Who do you think is in The Clique?

[RosieH]

I know, Blah Blah. Otta thinks I'm a smokin' hot blonde, when actually I'm a 57 year old bloke called Barry.

[MrBen]

I've met El Pipe, Quids and Otta in real life. All good people. Since we're sharing...I also met the prolific serial poster Sean Macghabhan about twice at the drinks. Nice guy but...how can I put this....funny eyes....

Eyes that freaked me out a bit.

[Otta]

Blah Blah Wrote:

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> What are you talking about Otta? So you now think

> I am two other people as well - that's now makes

> four people I am supposed to be? What kind of sad

> person do you take me for? Oh wait, you actually

> don't know anything about me, apart from me being

> a vegetarian bloke with two kids (because that's

> all I've revealed about myself on here). Anyone

> else get subjected to this nonsense?

I said your style reminds me of two people, and that's probably what has led people to the right or wrong conclusion that you those people. I was trying to explain something. I then said I couldn't really care less.

You raised it on this thread and all your desperate denials basically just make it look more likely.

[Otta]

RosieH Wrote:

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> I know, Blah Blah. Otta thinks I'm a smokin' hot

> blonde, when actually I'm a 57 year old bloke

> called Barry.

I do not think you're a blonde!

[Blah Blah]

No Otta, I'm just fed up of the recurring same bs, and it is bs. I've had it since the first time I posted, and it's a bit tiring now - change the record please. How would you like it if I start accusing you of being every person you have a similar style to? But it wouldn't even occur to me to do that. I have better things to think about.

And just to add, it's that kind of constant nonsense from (I'm guessing you are) established posters that makes newcomers like me turn off from the EDF. Is that what you want Otta? You want me to become one of those people that has little good to say about it and it's group of established posters? Maybe THAT is what the clique is.

[KidKruger]

Is that a flounce ?

[Blah Blah]

If by flounce you mean getting annoyed, then yes. I mean, let's all poke fun at that bloke who dares to complain about the stupid, tiring and wrong allegations of a couple of miss marple's. Really, has Otta nothing better to occupy his brain with?

[Otta]

This is tiresome.

I was trying to be semi supportive of you in this thread.

YOU (no one else) raised the subject of people thinking you were other people in this thread. Otherwise it never would have come up.

I responded by trying to be reasonable with you and telling you that your style is similar to a couple of other users. I said I couldn't care either way (I honestly couldn't). But you can't help yourself, you have to start with the "what are you on about", and then predictably you start with the "other people don't like the EDF" (like that is news to me, or that I could give a shit).

I've had no issue with you, you're making one and at the same time, keeping the very thing you want to stop, right at centre stage in the spotlight. Bravo.

[Michael Palaeologus]

I joined the Forum in its early months.

There always have been groups of people who were drawn to each other, socialise together, share experiences - good and bad and so develop a mutual understanding, somewhat exclusive anecdotes and common linguistic short-cuts. Cliques.

This can make them seem rather exclusive, indeed some are, but, that is always the way with groups of friends in any environment. Common interests and values can be exclusive or inclusive.

How exclusive those groups are depends on how exclusive they want to be and how determined any given new person is.

I imagine that Curry Club could seem clique-y, I was the OP some 7+ years ago. Many of the same people turn up each month and post on the thread. Could that seem exclusive? Yes. Is it exclusive? No. All new people are welcome, but I can only say that. Individuals have to find the wherewithal to turn up and test it.

I think that some of us more long standing Forumites can put new people off by a degree of been-there-done-that- discussed-such-and-such-SO-many-times.

Of course. we may have discussed topics years ago, repeatedly - aircraft noise, green parakeets, Wolf-spotting and clowns - (see, in joke) but the new people haven't and should be allowed to.

We have none of the usual social and physical signals that normally moderate conversation. So, people are misinterpreted, over analyse, take offence when none was intended.

Lets not forget, this is a virtual world, its not real.

[StraferJack]

Jolly well said sir. Very nicely put

But seriously. 7 years? Seven???

