Yesterday, we had a right-old laugh with that blog about rude celebs (which I still say would make a great book – maybe you were doing some research, gelectrox, if so – kudos kiddo – it was truly inspired!) but a couple of guys got snide (one has been a member for 2 years 1 week, the other 1 year 43 weeks, so they should know better)and decided to extract the urine from poor old HudD, thin-skinned and emotionally fragile as he is, and it soured the fun and games. The result is I can’t read any of the comments and replies I get on the threads anymore, because I can’t tell whether or not the participant is employing sarcasm (y’know, they say the pen is mightier than the sword, but it also applies to the keyboard – because any git with a broadband connection can sneak up on you unawares and stick a metaphorical shiv in your spinal column, then disappear off into the Ethernet without anybody being any the wiser, except the victim. These people are usually referred to as trolls; I don’t know what phrase is employed to describe long term offenders who use more insidious means, I’ve only had The Net since January).
So, I’m bowing out, I won’t be contributing to this site anymore. And those of you who say ‘good riddance’ or ‘MeMeMe’, ‘he’s throwing his rattle outta the pram’, or an acerbic ‘oh, HudD please don’t go’ - I have a feeling the rest of The Massive, not to mention David & Fraser will be watching you, so think very carefully before honing that sarky rejoinder and hitting the submit button. Remember, that I had only been on the site for less than a week, my mistakes were made with the happy-go-lucky-skip of the boisterous novice, not the thudding-stomp of a grumpy curmudgeon. OK, I tried too hard, but I don’t think it’s a hanging offence. I’m just a bit green. I had the briefest of educations, I never went to university – all my life’s lessons have been learned living in the real world – I’m accustomed to the mockery of student-types who think it’s funny to puncture an ingénue’s balloon with their needle-sharp wit – but at least they have the balls to look you in the eye when they do it, or at least be in the same room. I’m easy meat. I’m an autodidact: I read a lot of books and I’ve accrued what knowledge I have via newspapers and mags like the Word. That’s how I learn. And if you go back to my blogs, you’ll see that I was negotiating a steep learning curve, and I was grateful for any advice that was imparted, hence the levity in my tone when I engaged in ‘conversation’: I was trying to appeal & ingratiate, not alienate. I was feeling my way, not punching through. As I’ve said before, my family and my few remaining friends read these posts, and I wouldn’t tell lies or bullshit just to make myself ‘look big’; the thing about the Irish is, we hate posers & pricks who call us paddies and micks and assume a stance of pomposity, we’re above all that shite – we stay true to ourselves and hope the rest of you will catch us up. I’ve learned from all the self-inflicted shit in my life, that honesty is always the best policy, and an open-mind goes best with an open-heart. Unfortunately, it also leaves you open to the derisive sneers of cynical sods. The Music Industry is chock-full of such people, so I kept my distance. I did my album for myself, not to make a few bucks for a corporation or pump up my ego; I felt I was sharing it with you, not self-promoting. I mean, how would you feel if the person you were chastising was a Shane Magowan/Syd Barratt type? I’m not comparing myself in any way to the aforementioned artists, but because of geography, bad luck and my illness, I never got the breaks those guys got – they became the misfit I am in the full glare of a media spotlight, thankfully I was spared the humiliation of trial by public opinion.
Until now.
It’s been wonderful, I truly mean that, but I didn’t get a wink of kip last night worrying about this – I have depression and hyper-tension (a lethal combination) - and I can’t hack it; you might say I’m too sensitive, but I thought I was amongst friends. I’ll still buy the mag and read the posts, but I’ll be keeping my distance and my counsel from now on. I’ve been contributing to other people’s posts all week, staying up way past my bedtime to prove my worth. But it wasn’t good enough. The guys have dubbed The Word as: ‘intelligence life on planet rock’ and it’s spot-on; the level of intellect and eloquence you find on this site bears-out this epithet. Truly, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself and I will recommend The Word to anyone who asks. But I’m just too much of a softy to play rough with the big boys; erudite bullies can be the worst of the lot, they get inside your mind and f*ck it up. I’m f*cked up enough, thank you.
I know a lot of the above is a restatement of The Rules by a paranoid agoraphobic, but I hope Fraser lets this post stand as a cautionary tale to any potential participants who may make the same mistakes – but primarily as a warning to those of you who are tempted to make a fool out of someone who’s too credulous to read between the lines.
To those of you who salute my honesty, I salute you. To the others – I hope you’ve got wives or girlfriends boys, and if you do, I pity the women who have yez. Some like to think of this wee nook as a pub – well, think to yourselves – would ye really buy that windbag in the corner a drink in the real world? Thankfully I’ve been on the wagon since 2002, and with God’s grace I’ll stay there.
Choose your friends very carefully.
HudD.

I didn't make it to the end but I think you need to toughen up a bit if you can't take a bit of banter on what is an extremely polite site.
You might want to avoid the rest of the web if you are so sensetive although I get the impression that this may be a trolling post from you.

you received a lot of positive comments about your music and were generally welcomed, how you've been upset and feel you need to make this dramatic announcement is beyond me, but then I'm not you

do what thou wilt etc....

