Since I've been around (2002?) many backroomers have come and gone (some missed more than others). These days, quite a few seem to disappear disappear after a relatively brief flurry of activity (sometimes quite prolific), others hang around for longer but gradually fade away and then there's the group who've been here forever and still pop in/out on a fairly regular basis.
So, how long have you been a member of this prestigious club, what keeps you here and whose contributions do you miss most?
Mods - don't know if this has been done before, if so just delete. Ta.
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Been here since 10:30:55 on November 26th 2002.
Keep coming back partly cos it's useful and interesting and partly to read more soap opera from those that contribute regularly. See, some of you have fans you didn't even know existed.
Don't contribute much myself partly cos I'm in awe of everyone else's knowledge and partly cos I have nothing useful to add to most topics, but I'd sure miss it if it disappeared.
Missing the most at the minute? Why, Mark's moderating put downs of course! I've had T shirts made with some of his pithier phrases on.
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Thu 16 Jan 2003, according to my profile, although I joined before that but had my account deleted (don't know why).
I originally found this place for the technical side of things, when we had 2 French cars doing their best to eat up all my money on various issues they developed.
I stay for the interesting threads, it's a great place to use as a sounding board for various things and I do geniunely enjoy the banter.
If I ever left, I would miss people constantly recommending the Mondeo TDCi and Ford Focus Saloons!!
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Think I've been here since early 2001 but can't recall the exact date. Certainly I was here from before you had to register using an email.
Contributors I recall & miss (off the top of my head) include Ian Cook, The Lacey brothers (although I don't get over to technical too often). Good to see Middleman popping into CRQs last week.
Was really pleased to "bump" into Randolph Lee (Nantucket Island) who used to visit the BR - after getting bitten by the MINI bug I ran into him on MINI2.com!
Good times ... www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=5192&v...f
-- Lee .. A festivus for the rest of us.
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Oh, and Martyn - difficult job done well with limited tools!
-- Lee .. A festivus for the rest of us.
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Just over 2 years (July 2003). It seems to have got a bit more agressive recently but still far and away the best motoring site around.
Worth visiting for Growler's (and Growlette's) posts alone
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"More aggressive recently" - who the hell do you think you are????
Sorry, just couldn't resist :)
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>>Martyn - difficult job done well with limited tools!
Tell me about it. I used to have fairly regular conversations with Martyn about the problems he faced in the forum, the frustration they caused, and the lack of tools he had to deal with them.
It wasn't that I faced any different problems, although probably more of them as the forum grew in membership, but at least I had tools, however imperfect, which helped deal with the problems and the problem people.
Martyn did an outstanding job in the face of some right idiots.
I think people forget HJ's contribution. Of course he writes the articles and gets his face on the page; but he fought for this place for a long time. There were previous incarnations and previous attempts. There were times when others wanted to stop, didn't think it was worthwhile, or simply lost interest.
It took HJ a lot of fighting to get this in place and whatever the rest of us have made of it since, it owes its existance to his efforts.
I miss the Friday notes. Some of them were excellent. The edit button thread and the anall day bender were probably the two best, but there were many others.
Looking back even Chris Watson is amusing - a right, humourless, irritating, counter-productive, PITA at the time, but amusing in restropect.
I miss DW's notes. He bought a lot of technical value to the forum, a very dry humour, and he was a much nicer moderator than me.
However, whilst I can remember a lot of people here no more, and a lot of humour which has passed, I would have to say that the present crowd are as rewarding, amusing, frustrating, annoying, mindless, petty, generous, open-minded, narrow-minded, objective, subjective and prolific as their predecessors. The Backroom has maintained its personality, more or less, despite the passing of people and the joining of new - or perhaps its because of that.
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According to my profile, 69 weeks (Friday 2nd April 2004) although it feels like it is substantially longer. However, I had been reading through posts on the site for a good few months prior to joining (which made me the youngest member at the time).
