Calm down everyone..take a deep breath and chill....
Decent people have resigned and friends have fallen out because you would not accept the moderators decision about a foolish link from a foolish person and this whole thing was then blown completely out of proportion.
Well if said person was so foolish, then it doesn't really give much weight to the moderators decision does it, not to do anything until it was all too late.
Oh dear someone is disagreeing with me on the internet I better complain to the moderators 
Decent people have resigned and friends have fallen out because you would not accept the moderators decision about a foolish link from a foolish person and this whole thing was then blown completely out of proportion.
Well if said person was so foolish, then it doesn't really give much weight to the moderators decision does it, not to do anything until it was all too late.
Oh dear someone is disagreeing with me on the internet I better complain to the moderators
*thud* ( as I fall off my chair laughing)
The biggest joke is, with out the form, had you all been in the same room, you would all be talking about you bloody G wagens! For shame the lot of you 
.
Having spent many number of years in the GWOA, going out of my way to go and meet people, say 'Hi' , plan events, email, phone, visit, carry members on their last trip in a G (the Late Vicky Allenson), say goodbye to former members (Tony, David, Paula) , all in my G - I thinks it about time we stopped this playground nonsense and man the f*ck up! It has really p*ssed me off seeing the likes of Eddie, Chris, Caroline et all leaving, people having a go at moderators, because they HAVE to take an impartial stance on all these things. For those of you who have been here a long time you know Paul can be a dick with his post, but to see intelligent people rising to the bait? Come on, take a look in the mirror people. Why all of a sudden have we taken exception? why all of this utter, utter crap? I am not dissing the great work people like Eddie, Chris and Mike have done helping other members or even Paul for that matter, I am frustrated at the utter lack of 'being grown up' and bloody adults!!
When you can put in the work I have done over the years, to try and make this a great club, made the effort I have made (in conjunction with others) its time to stop, take stock and ask yourself this one question - Am I an Adult or a child? Because if you are the former, you will see the posts for what it is, if you are the latter - then sod off, gown a pair and then come back!
Do not knock the committee, admin - they are trying to make it good for everyone, if you don;t like it then at the next AGM vote them out and step forward If you are that pi*sed off then ask for a extraordinary vote and get rid of them, stand up and be counted. If you like provoking responses, then make it G related no personal.
Where is our chairman in all this? where is his direction? communication? or do I have to look at facebook?
Rant over.
who is the chariman ?
"I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect."
As regarding the bickering......Two words are prevalent here,,,,"Grow" and "Up".
This really is no better than "my dads bigger than your dad". It is such a shame.
Diesel and Axel are correct .. this a is car forum if anyone has a political or petty point to prove then they should sort it out one to one - or remain silent in consideration to the majority.
The rant endeth
Trinculo
As regarding the bickering......Two words are prevalent here,,,,"Grow" and "Up".
This really is no better than "my dads bigger than your dad". It is such a shame.
Diesel and Axel are correct .. this a is car forum if anyone has a political or petty point to prove then they should sort it out one to one - or remain silent in consideration to the majority.
The rant endeth
Trinculo
i agree put the handbags down, there for saturday night.......
Decent people have resigned and friends have fallen out because you would not accept the moderators decision about a foolish link from a foolish person and this whole thing was then blown completely out of proportion.
Well if said person was so foolish, then it doesn't really give much weight to the moderators decision does it, not to do anything until it was all too late.
Oh dear someone is disagreeing with me on the internet I better complain to the moderators
Decent people have resigned and friends have fallen out because you would not accept the moderators decision about a foolish link from a foolish person and this whole thing was then blown completely out of proportion.
Well if said person was so foolish, then it doesn't really give much weight to the moderators decision does it, not to do anything until it was all too late.
Oh dear someone is disagreeing with me on the internet I better complain to the moderators
*thud* ( as I fall off my chair laughing)
The biggest joke is, with out the form, had you all been in the same room, you would all be talking about you bloody G wagens! For shame the lot of you .
