tenpencepiece.net is my second attempt at blogging. My first, which was created during the early days of blogger, ran out of steam at some point during the early 2000s. I eventually deleted it and I don’t have a backup, but I know that it wasn’t very good. Fortunately, I’m certain that almost no-one read it.
It wasn’t until late 2008 that I started again. I was between OU modules and was due to start ED209, but I didn’t start this one with any particular intent to blog about my OU experience. However, for most of the last 3 years that’s the way it turned out. Simply by having it around made OU study a far less solitary experience for me than it was during 2007 when I took DSE212. As more OU students discovered it, the blog provided useful additional motivation when I needed it – as you noticed if I hadn’t been keeping up with the timetable!
We’ve also managed to do some good collectively for others. I’m still overwhelmed by the £600+ readers of this blog raised for the HOPEHIV charity in 2010.
I’ve shared my highs and my lows in what I hope has been an open and honest fashion. I’m proud of what I’ve managed to achieve with the OU and I’m really looking forward to my graduation in May.
However, just before Christmas, two anonymous obscene and threatening comments from the same person left in the space of an hour genuinely shocked me. Other than spam or duplicates, I’ve always published every comment I’ve ever received here. I’m not easily spooked and I have a pretty thick skin, so I really don’t mind criticism, honest or otherwise, justified or not. But these comments went way beyond criticism – and were certainly not written in a way that I could even edit for publication, much as I’ve thought about how I might do so.
So I took the blog down and debated if I wanted to carry on.
I’m still undecided. Even if I do keep going, I suspect that the next few months (or even years!) might be quite dull for some readers – particularly if you’re here because of the OU psychology courses or are interested in if I ever manage to find somewhere (and the time and money and can persuade the family etc. etc.) to start a masters. I apologise for any boredom you might experience in advance – but this is my blog – my voice – and you can always go elsewhere if you don’t like what I write.
But for the time being I’m back and working out what to do next. Stay tuned!
Unbelievable Tim. Presumably someone you didn’t know. People seriously have nothing better to do.
I had a similar experience, but not quite as bad as yours. I wasn’t going to blog again, but I decided that it was my blog and I’d carry on. However I made mine private and just share it with FB friends. Such a shame, but it was the only way I felt safe. I applaud your decision and can only say that the ‘author’ of the nasty comments will get their payback = cosmic karma and all that
How horrible for you Tim. Your blog has been brilliant and so useful. You have been so generous with your notes. Don’t like one sick person make you feel like it has been anything other than a great success.
I personally have enjoyed your blogs
The nice version of what I wanted to write is: ‘don’t let the bugger grind you down!’ 
That’s awful and ridiculous. Is there any way you can track them?
Hi Tim just to say that I like reading your blogs, and I like so many others found your DD307 notes really helpful. Unfortunately there are some sad people out there who like to try and destroy good things that others enjoy.
Tim I am relatively new to your blog. Have made a number of comments and enjoyed responses. I hope you keep going. Best wishes for 2011.
I only discovered this blog a couple of weeks ago and have already found it extremely helpful. Please, don’t let yourself bring down by one person. I have been blogging myself since early 2000s, and I know what it means to battle nasty comments on your blog.
What would you do if somebody came to your door, physically, and started to badmouth you? Wouldn’t you simply slam the door in his face? Don’t feel shy to do the very same thing here, on your blog. Your home, your castle, and you make the rules.
Welcome back!
Tim,
I’m glad you are staying with it. Your blog has been pretty vital to my studies and even though your course is over (big congratulations by the way) many of your posts have not been study related but have still proved very interesting.
Please stick with it Tim, since discovering your blog it has been a constant source of support. And was a pleasure to talk to you in person in Warwick. Many thanks, Craig
Welcome Back
I use to have a previous blog and I also started getting unsavoury blog comments, so now I have turned them off.
Whoever posted those comments were jealous of your success. Onwards and upwards and what goes around comes around.
Look forward to reading of your exploits in 2012.
SH
Tim,
Just read about what happened to you. There’s some very nasty people on the internet who hide behind anonymity.
It happened to a disabled friend on a message board – one night the whole board was spammed with some unbelievably horrendous comments about her and her illness.
Best wishes
Jane
hi tim, shocked to hear your news, i echo the supportive comments above. i have really appreciated your “handy hints” on ou study over the past two years, you seem genuine & generous of spirit, so do remember that, whatever your decision, you know what si best for you. we have the good fortune to have freedom of speech – this also means that what some people have to say is not worth listening to…… “sticks & stones” etc. best wishes, amanda
Hi Tim, Completely agree with all the comments – your blog is great so don’t give up!
Tim,
Just wanted to send a quick message after reading your last blog. So sorry to hear what happened – this kind of anonymous abuse is beyond the pale. Hope you can ignore it, and think of the countless grateful OU students like me for whom your blog has been a great support, not to mention all the benefit your generous sharing of notes has provided for HOPEHIV. Very best wishes, L
Tim
Your blog has been both a motivation and an inspiration for me on my OU journey (especially doing DD307 with you, and the delights of Chodorow therein!). There will always be idiots out there who can’t keep their mouths shut, but there are a lot more of us who really enjoy reading what you have to say. Looking forward to the next chapter
Diane
Tim,
I am not sure about the nasty comments as I didn’t read them, but would just like to say that your notes have been such a great support to me over the years that I have been with OU. I am trying to get through my Degree as well as being on my own and a registered carer to my little boy who is disabled and I really appreciate all the notes that you have made as they keep me going and motivated in this course, to the point that I am now doing my last module. I hope that you do manage to continue as your notes mean a lot to people and I wish you a lot of luck for the future.
Diana
Hi Tim, I had thought about writing to say thank you and to let you know how much your notes and blog helped me last year in DD307. However, due to a trip to Oz over Xmas and just plain old ‘busy life stuff’, just didn’t get around to it.
Now that I’ve just started DD303 (my final course of BSc Psy) I decided to look up your blog again. I am shocked and disgusted to hear that someone has written something obscene or threatening to you. I was telling my husband the other day that I feel your blog and your notes gave me much more confidence last year and I went from an okay grade 2 years in a row to a top class grade in my exam last year. I always thought I was good at TMAs but not exams and now I know it’s as much down to revising technique as anything. I didn’t change the time I spent revising for the DD307 exam but I did change my revision technique after reading your blog and realising I could be more tactical and it most definitely worked! I couldn’t quite believe my score and was very pleasantly surprised!
I will most definitely be using your notes again as a measure against mine this year and intend to do the same technique for the exam again this year. Please keep up the good work and well done on your degree! I personally think the nasty comments from that person says more about that person than you and you should keep up the good work! I’m sure the person writing that nasty note would love you to stop, but please don’t! Thank you. Karen
Hi Tim
Ive been popping in and using your great notes for revision for the last two courses Ive done and they’ve been a great help to me so thanks for them. And as for people writing rubbish about you they obviously haven’t met you and don’t know what a nice guy you are. We were in the same team at residential in Bath and you were a pleasure to work with.
As my Hubby always says to me Don’t let the buggers get you down!
Hi Jan,
Lovely to hear from you again and I hope your studies are progressing well! Thank you very much for your kind words and support – it’s truly appreciated.