Where is Mixture?

[Ellie Vater]

As per the thread title. I haven't seen any postings from him for a while, and miss his dry wit...

[Capn Bloggs]

"Dry wit"? Is that what you call it?! ;)

[Pelikal]

I was actually going to post along similiar lines. I miss the input by mixture, he/she gave me (and others I guess) valuable knowledge and insight, and helped me solve quite a number of issues.

Even if the content of the replies didn't always work out, they made me think in different ways and I could form an approach into solving issues.

Certainly the postings could be a touch 'caustic' at times but I had little difficulty in living with that.

I seem to recall the last posting and I think it was on the XP issue (he/she alerted me to the situation in the first place) and it ended with something like 'that's it, I'm out of here'. Not a word since.

So mixture, if you still pop in here occasionally, thank you for your valuable contributions.

Peliwhotsit.:ok:

[mixture]

As per the thread title. I haven't seen any postings from him for a while, and miss his dry wit...

No, this is not a return. I just want to clear this up once and for all.

The more perceptive amongst you will have noticed that I am not the only technical mind that has resigned from PPRuNe. Ultimately the real losers on all this are going to be the other PPRuNers. Those of us who have resigned have better things to do with our lives, whilst in the mean time, other PPRuNers loose out on the technical knowledge we once brought to the table.

As someone else who used to contribute here put it to me when I told them of my resignation, “There's only so many times you can give good advice to be shouted down by an OAP with as much technology sense as a breeze block.”

I'll be the first to admit that my often hastily written posts may have occasionally not have been everyone's up of tea. Accordingly I've taken my fair share of flack over the years from people who took issue with my concise style of writing instead of taking the time to understand the technical points I was trying to get across.

I was happy to be on the receiving end of said flack, as long as the posters abided by the old PPRuNe rule of "play the ball, not the man”.

For example, if you wished to be (incorrectly) stubborn and ignore my somewhat famous sage advice in relation to Windows XP. If you wished to take the piss on that issue, I had no problem as long as said posters were equally willing to be on the receiving end in return.

However, I have decided to call it quits at PPRuNe after multiple statements were posted by one specific individual accusing me of having very specific types of mental health issues.

Those accusations were and are untrue and unfounded and I found them deeply hurtful.

If it was just one post, I would have perhaps let it pass. But he/she came back on multiple occasions over a short period of time, and each time went deeper and more harshly into his/her mental health issue allegations.

I do not have mental health issues, I have never had mental health issues, and I certainly fail to see how someone I have never met or spoken to, and someone is not a psychologist anyway can start proferring detailed diagnosis. As far as I am concerned its slander.

Unfortunately, this disgraceful individual appears to have friends in high places, because despite me raising the issue with the mods, the mods were unwilling to apply the age old PPRuNe policies of "personal attacks will not be tolerated" and "play the ball, not the man".

I simply refuse to have anything further to do with a forum that knowingly allows such activity to occur.

TO THAT INDIVIDUAL: I have taken care not to name you, and I would appreciate it if you could sit quietly on the sidelines and not “contribute” to this thread. I would rather old wounds were not reopened. Thank you for your understanding.

[NRU74]

Come back mixture !
I've certainly benefited from your help and advice in the past as have so many others.
We'll all promise not to ask any Windows XP questions or slag off Apple in future.

[Pelikal]

mixture, all the very best.

[CISTRS]

mixture,
It feels strange to say that you are always very welcome.
This thread really belongs to you.
It's not so much fun, and not so erudite without you.

[cattletruck]

I regularly get accused of having mental health issues, but I keep passing my avmed with flying colours :ok:, so up them.

Mr Mixture and Mr Bracknell were two sources of free quality advice that will be sorely missed.

If only the poster who is giving Mixture grief could see the incredible place I now work in which challenges all norms and past practices and has the courage to implement really progressive ideas. For example, all our well paid senior executives work on the bottom floor and our lowly paid workers have the floors with the best views.

[lomapaseo]

not wanting to add any fire to this.

providing that a poster plays by the base role of play the ball and not the man all posting styles are accepted for the info they provide.

The trouble for me is identifying true knowledge from casual opinion. I had no trouble understanding "Mixture" and of course now miss that input.

The most cherished rule that makes or breaks my own continued postings is the rule about playing the ball.

It must be judged and enforced above all else

[dazdaz1]

I don't post on here often with computer/software/hardware problems (W7 tee hee) having said that, reading over the past few years on this forum I have data base of problems from posters and replies from you mixture, your a top man mixture.

Remember this, there are many more people who read your replies than post, think about that.

Regards

Dazdaz1

[onetrack]

It's certainly a major loss to pprune that mixture has taken his marbles and gone home. His postings were always erudite and informative - even if he was an Apple fanboi! ;)
Unfortunately, forums always have their resident dickheads who are intent on creating ill-feeling.
A common theme is abusing another member just to make themselves feel superior.

On another forum, one particular nasty individual took great pains to track down every post where I offered hard-won advice in my field of expertise, and took great pleasure in denigrating all of my advice.
He was vicious in his personal attacks and the moderators of that forum rarely reprimanded him.
Consequently, I departed from that forum and I don't miss it. They are missing my useful contributions, though.