Having spent many number of years in the GWOA, going out of my way to go and meet people, say 'Hi' , plan events, email, phone, visit, carry members on their last trip in a G (the Late Vicky Allenson), say goodbye to former members (Tony, David, Paula) , all in my G - I thinks it about time we stopped this playground nonsense and man the f*ck up! It has really p*ssed me off seeing the likes of Eddie, Chris, Caroline et all leaving, people having a go at moderators, because they HAVE to take an impartial stance on all these things. For those of you who have been here a long time you know Paul can be a dick with his post, but to see intelligent people rising to the bait? Come on, take a look in the mirror people. Why all of a sudden have we taken exception? why all of this utter, utter crap? I am not dissing the great work people like Eddie, Chris and Mike have done helping other members or even Paul for that matter, I am frustrated at the utter lack of 'being grown up' and bloody adults!!
When you can put in the work I have done over the years, to try and make this a great club, made the effort I have made (in conjunction with others) its time to stop, take stock and ask yourself this one question - Am I an Adult or a child? Because if you are the former, you will see the posts for what it is, if you are the latter - then sod off, gown a pair and then come back!
Do not knock the committee, admin - they are trying to make it good for everyone, if you don;t like it then at the next AGM vote them out and step forward If you are that pi*sed off then ask for a extraordinary vote and get rid of them, stand up and be counted. If you like provoking responses, then make it G related no personal.
Where is our chairman in all this? where is his direction? communication? or do I have to look at facebook?
Rant over.
well ill said mate, it would be a shame to see this forum disappear. Honestly we need to all take a breather, get the car chat going on ASAP. Lol
Play nicely, children!
AXEL ITS YOUR FAULT MATEY ! 
you need to start another project or post some works of art to keep the calm. everyone has a point in their own way. i think we should all just get on with it , and prefer pm's to file our personal views and comments.
enjoy the views....
lifes just a short trip.
rgds hus
OK Guys and Girls here is an idea,
Whilst we agree in Free speech (and I do) I also agree that we should have a vote on a rule to say that we agree not to disagree. How long someone has been a member is irrelevant, we all pay the same we all have an equal share. It is clear that there is a difference of opinion in the community.
Like you all I suspect I was asked by Email from Tony Baskill as to ideas to promote and maintain the site.
My E-mail to Tony follows, I am
NOT saying I am right I am saying I have an opinion and that is freedom of speech.
I do not wish to limit free speech but I do suggest there is a time and a place to make statement.
Here is my take and... before we all get uppity IM NOT taking sides. However I have received a HELL of a lot of info from Axel (now gone?) build threads GONE the works GONE and for what.... a playground banter, collectively we are perhaps being a bit immature here.
"He started it is now basis for logical debate"
My suggestion is that if we are serious about "majority" then the following statement (end of the mail to Tony follows) or similar should be uttered from the admin\ Chairman ..they could formally hold an extraordinary AGM (can do that on the phone") Email EVERYONE. If the majority reply with YES or NO.... Then that's democracy folks....
I am suggesting that as club member we ask the Chairman to ask whether there should be a debate about promotion of personal opinion in the forum generally - we live with the answer.
-----------------
I am a recent member. I was encouraged to join by a very long serving and knowledgeable member.
In all honesty I have been very impressed with the site and have dived in and out over the past few months. I am without bias, working for a very large American corporate I see far and enough internal politics in my everyday life.
I joined the site as an resource renovation of my own SWB-G. I have had phenomenal assistance from Mike, Gav Helme and Diesel Jim....and found various posts very useful
My user name trinculo was chosen as a nomme de plume simply because my actual identity, mindset or ethnicity race are not relevant to the forum. Trinculo (Shekespeares The Tempest) was also a drunken malevolent fool (obvious comment expected.....).
The GWOA sense of community has been underpinned by a well scribed newsletter.
Having travelled across parts of North Africa in a 4x4 (trans Sahara) Syria, Europe including the Alps and Alaska I would describe my self seasoned 4x4 traveller rather than a novice. By birth I am British and by ethnicity white. I am I guess a middle class Joe in suburbia.
I am sure that if you and I or almost anyone else from GWOA met we may get along...after all we have a shared interest and share information.
I logged into the site the other evening and started to follow a thread just before Steves' resignation E-mail arrived to which you allude.
In my mind there are three points of issue here. I list these as follows.
1: Free speach
2: Personal opinion
3: Social etiquette
If say we by chance met in a pub or a social event such as a wedding or on holiday - we can both filter information we agree with from that which we do not. We can mingle and merge into the throng. We may elect to stay in touch we may not.
That having been said, if you and I were say neighbours' in a quiet gated community to which you pay a fee you may not wish to hear that I had an opinion on a matter that you do not agree with. However you could choose to argue or to politely refrain from discussion.
