KanoOnline.com Forum

Assalamu alaikum,

As a freshman with  keen interest and readiness to learn, boast up knowledge and the like at whatsoever measures, I uncovered the "secret" of forum when Freedom Radio aired a program with Prof. Abdullah telling listeners to check-up the site—KanoOnline, for more on what he had had been saying. I immediately thereafter joined, but before then I already had a subscription with another discussion board, Literature Network. My prime aim was solely to develop my language proficiency—via discussion with intellectuals like the Professor—but later I discovered the benefit encompasses are much more than that, for instance you meet and socialize with those intellectuals, learn from them; get entertainment, to mention but a few. This board offered all these and more in those days, but things are no longer the same.

Human minds (i.e. critical ones) are bound to enquire why certain things change; or why they do not while they are supposed to. I sat down and wondered, many at times, how the heck this board's vitality keeps dropping off. Why? While it should be improving considering the fact that computer literacy amongst populace is multiplying, availability of internet is always on increasing, and education acquired, experience spread, and so on. Yet things are getting worst here!

The forum's haven-ness, as I say above, is dwindling and frigging dying. Yesterday is always better than today; and no hope for tomorrow but fear!

I think the reason is very simple—I once mentioned it—and that is we are "Northerners". We have, seemingly, an inherent dispassionate tendency to devalue virtually everything northern, and KanoOnline happens to be not an exception. But in comparison to our counterparts, i.e. Southerners, they respect, revere and value their things, and that's why even theirs—forums, are interestingly moving forward and catching the wave . . . or at least the ones I know, for example nairaland.com, nigerianbestforum.com, naijapals.com, nigeriavillagesquare.com among others.  That led them to still hold the aged old condescending attitude towards us as well as the false view of the entire North as the home of illiterate abokis who can't afford, or maintain, in this case, a single internet discussion board.

The truth is not being uneducated, for North have, unquestionably, educated figures; but who mostly are uncommitted towards Northern "things". Without much substantiation I think this board's existence predates above forums—no doubt here—and many of its kind. Yet its miserableness and lifelessness now out-range that of every other. Isn't this shameful? We are the ones who say we can, huh? Could I go to rural area, where they know nothing like internet and preach this? No!

For a few examples, immediately after I joined this board I signed up to nairaland.com. The sub-forum I frequently make contributions at there is designated "Islam for Muslims". Very fierce religious debates constantly take place between majority non-Muslims and minority Muslims. But those minorities had iftar during the last Ramadan at Lagos. I was too invited. They are trying to make it a yearly gathering. And I know they can.

Secondly, the forum had awards for the Best Posters of the Year (2009) just to keep the forum livelier. I am luckily voted as the Best Poster at Islam for Muslims child-board. We are now waiting to be called upon to receive our awards.

Things on other boards go this way . . . but not here! KanoOnline Online! Our Kano "owned" forum!

Conclusion

No matter what, and no matter where; this board belongs to us. It's our pride and we must be proud of it as well as its initiators. They did a great job. But something actually needs to be done by both the members and the administrators. It's all we have in the Northern and for the northerners. So please wake up and revive and thrive "extinctive" forum.

Thanks for your reading, understanding and comment.

Muhsin

Muhsin i can see where u are coming from.
Zancen gaskiya,yadda ka fada ne. Yan arewa kamar kunyar kan mu muke ji.
We lack confidence and boldness. We can see other people raining all kinds of abuses on us but all we do is to bury our heads in shame.
This forum used to be a place where constructive debates used to hold but our inability to hold on and persevere has seen the forum turn into a shameful state.

I believe some of the reasons why the place isn't lively is the lack of followership from the members and visitors. If one posts a new topic or a reply and does not get a response to the post it becomes discouraging. Kuma i believe many people just prefer watching from afar because they're afraid their opinions won't be accepted by other members or in some cases they would be judged based on thier opinions.
Sannan kuma gaskiya fa internet awareness na yan arewa is so low. Even the telecom providers know that. MTN,glo and zain makes 75% of thier internet earnings from the south. Infact their 3G networks are scanty up in the north. They just give us GPRS and say ( abeg shebi dem neva sabi use d thing ma sef).

Maybe we need to advertise on some newspapers like dailytrust,leadership,triumph etc. I remember the site gaining so much attraction when it was mentioned in and article in dailytrust,that was when the first GTG held along with ANA's convention.


P.S. Muhsin please stop cursing in your posts.... :P,Na san abun na yi maka zafi.

Another thing is probably admin might have to remove restrictions on guests posting.
Many people started as guests and when they see their posts being replied they eventually register.
Generally online registrations are a bit hard and time consuming. It is surprising how you see hundreds of guests viewing the threads but fail to see any post by them.

Maybe admin should allow guests to make a certain number of posts before prompting them to register,and let there be some distinction between a registered member and a guest which will make one want to register.

How dyu see that?

Quote from: gogannaka on January 04, 2010, 01:40:32 PM
Another thing is probably admin might have to remove restrictions on guests posting.
Many people started as guests and when they see their posts being replied they eventually register.
Generally online registrations are a bit hard and time consuming. It is surprising how you see hundreds of guests viewing the threads but fail to see any post by them.

Maybe admin should allow guests to make a certain number of posts before prompting them to register,and let there be some distinction between a registered member and a guest which will make one want to register.

How dyu see that?

gogannaka - If we do that, we run a higher risk of Hackers, Spammers and other people with posts that do not conform to our forums' rules...

Why all the worry that the site / forum will die? This is an online thing and it comes and goes. Maybe all that has to be said for now, has been said for now... and when things need to be said again, they will be said again. Do not forget that, there has been a lot that has been said here since August 2001...
For instance do run a google search of gogannaka (site:kanoonline.com gogannaka), you may have Results of about 6,160 from kanoonline.com for gogannaka as of now. Anything you said, is there for the whole world to benefit from. Even if the site closes now, we have collectively provided a lot of information on and about Kano which was the original reason of opening the website since August 2001

If you still think that you will want the Forum to be wide open, then I might to that, but will need somebody that will have access to the internet everyday to patrol the forum effectively 24/7. I would prefer to error on the side of caution and security of the website than just to open it wide.

Again thanks for your suggestion.

Quote from: admin on January 04, 2010, 03:43:55 PM
Why all the worry that the site / forum will die? This is an online thing and it comes and goes. Maybe all that has to be said for now, has been said for now... and when things need to be said again, they will be said again. Do not forget that, there has been a lot that has been said here since August 2001...

Exactly. I really don't see the need for this fret. The forum would die, the forum is dead, the forum is dying.... It is tiring. This is an online forum. It will weather the storm. It might not be as 'busy' as other forums, but fact is members come and go. If it isn't lively today, it could be tomorrow. For me, I like it as it is. I may not post as frequently as I would want, but there's no social forum I enjoy visiting, or feel comfortable in like this. So we trugde on.

Quote from: Bakan~Gizo on January 04, 2010, 04:44:58 PM

Exactly. I really don't see the need for this fret. The forum would die, the forum is dead, the forum is dying.... It is tiring. This is an online forum. It will weather the storm. It might not be as 'busy' as other forums, but fact is members come and go. If it isn't lively today, it could be tomorrow. For me, I like it as it is. I may not post as frequently as I would want, but there's no social forum I enjoy visiting, or feel comfortable in like this. So we trugde on.

Thanks Bakan~Gizo .... and if you want to feel even better about the Forum just go back to the old topics and read 'em... for example the first topic way back in 2001 - Lets start this in the name of Allah  (http://kanoonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=199.0). 2001 was when the Forum was started not the Website which started earlier.

As a daily visitor for several years I greatly enjoy Kano Online but it has become less lively lately and I miss the contributions of many female contributors.

As an outsider can I say tha there are huge issues about the North of Nigeria, its people, its customs, its future and its past.

There is a tendancy developing to bog everything down in religious arguements.
Nigeria's problems will not be solved by the Koran or the Bible.
If Nigeria is to have future the thieving has to stop, the corruption has to stop, tribalism has to stop, religious hate has to stop and the huge potential of the country has to be harnessed by honest leaders whose aims are to improve the lives of the people not to enrich themselves.
This is what his forum should be debating.
Harnessing the agricultural potential of the north.
Using the oil revenues to provide good public services
Transport links, roads, schools and teachers, health provision, electrical power, crops. All these things can be afforded. Nigeria by a long way is the richest country in Africa. It is richer than many developed countries. It's future is being taken from it by monumental theft  matched only by monumental incompetence. It doesn't have to be this way. Nigerians are just as able as any other people.

There is a religious section in which religious arguements can be had by those who think that will solve any problems.
It won't. Take my word for it. We've been down that road in Europe for hundreds of years till we realised that unscrupulous leaders were using religion divisions to keep us occupied as they filled their pockets.

BKGZ and admin, the site has never been this 'unlively' and we are just concerned why patronage (at least by members) is deteriorating.
This is just out of love for the forum,which is natural.
Like Muhsin said,it is about the only free forum which arewa can boast of so i believe it requires more awareness. Many people turn to the internet for information nowadays and the life of the forum can depict the life of arewa,ko ba haka ba.


Dave,i agree that religion is used in Nigeria to gain sympathy of the masses,it is just like what happened in Nigeria during the Shari'a implementation days. Most governors adopted Sharia to gain acceptance of the poor masses.
Again i believe Nigeria's problem lies more with the people than with the leaders. I cannot imagine a country where when you read online comments all you is are tribalistic insults and bad prayers for leaders. We need serious attitude re-orientation.

Admin i have a question in mind.
Why would people want to attack the forum.And who are the likely attackers?Yan bakin ciki ko kuwa spammers.
How come sites like nairaland and NVS are not attacked?

I agree generally with what is said about the forum, but all I am saying is that you cannot just force people to post and reply to posts if they do not want to. This is online after all... and just because people are not posting new topics does not mean that people are not visiting the Forum... If the general consensus of members is to close the Forum because we are not getting new postings now, then we can go ahead and close it.

Quote from: gogannaka on January 05, 2010, 11:45:02 AM
Admin i have a question in mind.
Why would people want to attack the forum.And who are the likely attackers?Yan bakin ciki ko kuwa spammers.
How come sites like nairaland and NVS are not attacked?

gogannaka, I do not have answer as to why people would attack this Forum (the attackers would know that). All I know is that we were hacked and the website was down for some time because of that. The kind of hacking was a sort of "denial of service" type.

Spammers that were trying to sell all kinds of things from Viagra to explicit materials and other stuff were having a field day till we clamped down on the Forum registration process

I also do not know how nairaland and NVS operate (they would know that). All I know is that we will not want people posting obscene and offensive messages abusing other people... were we will be held responsible and liable. Also bai kamata ace anzo gidanmu kuma ana zaginmuba...

Well said, Muhsin.

Quote from: Anas on January 05, 2010, 03:23:30 PM
Well said, Muhsin.

Dama irinku muhsin yake nufi, a dai gyara hali ustazu.

LOL @ DB.
Admin no one is saying that the site be closed all we are trying to point out is we shouldn't be lazy like we are percieved by people from other parts of the country.  A simple investigation and probable solution to the decline in comments.

Assalamu alaikum once again, KanoOnliners

It's very surprising seeing how my factual-based thread generated all the above replies; and more astonishing seeing some folks, seemingly, feel unhappy with it. Wallahi all I am trying to do is to better this place and to uplift our beloved Northern face, and bring us to where we really are not as others falsely think we were. Ask yourself: who is this little uneducated Muhsin to tell me "truth" if it's not really truth? Where did he get the audacity and the guts to compose the piece? Ask yourself these questions and then think of possible answers to them. What is your conclusion? Please I really will like to know.

Am afraid I might be talking in tongues, for I get little time at my disposal; thus can't actually respond to everything that's said so far on the OP. Above is just a general previewed-reply. Probably when I get back, very soon, inshaAllah, I'll respond in a fuller way.

BTW, GGNK, thanks you realized my points. Wish others as well will and will heed to them.

May Allah help us, and help K-Online, amin.

haba muhsin, you always have to go and come back, dont tell me
you are not posting from your mobile device, kai, lalle you need
to be updated.  install opera mini version 4 and you will browse
nicely and at a very very cheaper rate.

i cant understand when you refer the word un-educated to yourself,
are you demeaning your God's giving status in your society? watch
your good words nairaland highest poster of the year, when are we
travelling to lagos to collect our award?

Quote from: Dan-Borno on January 05, 2010, 05:47:12 PM
haba muhsin, you always have to go and come back, dont tell me
you are not posting from your mobile device, kai, lalle you need
to be updated.  install opera mini version 4 and you will browse
nicely and at a very very cheaper rate.

I mostly browse at BUK library (NUNET) or CIT, DB. The former is free while the latter is for just a token fee. But my phone doesn't support GPRS, not at all.

Quote from: Dan-Borno on January 05, 2010, 05:47:12 PM

i cant understand when you refer the word un-educated to yourself,
are you demeaning your God's giving status in your society? watch
your good words nairaland highest poster of the year, when are we
travelling to lagos to collect our award?

Ain't at all demeaning myself, DB. Am in fact telling the truth. Remember am still an undergraduate student, and in my early 20s. Many of you here are far far above that status, right? There are Professor, Doctors, MSc/MBA/MEd/etc holders, and so on. You see the disparity?

I am indeed NL Islam for Muslims Poster of the Year. Here is the link: *~ Muhsin Voted The Islam For Muslims Section Poster Of The Year*~ (http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-368303.0.html) But thats a different case. And the award stuff, I later came to understand, is just to recognize hardworking posters, without much special importance attach to it. Yet it remains an encouragement, greatly. Wish someday K-Online will emulate such.

