BoatBanter.com - Enjoy the wild places while they last

Tinkerntom wrote:

Hello riverman, I began to think that Keenan and I were the only ones
left here on this thread. Seems that others have been lurking for a
change.

Tom, for someone who's just started to post here you sure manage to read
a lot into people's behaviour...

....that isn't there.

You take for granted your long term
posting relationship with each other, but I do not have that
advantage, so I researched in order to level the playing field, and
the mystery in some cases was only deepened.

That's also not the case with many of us. A couple of the regular
posters know eachother from way back. A few have tried actively to get
to meet the other posters on this forum, others are here more or less
frequently in threads of certain subjects only.

Between those people who chose to get to know one another better,
sometimes e-mailing for years outside RBP, going on trips and holidays
together, some wonderful friendships and even relationships have formed.

Still, I seriously doubt that those are taken for granted.

I have, in addition to Keenan, gone back and read previous post by
most of the prolific posters, on both sides of the issue being
discussed, not just Keenan. I have also checked out other web info
where ever I could find it, including you, wilko, etter, Keenan, and a
few others. No love affair here at all for Keenan, or any, or all of
you, but curious as to your background that influenced your
perspective in the specific "US political" discussion, and
particularly your world view.

I wonder how much you think that you've been able to dig up, and how
much you had to make up. I have had difficulties figuring out how my
background has influenced my political views wrt the U.S., and those
views have changed a *lot* over the last ten to fifteen years.

Specifically, I was curious about why a person like Keenan with his
professional and educational credentials would post such tripe. I was
also amazed by the sheer volume of his posting, not only on the RBP,
but throughout usenet, and other discussion groups as well. Personally
I would have preferred to have been discussing anything, with anyone
other than Keenan, but it was an enlightening process, and as far as I
am concerned, he can post whatever, where ever, when ever he wants. I
could care less!

Obviously you couldn't care less, that's why you dove into the thread
with such bloodthirst, such fanaticism and a holier than thou attitude
that was bound to irritate people.

I think Keenan's responses to both you and Rick Etter have been very
courteous in comparison. Despite the drivel fired at him, he managed to
come up with some well argumented points, instead of stooping to the
level of personal insults and superiority complex that he was being
confronted with.

If a person is on the
net posting, they had better be prepared for the flacK. Even as I have
been dealt on this thread, though it is my first attempt to post to
the Google usenet group, while learning the rules, and the
personalities involved. I requested no special treatment or
consideration, though I appreciate any that you have extended.

Believe me, you haven't seen FlAK ("Flieger Abwehr Kanone"), just a
little bit of cheap left over new years day fireworks at the best.

I believe Keenan is responsible for the postings he has made. I was
interested in presenting him with the opportunity for a civil, and
productive conversation, as an opportunity for him to clarify and put
to rest any controversy or misunderstanding. In contrast to his
apparent proclivity to post contrary nonsense, I copied certain links,
single snippets etc. as documentation, which he implied were needed
for any claim on my part to be valid.

Tom, your attempts at a "conversation" were anything but civil and
productive, and your links and snippets proved very little, if anything,
beyond the view you had already decided upon. If you had given some time
to look into things, I think that you wouldn't have put up such a
disdainful attitude of superiority into just about each and every one of
your posts. Maybe, you would have engaged the unknown to you people with
a little more respect and tried to weigh their words before deciding
upon your own opinion. Now you just brushed aside what others said,
proclaiming to know the one and only truth yourself.

He was free to pull out of the
conversation at any time, however he continued to post his response.

That goes for you as well. It takes at least two to tango.

I encouraged Keenan, to step away from that discussion, and engage me
in something more productive. Since that time, Retter has not posted
any further to this thread. Leaving Keenan and I to discuss and
respond to each other as we each saw fit, and by this time the OT was
completely lost, so any topic was acceptable and appropriate, as long
as we both pursued it. He is a big boy, and could have pulled out at
any time. I also did not go to any other thread on this or any other
group to confront or contact Keenan in any way. I threatened no harm,
or personal contact in any way with him. Purely intellectual
curiosity, nothing more, nothing less. If he can't handle the heat,
get out of the kitchen!!

Tom, stop putting up rules that you are in no position to direct onto
anyone but yourself. This is not your private playground.

I definitely took a
sampling of those post and copied single snippets to the posting on
this thread, to give him opportunity to respond, to the documented
incidents of his previous posting style and how it impacted on the
discussion I thought we were trying to have. Any Info that I copied
and posted, was public info. and available for anyone to find. I did
not present this info for any reason but to allow him to refute, or
put in proper perspective as he chose.

Tom, you are again putting up an example of what someone ought to do
acording to you. AFAIK no-one needs to refute or respond to anything you
state, and you have no right whatsoever to demand anything of anyone
else here. Stop acting if you do.

Why would Keenan even bother to respond to anything you pull out of a
very deep historical hat that wasn't even direct at you? Besides it
being bad netiquette and probably being pulled out of context...

If he could have just stuck to the
subject of paddling while on the RBP, I am sure there would never have
been this discussion!

If you hadn't continued to pour more oil on the fire, it also wouldn't
have been here. Stop pointing fingers, we're all part of this, and I
don't see any reason to put blaim anywhere.

Regards to Dave Van, Boatin'Buddy, and all, and it would help all us
newbies, if you would update your "Who Am I? How did I get here?"
That way, we could just go there, and not have to fish around all over
the net to get to know you. And that way you would also have more
input as to how the picture is painted.

There are many places where you can find information, both about some of
the participants of this forum:

http://www.angelfire.com/bc/rbp/who.html

http://www.angelfire.com/bc/rbp/photo.html

other RBP related things:

http://www.angelfire.com/bc/rbp/rbplinks.html

....and do yourself a favour and do a google search on "netiquette" and
"usenet".

Wilko

--
Wilko van den Bergh wilko(a t)dse(d o t)nl
Eindhoven The Netherlands Europe
---Look at the possibilities, don't worry about the limitations.---
http://wilko.webzone.ru/