Jack the Ripper

[Courtenay]

I'm thinking exactly the same thing as well.

[Julie2owlsdene]

I have to agree, we don't need any graphic or reference to what he did etc. not on an Enid Blyton site anyway!

[Tony Summerfield]

I am not too sure that I can win on this. I will be criticised for allowing it on an Enid Blyton site and face further criticism if I start deleting things, but at least it will probably all be behind my back!

When I look at the most popular threads I begin to wonder if I am just wasting my time posting Enid Blyton's letters on a weekly basis, which I have now been doing for the best part of three years and very few people ever look at them.

[Daisy]

When I look at the most popular threads I begin to wonder if I am just wasting my time posting Enid Blyton's letters on a weekly basis, which I have now been doing for the best part of three years and very few people ever look at them.

I look at them when I see a link to them... but don't feel the need to comment each week unless something is of especial interest to me. Unless I see a link I often forget it is Wednesday again... the weeks fly by too quickly these days.

[Courtenay]

I read them every week too, Tony, and always really enjoy them. I usually do post some comment or other, but even if I don't post, it doesn't mean I haven't read the letter or didn't appreciate it.

[Carlotta King]

I also always read them, and really like reading them, but I don't usually comment because I generally tend to have little to say - not just about the letters but on topics in general.

I'm going to be very open and honest here.
I have never been a paying member of the society due to extreme financial difficulties; the two journal subscriptions I have had have been very kindly paid for me by a very lovely person. Because of this I have always felt like a bit of an imposter or a bit of an outsider, I don't mean because people here are unfriendly - quite the opposite, its a wonderful friendly bunch and I've made some really good friends, but the point I'm trying (long windedly) to make is that as I have never been a proper paying member, I sometimes feel as if I don't have the right to comment or take an interest in society things.

This isn't because anyone has made me feel that way, its just because I'm a sensitive person and I feel bad for not buying my own subscription and I feel as though I haven't earned the right to comment on society things because ive not given any money to the society.

I know the teacher's letters aren't private, and not for journal members only, but I feel as if they're 'society documents' because they're so kindly provided for us by Tony and talking about them feels a lot more like society business than just discussing one of Enid's books, for example.

I hope this all makes sense, but that's my rather complicated reason for not always commenting on things; I just feel guilty and as if I've been a sponger and not earned the right to delve into society stuff.
And let me reiterate - this is not because anyone here has made me feel this way, its just my own silly sense of morals. Enid would be proud of me!

[Moonraker]

I too read them weekly - as soon as I have read them I put a link on our Society Facebook page. However, like Daisy and Courtenay, I don't feel the need to post a comment about them on a weekly basis. I appreciate that if you don't read posts commenting on everything you do, Tony, you might be excused for wondering if anyone is reading or viewing what you have done. This is where the forums could do with a "Like" button, where a show of recognition could be recorded without having to post a comment. The "Likes" come in seconds after I have put up the link on Facebook, yet there is rarely a comment.

Cathy, you posted whilst I was writing this. I can quite understand how you feel like this. However, the forums - although visited by Journal subscribers - run alongside the Society itself. The vast majority of Journal subscribers never post on the forums and I imagine (this is only an educated guess) that a majority of forum 'members' aren't Journal subscribers. I am sure the Guv'nor will correct me if I'm wrong! In my view, everything that is posted on the forums can be commented on by anyone - regardless of whether or not a Journal subscriber. We all have to prioritise how to spend what money we have. It would be interesting to see a breakdown of 'forum members' posts into Blyton posts and off-topic posts. I have a feeling that we have several friends who are more interested in the off-topic discussion than those related to our author. I have a feeling that one of our forummers most posted topic was Doctor Who!

I can also understand Tony's frustration (if that is the correct word) at spending hours scanning, re-sizing and publishing material to go into the Cave - only to find pages of discussion on Jack the Ripper or our Favourite Brand of Tea!

This forum is quite unique in that although dedicated to a subject, in our case Enid Blyton, such discussion is allowed (if not encouraged) in off-topic conversation. As I have said before, there is no off-topic conversation allowed in the Camra forums to which I subscribe.

[John Pickup]

I read the letters every week and I do comment occasionally when I feel I have something to add. I would be disappointed if Tony stopped publishing them.

[Julie2owlsdene]

I'll have to jump on the bang wagon and put Tony at ease by saying I too read the letters, but don't always comment, as I just like to read them and other Blyton related postings, and I hunt in the Cave most of the time too, but don't comment on my adventurers in there.

The tea thread is of no interest to me at all I must say, but I do understand that it is in the General section.

If I was a new comer to the forums and even the Society, I'd be rather surprised to see so many 'off topic' and not Blyton related topics, just a site containing only Blyton would be fine for me, but of course others may disagree.

[Liam]

Isn't it incredible what subject matter the innocent child might come across on the Enid Blyton Society Forums? I might think twice about letting my grandchildren access them.

I am not too sure that I can win on this. I will be criticised for allowing it on an Enid Blyton site and face further criticism if I start deleting things, but at least it will probably all be behind my back!

What I don’t understand is why the person who thinks a post is inappropriate cannot in a friendly way bring that to the attention of the poster. What about - instead of expressing shock and consternation - you say something like “This is a bit graphic, “poster’s name”, do you think it would go well with our younger readers?” I’m sure 99% of posters would remove or rephrase their post. In being incredulous, you run the risk of rallying too many accusers to your side, and making a mountain out of a molehill.