If it's Trolling or attention seeking.
Within a few days you've managed to tell us about novels you have written and bands that could have made it so I'm not sure.

fancy a pint?

It is easy to misinterpret comments. Sometimes you'll read something that seems snide, but was actually meant jovially. I don't see how anyone could be upset about anything said in that thread. Well, except Roger Cook!

I re-read the thread as well.

I can't see anyone having a go at you.

But if that's how you feel, then may the road rise with you too

I'm with them, Mr D. I have read right through the supposedly offensive thread expecting a fall-out of Archie-Rabbit proportions, but could really see nothing hurtful directed against you, unless you've really got a downer on Darren Day.

I appreciate that you're a sensitive guy, which is a good thing until it starts to affect how you perceive comments and creates a sense of persecution; believe me, I'm still pretty sensitive to some of the replies and comments I get, and probably respond too strongly as a defence mechanism. But when you step back and look at things objectively, you have to realise that people are not being personally rude or dismissive of you, because on the whole, none of us know the real person behind the pseudonym (unless we're of the Blessed Few who have met in That London!).

So my advice would be to stay on here - you obviously like it and get a great degree of pleasure from it - and don't take things to heart so much. Either ignore the unfriendly comments, or just take comfort in the fact that you're right and they're wrong.

thread suggests a few of us have\had a few kinks in our hoses (missis) but don't use it as a an excuse to rant and rail against the slightest preceived slight.

This is a nice welcoming place unlike most other places on the WWW. Just calm down and stop jumping at shadows.

Luke Haines!

most of us here are suffering from the male equivalent of the menopause. It goes wrong sometimes but mostly it's right, if you are still reading this please take some time to look at this selection of old posts. Stay, relax and enjoy and if it starts to get difficult walk away to the next post or just stop responding, no argument is ever won or lost on the internet it just goes on, and on and on......

Here it got pretty ugly!

http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/did-rob-fitzgerald-read-faq

See, what happened to you is a mere ripple not the all consuming tsunami of that thread!

Now when this place wants to feel the love it is second to none. Mr Crowther is the quintessential Word Blogger and this thread just took off with a genuine warmth I doubt you will find anywhere else

http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/a-heartfelt-thank-you-the-word-sta...

I understand you find it difficult to get out and about so if you were stuck indoors on New Years Eve you could have joined in with this.

http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/are-you-watching-jools

So there you go, don't walk away stay as I genuinely believe you have a lot to offer. I apologise for questioning you on a previous thread and then not responding to your specific answer, as I have said you are a welcome addition in my opinion. When you've ploughed through this come and have a lemonade at my Fantasy Piano Bar and enjoy the ambience and the music. Cheers!

http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/friday-night-fantasy-piano-bar

Dave Ross and Mikhail talk a lot of sense.

HudD, you seem to have a bad case of needing to be liked. Add in a dose of oversensitivity and a penchant for taking stuff personally and I can see why you've resorted - more than once - to threatening to leave.

The symptoms are somewhat familiar as I'm sure there are many of us who fret when our contributions don't spark a response or - worse - kill a thread stone dead.

No web forum is ever going to be a substitute for liking yourself or being happy inside. You cannot let your sense of self worth depend on the disinterested comments of a disparate group of playful, sometimes bored, frequently passionate and often mischievous net fiends. When you've had your PC longer, you'll quickly find that this is one of the most supportive and tolerant sites around.

For what it's worth, there are many helpful books that you might a find rewarding read: I'm OK, You're OK was one that helped me understand my boundaries for instance. Worth an Amazon browse maybe.

Its just a blog. Just a bit of fun - write if you want, read if you want. Stay, go, whatever. Chill - no biggie.
If you are "awake all night thing about a post" then you are getting it all wrong

that everyone always goes on about how nice and friendly we all are, there seems to be a high degree of intolerance at times towards anyone new who is perhaps a little different to the norm (and I do include myself in the intolerant stakes). To a greater or lesser degree of justification, it happened with bargepole, with middlerabbit and now Mr D.
On one hand we're all saying what a grand place it is, how we all love it and feel like we're amongst friends; and on the other, when someone displays a refreshing enthusiasm (perhaps over-enthusiasm) to feel included in this community and freely expresses his anxieties about his naivete in this arena, people respond by saying 'it's just a blog', take it or leave it - castigating him in the process.
Regardless of whether other blogs are much worse etc etc, perhaps we're sometimes not as inclusive or pleasant as we like to make out.

..or unpleasant as you make out.

This *is* an inclusive, overwhelmingly genial and friendly place compared to the hate-filled bearpit you'll find elsewhere. But, no matter what our mental state, our personal circumstances or indeed how drunk or stoned we may be, we *all* have to abide by the posting guidelines .

