Opinion: The Omnirumour and the Lunatic Fringe
How far is too far?
It seems a long, long time ago now that we were all united in celebration at the return of The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear, a long time ago since we counted down the minutes to midnight on that memorable release night and we all sent our adoring Tweets to Phil Morris thanking him for all his hard work. A long time ago since those familiar swirls crossed our screens as we watched what we'd waited 45 years to see again.
We were hopeful of more, thankful for all the work gone into bringing these classics home, we were all together then. We heard bits of gossip, "he's found loads more," "He was in Zambia," "Wheel was found in Nigeria" and we all ate it up, anything was possible now after all! If Enemy and Web could come home then anything could could happen if our hero Phill was on the case.
And then it all changed.
See now there is no atmosphere of joy or optimism any more and our collective gratitude has faded, our bellies full of what we've got and we demand more. Demand. We don't ask nicely, that isn't our way, we don't wait patiently for news or understand the complications involved in a project of this scale - we want our show and we want it now! We'll stamp our feet and call you a hoarder if you don't give it to us. Give us our seconds now Mr Morris!
It is the worst of behaviour and it shames us all.
And I don't believe for one second that this very site hasn't been guilty of some of that behaviour in the past, in moments of frustration, in a genuine desire for truth. Yet time away from the issue as we have had helps to give a very genuine outsiders perspective on the matter - and it doesn't look pretty.
There is a line that should never be crossed.
Yesterday saw the release on certain forums of a photo that allegedly shows Phil Morris in Sierra Leone, not sanctioned by Morris it would appear and likely to be a private photo. Who is responsible isn't clear and it doesn't really matter - what matters is the reaction, a reaction in which many don't see that the photo being leaked is crossing the line.
A lot of people don't seem to comprehend the problem, that it's release is a gross invasion of the privacy of Phil Morris, that a photo of the man in one of the world's most dangerous hotspots isn't something that should be for public consumption on any level. Nobody knows where he is right now, for all we know he's there as we speak. It is intrusive, dangerous and plays into the hands of many who believe that all connected in the omnirumour are a lunatic fringe.
It was one of those things that just makes you stop and think - hang on a minute, this isn't right is it? Is this the level that this has fallen to? What level of obsessed do you need to be to be willing to compromise a man's privacy all in the aid of making a point to a forum?
But it isn't a singular case, there are those out there who aren't willing to stop at rumours of what might have been found, they find it necessary to obsess over tracking Phil Morris' every movement like a dollar store NSA, feel the need to release apparently detailed information on transactions and business dealings, feel the need to make baseless accusations against Morris, the Restoration Team and anyone perceived as having the wrong opinion on any given day, to call Morris a hoarder without a shred of real evidence. It's descended to the level that some people truly believe that others online have fake accounts and personalities, that there is a genuine conspiracy over the issue.
And for what? What is it we're actually trying to do or prove here?
That Phil Morris has more cans? well Dick Fiddy has said as much. That Phil is searching far flung locations for missing TV? he's said as much himself. That Doctor Who may be amongst the finds? Steve Roberts has said he personally believes that to be the case.
What else is there to prove?
As fans we have absolutely no right whatsoever to know anything about Phil Morris' private life or business affairs, no right to know what the content of his alleged warehouse is any more than we have a right to know the plot of Series 8 from the mouth of Steven Moffat or where Mark Gatiss spends his holidays. Sure, we'd like to know (about missing episodes, not Mark Gatiss' vacation!) and it's fun to speculate and listen to gossip, it'd be nice if somebody said they had Marco Polo... but if it does exist there are commercial and other reasons that it can't be said and there isn't a single person out there beyond those involved that can say with 100% certainty it does or does not exist.
Absolutely nothing anyone does online will have the slightest effect on TIEA, the Restoration Team or the BBC, and rightly so. People can bluster and "prove" allegations as much as they like, they can release a photo of Phil playing hopscotch with the Daleks Masterplan film cans... and it won't make the blindest bit of difference, and rightly so. Phil Morris doesn't owe anyone anything, he has no duty to Doctor Who fans and yet he has given us a fantastic gift, one we have already seemingly forgotten.
We live in an age of paranoia and distrust, where the individual no longer believes what those in positions of authority say simply by default, an age where what happened a week ago is old news and patience is an alien concept. One of entitlement and one where we believe the relative anonymity of the online forum allows us to act in a way we never would offline, where we believe there are no real world consequence of our actions.
The vast majority of individuals involved online are a wonderful bunch of people, passionate, caring and a pleasure to know. They are grounded in reality and genuinely thankful to all those involved in working to bring these classics home, eager to hear any news and appreciative of the efforts of TIEA and all others involved. A small minority are loud, obnoxious, obsessive, self-centric and out to make a name for themselves, unfortunately giving everyone else a bad reputation in the process. They are truly the lunatic fringe.
So step back, laugh at the absurdity of it all, go and watch The Web of Fear. Marvel at what we have, be hopeful of what we may have and please, have a little respect for those working tirelessly to bring yet more Doctor Who home.
