ACF before the Y

[Ruthie]

From my history of the old place

I wanted a forum where words were cherished and sometimes woven into stories, prompting yet more words and more stories. If attached to this there could also be a generous helping of advice both on topic and off, respectful debate, camaraderie without offputting cliquishness, safety for oddballs and misfits like myself, and general good-natured mayhem, all the better.

As someone frequently accused, at least in these precincts, of being touched, I will refrain from speculating on where B&W fit on the spectrum between oddball and misfit. A certain correspondent here represented once upon a time plaintively asked: Is this normal? If nothing else we redefined normal.

I'd forgotten all about that 

Happy times 

[Polar Bear]

Ha!  Bad memories here.   

I was culled once* for having what I considered to be a reasonable difference of opinion with B&W about B&W's lack of being reasonable and decent to others on the forum.   Not sure which of my doppelgangers I was at the time though I do recall feeling completely unjustly dealt with.   

*  More than once actually in varying guises...   

 

[citoyen]

I saw BardsandWarriors ride down the rode in a blonde wig holding a screwdriver like some sort of tiny lance.

I shouldn't laugh but...
 
Anyway, the whole acf business feels like a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. I don't think it's safe to form an opinion of sam based on the piece linked upthread - it's far from being the whole story, but it doesn't really serve anyone's interests to dig into it too deeply. Like the Red Queen, we move on.

[Ruthie]

Bless him, BardsandWarriors was not a well person, was he? 

He really did believe everyone was out to get him on the roads.  And he didn't like women at all.  At all.

[clarion]

acf was not really about a single person - not even the unique B&W - but was a community, facilitated by sam, for which I am grateful.  But it is a long time ago, and who was badly treated or not, and who was right or not doesn't really matter, and perhaps we should let those dead dogs lie, rather than giving them a good kick now and again (although it would be rude not to give an outline, when asked, without, however, reigniting embers as we rake over the coals).

Sam, welcome back again to yacf.  I look forward to your engaging with the discussions on the forum, and I hope that what we have left behind does not colour the route we take in future.

[Ruthie]

Old people like me enjoy a bit of reminiscence therapy.

I prefer to remember the good and leave the bad alone, is all.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

All i know is I used to talk to people in real life once. 

I remember a few C+ rides and also getting the Jersey from the North end of the Humber Bridge and taking it to Middlesbrough with a fellow forummer from Cawood.  Steve somebody?  It was ***ing freezing on the way back.

[clarion]

Most of my best friends are 'imaginary' and live in my computer.

[Mr Larrington]

Most of my best friends are 'imaginary' and live in my computer.

And they don't own any clothes

[Jurek]

There are people currently on here who will doubtless be wondering WTF is all this about?

[sam]

Ironically it's a topic that never seems to get old, and as Walter White Whitman said, Missing me one place
search another. (I don't actively monitor these things, honest. I just seem to luck into them, if that's the right word.)

Sometimes I think it would be nice, as a kind of public service, to have a big acf thread where people could go to get it out of their system; just some place to link to so when the subject does arise you could simply post a link and say Go There. I'd even offer room in the library (Room 101?).

Meanwhile it will likely continue to pop up from time to time, making ever more esoteric, even WTF, reading.

[Brody]

Be excellent to each other

[Jurek]

Ironically it's a topic that never seems to get old, and as Walter White Whitman said, Missing me one place
search another. (I don't actively monitor these things, honest. I just seem to luck into them, if that's the right word.)

Sometimes I think it would be nice, as a kind of public service, to have a big acf thread where people could go to get it out of their system; just some place to link to so when the subject does arise you could simply post a link and say Go There. I'd even offer room in the library (Room 101?).

Meanwhile it will likely continue to pop up from time to time, making ever more esoteric, even WTF, reading.

(My bold)
Delighted to read that....

[sam]

For those with a kind thought, thank you. The OP wasn't about me, it was about a memento from a place many once called home, but we're inextricably entangled.

As to nutty's comment that a community is its members and not the meeting location, it's hard to disagree. However, I didn't look at acf as a particular group of people, fond as I was of some of them. To me it was more important to have a template which encouraged a certain kind of content. So much of forumming is about the personal connections, but I was too busy with my theories to bother with facts on the ground.

Though it can't be my home, Yacf has its attractions. If you don't want to click that link, the upshot is I like posting. I like it almost as much as my rabbit likes hay.

(click to show/hide)

"Bring more hay NOW."

My only longstanding attachment is the Velosolo Club. We [sic] do our own jersey.

[Séamas M.]

These days I'd need my stomach sewn shut to avoid unsightly bulges, the pockets balance the look somewhat. 

[Polar Bear]

I find this tedious and hurtful.   The Yacf world has moved on and in positive way imo.   In my opinion I was treated badly, very badly, and I'm not seeing any contrition, any apologies, any acknowledgement of not being a decent person: just more self-serving reminiscing which feels like yet another attempt to justify the past.   

Let's just let sleeping dogs lay, eh?   Please?       

I need a day or ten away from this noxious stuff.        

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Then don't visit the thread. The thread title is pretty clear.

[C-3PO]

I am locking this thread to allow the moderators time to debate what to do with it. Beating expired equines has been done before.