[Bêthberry]

*coughs and raises hand with some trepidation to speak*

As one of the recently dead, I would like to say two things. And I feel pretty passionate about both of them, so please bear with the intensity of my words. Then tell me to get off my soapbox. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

First, I find the idea of closed membership absolutely appalling. How could the Administrators identify the kind of person a new Downer would be from one email? And second, why judge a person before he or she has a chance to demonstrate his or her qualities? Let people join, let us ensure we are good models of the kind of community we want here, and, finally, let new members have the chance to learn how to be good members. Let people prove they can rise to the heights of the bar before discriminating against them. I believe people learn, develope, improve, no matter where they start from. Why deny them that opportunity?

Second, I wish those who complain about the quality--or alleged lack of quality--in discussion at the Downs would take some time to look at other Tolkien sites on the Net. Very, very few--indeed, no other site--has succeeded the way the Downs has in maintaining thoughtful Tolkien discussion. The nature of discussion topics might have changed, but that is a function of the nature of discussion. Once certain areas or questions have been examined, other areas open up. Think of it as a paradigm shift that happens in science.

I came to the Downs in May because of the quality of the discussion here, the respectful, thoughtful way in which Downers address each other, and the presence of an imaginative, creative, wise team of administrators who take an active role in and show concern for the community. They aren't absentee landlords.

For instance, do many of you have any idea how much time, effort, and thought has gone into planning, implementing and then directing the RPG An Audience with the King? Nothing like it can be found anywhere else on the Net. I have an opportunity to come to know and post with younger kids that I might never had had the courage to try to talk with. I am learning just what it is that makes them tick as Tolkien fans and that helps me understand their posts and them. It is an awesome opportunity.

When William the Conquer invaded England in 1066, French did not become the language of the land. Instead, it intertwined with the native dialects. Old English was reborn in vigorous, new dialects. That is what I see happening here. Without new growth, languages, like Latin, die. And I take my analogy from the subject most dear to Tolkien, language itself.

Okay, rant over. I know that here at the Downs, it will not be rotten eggs thrown at me, but words, and the best kind of words at that. "Speak that I may see thee."

Bethberry