Tuesday 13 October 2009

The HE-UK list, again

I have once again been reproached for quoting posts from the HE-UK list. When I wrote those two notorious articles I was careful only to quote from public sections of EO's website and also from published books and Blogs. I included nothing from either the HE-UK or EO lists to which I then belonged. Imagine then my surprise, when Mike Fortune-Wood himself put up one of my posts on the Times Educational Supplement website. Since then, posts of mine made to this list have appeared all over the internet and are frequently quoted, as for example in submissions to the select committee.

People on the HE-UK list have also announced their intention of showing my posts from there to MPs and anybody else they feel might be interested in seeing them. See Wendy Crickard's threat to wave one of my posts under Lynda Waltho MP's nose! I can only assume that messages posted there are to be regarded as public property rather than private communications. After all, if everybody on this list, including the owner, behave like this with posts made there, what else can one think? I must also point out that despite my retaining the copyright of all material published on this Blog, a number of individuals from the HE-UK list plunder it at will for quotations. Of course, I have no objection to people using small quotations, but it is generally considered courteous to ask first. I am quite happy to come to some arrangement about this whole matter, just as soon as Mike Fortune-wood has apologised for starting the process by putting my messages into the public domain.

9 comments:

  1. You know what Simon, I dont care

    Even if Mike F-W and his list members were the most evil bunch of people in the world (and they are not) your idiotic vendetta would still be worthy of pity.

    Please grow up. Preferably before tomorrow

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  2. Well Sonia, to be fair I am not the one who keeps complaining about this. I get sick of being emailed offlist by people bitching about my quoting from this list. I thought I would just set the record straight. Tell me, if I have this effect upon you, why do you still kepp coming onto this Blog?

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  3. Why do I read your blog ?

    Or have done so over the last few days anyway

    In truth because I fear for the damage you will do tomorrow and I pray that one time I'll find you have seen sense and wont risk the lives and happiness of tens of thousands of kids and parents just to score points against a handful a people you dont like.

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  4. Get a grip, Sonia. I have spent twenty years in the home education lark; few things matter more to me. I have no intention at all of scoring points against anybody. Some people irritate me, but I would scarcely wish to harm tens of thousands of children as a consequence of my mild irritation! Don't be so dramatic.

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  5. Simon,

    I'm afraid having read some of your published articles never mind what you have blogged here the evidence that you put pettiness above the interests of anyone other than yourself is pretty conclusive.

    However, I'll continue to pray that you find wisdom.

    Peace be with you

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  6. I am sorely tempted to ask how I will be in a position to risk the lives of tens of thousands of children tomorrow, but perhaps I had better not. Here is a perfect illustration of the nature of the problem. Some individuals feel that not monitoring home education is putting children's lives at risk. Others, like Sonia, feel that the oppsite is true and that it is monitoring those children which will put their lives at risk. How are we to decide who is right here? Or is it at least possible that both sides are a bit right and a bit wrong? On a lighter note, whenever I receive a meassage that ends with something icky like "Blessings and Light", I always have an enormous urge to end my reply, "Curses and Darkness". How childish is that?

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  7. Please Simon,

    Did I say something icky like "Blessings and Light" ?

    No

    John 20:19-21, Simon

    I was earnestly wishing that you found the peace as well as wisdom that you need by using the words used by Our Lord.

    If only your comment was mere childishness.

    Of course both 'sides' are a bit wrong and a bit right. That is why your apparently blinkered view concerns me. That you are finally showing some understanding of that very thing is a welcome surprise.

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  8. As the mother of a 15 year old boy, who has been bullied so much , at two schools , i'm now deciding to home-educate. Did you know one child every half hour in this country attemps suicide due to school bullying not taken seriousely ; 2% of these children committ suicide. this is not the case ,however , for home-educated children .

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  9. schools are not prosecuted when children are bullied to the point of wanting to die due to school-bullying not being taken seriousely - yet home-educated families would be - as with a lack of S.E.N. support - our schools are failing on 1.age 2. ability and 3.aptitude , yet not prosecuted ?

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