I know from experience that you can post things inadvertently. Just recently I posted a link to a YouTube video of a song, the subject matter of the video being the Vietnam War. The video included that famous photograph of Vietnamese children running from a napalm strike (there was a recent debate on Facebook about the appropriateness of this photo). But the point is it did not strike me as problematic until after I had posted it. I did remove it before many saw it. But the point is that it was an inadvertent posting, and if I had not already removed it, someone bringing it to my attention would have allowed me to do just that.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I wouldn't say any of the Jack the Ripper posts have been too graphic - though it's ultimately up to Tony to decide.

I'll have to jump on the bang wagon...

Now that may be a bit graphic!

Regarding the forums, I think it's nice that they're open to all who stumble upon them, whether they're Society members or not. Everyone is welcome. After all, we all benefit from hearing people's experiences and opinions of an author whose books have been - and still are - a big part of our lives.

[sixret]

I've been in the forum for more than 10 years to learn a few things. I could see the pattern very well enough to understand about each and every forumite's attitudes, reaction to certain things/topics, reactions to certain forumites' comments, who have strong character, who have always been followers(weak disposition), who have always started the argument by ruffling few feathers, who will prolong the argument, who will stop immediately, who will take side to ones side just because they have known each other(the bias ones), who join the band wagon thingy, taking side thingy and all in this forum. Only the most shrewd and wise, free from any tie or knot of relationship will make independent decision and fair judgment! And the great forumites are the ones who know each other, tie some kind of relationship but always side with the truth and very fair with their judgment even though the truth are coming from people that forumites do not know well! They are the most sensible and rational ones.

The best way is to avoid getting on someone's nerves!

Back to the topic- If we rummage the old threads in general natter, maybe( just maybe!) we could find other threads that are far more unsuitable for children. Or several threads sprinkled with comments on booze or glorifying booze. So like Anita, I don't see too much gory or graphics in this thread. Maybe I am biased because I like(love is more appropriate!) mystery and murder! Reading murder mystery, fiction or non-fiction, is my favourite pastime!

[sixret]

I am not too sure that I can win on this. I will be criticised for allowing it on an Enid Blyton site and face further criticism if I start deleting things, but at least it will probably all be behind my back!

When I look at the most popular threads I begin to wonder if I am just wasting my time posting Enid Blyton's letters on a weekly basis, which I have now been doing for the best part of three years and very few people ever look at them.

You were wrong, at least in my case. Anything related to Enid Blyton is a BIG thing to me. Any new thing about or news on Enid Blyton excites me very much. For example, the uncollected stories of Enid Blyton being uploaded(so that enthusiasts like us could read) is the highest excitement I could find in this forum! For that I thank you very much. This is the reason I want to suggest to you to put the update(at the top of the website and forum) because it a very big thing to read uncollected stories(just imagine now we could read the stories that only a few have read them since they were out pf print!). And this is the reason why I suggested to you a few days ago to make these uncollected stories become available to the general public instead of reading the recycled short stories of EB again and again! This should be an exciting new project. Either EBS publish(in booklet form or read online) them or EBS could submit the idea and materials as well(the uncollected stories) to be reprinted in book form instead of them recycling the same old stories over and over again!

These are the topics that excite me in order:

1) Reading uncollected stories of EB(I could not express myself adequate enough via online how excited I have been to read these stories!!!). And very grateful for that. This is the reason why Rob's thread about EB magazines has become my new favourite thread!

2) EBS journals ( again, first I am able to read EB uncollected stories sometimes and second I am very much interested in analysis on anything EB by fellow enthusiasts!!!). This is the reason why I have always visited journal threads!

3) Any news on EB.

4) To read and know what other people's thought on EB works, what EB books they read and what EB books they have bought. Because of that, those two thread are my favourite threads!

In conclusion, uncollected stories of EB become available for us to read is a major thing, at least in my case. I really appreciate for your time. Reading uncollected short stories are far more satisfying than looking at the artworks, in my opinion. If you could spend more time uploading them instead of the artworks, we would be very grateful and thankful. Or maybe 3 uncollected stories from Sunny Stories or EB Magazine for one week. This should be an exciting new project for EBS and EB fans around the world!

[Moonraker]

I begin to wonder if I am just wasting my time posting Enid Blyton's letters on a weekly basis, which I have now been doing for the best part of three years and very few people ever look at them.

I am wondering how you know this. Do you have access to statistics that show what part of the Cave are being looked at? We have 3,738 followers on Facebook and 2,602 followers on Twitter. That is a total of 6,340 people - although I accept that some people possibly follow both sites. Then there are the forum members to add to this. Of course, I have no idea how many of the 6,340 people actually read the Teachers World page weekly, and maybe very few of them do. I just wonder how you know very few people ever read them.

[Moonraker]

What I don’t understand is why the person who thinks a post is inappropriate cannot in a friendly way bring that to the attention of the poster. What about - instead of expressing shock and consternation - you say something like “This is a bit graphic, “poster’s name”, do you think it would go well with our younger readers?”

I have no idea whether or not "I am the person who thinks a post is inappropriate." If it is me, I was being friendly! It was not a complaint, just an observation put, or so I thought, in a slightly light-hearted way! I certainly felt neither shock nor consternation at posts in this thread.

If I did seriously think a post was out of order (which hardly ever happens), I would ring Tony and see what he feels about it. I have never reported a post - surely a PM to Tony or Anita is a better course of action if you think something needs attention.

Of course, you might have been referring to Tony, as you quoted us both in your post.