Part of the problem with UK metal detectorists is that they appear to have very thin skins. On an antipodean metal detecting forum John Winter complained (that though I had said earlier that I was looking forward to some articulate pro-collecting arguments from his blog), I instead "put the boot in ...:
go to his site if you must and then do a search on John Winter at top left". The "if you must" suggesting of course that the senior detectorist would rather his readers did not visit this "site" (recte: blog).
As I pointed out earlier I really cannot see anything that would count as "putting the boot in" here. I concluded: It really is rather pathetic that in the eyes of UK metal detectorists [...], somebody who is not a fawning yes-man who pats artefact hunters on the head all the time like some of my compliant archaeologist colleagues is dismissed as "putting the boot in" and running a "hate blog about metal detecting". Anyone (else) can see that this blog is about (all kinds of) Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues, like it says on the box. That people like Mr Winter have no inclination properly to discuss the issues raised does not mean that such issues do not exist.That conclusion still stands. On the other hand, Mr Winter's original post did not. It seems he - or somebody - has since deleted it from the thread. Why write and publish something you are not prepared to stand by if challenged?*
I think this is the crux of the matter, UK (and US) metal detectorists - like antiquity collectors in general - apparently think they are entitled in a special way to do basically what they like, say basically what they like and go through life with both being unchallenged. Faced with the real world where people articulate other opinions about what they say, they are capable only of sulking or rage - leading to the sort of cowardly personal attacks that are so prevalent at the moment. What we never see is them actually engaging in a sensible and sustained way with what was said.
If Mr Winter accepts, after reading what I wrote (or just on reflection), that his words "put the boot in" were not in fact a reflection of reality, the civil response is to apologise, not quietly delete the post - pretending he never said it. Alternatively he could explain, if he can, why "put the boot in" seemed at the time to be entirely the right way to describe the posts he thus describes.
* Especially when it is something so inflammatory, giving licence to the thugwittery we see from other parts of the UK collecting milieu.
7 comments:
Personally I'm increasingly certain metal detectorists are the ones to enter into discussions with on the subject of metal detecting. It's been tried for one and a half decades and look where it has led.
IMO most detectorists know very well what's right and wrong but prefer not to inconvenience themselves. You can't get a more barren basis for discussion than that. Mr Winter attends and praises the outrageous Central Searchers' Rallies. What sort of sensible discussions with him do you hope for Paul? He can't defend them and no archaeologist can condone them.
Yo clarify...
Personally I'm increasingly certain metal detectorists are NOT the ones to enter into discussions with on the subject of metal detecting. It's been tried for one and a half decades and look where it has led.
IMO most detectorists know very well what's right and wrong but prefer not to inconvenience themselves. You can't get a more barren basis for discussion than that. Mr Winter attends and praises the outrageous Central Searchers' Rallies. What sort of sensible discussions with him do you hope for Paul?
Frankly I do not "hope for" any kind of sensible discussions with any of them. Experience shows it ain't going to happen. My aim is to show those who still entertain such hopes the futility of it. I argue that we need to get away from the persistent and damaging idea of talking with them, since there is self-evidently no point, and get on with discussing what to do about the problems they and current policies about them cause.
That's such a crucial point. Talking to or negotiating with people whose aims aren't the communal good has been demonstrated conclusively to be not in the communal good.
The tragedy is that it needed a demonstration for it to be realised (and realised it has been, I'm sure. All that's now missing is the admission).
What's up Paul? Did moma not give you enough attention as a child ? Seriously pal, crawl back under that rock. You are a worthless jobsworth twit. I seriously believe the only people that take note of this drivel that you write are the same lonely and miserable breed as yourself. Time to jog on and get yourself a life and a hobby instead of being a keyboard warrior. By the way have you ever though of taking up metal detecting? Laters!
Hi Steve,
You really do seem to have it in for my parents. I wish you'd leave them out of it. What do you think of John Winter's claims?
[pin drops]
Post a Comment