[MR] The Alleged Cesspit That Is The Merry Rose

Thu Aug 25 10:53:07 PDT 2011

There are many who attempt to live up to the noble ideals the SCA life promotes: courtesy, honor, chivalry -- indeed, the best moral behavior that many of us cling to as we seek out this dream in our "real life," and in failing to find it in the corporate world, enjoy it in our SCA family.  When we attend events and are met by newcomers, old friends, and everyone else in between, we often portray ourselves as living up to those cherished ideals as best we can.  Sometimes not always making it, but all-in-all, I believe we all at least try.

But then there are those who are the "Sunday Saints" who act at modelling the very image of high character, of noble courtesy and chivalrous intention, when and where it suits them to do so, mostly at events and other face-to-face gatherings where they can and will most likely be held to immediate responsibility for their conduct.  It is when such are removed from public view that their more base nature is set free and finds its way to pollute venues and forums such as our beloved Merry Rose.

For those that attend, ever notice the "Sunday Saint" being so devout while in church only to witness their hypocrisy as they behave poorly and against church teachings away from the altar?  For some, it is no different in the SCA as such people parade at our meetings and events as if to say, "see me and how I am as Lord/Lady such-and-such," only to forget how they attempted to project themselves and are left uncovered showing their true behaviors once the garb comes off.

For a society where many are and aspire to be noble, even nobler-than-thou, in truth I have found there are also many who are not as noble as they would play to be; however, even this is accurate in period though time and again it is professed that one of the goals of the SCA is to recreate/display the "best" of our historical period!

Perhaps what we are experiencing is the result of the decline and collapse of effective home training.  Maybe educating young people in good social skill has failed to such a point that even institutions as our beloved SCA now feels the bruising that is ripe within the teen and young adult culture outside of the SCA, and if so, perhaps moderating the forum has now become a necessary evil.

Being an educator, and I am sure many teachers can admit this, the level of consideration and social character has greatly diminished over these last years, due in part to weakening family values, education, and a rise in pushing the youth to become adult-like at younger ages without such development coinciding with understanding and acceptance of responsibility.

Are we to take an active hand now and attempt to teach such things to those who publish offensive posts?  If such rabble and trash were to be presented on TV or radio, even websites, then the logical person would simply switch channels or close the website.  Thus it is easy to see why many have abandoned The Merry Rose.  BUT this is the medium for the bulk of our communications across the realm.  it is OUR voice and ears for the mass populace.  We, those who wish to purge the sewer of the vermin and funk that created the stench, need to take a proactive stance and not abandon it to those that would destroy.

It would seem there are two methods to do this that immediately come to mind.  

One method is by moderation which can be easily done through a registration process and restricting the forum to members only.  Offenders would therefore face suspension and/or revokation of posting/memeber privileges -- much like how we monitor martial and populace behaviors at events.  Perhaps a council of moderators holding a forum court to discuss and determine what outcome should be decided upon those who would offend. 

A second method may simply become peer pressure and use political power to suppress offfenders, ie. "Baron/Baroness X, Chatelaine W, or Seneschal Y, one of your populace is offending the Merry Rose.  Would you mind speaking to him/her about SCA ideals and proper behavior?"  Self-policing, which may seem a bit like tattle-tailing, may be a solution, if not simply a part of an overall solution.  If less people abandoned the forum, then I would hope such political powers would step up and handle errant offenders without being requested to do so.

To those that do read this missive, be considerate of your neighbors and friends found in The Merry Rose.  Post privately your responses before you post publicly those things you would not want publicly said about you.  Before you post, think if it is necessary to attempt to sound/be important, that if you must nit-pick/correct every error, or attempt to stupify the original posting gentle by wanting to steal thunder and playing one-upsmanship. Is it really to benefit the reader, or is your reply simply to promote your mastery at offending others?  If you are truly genius in a topic, show it by writing for Compleat Anachronist and let discussion be discussion by being active in gently leading ithe conversation or carefully answering posts to promote learning -- not name calling or supporting frustration that damages feeelings and friendships.

Our real world is not a peaceful place, but here, amongst friends, it can be.  It is our choosing.

Timothy Carter
luminaebanis at hotmail.com

SCA: Herr Gunther von Lindenwald #109809
        Barony of Marinus, Atlantia 
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> From: online2much at cox.net
> To: paintedwheel at hotmail.com; atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
> Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:57:52 -0400
> Subject: Re: [MR] The Alleged Cesspit That Is The Merry Rose
> 
> > If you think this is a nasty place to hang out...well...
> > all I can say is you ain't been out of the Tavern near enough.
> > This is Romper Room. 
> 
> It isn't Romper Room. Most of the long-time members and Peers who have been
> driven off of the Merry Rose are quite well accustomed to the type of acrid
> discussion you allude to - and yet they find this, the place where members
> of the SCA are supposed to be able to chat, learn, and exchange ideas to be
> one of the least attractive assets of the SCA and our Kingdom specifically.
> I've been treated to many a confused and pitying look or comment from my
> friends about my continued presence here... manly because of the rude
> behaviour of, I have to admit, the most frequent posters. Yeah, you own the
> List, as it were, you frequent 'expert' posters, and you glory in your
> fighting - but it is rude and even painful to read.
> 
> And this is where our new Kingdom members come first, to get to know us
> during the week when we're not at events.
> 
> That is the *only* reason I am still subscribed. So I can, at need, write
> privately to someone who is getting ganged up on and tell them that this is
> NOT the true face of Atlantia. 
> 
> To use a simile, if I were an archaeologist, this would be a midden pile.
> There are a few wonderful discoveries here, but the rest is... well, I don't
> need to finish that, do I?
> 
> I came back from Pennsic determined to up the *good* in this List and
> hopefully convince people to join in - to celebrate the SCA and Atlantia. To
> overwhelm the squabbling and the offensive posts.
> 
> That being said, if you wish to argue the point further with me, please
> reply to me at online2much at cox.net - I'll be happy to carry on the
> conversation there. But our newcomers, and our oldtimers who are ready to
> quit, really don't need to read more of the condescending and the justifying
> posturing messages.
> 
> We have a bad reputation here. Telling people "use your delete key" only
> indicates that the sender has no desire to fix that reputation - which
> indicates to me that they are quite happy to throw mud around, no matter
> where or who it splatters. And that, my friends, is unworthy of us.
> 
> 
> Hrothny
> 
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