Cya

Jama'a, Sallama

I decided to come in to help poor embattled Salisu who seems to be facing fire from all fronts!
It is interesting that we are debating the future of KanoOnline, especially as when we started it in 2001 we did not anticipate the kind of future it had. KanoOnline was basically a combination of desire to "fight back" at the bad Internet press Kano was getting in 2001, and especially during the Shari'a implementation process;  and provision of more structured, if somewhat less academic depository on Kano for researchers outside Kano. We did not anticipate a "chat forum" and initially focused attention on paper, presentations and information about books on Kano. Indeed we had such a grand plan that we even took our proposal for full-pledged site to the Government of Kano in about 2002. We were promised assistance and all sorts of assurances, but none was forthcoming. Kano Forum (Inuwar Jama'ar Kano) did provide financial assistance which was to go towards part upkeep of the site, as well as pay for a series of academic papers to be written about Kano. We commissioned academic experts, but for over five years, we could not get enough of the papers. Further, the main co-ordinator of the program, Mal. Ibrahim Ado Kurawa got involved in politics and became extremely difficult to contact, at least on matters concerning KanoOnline. Happily, though, we are hopeful that a book will be published early this year inspired by KanoOnline initiative of about six years ago.

Our main focus remained providing academic information about Kano (where we encourage academic faculty in all Tertiary institutions in Kano to provide us with their papers). Pressures and requests made us add the "General Board" .  And so the chats began. Over the last few years the Board has grown into an organic whole and created a massive closely-knit online community that makes us feel very proud. We have made it possible to gather many people from different parts of the world together into one community. We even managed to link someone with his family in Kano!

While the Board remained easily the most popular borough of the site, it is inevitable that it often becomes heated with debates that attract opposing views. We (the administrators of the site) do not generally wish to engage in political or religious debates. That does not mean we don't have political or religious views – we do. However, issues of politics and religion are rarely a matter of right and wrong; they are perspectives and beliefs, and it is quite pointless to try to defend one view over the other. In Islam, for instance, you either believe, or you don't. It would appear that many of the  topics with Islamic slant were deliberately introduced to provoke Muslims and we studiously avoided either directly participating, or when it gets heated, we simply delete the post and if insults were hurled one way or the other, we ban the poster.  People from Kano, who in their natural habitats, rarely come across your average non-Muslim, and therefore are not used to interfaith debates; they have enough between Tijjaniyya, Qadiriyya, Izala, Sunni, Salafis and Shia to occupy them. And whether the Qur'an is the answer or not (@Dave) is not the issue. The fact is people have religious faith and they believe. A person has every right not to believe, as much as another person has every right to believe. Standing on the high moral ground by both those who believe and those who don't believe is what we wanted to avoid in the forum by discouraging religious discourse in the open forum – thus a forum for it; which I suspect many of the posters with "heavy attitudes" don't probably frequent, making it necessary or the agent provocateurs to come to the general board.

Again I emphasize that our initial idea was to make KanoOnline an information depository about Kano – nothing more, nothing less. I in fact opposed the idea of the General Board and the chats totally (I am the shy silent type!). But we forged ahead and here we are now – discontented. There are three factors that lead to this "comatose" state of the site.

First, and most important, the increasing availability of alternative social networking sites (Facebook, Hi5, Badoo and a zillion others which I detest as I don't belong to any, and I hate being invited to join any). These have succeeded in drawing away a lot of people (and I would venture to say, the younger elements, as the ones who remain are the old codgers!) This effect is across the Internet. I administer about five Yahoo! Groups communities and we noticed the same effect from three years back.  These alternative social networks provide more bang for the buck, with lots of fizz; at least people tend to meet those closer to their ages and tastes (Beyonce and Snoop Dogg anyone?).  I even know of a couple who almost got married simply from having met at Hi5. Mercifully the marriage did not take place – they have never actually seen other, and each has an ulterior motive for the union!

Second, the strict monitoring of this site to avoid "contentious" topics – such as the mainly inflammatory religious posts usually from non-Muslims who are bent on provoking Muslims. This has a tendency to put people off – either way; and consequently reduce patronage. Further, latter entrants to the Board, raised on the solid fare of Facebook mentality find the regulation difficult to deal with – so they either leave, or gripe.

Third, restricting membership (@gogannaka). As Salisu explained, we are too prone to attacks by hackers and spammers advertising all sorts of junk. Why would we be hacked? It Is not that we share some secret documents or recipes! Perhaps our high ranking in Google means we are victims of random attack of the first on the list? In any event, we simply can't afford to allow these retards to spoil what has been a clean site. Those with more honorable intentions are of course welcome to apply and get admitted – a practice that is common on millions of boards across the Internet.  But as Salisu said, if there is any volunteer out there ready to spend 24/7 on Internet monitoring traffic to the site, we would appreciate it.

I have heard so much "northern-bashing" (@Muhsin). We have been called all sorts of names – lazy, ignorant, dirty,  illiterate, no-focus, etc. And by fellow northerners. Been there, done that. I have been hearing this for the last 40 years. I am not bothered anymore.  The "Naija" sites may be administered and visited by super-intelligent beings who hold the keys to happiness and prosperity, and issue free One Terrabtye iPhones to every one millionth post; as far as I am concerned, they can all shove it. I have been to the sites. Shallow, inward looking, guttersnipe, trailer-trash kind of mentality. Thanks, but no thanks. They are good if you want to improve on your pidgin English, reduce your IQ and acquire more "northern-bashing" cudgels. More talk about corruption, Niger Delta, "northern fanatics and fundamentalists",  etc etc. Talking loud and saying nothing, really. But then that's the beauty of diversity and choice. As Salisu said, people are free to pick and mix (Woolworth's anyone?) their choices. Some sites have it all, others have none. The choice is yours.  Incidentally, there are other Arewa-theme sites (e.g. ArewaOnline); so it is not as if KanoOnline is the only one.

Probably part of the "death knell" of the site is the issue of the Get Together. This has evoked so much debate this time – and less than the usual animated responses, such that it makes quite a few people sad (annoyed?).  The lack of response, in my view, was not because of lack of interest, but simply pre-occupation. Dan Borno, a prime mover, was away on the Hajj. Salisu and I can't do much because we are simple spectators, rather than prime movers.

However, based on my experience  with Yahoo! Groups, the very act of an online community getting together is itself an anomaly. Online communities work precisely because they are invisible. That is in fact why many onliners refuse to identify their real names, or post their actual pictures – giving themselves readily available handles and avatars. The spatial nature of the locations of various members makes it difficult to decide on a central location for meetings. In the Yahoo! Groups we came up with the idea of "local chapters", especially when members from Katsina insisted that one of the Sallah meetings should be held in Katsina. We thought that was good – but who'd take care of the logistics both in Katsina and from where people are coming from. The online communities are not prescription-based communities, so there are no "annual dues" or membership fees; thus no petty cash to do these kinds of things. So a local chapter is the best way for people within the same locality to get together, identify each other and form sharing networks at the local level. The Gizago Club of Aminiya newspaper (Kano, Nigeria) is an excellent example of this. The club started as a satire in the center pages of the newspaper – and within two years had developed a vast network of state-based clusters that meet every now and then and discuss issues of common interest. So it can be done, and has indeed been done; but at a different strategy level.

Thus meetings at level being suggested require an enormous amount of time (and resources) and I applaud those who take it upon themselves to organize such.

KanoOnline is a home to many people. Many others also benefit from its existence. We will therefore keep it going for as long as it is possible.  To be frank, we discussed recently the possibility of closing the Board down and going back to the original website as a depository with PDF links to various (possibly boring) papers on Kano and cultural ethnography. This is not because of what people say, but because of the daily grind involved in maintaining the site, as well as trying to keep the body and soul together. After many hours of discussion, we decided to continue as we are. We hope that people understand and appreciate that we cannot force them to be "lively" if they have other places to be more lively. We are not competing with those places – the Naija sites, Facebook sites, etc – for each of us has something to offer, and the combination of variety makes your life easier.  We don't want to project an image of dour sourpusses; but at the same time we welcome suggestions on how to improve things – remembering that this is YOUR forum, not ours.

If you have skimmed the posting to read this last bit, apologies for the long post – but please go back to the beginning and read it, as it explains so much!

Thank you for your understanding.

Abdalla

Salam,

Oh my goodness!

Had I knew my thread would cause the hubbubs it has I would not have even started it from the beginning; and not because I cannot withstand it except I cannot face the criticizers. Period. Wallahi I have no intention to hot the feeling of anyone here in whatsoever way. I am sure not everyone even among the forum's administrators wants this forum to move forward as much as I do--I wish I could get rid of that. Remember I am the tiniest fish here. . .how can I dare?

I opened this board, earlier today, with (good) intention to make replies here and there, especially to this OP as I promised yesterday. But, sincerely speaking Prof's above reply enfeebled me to. There is seemingly some chasms and gaps between what I meant to say and what is perceived of it. Bitterly enough, the failure is mine as I can't express myself that coherently to be understood. Poor me.

That beside, please whoever feels that way felt by the Prof and probably the Admin, should forgive me. I rest my case. Buried. Forgotten.

On another note, I greatly enjoy Nairaland. My records are there for everyone to read. I wholly believe some can be that succumbed, as rightly said Professor, but I AM an exception. I am not that susceptible. I invincibly and indefatigably fight back; I have, thanks to Allah, won many "battles" there. Thats why they even crowned me Poster of the Year! :)

Thanks to you, Professor Abdullah and all other K-Onliners. You remain my mentors.

Muhsin

Quote from: Abdalla on January 06, 2010, 01:06:48 AM
I have heard so much "northern-bashing" (@Muhsin). We have been called all sorts of names – lazy, ignorant, dirty,  illiterate, no-focus, etc. And by fellow northerners. Been there, done that. I have been hearing this for the last 40 years. I am not bothered anymore.  The "Naija" sites may be administered and visited by super-intelligent beings who hold the keys to happiness and prosperity, and issue free One Terrabtye iPhones to every one millionth post; as far as I am concerned, they can all shove it. I have been to the sites. Shallow, inward looking, guttersnipe, trailer-trash kind of mentality. Thanks, but no thanks. They are good if you want to improve on your pidgin English, reduce your IQ and acquire more "northern-bashing" cudgels. More talk about corruption, Niger Delta, "northern fanatics and fundamentalists",  etc etc. Talking loud and saying nothing, really. But then that's the beauty of diversity and choice.

Nice one prof.
I should post it on nairaland.
That is the most accurate description of their kind of sites.

Thanks for the clarification,it explains alot.
Muhsin sometimes you overdo this humbleness issue so much that it starts sounding like izgili.
Please just be yourself. You don't have to relegate yoourself so low.

Please do not close the forum.

Perhaps vital topics can be introduced by Kano Online to encourage response.
These topic should be social and political and invite people to put forward their ideas of how the many problems of Nigeria and the north of Nigerian can be fixed.

Always room for Make me Laugh, however, though I have been csaned on several occassions for posting rude jokes

@ farfesa, Allah ya ja zamanin mahadi mai dogon rai.
abin da babba ya hango, ko goron dutse yaro ya hau
bazai iya hangowa ba.  mun gode da nasiha kuma mun
fahimci inda aka dosa.

Allah sa a gama da duniya lafiya.

Quote from: gogannaka on January 06, 2010, 11:45:40 AM
Muhsin sometimes you overdo this humbleness issue so much that it starts sounding like izgili.
Please just be yourself. You don't have to relegate yoourself so low.

GGNK,

Please can you elaborate? Wallahi I have been confused for the past hours trying to fathom what you really mean. Can't put up the words and their meaning. Thanks

Quote from: Abdalla on January 06, 2010, 01:06:48 AM
Jama'a, Sallama

First, and most important, the increasing availability of alternative social networking sites (Facebook, Hi5, Badoo and a zillion others which I detest as I don't belong to any, and I hate being invited to join any). These have succeeded in drawing away a lot of people (and I would venture to say, the younger elements, as the ones who remain are the old codgers!) This effect is across the Internet. I administer about five Yahoo! Groups communities and we noticed the same effect from three years back.  These alternative social networks provide more bang for the buck, with lots of fizz; at least people tend to meet those closer to their ages and tastes (Beyonce and Snoop Dogg anyone?).  I even know of a couple who almost got married simply from having met at Hi5. Mercifully the marriage did not take place – they have never actually seen other, and each has an ulterior motive for the union!

I have heard so much "northern-bashing" (@Muhsin). We have been called all sorts of names – lazy, ignorant, dirty,  illiterate, no-focus, etc. And by fellow northerners. Been there, done that. I have been hearing this for the last 40 years. I am not bothered anymore.  The "Naija" sites may be administered and visited by super-intelligent beings who hold the keys to happiness and prosperity, and issue free One Terrabtye iPhones to every one millionth post; as far as I am concerned, they can all shove it. I have been to the sites. Shallow, inward looking, guttersnipe, trailer-trash kind of mentality. Thanks, but no thanks. They are good if you want to improve on your pidgin English, reduce your IQ and acquire more "northern-bashing" cudgels. More talk about corruption, Niger Delta, "northern fanatics and fundamentalists",  etc etc. Talking loud and saying nothing, really. But then that's the beauty of diversity and choice. As Salisu said, people are free to pick and mix (Woolworth's anyone?) their choices. Some sites have it all, others have none. The choice is yours.  Incidentally, there are other Arewa-theme sites (e.g. ArewaOnline); so it is not as if KanoOnline is the only one.

Probably part of the "death knell" of the site is the issue of the Get Together. This has evoked so much debate this time – and less than the usual animated responses, such that it makes quite a few people sad (annoyed?).  The lack of response, in my view, was not because of lack of interest, but simply pre-occupation. Dan Borno, a prime mover, was away on the Hajj. Salisu and I can't do much because we are simple spectators, rather than prime movers.

