S*d what he wanted, you have the story, out of respect and recognition and as a tribute to him it should have been done!
No we don't have the story. Not the background story at least.
He started telling one day when I was driving and couldn't take notes, but it was just brief and sketchy, no bones to it. When I did ask him (on announcing his retirement) he said he didn't want it. I respect him enough to follow
his instructions and no one else's.
B) With due respect Graham DID get a fishing rod from Richard (the boss).......
And he was given a fantastic centrepin reel that I would have gladly killed him for when the new site started up.
http://vimeo.com/4178364
Unless GM comes back and takes over ........... it's never going to be how it was.
And it wouldn't even if he did come back.
Here's the truth if you can take it (my
personal feelings) -
When the old site announced it was closing a lot of members deserted even then, before it was sold off. Same with the advertisers, they were told not to renew advertising contracts, which is why Richard has been funding this site out of his own back pocket - I think you should know that seeing as people get it for free and still moan.
The articles come in fast enough, but not from the same sources anymore. That's understandable, same as magazines, the readership changes as well as the writers. I would like more articles though and I don't care if they're about carp, or barbel, or tench, or yesterdays, or red letter days, we just want them.
As for posting - it does seem to be the same old set, but this now is MY personal feelings. Someone new comes on and posts an innocent question or makes a statement and one of two things happen. Either people start pulling him apart, taking the mickey out of him or hijack the thread and turn it into "Cos you're gay....." or relate to the off-bank goings on of a fish-in that the new fella has no idea of. I saw this happen four or five times the other week with threads that should have been good debates or educational points. Even I lost interest and couldn't be bothered posting a sensible reply.
SO perhaps the answer to "why aren't as many posting..?" maybe to do with some of the posts that are made. Sure, a lot is in bait box, but the general message is - this is an exclusive club so stay away!
Those are my feelings and that's the big change from the early days when most posts were to discuss different topics and lend a helping hand to newcomers. It's not always like that, but more often than not it can be.
----------------------------
You have to accept that the site has changed hands and changed Editor to two editors. All that Geoff and I do are edit material (articles) that come in, tart up photographs, lay them all in the software provided and make them live.
People are free to peruse these articles or not and are free to come and go as they wish. All that I know is that we are heading (currently) for as much traffic (visitors) as we had in the hay day of the old site. The fact that there are just a few people bemoaning the retirement of the old editor still confounds me because .......
Every time I ask Graham about coming back he tells me where I can shove it - in polite terms. Now why not leave him to his retirement and stop squaking about him coming back.
As the notice should say -
Like it or lump it, this site is under new management.
So endeth my PERSONAL feelings.