I’ve tried running this site pretty much like a village pub… and that’s how what it’s been likened in the past, a close knit community where everyone is friendly and well humoured…and hitherto the self moderation on this forum has let it be just that.
Sure, it’s not your normal Web Forum, but I see that as a good thing… I think we all agree we don’t want this place to be like SELOC. There’s no need for being rude, or offensive, we’re all a bunch of civilised types I’d like to think and can resolve things in a reasoned way.
I’m not a big fan of blocking users on this forum. As you know only 2 people in 7 years have been denied access to this site, which is pretty darn low by interweb standards… and even though those people may not have a voice on this site any more, there are plenty of places where they can be… (I think I can hear Scuffers from here !), and given the feedback from people I’ve met I feel they were the right decisions.
Anyway, there comes a point, much like in a pub, at which an ongoing argument is ruining everyone elses enjoyment and you need to ask someone to leave.
So, it’s with regret that I’ve chosen to de-activate KingK_Series account. I’m not taking sides per se, I’m not saying what I think he posts his wrong (most of it is waaay over my head technically) but his posts appear to be the catalyst for the break-down of a thread into all noise and no signal.
So it’s my judgement that deactivating this user should make this a convivial place again… fingers crossed !
David, as difficult as the decision may have been, i believe it was the right one. In some respects as others have mentioned, the technical infomation was great and used to be constructive and informative but lately it had just become a slanging match to the point where i’d switch off and totally miss any relevant data that it contained…
Don’t normally get envolved vocally but i felt it was necessary to give some support to someone who has stood up and made that tough decision…
Thats a shame because he is a mine of information on the k-series and off the forum a genuinely nice chap, He has helped me enormously with my k-series over this year for no charge.
I know he has not come across very well with some of his posts and he seems to easily get wound up. and in fairness some people on here have tried their best to do just that.
Recently it has become a bit of a witchunt especially the thread regarding my honda engine from spa.
Anyway hope everyones happy now.
Whilst I am genuinely sorry to see him go, & I would have preferred him to stay, it’s his own fault that David has made the difficult choice he has. It was suggested many, many times, by lots of people here, that he modified his posting manners, but alas to no avail.
Hopefully, we’ll see some Erland engines performing well over the next few months - they’ll speak louder than any of Simon’s posts.
Agree with all of the above. Tough having to make the call.
I forgot that it would erase all the existing posts tho. Is there no way of retaining them for reference - as noted already, there was alot of interesting tech info there. Possible? Suspending the account rather than deleting or so?
Personally, I couldn’t be bothered to declutter these ‘discussions’ and stopped reading them ages ago so I shalln’t miss Simon’s input.
I think the decision is one-sided though. I have no axe to grind with either Dave or Simon who between them probably know all that we could possibly want to know about the K series engine (and I want to keep mine) but both were equally antagonistic in their approach. I don’t know who started it but that’s how it ended up. Sorry Dave, nothing personal but if Simon goes, you should’ve gone as well.
It’s David’s forum, however, and if it’s his decision that only Simon is barred then so be it. I look forward to hearing Dave’s expert advice unchallenged and uncluttered.
Now how do we get rid of all those pesky S2 posters …
Yes, I could have removed both Dave + Simon, but then we would lose two people with something to offer… as it stood, the two sides were negating each other resulting in nothing useful. So rather than removing both and still having nothing useful to offer (though it still being quieter) I made a judgement call to keep one of them to continue contributing.
Since Dave was here first, and as far as I know wasn’t involved in any conflict before Simon’s arrival, and since he has so many physical engines out there working rather than theoretical I elected to keep him.
Sure, it’s not an ideal outcome, but then we had all be waiting for the problem to solve itself and it hadn’t, and wasn’t looking like it was going to.
y�l?e have never met as yet but I think you have taken a brave decision after,I’m sure, a lot of thought…
I have enjoyed many of the King K /Dave posts during in my relatively short time on here. Something had to give as it was poisoning the atmosphere and I think I am correct in saying that it was turning-off a lot of peopl;e who would otherwise have been posting regularly.
My 2 penethworth: whilst it is clearly a difficult decision to make, I think it is a shame that it’s come to this. I’ve followed the threads about the K series with interest and whilst I don’t condone offensive comments, it still feels like censorship of freedom of speech. Perhaps the ban could be for a limited time?, and Simon be invited to rejoin at some point - Doubtful I know, but it sounds like some will miss his expertise.
I too think it’s a shame that he has been banned, when it seems his ethos is to share whatever he discovers with owners for free…
I don’t know the history behind banning Scuffers, but whether we like it or not, people like Scuffers/Randy have an immense amount of knowledge, and it’s a shame to lose that.
Tough call, and I support anyone that has to make a decision whether I agree or not. Obviously, there will be opinions that suspending KingK’s account is taking sides but I don’t see what other option there was.
My personal experience is that my car came with one of Dave’s 200bhp engines already done, and I’ve talked to Dave several times about it.
Somehow, KingK got hold of my details (probably by using relevant posts and For Sale adverts I’ve placed on various sites) and has contacted me by email and phone to dig and dig, firstly about why I was (thinking about) selling my old engine and secondly about problems he thought I was having with the DVA engine. He was way off the mark, and at one point I had to ask him to not contact me again. Even then (over 3 years ago) he was pushing The Book and wanting to get my new engine for (FoC) examination / healthcheck.
Now as an engineer, I hold both with great respect, but cannot abide the way he ducks the questions, will not provde info he’s promised time and time again, and takes the slightest chance to re-open old arguements and old shite.
It’s a shame that it’s come to that because I believe I can take a balanced view but, as I said, I’m an engineer. I can’t imagine being able to sift through the chaff to get to the bottom of the numerous arguements if I weren’t. Perhaps that’s what makes the decision you’ve made the right one.
I also wonder how much productive time has been wasted over the years by people defending and counter-argueing (here and on many other sites) when things are said, some of which appear to have been near-libelous and certainly damaging to all parties concerned.
I was wondering if it would eventually come to this, and was curious as to how it would be dealt with. Obviously this decision leaves Dave with carte-blanche, but with no antagonist I expect there will be no fuel and air to fan any flames. The Muppet Show forum was a good idea and worked, initially. Unfortunately things have reappeared elsewhere and, whilst there seems to have been a token effort to keep things more amicable, that’s all it was and something more solid was clearly needed.
Its a real shame simon has been banned from here.I feel it a loss to the community as a whole.....he may have upset a few,but he has helped many many more Isnt that the main spirit of this community? and if pub type,I agree,…go home and come back on Tuesday…or the day after?
On the subject for “freedom of speech”, well hand in hand with that freedom should come tolerance for others, and it seems that there wasn’t much to be had in the bunfights that ensued.
This site isn’t just about facts and figures, and knowing the K-series, it is about community and sharing the enjoyment of the Lotus Exige… I wasn’t prepared to lose that just so two people could exercise their “freedom of speech”…
Yes its arrogant to say, but this isn’t a public forum, it’s membership based, and it’s my ball, and I’ll take it home with me if I want.
Thanks for all your comments offline + online, I’ll close this thread and hope we can get on with Exiges business !