However, based on my experience  with Yahoo! Groups, the very act of an online community getting together is itself an anomaly. Online communities work precisely because they are invisible. That is in fact why many onliners refuse to identify their real names, or post their actual pictures – giving themselves readily available handles and avatars. The spatial nature of the locations of various members makes it difficult to decide on a central location for meetings. In the Yahoo! Groups we came up with the idea of "local chapters", especially when members from Katsina insisted that one of the Sallah meetings should be held in Katsina. We thought that was good – but who'd take care of the logistics both in Katsina and from where people are coming from. The online communities are not prescription-based communities, so there are no "annual dues" or membership fees; thus no petty cash to do these kinds of things. So a local chapter is the best way for people within the same locality to get together, identify each other and form sharing networks at the local level. The Gizago Club of Aminiya newspaper (Kano, Nigeria) is an excellent example of this. The club started as a satire in the center pages of the newspaper – and within two years had developed a vast network of state-based clusters that meet every now and then and discuss issues of common interest. So it can be done, and has indeed been done; but at a different strategy level.

Thus meetings at level being suggested require an enormous amount of time (and resources) and I applaud those who take it upon themselves to organize such.

KanoOnline is a home to many people. Many others also benefit from its existence. We will therefore keep it going for as long as it is possible.  To be frank, we discussed recently the possibility of closing the Board down and going back to the original website as a depository with PDF links to various (possibly boring) papers on Kano and cultural ethnography. This is not because of what people say, but because of the daily grind involved in maintaining the site, as well as trying to keep the body and soul together. After many hours of discussion, we decided to continue as we are. We hope that people understand and appreciate that we cannot force them to be "lively" if they have other places to be more lively. We are not competing with those places – the Naija sites, Facebook sites, etc – for each of us has something to offer, and the combination of variety makes your life easier.  We don't want to project an image of dour sourpusses; but at the same time we welcome suggestions on how to improve things – remembering that this is YOUR forum, not ours.

If you have skimmed the posting to read this last bit, apologies for the long post – but please go back to the beginning and read it, as it explains so much!

Thank you for your understanding.

Abdalla

Thank you Prof. You've said it all. Let the matter rest ;D

@Muhsin

No one is criticizing you. You raised an issue, and expressed your opinion. Others also did the same. Not going along with everything you said does not mean criticizing you. It means there are other ways of looking at what we're looking at. Imagine what the world would look like if we are all the same; for as Allah (SWT) said in Al-Hujurat, 13:

O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).

We are therefore celebrating diversity and choices -- a spritual injunction. You have not offended anyone for you have every right to your opinion. As a marathon poster, you should by now be used to people disagreeing, or at least providing an alternative to your views!

@Dave: the forum will not be closed, insha Allah. We do encourage people to be active in topics they feel strongly about, and if needed we can open daughter-boards to accommodate any other thread not currently provided.

Abdalla

@Admin,

Don't close the site. We still cherish staying here.

@all,

Muhsin deserves no vituperation of any kind but recommendation of all kind. I witnessed: the site was next to a cemetery before he posted this thread. But look at how members, new and old are making posts now. He breathed the site back to life.

@Muhsin,

I know that must anger you. Please do not take heart.

Salam,

Professor, I very well understand your point. And I think am so much use to peoples' disagreeing. Yours is even cogent while the ones I constantly face is mostly baseless and pure nonsense. Yet there is reason for everything; my reaction that way has one.

Actually I had never imagined this OP would be that hyped. For instance Admin keenly and promptly made numerous replies and then yours—a lengthy one. I opened the thread using a laptop, thus I saved the page; read and re-read those replies. I couldn't help surprising. And more baffling when I opened my inbox and saw Admin's message asking: should K-Online be closed or not (with a link to this thread!)? I remember that this same message has been sent to all K-online members? I said my God!

In fact I might have approached the whole thing wrongly but deep down inside me, am telling you and the rest of K-online community, the intention I hold is good. What is my benefit if I bad-mouth north or this board as microcosm? What will I get if this board is shut down? How can I dare saying anything bad here, where I am known, even my parents are, probably? Where I am no more than a son to many and they do know? I can go on and on.


@Goodfella,

I don't; and won't.  :) Thanks

Oh my  :o
Abun yayi zafi haka har admin yayi considering rufe site din?

Muhsin wai whats the meaning of OP you keep writing in your posts?

I think it sounds very very somehow to start thinking of closing the site because one person or the other is complaining of a decline in comments.

Quote from: gogannaka on January 07, 2010, 05:26:38 PM
Oh my  :o
Abun yayi zafi haka har admin yayi considering rufe site din?

Haven't you received the message? Check-up your inbox.

Quote
Muhsin wai whats the meaning of OP you keep writing in your posts?

Observation Post (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/OP). Click on the dictionary.

QuoteI think it sounds very very somehow to start thinking of closing the site because one person or the other is complaining of a decline in comments.

Tell me. That's why I must be "frightened". Do you see my fault?

Members,

When the topic says 'THE "DEATH" OF K-ONLINE:' that means that it has died and to me, all that needs to be done when something is dead, is just to bury it... in this case shut it down!!!

We also have to accept that just as things have beginning, so must they also have an end. If the time has come for it end, then we must accept that, shut it down and move on to other things...

Admin,

But the author put the word DEATH in inverted commas, right?

Salaam everyone.
Finally found my feet on the ground. I have been in limbo for so long. So whats this death thing everyone is hyperventilating about? Oh and Prof Abdallah VERY NICE POST. I read all of it. I must beg to differ though that u are definitely not the shy silent type! My jaw dropped to the floor when I came across that ahem modest description of yr erstwhile self.



PS I must must must see u.  ;D ;D ;D. Where is yr office in the dept of history and y arent u the dvc?

In the name of Allah I am volunteering to accept any
responsibility on the administration of the website
but not 24/7 as dan arewa a london says, something
i can be able to do as my work involves staying most
of the time online, SO HELP ME GOD.

some one say AMEN pls.

Quote from: Muhsin on January 07, 2010, 06:03:54 PM
Admin,

But the author put the word DEATH in inverted commas, right?

It does not matter because what everybody will come out with this topic is just that... When the topic says 'THE "DEATH" OF K-ONLINE:' that means that it has died and to me, all that needs to be done when something is dead, is just to bury it... in this case shut it down!!!

Just like what Bakan~Gizo said in another thread

Quote from: Bakan~Gizo on January 05, 2010, 06:11:01 PM
the pronouncement of this site as "dead". Again, I agree that the forum is not as lively as we would all want it to be, but GTG is not a criteria to qualify a forum as either dead or alive.

What are your reason(s) for the pronouncement that the KanoOnline website is "Dead" and what qualifies or signifies a website is "Dead" or Not?

@Husna
What on earth would take me to History Department (beside browsing late Phil Shea collection)? Have you forgotten that I am a Scientist (Biologist/Physiologist) Also have you forgotten where you took your Subsidiary classes in 1981 -- when a young Graduate Assistant took the class? And you, just fresh back from Pestalozzi and sassy with it too!

Me DVC? I'd rather have DVDs. They are more fun. I am struggling to download Avatar now -- brilliant film. Nah, I am too shy to hold public office! I am a writer, son of a writer, and father of a writer, brother to a writer! I am happier the way I am -- without the administrative baggage and wahala. I don't even attend Senate Meetings. Too boring by half! BUK has more than 80 native professors (soon you'll be the first Hausa Female Professor of Geography, too!) -- so there is a lot of choice for all sorts of posts; I am contented to be a nobody.

My office is No 2, CBN Block. The office block has no label, and it was unoccupied before you left to eat Seaweed and Shushi for all these years. They pretentiously call it "Professorial Office Block". Near the main library. I am waiting to hear all the latest!

Abdalla

Hehehehe, Muhsin! You really need to take a chill pill. Take am easy! You don't have to take every little thing so seriously.

First of all, Kanoonline is a social forum, and like many of it's kind, seasons come and seasons go! Online communities are like fads and

fashion trends. None of them are immortal. Even your precious Nairaland used to be a lot livelier when it first started than it is now. Let's

go back 8 years ago when MSN was all the rage, then Kanoonline, then Hi5, then Facebook and now Twitter! And who knows? A new site will

spring up tomorrow and everyone will hop on the bandwagon and move on. It's just a fact of our virtual community lives and there's not

much we can do about that. Instead of whining about the site being dead why not try to revive it? Why come on the board to complain that

the site is dead when you can start up fresh new topics to make people want to read and reply?

Also, I noticed since you became an active poster on Nairaland, your view on northerners has become totally warped! It's almost as if we

can never be of acclaim to you, you've given up hope on anything good about us and you've become a pessimist. Read your "Last posts"

history and you can almost see an evolution in your opinions. Hey, I'm not here to criticize you and your choices, I'm just saying Nairaland

and Kanoonline are 2 separate entities with extremely different audiences. So expecting Kanoonline to pan out exactly like Nairaland is

unreasonable and you just have to relax with the whole "Northerners can't do squat" mentality because honestly, it's getting annoying.

@Admin,


I felt at more ease when I read your above reply; candidness and sincerity are the two major qualities I admire most in human beings. Thanks to Allah for given you both.

I will try, to the best of my ability and knowledge, and answer your question and other challenges. Here we go. . .

A response to the case you came up with is threefold:

1-The issue of inverted commas:

In any formal writing, quotation marks are used on a word to tell readers that that word is used figuratively. Considering this fact, alone, I am free from any accusation.

2-Does the content of my write-up say otherwise?

Very much rightly, the content of my OP does not say anything like the forum is dead; it rather clearly says the forum is dying. It even goes ahead suggesting that the "death" is preventable if members and administrators can make so and so effort.

3-How I conclude (that) the forum is "dead"?

Online forum is indisputably popularly designated a "community", right? As an English language leaner, the meaning of a community I know says it's a group of people who live in the same area, or the area in which they live. Either way, community involves a number of people living together; or the place they live. Thence, can a community be called a community if it happens there are no people living in that place? I wholly suppose the answer is NO. What then is the name of that deserted area, the once living locality of the people? DEAD!

KanoOnline had been quintessentially a community (an online one) where people, in short words, live. Suddenly enough everyone disappeared. Please am I wrong if I term that community (i.e. KanoOlnine) "dead"?
   
Please correct me, Mal. Salisu and/or any great K-Online member if I am wrong. Thanks

Quote from: Fateez on January 08, 2010, 08:12:12 AM
Hehehehe, Muhsin! You really need to take a chill pill. Take am easy! You don't have to take every little thing so seriously.

First of all, Kanoonline is a social forum, and like many of it's kind, seasons come and seasons go! Online communities are like fads and

fashion trends. None of them are immortal. Even your precious Nairaland used to be a lot livelier when it first started than it is now. Let's

go back 8 years ago when MSN was all the rage, then Kanoonline, then Hi5, then Facebook and now Twitter! And who knows? A new site will

spring up tomorrow and everyone will hop on the bandwagon and move on. It's just a fact of our virtual community lives and there's not

much we can do about that. Instead of whining about the site being dead why not try to revive it? Why come on the board to complain that

the site is dead when you can start up fresh new topics to make people want to read and reply?

Also, I noticed since you became an active poster on Nairaland, your view on northerners has become totally warped! It's almost as if we

can never be of acclaim to you, you've given up hope on anything good about us and you've become a pessimist. Read your "Last posts"

history and you can almost see an evolution in your opinions. Hey, I'm not here to criticize you and your choices, I'm just saying Nairaland

and Kanoonline are 2 separate entities with extremely different audiences. So expecting Kanoonline to pan out exactly like Nairaland is

unreasonable and you just have to relax with the whole "Northerners can't do squat" mentality because honestly, it's getting annoying.

You aren't fair to me, Fateez. Wallahi you are NOT!

Many of you are living witness that I stomach coming here when everybody deserted it (where is DB to testify for me). I created a number of threads and made numerous replies. . .go see them. I kept inviting my friends; kept ignoring invitations from many so-called Northern groups on facebook and in reply I tell them to come up here and join. This is our place while fb is not ours and can't be ours. Ask Tanko Yakasai and Tijjani Muhammad Musa or some groups I couldn't ignore.

And as I say, I may have wrong methodology in approaching the whole thing; but if you do me some favor, read and re-read the OP and my responses to admin and members, regarding this Northern "bashing" stuff, the story is contrary to how you "showcase" it. More-over, go again and dig in my postings on nairaland; am a good ambassador of the North.

There is no where, again, in my OP where I mention that KanOnline should be like Nairaland. I, in particular, will be the first person to oppose that idea even if comes to Admin's thought. Nairaland is filthy, while KanoOnline is pure; and so I hope it'll remain till eternity. What I rather know I said (and you can go back and read it--I don't modify any of them) is: this board should emulate some measures taken by NL to encourage people be more active, the forum more kicking and other stuff.

Any way, as you suggested: I'll soon take it easy by inshaAllah leaving K-online. This will be better for me. Get lots of thing to do much more worthy than "sticking" in here. My life is at its "developmental" stage. I hope I am not yet who me I.

But before then, I have one request to all members: please forgive me if I wrong you. To err is human. And humans are fallible. I like you all.

Muhsin

Quote from: HUSNAA on January 07, 2010, 06:18:43 PM
Salaam everyone.
Finally found my feet on the ground. I have been in limbo for so long. So whats this death thing everyone is hyperventilating about? Oh and Prof Abdallah VERY NICE POST. I read all of it. I must beg to differ though that u are definitely not the shy silent type! My jaw dropped to the floor when I came across that ahem modest description of yr erstwhile self.



PS I must must must see u.  ;D ;D ;D. Where is yr office in the dept of history and y arent u the dvc?

W/salam,

Welcome back,i guess you were part of the probable culprits,lol.

@ Muhsin haba kada ka bani kunya mana.

Shikenan idan an yi disagreeing da kai ko kuma an fadi contrary opinion to yours sai kayi quitting?

Quote from: gogannaka on January 08, 2010, 11:39:42 AM
@ Muhsin haba kada ka bani kunya mana.

Shikenan idan an yi disagreeing da kai ko kuma an fadi contrary opinion to yours sai kayi quitting?

