The International Schools Review Forum

Dear ISR Admin,

Thank you for providing us the platform for exchanging ideas. I apologise in advance for the sarcasm: I do realise that you are not a child-minder for 5th Graders. However, I felt compelled to write about PsyGuy who has been dominating this forum. It even came to the point where a member threatened to expose him and obliterate his international career. I, for one, would not wish that on another.

I wish to proffer that our forum should remain a safe place for sharing experiences. Now that the “Blacklistedâ€

Please excuse me for 'reposting' much of the comment that I had previously made in the thread 'Rating Qatar. Clearly PsyGuy divides opinion...some find him amusing, some offensive and some even agree with him (which I find somewhat disturbing). However, I am a teacher and I seek to empower my students to challenge the wrongs in this world when they come across them. If one of my students made such a statement as 'the Middle East is a craphole' then I am confident that the other students in my class would shout this down and point out the danger of such sweeping generalisations. Would that be a restriction on freedom of speech? Perhaps...but it was not so long ago that racial segregation existed in a number of countries based upon such ignorance.

I do ask ISR to play a greater role in moderating what are clearly xenophobic, bigoted or perhaps even racist comments - and this suggestion is not only aimed at those posted by PsyGuy, but simply whenever they occur. I am concerned when such comments are associated with someone who claims to be a teacher, and so is a representative of my profession on a VERY public forum that does not require a membership to enter.

[quote="Skablictady"]

The best way to deal with PsyGuy is to never address him directly. If you could not resist:

1] Always thank him for his posts without disagreeing with him. Once you do, you fall into his trap of making the original post about him and you. Then it becomes a shambolic natter between two 5th Graders.

3] Offer the original posters an alternative idea based on your own authentic personal experiences without criticising or discrediting PsyGuy. He already inflicted an irreparable damage to his credibility.

Our ISR Forum is not about PsyGuy. ISR is about all of us trying to help each other make informed choices.

Limiting our post to 3 in a 24-hour period may be unpopular. But then again, we have to further elevate our profession to a respectable level through solidarity and continued meaningful discourse. Otherwise, the “Blacklistâ€

Interesting that someone felt the need to create a new account to launch a thread directly against another poster (presuming that a first time poster didn't just stumble on two forums, read all of those posts and felt compelled to start an anti-Psyguy thread).

I wonder why.

[quote="wrldtrvlr123"]Interesting that someone felt the need to create a new account to launch a thread directly against another poster (presuming that a first time poster didn't just stumble on two forums, read all of those posts and felt compelled to start an anti-Psyguy thread).

I wonder why.[/quote]

Maybe s/he was just felt a need to post after spending time reading posts for so long. I've visited a variety of forums over the years, often with no need to post myself. Occasionally something comes up that makes me join so I can comment, not always though, and sometimes it's after I've been visiting a forum for years.

Or maybe it's just psyguy enjoying all the attention and wanting to come clean. Who knows?

Dear Vaellteacher,

Apartheid was based upon opinion and ignorance - and it certainly generated a lot of opinion. Oh, I guess it must have been a good thing then...or do you fell that there are times when someone should not be allowed a platform? I am curious to know (as a fellow teacher) where you feel the line should be drawn?

[quote="stellalocal"][quote="wrldtrvlr123"]Interesting that someone felt the need to create a new account to launch a thread directly against another poster (presuming that a first time poster didn't just stumble on two forums, read all of those posts and felt compelled to start an anti-Psyguy thread).

I wonder why.[/quote]

Maybe s/he was just felt a need to post after spending time reading posts for so long. I've visited a variety of forums over the years, often with no need to post myself. Occasionally something comes up that makes me join so I can comment, not always though, and sometimes it's after I've been visiting a forum for years.

Or maybe it's just psyguy enjoying all the attention and wanting to come clean. Who knows?[/quote]
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Actually, I would suspect it is a regular poster that wanted to attack another poster but didn't have the courage of their convictions to use their regular ID.

I could be wrong though.

