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<DIV class=RTE>To all who are concerned (it's long but hopefully contains some interesting points for those who have the time to read it through) ,</DIV>
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<DIV class=RTE>Well done, Dan, a long, but appropriately so, e-mail there- which I think clearly laid out for all your perspective on the recent situation. As to M, I also am grateful to have found your e-mail to be very civil also- I was preparing myself for another tirade about class war, although you used at least one name in there of someone in the group who very specifically asked for theirs not to be put on list, which I think you must realise, is one reason why you cause distress in the group- little thoughtless things which unfortunatley override some of the many thougtful things you do. And lets not forget that M made a lovely curry for us all on Thursday (with Dan's help of course) and has kept the space running now for many weeks. Thank you for this.</DIV>
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<DIV class=RTE>To an outsider, I think it would seem that there are a small core of people within the group who are at loggerheads. I can see, on the one hand, that it could appear a bit of an over-reaction for someone to start throwing things through windows (keep moving in that direction and then maybe Yorkshire Foward could contract us as the demolishers), but on the other hand I do know that this has been something Dan has been through many times, and thus I can understand his frustration. </DIV>
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<DIV class=RTE>If it is of any use; bout a year back when I had just arrived back in Sheffield and I'd just discovered the social forum lists- I used to observe the to-ings and fro-ings of these mysterious characters DanAktivix and 0742, not to mention others... in that uncanny way when you start to form a picture of what forum posters look like in your head... and the internal battles which used to present themselves make the group look a seriously inhospitable place to be for newcomers. I didn't go to a meeting for many months. So you have to be aware of this, not get stuck into these little eddys in the overall stream of things which tend to drain lots of energy and are off putting at the same time. It is one thing to behave like this on a political forum, where I guess many people who come together are outspoken and enjoy a bit of rough and tumble, but it is yet another on a
list like this which is supposed to be for a place, Matilda, where good, healthy, creative productive things happen.</DIV>
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<DIV class=RTE>Who could blame anyone from taking one look at the products of this list- a pornographic e-mail here, and a mad hammer throwing guy over there, and then thinking maybe it's not worth their hassle joining in?</DIV>
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<DIV class=RTE>As regards M's original e-mail, where this recent repercussion of the old evil mole occurred (I am thinking here of the evil mole who is otherwise known as lefty in-fighting), all I can say is that I myself am an appreciator of well-meaning, poetic, and long-winded communications. I myself sometimes feel the urge to write hefty tombes of e-mails which stray off of topic, and which would summate to a life story if I did not hold myself back, reflect on it, and decide that not everyone has the time nor the inclination to read such things, those who have a busy life. There is a place for relating genuine human experiences that we have had, things that have inspired us, personal encounters... that kind of thing. We are lucky enough (I belive) to live in an age when we can all share this kind of thing on our own webpages and blogs so that anybody who wishes to do so can
follow our musings of the day. M has his own website(s). I like to know what people are thinking, and their motivations for doing what they do. He should continue to feel free to post such things as his communique on Tempory Autonmous Zones, but not onto a group e-mail list such as this, simple as that.</DIV>
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<DIV class=RTE>This would be a drab group to be in if all we ever did was discuss ground rules and organized room booking systems. But on the other end of the scale, there can equally be too much 'pontificating' and not enough doing. It seems a little unfortunate that someone who consistently has a bad word to say about middle-class pontificating in meetings should counter it by foisting upon us all an e-mail which at best could be said to be self-indulgent. </DIV>
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<DIV class=RTE>But then again, what I am I doing now? I shall finish this off as quickly as I can.</DIV>
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<DIV class=RTE>I want to ask both Dan and M to think- how many of the group have really been affected by M's actions? Only a small group of us were present on the day when M was asked to consider staying away from the space for a week. I can think of lots of others who were not present who have been active at the larger meetings from the very beginning. It's a personal agony I am sure for both of you, and for the LTT. But is it such a big deal for everyone else? M might like to think so. So might Dan. But if you are new to all of this- you can be sure that all you would see is a few old 'friends' having a go at each other, in the context of a much wider and generally very energized group. It seems to me that M has a tendency to become an attractor for the landscape of any group he becomes part of- an attractor of energy and of time- at the same time both an asset but
also at other times an impediment, BUT NOT ALL BY HIMSELF: it also takes an engagement with his somewhat unorthodox viewpoints to sustain the said impediment... I'm not saying we shouldn't engage but what I will say is this; keep aware of the group! Perhaps some self refrain from all members involved in this dispute is the key. To be able to say 'I might take a week out from this project as it's getting a bit hot for me' is a strong and purposeful move to make, not a shameful thing. We all have bad days.</DIV>
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<DIV class=RTE>In this project, I tend to think we're arranged a bit like the filaments of metal under a giant magnet. We are all pointing in marginally different orientations; our field lines, our lines of flight, diverge in places, and converge in others. But the point is; at the end of it all we're all pointing in the same direction, I hope. We should create guiding principles which allow and respect these slight differences in alignment, the multiplicities present within ourselves. To be honest- I've perhaps homed this way of thinking a little too much in my own mind, to the point at which I hardly feel capable of arguing, certainly not in the confrontational sense. But, save our energies for the real adversory; yes, heard of this? And I think what happened on Thursday was that we slipped from a reasonable sharing of views and debating- which is positive, into ugly, and unhelpful arguments between persons. No, not even true arguments, but just hurtful comments.</DIV>
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<DIV class=RTE>Sorry. I know it is hard. People are always going to shout at each other over something. It is a species trait we carry for life. But, happily, we can learn and build from it.</DIV>
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<DIV class=RTE>For M,</DIV>
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<DIV class=RTE>And finally. I would beg plead and grovel to M to think about what his stubbonness and unwillingness to think outside of his 'my class are being scapegoated' line of reasoning brings to the group. You can carry those opinions to the grave if you wish... I often identify which some of what you say although I would not express it in the same way.... But please just find more time to play things out from other points of view !!</DIV>
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<DIV class=RTE>And just to reiterate Dan's point- M, we are all your friends, and seriously, sometimes I see in you moments where your genuine and compassionate ways really blow me away. Don't spoil it.</DIV>
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<DIV class=RTE>Ben.</DIV>
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