A good forum is well moderated and personal abuse should not be tolerated. Unfortunately, many forum moderators are not good moderators - the major reason it seems, being related to the fact that the position is voluntary and offers no renumeration, nor any need to present credentials as to moderation skills - and therein lies the reason why forums decline.

I have noticed a particularly sizeable number of worthy contributors departing this forum in recent months, and the forum is much poorer as a result.

[ExXB]

Mixture, understand completely.

Thanks for all your help in the past. It is truly appreciated

[Mornington Crescent]

I miss Mike Bracknell's informative input.

[Keef]

Very sad, but entirely understood.

I was one of those who didn't always "like" mixture's forthright style, but what he said was worth reading.

As an old friend of mine often says "All the great men are gone, and you and I aren't looking too good either".

[Tone]

Sorry to see you go Mixture, your help in the past has been much appreciated. How will we survive W10 without you?

[One Outsider]

I hadn't actually notice he was gone and I can't say I'm sorry he is. His sense of self-importance is only matched by the abuse he so generously sprinkled his posts with.

It is a completely unnecessary "style" and nobody is losing out now that is resigned to the archives.

[Ellie Vater]

Mixture, so sorry you feel you had to leave - I, along with many others here, will miss your valuable technical input, (and dry wit)!

Please ignore the 'individual' and consider a return to the forums.

[One Outsider]

Peculiar sentiment, Ellie Vater, since you have posted nothing here before starting this thread.

[vulcanised]

For someone so liberal with the verbal acid, he's a delicate little flower.

[Ellie Vater]

Maybe I've not posted, but I've been an avid reader (and not always when I'm logged on)

[One Outsider]

Sure, Ellie, sure.

[Ellie Vater]

One Outsider. Can't be doing with this. Bye.

[crewmeal]

Mixture thanks for all your help over the years, I've certainly taken your knowledge onboard. No doubt you'll be watching from the wings and having a good laugh about future posts.

Remember negative comments and insults posted by those are only there to get a reaction. Ignore them and they usually go away. In my experience I've found many are very good with their fingers on a keyboard, but when it comes to meeting up they are so so shy and wouldn't say 'boo to a goose'

[ExXB]

Or use the ignore user option. You no longer see their posts. Lowers my blood pressure!

[Ancient Observer]

As a computer ignoramus, I will miss both Mixture and Mr Bracknell. In fact, I've been missing Mr Bracknell for some time.
Maybe he'll come back when he gets a better mbps?

Thanks to both for help in the past.

As to mental health issues, I get enough of that from SWMBO, and two now "grown up" children, so I have been trained over the years to ignore that sort of comment.

[KBPsen]

Mike Bracknell could dispense advice without the arrogance, rudeness and condescension that Mixture more often than not resorted to. It was unnecessary and uncalled for. You'll have to be a flagellant to miss that form of "dry wit".

Regularly losing it when a certain brand wasn't given sufficient praise wasn't normal behavior either.

[Cameronian]

It's all so sad. mixture, Mike Bracknell and quite a few others have taken the trouble to attempt to set me on the straight and narrow quite a few times and it was always much appreciated. I am not able to say if a different approach to moderation would have brought a happier outcome - I am also in awe of the moderators who devote themselves to such a thankless task - but I am sure that due note will have been taken so, perhaps, the clock can be turned back...

Courtesy costs so little and, as has so often been said over the years, is the mark of the man.

Toujours la politesse!

[mixture]

First off, I appreciate all the positive comments above, and indeed I truely miss helping out many of the "faces" I recognise from the comments.

However, I also note the negative comments from those who wish to dance on my grave and sing 'ding,dong, the witch is gone'. Not unexpected given the Marmite sentiment for me.

So for now I intend to stick by my decision.

The reason I dropped by once more is because I couldn't let this one pass:

Mike Bracknell could dispense advice without the arrogance, rudeness and condescension that Mixture more often than not resorted to.

As far as I was concerned, I made it clear ample times, people had three choices :

They could spend hours or days on Googoo researching their problem, and trying to sort the wheat from the chaff ... followed by hours or days wasting their time infront of their computer trying to apply their new found "knowledge".
They could pay someone to solve their problem
They could come here, take the benefit of my free advice based on many years on the front line, but in return, as I said so many times, I was not going to wrap my advice in fluffy words. So, for example, if someone was too lazy to do the most basic of backups, despite me banging on about backups innumerable times, I would tell them like it is. Similarly if people started bashing Apple because it was the fashionable thing to do, then I would tell them like it is. Quite frankly, in all the years I've been on PPRuNe, I don't think I've seen one decent anti-Apple post, its all been Apple bashing by people who obviously have no clue what they are on about.



It is also interesting that you compare me to Mike Bracknell, and say he dispensed advice with a style that you found more acceptable.

Well, you know why Mike Bracknell isn't here any more ?

Yes, that's right. He got hounded out too by people who thought they knew better or turned to personal attacks.

That's why it's largely guaranteed Mike Bracknell won't be back, and is no doubt the reason I won't be either.

As I said in my original post on this thread. All of us technical types were very happy to come here in our spare time and offer you guys help.

However when a minority decided it would be more fun to bite the hands that fed them, they spoilt it for the majority. I speak for myself, and no doubt others too, when I say we've got better things to do with our time than put up with that sort of nonsense.