Extraordinary Decision

SteveM

SteveM

At the Start
Joined
May 2, 2003
Messages
7,130
Location
London
What I said in the post re Ardross being barred from the forum (which was moved and deleted – I’m told accidentally (although various eminent psychoanalysts will tell you there is no such thing) was that I find it extraordinary that this course of action has been decided.

As I said before, I am not interested in the whys and wherefores of what has gone on (…unless James has actually shot someone), but it is one thing to show tolerance to the likes of Phil W and quite another to turn it back on a mainstay to this forum.

After all that James has contributed and done for this place I find it incredible and unacceptable that he should be treated in this manner.

I am not prepared to see this happen. As I said before, unless James is invited back (assuming he is willing to come back) and suitable apology made to him, I (and other original contributors like me) will regretfully boycott this place.
 
There are those that have boycotted this place because of Ardross's presence and I believe it will be a better place now that he is banned.
 
Steve - only Col is really in a position to fully address your concerns. I don't think this is a subject that will be helped by open discussion, so I'm going to close the topic to further replies until Col has had a chance to reply (either on here or to you privately).
 
What I said in the post re Ardross being barred from the forum (which was moved and deleted – I’m told accidentally (although various eminent psychoanalysts will tell you there is no such thing) was that I find it extraordinary that this course of action has been decided.
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OK first of all, I didn't read the original thread, but I believe it was similar to this one, and started by you, but in the racing chat forum. I don't see how someone being banned has anything to do with racing, unless maybe James is running in the 4.15 at Kempton, so either deleting or moving the post was the correct thing to do. The moderators are new and still getting used to the system, these things will happen, if it had been started in here then it would more than likely still be here.

As I said before, I am not interested in the whys and wherefores of what has gone on (…unless James has actually shot someone), but it is one thing to show tolerance to the likes of Phil W and quite another to turn it back on a mainstay to this forum.
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If you aren't interested in what happened then I don't think you can really comment. James is aware of the reasons why he was banned, and although he may not agree with the decision he knows the reasons why and accepts them. It was actually a misunderstanding, I sent him an email, he didn't get it. He thought I was ignoring him (I wasn't), and as such posted something on another forum. I thought he was taking the pi$$ by not replying to my email and posting what he did, obviously not realising he hadn't got my mail.

After all that James has contributed and done for this place I find it incredible and unacceptable that he should be treated in this manner.
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After some of the comments he made on another forum I don't. He also stated extremely clearly he would not be returning, so banning him should not matter anyway.

I am not prepared to see this happen. As I said before, unless James is invited back (assuming he is willing to come back) and suitable apology made to him, I (and other original contributors like me) will regretfully boycott this place.
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Thats your choice. I am in touch with James by email at the moment, trying to clear the air so to speak, but it was his choice to have his membership deleted, not mine. Whilst banned meant that could be reversed, I cannot undelete a member after all the details have been removed from the database.

I am not going to beg members to stay, nor am I going to go back on what I said. Some people like James, some don't. I wouldn't ban him because some people didn't like him, I won't beg him to come back because some do either. He's busy this weekend so don't expect to speak to him again until Monday at the earliest, if he comes back largely depends on him and if we can sort out our differences.

I'll leave this open for a little while longer, not that i think it helps matters, but if I close it I'll get accused of not letting people have their say. FWIW I respect James greatly, and I'm sorry he isn't here any more, but thats the way it is for now.
 
There are some spectacular displays of narrow vision going on in this forum at the moment.

In some people's view, I should be banned. In Col's view, I shouldn't.

Col has 100% of the facts both in public and what's been going on in private.

Those who believe I should be banned and cannot understand why Ardross is (although Col has explained the banning of Ardross above), why are you all failing to accept the simple fact that you do not know the whole facts behind everything?

Col is not stupid. He made decisions based on the entire facts and it was decided I should not be banned and Ardross should.
 
It's not quite as simple as that

The facts are, if I listened to everyone

Phil would have been banned about 100 times
Phil would have have been reinstated about 100 times
James would have been banned 100 times
James would have been reinstated 100 times.

Plenty of people like Phil, plenty hate him
Plenty like James, plenty hate him

I can't please everyone all the time. I do what i thinks best for the forum. Everyone has started afresh. If Phil does anything wrong he will get warned and banned if needed. this is not my decision. Same goes for James and anyone else.

When I re-opened the forum I stated what was in the past is in the past
 
It is not a question of liking or disliking individuals. I was against Phil W being barred from the forum (as he will verify), I am against Ardross being barred also.

If they have broken your rules you perhaps ought to decide if your rules are worth the cyberspace they’re written on. I cannot imagine that either has committed anything so heinous as to be thrown into outer darkness. I do not dispute your right of decision, I disagree with your decision.

