Eugene McGee's internet choices

[Sandino]

Despite the praise he gives to other inferior forums I think that most of the posters have been very restrained.

[boojangles]

Mr. McGee should be embarrassed to read this thread. There are some great posts, especially from Saffron Sam and Bud. Like SS, I knew what we were in for from the first sentence. It read like the first line of an Inter Cert essay. When he quoted Hogan Stand and AFR as examples of good GAA discussion sites, I was glad I didn't have a mouthful of anything.

He's right, of course, that the internet provides every fool, know-nothing and malevolent bosthoon with a mass audience and we see examples on this board often enough. But to suggest that this marks a departure in GAA discourse is laughable.

It's a trait as old as humanity to blame the medium for the message. Aristotle (or one of those Greek know-it-alls) complained that the invention of writing would destroy the ability to memorise long poems. He was right, too, but he was missing the point. The advent of printing was seen as a potential catastrophe for civilisation, mostly by those who had a monopoly on writing and knowledge – scribes and clerics and the like. I can't help but notice the analogy with McGee's relationship to the internet.

The early days of the technology saw a plethora of newspaper headlines of the "awful stuff on the internet" variety. I thought we had left that about five years behind us. I was forgetting about the lay-by on the space-time highway occupied by lazy GAA journalists.

As an aside, and without reference to this particular debate, I have always considered McGee to be the most humourless man I can think of. I hope that's not too robust a comment or a statement that wouldn't be acceptable in any other medium.

In his defence, he is from Longford...

Most Longford people who know him would agree that he's humourless.  He's usually better than that article, in fairness.

Obviously it has hard to comprehend how he could think that the Hoganstand forum is 'better' than GAABoard.Also the point Bud made about looking closer to home when talking about people attacking GAA players is very relevant but it has to be said that while McGee may come across as 'humourless' I still find him one of the better GAA writers around and in fairness a piece like this is not the norm for Eugene.

[cornafean]

I have met Eugene a few times down the years and I wouldn't describe him as humourless. Although he does have his blindspots (who doesn't), he is one of the wisest and most sensible commentators around.

[heineken_on_tap]

Despite the praise he gives to other inferior forums I think that most of the posters have been very restrained.

Get over it, its a personal taste and i'm sure this board is not everyone's cup of tea. I don't see any issue with that

[put-it-up]

First of all I actually wouldn't read the Hoganstand if you paid me. "Cavan Minor Team 2011" is probably on it somewhere as a thread!

Secondly, with regards to McGee's comments, I actually think Gaaboard posters are the real experts. At the end of the day we know what is going on and genuinely care. Don't blush when I say this but there are actually quite some knowledgable chaps on this!

As someone said already, I would rather read opinions about a game on here from other genuine supporters than a bland match report!

[Billys Boots]

I have met Eugene a few times down the years and I wouldn't describe him as humourless. Although he does have his blindspots (who doesn't), he is one of the wisest and most sensible commentators around.

I didn't mean that as a slight on him - he's a man with little time for the bullshit surrounding the game on the media side, with thought-through opinions on the game that might not always be popular.  One of the good guys, and a true Larry. 

[Olly]

I think that Mcgee is right. He means the hoganstand and anfearrua as an GAA internet site, not just their discussion boards. They can be much better than here for accuracy.

[Gnevin]

Mr. McGee should be embarrassed to read this thread. There are some great posts, especially from Saffron Sam and Bud. Like SS, I knew what we were in for from the first sentence. It read like the first line of an Inter Cert essay. When he quoted Hogan Stand and AFR as examples of good GAA discussion sites, I was glad I didn't have a mouthful of anything.

He's right, of course, that the internet provides every fool, know-nothing and malevolent bosthoon with a mass audience and we see examples on this board often enough. But to suggest that this marks a departure in GAA discourse is laughable.

It's a trait as old as humanity to blame the medium for the message. Aristotle (or one of those Greek know-it-alls) complained that the invention of writing would destroy the ability to memorise long poems. He was right, too, but he was missing the point. The advent of printing was seen as a potential catastrophe for civilisation, mostly by those who had a monopoly on writing and knowledge – scribes and clerics and the like. I can't help but notice the analogy with McGee's relationship to the internet.

The early days of the technology saw a plethora of newspaper headlines of the "awful stuff on the internet" variety. I thought we had left that about five years behind us. I was forgetting about the lay-by on the space-time highway occupied by lazy GAA journalists.

As an aside, and without reference to this particular debate, I have always considered McGee to be the most humourless man I can think of. I hope that's not too robust a comment or a statement that wouldn't be acceptable in any other medium.

In his defence, he is from Longford...

Most Longford people who know him would agree that he's humourless.  He's usually better than that article, in fairness.

Really? He's more like the Dublin football team . One or two decent performances a year but the days of championship journalism from him are fast becoming a distant memory and the future doesn't look bright .