26-10-2023, 09:24 PM
Busy day today. Just got back from a school event with the kids. We walked...
Sadly, my frustration with how this thread has developed hasn't really abated.
It's one thing to discuss motor vehicles. I quite enjoy that. They are interesting bits of technology.
Where it became a problem for me is when people started bragging about the performance of their machines, and asserting their right to drive at whatever speeds they like, and to hell with the rules and laws. I'm really not comfortable about this. I have explained my personal attitudes to driving and speeding. I don't expect anyone else to agree with that, but was dropping a fairly heavy hint about my unease with those sorts of posts. There are plenty of "Max Power" forums if you want to do that - I don't want it here.
Almost inevitably this gets political. Not good. Again, there are plenty of places to discuss politics. It's actually something I follow extremely closely, so I'm far from ignorant or apolitical, but again, not here. This is a vintage electronics forum.
I'm sorry, but ULEZ is not extortion of poor people. If you care about the plight of poor people - and I don't question your sincerity with that - then there's plenty else that's happened over the last 13 years to get your teeth into. But as stated, all totally off-topic for this forum. Do I regret using the language I did? Perhaps I should, but had there been reasoned, balanced arguments, perhaps supported by references we could all explore, then I'd feel more guilty. But as it is, I'm afraid to say that I was simply responding in kind. Uncharacteristic for me, I admit, but I'm only human and don't have infinite patience at all times. If someone else had used that language, would I have closed the thread? No, not for those words as such, but if they'd created bad feeling, then maybe. People have said much worse on occasion. But if you look at my moderation history, you'll see that I'm incredibly fair and balanced - perhaps too much so - and it's very rare for me to close threads or "pull rank". And when I do, it's always with an explanation, so everyone concerned understands why I've taken the action I have. I don't have to make that effort, and I know it doesn't really placate those who feel wronged, but my record stands.
Jez, again, please stop talking about UKVRRR's approach to running their forum. See Rule 4. Much as we might well see your point, it's entirely their choice.
Again, I'm happy to leave this open and see how it goes. But it's only fair to mention that I'm considering a minor change to the rules to stop this happening again. I guess it'll be along the lines of not allowing discussions about driving that encourages or glorifies breaking the laws of the road. I really don't want to do that, as it would be the first rule change in probably the entire life of the forum, and it does feel like a very specific rule of the sort we've hoped to avoid.
Sadly, my frustration with how this thread has developed hasn't really abated.
It's one thing to discuss motor vehicles. I quite enjoy that. They are interesting bits of technology.
Where it became a problem for me is when people started bragging about the performance of their machines, and asserting their right to drive at whatever speeds they like, and to hell with the rules and laws. I'm really not comfortable about this. I have explained my personal attitudes to driving and speeding. I don't expect anyone else to agree with that, but was dropping a fairly heavy hint about my unease with those sorts of posts. There are plenty of "Max Power" forums if you want to do that - I don't want it here.
Almost inevitably this gets political. Not good. Again, there are plenty of places to discuss politics. It's actually something I follow extremely closely, so I'm far from ignorant or apolitical, but again, not here. This is a vintage electronics forum.
I'm sorry, but ULEZ is not extortion of poor people. If you care about the plight of poor people - and I don't question your sincerity with that - then there's plenty else that's happened over the last 13 years to get your teeth into. But as stated, all totally off-topic for this forum. Do I regret using the language I did? Perhaps I should, but had there been reasoned, balanced arguments, perhaps supported by references we could all explore, then I'd feel more guilty. But as it is, I'm afraid to say that I was simply responding in kind. Uncharacteristic for me, I admit, but I'm only human and don't have infinite patience at all times. If someone else had used that language, would I have closed the thread? No, not for those words as such, but if they'd created bad feeling, then maybe. People have said much worse on occasion. But if you look at my moderation history, you'll see that I'm incredibly fair and balanced - perhaps too much so - and it's very rare for me to close threads or "pull rank". And when I do, it's always with an explanation, so everyone concerned understands why I've taken the action I have. I don't have to make that effort, and I know it doesn't really placate those who feel wronged, but my record stands.
Jez, again, please stop talking about UKVRRR's approach to running their forum. See Rule 4. Much as we might well see your point, it's entirely their choice.
Again, I'm happy to leave this open and see how it goes. But it's only fair to mention that I'm considering a minor change to the rules to stop this happening again. I guess it'll be along the lines of not allowing discussions about driving that encourages or glorifies breaking the laws of the road. I really don't want to do that, as it would be the first rule change in probably the entire life of the forum, and it does feel like a very specific rule of the sort we've hoped to avoid.
