3rd June 2001
Dances with fools!
Hands across the city?  Anything is possible!
(Stuart Crowther)

IN CHOOSING MY LAST theme for this season of Sunday Supplement's, I had to think long and hard on a number of subjects that are dear to every Hibs fan.  The football is over for a short while, thankfully very short, but there are still plenty of issues facing us all that are being aired on the Hibs.net Message Board, and in the pubs and clubs wherever Hibees still congregate!

After a particularly busy week I've chosen to take a lead from John Campbell, a man whom I regard as a close friend as well as a business partner, fellow Hibee and very talented thinker!  Occupying our minds this week has been an issue that John chose to feature on Hibs.net, the relationship between Hearts and Hibs fans, and how that relationship shows itself on this new media of the internet where the age-old arguments of the Edinburgh pubs find an airing to a much wider audience.

I found one passage of John's Article (the full text of which can be viewed here) to be of particular interest, when he said: "On the Hibs.Net and Jambos.Net message boards there has been a lively exchange of views on the merits and otherwise of each team and for the most part it has stayed within the bounds of reasonableness, but there have been 'posters' who have gone too far. I refuse to dwell on those cases because they seek attention for all the wrong reasons and I'm not prepared to give it. Instead I would prefer to say that a large number poked fun but in a compassionate sort of way and whilst I may be deluding myself I like to think it's because they reached the stage I'm at with all of this. Have your fun but think about the effect it can have on the recipient and don't take it too far."

I'm not quite so sure I fully agree with this appraisal.  It is of course true that many Hearts fans are prepared to openly admit to feeling sympathy with Hibs fans who clearly suffered in the aftermath of the Scottish Cup Final.  Sadly, these voices were drowned by the many more who chose to take advantage of the situation, and to do so in such a way that would never happen in the home, office or local pub.  That is the problem the internet has, all too many users of this new media have found a method of releasing the darker side of their personality, hiding behind the measure of anonymity the internet affords to deliver hurtful and scathing attacks.

"...hiding behind the measure of anonymity the internet affords to deliver hurtful and scathing attacks."

There are those who say this is merely 'banter', but just at what point does 'banter' become something much more sinister?  And before my mailbox is filled by protests from Hearts fans, can I say that I fully acknowledge this is not something confined to Hibs.net, but is very much a problem for every other message board on Rivals.net and other football web sites, as Hibs fans will have witnessed to our shame when wandering into such as the Jambos.net site.

The internet is striving to be taken seriously as a new media service, one that can rival Radio, Television and Print having as it does a great many advantages these traditional media do not have.  Much of the impact the new media can have is being diluted by the lack of control over what can be described as youthful exuberance, where it not for the fact that all ages of football fan are indulging themselves in petty vendettas via their keyboards, printing words that would simply not be acceptable in any other media or aspect of decent society.  In effect, it is giving not just football a bad name, but adding fuel to the external view that football is a game supported by mindless morons, to coin once again a word famously used by a former Hibs chairman!

Carry this spirit onto the net, and we'll all be happy (sns)

The answer then is what?  Censorship is an option, and to an extent it is one that is used on this very site.  A code of conduct exists on the Hibs.net message board, and this is as strictly adhered to as far as is possible by a small and hard-working group of volunteer administrators.  The term 'dances with fools' does spring to mind in this ongoing battle with those who insist of filling the message boards with abuse, gutter language and straight-forward libel, but it is a battle that must continue and one that we must win.

In the longer term, I believe that the new media will continue to go from strength to strength.  There is now a readership of over 100,000 attracted to Hibs.net each month, increasing all the time as a realisation of the new media and it's strengths increases.  With that readership comes an increased awareness of the responsibilities that must go with producing a publication such as this.  Alex McLeish has said this week that in his sphere of work he has made mistakes, but is learning from them.  In a similar manner, we at Hibs.net, myself in particular, have made mistakes, but are also learning from them.  A good example of this?  The brief but impetuous reaction last week to a rival site setting up a message board aimed at celebrating what for them was a glorious Hibs failure.  My personal reaction to that, setting up a similar message board on Hibs.net, was in hindsight unprofessional - it was the football fan taking over the journalist for a few mad minutes!

The rivalry between club web sites, in particular those such as ours which are run by fans, will continue, but like John Campbell I would hope that a steady realisation of the futility of open combat will lead to a much more friendly and thoughtful rivalry.  It will take time, and I suspect that administrators on Hibs.net and other sites will have to spend some time yet 'dancing with fools', but anything is possible if we wish for it hard enough.

While there will be no more Sunday Supplements until the new season, Hibs.net will of course continue to bring the latest news and views from Hibernian Football Club, every day of the week and at all times of the day!  Can I take this opportunity however to thank all of you who have supported this site throughout the 2000/01 season, it was a fantastic year for the club and even more so for Hibs.net.