‘sup?

What’s the best thing about this site?

Leather Jacket Guy.

it’s YOU, you big lummox.

Frilly Keane writes:

Years ago, like before I even made the Confir, I was at the Merries in Tramore, and there was this bathroom cabinet type box hammered into the side of a wall that read “want to see what a litter bug looks like?” Or sum’ting like that. There was a mirror inside.

What seems like an ancient so what, it somehow pins itself onto some of the replies around here lately. The “that’s me done with Broadsheet” and the “another waste of 60 seconds of my life” etcetera etcetera’s.

Since ye already know who ye are here’s sum’ting to chew and spit on; the next time ye’re in front of the mirror plucking nose hairs or the bristles off yer chin, take a closer look. Who is actually responsible for the content presented on Broadsheet?

In fairness to the Broadsheet format, it is different to the other gaffs I’ve been known on over the years. They manage the threads with their own bare hands, which might make them a bit too choosy.

There is no edit button, no polls, and there are no PMs for lads to take their sh1te off the frontline threads, and there are no Members. Their edit policies are bit prudish, and as for the poo fupp Santy’s Naughty list, I share yere indignation.

Anyone who would have been familiar with the first ever GAA Discussion Page would agree that it was so mad that even the address didn’t make sense. Yes, it was Stone-Age but it was laugh out loud all day long, 9-5 Monday to Friday, yet it wouldn’t have lasted a week in this era.

There wasn’t a lad there who wouldn’t have ended up getting a Solicitor’s Letter. As more pages and forums developed, and usually grown out of a fall out with another site admin, we too as Blog’ards grew up a bit and had to observe T & Cs and User protocols; we’d get banned, we’d give ourselves a makeover and get back in, finish off the fight and shake it up all over again.

Admittedly there were times too during the first leg of Clarehurlers.com, although rare when in context with the traffic and the maturity stage of our t’internetting, when meself and Matt had to interfere.

Yet, through all these stages of online banter evolution the admins, the anorakers, the copy and posters, the contributors, the users, the messers, the phishers, the multiples, the hackers, the boggers bloggers and general nutters, ARE THE CONTENT.

Take on the responsibility yourselves lads. Submit your own threads. Someone called for an Open Mike on my last string, yet you already have one. If you can’t go beyond supplying the odd How Much or Sur’ Where Would Ya Get It or Was it for this, and even if Bodger ignored your toenail clipping in the shape of Co Roscommon, then at least accept the fact that it’s not your Host that is falling short.

Don’t be looking around and finding fault like stuck up bitches. Let’s have yere Laugh Out Louds. There are plenty of replies flocking in after my Frill-Bits. But there’s Sweet FA that would have ya laughing till the tay came out yer nostrils. (Although, truth be told n’all that, being called pretentious triggered a fairly daycent snort at this end.)

The best example I can give of Users slash Members being the oxygen to sites like Broadsheet does go back so roll yere eyes; but there still might be those lurkers who will remember The Kennys from my Clarehurler.com days. Or The Mairegangaire Guide to GAA Men and its other half Paddy Mac’s Bluffers Guide to GAA Women that was spammed into orbit and back.

Those two threads brought 100s (and that was a lot in the old dial up days) of new users to their respective hosts.

But the Content was then, and still is, user generated. Dial up, ISDN, 4G, Wiffy WhyFi Broadband, Ready-To-Go or someone else’s login. The connection is the same.

From A to Z. (That’s you Offaly ya bollix ya) ABM To Zuppy. Whether its Mick with his crayons or Mani with his one liners, Shannonsider to Leitrim Hurler, MayoForSam or TTown Boy (annuder little bollix) we are all in charge of the supply.

Anudder’ting, and I’m smirking ta’meself here as I write this. Nobody on this forum is forcing you to click on a thread or even reply. Do you really still not know what to expect from a We Don’t Normally Do This? There is a bunch of regular threads I don’t peruse, and there is a particular theme I don’t contribute to. Maybe that’s a practice exercise some of ye might like to try out. Unless you are only in it to complain, or start a ding dong or troll, and so what, because that’s all up to you; not me, not Broadsheet.

Finally, some matters of information I want ye to know. I am not a Journalist, or a Writer, or a Professional Academic and Commentator, nor am I employed by a Third Party or an Organisation that has a special interest.

I am not looking for advancement, election, nor am I eyeing up a better gig. The chair I’m sitting now, the device I’m using to type this, the heater under my arse and the WiFi that runs to this outlet; is all from my own pocket.

I did not ask or canvas Broadsheet, nor did I promote myself with them. In the interests of full disclosure, over the years I have been approached by other media. I have obliged, but very few, usually wireless or web based, and only where I have a personal interest in the topic. I have also been approached with a publishing offer (although t’wasn’t lately.) Broadsheet Execs have given me no direction, a promise of no editing, and a full do what you like.

Last week’s Frill-Bit was not an indulgence or a “pretentious” showboating search for attention. It was not Art either (although I do like the idea, especially if it qualifies for a bitta’ tax exemption.)

I knew it wouldn’t be widely or well received; I did it because it was different and felt I’d left enough time for Alan Rickman’s nearest and dearest have him all to themselves. Neither Broadsheet or any other platform that I am aware of has ever published something like it before.

I wasn’t afraid of that as I am not a follower by nature, either on line or on land. Other than all that it was my favourite so far and I’m delighted I put my name to it.

My biggest disappointment so far in this series is the lack of attention the Credit Union Movement got, if that’s my fault then I will have to work harder on it, and ye, because I won’t be letting that particular victim of the financial apocalypse get so far out of our reach that we can’t get it back for ourselves. Save broadsheet@broadsheet.ie now and fill it with all the openers ye’ve got waiting for us.

And Keep It Country

PS: Ye should see what I’ve got under the Frill-Grill for ye next week.

Frilly Keane’s column appears here every Friday. Follow Frilly on Twitter: @frillykeane