Kyn

[stuartwaters]

For those whose memory might be fading, here is Kyn's last message posted on the old Forum:


I am very disappointed to say that despite not responding to numerous emails, PM’s, messages passed on through other members, messages sent through Facebook,  via my personal phone number, and calls etc that people haven’t gotten the message, nor read my last posts on here, or listened to other members regarding my reasons for not running the forum anymore.  I spent the end of last year looking for a new job after being made redundant, the beginning of the year watching my mum die and the middle of the year sitting with my Dad as he dies.  I think it is safe to say that the forum holds no interest for me, that I have no intention on spending time running it, and after the constant messages, I have no interest in it being open anymore.

To make matters worse members are now contacting my grieving family asking them to have a word with me, people who they have never met, and who don’t even use the forum.  I am totally disgusted by this behaviour!   

KHF is dead, gone and is not coming back.

If members insist on contacting myself,  my family and friends then I will close the forum completely.  Please leave us all alone to grieve!

That was made via an Announcement, so nobody had the ability to reply.

This is something I replied with, as somebody who had offered to take it off her hands, at least until she had straightened herself out, including the costs:


OK, rant time.

I don't think anyone on this forum has been acting in any way which was disrespectful or intrusive. I emailed Kev and asked him to get Karyn to get in touch with one of the moderators. My email was polite, I introduced myself, apologised for approaching him out of the blue and asked him nicely if he would do the needful.

Kyn, if you're reading this, and I'm sure you're not, but in case you are, you are not the only one who has had to endure watching a parent die this year. You are not the only one who has ever lost a job. While I feel your pain (and I do), that is no reason to be rude. There is absolutely no reason at all to be so hostile to people whose only "crime" was to offer their help.

If the KHF is dead to you, hand it over to people who do give a monkeys about it. You are behaving like a spoiled kid who's bored with their toy, but won't let anyone else play with it. If that's your attitude, then good riddance, I'm sure that between us, those of us who do give a monkeys about the KHF will just start a new one.

Rant over.

Needless to say, I got no reply to that and the Forum was taken down a day or two later. By sympathising and saying effectively we should feel sorry for her, she had a lot on her plate etc etc ad nauseum, misses the point. In her nasty little tantrum, she deprived a lot of people of something they loved and showed absolutely no regard for the effort a lot of people put in to make that Forum what it was. I too had lost a parent that year, but did I take it out on anyone? No. Did I lash out at people who's only crime was to try to help me? No.

The other forum is welcome to her. This is not aimed at anyone, it's intended to serve as a reminder in case anyone is feeling the need to forgive and forget. I won't.

[Cosmo Smallpiece]

I understand it's no simple task to run a forum. Expensive in both time to run, and in the fiscal cost to keep it running. Plus the constant demands of the users. So firstly thanks to Stuart for running this one voluntarily for us.

I was a member of two forums with a broadly similar theme. One stopped abruptly when the sole guy running it got his dream job, which conflicted with his hobby forum. The second one went into read-only when the guy running that announced that it needed new software but was unable to cope at that time. He had numerous offers of practical help from folks who could program stuff. Everyone was asked to back off as the guy had a person issue to deal with. Everyone respected his privacy and did exactly that. Members of both those forums reside on a third forum now. Those two admins occasionally drop in and are regarded fondly. They are remembered for the time, expense and advice they previously gave.

So Kyn is back on another forum doing the hobby she obviously loved and still loves, plus sharing the photos she has taken for others to enjoy. That is surely good news and I wish her well. Her previous life issues are her own business and I don't feel she needs to apologise or explain these to me. If you've ever been in a situation where a loved one has died and that re evaluation of your own life occurs, then you'll probably have some sense of what she felt back then? Anyway, that's her own personal history, not Kent History.

[stuartwaters]

I downloaded a large portion of the old forum before it went offline, and although incomplete managed to save a lot of it. The Sheerness Technical School thread mentioned by Barry5x is there (apart from a couple of lost pages) and many others including some of peterchall's writings. As Stuart states the issue of course is copyright and who actually owns it all.

"Publish and be damned" is what I say.........

[Barry5X]

Stuart, thanks for the response - appreciated.

This web site is titled the Kent History Forum.

The definition of forum is a medium where ideas and views can be exchanged, in this case the subject matter is Kent.

