many contributors replied to indicate their 
agreement to my assertion that DH was not a disaster area but 
had much to commend it. I also received several off-group emails 
echoing that sentiment. So to generalise and say that "this group 
has treated her with great disrespect" is to fly in the face of the 
evidence that came from that discussion.

It has been pointed out by several posters that an author cannot 
expect everyone to heap praise on his or her head. I often speak 
out in favour of the Harry Potter books to friends who either do not 
know them or have picked up critical observations without checking
fatcs - as I did before I started to read the series. If you think that JKR 
has been hard done by, I suggest you look up some of the vitriolic 
comments that were made, especially by the literary establishment, 
about Tolkien's books; Germaine Greer would fit easily into the 
character of Rita Skeeter in that regard. C.S.Lewis has also come under 
fire from time to time.

No, Eggplant, I agree that there are folk who do not like the books 
but not all of them would express disrespect. in fact, if you analyse 
the comment about losing respect, it does not necessarily mean that 
the speaker (or writer) now has disrespect, but possibly *no* respect
and that is a different kettle of fish altogether. Continuing my train 
of thought from my last sentence,  there are conversely a horde of 
members who do like and appreciate and respect JKR's work.

To move on to the moderators. Perhaps I must "out" myself now by 
saying that I am a List Elf. Actually the identity of the List Elves is not 
a state secret; if you care to investigate the left-hand panel of this 
page, you can find out who's who.

Moderators total about 25 members of the group.  We are scattered 
across the world. I am working with a group of three others in one p
articular area ; I'm in the UK, two are in the US and the other is in Fiji. 
So we have to contend with different time zones, some of us work, 
not enjoying retirement status like myself and some have families and 
other demands on their time. We work as volunteers to watch over the 
group and try to see that it runs smoothly and that the needs of 
members are addressed. Let me assure you that the last thing we do is 
nothing.

We have been seriously concerned in the recent past over several issues 
on the various HPFGU groups including the general "health" of the group 
since the publication of DH so the job of being an Ombudsman is not 
left to individual group members and any ADMIN messages which are 
posted are the result of lengthy discussions between ourselves. 

Finally, I would refute your comment that there is no camaraderie here.
I have been an HPFGU member for four and a half years and have made 
many friends both on-group and off-group and have learned to be 
willing to listen to other people's view when expressing my own - 
subjective - views because many of the things we discuss here do not 
have substantive and totally defined answers.

Geoff (AKA Exmoor Elf)