GGNK,

You should be more understanding than that. I have been aboard KanoOnline for nearly four good years; ask yourself: is it the only time or instance Muhsin's opinion is disagreed or criticized? Why did he say he was quiting this time around? Very much likely there is something peculiar to this one, and thus let me scrutinize. GGNK, only good scrutiny and careful appraisal could "uncover" where the actual problem lies.

Let me give you a tip: please, do you think I initiated this OP to ridicule, mock or dent Arewa or KanoOnline? If yes where and how; and if no why am I that misunderstood, miscalculated and misinterpreted; and to some extent even "threatened"? Wallahi looking at this scenario from this angle will reveal to you that I have every reason to react the way I do and want to do.

GGNK, I certainly know you know it: I just love this board. It's not the first I subscribed and it's not the last. And it's not the forum I enjoyed most, for it can't be especially because my identity is known to almost all, and I do know of others. Yet it remains the one I love most! But I can get off it; I live even in the absence of my dear Mom, may Allah grant her soul an eternal peace.

Hmm. The decision is not yet taken, actually about to. But inshaAllah it's gonna be within 24hours. I pray whichever decision I decide upon will be better for me and for my life. Cheerio!

Muhsin it wont be a good idea to leave because of the unfolding events.
I have read times without numbers at the posts made and i haven't seen where you were threatened or even critisized seriously.
Fateez's post might be offensive to you but really,Nairaland will not help your optimism especially regarding the progress of the north. If you remember i have said it to you once before that you are becomming 'pessimistic' (remember).
All in all you should know that bowing out when you are critisized or disagreed with will only portray you as an immature adult that cannot stand the heat of a debate.

In my post,just after your last post, i pointed out that this is one of the likely causes some members don't post on the forum.The fear of being critisized.

So Muhsin rayuwa haka take,ni naji dadi da ka fadi abun da ke zuciyar ka,at least we got a valid and effective response from admin and prof. Na ga Husnaa ma ta jiyo kamshin abun da ke faruwa ta leko.

On a lighter note,i think English din da kake koya ya zamna daram fa,na ga har da wata lacca akan su comma ne,apostrophe,exclamation mark,inverted comma's da sauran su.....brigter grammar dai.....lol

GGNK,

I read your response. Give me some time to reason your words. And, I'll reconsider my intention. Thanks

Quote from: Muhsin on January 08, 2010, 10:10:57 AM
You aren't fair to me, Fateez. Wallahi you are NOT!

Any way, as you suggested: I'll soon take it easy by inshaAllah leaving K-online. This will be better for me. Get lots of thing to do much more worthy than "sticking" in here. My life is at its "developmental" stage. I hope I am not yet who me I.

But before then, I have one request to all members: please forgive me if I wrong you. To err is human. And humans are fallible. I like you all.

Muhsin

Hmmm, maybe I was a little harsh on you Muhsin, but these things need to be said. You need to stop taking these things too seriously. Ordinary

reply now you have decided to leave Kanoonline forever? Boy, you sure won't hold up in my home! Za mu sa ka kuka kullum kenan :P. You can

stomach Nairaland replies kuma I'm 100% sure our replies are a lot less harsh than theirs, so kini big deal? If people want to post, let them post.

If people don't want to post, then it's their choice. If you chose to leave the forum, it is also your choice and whether or not Kanoonline members

hound you about it, you will leave, correct?

People have different reasons for not being as active as they used to be on this site. I joined KanoOnline 6 years ago and since then, a plethora of

people have come and gone and seeing as this is a voluntary online community and not a boot camp, I don't see why they need to justify

their absence to anyone. Maybe its as simple as "people are just very busy in their personal lives". It shouldn't be a reflection on the entire

northern Nigeria, that's just a sloppy generalisation (A habit of Nairaland).

Maybe people are reacting this way to your post because you have opened a can of worms with this topic. Like Gogannaka, I had noticed your

pessimism about northerners a long time ago, just haven't had the opportunity to point it out until you described us as "inherently dispassionate"

people. How can we not react?

Also, just like Dan Borno mentioned to you earlier, learn to stop referring to yourself as inferior to everyone else! It'll only make it easy for

people to walk all over you. Who cares if everyone else has PhDs or MScs? You are an adult and you should be able to have opinions and stand by

them regardless of what qualifications you have or how old you are. Ironically, if what you posted here http://kanoonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=3489.msg45230;topicseen#msg45230 (http://kanoonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=3489.msg45230;topicseen#msg45230)

is true, then you are older than me by at least 2 - 4 years! ??? :-\  :-\  ??? You don't see me or any other member(s) that may be younger than

you hiding behind our ages or putting ourselves down. That's what online fora are about. You should feel free to express yourself. No one should

care whether you are young, old, drop-dead-gorgeous or even a superhuman life form! (Remember Tsumburbura? :P).

Assalamu alaikum,
Yayi kyau... KNline is alive NOT dead, QED. Let us make it more lively.

Quote from: Muhsin on January 08, 2010, 10:10:57 AM
where is DB to testify for me.

my lord, my names are DAN-BORNO,  spelt as Dee A EN
Dash Bee O AR EN O and I stand before you to defend my
innocent client who has been serving his online community
diligently and with all his strength for the past five (5) years.

my lord, with reference to section 8 of the kanoonline decree
as amended by the ruling dictators, it clearly states that "citizen
of this community who have served for more than 3 (uninterrupted)
years should enjoy full immunity and any utterences they make
in the cause of their services be it incriminating or otherwise
should not be used against them........."

my lord, my client has been a good citizen of this community,
he has received so many prestigeous awards including the
highest meritorious award in 2007 "CHOKALIN KANOONLINE"
and "YARON AUNTY" award in 2008 for his great service to
this community.  in recent time, he was awarded by the federation
of the online community as "DAN MADAMIN FORUM".

without wasting much time, i am appealing to my lord to as a matter
of justice, equity and fairness drop all charges against my
client and demand a lengthy written apology from Abdalla and Admin
in addition to organizing a very powerful Goge Musical Night with
Kidan Barmani Mai Choge to my innocent client.

i rest my case hoping justice will be done to my innocent client.

I,am late. All that have to be said have been said.

I guess the point of both parties have been made.

So let's carry on and think positively.

Remember negative thoughts and speech trasmit negative signals.

Quote from: Abdalla on January 08, 2010, 12:13:25 AM
@Husna
What on earth would take me to History Department (beside browsing late Phil Shea collection)? Have you forgotten that I am a Scientist (Biologist/Physiologist) Also have you forgotten where you took your Subsidiary classes in 1981 -- when a young Graduate Assistant took the class? And you, just fresh back from Pestalozzi and sassy with it too!

Me DVC? I'd rather have DVDs. They are more fun. I am struggling to download Avatar now -- brilliant film. Nah, I am too shy to hold public office! I am a writer, son of a writer, and father of a writer, brother to a writer! I am happier the way I am -- without the administrative baggage and wahala. I don't even attend Senate Meetings. Too boring by half! BUK has more than 80 native professors (soon you'll be the first Hausa Female Professor of Geography, too!) -- so there is a lot of choice for all sorts of posts; I am contented to be a nobody.

My office is No 2, CBN Block. The office block has no label, and it was unoccupied before you left to eat Seaweed and Shushi for all these years. They pretentiously call it "Professorial Office Block". Near the main library. I am waiting to hear all the latest!

Abdalla

Lol Prof u are getting a bit fuddled. Duk ilimin ne haka? (as my son would say ;D ;D ;D ;D). In 1981  I was still living in Pestalozzi, East Sussex and u were still an under grad. The subsidiary classes were in 84, part one at BUK ko? Yeah I guess I was sassy then, u rubbed me up the wrong way with yr over brimming confidence!!!! hahahahahaha.
I must have unreliably heard that u'd left fac of edu for fac of arts and islamic studies (that is where the history dept is ko?), so its more dept of Hausa rather than History?

GGNK,
thanks for the warm welcome. The silence is deafening I can tell u. The temperature in the forum is colder than what obtains in the northern hemisphere at the moment. The only embers of warmth seemed to be emanating from yr hearth. Prof Abdallah dama shi he lives in a furnace anyway so he doesnt count much ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D hahahahahahahahaha

@Husna

Me, befuddled? At only 53.9 yrs? C'mon, still got more kick in me. Now it seems to me you were the one befuddled. Hehehe. I graduated in 1979, did my NYSC, and then started working in BUK as a full-fledged duckling on 16th August 1980. Off to blighty 1981-1983 for the MA-- and actually tried to contact you! So I was taken aback when you popped into the class in 1984 (what a year!, and you are right about that part), with huge glasses, and bigger attitude! Ah, how the years fly, eh? Soon it'd be wam milk and hot water bottles, and no more giving it the old bop at the jukebox!

I can more reliably tell you I am in Department of Mass Communications, in the Faculty of SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES (would you believe?) as a part-time lecturer. I have applied for a formal transfer to Mass Comm from the Department of Science and Technical Education, but the University is yet to approve. So right now I am flitting between the two Departments.

Waiting for you Tuesday for abit of chinwag and updates, now that you know the office!

Abdalla

Thank you everybody for your posts.

Muhsin shouldn't find it anything worth telling that he's been nominated a poster of the year by any forum whether K-Online or any other forum. This is just an internet. Anything internet shouldn't give one any feeling of self importance for it is very virtual.

I have joined K-Online in 2002 while barely a teenager. I must confess that after 9 years today, I feel different only in what I have learnt from the many debates we held here. The bridges I have built and the ones I have painfully crushed.

Every thing is time related. I know as we continue to become more individualistic, the time I spend on the net is bound to keep increasing and as such I am not likely to leave any forum I ever joined. It may take me some time before I make a post or a reply anywhere. That depends actually on my convenience and choice.

I have come to realize that there's nothing that is too serious in life.

Waziri

Quote from: _Waziri_ on January 13, 2010, 11:20:39 AM

Muhsin shouldn't find it anything worth telling that he's been nominated a poster of the year by any forum whether K-Online or any other forum. This is just an internet. Anything internet shouldn't give one any feeling of self importance for it is very virtual.

Self importance? My foot!

You really don't understand the whole thing, Waziri; and thats obvious.

There is nothing more worth saying than that, for it's suggesting the way other fora are trying in making their boards livelier, more active and worth visiting place. And thats all I wanted K-Online to be. Re-read the OP thoroghly.

Cheers.

Quote from: Muhsin on January 08, 2010, 10:10:57 AM
Any way, as you suggested: I'll soon take it easy by inshaAllah leaving K-online. This will be better for me. Get lots of thing to do much more worthy than "sticking" in here. My life is at its "developmental" stage. I hope I am not yet who me I.

But before then, I have one request to all members: please forgive me if I wrong you. To err is human. And humans are fallible. I like you all.

Muhsin

That really got me laughing ;D Haba mallam muhsin. Now u are behaving like a spoilt kid. Fateez's post may sound harsh to you, but she spoke the truth. Problem is you take things too serious here. Just take am easy. This is nothing but an internet forum.

Quote from: Bakan~Gizo on January 13, 2010, 01:34:29 PM

Quote from: Muhsin on January 08, 2010, 10:10:57 AM
Any way, as you suggested: I'll soon take it easy by inshaAllah leaving K-online. This will be better for me. Get lots of thing to do much more worthy than "sticking" in here. My life is at its "developmental" stage. I hope I am not yet who me I.

But before then, I have one request to all members: please forgive me if I wrong you. To err is human. And humans are fallible. I like you all.

Muhsin

That really got me laughing ;D Haba mallam muhsin. Now u are behaving like a spoilt kid. Fateez's post may sound harsh to you, but she spoke the truth. Problem is you take things too serious here. Just take am easy. This is nothing but an internet forum.

Haba Mallam Bakan~Gizo, you too had me grinning. You are just "fascinated" by her posts. But they hold no water, whatsoever. They are heap of rubbish; and full of contradictions and false accusations. I can prove that to you or anyone interested.

BTW, I want any K-Online member to frankly state where he/she thinks I am wrong, and why/how?

And thanks to those who met, called and sent me message regarding my decision. I am so sorry to tell you: I haven't yet rescinded it; just come to peep then saw those replies--by Waziri and Bakan~Gizo, and felt necessary to respond.

Quote from: Muhsin on January 13, 2010, 01:46:35 PM
BTW, I want any K-Online member to frankly state where he/she thinks I am wrong, and why/how?

And thanks to those who met, called and sent me message regarding my decision. I am so sorry to tell you: I haven't yet rescinded it; just come to peep then saw those replies--by Waziri and Bakan~Gizo, and felt necessary to respond.

Well. Its your life. Do what u think is best for you. If you feel quitting this forum is best for you, then please go ahead. Case closed.

Quote from: Bakan~Gizo on January 13, 2010, 03:27:15 PM
Well. Its your life. Do what u think is best for you. If you feel quitting this forum is best for you, then please go ahead. Case closed.

It was already closed. You people opened an old wound; and I had to heal it, right?

BTW, ain't saying I'll quit K-Online forever. And I have said it to some interesting elders of this board. But for the meaantime I have to relax, cool down and then re-surface. How'd see?  ;D ;D ;D

Namiji da magana daya aka san shi.

Muhsin ka iya bakin ka kar ka kai da yin magana biyu.

Better stick to the cool temper. The threats are not effective now. Even America has cease from threat

Aslm alykm,

@all,

Its amazing how you all (gogannaka excluded) turned deaf ears and blind eyes to the admin's foolhardiness when he said zai rufe site dinnan because of this thread, sai Muhsin's mentioning zai yi quitting. Gauge the two; which one outweighs which?

@Muhsin

I second to the opinion that you take things too serious. Please lessen it to the controllable degree.

Quote from: IBB on January 13, 2010, 04:21:46 PM
Namiji da magana daya aka san shi.

Why did you modify the post (this reply) so quickly? Is this a manly act?

Quote from: IBB on January 13, 2010, 04:21:46 PM
Muhsin ka iya bakin ka kar ka kai da yin magana biyu.

