If you've got nothing to say ...

[Guest]

... then don't say it!

This is a maxim that I have tried to keep to (not always successfully) throughout my life.

The proms are over and contributions to this message board are, not surprisingly, decreasing in number, but that does not deter me from reducing my own input and keeping to certain topics.
Having no interest in the weather, politics, CD reviews, or just "Talking about music",I shall contribute during the next few weeks to posting only on the "Performance" forum and will strive to keep my opinions to myself - unless invited to state them.

If someone enjoys a concert, why spoil their pleasure by telling them that it was no good? Conversely, if someone is critical of a performance, why annoy them by telling them that they are wrong?

So in future, I intend to follow the message boards to keep abreast of things, but only to give an opinion if specifically asked; in which case I will endeavour to be as objective as possible.

Debate is one thing. Invective and argument is another. I just don't feel that at my age I need to get involved.

Best wishes to you all, but may I enjoin you all to think before you post. Did you really mean to say that?


Ventilhorn (aka Hornspieler)

[salymap]

Good morning VH, just one little comment. If we all wait for someone else to ask for our opinion, the MBs would die out long before next year's Proms.

I quite agree there is no need for insult and invective but debate is surely useful to forming opinions.

Very best wishes,salymap

[Tony Halstead]

Totally agreed!

[aeolium]

I quite agree, salymap. How can it offend anyone who enjoys a concert if someone else expresses a contrary opinion - it is, after all, just an opinion and a subjective one at that? And if someone is critical of a performance, why should someone who thought it was a good one keep silent?

[Nick Armstrong]

I think the OP is misguided, perhaps betrayed by the misquote - as far as I know, it is "if you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say anything". It's all about how you do something. Yes if you rip into someone else in a scathing manner, belittling their views, then it might offend. But it's very bracing to find someone in an intelligent, maybe humorous way, taking a different view from me, offering a different perspective.

As usual, it's not what you do but how you do it that counts.

[Ventilhorn]

I quite agree, salymap. How can it offend anyone who enjoys a concert if someone else expresses a contrary opinion - it is, after all, just an opinion and a subjective one at that? And if someone is critical of a performance, why should someone who thought it was a good one keep silent?

But that is not my argument at all. What I am saying is that I shall keep my opinions to myself, unless someone asks me to do otherwise.

Some message boarders will be pro and some against as always, but that does not mean that I have to inject my two penn'orth into the ensuing argument.

I'm all for debate, but that does not neccesarily mean discussing the merits or otherwise of a particular performance. There is much that we need to discuss concerning Radio 3 during this fallow period, and you may be assured that I will join in if I feel that I have something of value to contribute.

I'm not leaving this forum - just sitting back a bit.

VH

[eighthobstruction]

That's why you should all post irrelevant tosh on 'Cheers' more often....very good for stimulating the Phagocytes....

[aeolium]

What I am saying is that I shall keep my opinions to myself, unless someone asks me to do otherwise.

You mean that unless someone says something like 'I wonder what Ventilhorn thought of the performance last night', you will remain silent. Well, it's your prerogative of course but it seems a strange condition for contribution to a message-board. There are probably quite a few people who read messages but don't post because they lack confidence that their contribution will be 'of value' although generally I have found people are interested in seeing a diverse range of opinions.

[french frank]

It's a bit early to say the number of posts are falling back after the Proms, though inevitably the number of posts about the Proms will decrease. However, not only do we have a new concert season coming up, we also have the new drama season. And there's certainly interest in the new morning schedule ...

There is actually a special term (I've forgotten it for the moment*) for people who lurk most of the time and only post occasionally when they have something to say. I hope people won't all follow VH's advice ...

[*Something like 'constructive lurker'?]

[eighthobstruction]

Sticato Stalking Scriber ....??

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

i am unsure that VH is offering advice i am puzzled as to what is meant by VH's post, it is paradoxical in some extent to announce reticence .... and it claims a moral privilege for reticence whereas i would rather assert such privilege for speaking up ... one sometimes only knows what one thinks by hearing what one is prepared to say/post eh ... that is the great benefit of a collegiate forum ... to posit, reflect and respond with one's fellows ...

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm far too important to have anything to say to you opinionated lot, unless you first ask me, politely.

[tony yyy]

Apart from not having much to say, I mostly lurk partly because by the time I've caught up with new posts I've no time left to reply and partly because my listening is usually a week or two in arrears, by which time the discussion has often gone stale.

[Auferstehen2]

All this furtive lurking around is frightening me actually...

Mario

[Ventilhorn]

I'm far too important to have anything to say to you opinionated lot, unless you first ask me, politely.

See whatI mean? This is typical of the sort of snide remarks that some people go out of their way to post.

I want no part of it.

VH