Between 11pm yesterday and 12noon today I received, as administrator, over seventy anonymous communications (from their IP addresses mostly based in Northern Ireland, and in very specific locations too, with a completely weird smattering of North American addresses thrown in, again in rather specific locations), threatening me with all kinds of "punishments" (use your imagination, but I still reckon you'll fall short) and calling my parenthood, sexuality, and the survival hopes of any nearest and dearest I might have into some level of doubt. I have relayed them to Forumotion Security and have retained a copy, with IP address information and their associated ISPs, while I deliberate possibly reporting them to the rather more official authorities too.

To avoid giving this element a magnet to which they may be further attracted I have therefore deleted the content that excited them into activity, as I suppose it is only a next logical step to suppose that attempted disruption to the site is next on the agenda (if they have the wit to attempt it), and to be honest I don't have either the time or the inclination to monitor the site 24/7 or to the level required to ward off even simple DOS hacks.

This follows what has been a steady increase over some years now of such anonymous abuse being relayed in my direction, though lately the "devout Christian" tone (I paraphrase) has tended to have been replaced by what I can only term "fascist" content, though I notice what these two disparate sources have in common is an extremely highly developed homophobia that is matched only by an extremely minimal grasp of spelling. And of course a rather long litany of execrable vocabulary, some of which is so obscure that I don't even know if it's spelt correctly or not (though I default to doubting it).

Anyway - as I said in the previous topic I am currently not really interested anymore in the amount of work it takes simply to provide a discussion forum of waning interest which also excites such venomous and frankly alarming assault (I assume from people who naively think that the site constitutes more of a public forum than it actually is).

I am open to dissuasion on this, of course. But if anyone wishes to so dissuade me I recommend not to use the medium of "message to administrator" for that purpose.

Chris Hitchens once said that religion poisons everything: perhaps we should amend that these days to "Religion and Brexit poison everything."

I do hope the site doesn't close, as it has been part of all our lives for years. It will be sorely missed if we can no longer discuss, learn and - at  appropriate times - laugh with one another here.

I was about to respond to the last very interesting post on the Jesus/Socrates thread - a topic that shows how people with very different ideas and viewpoints can nevertheless exchange comments in a courteous and friendly way (usually - the odd huffiness we all have at times displayed there and on other threads is only human, and is vastly different from foul-mouthed, threatening, cowardly abuse, whether correctly spelled or not).

Most people here - believe it or not - think the Good Friday (oh, irony) agreement is far more important than any stupid Brexit. My favourite poster on the Remain March on Saturday (I voted Remain, like a lot of English people) proclaimed: "Let's go bck to Brussels, say we are sorry for being so silly, offer them tea, and promise never to mention any of this ever again."

Sounds a sensible idea to me, and all very polite and - er, dare I say it - Englsh? Admitting you have made a mistake is the sign of maturity - or something like that, isn't it?


EDIT: That said, it's a lot of work for the Boss running this site and, if he has lost heart, there's nothing any of us can do. And all things must pass, but it will be a melancholy day when the lights go out here.

I'm sorry to hear that you have had to put up with abuse, nordmann.  I made a comment on the now deleted thread but I don't think I was rude.  I hope not anyway.  We are not usually discourteous on this website.  nordmann, you must do what you think fit though I for one will miss Res Hist if it goes to the great website in the sky.

Before shutting up for today - maybe for good -  I will just add I'm glad the post from last night was deleted. It was pretty upsetting for most of us regular posters to read: I really do not think we deserved such vitriol. But what the heck - life will go on, one way or another.

If this is the end - good-bye, old friends. I've enjoyed knowing you all.

And I do hope Tostig is OK.

I can't comment on whatever it is that I've missed re the deleted topic but just to add to Temp and LiR's messages of support. I had no idea that you were having to deal with abuse off-forum as administrator as well. This site has been remarkably troll and bot free, no doubt thanks to your hard work nordmann, and it does not go unappreciated. I'm sure I speak for all the regular posters when I say don't hesitate to let us know if there is anything we can do to help re monitoring etc.