Hudd has, quite spectacularly, managed to break several of them in his first week which may explain the less than charitable response to his walk out. Cut the guy some slack though, he has been frank about his problems and he was a lead singer in a rock band! One of the most extraordinary weeks of my life was auditioning singers...my god they are a breed apart!, no offence meant to you Hudd.

My advice to Hudd is stick around, take a breather if you must and follow the strange undulating rhythm of the Massive..it took me several weeks to get the hang of how it works, it doesn't flow like the message boards and fora you see on lesser websites. If you haven't already, have a listen to some of the Word podcasts. They help set the tone of the place and will reveal the source of some of the 'in jokes' on this blog.

Self-editing and the 'Preview' button is also key. I personally start many a comment or blog post, read it back to myself in preview. I'll often either delete or hack it down as much as I can lest I bore the Massive to death. You have all, so far, been spared a lengthy discourse on the work of Autechre....

Finally, while it is against club rules to promote or "share" your own website, band and so forth in a Blog entry you can add that to your profile page which I notice Hudd hasn't done yet.

Surely the real Golden rule..before anyone posts anything...think of Fraser who has to wade through *all* off this stuff and deal with all us lot all the time!

last week?

Cant believe you allowed HudD's self-pitying, meandering nonsense to appear on an otherwise interesting and amusing site. Standards are slipping!!
HudD I have previously upset people on this site and have been upset by people on this site. Generally however most of us have the ability to get over it. The site requires us to be adult in our response to others but childlike in our enthusiasm for Fray Bentos pies and fawning in our love of the Beatles and, to some, Michael Jackson. I failed in this last regard but lived to do it all over again when the opportunity arises.

Dr Volume has it spot on.

I do wonder why some people get so worked up at times, but if it is all getting too much for you, just don't post anything for a while. Wait until you feel better about it.

As noted elsewhere on this thread, several others have threatened to leave, or have actually left, in the past. The thing that concerns me is that, in some cases, they seem to be attention seekers playing to the grandstands. I must make it clear that I am *not* singling HudD out here, but if anyone is feeling persecuted by any responses they get to posts, just take a break rather than posting a 'I am leaving' message. That way, if you decide to stay you haven't alienated the rest of the Massive, who in general seem like a pretty friendly bunch of people.

I'm off!

I'm back!

... other than a loud and yelled GET OVER YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am now off to rustle my Daily Telegraph in a significant manner...

eh, HudD? Somewhere in between you'll find your place with us. Your presence these last weeks has been more than obvious, you've reminded me of the guy in the pub who insists on dribbling his life story into your ear, then turns nasty when you appear even slightly reserved. Know what I mean?

But you're a nice sweet guy with it, all this I'll-phone-me-Mum stuff. Definitely enthusiastic too, sometimes a bit ott, your explaining your motives above is assuming we all need to be hammered into submission rather than just letting us have the intelligence to get on with drawing our own conclusions. But you're Irish, you've got a good turn of phrase, I found your posts mostly entertaining, as others above have also stressed. I like you man! You just appear to have a little too much time on your hands.

Let me summarize by saying I hope you stay with us, tell us (a little) less, stop seeing slights where there weren't any, and obviously lighten up a bit.

the Halls of Residence at the University of Life can seem like the bleakest, loneliest place on earth. Having stayed around long enough to get a PhD in 21st Century living, it's no wonder some of us get stir crazy once in a while.

It would be a shame then, having tuned in to the Word channel with the crystal set your Ma smuggled in at the last parental visit, to misconstrue a few remarks and vow never to tap out a tune for us on your Morse Key from time to time, as most of us do every now and then.

This is a broad church of tolerance and civility; we celebrate our diversity, not our conformance. Stay tuned, HudD, and let us know you're still here and chuckling at all the madness.

Neither affirmation nor critical advice can help this guy because he doesn't know how to cope with them.

And discussing someone's mental condition in public (even if they initiated it) is just wrong.

When he comes back tomorrow full of regret and apology, do him a favour and don't engage with him. You'll just start the cycle again.

The crack about the handicapped girl was about one of your posts, but it wasn't *at* you. Even so, I'm sorry if it came across that way. Darren Day, meanwhile, was about Junkiecosmonaut not you. Given your subsequent comment I did wonder if you'd got the wrong end of the stick and it crossed my mind to explain. But you know how it is, I got sidetracked and it didn't seem like you were *that* bothered, so…

Wish I had now, of course.

it's only a bloody blog, that's all. Everyone calm down and stop throwing toys around. Do not make me come up there !

take comfort from the fact that you've received more comments (mostly positive) in your first 4 weeks, than I have in he last two years. But I'll get over it.

You're lovely, so you are

that any comfort?

..write a real long, self involved post about yourself with a link to some dodgy post-indie rock you've created and see what everyone thinks.
(Flounce off optional)

so I missed all this latest stuff from our Hudd.All I can say is he's right they are out to get you!I always look out for black helicopters and shady looking people in macs wearing earpieces when I go out to the local Asda.Only joking Hudd,stick around don't let us bast*%ds get you down.