Nope, I think the Mods agenda is quite simple.

You look after the Mags and the Forums best interests.

I agree wholeheartedly in a moderated Forum, it would have and could have descended into a pit of nasty baiters but this place has, and I hope, will always be a healthy mix of opinion, intuition, inspiration and healthy debate.

And fun.
And piss taking.

And pies,
And beer,
And bikes.

Well, that’s hardly an “agenda”. It’s more of a “business model.” With pies. Mm, pie.

Moreover, if a mod’s “agenda” wasn’t “the forum’s best interests,” they probably shouldn’t be a mod. I’m a bit perplexed as to how this is somehow unusual or sinister, TBH.

Also,

I really need to work on my punctuation.

Business model ? Are you from the 1980’s??

Too late for pies, tomorrows good though..

davidtaylforth – Member

Aswell as arguing (never really bothered reading it), TJ seemed to offer lots of helpful cycling related advice. As did GW who was pretty funny with it aswell. The pupil gives face to the Sensei. Order is thus maintained.

Are you from the 1980’s??

I’m flattered.

but this place has, and I hope, will always be a healthy mix of opinion, intuition, inspiration and healthy debate.

That is what works for me

That is what works for me

Me 2 😀

Aswell as arguing (never really bothered reading it), TJ seemed to offer lots of helpful cycling related advice. As did GW who was pretty funny with it aswell.

Post – I want to buy a helmet for my kid
27 pages later……

Ohhhh … I see … so that’s the reason I don’t see TJ etc not on STW anymore.

Frankly, I thought their views (not that particular thread but others) were rather balance with no one winning.

Yes, calling names perhaps is not on for the 40 or 50 something … 😆 That’s real handbag swinging that …

He is incredibly inflammatory without realising it, which got people annoyed and then threads would blow up. He also is utterly incapable of admitting he’s wrong or that someone else’s point of view is valid.

As someone who used to have quite heated debates with him on here, I’d just like to add that I am friends with him on Facebook, and still have very constructive debates on several of the issues that caused mammoth ‘TJ’ threads.

I’ve never met him, probably never will. But that he can hold a constructive discussion between two people with obviously different starting points highlights pretty much all of your comment to be a bit far from the truth.

I thought they were banned because Mark doesn’t like them. That’s why The Yak was banned too.

This thread has been very civilised,still the day shift are due shortly. TJ could argue about the colour of poo, but there was an element of people who followed him round just to poke him with a stick,and would be internet high fiving each other as they did it.It could turn some threads into a real mess.Jeremy knew his bikes and routes in Embra region and is pretty switched on about the rugby, also invented the best insult ever typed on STW (looks over shoulder at Cougar approaching with Molinar type banhammer and decides not to type it out)

This place is infinitely better since TJ was banned.

I quite liked TJ, he seemed to be a thinking mans troll.

I thought they were banned because Mark doesn’t like them. That’s why The Yak was banned too.

+1

I’m a bit perplexed as to how this is somehow unusual or sinister, TBH

I have seen circumstantial evidence that a person has exercised prejudice and discrimination wrt moderation decisions on a recent thread.(I haven’t mentioned which forum or which thread)
For those who moderate, there will always be the risk that holding such power on a forum will eventually skew their opinion on matters. A point I had to raise recently.
Which is that moderation does not include the office of policing the internet generally, enforcing corporate law or exercising your own brand of law, judgement and punishment.
However, protecting the interests of those who advertise with a commercial enterprize, has to cause a conflict of interest. imo.

I thought they were banned because Mark doesn’t like them.
You’d like to think this wasn’t the case.
But, you can’t escape the reality that this is someone’s party. If you don’t like it, they don’t have to change the music just for you and they don’t have to adhere to the highest or most widely agreed standards of fairness.
Its business.

I can see STW/Mods point of view. Alot of ‘us’ are a bloody pain in the ass/not worth the hassle. Hence why I stopped subtly baiting people soo much. Its tiring for all concerned (part of growing up?).

I liked TJ – but as with everything forums bring out repetitive/compulsion in us.

the best insult ever typed on STW

wassat then ?

That’s why The Yak was banned too

Oh, I thought The Yak was banned for being predictable

Generally I found TJ fine but a bit repetitive when the others pushed his buttons and he couldn’t help himself but respond. On a few occasions he crossed from “fine but I don’t agree” to extremely rude but those weren’t anything to do with his ban.

Like others have said, I think he was often a positive forum member but the goading and his inability to ignore it ensured things were going to end badly. On balance, given his absence and the absence of the people pushing his buttons, things seem to have got “better” (whatever that means).

hora

and

subtly

in the same sentence. No. 😆

TJ’s argumentative skills were epic. If he wanted to he could brow-beat you into trying hardcore rampant gaysex. Such was his omni-potent power of staying power.

TJ was (and is) a pathological arguer. He is incredibly inflammatory without realising it, which got people annoyed and then threads would blow up. He also is utterly incapable of admitting he’s wrong or that someone else’s point of view is valid.

So despite being a fundamentally sound bloke, these particular traits caused a lot of acrimony, the mods continually warned him about it and temporarily banned him. Then one day there was just one argument thread too many.

+1

If he wanted to he could brow-beat you into trying hardcore rampant gaysex

Are you trying to tell us something?

The biggest troll on here is molgrips.

TJ is a sound guy who has strong well thought out opinions, as is GW.

I know I’ve been away a while, but when did Cougar get to be mod?

Weird. I’m thinking that anyone who has something intelligent and/or funny to add to a discussion shouldn’t be a mod… That’s just a waste.

I quite liked TJ and Yeti and most of the others who felt the wrath of STW…

I’m always genuinely surprised that people don’t seem to get moderation here?

Somebody is paying for webspace and a forum as a commercial enterprise, if they see it being jeopardised people get removed, like a nightclub in the real world.

It’s not rocket science really is it?

I never saw TJ utter any nasty comments, and he always had a supporting reason for his argument.

I figure he was banned for being too much of a mouth, and the others for being too much of the other orifice.

Apart from the lack of TJ this forum is a much pleasanter place.

This place is way nicer for the fact that we no longer have every thread turning into some 16 page monster argument over absolutely nothing of significance!

I figure he was banned for being too much of a mouth

No it was because he couldn’t ever stop. There’s nothing wrong with stating an opinion.

The biggest troll on here is molgrips.

Fame!

No it was because he couldn’t ever stop.

Pot Kettle Black.

No it was because he couldn’t ever stop.

Afraid not. It was because he repeatedly ignored warnings. I’ve had many a warning from teh modz, some more justified than others. I’ve never ignored them, though.

FWIW, I disagree with TJ’s ban, and would allow him back in a flash if it was my show. However, like any criminal rehabilitation process, there would be conditions. Any post of his on a helmet or Scotland * thread would be auto-replaced with “Blah, blah, blah”. 😉

* – Apart from rugby threads. I miss his sheer bloody minded optimism about Scotchish rugby.

I’m not really keen on heated or angry debate (certainly not on a forum) and I’m far from being a political animal, so from that point of view I enjoyed watching the debates between TJ and friends. I admired his determination and inability to back down no matter how many pounced on him.

If I owned a pub and a few people spent all day there, shouting and arguing, being aggressive to other potential customers and never even buying a drink, I would chuck them out.

I don’t own a pub but I do help run this site and this sort of thread is entertaining for a few and alienating for most. Topic closed