Mikael Erikson, Disappering Discussions, & Disappointments

[James N. Dawson]

Well, it looks Mikael's flown this forum and wiped out all trace of himself. That's too bad, because I thought a discussion with a fellow aging malcontent might have been interesting and fruitful. I read in his blog that he has ADHD, which would explain his impulsiveness in words and actions. (Hey, I'm not putting him down. I have ADHD too, and have the same traits, as I'm sure many of you have noticed.)

I did find his blog, and wanted to contact him through it, but as with a lot of blogs, I couldn't find how to do that. No "comment on this", no "e-mail".

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not railing. But another problem I have with the Internet is the ease with which things can be erased. I'm not "outraged" that Mikael erased his discussions, but I am disappointed. If I'd written my own comments there in a zine, some copies would've survived. With the Internet, every last trace is burned to cinders, to non-existence down the memory hole, in a flash. (Fortunately I composed my own comments on Notepad, but still, a good discussion is gone forever, and a lot of the reasons I do zines, and bother with Net forums, is "the good discussion", which doesn't happen too often.

I don't quite understand the rather harsh response Mikael got. Reading over his comments a second time, they seemed pretty restrained, balanced and moderate.

Not mad at anybody really. Just some comments.

JND

[NicoleIntrovert]

What response did he get that was so harsh? I didn't see anything harsh said to him, really at all.

Most forums do not allow posts to be deleted. I am sure there is a lock on this somewhere that Krissy could enable to not allow thread deletion.

[James N. Dawson]

Since both discussions were deleted I can't prove it or quote them exactly but it was Bethany's final "Good riddance, we don't want you, we don't need you", not to mention a few others that seemed pretty negative (though might've been ambiguous) on Mikaels parting, "I'm Outa Here" thread.

But the matter's over, and as I said, I'm not trying to make a big issue out of it.

As far I can see there's a great big red "Delete Discussion" up there, for anybody who starts one to use, but maybe I'm missing something. "Editing" and "deleting" other peoples posts, entries, etc. seems as much a part of the Net as writing and posting your own, and it's always seemed like kind of a wierd practice, but hey, I'm just an old papernetter, what do I know?

[kit feral]

It wasn't until he announced he was leaving did I see anything (mildly) offensive. I can see why that would have affirmed his decision- to be honest, I wasn't that nice myself. (Though, a lot nicer than most of the crap you get on the internet.) I don't often let my temper get the better of me, especially towards strangers online, but I took offense to him painting us all with the same (in my opinion, wrong) brush, especially after I think everyone had been awfully mature towards his "99% of zines suck" comment.

anyway, I'm over it. maybe he'll cool down and come back, I wouldn't mind.

[Bethany]

I didn't say good riddance cuz I couldn't spell it. Just to clarify of course. AND I added that we don't need negative stuff, Bye Bye. I thought he was mean. Sorry, maybe you see it another way, but I'm new here and he made me regret joining for a minute there. Also, Everyone here has been so nice to me. I like all of you. Just didn't expect that kind of thing. And the 99% thing wigged me out too. I'm here to learn from you all and make my zine better. I don't mind controversial stuff. Aren't zines what it's all about though?

James N. Dawson said:
"it was Bethany's final "Good riddance, we don't want you, we don't need you", not to mention a few others that seemed pretty negative (though might've been ambiguous) on Mikaels parting, "I'm Outa Here" thread."

[kit feral]

I'm 19, I've been making zines for ten years. so yep, I've made quite a few. :P

the only way you can REALLY learn is by practice. write some stuff, draw some stuff, whatever you're good at, and print it up. soon enough you'll realize what looks/sounds best. read a lot of other zines- don't copy them, but it'll help get ideas on the sort of things people write about, how they lay it out, ways to bind it, etc. and read books about making zines. (Stolen Sharpie Revolution, for example.) oh, and read through the forums here, there's a lot of tips in the threads.

Monique Grandeur said:

How old are you? have you made anyzine? id like to learn to but i cant even spell right toright this i asked my best freind but i didnot go much to schools at home

star blanket river child said:

It wasn't until he announced he was leaving did I see anything (mildly) offensive. I can see why that would have affirmed his decision- to be honest, I wasn't that nice myself. (Though, a lot nicer than most of the crap you get on the internet.) I don't often let my temper get the better of me, especially towards strangers online, but I took offense to him painting us all with the same (in my opinion, wrong) brush, especially after I think everyone had been awfully mature towards his "99% of zines suck" comment.

anyway, I'm over it. maybe he'll cool down and come back, I wouldn't mind.