Tell me what and what have I said?

Quote from: IBB on January 13, 2010, 04:21:46 PM
Better stick to the cool temper. The threats are not effective now. Even America has cease from threat

Who cares?

BTW, You people are making me laugh (ko yake ne?), wallahi. The great French philosopfer and deep thinker, Jacques Derrida is very correct when he philosophically said: you may write something while your readers will end up "understanding" the direct opposite of what you have written. Again, another philosopher, Roland Bathes prophetically came up with what he called "The Death of the Author", and the birth of the reader. It has just typically happened here.

I, Muhsin, the author of this OP have no more "authority" over its meaning. Every K-Onliner is more than free to say all he/she thinks is the right interpretation of his reading--a supposed meaning he/she arrived at. I no more care what you say.

And, I inshaAllah, leave KanoOnline for the meantime. DB, Nura Jibo and GGNK, don't mind my "naivety"; I'll soon come back more matured, more fierce, more determined and  more impolite.

Courtesies,
Honestly speaking I did not intend to say a word over this issue. Becuase it appears that many interest grps have personal affliations to defend their friends and capitalize on trivilities just to play to the gallery.

I am highly astonished by Prof Abdallah's statement who stated thus:
"I decided to come in to help poor embattled Salisu who seems to be facing fire from all fronts!"

I am wondering who and who are at "wrestlemania" with the webmaster. Sir it is one thing to identify a problem and it takes another thing to solve it. However, if we can at least identify a problem and try to device a means of solving, THAT is half way to its solution, said Bala Usman in 1978.

If I understand Muhsin very well, what he said is very correct. The indolence atttitude with the northerners and the non-chalnt attitudes they exhibit daily, is what is causing Arewa. When you said that you have been hearing or rather listenning to all the northern bashings about Nigeria and Arewa for over 40 yrs now, I feel completely bemused! Hear Prof:

I have heard so much "northern-bashing" (@Muhsin). We have been called all sorts of names – lazy, ignorant, dirty,  illiterate, no-focus, etc. And by fellow northerners. Been there, done that. I have been hearing this for the last 40 years. I am not bothered anymore.  The "Naija" sites may be administered and visited by super-intelligent beings who hold the keys to happiness and prosperity, and issue free One Terrabtye iPhones to every one millionth post; as far as I am concerned, they can all shove it. I have been to the sites. Shallow, inward looking, guttersnipe, trailer-trash kind of mentality. Thanks, but no thanks. They are good if you want to improve on your pidgin English, reduce your IQ and acquire more "northern-bashing" cudgels. More talk about corruption, Niger Delta, "northern fanatics and fundamentalists",  

Actually what Muhsin was clamouring for is more zeal and commmittment to rekindling K-online as a hot zone. He therefore called for a guided and patriotic committment from our leaders-prof inclusive! Andc instead of allowing him to bare his mind, ppl came ranting from all walks f life. What a fight?
MY major problem with Prof's statement and his 40 yrs experience about north's condemnation is: what physical effort has our learned prof put in dealing with such condemnations beside promoting cultural heritage and shakatawa, which most of our religious Malams are generally opposed to. becuase they eventually bread Bid'a, which is gravious to our religious techings and morality.. I always laugh whenever we mention Arewa or NIgeri'as problem to Prof. He wuld try in his usual manner to use all sort of Turanci to say that those are WELL KNOWN Problems. The cardinal question is: what physical or rather pragmatic effort have we put to curtail those problems? You see, presenting papers or gathering ppl to say our minds is one thing, and taking ctional per se is another.
What Muhsin said is nothing other than a clarion call to make us wake-up and stand up aginst our mediocrity not only at k-online, butalso north in its entire and by extension Nigeria.
So Salisu Danyaro an his website  is not even the issue. The issue is: someone owns the SIte and we keep it for him. I beleive Salisu cannot sustain his website alone without writers like our learned Prof, Waziri, EMTL, Gogannaka, Dan barno and co.

What I am trying to get at is: All of us need to sit up and extend that same zeal and commiittmnent we had for  k-online the way it was 9-8 yrs ago. And make it we shall in sha Allah.
Indeed, some of us have the power to mmake it happen, but perhaps due to fear they fail to realise the pwer they have. For instance, our leaned Prof can confidently lead ak-online delegation to Mai Martaba. If of all Prof can edit and present something on Masarautar Kano, what does it take for Allah's sake to lead Jibo, Husnaa, Dan Barno and co to Masarautar Kano with an agenda?


I believe a stitch in time saves nine. The time to act is now or never.

AT MUHSIN:
I urge you to continue with your patriotic mission on north and Nigeria  very seriously. So long as you are committed and guided by patriotic committment, you can achieve it. Yu can make mistkes, but you can as well learn from them if you are genuinely committed.
AT SALISU DANYARO-THE WEBMASTER:
I think it is good to make the registration stuff a bit more flexible to allow more patronage. Nobody is asking you to close the website, becuse it's your own. No! It's not yours, but OURS. We are K-online viz: Jibo, Waziri,Husnaa, Muhsin, MLbash, Tsumburbura, Dankauye, Dan Banza reloaded, Dan Barno and co. And without our efforts K-online would have ben history.
I remain your humble friend and foe JIbo.

@Nuruddeen

These are quite interesting perspectives, although they did not alter our original reactions to Muhsin's posting, or our stand on the site and how it gets to where it did. We'are waiting for The Communist Manifesto Part II from you and other northern bashers -- for without a template, there would be no revolution (ask the Russians and the Chinese). It is quite easy to talk hot air and revolutionary rhetoric. It is one thing to outline the Action Plan for change. So next time someone from the south calls me  "indolent", "miserable", "lifeless", "dispassionate", "uncommitted",  and illiterate in information technology, I'd just grin and say "heard that before -- from my fellow northerners, so ya can't hurt me, dude; I am already hurting".

Thus we are patiently waiting for that template from more "pragmatic" minds not focused on useless conferences on culture or shakatawa (although the Chinese and Russians would probably disagree on this, as they used culture as a cornerstone in their revolutions).

Abdalla

Quote from: Abdalla on January 13, 2010, 11:58:41 PM
@Nuruddeen

These are quite interesting perspectives, although they did not alter our original reactions to Muhsin's posting, or our stand on the site and how it gets to where it did. We'are waiting for The Communist Manifesto Part II from you and other northern bashers -- for without a template, there would be no revolution (ask the Russians and the Chinese). It is quite easy to talk hot air and revolutionary rhetoric. It is one thing to outline the Action Plan for change. So next time someone from the south calls me  "indolent", "miserable", "lifeless", "dispassionate", "uncommitted",  and illiterate in information technology, I'd just grin and say "heard that before -- from my fellow northerners, so ya can't hurt me, dude; I am already hurting".

Thus we are patiently waiting for that template from more "pragmatic" minds not focused on useless conferences on culture or shakatawa (although the Chinese and Russians would probably disagree on this, as they used culture as a cornerstone in their revolutions).

Abdalla

Sir, your reactions noted. However, I did not  in any way stated in my comment that you present "useless" conference papers. What I said is: we need to go beyond the banal and be a bit more energetic, able and doing. We need to wake-up and do something much more reasonable. My bone of contention is: what good is writing on an issue if one cannot systematically act and produce something practical out of it? What good , for example, of adressing an issue of Bazawari/Bazawara by Husnaa, Jibo, Dan Barno, EMTL, Salisu Dan Yaro and co if they cannot bring their issue into practical benefit and "fruition" to the affected groups? Is it just to come and discuss and go? We have been writing on issues, perspectives and all sorts of things affecting our lives. But the cardinal question is: How many times, for instance does our influential Prof cared to ask us to converge or give him our proposal to at least showcase it to the people in government that most of them are or were his contemporaries? Sir, ba wai muzo bane muyi ta labari fa shi ne wai za'a canza. A'a. Ina ga our "hot air jargons" need to be merged with "actionable per se".

Of course the culture you are talking about by Chinese or whoever, is quite "interesting", especially when there is enabling environment. Ai sai an sami maslaha ne na takura da kuncin rayuwa da halin matsi  da mutane suke ciki sannan za'a yi tunanin nishadi da shakatawa ko?
Kuma ma idan muka dauki ma'anar gargajiya da shakatawa ta lamutta'alim ai addinin mu ya sa mana shamaki. Domin rayuwar mu gaba daya ta ta'allaka akan sa. Kuma Allah in His infinite mercy told us in Sura-al Baqra that : Ya ayyuhal lazina amanudkulu fissilmi kaffatan. Wala tattabi'u kuduwatishshaytan. Innahu lakum aduwwum mubin. Idan muka dauki ma'anar wannan Aya ta fuskar lugga ai kaga Al'ada da Gargajiya basu da muhalli. Saboda addinin mu bai lamunta ba. Idan zamuyi musulunci kawai mu shiga gaba daya ba wani noke noke ko dabara ko kuma bin ra'ayi. Wannan shi ne dalilin da Allah ya ja mana kunne domin kar mubi hudubar shaytan la'ananne.

Anyway, this is just  by  the way sir. However, the truth is: So long as we will keep going the way we are, I am afraid we will continue to be consumed by our actions, inactions and karmic retributions as a community.  Our exhibit of sheer cowardice on certain things in the North, is what is caausing Arewa and her people. Kuma sir kai ka fini sanin cewa Shata yayi wannan bayani tun da dadewa cewar : Matsoraci baya zama Gwani ko wanene kuma ko Dan wa" . Can gaba sai yace Allah kau! Saboda ya nuna bacin ransa da sakon da yake so ya isar.

Saboda haka mu 'yan Arewa gashi an sami matsaloli da yawa amma yadda za'ayi shi ne aiki. Wai inji 'yan magana da sukace matsalar Arewa da Nigeriya kamar Dambu ne bayajin Mai. Kaka tsara kaka. Lol!!!!

Nuruddeen,

A part from writing culturally biased papers which are very necessary for societal rejuvenation, Prof also did many things in the name of helping Arewa. He even tried to help us set up an NGO in the name of K-Online. He suspended his activities took us to lunch and engaged us in a discussion that can help us develop a firm background for the proposed NGO. He even produced a copy of a document or helped you produced it? Then the document got lost in my hand and we were not having a copy of it. Then we didn't try to contact him again about the issue which I am sure if we did he wouldn't have been tired to suspend his activities, buy us lunch again and re-discuss the matter with us.

Remember, in 2004 we gave Prof. a very short notice and despite that he came to Zaria and presented a paper during our conference on Northern Nigerian issues. Also and for me Mal. Salisu Danyaro has always been ready to help on issues even those that are purely professional.

Nura, it is possible it is not Prof. who is failing but ourselves. If there's a problem anywhere, then I guess it may be with us first before others. Or possibly  the problem may be a system problem. May be they are all other factors as Prof. is saying.

Anyway, if you have a practical way of making K-Online lively apart from giving awards for the poster of the year as suggested by Muhsin, you can present us with one. I am confident Prof. and Mal. Salisu presently love nothing more than that.

Waziri

@Nuruddeen


I enjoy the debate – but try to stick to the point. The point, in case you have forgotten, is that Muhsin describes this forum as "miserable" and "lifeless" (his words). In explaining further, he accuses northerners (not just the owners of the forum – which includes the posters) of being "dispassionate" about anything they do. Instead of sticking to the arguments about whether he is right or not, you shifted to general, and I would say anarchic condemnation of northern Nigeria.

In my dictionary (Merriam-Webster's 11th Collegiate Dictionary), "banal" translates as: "lacking originality, freshness, or novelty". In other words, useless. I doubt very much if you have read more than 1% of the banal papers I have written since 1985. I doubt very much if you have read the country reports I have written for World Bank, Unicef, USAID, DFID and the Kano State Government – banal reports that were dovetailed into Nigerian cultural and educational policies over the years. I think it'd be pointless to draw attention to banal meetings I had attended across the globe aimed at finding solutions to real-life problems affecting our youth. I doubt very much if you have read the banal rubbish we discussed at Arewa House on Education in Northern Nigeria, and how northern governments are quietly implementing the recommendations of the committees on this. I doubt if you have seen the syllabi produced for  Almajirai  in Arewa House, or the experimental Tsangayu that emerged out of these syllabi. I could go on, but it would only further expose your desire to see the black, rather than the white or even the gray. A typical nihilist strategy.

It is good to be an armchair critic. You are safe. You don't have to do anything. For instance, you lambast others for discussing Zawarawa, but they did nothing. What do  you want them to do? Marry every single Bazawara? How many have you married yourself to demonstrate your concern for their welfare? In short, enlighten us on the specific strategies YOU have taken to "move north forward". Maybe we are not on the same page – so bring us back to your page of enlightenment and insight. In any battles, there are generals who strategize and foot soldiers who implement. Just as we can't all be generals, neither can we all be foot soldiers. You are welcome to belong to where ever you want to be – but it is your choice; don't force it on other, for you do not hold the keys to Enlightenment.

You can only accuse other people of being useless, banal, and trite – if you have passed these labels yourself; in which case then you are judging from high moral ground. Why would you expect someone to lead the way – what is preventing YOU from taking the lead? Why are you waiting for me to call you (plural) so that you can give me ideas to give to the people you believe are my contemporaries? Why don't you give it to them YOURSELF? In short, what is your prescription for the diagnosis? Am I right in deducting that you have been trying to pass on your ideas of great social revolution – and you have been rejected, and that is why you are now annoyed at everyone? Just like Muhsin is annoyed because no one seems to be giving him accolades on this forum (no praises, no awards for being the most prolific poster – else why draw our attention to the fact that Naijerians have given him an award, so they are more lively, etc).

