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I can see how it would be divisive to elucidate specific incidents with specific individuals on an open forum. At the same time, an open set of general guidlines sounds like a very good idea.

IMHO any code of conduct would be fine if it is out in the open.

Was it scathing?

I'll tell you want...why don't you let a couple of your colleagues, who aren't afraid to be honest with you, read what you wrote, see what they think, then report back here. I'll defer to their judgement before I even know what it is.

You are helping out so many people right now in so many different corners of Using Moodle. I'm just trying to figure it out. You're being very generous with your time and insights on the one hand, but being very bitter in other places.

Well, let me take those issues one at a time...

A. Why am I "...helping out so many people right now in so many different corners of Using Moodle." and "being very generous with your time and insights on the one hand..."

Let me shed a little insight on that. There are people I specifically target in the fourms to help who generally fall into one of three categories:

1. There are a small group of people, some who are still active here in the forums, who in the past have spoke out on issues in the forums, expressing "unpopular" views, and have fallen "out of favor" with the "power base" here, resulting in them being pretty much "black balled" from receiving any help from the gurus, most of the "old-timer" PHM's, the disciples...whatever you want to call them. Anytime I see one of these people asking for help here, I go out of my way to help them either here in the forums or via email. Many people can not afford to speak out on issues here because they need to rely on help from "the gurus", so for those who have spoken out, I make it priority to help them all I can. One of the top disciples (and current Moodle HQ employee) in these forums told me a couple of years ago, after I spoke my mind here, that he was not going to help me for 7 years...fortunately, I don't need his help. But the fact is, other people do need help and the message is clear...be good, or be shunned. 

2. Teachers who ask for help in doing something in their classroom and instead of getting help, get lectured about "social constructivism/constructivism" and why want they want to do it "bad teaching". Usually this insightful advice comes from a programmer (and probably a very good programmer) who has never stepped foot in a real classroom since leaving school themselves. I specifically look for teachers who are asking questions like "how can I moderate forums", "how can I stop all the email", "how can I get rid of this, or that..." and when I can, I try to help "answer their question" before they get lectured about why they shouldn't be doing what they want to do because it's not good "social constructivist" pedagogy.

3. And lastly, I always try to help people who are hosting their sites with "renegade" providers like Siteground, Bluehost, or any other "non-authorized" partn*r.......people who are not likely to get a lot of help from people like Bryan Williams

So, in a nutshell, that's who I try to help.............people who aren't likely to get a great deal of help from "the establishment" (what you would call "community") here.

B. "...being very bitter in other places."

Now that is a very interesting perspective, so let's take a look at my "bitterness", as you describe it. I think the best place to look may be the very issue that spawned this discussion. I would like for you to take a look at this thread....and tell me when you think my "bitterness" kicked in. In the third post in that thread I pointed out a fact that resulted in what I view as a pretty "bitter" attack on me personally....I've been defending myself from attacks ever since....and yes, I've been giving some back and I make no apologies. You seem to think Bryan is a "victim" of my bitterness....I find that pretty amazing. Martin seems to think Bryan is a "victim" of "ax grinders"....I find that pretty amazing as well. I think Bryan is a "victim" alright, but he is a victim of his own words! If he thinks he is being "misunderstood", nothing is stopping him from posting and clarifying his views on the education profession, but I notice he hasn't done that.

On a side note....I've posted hundreds (maybe thousands) of posts in the fourms here over the years...I challenge you, Martin, or anyone else to find one post from me prior to this where Bryan and I have had cross words...seems if I'm "grinding an ax" with Bryan there should be something. But then again, it seems Martin feels there are others here who are "grinding an ax" as well....I don't know who they are, but I'm left to assume he means people like, N. Hansen, Frances, Timothy, John Isner, and maybe even Robert....who knows...I'd like to see some clarification because I don't know what "axes" any of them have to grind.

I want to let it go, too, but I keep seeing you bring it up again and again.

Bring what up? Look at the start of that discussion I linked to above and tell me who brought up history. What you keep seeing is me defending myself when attacked....and I'll continue to do that.

Is it possible that we can move on together?

What you are really saying is "...is it possible, Steve, that you could not be critical of anything around here and just be a good little disciple?" The answer is "No". I'll continue to help, but when I see something that I think is not right, I'll point that out as well.....if you want to interpret it as being "bitter" it makes no difference to me.

Let me also make one other comment about the "bitterness" argument. I think some of the "partners" around here believe that I was making a lot of money off Moodle back when I received this email (the genesis of my "bitterness") from Moodle HQ. But the fact is, when I received that email, I had made less than $5k over two years. This past year I made about $6k from Moodle services and I paid $5k to lease a dedicated server to host my Moodle sites. On that server I operate "free of charge" sites like this (not pretty yet but they're trying), and this, and this.....and I administer other sites "free of charge" like this. I could link to several others. So, when people like you think my input here is due to some "bitterness" or when people like Martin L questions whether I ever give anything away for free...it's actually quite amusing. Moodle has never been about money for me....but I do understand for some, it's all about money.

Now, I took time to write this out in the hopes that even if you don't agree with me, you may understand a little more of where I'm coming from....I'm not going to write anything this lengthy again, so if you don't get it from this, then you're just not going to get it.

Steve