And the reason why I do in fact have an opinion is simply it doesn’t matter what either of them have done (unless they are being so disruptive that they are actually driving people away, which I don’t believe either really are) it is what they bring to the table (i.e. the forum) that counts.

Ardross wasn’t perhaps the best of moderators (…but show me a good one), Phil perhaps not the most diplomatic of contributors… but hey does it matter? I am interested (at times) in what both have to say. If I disagree with it I can say so. If I’m not interested I can ignore it. Where’s the problem?
 
Ardross wasn’t perhaps the best of moderators (…but show me a good one),
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:D
 
Have just come out of hospital after an operation.

Thought it would cheer me up to read some gentle banter about racing.
But what do I find but a small civil war. Come on guys get a life. An operation and staying in a ward where many people were in a far worse condition than me made me think about how lucky many of us are.

When you all calm down, I will return to the fold. I hope sense will prevail. I can see why people have drifted off. Other forums seem to be able to debate subjects in a civil manner. Alas, some people here can't, which is such a shame because I've always enjoyed logging in.
 
Absolutely. No one person is bigger than this forum. There is room on here for everyone.
 
Originally posted by cheltboy@Jun 30 2007, 07:04 PM
Have just come out of hospital after an operation.

Thought it would cheer me up to read some gentle banter about racing.
But what do I find but a small civil war. Come on guys get a life. An operation and staying in a ward where many people were in a far worse condition than me made me think about how lucky many of us are.

When you all calm down, I will return to the fold. I hope sense will prevail. I can see why people have drifted off. Other forums seem to be able to debate subjects in a civil manner. Alas, some people here can't, which is such a shame because I've always enjoyed logging in.
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I agree with most of your post but your comments about others forums I would suggest is wrong.

All forums have problems, in fact I don't know of any that don't, and the bigger they get the more problems they have, its a simple fact of life on forums :p
 
For those of us regulars still here could you please contribute twice as much as you normally do, or I am afraid the quality of my own postings will sink to new depths. You have been warned. :ph34r:

I refuse to let this forum grind to a slow halt whilst others take (hopefully) temporary refuge elsewhere.

With less people around it also gives time for the new moderators to learn the ropes, so if there was ever a time to have a quiet few days/weeks, now seems a good a time as any!
 
Not sure I'm fully understanding you here Kathy.

You want us to double our output, but seem to be saying that now is a good time for having a few quiet weeks shrug::
 
I have no idea why people have been banned or have taken the decision to leave so I hope I don't ruffle any feathers here.

People may not always agree with what another says, but it is their right to say it and as long as people are sensible I don't see what is wrong. Obviously there are limits, but I don't think these need to be defined as we all have the good old fashioned common sense and tact in knowing what subjects are kosher to discuss and those that don't would probably be banned.

Like I say, I don't know what the original dispute was about so am only commenting on possible future issues.

It's just a shame that what was a really good racing forum is losing some input from worthwhile members. Obviously some have stayed, Kathy, SL etc so not rubbing their noses in it, but it was really good to have such a variety. Like Kathy says, hopefully they'll return.

I know it is *only* a forum and in the scheme of things that says everything, but I personally found it good to discuss racing with people. If I try to talk racing with my Mum I get the "how interesting" dripping with sarcasm, my Dad wants to know if anything is running with a name relevant to him and my brother does an oscar winning impression of Harry Enfield's "Kevin". Help!
 
Why do I feel like the bad guy here?

A few of your members are posting on FF at the moment, but that's not my doing.
I've not gone out of my way to invite them, and the majority were already members anyway, but I'm not about to ban them either.

I will be just as happy if you can sort it all out by email, private message, or ferking smoke signals for them all to return here.


I just had to get that off my chest.
 
I think it will be a very sad result of all this hoo hah if the two forums lose their particular 'culture' and personality. TH has always had a higher, shall we say 'intellectual' input, but a certain degree of acerbity and some downright nuttiness has gone with that. FF has for some of us been a refuge from that, a more civil and commonsense attitude prevailing there, along with a willingness to listen to the other side which is not always manifest on TH.

There is nothing for Ted to feel bad about - he's very broadminded imo in the manner he and his forumites welcome TH posters when this site goes down, and in circumstances such as we're suffering now. And even more tolerant that he doesn't complain when people 'use' FF at such moments then b*gger off when it's no longer of immediate use to them.
 
Originally posted by Ted@Jun 30 2007, 11:17 PM
Why do I feel like the bad guy here?
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Ted, you have always been one of my racing forum heros! That opinion hasn't changed! :)
 
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