Forumites I'm Missing

[Wahoo Redux]

Polly_Mer.

I actually ran into Polly on Reddit.  She is still using her old moniker and still aiding and betting her particular form of wisdom regarding academia, particularly the job hunt, over there.  In her own words, she just "couldn't stay away from the HE advice giving."

She is very bitter because she apparently received an email from the moderators telling her to behave in a more decorous manner for polite society, so she took her game to the other platform.

[Harlow2]

Ms Particularity

[mahagonny]

Polly_Mer.

I actually ran into Polly on Reddit.  She is still using her old moniker and still aiding and betting her particular form of wisdom regarding academia, particularly the job hunt, over there.  In her own words, she just "couldn't stay away from the HE advice giving."

She is very bitter because she apparently received an email from the moderators telling her to behave in a more decorous manner for polite society, so she took her game to the other platform.

Wasn't me complaining to the mods. I kept all my clashes with Polly on the board where they could be seen. Why? Because when the forum moved here from CHE the old Mahagonny reported that I wouldn't be moving with the herd. I didn't expect anyone to care, but to my surprise PolLy wrote 'no you should come aboard. You have a right to weigh in.' So I did. Later I thought 'she just likes having me to kick around' but then I remembered the few times we agreed on something and she gave me a nod, which many posters would probably never do for whatever reason. I didn't like the way she did her old job at tiny college in OH or wherever it was, but I eventually realized, she didn't like the job either, despite the energy she put in.
What did old Plato say..."Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle."
Polly gave it to you rough and straight.
ETA: One of her favorite riffs, the value of facing your own responsibility and your own choices, can be expressed with barely a whisper and still get you in big trouble these days, in our current political climate.

[Ruralguy]

Though I hope Polly returns, I don't mind that she took a break. For the record, I didn't report her either, though there were a couple of incidents around the time of the election when I very nearly did so I am not astonished that someone did eventually. But I didn't and probably never would. Usually when I feel that its time for someone particularly to go away, its me that needs to go away for  a bit (I think I did for like a week! then I stopped looking at political  threads when I did come back).

[lightning]

Polly_Mer.

I actually ran into Polly on Reddit.  She is still using her old moniker and still aiding and betting her particular form of wisdom regarding academia, particularly the job hunt, over there.  In her own words, she just "couldn't stay away from the HE advice giving."

She is very bitter because she apparently received an email from the moderators telling her to behave in a more decorous manner for polite society, so she took her game to the other platform.

Huh? Polly is one of the reasons that the replacement fora exists. One would think that the mods would give Polly a pass and look the other way, because I've seen much worse behavior (like a poster telling someone to f**k off, among other things), and no one seemed to get spanked. At least when Polly pissed people off, it's not because Polly engaged in a stupid way.

[mahagonny]

Polly_Mer.

I actually ran into Polly on Reddit.  She is still using her old moniker and still aiding and betting her particular form of wisdom regarding academia, particularly the job hunt, over there.  In her own words, she just "couldn't stay away from the HE advice giving."

She is very bitter because she apparently received an email from the moderators telling her to behave in a more decorous manner for polite society, so she took her game to the other platform.

Huh? Polly is one of the reasons that the replacement fora exists. One would think that the mods would give Polly a pass and look the other way, because I've seen much worse behavior (like a poster telling someone to f**k off, among other things), and no one seemed to get spanked. At least when Polly pissed people off, it's not because Polly engaged in a stupid way.

Of course they would give her a pass. I don't quite believe she's staying away out of bitterness or hurt feelings. I think that's a handy excuse. If I had to guess I'd say she has a distrust of diversity staff on steroids who are holding higher education under siege at this time, but doesn't care to get into it. That theory is probably why I'm taking back everything I used to think about her.

[kaysixteen]

Certainly she rubs people the wrong way, and has strident and not always very well reasoned opinions.   She also seems to think her chem engineering PhD qualifies her to say things that, well, it doesn't.   But 'complaining' or 'reporting' others here for disagreements is, well, childish.

[mahagonny]

Steve Allen wrote a book entitled 'Dumpth' - Ways For People To Start Thinking Better. One of the common mistakes he described was believing that because you have accomplished a lot in one field you pick things up quickly.
(Do we dare mention?) Tom Sowell maintains that intellectuals ruin society by using their fame in their field as a supposed marker of authority to make public pronouncements outside of their field which people in government charged with serious tasks then have to contend with. Examples were Bertrand Russell and Noam Chomsky. One man's opinion.

Certainly she rubs people the wrong way, and has strident and not always very well reasoned opinions.   She also seems to think her chem engineering PhD qualifies her to say things that, well, it doesn't.

But whe3n you get a real bulldog on your side in an argument, it's kind of heartening.

[ciao_yall]

Once one of the mods deleted one of my posts which I thought was a bit strident, but I guess their line was a bit more finely drawn than mine.

So perhaps it was the mods who were trying to hold her back, and not any particular poster?

I find the ignore user function highly useful.

[ciao_yall]

In other news, through another venue I "met" another forum member. When we figured out the connection they sincerely apologized to me for being mean sometimes. We're "friends" now.

Honestly, I don't really keep track of who agrees, disagrees, whatever. Posting can come across a bit blunt when we can't hear tone or context. I just learn from who is saying something and take it for information, not personally.

The only poster I routinely ignore is one who repeatedly posts the same thing over and over again, ad equus mortuus, regardless of context. But that's easy enough.

[little bongo]

I went with ignoring Polly toward the end--now I'm down to just ignoring one person, unless Polly decides to return. I never reported her; I might have thought about it once or twice, and then got a sandwich instead. She was smart about what she was smart about.

On the only occasion when I did report someone, I posted that I'd done so, because I was kinda pleased with myself. I'll probably just stick with ignoring going forward.

[Ruralguy]

As someone who has been at a small college for 22 years, I thought Polly had excellent insight into small colleges for someone who only worked at one for several years pre-tenure. Also, had a great command of databases relevant to academia. As for opinions, well, everyone's got one, and I agreed with her on stuff until I didn't.

[Clarino1]

I think Vox Principalis was a colleague of mine for a number of years.  In 2015 our third-rate LAC terminated three of us (tenured) in the music department, including Vox (if it was, indeed, she).  She was a phenomenal voice teacher, department chair, and opera director.  She recruited tirelessly and successfully for the department, and, of course, for the college, and her reward was to be terminated, proving that no good deed goes unpunished.  She has since left the area, and, as far as I know, is no longer working in academe.

[apl68]

As someone who has been at a small college for 22 years, I thought Polly had excellent insight into small colleges for someone who only worked at one for several years pre-tenure. Also, had a great command of databases relevant to academia. As for opinions, well, everyone's got one, and I agreed with her on stuff until I didn't.

She did have very worthwhile experiences and insights.  Too much there just to ignore.  But she sure could come across as arrogant at times.  She also gave a distinct impression that she was of the opinion that the humanities were for people who weren't bright enough or diligent enough to succeed in the natural sciences.

[lightning]

I think Vox Principalis was a colleague of mine for a number of years.  In 2015 our third-rate LAC terminated three of us (tenured) in the music department, including Vox (if it was, indeed, she).  She was a phenomenal voice teacher, department chair, and opera director.  She recruited tirelessly and successfully for the department, and, of course, for the college, and her reward was to be terminated, proving that no good deed goes unpunished.  She has since left the area, and, as far as I know, is no longer working in academe.

I was under the impression that she was at an amazing place where getting retrenched would never happen. She never once mentioned that her place of employment was under severe duress. Are you sure we are talking about the same person (from Indiana I think), the same one who was also a makeup expert?