Now is the time to outline an implementation plan according to Nuruddeen – for instance, close all universities because they churn out useless research, make the minimum wage in northern states ten thousand dollars a month, give every individual a free laptop to be changed every three weeks plus a generator and gasoline allowance for it, kill any husband who divorces his wife, or kill any wife whose husband dies (e.g. bury them together; violent, but what you could see as a more pragmatic solution to zawarawa – they did that in ancient Egypt, and parts of modern India,  you know). As I said, it is easy to point accusing fingers at useless intellectuals that have not developed the north (forgetting that the north of NOW is different from the north of the year we were all born).  You presented the same accusations at our last Get Together at Alliance Francais in Kano – and we asked you the SAME questions which you did not answer: what is the actionable plan in terms of specific changes of behavior? Who will be responsible for this action plan? Who agrees to the action plan? What consultation exists to ensure equity? And finally, what gives you the moral right to impose your vision on others? Or have you been appointed a new visionary?

I think you are passing through a Visionary Phase of your life – for suddenly, you invoke Islam to justify your actions. You are not the first. There are other, far more erudite, who have tried to use Islam to project their narrow understanding of both Islam and the world. This is not the forum for such discussion – nor do I engage in such discussions, otherwise it'd have been quite interesting to go into that arena. But briefly, there is nowhere in Islam that says you should dissolve your traditional identity. Islam prohibits any behavior that clashes with fundamentals of faith – and these fundamentals are well known. What Islam abhors is mixing Un-Islamic traditional identities with Islamic faith. If you chose not to engage in any "gargajiya", that is your choice, but don't force it on others, and claim a Messianic role, for you are not mandated. Oh, and by the way, if you are cutting and pasting from an online source, you need to ensure you do it right. Your pedantic quotation of Ayat 208 of Al-Baqara, you  wrote:

Ya ayyuhal lazina amanudkulu fissilmi kaffatan. Wala tattabi'u kuduwatishshaytan

This is the proper syntax of the Ayat you quoted:

Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo odkhuloo fee alssilmi kaffatan wala tattabiAAoo khutuwati alshshaytani innahu lakum AAaduwwun mubeenun

The syntax and grammar of your pasting distorts the meaning, which is:

O ye who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow not the footsteps of the evil one; for he is to you an avowed enemy. (Al-Baqara 2:208; Yusuf Ali Translation). http://www.sacred-texts.com/isl/quran/00225.htm (http://www.sacred-texts.com/isl/quran/00225.htm)

Note that Islamic scholars, when quoting from the Qur'an, usually translate (not paraphrase) the Ayat; or in many cases, they provide the direct translations, for they don't need to prove that they know Arabic. So what is devilish about culture and gargajiya in this passage? For some reason – having met me quite late in my evolutionary development – you seem to be relegating me to an entertainment mogul. From your posting, and the sermon, one would assume I run a bar, disco or hotel where we engage in orgies and all night dance parties. Or are we seeing a newer version of Boko Haram?

I do not owe any apologies for what I am or what I have been doing. I believe that in my modest way I have achieved the targets I set out to achieve in my life, and I am quite contented with that. Revolutionizing the society – no matter what meaning you give to revolution – is not a one-person affair. Nor does it mean undertaking violent change. The banal (read, useless) talks, conferences and so on are another route. We are sticking to it.

Abdalla

@ Abdalla

I understand the source of your 'anger'. When I read Nura's post I wanted to draw his attention to the fact that he had somehow derailed from the main issue being discussed here. Going from specifics to generalizations can be dangerous. Most times in our zeal to 'post' a heavy rejoinder, we miss the whole point. We sound verbose, and our arguments by implication become nothing more than mere ramblings.

@Nura

Don Allah a rika tauna magana kafin a aiko ta. We should all learn to take things easy. Like I keep on saying, this is an internet forum. Everyone you see is only here on his/her volition. So you can't force people to be as "serious" as you want. Remember that people do have a "LIFE" outside K-online. You don't even know how most of us squeeze out time to post the little we do here.

Let this matter die. Please.

Quote from: Muhsin on January 13, 2010, 05:56:42 PM
And, I inshaAllah, leave KanoOnline for the meantime. DB, Nura Jibo and GGNK, don't mind my "naivety"; I'll soon come back more matured, more fierce, more determined and  more impolite.

You either quit or not. So quit saying you'll quit.

what have we got here? muhsin kaga abin da ka jawo ko?
however, i like the debate this way, kaga har su legandary
waziri sun fito daga hideout nasu.

it is said that everyone is entitled to his own opinion and by
no means should someone impose his opinion on others.
with much due respect to our able prof and young revolutionary,
this arguments and rantings and use of big grammar aint
going to help us either as an online community or NGO as
rightly highlighted by legandary waziri.

prof. and danyaro are our leaders as well as guide as far as
kanoonline is concern and i dont think any form of pressure
or airing personal view should make you renounce your
position - muna kara yi muku mubaya'a.

and to my young revolutionary, i urge you (as i always did)
to exercise patience and take the rightful cause so as to
avoid coming back to the beginning again.  we feel you and
what you say about arewa is true, however, prof made a good
point during our last get together and i quote his above posting:

".......what is the actionable plan in terms of specific changes of
behavior? Who will be responsible for this action plan? Who agrees
to the action plan? What consultation exists to ensure equity? And
finally, what gives you the moral right to impose your vision on others?
Or have you been appointed a new visionary? (i just appointed
him now by the powers vested on me.

we have long way to go and it is not necessary that we must enjoy
the fruits NOW, it does'nt matter if our grand children enjoyed the
fruits.

it is now or never, lets do it prof, nura and all other members

I love you all and stay blessed.

All said. But I still maintain and reiterate that what Arewa and its so-called leaders or elites are doing is banal and lack precedent and/or locus standi anywhere in the world in terms of urgency for developmental priorities.

AT WAZIRI:

Is not by developing proposal or taking it to our leaders or elders that is important. What is needed is actionable per se. What do you contribute physically? And I got to understand that even the proposal I gave to you to edit, because of your non-chalant attitude or should I say you deliberately misplaced it when I was asking you to kindly look for it and give me so that I submit it to Prof Abdalla. This is not the 1st time. Remember we started a movement together-the confab that you and I came up with the idea, and invited prof abdalla and co to come and help in their own capacity as intellectuals on the way to salvage Arewa. But eventually I had friction with you over the opening of Secretariat at Zaria, where we suggested Samaru, but you selfishly said it must be carried to Zaria city- a place where you come from.
Surprisingly enough, you went away with the names of all the registered persons and their contact so that Nura and Dr. Sanda may not have access. Thinking that it matters to us. Is this not one of those so-called northern bashngs Waziri? You secretely went ahead to contact some of those members that you cornered their addresses thinking that it will matter to us. We allowed you to go with it and salvage Arewa your own way. You even tod me that you carried the documents and kept it at one Bank under lock and key as colleteral. What  a selfish interest?

Honestly, as you see me Waziri I am not a coward and I don't  spare anybody when it comes to matters of national or regional importance. Remember, Governor Turaki it was whom I fought for 8 good yrs and I emerged clean and healthy, because na yarda da Allah.


So wht Muhsin said was right. Ba zaka taba yin wani abin kirki da 'yan Arewa ba sai kaga an sami matsala one way or another.

AT PROF ABDALLAH:

I think if you are  trying to quote me wrong for referring you to a koranic verse that I have for long  sat down before my late teacher and studiously listened to its Tafsir based on ibn Kathir, I think you are  just crying foul. Where does it say I must write it the way you write? it does not matter I must follw the grammatical structure that Prof invented or tried to invent. I must not follow suite provided the readers can read and understand.
Surely, my own argument still remains that: the culture and tradition that you think are promoting based on Barmani Coge Uwaliya mai Amada, Rappacious raps or whatever you may call it are never and will never be in tandem with Islamic teachings. I am sorry to say they do not even have a premise in our religion. But sadly enough you engage yourself severally at British council and other places selling those ideas. That is why I draw your attention to it based on " Ya ayyuhal lazina amanudkulu fissilmi kafftan....Shi Allah ba'ayi masa wayo. Idan zakayi addini kawai kayi shi amma duk abin da zai kawa  wargi  ko wasa akan harkan addini to bashi da wani tasiri. Wannan kenan.


Now let us go back to your effort at salvaging Arewa or Nigeria that you made reference that you doubt very much if I have gone thru most of your writings or whatever.
Sir, for your own information, I was personally at Arewa House where I saw the Director of that centre and collected enough materilas on Almajiranci issue in Northern Nigeria. I wrote to Ibrahim Ado Kurawa and got ample materials that I used for my own research. The way you go and present papers, Jibo equally went and is still going places to present.

I laughed when yu say I perhaps did not care to read your works.
Sir, what of "UTILISING ALMS BEGGAR MINSTRELS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTH", By PROF ABDALLAH? What of the paper I requested you to send to me on Ajami? I know you may have forgotten all these, but they  still ring bell sir.


The educational salvaging papers that you overtly said you have presented and are now secretly implemented by some northern government. Why are they implemented secretely? Why can't they be openly implemented if at all? Which and which state have implemented and what changes have we witnessed so far? If not educational backwardness and decadence that we witnessed daily in  Nigeria, wht have we achieved in curtailing education problems in Nigeria? When the likes of Abdulmutallab and co that were educated free of charge by Nigerian system and cannot pay back? They rather prefer to send their kith and kin abroad to spoil our names. Is this the secret educational engagement that you engaged yourself when you cannot come out and tell your contemporaries how to learn paying back to the Nigerian system?


In fact, this is just by the way sir. But the "matter at issue" is beyond mere paper presentations. I have come this far to tell you that at 21st century sir, we should look beyond our borders by seeing far ahead of papers. We need to be practical, able and doing. I said it and recapitulate sir that : Prof Abdallah at his own capacity as an erudite prof can influence decision by making Kano state government address the issue of Bazawari/ Bazawara that has been trashed here on board. You challenged me that  what attempt have I made in marrying any Bazawara. Its my pleasure to tell you sir that I am yet approched by anyone that said would want to marry Jibo.

Besides, we all have our lives to live, but as it is Allah has provided me with everything that I need at my own level. If any girl, lady or Bazawara is interested in Jibo, I believe the door is open. Only that I am just awaiting  time to pick what Allah Has offered to Jibo.Lol!!! However, as it is Alhamdulillah. Nura is now a self made man. And God Has seen him through all the huddles in life. And they are all history.


Kawai dai matsalar manyan Arewa shi ne idan ka fada musu gaskiya sai ace ai wane bai isa ba. Ko kuma ace wanene ubansa? To ta hakane za'aci gaba? As it is I don't spare anybody provided I am on course and in sha Allah Allah will never let Nura down in his quest to rule Nigeria and deal with all these indolence, mediocrity and unncessary cowardice in our so-called learned elders. Ya hayyu ya kayyumu bi rahmatika astagis.
I remain loyal
Jibo.

I think I agree with Bakan Gizo.  It has moved from a discourse to abuse. I lay it to rest, for I have seen that bubbling under the thin veneer of respect are deep rooted resentments and chasms of inadequacies and paranoia, with tinge of sexual inadequacy. Good heavens, it is only beginning to dawn on me now!

Jibo, you win -- you have defeatd the useless intellectual called Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu, who like all other useless worthless northern intellectuals have no actionable plan to salvage their region, even though that action plan has been written and given to them in triplicate. Anybody who can defeat the powerful Saminu Turaki (and I thought it was the EFCC) must surely be a powerful human being.

I can see the butterflies, the mushrooms and the clouds you are seeing. And the kaleidescope colors. Yes, I can even hear the harps.  Nurse, injections, please, and the straight-jacket.

Abdalla

Salam, KanOnliners

I hope you (plural) will forgive my intrusion, especially my senior, BKGZ who seems most bemused by my assertions that I was quitting this board. I am really sorry.

Well, I was going through something (meaning this OP) very surprising. I can't imagine, in all my imaginary world, how things get to that unwelcome stage. And as recklessly "pointed" DB I am the ONE who cause it all. Ain't the one in actuality. . .oh I forgot my promise. Thus you can say that a zillion and one more times. It's your interpretation of the case in contention. Understand? Thanks

I just logged-in today to answer Prof. Abdallah's "question" when he says:

Quote from: Abdalla on January 14, 2010, 03:38:18 PM
Just like Muhsin is annoyed because no one seems to be giving him accolades on this forum (no praises, no awards for being the most prolific poster – else why draw our attention to the fact that Naijerians have given him an award, so they are more lively, etc).

"Giving" AWARDS to members of such a community is absolutely nothing new; hence I never thought my mentioning that I am given one on another would cause that havoc. I never gave that repercussion a second thought knowing this FACT. And I'll PROVE my claim now.

--I am a member of more than ten forums, and I am an active member of nearly half.

--Muhsin is NOT the most prolific poster on KanoOnline, but GGNK and Auntie are. Take a look at the number of their postings.
       *GGNK has 2970,
       *Husnaa has 2818
       *while young Muhsin 2605.

--Since before I joined this board and after I joined, AWARDS are "given" to its bona fide members. These are links of some of these threads: Kanoonline Top Notches 2004! (http://kanoonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=1319.0)
             Kanoonline Top Notches 2006 (http://kanoonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=2695.0)
            End Of Year Awards (http://kanoonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=2737.0)
            Online top ten members
            Kanoonline top notches
            Leaders of kanoonline
            Kings and Queens of Kanoonline
            etc
--And this board had one AWARD given stuff called KARMA


Is my mentioning a justifiable act or not? Thanks for your understanding.

Quote from: Abdalla on January 14, 2010, 11:42:58 PM
I think I agree with Bakan Gizo.  It has moved from a discourse to abuse. I lay it to rest, for I have seen that bubbling under the thin veneer of respect are deep rooted resentments and chasms of inadequacies and paranoia, with tinge of sexual inadequacy. Good heavens, it is only beginning to dawn on me now!

Jibo, you win -- you have defeatd the useless intellectual called Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu, who like all other useless worthless northern intellectuals have no actionable plan to salvage their region, even though that action plan has been written and given to them in triplicate. Anybody who can defeat the powerful Saminu Turaki (and I thought it was the EFCC) must surely be a powerful human being.

