This blog

When I began this blog in the summer of 2009, I hoped from the start to make it a team blog, with anybody who wished to do so contributing posts. I invited people like Mike Fortune-Wood and Fiona Nicholson of Education otherwise to join in this enterprise, but there seemed no enthusiasm for such a scheme. Because it was public and accessible through google, I thought that this might be a good place for those who believed in autonomous education to speak directly to the public and explain their beliefs; as a counterbalance to my own views. It was not to be. I issued a general invitation on September 21st 2009, but only one person took me up on the offer and contributed a post a few days later. And thereby hangs a tale.....

The woman who put a post here was an autonomous educator who was active on the HE-UK list under the name of Diceandgiz; signing her posts 'Gizzie'. As soon as it was seen that she had joined me in posting here, she became the target of abuse on the HE-UK list. Members of that list might wish to look at the archived messages for September 2009 and see what I mean. This was not limited to the list. People began emailing her privately and abusing her for being associated with me. In the end, she became so upset that she left both here and the HE-UK list. This is what happens to those who step out of line, even they are dedicated and autonomous home educators.

I tell this story as a cautionary tale of what is liable to happen to anybody who does decide to post on here openly. However, I renew my offer to anybody who wishes to have their views on home education published here. It seems a little much that I am the only person whose opinions are on display and if anybody else wants to write a post here, they are very welcome to do so. There is a catch! In order to become listed by blogspot as authors here, I have to put in an email address. This need not be your usual one; you can post anonymously by starting a hotmail account or something. Anyway, if anybody does want to join me in broadening the appeal of this blog and turning it into a team blog, then they can send me an email address and we will see how it goes. My email address is simon.webb14@btinternet.com. Just send an email address with your name or a pseudonym if you are really shy and I will generate an invitation to you to join the blog as an author.

The only proviso I make is that any posts are not incoherent or abusive. This means nothing beginning 'Old Webb and teacher Julie say...' I think Mr Williams of Alton knows who I am talking about here. I think that it would be good to have a little fresh blood on here. More than once, people have complained that my posts are boring and repetitive; now is the chance to do something about it.