With regards to History this word can be used in several ways, for example History can be said to be the study of past events.  Alternatively the word can be used to say that someone is history. I.e. the person (insert name) is no longer important.

……………. in the words of Ragnar Lodbrook "Don't waste time looking back, you're not going that way".

In response I would simply say that we all live in the present and we all generally plan for the future – but how do we know exactly where we’re going, unless you understand where you have come from and learn lessons from the past.  For that you need an appreciation of history and thus the need to emphasise that the content and objective of this site (and the old site) is surely to record and safeguard members contributions.

My last entry was written to reflect my true feelings which are still strong years on from that disastrous event, and I feel that it is not a matter that should be swept under the carpet.  It’s not just a case of being hung up on the past.  What I wrote needed to be said and it should be repeated every now and then.  It’s about standards.

With regards to going forward not backwards, I would rather the term of a major film franchise be used as an alternative “Looking Back to the Future”.

As a footnote on this matter, I appreciate the input from this forums membership about possible methods of recovery of historical data from Kyn’s Kent History Forum.  Sadly having spent so many hours capturing data from Trevs Isle of Sheppey Photographs site, editing and formatting the content for inclusion on The Sheerness Technical School topic, it would be too much for me to do - and it would be soul destroying.  It was unfortunate for me that I never saved a copy of my work after I submitted it to the old site because if I had done so I would have placed it on this forum. 

I did of course raised the Topic on this new forum of Derek Bean - Memories of National Service - which thankfully I saved a copy of the original text.

My best and sincere wishes to this forum, it’s administrator Stuart and its membership for the Future.  Just keep in mind that History is one of the most respected and valuable academic subjects - and that’s coming from an old Technical School pupil.

The definition of a Technical School pupil for the multitudes is “A person who never passed or failed the 11 plus Exam”. 

That’s an Historical Fact.

QED.

[Smiffy]

I downloaded a large portion of the old forum before it went offline, and although incomplete managed to save a lot of it. The Sheerness Technical School thread mentioned by Barry5x is there (apart from a couple of lost pages) and many others including some of peterchall's writings. As Stuart states the issue of course is copyright and who actually owns it all.

[stuartwaters]

Barry, you will not find any disagreement from my little corner of the world, but in the words of Ragnar Lodbrook "Don't waste time looking back, you're not going that way".


At risk of repeating myself, although a relative latecomer to the old Forum, I did put a lot of time and effort into greatly expanding the Maritime History sections of that Forum. That said, I was far from being the only major contributor to the old Forum and when she-who-will-not-be-mentioned did what she did, I took the decision to restart it. That wasn't before offering to take over control of the old Forum, at my own expense if needed, in my own time, at least until a time when she felt more able do it herself - an offer which didn't even get the courtesy of an acknowledgement.


If she is looking at this forum, then good. If she's brave enough, perhaps she might like to join and maybe even explain herself to the dozens of people who's years of effort she threw away like so much rubbish. I approve all new joiners and would let her in if she wanted to if she's not already sneaked in under a different name. Somehow though, I don't think she will.


Back to the subject of the content on the old Forum. I was able to recover the bulk of my work using a thing called the "Wayback Machine". This is accessible by going to www.archive.org and searching for the content you wish to retrieve from the Archive. It can be hit and miss and can be very time consuming to hunt down individual items, but can be very rewarding if you hit paydirt and find what you're after.


I have given some thought to going cowboy and just retrieving items from the Archive and putting them up on here with a nod to the original contributor and if anyone wants me to take something down, all they have to do is get in touch and ask. Aside from obvious copyright issues, what would people think to that?


With regards to the new Forum she's on, trust me, I have had a thorough search through it to see if any of my stuff has been lifted and thus far, haven't found anything - yet.


In summary then Barry, and to anyone else who's interested or was affected by that disaster, I do feel your pain but we're going forwards, not backwards, so lets focus on that and not get hung up on the past.

[Barry5X]

It’s been a long time since I have visited this site. 


As a active participant in the old Kent History Forum administered by Kyn, it is with extreme sadness and frustration that I find that Kyn is apparently contributing to the KSH, probably more involved in administration than is obvious.


There were many contributors to the old Kent History Forum and the content was a treasure trove of Kent History and personal memories.