P.S. I came to this thread on The Eagle and Child board thinking it was going to be something fun. 

I just want to add my support to Nordmann for all the work he has done for this board.

I belong to the Jiglu board and it is my understanding that it is only accessible with permission. There must be access to the posts (or maybe just to the post titles) since people can ask to belong, but they have to be accepted. I am one of the administrators, but I never have to do anything. One of our computer people deals with any computer problems but I haven't heard of any abuse. Mind you none of that board are Irish! But there are Americans and Canadians.

Vizzer wrote:

I can't comment on whatever it is that I've missed re the deleted topic but just to add to Temp and LiR's messages of support. I had no idea that you were having to deal with abuse off-forum as administrator as well. This site has been remarkably troll and bot free, no doubt thanks to your hard work nordmann, and it does not go unappreciated. I'm sure I speak for all the regular posters when I say don't hesitate to let us know if there is anything we can do to help re monitoring etc...

Perhaps in future we should all monitor our own messages  too - and think before we send stuff that can hurt or offend.  For myself, I've been too flippant here in the past, and have no doubt given the impression I don't care about the problems that other nations face. I like to think that isn't true, of course - it's just my "English sense of humour" - but then we are all guilty of denial and projection, are we not?  We accuse others of what we don't like in ourselves. Nord's post - the deleted one - was pretty devastating, and has given me pause for thought, not all of it charitable. But the truth sometimes infuriates, does it not?

I repeat that I sincerely hope the site doesn't close. Effort and cash go into keeping it open - that is very much appreciated. Perhaps this place should become more of a joint effort - would that help? And perhaps yes, we should try to be honest with one another, but without brutality?

We used to have a thread about skills now forgotten: I hope Res His continues its tradition of keeping the priceless old skill of striving  - for mutual understanding, courtesy and intelligent discussion - alive and well. Such striving seems to be a dying art.

Nordmann,
I'm shocked by what you've said, not to learn that these assaults have happened, but rather that it has been directed at yourself and over what is afterall a fairly insignificant and uncontroversial website with a small readership. On a personal level it must be rather worrying and distressing for you. While I sincerely hope this site continues I thoroughly understand if you want to call it a day. Closing the site down is of course the aim of these attacks - and by the location of the IP addresses and the nature of the vitriol I can guess the affiliations of the assailants - and so I feel I should put my money where my mouth is. Is there anything I or a group of us can do to help maintain the site or even take over running it, should we all feel it is worth continuing?

I can only offer what support I can give Nordmann, you have given much of your time these almost 8 years and done so with wit, humour and sense.
As those above I am seriously disturbed that anyone would send abuse to you and I hope that those to whom you have reported these abuses, can and will act responsible.
If you want my support I shall renew my passport, and we might meet again and lift an elbow in real life to the memory of when this was all fun.
I hope you'll reconsider closing, but do understand that there's a time and a place for every thing - except abuse of all kinds!

nordmann, you have read all my reactions in the deleted post and as the other fellows I have already said the day before yesterday in that post, why I wanted that you continued the forum and as MM said perhaps with our help in some manner. I fear I will be not of much help for the English language and the computer related functions...
Kind regards, Paul.

I have tried to comment mildly above. I sincerely want to support nordmann against vile abuse, and I want the site to continue, but that is not the whole story and I need to speak my mind. I may live to regret it: we shall see. For those of you who did not see what nordmann himself posted on Monday night, it was a message full of rage against what is happening in England, and anger that no one sees to care about the awful consequences for his own nation, Ireland. It was couched in pretty robust language. Fair enough - we are all angry about the tragic farce known globally as Brexit - as a nation we are humiliated and  have become a laughing stock. Most reasonable people here, as I posted above,  are very worried about the Irish problem, and consider the Good Friday agreement to be far, far more important than the political games being played out here in the UK. No one, least of all me, has ever told the Irish people to go forth and multiply.