I can see the butterflies, the mushrooms and the clouds you are seeing. And the kaleidescope colors. Yes, I can even hear the harps.  Nurse, injections, please, and the straight-jacket.

Abdalla

Salam sir, I think it will be good to make it categorically and abundantly clear to each and every member of this forum who cares to read this interesting debate. That there was no word or clause in my treatise that I called, labelled or said to our learned prof is " useless prof or intellectual". Sir, all the points I was trying to make are about your engagement with cultural promotion such as Barmani Coge, Sa'adu Bori and co. that you try to make them useful tools for our societal development, which I think may be unwholesome to our values.  However, I AM SORRY AND I BEGGED FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS SIR. You are  my teacher and our guide in all we do here on board. And  one thing I will never do is to abuse someone. Sai kace wanda bashi da hankali ? Haba sir! You are  a teacher and a very senior for tht matter.

AT MY VERY GOOD FRIEND WAZIRI:
You are my close confidant, and still remain one. When I woke up this morning and saw your more than 7 missed calls, I get to understand that there's fire on the mountain. And the only way to avoid it is to deliberately avoid it, because it will definitely turn out to be wilder than this debate and may consume both of us. Lol!!! Waziri I remain apologetic over what transpired. Its just that kasan yadda halin abokin naka yake da tsokana. This time around Waziri and Prof are not lucky because the tsokana has dawn on them lol!!!


Kuma kasan cewar mu disciples na Paul Mamzas, Abdallas, and Bala Usmans sai a hankali. Su ma yanzu sun san cewar mu by-products din abubuwan da suka koya mana ne. And God willing we will continue to make them proud anyday. As I said my own method is always bold and serious
AT BAKAN GIZO, DAN BARNO AND CO:
Please forgive and forget my actions and inactions. Its just that the boy is full of personal temerity that most a times leads him into a state of schizophrenic overzealousness( not paranoia as Prof wants have you believe, lol).
Will continue to stick to the point Bakan Gizo, but I know my own things are beyond verbosity. A topic like mine as inspired by Bala Usman threatens verbosity vagueness and waffle. Lol!!!

Sai ai hakuri a garemu domin jazabace taddibe mu. Lol!!!

Finally,

AT MUHSIN AND SALISU DAN YARO:

I wish you luck Muhsin.  We bothered to come this far just to allow you learn from our mistakes so as not to make you a victim of circumstance. I remain loyal to all our honourable k-online members.


Webmaster you can now tell it to everyone; not only muhsin, but also  the whole world that your shouders remain highly held, becuase Kanoonline is still alive and kicking- ITS NEVER DEAD MUHSIN.
So chapter closed!
Jibo.
. 

Ahem, so in view of the surprising and entirely hilarious turn this thread has taken, is the forum still dead ??  ;D ;D

Assalamu alaikum,
I think a lot has been written on this thread.
The originator of the thread did not anticipate all the reactions recorded.

My only concern is that in most cases members have overraected this can be learnt lessons. Don Allah (SWT) mu rinka tausaya da girmama juna wajen zanchenmu.

The fact is Kanoonline is ALIVE and I probably thought the topic should have been: What can we do to improve KNline?

I have learnt lots of good things from this great forum and am sure so many others.

Most important I have made good good good friends. Many of us have established life-lasting relationships- we have been calling daily, visiting, exchanging gifts, etc. haba yan uwa muji tsoron Allah (SWT) kuma mu gode maSa don wannan hanyar sada zumunchi da muka samu. Kunga har wani kedari ya fara shigowa yana mana gwalo!!

Quote from: Muhsin on January 15, 2010, 12:00:49 PM

--Muhsin is NOT the most prolific poster on KanoOnline, but GGNK and Auntie are. Take a look at the number of their postings.
       *GGNK has 2970,
       *Husnaa has 2818
       *while young Muhsin 2605.

YAY!
Everybody should take note....lol 8)

Nuruddeen,

I tried calling you only to find out what went wrong since you know we've not seen or talked for the last three months and there was no way I would know the condition in which you made those spiting posts. When you didn't pick the calls, I called Abdurrazak to ask him if he is aware of anything going wrong with you in recent times. He said he didn't know.  I met Dr. Suleiman Idris at the mosque during Friday prayers for being him a medical doctor with some knowledge  of psychiatry I thought he could be able to say if something went wrong somewhere.

Then here are you with your explanations which have to accepted since we have no option. I have forgiven you actually as much as am not surprised since I have prepared my mind against this since the first few weeks I met you seven years ago. As you know many people actually wonder aloud why I am very close to you in spite of the fact that we are too different in mental outlook and preferences. For lack of explanation, I tell them it is possible we have a destiny doing things together.

I came in and drawn your attention to certain truths after I had seen your first reply to Prof., that's to protect you from yourself again as I always try doing, but then you did it again and sparing me NOT this time.  I feel it is not a good practice to be forgetful of those favors we receive from others even if they were just smiles. In fact it is a  privilege to have certain people responding to what you write, engaging you at the level of thought. I know you've said so many good things about me here and everywhere and I am not the type that  can easily forget those things. So contrary to what you may have thought when you saw my missed calls, I only called to check if there is anywhere I can help a dear friend.

Finally and on a very strong note, I believe with the way things are going in our country,  I doubt much if we can  do to Arewa or Nigeria what Prof. in his little capacity has done. I mean on the basis of comparison even if not in the same areas of endeavors.

Anyway, I am glad you've apologized as I am sure Prof. will find it easy to overlook everything. I'll also urge admin to delete those posts you did with such claims that posterity may not hold us hostages to them.

Waziri

Quote from: _Waziri_ on January 16, 2010, 09:12:05 AM
Nuruddeen,

I tried calling you only to find out what went wrong since you know we've not seen or talked for the last three months and there was no way I would know the condition in which you made those spiting posts. When you didn't pick the calls, I called Abdurrazak to ask him if he is aware of anything going wrong with you in recent times. He said he didn't know.  I met Dr. Suleiman Idris at the mosque during Friday prayers for being him a medical doctor with some knowledge  of psychiatry I thought he could be able to say if something went wrong somewhere.

Then here are you with your explanations which have to accepted since we have no option. I have forgiven you actually as much as am not surprised since I have prepared my mind against this since the first few weeks I met you seven years ago. As you know many people actually wonder aloud why I am very close to you in spite of the fact that we are too different in mental outlook and preferences. For lack of explanation, I tell them it is possible we have a destiny doing things together.

I came in and drawn your attention to certain truths after I had seen your first reply to Prof., that's to protect you from yourself again as I always try doing, but then you did it again and sparing me NOT this time.  I feel it is not a good practice to be forgetful of those favors we receive from others even if they were just smiles. In fact it is a  privilege to have certain people responding to what you write, engaging you at the level of thought. I know you've said so many good things about me here and everywhere and I am not the type that  can easily forget those things. So contrary to what you may have thought when you saw my missed calls, I only called to check if there is anywhere I can help a dear friend.

Finally and on a very strong note, I believe with the way things are going in our country,  I doubt much if we can  do to Arewa or Nigeria what Prof. in his little capacity has done. I mean on the basis of comparison even if not in the same areas of endeavors.

Anyway, I am glad you've apologized as I am sure Prof. will find it easy to overlook everything. I'll also urge admin to delete those posts you did with such claims that posterity may not hold us hostages to them.

Waziri

Actually I bow down not to say a word after the post before this one. However, I think where you got yourself too economical with the truth is: if you did not see my posts before calling why did you meet another friend of mine ( Abubakar Falaki) and told him that you were not happy with the write up I made.
Look, Waziri, I just apologised to you in the spirit of spotmanship and profound camaraderie, but not because I commit any crime. I stated what happened between you and I as  an example of what a friend can do to a friend.  And just to make us learn from our mistakes.If you could remember very well, the very day you hide those addresses that we "laboured" together, I met you face to face and expressd my anger to you. Remember? So I did not owe you apology based on this in anyway. This was something that we started in good faith, but  you eventually proved to us that you are somehow. In fact, what baffled some of us, especially Mallam Idris, is the way you denied anyone of us access to the contacts of all the confab attendees. You even told us that you have consulted your Malam or that  you did some  prayers that the stuff will be left in custody at the bank? Remember? So between you and I, who's suppose to consult a doctor for PSYCHIATRIC findings?

If you noticed, since  then I tread softly in the way and manner I interact with you. The last time you were busy calling me on phone to know my whereabouts i.e. immediately I came back from Cotonou, I avoided coming, because I just want to create a distance.


And I feel you are very much aware of my lifestyle as a friend. I don't allow something to deter me from what I think I can achieve either alone or in group. For now I am more or less a lone ranger, and in sha Allah I will scout for some people that I believe we can contribute and assist the  dying north. And I want to remain like this for a while before embarking on any Arewa consultative group project.

Surely, you may wish to tell on board that it was not you that caused a major set back, but Dr. Chafe and co. However,  you too need to take some responsibility dear. You may be astonished over this, but honestly speaking I did not mean to hurt your feelings in anyway. It's just that  when we were debating here on board, you decided to show me that you can preside over me or what? After all, in terms of age , I believe you are not older than myself that you can tell me what is right or wrong.

It was a debate and intellectual exchange that we do here at k-online and nothing else. So why the "bigmanism"? And I think  we are all matured enough to put a limit or restrain ourselves to what can be said and what cannot. That is why when I noticed the  euphoria and momentum over what's happening, I quickly apologise. If you noticed it, Prof was not happy over the way and manner the debate took another shape. I apologised to him from the bottom of my heart. Because he is more or less like a father. So I am fully on track dear.

You said you would ask Salisu Danyaro- the webmaster to delete this  topic or post. WHY???? Because Waziri feels offended or disappointed?
Well, as far as I know, Waziri we always agree to disagree. So it's not a must that anytime we have to come to term on certain issues like this one.

If you ask Salisu to delete the post or whatever, so be it. And in sha Allah we we shall give a breathing space to the Site. After all, one is just trying very hard to create time out of no time to say a word or two.  We all have our primary works doing. In fact, you too  may sense it, becuase you no longer hear  of me often in Zaria. You even askd those our friends that we are together. So it's time that is precious to some us Waziri.

Finally, I will be coming to Zaria in a week or two and if you happened to be around, I will check in Allah ya yarda. My relationship with you still remain in tact. Unless you want to call it off, becuase I said something that I feel people like our brother Muhsin can learn from it.
Jibo.  

Well, Nuruddeen, suit yourself. I did not say I didn't see your post before my comments. In fact I said clearly I did and have talked  to some people trying to find out what went wrong with you to come out with the spiting posts. All after I tried calling you and you did not pick. I didn't tell them I was not happy with what you did. I only asked them for some kind of explanation if they could give any.

I have never been the type who blames others, for my problems or that of the North or Nigeria and I'll let you, if you want to, tell the world that, I truly think Dr. Kabiru Chafe, a human being like me is the problem of the universe. The world then will hold you responsible for that and any killings, bombings, and the armed robbery  you want to report to it I did.

It is you who choose to tell whoever cares to listen that I am your close confident as sometimes you say(exaggerate) that I am your closest. I wonder if you had those closests before meeting me seven years ago? If you ever had where are they now?  Why are they no longer your "closests"? And now that you've deliberately created distance away from me how do you plan to get another set of the closests? How safe are you that they will not turn out to be as evil as I am?

Whatever the case maybe Nuruddeen I like what you write here on board and would like you to continue writing like this. I knew definitely that someday you would do this and I am not surprised or angry a bit. I'll only respond to you at my pleasure and to what I feel should be responded at that will encourage you to talk more and more like the questions I asked above, do they have answers ready for public consumption?

Gentlemen

It is now becoming clear that skeletons are being dug out of the closets -- and I am not sure we would want to see them. We have moved away from the topic so much that new readers to the posting would be scratching their heads wondering what's going on. I must caution on the need to stick to the point, and if we have exhausted it, then close it, or lock it. Debates should be based on the issue at hand, not personal denigrations. I must state, though, I am highly disappointed, and would certainly evaluate my thoughts and feelings about alot of things and people in the future.

Abdalla

Well said.

Prof.,

Certainly even if you don't want to see the skeletons now, I guarantee you will enjoy them on sight once they are fully dug out. So kindly please help me encourage Nuruddeen to speak and speak about these things he wants to say here. It is very okay by me as I will continue to encourage him to talk, say his mind after all he is only seeking to tell all the truth that  the likes of Muhsin can learn. Prof., I don't expect you to stop he who wants to teach or impart knowledge. We can all learn since before our eyes he said some papers written were useless and then turned to say he didn't say just that. Then I wrote a very clear statement, saying I called him after I saw his posts, then he said, it was the exact opposite of that I wrote, and he did that on a very heavy accusation. Are these not enough pointers to the fact that we are learning? I think with just that he has provided us a demonstrated criteria to evaluate what he said about others and about himself.

Prof., Wallahi Tallahi, I enjoy this and do not wish it to stop a bit. After all the next person Nuruddeen will choose as his close confident can easily be referred to this thread. He too will surely learn how to be a good close confident to Nuruddeen. Shebi he already said he is a lone ranger now. Nuruddeen will certainly make better friends even from this exposition. He can even bag a wife whose family disputes with  Nura will be very safe from public view.

Waziri

Nigeria Good Peoples, especially mutane Arewa, kuma nan gaba komai zai dawo dai-dai. Da yardar Allah.

