Couldn't agree more BBD, you're spot on. And if I ever message Avant I do it correctly method via the moderators, not in public.. I must add it's never to criticise him, he does a brilliant job.

Edited by Trilogy. on 31/07/2020 at 18:04

But also struck by the notion that while the OP feels he is due an apology, he clearly doesn't feel that Primus 1, Jack Burnet, and of course SLO, are due one from him, (long overdue in the case of SLO).

Indeed.

Dito the above.

I, too, have once or twice emailed Avant privately and he has responded in a prompt and polite manner. A true gentleman worthy of the term gentleman. If thunderbird had something on his mind he should have kept it private.

To post publically in the manner that we all saw was out of order.

And, yes, I too have squirmed at some of thunderbird's bad manners.

An apology is called for, thunderbird.

When I first found this forum quite a few years back I had a problem with a misfire on my VRS. Your member Skidpan it was gave me technical details regarding fuel trims to be expected when plugging in the diagnostics. To cut along story short with the information he provided I was able to go to Skoda and insist they checked the injector that they had fitted some months back. Turns out that there are some six different ones across the range and they had fitted the wrong one. The likes of a tech like Skidpan if he had faults is missed on here.

Skidpan was very much Marmite. Although he had a lot of technical knowledge he had no time for fuel additives and certainly made his feelings about people who use them known, and was also quite rude and offensive.

Can't see much reason for the original post, nor much reason to comment on it, so I won't. :-)

+1 for Avant

SLO, nowadays I try to make a post and not get drawn into an argument, sometimes easier said than done.

I’ll offer my support to Avant here. I think he does a great job of keeping our widely ranging regulars in some kind of order. .......politeness costs nothing and is more likely to gather support for ones opinion.

Agreed. Nice to see you back, SLO76 - I trust your skin is now approaching the thickness of my hoary old carapace ;-)

I must agree with all the other forum members who have praised Avant's moderation. It has always been very well and tactfully done. It is one of the things which make this forum so valuable.

The problem with internet forums is that it is too easy to reply to a post hastily in a way that you would never do if you were talking to a person face to face. Or if you did reply like that in a public bar you could well be asked to leave.

Like other posters I am glad to see SLO returning. His posts were always informative and often amusing.

I can of course assure you that I didn't, and won't, refer to anyone specifically by name or forum name as a bully.

Indeed you didn't. :-)

It's a bit shaming, isn't it, when the OP on the thread about licence points is moved to say:

'I now know why some people are reluctant to post on here.'

Because I was rather surprised at the turn this thread has taken, I revisited the licence-points thread. I remember thinking that T-bird's early put-down was a little unnecessary, but fairly mild by today's social-media standards, so not worth special comment. I am starting to wonder if the current vogue for virtue signalling may be infecting our little world.

i always steer clear of invective, such as using words like 'stupid' or 'idiot' as they are rarely useful and almost guaranteed (and often intended) to cause offence. But I don't remember seeing much of that lately on here.

I have to imagine myself asking a question on a gardening forum (we have a quite a big garden but all I'm good at is mowing and pruning). I never have, and will probably never have the courage to. I'd like our forum to be a place where it doesn't need courage.

I don't see why not - I thought that was what the 'General Discussion' (non monotring) part of the Backroom was for - and not just the heavy political stuff, which from time to time it can be.

It would be nice for other topics to be discussed, and I think it would also foster better relations between Backroomers and potential ones, who might feel intimidated or put off by the political discussions or 'heated debate' about more technical issues.

It's not as though there's loads of big news on the car world front at the moment, other than likely cuts to firms etc.

Some non-contentious 'good news' or at least something to take our minds off more depressing news events would be a welcome change - many people currently cannot properly socialise with their group of friends and family (especially older ones) and rely on forums for a modicum of normality / social interraction with others.

I'm sure many of us have gone a bit stir-crazy over the past few months (especially those having to fully shield) - sometimes resulting in some being far more tetchy or depressed of late, something brought home to me as my elderly uncle has been suffering considerably from the latter, so much so that it was initially though was due to some mini strokes.

A bit of chat / shooting the breeze on other issues mind help many of us. One chap I discuss issues etc elsewhere owns a pub not that far from me, so I may try and pop in once I've got my bicycle back in working order - a nice day out (and good exercise) and helping a (well-regarded locally) independent pub owner whose opinion I respect.

I had a smile a few years ago when the reply i got about an incorrect lubricant used on an Oil change.

Still makes me smile..

Did you open the filler cap and sniff knowingly, like a wine expert? Or was the sound of the engine ever so subtly different?

But, I do have a sense of humour so I let it pass,

Sometimes people try to make a "funny" remark and it comes out wrong to others.

But, as i have done the same, sorry from me..

... you are openly criticised on a public forum, however, you (MUST!) handle this privately. Right... Well, let's distribute the freedom to criticise equitably; if whoever dished the criticism did it in public, then so must you have the right to criticise them in public.

Surely it is inconsistent to object to certain behaviour and then ask to continue it ? That's just Can't beat 'em so join 'em. Mods have the difficult task of deciding what oversteps the bounds of propriety - which itself presumes that we all agree where those are. The answer is not to permit unpleasant slanging matches to develop, surely ?

just to assure you that age and gender are never disclosed on this forum. We are mostly male, but only because a higher proportion of men than women is interested in cars and motoring.

Many of us give away our ages by revealing memories from the seventies or even sixties, Avant, so conclusions are easily drawn, perhaps only approximate :-)

We'd very much like some more female members. Some come on to the forum to ask a question, but go away again when it's been answered.

(I did know a female Jamie once - a charming girl.)

Yes there's an abundance of male members here. ;-)