The bottom line is that we have over 600 members and that racing attracts opinions.
It's inevitable that with so many people expressing opinions therefore, that people will fall out or develop a dislike for each other. Although that's not ideal, it would be silly pretend that it isn't inevitable given human nature. I think it's fair to reflect that the internet affords people a degree of anonymity and the opportunity to behave in a certain fashion that they might, or might not do so otherwise. However, this the media we use, and we therefore all accept its strengths and weaknesses as a method of communication.
Some of the anomousity amongst members is doubtless quite sincere and quite deeply engrained, and again it would be silly to try pretend that everyone can be fluffy and lovie dovey to each other (apart from anything a forum of such nature would lose its edge very quickly) and frankly wouldn't be terribly interesting.
I guess its a bit of an old appeal and I realise that people will trespass into areas of sensitivity (my God I've done it enough myself) but it's probably the personal slants etc of things that lets us down. By all means kick off at each other if you vehenmently disagree with someone, that's fine, that's called passion and no one would seek to deny anyone who holds an opinion (within acceptable reason) a platform to shout from. The more passionate the opinion is expressed the better imo, that makes for a better a forum, but it also needs to be kept within a confine that doesn't deteriorate into personal abuse.
I accept there is a grey area, as there is with any debates, where people might need to take a certain line of defence/ attack in order to establish a point of advantage etc and that this itself is something of a debating skill if employed appropriately. I think the bottom line however, is that even though a spat can be quite amusing to the spectator at times, it will ultimately drag the forum down, as people will tire of it and eventually retreat from contributing, electing instead to just periodically look in to see the latest installment of 'mud wrestling'
I'll give Rory's sugestion consideration and take a view back to the other mods when I think I've got something worth contributing. My initial reaction is that people who know each other shouldn't have to operate in some kind of closed society and communicate in a code known only to they. I'm equally conscious however, that many people who've I've tried introducing to the forum have tended to 'walk' as they regard it as too cliquey. On balance, I'm inclined to think that it is a strength of the forum that it has brought people together, and that some have been able to form friendships beyond cyberspace. I think we can be kind of proud of that, as it has clearly performed a service beyond that of mere chatter. At this precise moment though I'm struggling to reconcile posting guidance about references to people we know. My first reaction is that it may not be possible, nor enforcable, but I'd be happy to stick a thread in chit chat, (provided we can keep it sensible)
What I'd ask contributors to consider, basically revolves around the idea that we might be in danger of forming silos of friendships that excludes others? Is this desirable? is it undesirable? is it unavoidable? Is it even policeable? Does it run the risk of exclusion? does it alienate new members? Is there a danger that a culture of pack hunting develops?
For the mean time however, back onto subject please, and I'll take the risk that the debate that has been asked for, can be conducted sensibly in chit chat