I find most of his posts marginally helpful, but does he actually have a job? How can anyone be on ISR as much as he is and still work?

[quote="wrldtrvlr123"][quote="stellalocal"][quote="wrldtrvlr123"]Interesting that someone felt the need to create a new account to launch a thread directly against another poster (presuming that a first time poster didn't just stumble on two forums, read all of those posts and felt compelled to start an anti-Psyguy thread).

I wonder why.[/quote]

Maybe s/he was just felt a need to post after spending time reading posts for so long. I've visited a variety of forums over the years, often with no need to post myself. Occasionally something comes up that makes me join so I can comment, not always though, and sometimes it's after I've been visiting a forum for years.

Or maybe it's just psyguy enjoying all the attention and wanting to come clean. Who knows?[/quote]
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Actually, I would suspect it is a regular poster that wanted to attack another poster but didn't have the courage of their convictions to use their regular ID.

I could be wrong though.[/quote]

Yes could be that too. We're not to know, just as we don't know how much of what psyguy says is based on his own real experiences. We just have to look on it all as entertainment and nothing more.

I got dragged into the back and forth on the Blacklisted thread, mainly because I was concerned that many posters were asking PsyGuy for advice based on his assertions that he is a ... (well, regular readers don't need to any more than that).

The issue of racism in posts is a tricky one - some of the comments have been close to the mark. However, I think they reveal someone with a pretty insular outlook that is hardly the mark of an international school teacher and just act to reduce the writer's credibility.

So, I am not sure anyone should be banned or moderated out of here.

I would argue that there is enough info in the threads for informed readers to make up their own minds.

My only advice (that I will try to follow - but can't guarantee it;)!) is to respond to the original post, rather than engaging in the great man's diversions.

The Qatar thread is a case in point - the poster wanted some feedback on schools in Qatar from people who have some first hand knowledge, not to read a debate on the merits of the ME in general.

I agree that the post about Qatar got a bit off course but if someone is looking at the region, those of us with actual experience can't let sweeping generalizations stand if we know they are wrong. If PsyGuy's comment had gone uncontested, the original poster might have been scared away from a country that has some fine schools.

I'm not much for censorship - probably the best advice is to only engage with the original poster and not get baited by the likes of Psy Guy. He always wants to have the last word so the greater the number of responses, the more he rambles on.

As a general lurker this is probably the most ridiculous stunt I've seen on here besides the attempts to out Psyguy, which is pretty vile to do on a forum that's anonymous for many reasons. I don't see how people aren't more annoyed by the accounts that have sprung up for the sole purpose of going after Psyguy personally instead of trying to disagree without frothing at the mouth while adding new information. He really doesn't seem to be so deserving of this virulent reaction. So, if we're doing a wish list to the mods, then how about a "no sock" rule? That would have more of an impact then the bringing back the three-post rule while also removing clutter. Frankly, if you don't want Psyguy to dominate then you should consider posting more. I really don't understand how people are so boggled as to how Psyguy can post "so much" when I personally find him only a little chatty compared to other forums I frequent. Besides, a three post limit isn't going to really solve that if he's posting three a day and you're only posting maybe three times a week. More active participation is the solution and I know lurkers like myself would love to have more opinions to read on various threads placed here (excluding more of the Psyguy is a *FRAUD/FAKE/AWFUL PERSON!!ONE!!ONE* parroting).

Like BocaJr said in the blacklisted thread, "For all of PsyGuy's faults (real or imagined) he did breathe some life into this sometimes exceedingly quiet forum...So, even if just to get people to refute and dismiss his posts, he has managed to encourage increased participation and that's a good thing."

A world traveller came to a primary school in New York to speak at an assembly about bicycle safety. At the end of his speech, he asked, “Are there any questions?â€

[quote="Skablictady"]A world traveller came to a primary school in New York to speak at an assembly about bicycle safety. At the end of his speech, he asked, “Are there any questions?â€

[quote="Skablictady"]A world traveller came to a primary school in New York to speak at an assembly about bicycle safety. At the end of his speech, he asked, “Are there any questions?â€