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Internet - serious business by Northernr 25 Aug 2023 11:09
I don't know where this post is going to go really, but I felt compelled to say something before I go properly off grid for a couple of days later on this morning.

I've been in Edinburgh this week with the day job - hectic 14-hour day sort of days. I'm now travelling for a couple of days through the Highlands which is something I've wanted to do for a while and, after the way last season went and how I felt at the end of it, have decided to do a little bit more of this season - huge thanks to the several of you who offered to help out with match reports and the like which has enabled me to do that, and good luck to Danny Paddox with his first swing at one of those tomorrow. Despite this, the history, referee, oppo interview, and preview have all been written and posted to time and to a reasonable standard (if not firing on all LFW cylinders) - written on trains, in the bag of cabs, in hotel rooms late at night, in press rooms when I'm meant to be doing day job…

On top of that we've had the Mason Greenwood thread, the India on the moon thread and the bloody Russian thread and all of the half baked conspiracy theory, frequently offensive stuff that's gone along with that. Monitoring these threads for legals, libels, threats against other posters, links, takes time, effort, judgement, consideration. None of which I've really had a lot of to give this week, but have nevertheless done anyway out of dedication to keeping the site going. Dedication that has now stretched across 20 years, and really only now continues because so many of you are so generous with your Patreon contributions. Without that I'd have walked away 18 months ago.

I'm constantly wrestling with a few things on this forum. I want to try to keep it open and flowing to all discussions and debates, I think it's a better board like that. There’s some seriously interesting non-football debate and discussion on here which is to all of your credit. I've heard the suggestions about separating it out into different topics, but I hate message boards that are run like that and don't want to do it. I'm also conscious that you need a range of viewpoints, and that just because I disagree with what you're saying personally doesn't mean I can delete the posts or direct the traffic towards my POV - I disagree with a great many of you on a great many things BTW, but it's not much of a message board if only what Clive thinks and feels is allowed. I'm also acutely aware of all the high and mighty "free speech" and "censorship" stuff that gets thrown around.

The Mason Greenwood thread is a prime example actually – some of the stuff on there I find absolutely abhorrent, and I cannot believe anybody listens to that recording and reaches that point of view, but reading between the lines there’s clearly some posters on that thread with close, personal experiences that are worth listening to and taking into account, so I’ve tried to keep that one ticking over and going however offensive some people may find some of the posts on it. But that takes time, and effort, and judgement, and consideration. There will be inconsistencies. I’ll get stuff wrong. But I try.

However... It’s a football message board. It’s not here for Hunter Biden’s fcking laptop conspiracy nutjobs, or Laurence Fox videos. You’ve got all manner of other places on the internet for that, I think the vast majority of people here don’t want to be subjected to it on a QPR site, and I am now at a point where I not only don’t want to read and moderate it but am also not willing to do so. I think in the interests of trying to maintain those points in that previous paragraph, and a chronic lack of self confidence, esteem and belief on my own part, I have allowed things to go on here that I don’t like, hate personally, and at times have made me feel like complete sht. If this season is going to be as long and hard as it looks, I’m not willing to trawl across the country covering a losing team, while at the same time logging onto my own message board and seeing topics, posts and poster names who make my heart sink and cause me aggro. I’ve got to look after myself better this season than I did last, or I’m going to end up exactly what my dad was – dead at 44. To that end, I have now deleted the Sakura account and will delete any of his future attempts to start other ones. I’m not being stalked and bullied on my own website and I'm not providing a platform for anonymous internet trolls. I get enough of it on social media where I can’t control it but here I can. If you’ve got a problem with this then please feel free to DM me or, as I said to him many times, remember there are several other QPR websites and message boards you can use if you don’t like this one and/or me.

https://www.wearetherangersboys.com/
https://qprdot.org/
https://rfantasyisland.boards.net/
https://queensparkrangersfc.boards.net/


I often get messages after this offering help with moderation. I don't want moderators. I don't want an overly moderated message board. What I want, and what I need, is for us all to remember, however passionate an argument or debate gets or however much you fundamentally hate or disagree with what people are saying, that this is a football and QPR message board and all of us on here (bar a couple of Brentford lurkers and Konk) are football and QPR fans in the end, and it's really not that serious. It's just football guys, that's all it is. However much I might wind you up, however often you disagree with me, however much I irritate you, I’m a QPR fan too, just trying to provide this site and service for you all to use and enjoy. Let’s just try and maintain that level of solidarity and respect for each other at all times.

Anyway, cheers for the support as always.