Wow, i have been away so much that i lost track of the things that are going on here. I'm impressed that skeletons are being ripped out of some closet doors in the process...lol! Well, like i have discussed on phone with DanBorno, We have serious problem on our hands gentlemen, Kanoonline is a website we really appreciate sometime ago, now awadays we all know how minuscule the number of daily log-ons we get here. its like we are loosing interest, of course when you post and get a reply or response 2 daysor more later is pretty depressing, with this on my mind i wanted to suggest to the Admin to look into updating the site. The only feature we have here is the forum, nothing else. it will be more fun if the site can be upgraded like others website with features like news, chat, friends list, or updates....just like on facebook or twitter and hi5. i believe it will take us some place, but then we will need to advertise the site just to have a large number of members and opinions, to some point it seems Kanoonline is only run by a few Hausawa, we are not more than twenty constant active members to be sincere, how many members have we lost? How many many females do we have who are active? We need to here the women voices to see how this problems are experienced from the women point of veiw. this is just the ugly truth about our site. it needs serious upgrades.

Nice contribution Muda not other ignorant uninformed rambling that is loaded in low self esteem and lack of understanding of the basics in the art of living. I thought along that direction but wondered if the Prof and Admin can have the time required in managing a portal similar to Village Square not even a more demanding one like hi5 and facebook. But sincerely speaking, I think if something like Village Square can be made out of the present K-Online, where there are sections for News and Articles updated constantly, and the forums as they are are we can have something more lively than what we have now.

But the point is made that this thing is seasonal and we can remain comfortable with what is obtained even as we from time to time indulge in exercises that rip out certain skeletons from some sort of closets. That can be tolerated especially if those ripping the skeletons are not telling lies or waking from a slumber to remember that their closest friend was not sincere to them some six(6) years ago. And they know nobody to talk to or even  the friend concerned but an internet forum. I hope they will not come here next time with issues regarding their wives and relatives.

haba legendary, whats wrong with you, i though this issue has
been laid to rest - abeg i no like this thing we you dey do.

DB, ai rashin hankalin da yawa yake. The way he constantly says he knows me others may begin to think we are made out of the same lightening stroke. I thought I was only inviting more revelations. Anyway I am done with this actually.

@Muda

(I thought he was MUDAcris or something – along the lines of the name of the rap star Ludacris, ko?). Anyhow, Waziri is right -- time is the main factor. There are many reasons why we simply could not be compared to what obtains in other Social Networking Services (SNS).

In the first instance, all these SNSs are full-time corporate organizations, complete with CEO, MD, stocks, shares, offices, secretaries and megabucks from advertising clicks. Kano Online is a part-time almost hobbyist activity. We do what we can when we have time – and our time is basically put into almajirci, like Salisu always says, "neman taro na abinci".  Most of the time we put the site on autopilot – and when we check in and see something unsavory, we remove it. We have been operating like this for almost nine years.

Remember, also that SNS are created to share interests in personal life styles, not to engage in sustained debates about issues (or drag skeletons out of dark closets where they usually belong – get the hint?). Early social networking services started out similar to the way we are starting. I remember subscribing to The Well in early 1990s through an American friend in Oakland where I stayed.

Secondly, and I repeat this, we are  not competing with any other site. When we started in 2001 (meaning we started earlier than Friendster, MySpace, Bebo and Linkedln; and it was only in 2005 that Facebook became international ), many people don't even know what the Internet is, let alone where to access it. We even started earlier than the vast majority of the SNSs. In all these years, we only changed our skin (interfaces) only about twice or so; not out of conservatism, but out of the philosophical injunction of "it ain't broke, don't fix it". Take at look at Gamji.com – and you'll understand what I mean; Isma'ila has been running that site in virtually that format since the beginning of time – and has not lost subscribers or visitors.

Along the years, snazzier sites came up, more young bloods jumped on the Internet bandwagon, Internet cafes mushroomed, and the next you know, emails addresses became status symbols, along with flash drives that hang around young necks to download music  and term papers. Something on this site has just gotta give.

I use two of my own children as a meter (one is 21, the other is 18, and both female, both in university). They were crazy about Hi5 when it came along (they could not be seen dead coming to Kano Online – too boring; sigh). Then they shifted to Badoo, then Flickr, then Netlog, then Facebook; now it's Twitter. Even the young one (11, male) and who is absolutely hooked on Grand Theft Auto (has every single mod) now is online playing with online friends on Avatars United. He took one look at Kano Online and bolted away! And lest we forget, most of these SNSs are bots – farming away your email and those of friends you link them with,and selling the emails to spammers (remember the trouble Facebook got into recently about online privacy?). At least here we don't advertise anything – except goodness of Kano, "ko da mai ka zo, tabbas an fi ka"!

Yes, here on Kano Online, we have remained the sam, even though everyday some zany and weird SNS will crop up, and we will all be deluged with invitations from our "friends" to join what claims to be the best in connecting friends together.  Not only do I ignore these invitations, but also block anyone sending them to me. 

Then the Naijarians came along. Actually they have been there all along. But democracy and living abroad gave them more voices – and then the sudden deluge of "Naija" sites that seem to focus attention principally on vituperations of anything Nigerian, Islamic, northern Nigerian or political – everytin wrong, everytin scatter, na wow for Nigeria, oo. Enough to make you as brain dead as the trailer-trash redneck (or is it blacknecks?) owners of the sites.

Then blogging came along – and suddenly everyone is a writer, complete with self-conscious pictures and ramblings. So instead of boring a few people on your favorite forum with your inanities, it's better to create a whole web space to do it  (did it myself, too, though I literally abandoned it!) – that way you spread the boring tirades across the Internet and make everyone suffer.

All these are enough to take people away from a text-based site like Kano Online. But we are not being too conservative when we don't go the way the SNSs do. We are being practical. We have different focus from the SNSs. Also quite simply we don't have the energy, resources and time to create a full-time SNS along the lines we are suggesting. Salisu pays for everything on this site with his own funds – funds which are desperately needed elsewhere; but as a social service to our people, we feel no sacrifice is too great to enable us have a voice. We are happily proud of what we have achieved so far – the only fallout is the falling out of Waziri and Nuruddeen, and even then, I know it is only temporary – they simply can't  stay away from each other! Two peas in a pod, that's what they are!

I therefore urge us once again to become as lively as we can be (burning our skeletons along the line); get more involved if a topic interests you. For instance, I did not notice the Pilgrimage topic until recently, and suddenly I did remember my experiences 10 years ago and shared some of it.

Abdalla

Assalamu alaikum,

Since I exit this board days ago, I have been left wondering. I later realized that the more I mull-over the situation the more I threw myself into more mire. I, at last, came to conclude—although with a kind help from somebody—that I could never understand that sort of thing alone; and decided to come up here and try this way, maybe the riddled riddle would be solved.

What happened has happened. As one saying goes: what was done can never be undone. So, as almost everyone is aware of the unfolding encounter that transpired between myself and KanoOnline's members, including the admin. I wish I could reverse it, and undo everything. But it's not doable.

But lesson, a lot of it, was learned. Life is a school, even the biggest one.

I today came to say sorry for all that happened. Every one of you here knows I respect all of you, especially the ones I met physically. I have never disrespected any of you, and I never will, inshaAllah. This is just something "surreal", not truly real. Please I beg of you to let the bygones be bygones.

I wholly appreciated what some of you did to me. And at the same time I am very much disappointed at what some others did. But I know that is humane and they are human. Please we should next time be conscious and mindful of we write; and never contemptuously read or regard what others write irrespective of their ages, social status, level of education, etc. During the Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention, life, simlar thing occurred. Go read about the life history of these two great Companions: Abdullahi Bn Umar and Abdullahi Bn Abbas. Their being youngest among the Sahabas never had "affected" them. That was just a by the by.

Once again, I am sorry, really I am. Forgive and forget, please. Thanks for your good understanding and judgment.

I remain loyal to all.

Muhsin

by the powers as transfered to me from mudacris the job
seeker under the strict supervision of tukurtukur boka ci
kaji and witnessed by aunties mufi, hafsy lady, ummuT
and iron lady husnaa supported by the legendary aminin
nura jibo, i hereby declare you 'forgiven' and go out there,
enjoy yourself and fell free to air your views but sin no
more.

Sir Humprey Appleby, that's wot you are, guv. An' if you don't know 'oo 'e is, ask ol' David, or Iron Lady Husna, who's a Spittin' Image!!

Abdalla

 ??? i can't deduct anything from prof's post, hheeeeellllllpppppp

Salam,

Let me see if I can paraphrase it for you, DB:

Sir Humphrey Appleby is an old famous comedian character in the British television. Professor liken you with his character, for your being so much funny. And old Dave and Husnaa's names are mentioned (as reference) because they are two people whom Prof. knows (they) know of that character as one lived and the other is still living in United Kingdom.

Thus, it can be read this way:

Dan-Barno (Sir Humphrey Appleby), that is what you are, guv (boss, dude, man, etc). And if you don't know who he is (Sir Humphrey Appleby), ask old David or Iron Lady Husnaa, (to tell you) who is a spitting Image (i.e. who you are exactly like)!!

Sir Humphrey was the Machiavellian head of the UK Civil Service in the BBC comedy classic " Yes, Prime Minister" in which the clever civil servants run rings round the Prime Minister and his ministers and are expert at using language which confuses or is ambiguous, meaning different things to different people so that the civil servants always get their way no matter what the Government's intention is.

Yes Prime minister is one TV series that I have never watched in my life although I have heard a lot about it. Funny, if I'd known its like how Dave describes it to be, I'd have been an ardent fan!. I simply love pun, ambiguity, double entendres and anything associated, and British comedy is riddled with these!! ;D ;D ;D ;D

Kudos Muhsin, it takes courage and character to admit a fault, let alone to apologize for it.

Quote from: HUSNAA on January 22, 2010, 01:50:42 AM
Kudos Muhsin, it takes courage and character to admit a fault, let alone to apologize for it.

Did I do that?  ;D

Quote from: Abdalla on January 18, 2010, 05:50:46 PM
I therefore urge us once again to become as lively as we can be (burning our skeletons along the line); get more involved if a topic interests you. For instance, I did not notice the Pilgrimage topic until recently, and suddenly I did remember my experiences 10 years ago and shared some of it.

Abdalla

One of the ways to do that, I think, Professor is: we as well as the forum need intellectuals like you to frequent coming here. Again, initiate educative, enlightening and entertaining threads, which I am sure some of your well-written papers would serve that.

That reminds me of an International Conference organized by the department of English and French, BUK. There you presented one "funny" paper about Barmani Choge and (women) Singers in Hausaland. I even requested a copy but... Such a topic would generate good discussions, I presume.

Jumu'at Kareem

Quote from: HUSNAA on January 22, 2010, 01:46:45 AM
Yes Prime minister is one TV series that I have never watched in my life although I have heard a lot about it. Funny, if I'd known its like how Dave describes it to be, I'd have been an ardent fan!. I simply love pun, ambiguity, double entendres and anything associated, and British comedy is riddled with these!! ;D ;D ;D ;D

You missed a lot. Blighty in the 80s would not have been fun without Spitting Image, In Sickness and in Health, Yes, Minister and Yes Prime Minister. Go back a bit, and you can even recall Some Mothers Do Have 'Em. But then you jumped ship in the middle of the decade, didn't you. BTW I do have the Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minster original DVDs -- all the series. Also about 15 episodes of Yes Miniter and 12 episodes of Yes, Prime Minister as AVis . Now told you all this, in case you want to cach up!

Quote from: Muhsin on January 22, 2010, 12:16:59 PM
That reminds me of an International Conference organized by the department of English and French, BUK. There you presented one "funny" paper about Barmani Choge and (women) Singers in Hausaland. I even requested a copy but... Such a topic would generate good discussions, I presume.

Muhsin, indeed our original purpose, as I kept reiterating, was to create a depository where we can upload as many papers as people were willing to give us. The appearance of SNSs was one opportunity to give room for interactions, although as I said, being Charlie Brown type (or more likely Schroeder), I was not really keen on that; but we agreed it was a forum to counteract some of the Naijarian propaganda against Kano, Islam and north, as well as provide members with an opportunity to let-off some cyber steam.

Lack of papers from our colleagues meant we have not been able to develop the original plan fully. We even had plans to sell Kano-based books which are very rare to get -- but the payment process requires more time that we are willing to devote to the process. We will continue uploading as many as we can get our hands on. If a paper is not uploaded it because it is being considered for publication -- we normally wait until it has become public knowledge before uploading; however, if the paper will not be published elsewhere, we can usually upoad it.

So yes, we can keep this place as lively as we want -- but not forgetting that not everyone is interested in everything. I mean there are sections I have never entered simply I am not interested (news, chitchat, politics, etc).

Salam,

We shall now see some of those papers, right? I am sure they will better the forum, Professor. Beside, am sorry to learn that some of your colleagues decline to participate as hoped. And selling those books would not be a wrong idea. Good luck.

Is the issue resolved?  8)

How did/do you see?  ;D

Assalamu alaikum
I am positive that all issues have been resolved amicably. Allah (SWT) ya kiyaye gaba da Sharrin Shaidan (LAA).

Hi all, i dont think anyone can rightly pronounce this forum as dead without hearing from the admin through BBC, then we can invoke section 145. In the interim DB should automatically assume the mantle of admin and continue with the status quo.
As an incentive to forumites to continue posting away, i propose to the "acting admin" to set up an intervention fund whereby members would be granted some monies to enable them buy a small "i pass my neighbour" generator, at least a month's 24/7 internet subscription with MTEL and lastly a tokunbo laptop. This would have the cascade effect of empowering our black market petroleum dealers,shylock telecom operators, and the wuru wuru second hand computer sellers at computer village ikeja.
It would put more revenue into the pockets of government officials through increased revenue derivable from the strong arm tactics of unofficial revenue collectors. Other beneficial effect of this proposal is that we would cement our near-pole position in the global carbon economy. A lot of highly skilled jobs would be created for scientists,journalists,green activists etcetra, with the trickle-down effect of transfer of knowledge to Nigeria.
See how a humble solution to resurrecting an online forum can result in having the greatest good for the greatest number. All we need is some patience and a wee bit of luck.

LOL,
Alkanawy,this is what is called 'freakonomics'

Alkanawi, you still dey? How's life?