It is of course as you espouse socially acceptable to disagree.
I laud the right to vocalise or scribe any matter as long as it is legal and measured. By measured I mean if I leant over your fence in the quiet village with a mega-phone and preached a philosophy to you which you found offensive - and continually did so you would have no option but to call the Police. Or as a last resort .... move.
My religion or political persuasion is not relevant in this argument however I do not follow a prophet and do not have a strong political view to any party or ideology. I therefore have no political or cultural opinion I wish to vocalise in this environ. Thay is not to say I do not have one-it is simply not relevant.
I will however state that recent events have been blown out of proportion. Two words seem to be relevant here..... "grow" and "up".
These are people who have never met are feuding and getting heated in their opinion - espoused by person(s) with a mega-phone in a quiet on-line village community with gated access (paid membership).
Recent posts are to the detriment of the common good of village life. Whilst I respect any right to free speech - Hyde Park Corner is a suitable venue - a forum on motor vehicles is in my opinion not.
When you have "senior" members leave and the committee leave there is obviously a rift that needs healing.
Let us keep this in persective. This issue will I doubt this issue will be debated in Prime Ministers Question Time or Newsnight.
This could easily it have been brushed off as a "storm in a teacup" that has resulted in a large portion of the contents having ejected itself the cup.
Tony on your mail you ask opinion. I will therefore provide same. To be frank I think has been mishandled by the committee and the moderators.
The issue is not the storm. The cup is actually cracked. All the superb work that has been done for the GWOA website has compromised the integrity of the cup. The crack has been introduced by people (plural) espousing opinions that are impossible to escape from. The community is hearing various megaphones simultaneously.
Free speech is no excuse for immaturity and loutish behaviour that is what as an observer in this I see. No one should have the right to force their opinions by shouting down another especially when they cant escape the village.
The moderators and the committee in my opinion are wrong on the following counts.
A: In not stepping in sooner
- an option would have been to be a quick private mail to say " I agree with you personally..... but for the common good lets not upset the apple cart pretty please remove xyz content".
B: As late as today you say in your mail there is likely to be differing opinions due to the clubs size...and that the committee plans on no further action.
The Chairmans' role is in part to keep order .... similar to the speaker of the house if you will.
Following this logic of free speech if I was to start putting links on posts espousing the reduction in age of sexual consent to 5 years (hypothetical example for literative example..an opinion not held), actually have done nothing wrong or illegal - it is however offensive to I would hope the vast majority and not the correct forum.
The silence the committee took was deafening and as the spats grew was taken by the majority as acceptance.
I paid a membership to live in a quiet village and not to have irrelevant opinion or argument(s) foisted upon myself or others.
You cannot reasonably expect persons to pay a Penny or Pounds not to have protection from mob rule. That is the issue here.
"Whilst I may disagree with way you say I will defend to the death you right to say it"
A fantastic maxim... but social etiquette come into play here... the GWOA forum is being reduced to a teenage chat room.
Heres the rub - if a rule existed that you cannot express political racial or preferences to ethnicity or religion then everyone gets along and their is harmony..... youre not gagging free speech your laterally agreeing not to disagree.
Im not resigning my membership. Not because I am selfish or agree with biggotry from any side - but because we need to see change over dissolution. The loss I greater than the reaction.
Here is my suggestion… send an Email.
“In the interests of harmony we could ask members if they would like to see a rule introduced that will mean we collectively agree that publishing of obscene or promotion of material of political or racial opinion will not be permitted.”
If the answer is “Yes” the majority speaks and balance restored when moderators step up to the plate.
Without this the crack in the cup will totally fracture.....
Please take this as constructive comment I mention no names and take no sides - but cohesion can still be applied by smoothing the choppy waters will some oil. There needs to be some pride swallowing here and a “Velvet Hammer”. At this time it seems there is an autocracy (general opinion), any club needs rules and diplomacy is key.
Please don’t let all the excellent hard work go to waste.
trinculo
An email was sent out to all members of the GWQA dealing with this matter.
Members are in the process of giving their opinions via email to the committee regarding any changes they would like to see as to how the forum is run.
I see no reason why this thread should not be locked until the committee has had a chance to look at all the responses and reach an informed decision.
The above post only serves to keep the argument going on the forum which I think we are all a bit fed up with.
Doug.
Thread temporarily locked while committee go through e mail responses received.
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