The seemingly endless amounts of knowledge are what mainly keep me here. No matter what the question is, someone here has an answer for it.
Can't say I miss any one in person in particular, but I haven?t been here all that long.
I always feel a bit guilty that I take more from the BR than I give, (asking more questions of my own, as opposed to answering someone else?s, especially in the technical forum). But I do try!
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For just short of five years backroomers have had to put up with my ignorance and dubious sense of humour.
Just think how awful it is actually being me!
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Well that was a cracking speech by Mark. It almost brings me to tears.
In fact - his notes abotu Fridays made me think - whatever happened to Patently?
In any event, I've been here for 18 months I think - more or less. It feels more like 18 years but having the grandads of the forum made me feel at home didn't you RF, Frosty, VM, Hugo, Dave, Al, Mark and Henry?
It goes without saying that deserves a ;-)
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Adam
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Been here since June 2004, but I'm sure I was here much before that, although possibly using a different psuedonym.
I really appreciate Aprilia's comments - they are so useful and full of knowledge and common sense. It's been fun jousting with Adski and Pugugly and RF and hope it continues.
Remember the North West Back Room meet on Tuesday 16th August at 8pm. TGI Fridays, by Junction 17 of M60. See other thread for details....
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Pugugly!!! - that's the other grandpa. I couldn't remember.
Cheers E!
--
Adam
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May 2002....Great Granpappy that I am. One of the few sites that hasn't bored me. The other is an unrepeatable Sunday paper that I don't buy any more but read for professional reasons and JC's paid by the word road tests.
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I 'discovered the back room' back in mid 2001. It was much smaller then but occasionally more chaotic despite Martyn's best efforts. Many didnt make the transition to the new BR, as Lee mentions, many are missed, as numbers have increased fewer use real names. Who can forget LAC or Bogush, maddening though they were at the time. Also some of the friday afternoon madness instigated by TWLBM*.
Ian L (aka StarGazer)
* those who later became moderators
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I have been popping in and out of the BR for around two and a half years.
I'm happy to be a "read often, post occasionally" type of contributor, and like others, I'm often taken aback by the wealth of experience here and the genuine willingness of a large number of contributors to help. The guidance given in the BR helped me to buy my current car with confidence, and it has been a peach. Since joining, multiple technical questions have been answered, often far more competently than other sources where one would have to pay for that advice.
Big thumbs up to HJ and all the mods, past and present, for maintaining such a welcoming and friendly environment. Keep up the good work.
Ed.
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God I feel sooo old!
I've been here since September 2002, 151 weeks and counting!
Hadn't thought to check before now, but that is quite a long time really.
I feel that I've really learned a lot from my regular visits, and I'm sure that I will continue to learn something new most days.
Apart from the pool of knowledge here I think it's the mix of people that makes this place great, and that's the main reason that I keep on visiting week after week.
Cheers HJ!
Blue
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How long?
Since early 2001.
What keeps me here?
Habit; the occasional gem of an interesting post; the sound moderation; the literacy of most Backroomers. It's certainly not the forum software.
Whose contributions do I miss most?
Middleman, Chris Watson, John Slaughter and many many others.
Most annoying features;
Backroomers who change their handles every twenty minutes. Backroomers who can't progress beyond their own bigotry to have a sensible discussion.
Best features;
Growler & Growlette on a good day.
Hawkeye
-----------------------------
Stranger in a strange land
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since feb 2004. why because it's amusing who do i miss well there are a few but John Deacon springs to mind his politics used to wind me up although i never took the bait... i actually think he is a well known quite famous person , from reading between the lines . and i think he may still post under a different name.
KEO. Drink well be happy
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October 2002
So not quite 3 years for me.
I do just remember Martyn as a moderator.
The BR has taught me heaps! Not only about motoring but also much about communication. Non verbal communication, most of which is lost on any forum, apparently accounts for some 93% of the message we try to get across in a normal face to face situation.