All that anger I could normally could cope with, but, if you are honest, nordmann, you will admit that you directed a lot of your fury at English posters here. What on earth have we said or done to deserve the vitriol? You may get p*ssed off with whomsoever you wish,  of course, and you are not obliged to explain, but your language was pretty unpleasant and you were, in my opinion, very unfair to loyal  English contributors to Res His. LiR is never inconsiderate to anyone, Priscilla , Green George and others have not said a word about Brexit, and if I - with what I admit may have come across as my flippant attitude - have given offence and am no longer welcome as an English person here, then please say so and I will delete myself. I would much rather play the Roman fool and fall on my sword than provoke you any more and cause the site to close. Most regular posters, including the few utterly bewildered at what they had read on Monday night, have acknowledged the debt owed to you for the excellent times we have all enjoyed here. I want them to continue and for things to be once more, as Nielsen has said, enjoyable as well as informative. We are all appalled that you have received the kind of abuse you describe; but no one here, even if hurt and upset, has ever responded with real hatred or abuse towards you. I once got a bit cross and told you to go forth and mulltiply, I admit, but that was said in temper during a heated discussion, and I did not include the rest of your nation in the hasty directive - and I did apologise immediately for my bad manners.

I haven't drafted this and am typing as it comes. I shall no doubt regret posting, but I am, like you, pretty p*ssed off with all of this. You do not have the monopoly on outrage about Brexit.

PS We do try not to be stupid, you know; obviously we have not succeeded, and do not come up to your impossible standards.


An unwise, but at least trying to be honest, Temperance who is sick of walking on eggshells.

The way I interpreted nordmann's original message was that he was fed up in general and not solely with contributors to Res Hist. I didn't realise at that time that nordmann had received toxic and rancid messages "off list". I'm of part Irish descent and I certainly don't want to see violence return to the island of Ireland either "north" or the Republic (of course some of the Republic is geographically north).

I repeat my statement that nordmann should do what he thinks right - if his heart isn't in running the board anymore then he is at liberty to bow out though I will miss this forum (or should that be these fora?).  Have we been guilty collectively of taking nordmann's efforts with this website for granted?  Please note, I am asking this question in a "stream of consciousness" way and not accusing anybody.

The broadcast news gives us maybe not a wholly untrue version of events but an edited version.  I'm fed up of the repetition that "old" people voted en bloc to leave the EU.  I don't think the EU is perfect but most of the people I know in the same age bracket as myself voted "Remain".  The media seem to be playing "divide and rule" - trying to stir up young and old people against each other.  I know of one person who while not a babe in the woods is younger than me who voted "Leave".

Temperance, I'm not sure if I have always been the paragon of consideration of other folks' people that you paint.  In real life I sometimes spoke in haste when I was younger so now I'm older, especially if I am using the written medium, I try to make comments in a balanced manner (though only other people can judge if I succeed!!!).

LiR wrote:

The way I interpreted nordmann's original message was that he was fed up in general and not solely with contributors to Res Hist. I didn't realise at that time that nordmann had received toxic and rancid messages "off list".

I think the "rancid and toxic" messages were received as a result of nordman's angry post, LiR. I refer you to the following from the OP here, posted by nord on Tuesday around lunch time:

nordmann wrote:

Between 11pm yesterday and 12noon today I received, as administrator, over seventy anonymous communications (from their IP addresses mostly based in Northern Ireland, and in very specific locations too, with a completely weird smattering of North American addresses thrown in, again in rather specific locations), threatening me with all kinds of "punishments" (use your imagination, but I still reckon you'll fall short) and calling my parenthood, sexuality, and the survival hopes of any nearest and dearest I might have into some level of doubt...

To avoid giving this element a magnet to which they may be further attracted I have therefore deleted the content that excited them into activity...

Anyway, I have had my little say, and I shall now once more try to shut myself up and do a Candide (without putting too fine a Pangloss on it), devoting myself to the cultivation of my garden. Far less stressful than all this.