Saturday 2 February 2008

The deletion of comments from the Ictopus blog

I find it very difficult to describe how depressed I feel about Ictopus. (see below)

This is why I am removing myself from contact with people that I cannot trust.

I am so thankful that I have real people around me who share my values and who too are shocked my Ictopus's behavior.

I'm fortunate to have other very worthwhile activities to immerse my energies in.

I am therefore able to remove myself from such a negative environment of what I see as dishonesty and lack of respect for other people shown by your deletion of what they took the trouble to write for the Blog which has been reinstated here.

The thought that there is a society of thinking people that sincerely believes that encouraging children to get involved with Robert Hart's clubs is desirable, shocks me.

The contrast of Emily Saunders and the musicians from The Manchester Camerata that played at the Ulverston Hall last night is mind bending. On the one hand a sad withdrawn child with nothing better to do than sit at a computer chatting mundanely with 'friends' for two hours every day throughout the year - little contact with parents and neighbours. On the other people that are brimming with self esteem coming from struggling hard for years to master an instrument so that they play it without thinking about what their fingers are doing and hence concentrate on the emotions of the music. The result that not only were they thrilled with what they had achieved but so was the audience who will still have strong emotions of what they experienced both today and for months to come.

When I contrast what Emily is doing with what she would so love doing with Flash if she had the chance, I weep. Is Robert Hart interested - No (Even though I've offered to feature as an expert).

I'm sincerely thankful that there are teachers like Maggie in Thailand who have the guts and vision to pursue exciting new projects, combining art and music using Flash after seeing the reaction from both pupils and teachers in the school to what was done before Christmas.

This is where my future lies, together with Philosophy with People I respect in Ulverston and the chance to bring a terraced house up to top quality so that someone can enjoy living in a short street where people all know each other.

2 comments:

Angela Lee said...

Hi there, I think ICTOPUS has now become an advertising site for Robert Hart, just read issue 19 I am very disapointed with them and think their integrity is now questionable.
Keep up the good work Geoff.
Angela Lee

Geoff Dellow said...

Thanks Angela,

I wonder whether others feel the same.

Heather Govier, their secretary is convinced that I am imagining things and is still behaving like a recalcitrant fifteen year old - she is right. I am not keeping up with the times.

Hope to get some more views.

It would be great if these came from people outside education.

I can't help wondering what Monty |Don would think of Emily and her friends?

Does she ever get off her backside and cook her parents a meal and clean the house? Or is she gradually turning into a pumpkin as she stuffs herself with fast food to make up for her lack of self-esteem from not feeling the satisfaction of succeeding at something really challenging.

Why don't parents step in and provide some alternative inspiration and challenges?

Why? Why? why?

Will someone please put me straight?

Robert Hart indicated that he'd surface here in response to my invite as an author. Where is he?

To quote his email to me:

"I've had the invite and activated my account, so I can now post to your forum - which I will do as time allows.

I sort of agree that the Ictopus team could have left the blog open. I enjoyed the exchange. I wonder if they thought, like I did that it was turning into something of a personal attack on their integrity (and mine).

I'd be happy to contribute to your debate, providing we keep it professional but I don't want to be defending my personal integrity in public."