I'm not sure where the figure comes from (some comms "expert" probably) but it's important that we remember that so much non verbal communication is missing from posts on any forum. Hence we can continually learn to communicate better and appreciate that there are many ways that posts can be interpreted.
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I officially registered on Mon 27 May 2002 and my first ever post was a reply to that old scallywag Toad. I recall popping in a couple of times beforehand when the old BackRoom was still in use. Boy, what a place that was!! I think I first stumbled across the backroom via a google search, but can't recall what I was looking for - probably something Vauxhall related knowing me ;o)
I only popped in briefly, and several years later still here.
Became a moderator in February 2003 after accepting an invite from Mark. It was the edit button that swung the decision ;o)
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8 May 2002.
I remember commenting something about why didn't they split discussion from technical, which was answered by a mod with "watch this space"
Toad of Toad Hall was the one who sprung to mind as I was reading this thread. I always enjoyed him. Oddly, I also enjoyed that oblique and mysterious bloke whose name I forget, but was some kind of development engineer on diesel engines, and I think got virtually thrown out.
I won't flatter the current crop of amusing or irritating posters by naming them, but I've flattered the moderation of this site by emulating the style, albeit less strictly, on a board I moderate.
I visit usually at least three times a day because I HATE getting behind with posts - I tend to read nearly all, which takes some considerable time if I get behind. Ah, the benefits of working from home.. :) I have been frequently gobsmacked by remote diagnosis of problems with cars, not just my own. I enjoy the topic of motoring, and I occassionally learn something. I guess that's why I come back.
I *think* I originally found the web site from HJs page in the Torygraph.
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Sometime in August 2003, possibly the 19th - the day after some idiot non-blind spot checking lorry driver decided he'd prefer my lane, and I didn't have a clue what to do next, thus beginning one of the longest dodgy bodyshop sagas in backrom history.
Gained a couple of dads along the way, still waiting for that edit button :)
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Sometime in August 2003, possibly the 19th
The 22nd actually ;o) Just clicked on your profile.
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Early 2001, with a break of about six months just over a year ago when I was without a computer.
It's changed quite a bit in here, mostly for the better, though early contributers like David Wollard are missed.
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Smokie - that'd be Sean who lives/lived in Leeds and works/worked for VW in Germany (mostly)IIRC.
BTW - TOTH popped in for some advice a few months ago after a very long break but hasn't reappeared to my knowledge.
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Yup,
Still here. Still there.
Hi Volvoman. One of my real friends.
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Good to see you're still around Sean - I've got a diesel now so who knows when I might need your expertise :)
Hope all's well at work & at play!
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"I've got a diesel now ".
Which one? If it's a Volvo (and why would I think it might be?) it could very well be an Audi-sourced unit.
I spent time at the Volvo engine plant, at Skovde, in Sweden, just as Ford bought the company. About 1998/9 from memory.
Volvo Car Corporation had a policy of buying what they perceived as the best items from any manufacturers around the world. This kept their own plants on their toes and ensured Volvo Cars had competitive kit.
They were not making diesel engines at Skovde, but a very nice line of modular petrol engines, all robot machined and assembled.
They had excellent effluent there, too!
Oil recovery from machining tools, aluminium swarf separation and waste water treatment which had fish swimming in the discharge tanks. Most impressive. I wonder what happened to them, since it looked like a newish plant.
I also remember that proper beer was about £5 a pint in Skovde village. You could buy some watery liquid at the supermarket for about £2 a pint but it was only 1.5% alcohol. Six or seven years ago. Imagine a Yorkshireman having to part with his brass for glorified shandy!
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Well actually it's not a Volvo anymore Sean, it's a 2003 Mazda MPV 2.0td. Having said that, Ford own Mazda too don't they?
Heard all sorts of stuff about modern diesels and how complex they are and what happens when they go wrong....... :(
However, don't want to fall foul of DD's 'Inane Babble' test so will e.mail you via the mods. Presume you've updated your e.mail address with them.
