A substantive last (?) post

I have never before participated in an on-line forum. Not once in all the years I have been around computers (my journey began in the days of punch cards What those are, I am confident, is known by very, very few on this forum if anybody). I have certainly not been an avid fan of Indian TV, much less Indian serials. Yet, towards the end of this year, I came to be intrigued by KB and subsequently IF, not knowing what I was in for. I know for an absolute fact, that the one forum parameter that saw an increase because of my membership was the average age 😊! I brought very little else. I believe I have taken away even less.

What I came across (if I said 'much to my delight', I would not be expressing the true magnitude of my joy) was so wholly unexpected, that even as I write this, I wonder if I am not dreaming.

I certainly came across many genuinely nice people. But to my absolute astonishment I came across like-minded people whose talents far exceeded mine in areas where I would like to grow (other than my age 😊).

I came across a moderator who was a deeply understanding and gentle person. One who softened each blow that was directed my way - especially yesterday.

I came across someone, who is, hands down, the funniest, funniest - in the cleverest, cleverest way - person I have known! I almost died laughing from something she said yesterday. I have never laughed so hard in my life - serious! If we did not have radios in cars, passersby would wonder about my sanity as I recall her lines and begin laughing like a blithering idiot! 'Who is she laughing at?!!' they might say

I came across someone who showed such a talent with words that it leaves me envious! Writing for me has always been an arduous punishing task. Yet here was someone whose words flowed effortlessly, tasted of honey, and smelled like roses.

I came across someone who was quiet and yet spoke volumes in the finest language. I cannot say much else, because we have only just started what I hope will be a long sojourn.

I came across someone who was so ebullient that it makes me want to get up and jump - which, at present, is a real feat because thanks to this forum I cannot unglue myself from this chair. 😊

I came across someone who actually thought that my posts gave her cause to learn new words. What flattery! What a raising of my self-esteem!

When I joined, the one forum parameter that I did not affect - positively - was the collective IQ!! Just these handful of members had been silent (probably) stars (unequivocally) well before my entry. What I did help emerge - quite unwittingly - was their voice and talent. I will take credit for this. I have been the single greatest beneficiary. But . . . I think so has everyone else!!!

Now, to the issue at hand. Yesterday, I was asked to confine myself to a certain kind of post - one that was terse, KB specific, bereft of literary references, minimized factual information, with no room for 'spamming.' There had been complaints and action had to be taken, if for no other reason, than to be impartial. One of the 'silent stars' was publicly rebuked. We were all cautioned via an authoritative thread.

I have clearly misunderstood (probably because I have yet to read the forum rules - I will rectify right after this post appears on the forum). I was going my merry way under the misunderstanding that this was a public forum. I was going my merry way thinking that the discussions, while initiated in response to KB, would return to KB via a wonderfully scenic route. I was going my merry way thinking that humor, engendered by KB, would return via a wonderfully hilarity filled route. For you see, the core of any discussion - short or long lived - was KB, and this we all recognized and accepted. I can be profane, accusatory, caustic . . . but I have to be driven to that. Of these 3, I can safely say that I have not been profane. The other 2, I came to understand - again - were irresponsible and socially unacceptable. Relative to my own ability in that department, I had been mild!

But why the draconian rule of terseness, no factual information, no literary references, no specificity? For one, an adjudication of any of these vis-a-vis the posts can only be subjective! What is sauce for the goose, isn't sauce for the gander. I was bewildered. Are there nascent insecurities surfacing because of the kind of directions some discussions were taking (remember, always within the ambit of and relevant to KB) or because of the complexity of thought and writing in a language with which not all have a perceived facility (and why should you? There are other languages in which you are vastly more fluent than those of us accustomed to English. In that we are equals) ? Perhaps. That is for the complainant to know.

The most curious part - as I saw it - was the exercising of double standards. Only yesterday, there was a post which was of reasonable length, discussed an issue raised in KB (of social importance) but not, strictly speaking, KB specific (as I had been led to understand). It even exhorted the creative team to use every opportunity to educate (gee! where had I seen that before?)! The responses were fast and furious and excitement was palpable! Yet I felt that some of us others were being explicitly denied the chance to engage in a similar manner. Only day before last, I saw a thread with some very creative poetry. How was that different from our literary references? Only day before last, I came across a response that began with an extremely mild invective. We had not ever reached that stage!

As requested, these 'extraneous' discussions will be taken elsewhere, for I am not prepared to sever my ties with the KB forum's silent stars. Who loses? To a degree, we don't! Perhaps those not engaging in these vastly interesting forays don't either because these things are of little to no interest. But what of those who come new? Yes, they do! And to the remaining degree, we the 'renegades' do! We each have lost the opportunity to find kindred spirits, to make friends, to have fun, to learn and many, many other things. Why should we be so denied?

To the powers that be: reflect, then mete out punishment commensurate with the crime.

oh SVG.....what happened 😭..come on do keep writing.......your posts are definately very informative and you are a gifted writer as I told before.......and you Vocabulary is so good that some of the times what you write goes over my head 😳 and by the time I want to ask what you meant its already too late......so pls. do keep writing.....KB as it is is not happening at the moment...and thks Shanti for those sweet words....so let us KBites rock the forum ....

What catches one's eye in the first instance is your word-craft, which on its own is an utter pleasure to come across (there are masses of us here who feel that way!) ... except there's plenty more to unwrap; the humour, the wit, the wisdom... not to mention that which is to be read between the lines, if one chooses to discern!

Time and again I have heard that the moderators have been getting complains about page after page filled with irrelevant material... what is irrelevant I ask! Rarely anything for a student of life! Surely an exchange that stems from a nuance of the subject at hand(KB) and branches off into the verve of life in general is not irrelevant...

I say... let's hear it for intelligent, witty and humorous exchanges ladies (I doubt there are any gentlemen here!), that make us all reflect, chuckle, gurgle and snigger but above all leave something in our minds after we've switched off the pc and tv.