Just to let everyone be aware that any amount of AWOL on the Merrimack is now unacceptable.

Right now, after the removal of the holiday relaxation of posting limits, I am allowing some little leeway, but I don’t agree with the superimposition of holiday relaxation of limits anyway. This is a slow posting ship. As a DH you only need to post a minimum of once a week. That isn’t onerous and you can post a LOA if you have a RL problem or a holiday break. That is the deal. So, I expect that following this weekend the entire crew will be within limits again and that will then remain strictly so.

I know that AWOLs are a STF-wide problem, but the lack of discipline on other ships is not my personal problem to solve. I have demonstrated that I can and will remove players from this ship for AWOLs. I know that the other players who do post regularly back me on this, as it was AWOLs that almost killed off this ship last year. I realise now that I have been too lenient in the past, and allowed excessive AWOLs from players giving me poor excuses, while still posting on their other ships at the same time.

In the end, this is about simple courtesy. It’s letting everyone else know to carry on and not have to wait on you.

I have never ever refused a LOA. I appreciate as much as anyone (if not more) the difficulties that Real Life issues can have on the ability to post regularly. I’ve had them all myself - child care issues, grandchild care issues, medical emergencies, family medical emergencies, deaths in family, loss of employment, extended holidays, house moving, work issues and deadlines, weather-related issues, internet troubles. That is why you can post a LOA. Failing that you can send me an email or get someone else to (but I’d rather you also posted a LOA too). Your internet will rarely be down for more than a few days, even after hurricanes and tsunamis. If you are in the hospital emergency department for more than a few days, then you probably are resigning anyway, otherwise you can still post a LOA.

If anyone has a problem with what or where to post, please do contact me for some advice, (or any other member of the ship). In fact, I know that some of you do discuss what you will post, in areas outside of the ship and that’s fine with me.

Thanks, and sorry if that seems like a headteacher with his cane, but the Merrimack was almost shelved last December and it isn’t going down on my watch.

Dave