Cheers.
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No changes there.
There's nothing complex about modern diesels. Petrols and diesels are now becoming more analogous in technology.
I'm amazed that you remember the conversations we had in print.
I truly don't know what went wrong with things here, but I recognise that I'm no computer.
All human beings can make mistakes.
Dynamic Dave helped me and I'll always remain grateful to him (whoever he is, but he has much to do with Vauxhalls)
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I'd no idea - look at the profile, and apparently I've just made my 500th post. I'm not sure whether that's a matter for congratulation or not....
I was just about to PX the totally reliable Golf estate for the Audi (so far ditto, touch wood) and one reason for joining was to ask for suggestions for a new car for SWMBO who was finding her Jazz a little slow. I well remember the first answer to my thread "New car for my wife" - "Sounds like a fair swap". I can't remember which bright spark that was, but that's my sense of humour too and I've enjoyed it ever since. Long may it continue.
Maybe a South of England meet soon.
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Since HJ was in short trousers.
I hope my gentle irony doesn't offend anyone.
I miss Dave Taxi Driver - yes, I know he is still around, but, he doesn't post often ( I wonder how his new project is going?)
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Since 11 Jun 2002. I joined via HJ's Telegraph Column and whilst I stopped reading the Telegraph ages ago I'm still dipping in and out of the BackRoom.
I thought I was opinionated until I started reading the BR! I enjoy the humour, expertise and people's articulate support of their views (however wrong. I dislike the political conspiracy stuff comments. Some people are just paranoid.
I also dislike my "handle" but have no plans to change it - seems like cheating. I wonder if some contributors regularly use two or more names?
Overall the success of the site is down to HJ and some excellent moderation. Long may it continue!
..........pause for 3 cheers etc.
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Late 2003, 86 weeks ago, since which I have averaged 2 posts a day! Like many others I am sure, I looked in often for months, if not years, before joining due to being a regular DT reader and fan of HJ's Saturday column.
>>Maybe a South of England meet soon.
>>
Good idea.
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Since late 2001. My original profile somehow got lost. I don't post often. I DO read the site on a daily basis, sometimes more than once a day.
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Mon 13th May 2002. 168 weeks and counting ....
Found this site via Google when I was searching for some road test or the other. I usually pop in quite a few times a day (Mon-Fri) and you can always be sure that you'll learn something new at every visit.
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Looks like I've been here since 14 December 2000.
The contributions I miss most are those of the VW company/factory insider, who fell out of favour for some reason.
This remains the best general motoring forum on the Web, thanks not least to good moderator work. Such a contrast to an investment site I used to frequent, until it dissolved into vacuous and abusive playground babble, which the managers refused to address -- Hemscott, if you're wondering.
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Looks like I've been here since 14 December 2000. The contributions I miss most are those of the VW company/factory insider, who fell out of favour for some reason.
I remember him, but can't remember his name. His posts were pretty good from what I remember. Does anyone know what happened to him?
Blue
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I remember him, but can't remember his name. His posts were pretty good from what I remember. Does anyone know what happened to him?
sean
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He spat his dummy and swore never to return. As usual he was back and in fact he was writing in here in the last few weeks.
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I've been here since the 7th of June 2002. 164 weeks of replying to various threads on diverse, mostly motoring related things.
I've learnt a lot, there's only a couple of other fora I visit, both related to specific lifestyle activities that interest me.
The moderation here is as good as any I've found, which has kept teh decent people here and got rid of the trolls, flamers and baiters that frequent far to many fora.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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Mon 16 Jun 2003 (111 weeks ago)
Number of threads: 29
Number of posts: 521 (av: 0.67/day)
That'd be less than two weeks after i bought a 306DT, whence it began systematically falling apart, one bit at a time. I'm fairly sure i googled a problem and up popped this site - the rest is history!