[Otta]

Michael Palaeologus Wrote:

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> I think that some of us more long standing

> Forumites can put new people off by a degree of

> been-there-done-that-

> discussed-such-and-such-SO-many-times.

>

> Of course. we may have discussed topics years ago,

> repeatedly - aircraft noise, green parakeets,

> Wolf-spotting and clowns - (see, in joke) but the

> new people haven't and should be allowed to.

Totally agree with this, it's always irked. So what if it's been done before, just don't join in this time if you're bored of it.

[El Pibe]

I saw a photo of the first birthday party the other day. By gods you all look young!!!!

[Louisa]

I love talking about things we've all gone over numerous times before. Sue where is your response? A few of us are waiting.

Louisa.

[????]

Louisa Wrote:

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> I love talking about things we've all gone over

> numerous times before. Sue where is your response?

> A few of us are waiting.

>

> Louisa.

Clique talk

[Louisa]

Quids stop winding me up or I'll be forced to sit on you.

Louisa.

[????]

Ooh don't talk of such things so near to bedtime

[Michael Palaeologus]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> Jolly well said sir. Very nicely put

>

>

> But seriously. 7 years? Seven???

Seven years and 5 days,

and still no sign of Quids. The tease.

[Robert Poste's Child]

Worth mentioning perhaps that the reactions of longstanding forumites can also put off other longstanding, if less prolific, forumites, not just newbies. I originally joined late 2007 / early 2008 (can't remember any more) and eventually gave it up when the banter kept tipping over into something nastier - I know it's not just me as I've met other people locally who avoid the Lounge for that reason. After a year or two the forum started to calm down a bit and that's when I decided to give it another try.

I met a few people at a forum drinks in 2008 and they seemed nice. I went again a few years later and it felt completely different so I'm afraid I haven't bothered since. Virtual world is fine, though.

[????]

So ironically you preferred the cliquey EDF drinks of 2008 organised in the lounge to the latter version which I think are part of the WOIED thread and not attended by many lounge posters who would be considered clique :)

[El Pibe]

Shambles?

[Louisa]

RPC you don't need to be a new poster to feel the wrath of the lounge clique. I'm regarded as some sort of court jester brought out to entertain the EDF elite when needed, easily brushed aside as a troll when I go against the clique By talking about things they don't like. Especially if exposing the negative activities of the gentrified ED population.

Louisa.

[????]

Louisa Wrote:

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> RPC you don't need to be a new poster to feel the

> wrath of the lounge clique. I'm regarded as some

> sort of court jester brought out to entertain the

> EDF elite when needed, easily brushed aside as a

> troll when I go against the clique By talking

> about things they don't like. Especially if

> exposing the negative activities of the gentrified

> ED population.

>

> Louisa.

Power to the people Wolfie (1970's TV joke not EDF Cliquey joke)

[maxxi]

The older cliqueyer chaps/chapesses can be ignored or mildly mocked when they get too self referential or nostalgic (trees it were all trees for miles) - what irks a little more are those scab-pickers who bang on about being mistreated and threaten to withdraw their contribution (which is rarely entertaining and usually dull and opinionated) at the slightest provocation.

Grow up.

[Robert Poste's Child]

???? Wrote:

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> So ironically you preferred the cliquey EDF drinks

> of 2008 organised in the lounge to the latter

> version which I think are part of the WOIED thread

> and not attended by many lounge posters who would

> be considered clique :)

I wasn't generalising about forum drinks really - two several years apart can't be enough to judge on - more about how the Lounge has changed, but far as I can remember the only person present at the first one who has been named in this thread is Strafer Jack (though obviously under his previous name). But I could be wrong, given all the comings and goings, name changes etc.

[Louisa]

The Lounge has certainly changed in the years I've been on the forum. Back in the day with fewer users and a close knit online community the clique controlled every section of the forum (including General issues and gossip), but in a way that was kind of ok because we all knew where we stood. As the forum expanded and the clique lost its grip, they retreated to the safety of the Lounge where they at one stage had a monopoly. New members and people like me rarely posted in here because we were not made welcome. For a period in around 2011/12 this section of the forum was almost an unofficial private members club. A thread such as this would not have been welcome. No way.

Louisa.