I kept silent the first time this happened a couple weeks ago but now it has happened a second time and I am really quite shocked by this because this is not the sort of thing I have encountered at all before here in the 2.5 years I have participated in these forums. I have received emails from two different people basically telling me to shut up.
In one case, the person in question was someone who is very well-known in these forums and they told me that my participating in an ongoing discussion that many others have participated in too should stop. I'm not sure if I am the only one who got this email or if others were told this too. The second came from a relatively new member of the forums whose question I had answered and he obviously totally misinterpreted my attempt at being helpful the wrong way because he sent me a PM saying "boy I must have touched a nerve" and then when I tried to explain that I had no nerve touched and explained my point he has now emailed me and told me "F--- you" (in a long and metaphorical way using about 20 words) and more directly "shut your trap." Now, I am not used to getting emails like this so it is quite upsetting.
Like 99.99% of the participants, I come here to help others and sometimes to express my views on things. But it is not my intention to mislead others or waste my time attacking people or somehow harm Moodle. Martin, Helen and Eloy are the moderators of these forums, and they are the only ones who have the right to determine whether someone is allowed to participate in these forums or not. I just want to say that I know my intentions are good and I will not be cowed by self-appointed police and I am sure all of the other good people who participate here will not be either.
I could have raised this issue privately with Martin but I am certain I would have been forced to reveal the names of the people who emailed me. I'm not seeking revenge, so I prefer to keep those names private and give the senders the benefit of the doubt that they were just having a bad day and took it out on me, but I still feel the need to remind everyone that we all are here to work together and help one another and should be allowed to do so in our own way.
Thanks for raising this and letting us know what happened. Misunderstandings are common in forums (as in f2f) but a well-established member should know that you are unfailingly helpful, and a new one should "save their breath to cool their porridge" as they say in Scotland.
Just to say I have derived much benefit from reading your posts (some of them direct answers to my questions) and from looking at your excellent site.
Let us know if they apologise
I don't think the well-known member felt that my particular posts were unhelpful, just that they didn't like an entire thread. They obviously had some bigger issues going on that I didn't fully understand, but I felt as if I and also by direct implication everyone else who posts here was at fault for them simply because we choose to help others. The irony of this was when I pointed out to this person that if Martin thought the thread was inappropriate that I would have no problem if he deleted it as that is what I would have done on my own site, the person replied that this would have been an egotistical thing for Martin to do. The person said they felt this way because they believed in free speech. I replied by asking why they were telling me I shouldn't post if they really believed in free speech, but obviously that was the end of the discussion because it is hard to answer a logical question like that.
And Frances, it was the nice email you coincidentally sent me the same day I got this other email that made me keep my cool and just ignore the unwelcome email and not make an issue out of it at the time so the person who sent it should also probably thank you.
I don't need an apology. I just want to let these people know that if you feel you can only say things like this through private emails then perhaps they shouldn't be said at all.
And Frances, it was the nice email you coincidentally sent me the same day I got this other email that made me keep my cool and just ignore the unwelcome email and not make an issue out of it at the time so the person who sent it should also probably thank you.
I don't need an apology. I just want to let these people know that if you feel you can only say things like this through private emails then perhaps they shouldn't be said at all.
Nicole,
It is a dreadful shame. One of the excellent things about the Moodle forums are that they are not in the grips of the sociophobes who often inhabit other open-source project's forums.
The only advice I can give is to always be the big man/woman - when this happens, just ignore them. Don't give them an audience.
Of course, if they met you face-to-face there's no chance at all that they would talk to you like that.
It is a dreadful shame. One of the excellent things about the Moodle forums are that they are not in the grips of the sociophobes who often inhabit other open-source project's forums.
The only advice I can give is to always be the big man/woman - when this happens, just ignore them. Don't give them an audience.
Of course, if they met you face-to-face there's no chance at all that they would talk to you like that.
Extremely vicious posts such as this one should be reported to Helen Foster. I for one would like to see this post deleted. And if there are any future posts of a similar nature, the user account in question should be deleted.
That's not the same person who attacked me by email but as they say, 3's a charm! Must be my day.
But can anyone tell me how I am supposed to put a gun in my mouth when I have already shut my trap?
Come on guys, be consistent in what you want me to do...
But can anyone tell me how I am supposed to put a gun in my mouth when I have already shut my trap?
Come on guys, be consistent in what you want me to do...
Well, I value your opinion!
Oops, I guess I "jumped the gun" on that one.
Hey, smileys!
Crusty? Ick Don.
Hey, smileys!
Crusty? Ick Don.
I'm speechless for once. What a scumbag
(Note completely failing to take my own advice)
I thought he might be a troll, but he has made loads of more-or-less sensible posts in the past, then that. No excuses.