[James N. Dawson]

Oops. Hope I haven't stirred up another hornets nest.

Amber: I can remember at least 3 times over the years, not on this forum, but others, where I've left thoughtful comments and they never showed up. I'm pretty sure it was because what I wrote what they didn't want to read. When I write something, it can be a bit of a mental workout. I often feel a little "spent" afterwards, even on my WMZ posts. Sometimes, I might look up, and a good 45 minutes might have passed when I've finally written, proofread, and edited it. So it's a bummer to see that time and effort wasted when, by accident or design, my message suddenly disappears.

There was a website recently that had some sort of forum where anybody could "edit" anybody else's post, apparently patterned after the "add and pass on" practice in mail art. There was so little activity there it never really got to be an issue before the site eventually went defunct---it may have been hacked into and sabatoged----but I just didn't get the point of it. But then, there are a lot of new practices on the Net and the zine world that are new to me, and maybe I just have to accept them.

Anyway, I'm not blaming anybody for Mikael's hasty and impulsive departure. I just thought we had enough common ground to explore some important issues and maybe take some steps toward trying some solutions.

[Bethany]

I didn't say good riddance cuz I couldn't spell it. Just to clarify of course. AND I added that we don't need negative stuff, Bye Bye. I thought he was mean. Sorry, maybe you see it another way, but I'm new here and he made me regret joining for a minute there. Also, Everyone here has been so nice to me. I like all of you. Just didn't expect that kind of thing. And the 99% thing wigged me out too. I'm here to learn from you all and make my zine better. I don't mind controversial stuff. Aren't zines what it's all about though?

[tim scannell]

everyone could
'edit'
everyone else's
post...???????????????

"Jesus H. Particular Christ"...!!...
a FAV expression of H.L. Mencken...BTW
(and NOT a blasphemy)

but....jeezo-peezo-solomon dingo!!!
why write anything at all??

i've been in/out/in/out
of these forums
cum
chat-room
things since
1988...

and have come.................more and more
to love
the
mini
'wee'...half or quarter mini
mail-art and
and broadsides

paper is cool




James N. Dawson said:

Oops. Hope I haven't stirred up another hornets nest.

Amber: I can remember at least 3 times over the years, not on this forum, but others, where I've left thoughtful comments and they never showed up. I'm pretty sure it was because what I wrote what they didn't want to read. When I write something, it can be a bit of a mental workout. I often feel a little "spent" afterwards, even on my WMZ posts. Sometimes, I might look up, and a good 45 minutes might have passed when I've finally written, proofread, and edited it. So it's a bummer to see that time and effort wasted when, by accident or design, my message suddenly disappears.

There was a website recently that had some sort of forum where anybody could "edit" anybody else's post, apparently patterned after the "add and pass on" practice in mail art. There was so little activity there it never really got to be an issue before the site eventually went defunct---it may have been hacked into and sabatoged----but I just didn't get the point of it. But then, there are a lot of new practices on the Net and the zine world that are new to me, and maybe I just have to accept them.

Anyway, I'm not blaming anybody for Mikael's hasty and impulsive departure. I just thought we had enough common ground to explore some important issues and maybe take some steps toward trying some solutions.

[Bethany]

Nice poem, Tim.

[Krissy PonyBoy Press]

There is no way that I can tell to make it so people can't delete their own discussions. I can make it so only admin can *start* them, but that is all there is. The Ning network is limited and I am pretty much at their mercy at what is possible. There are some things I can control, but not nearly as much as you would imagine. Sorry about that, folks.

[tim scannell]

happy you enjoyed beth...
:):)
xo

send me YR snail &
i'll send you some
more...:)

[e-mail]

Bethany said:

Nice poem, Tim.

[tim scannell]

i've 'met' over 300
zinesters...and ol'
zac
is
among
the five
most mature considerate
funnyhaha and...trés APT
(satiric-in-a-FAIR-way)
human beans
i've
met!

I'm Not Lion / Zacery said:

**olive branch = snapped**