Take a little trip, take a little trip with me.
I will never make a listing of those writeups that I have killed. I let the author know why when it happens and that is enough. No reason to share their "shame." Besides, my short term memory has so many holes in it you could build several golf courses in my mind. Good thing I don't play golf.
I think of E2 as an interactive magazine. I have had my dalliances in the world of publishing, once upon a time being the editor of my own magazine (a photocopied little creature with a readership of about 100). Limited to twenty pages every three months, a lot of material was turned away. That is just how it was. And a lot of people whined about how their story or their essay was better than what we did print in the issue they were turned down for. Editorial decisions are always subjective, based on the guidelines for the publication in question, as well as many other factors. That is just how it is. Whining is boring.
Not everything gets accepted.
Like a magazine, the administration and the editorial staff make decisions on what stays and what goes. That is the bottom line. Like a magazine, there are differences of opinion and sometimes writers and editors will leave a magazine because they no longer feel it is what they want to be involved in. People leave jobs, clubs, and support groups when they decide they can no longer grow within the boundaries that are in place. This is normal. This is part of life.
There have to be boundaries or there is chaos.
Things are going to be discussed and people are going to disagree. People are going to walk. New people are going to arrive. The shape of things changes with each passing day. In any job, club, organization or magazine there are going to be changes that are popular at times and unpopular at others.
I've watched people leave E2 and I've read their reasons for doing so. Sometimes I understand and sometimes I don't. This is a website that can consume you like nothing I have ever encountered before. Why? The people, the community and the value of much that is written here astounds me on a daily basis. At the same time, if you allow it to drive you to madness, then it is up to you to regain control.
Everything is a Community
but it cannot be a drunken frat party.
Meaning? Woe be it to those who either don't read guidelines or decide they are above guidelines. This is a showplace. When anyone recommends E2 to a friend or associate, it is better if that recommendation is followed by "you'll read a lot of interesting things there" rather than "you'll read a lot of interesting things there if you can ignore the crap."
Anyway, the rambling commentary is part of my own personal take on E2. There are things I feel strongly about and that I now consider part of my editorial angle.
- In my opinion, E2 history is as important here as world history. The people, events and changes that have been a part of this place add something to the database that cannot be found elsewhere.
- When anything is submitted to the database, it is considered to be awaiting acceptance on whether it stays or goes. Deletion of a writeup is not a personal attack, as many seem to feel, it is merely a decision made in a subjective fashion within the guidelines of E2. Get over it.
- Writeups that stay should be examples to newcomers who peruse the website before deciding what to submit. If they see crap they will node crap. If they see a lot of one line throwaways they will node one line throwaways. I nuke things I feel are bad examples of what to node. Yes, that decision is subjective. Deal. People who come to a new place try to fit in by doing what everyone else is doing.
- I am strongly opposed to the cutting and pasting of information that is readily available elsewhere on the internet, even if it is something that is freely available for distribution and not copyrighted. Why? Because I don't see the point. There are those who think copying information so it is available here is a good idea. E2 is at its best when it provides information in a new way. There are great writeups here providing information on people, events and things that are easily available elsewhere... but they are written with personality. It is that personality that makes E2 special. Support of directly cut and paste pieces from elsewhere is a kick in the teeth to those who put their heart and soul into their writeups. However, as long as the source is properly cited and there is evidence that the material can be freely reproduced in the manner in which it has been, I won't go near the thing.
- There are great people here who put a lot of thought and effort into their writeups. It isn't fair to them, and can make them quite cynical, when someone else submits a half-assed effort and receives the same credit.
- I support all a very broad spectrum of writeups... but some types of writeups are harder than others. Not everything is going to be as warmly embraced as you hoped. There are people of different generations and different mindsets here. Just like the real world. Nothing is perfect. Don't sweat the small stuff. It is all small stuff.
Everything is a microcosm of the real world.
Why do you expect it to be any more or any less perfect?
If you can make it here you can make it anywhere.
Everything is an oasis.
You can't please all the people all of the time.
But if you try sometime, you just might find...
You get what you need.
And that hopefully satiates your curiosity. For now.