 There comes a time when a personal project becomes bigger than what the originator could have envisaged at the outset, and along with that comes a responsibility and respect of the members who added content of varied memories and historical facts that could be accessed by the general public as guests.


My contribution was heavily involved with the Sheerness Technical School topic and in particular the inappropriate behaviour of the school principal whose actions were reported by many ex pupils of the school on the forum.  The topic was started by Colin Penney (CDP) who had a totally different view of the principal from a teachers perspective which gave this topic a memorable and historical record of school life in the 1960’s which should have been preserved and available for all to see.


Sadly all this was lost, when Kyn apparently decided to close down the web site thus denying access to the data by younger and future generations.  This was a kick in the teeth to all those who contributed to the old KHF.co.uk.


In my late 70’s and an ex military veteran, I believe that I am from a post WW2 generation where respect and standards were considered paramount.


To my knowledge I believe I did not  personally cause Kyn any grief. I am sure the majority of the Old Kent History Forum also had no conflicts with Kyn.  In fact I held Kyn in the highest regards, which I believe was the case with many members.  Yet all my time and efforts in contributing to the forum apparently counted for nothing.


It is not in my nature to criticise a person in public, rather to do the British thing and keep quiet.  However, to discover that Kyn is active again is soul destroying when she has all that historical data (unless she has destroyed it) under her control which can be published on the web in a read only archived format.  Perhaps she could add selected topics to the forum she currently contributes to.


I am sure that Kyn visits this forum and will see this comment, so I respectively ask that she reflects on her past actions and consider the feelings of the members who feel aggrieved and hurt by past actions.


We live in a world where the younger generations gain access to history by using a internet search engine where they get a brief overview of the subject matter decided upon by unknown persons who can present facts and views as they see it depending on their political bent.  Of course it is general knowledge that the new world order who control Facebook and Twitter content can cancel or delete which THEY deem unsuitable if it doesn’t reflect their view.


It is therefore essential that the data and content of forums of this nature are preserved.


If it perceived that contributions to this site and others can be wiped clean and/or deleted on a whim, then why should anyone join as a member!


I am so sad to have made this entry but it was needed to be said.

[smiler]

  No doubt she is a prolific contributor she’s probably still holding everything we put on her forum to go by.

[castle261]

My post does - I think it indicates that people do react in different ways - when they wish to end their association - with a club.
I dont use Facebook - although I have been a member for many many years. Put it in the `general discussion section` if you please.

[grandarog]

I dare say a lot of our forum members don't realise that Kyn actually founded and set up the old Kent History Forum as well as the Kent and Sussex History Board.
As John Walker says she is still very active and more or less running the KSH board attained the rank of Prolific Contributor. .She has done a lot helping to upgrade the forum for John and Pomme Homme the editors.
Her allegiance is with them ,now since she smashed her old Kent History Forum which we all contributed to. 
That's all in the past now so Onwards and Upwards .

[stuartwaters]

The last post doesn't belong in this thread. Where would you like me to put it?

[castle261]

When out Evacuee Club President ran the club (MERG - Medway Evacuee Reunion Club) that was held in Rainham.
She gave instructions that the name should also stop when she left. This was agreed & the club became re-named
as a Medway family association club - She was over 100 when she left.
 The coincidence was she became my science master`s wife - when we went to South Wales with Mr. Semple.
She was the resident nurse in a hostel - were my brother was taken to from Pontardawe - when we arrived.

 I was taken to a village - Ynysmedeau - about 5 miles away from him ( we are not supposed to be parted) - they said.
Anyway - Mr. Semple liked the nurse enough - then marry her. Later they both returned - to became Mayor & Mayoress of Chatham.

[John Walker]

Kyn is now very active on the Sussex site.  She started a new thread called Guess the Place.  She then followed it with the first post on it saying Only Joking!.  I posted a photo on there to see what would happen and the whole thread was removed.

[smiler]

    I remember kyn had family troubles but being such a dedicated lady why on earth not hand it over to someone to help out till things got better instead of literally punishing all members of her forum by removing everthing we all helped put together. Nothing funnier the folk as the saying goes.

[Bill Jones]

392 posts on that forum and so i think she migt be running it in some way??? She even done a guess the place lol lol