My support is with you, Nicole! 
Sometimes you can be crusty around the edges, occasionally impatient, and, my gosh, you almost never use smileys
, but heck, this place would be soooo boring if only warm and fuzzy conversation was allowed. I admire the thorough, technically savvy points you make, and if I ever find out who chastised you, I will nominate them for a moodle spanking (if there is such a thing). 
Sometimes you can be crusty around the edges, occasionally impatient, and, my gosh, you almost never use smileys
I am sure Nicole would use more smileys if only we provided more of those nice animated jumping up and down smileys
Nicole, though it could maybe have been worded differently, I really feel your answer to the quiz question was appropriate and on topic and certainly doesn't deserve this vicious reaction.
No no no not the animated smileys. Argggh!!! I once had a falling out with some forum owners over their liberal allowance of animated smileys and avatars and signatures. It reached a head when they decided to add animated snow fakes across all the pages. Some of the moving things were gifs, and some were javascript and some were Flash and while I could shut off some I couldn't shut them all off at once and they were giving me visual migraines. When I complained about this they said most site users said they liked them so I just had to live with it.
Funny thing is, one of my current students finds my course to be a nice interlude between her chronic migraines, so no one can say there is too much animation going on on my site.
The reason I don't like regular smileys though is purely cosmetic. They are ugly little childish looking things and don't fit in with the color scheme. Words are more pleasant to look at in my opinion.
Funny thing is, one of my current students finds my course to be a nice interlude between her chronic migraines, so no one can say there is too much animation going on on my site.
The reason I don't like regular smileys though is purely cosmetic. They are ugly little childish looking things and don't fit in with the color scheme. Words are more pleasant to look at in my opinion.
Hey, I guess N would use smilies if they were the right type. How about this one for a laugh. (hope I got it right)
Pretty good Julian-In fact, I thought of doing that on my site actually, but not all of the smilies would have good equivalents in hieroglyphs. I might do it someday eventually though.
I know this is a lot to ask...BUT.....would someone give us step by step on how to install. Something about php, etc. I downloaded and unzipped and now I am stuck. I have read lots online but I still cannot make it click. Thanks so much. Peggy
Hi Peggy, if you make your query a bit more specific (eg what Operating System are you installing to? Do you have PHP and a webserver (eg Apache) in place?) and post it in the Installation problems forum, there's a good chance someone who can help will see it. Also, searching that forum and the Installing Moodle documentation, you may well find someone's already answered the problem. Tony.
Thanks. I have searched the Documentation forum and did not have any luck. Maybe this is too much to tackle. Thanks for your input. Peggy
You know I have since looked at the guy's site. It's entirely free. So I now understand his main purpose in using Moodle is to redirect people to advertisements elsewhere other than his site. He derives no benefit if people actually use his Moodle site...I guess I made a mistake in assuming he actually wanted people to learn something using Moodle and now realize the advice I gave him was not in keeping with his goals.
You are too kind!
As his nasty post has now been deleted, moodlers can not read how offensive it was. Regardless of any worthy intentions, this guy has a little to learn about gratitude and politeness see http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=52092#238025
Don't let him off the hook
As his nasty post has now been deleted, moodlers can not read how offensive it was. Regardless of any worthy intentions, this guy has a little to learn about gratitude and politeness see http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=52092#238025
Don't let him off the hook
Does that mean I can put away my gun and shut my trap again?
And did someone say that I was impatient?
And did someone say that I was impatient?
Keep your trap open, and your gun in your back pocket - you never know when you might need it
Is this support Don or something else?
Nobody chastised N Hansen - they ineptly insulted her, and she remains uninsulted
Nobody chastised N Hansen - they ineptly insulted her, and she remains uninsulted
I am a Newbie and know nothing about Moodle, but I really want to learn. Can you tell me where I should begin...workshop, tutorials, etc. I would certainly appreciate any info. Thanks so much. Peggy
Hello, Peggy,
I think that you are probably looking for this - http://docs.moodle.org/en/Teacher_documentation
Hope that helps.
-- Art
I think that you are probably looking for this - http://docs.moodle.org/en/Teacher_documentation
Hope that helps.
-- Art
Thanks so much, Art. I truly appreciate your help. Peggy
My pleasure, Peggy. Happy Moodling!
-- Art
-- Art
That is terrible. 
One reason I _love_ these forums is because people are not mean and harsh and petty. I really hope that this does not happen to you or anyone else any more.
I know that you are a big girl and that you can take it, but I am still sorry it happened.
-- Art
One reason I _love_ these forums is because people are not mean and harsh and petty. I really hope that this does not happen to you or anyone else any more.
I know that you are a big girl and that you can take it, but I am still sorry it happened.
-- Art
Hear hear to all of this.