What keeps me here? As others have said, if you want sound motoring advice, with minimal contribution from 17yr old chavs with Saxo VTR's and Burberry caps, this is the place to be.
Also, i'm horribly underutilised when i'm at work, and the Backroom easily consumes an hour or two of my day. Whilst i'm at uni though, i tend to visit less as daytime tv is accessible :-P
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20 September 2001 according to the archives.
Happy days?
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Since May 2002 according to profile, though that probably omits service in the "old" backroom. A never ending source of information and entertainment.
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According to my profile I have been a member since 11th May 2002, but looking through the archives the earliest post of mine that I can find was 26th May 2001. This is all using the same username... did we re-register at some point?
Anyway I don't post very often, normally I am beaten to it by other members with technical advice but I read the posts whenever I log on to the internet, (which is every few days or so).
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He spat his dummy and swore never to return. As usual he was back and in fact he was writing in here in the last few weeks.
Mark,
Is that not a little unjust?
I am on record as admiring your contributions to this forum - but the clash you had with ???? from VW Wolfsburg deprived the Backroom of one of its most informed and interesting contributers.
I would hope he returns.
C
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>>Is that not a little unjust?
I don't think so. As I recall he wrote some nonsense about being bonkers, which was the last a series of such stuff, I asked him to write normally, he asked why I was banning him, I said I wasn't he just need to write normally, and he went off on one about how VW US had done a risk assessment of his contribution and blah blah blah.....
And as for "hope he returns", I think you'll find he never left. Although the rubbish style of writing did cease.
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May 2002. Blimey!
Over 1550 posts, too (no wonder I never get any work done) but I always point people here for advice - the breadth and depth of knowledge available is simply staggering.
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March 2003! and almost singly handedly responsible for all the inane drivel!
What of Toad? (parp) why did he get banned?
Mods should be forced to post memoirs at the end of term of office!
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Sorry -- that should read Babble - Inane Babble
two and half years and still no edit button.
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Said it once but I'll say it again.
Since 2003 - I'm RF's sidekick when it comes to drivel.
--
Adam
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>>What of Toad? (parp) why did he get banned?
Not actually banned. He posted around last January or so and then didn't reappear. He had declared his intention never to return while I was moderating, because I wouldn't let him write whatever junk he wanted. Actually I half expected him to show up now I'm not moderating. Maybe he will.
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And we can expect your memoirs when?
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I've been lurking since...
Date registered: Wed 8 May 2002 (170 weeks ago)
Doesn't time fly when your enjoying yourself. ;¬)
Regards,
John R @ Home
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20-Sep-2001, according to the Back Room Archive.
but the mods won the war.
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>>but the mods won the war.
Of course we did. But we did finally work out a reasonable truce ?
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>>Of course we did. But we did finally work out a reasonable truce ?
Let's keep this on topic eh?
(huge grin)
Lee
-- Lee .. A festivus for the rest of us.
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Been dipping in and out of here since about 2001 but don't get much opportunity these days, more's the pity.
Also miss Dave Lacey - it was nice to say hello now and again to an old friend and former neighbour. He may not have worked on any motor of mine for a long while but it was nice to know he was around to answer questions!
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Also miss Dave Lacey
He's still around, but doesn't pop in as often as he used to.
That said, upon checking his profile, he hasn't visited since June.
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From memory, autumn 2002. I went away last year fed up with a certain aspect of the site, but that seems to have changed recently.
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>>but the mods won the war.
>>Of course we did. But we did finally work out a reasonable truce ?
Yep!
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First post: April 2001 ... too damn busy to post lately!
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I used to like the contributions of Dizzy (ex Perkins engines?) and I used to like signature of No Dosh (but then who has?). Must say I'm not too keen on heavy handed moderating but that's another subject. How long have I read or written to this forum? Don't know, not checked. Really liked the thread on Acetone, gave my colleague a real laugh.
Steve.
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