Over the past few days, we have seen several instances where it is clear from the tone of some of the posts that some of the community are disrespecting others for their opinions. One or two contributors are deliberately posting to provoke responses and inflame situations.
This is rather disappointing, and we ask you to refrain from doing this.
This crossword blog is more than a discussion forum about grids, bars and setters. There is a myriad of other forums specifically for that purpose.
Big Dave always wanted the blog to be more than that and has encouraged it; that’s one of the reasons why it is the most popular crossword blog in the world. We share stories about our successes, our setbacks, and things that generate interest among others around here.
Here is his ethos nicely captured: https://bigdave44.com/miscellaneous/comment-etiquette/
Sadly that seems to have gone awry this week. I don’t propose going into the issues, but suffice it to say, we have dealt with them and consider the matters closed. Please do not make further comments about them.
When Big Dave had his fall, a group of the long-standing members of the community: Crypticsue, Prolixic, Gazza and Mr Kitty all agreed to help and support and organise things. I don’t think any of us appreciated how much work BD put into running the site. Five us doing the work of one! What we all shared was his ethos about how things should run.
From now on, we hope that you will respect each other and the blog’s aims.
None of us has a problem with discussion and disagreement, but it’s how it is done. Remember that many setters come here for constructive feedback and how demoralising it must be when they see contributors trashing their puzzles with no justification other than ‘I don’t like that setter.’
I have a simple rule of thumb. If I know who the setter is and I’m not keen on their puzzles. I stay away. I don’t come on to every single one of their puzzles and post how much I dislike them. Some of the posters on here should adopt that, I feel.
Calling for setters to be kicked off or replaced is not particularly good form either. The Crossword Editor is unlikely to act on your request anyway.
Many setters on the Telegraph have been plying their trade for quite a few years, and a fair number provide puzzles for a number of outlets, so a number of different editors are happy with their work.
Discussions on clue writing styles are fine, but again respect that there are several schools of thought. Some adopt the traditional style of doing things with guidelines and rules (The Ximeneans), and others are more libertarian in their view. Both have their valid justification, so respect each other.
We are asking the bloggers to keep an eye on their threads and to call out anyone they consider to be not posting within the spirit of things. Posts may be edited or removed, if necessary, and the perpetrators will be given warnings or even asked to refrain from being part of this unique community.
Let us move on from this. I am not allowing comments on this thread, but if you wish to contact me, you can do so via crosswords@btinternet.com.
News About BD
I am pleased to say that I have also spoken with the Big Guy this afternoon. As you can imagine, he is still fed up with being in the hospital, but there may be some light at the end of the tunnel. It is quite possible that he will be home fairly soon, once a suitable care package and special equipment can be found for him. Dave’s mobility is very poor at the moment following his fall, and providing for this has to be paramount for his care. He told me this afternoon he aims to be back in harness on the site by mid-October. Comments concerning BD’s recovery can be posted on the previous update about his progress, which is available here.
He is also disappointed to hear of this week’s goings-on.
Please, let’s move forward and ensure the ethos of the blog is maintained
Dave, Michael, Sue, Malcolm and Gary