mastiles_fanylion – Member
argggh I was liking this but work somehow blocks some images so no idea what Fanylion posted.

It was an Agfa Gaaevart repro machine – it looked a fully loaded one with motorised focus on it. Does anyone remember the halftone sheets that you overlaid onto the contact papers to create halftones.
Those really were the days.

I still have my linen tester in my drawer too

Hah, me too it’s still here next to me on my desk, hasn’t left my side..

Remember dish developing and watching the dot under red light?

Hmm, can’t see why gay folk feel the need to be ‘married’ and then in church which to take it to its logical conclusion still regards same sex relationships as sinful kind of hypocritical and supporting an establishment that condemns the union.

Does a Civil partnership not satisfy all the legal obligations?

Oh and at risk of another ban for homophobia, I voted for them and fully agree with their position.

There ban away.

Hmm wish they’d teach em to read or even spell the word massage first.

Letraset are still going strong, drove by the factory the other day, fully expected to see it gone but it’s still there, I think the stuff still gets used for signs, office doors stuff like that.

I was thinking Outboards and bikes when thinking two stroke motor. Diesel Chainsaw now there’s a thought.

Palm Visor I do miss Gaydar..

Film

Floppy Discs

Newton

8 track

Two stroke engines.

Linotype machines

Typewriters

Shorthand Notepads

Well it was interesting news that they are going to ‘trade’ the remimbi (RMB) and it’s headed to the city, once that starts all the foreign currency wallers who had baled on the USD as a reserve currency will have something els to play with so their cash is safe and the Euro can go to hell in a hand cart as they short the f.uck out of it.

End game? Two tier Euro north and south with maybe France chucked in the South version so it doesn’t totally go tits up.

Markie – Member
Seems reasonable. After all, nobody has to pay to be here and STW are (at a guess) trying to foster an environment which feels like a forum version of the magazine (or something) and which people want to be a part of.
With any forum, its pretty self regulating… if the forum owners get too ban happy then the forum withers, likewise sometimes a ban is the best way to maintain the atmosphere they want – minus a few days handwringing, of course.

Well yes and no, in this current day and age, print is under enormous pressure and will continue to be so for a few more years, so it gets to be about click thru and as i said, STW click thru aint that good (a guy I ride with works for that IMBIKE mag, now they would give £’s to have this sort of forum content, whilst I understand STW would likewise give whatever mag folk give to enjoy the click thru that IMBmag have, it’s all about ad rates and chargeable sums in the ‘new media’

So, now troublesome types that don’t ‘click thru’ are highly dispensable especially if they put off newcomers.

But, and big but here, newcomers still want to read content and without it the tumbleweed very soon gathers, so it’s an unenviable task balancing it all, so far they’ve been lucky, but personally i wouldn’t be happy with the sort of slating the man took on twitter the other night, nor the DOS issues, they don’t appeal to admen and love em or hate em, it’s the ads what funds all this at the end of the day.

hora – Member
BTW I’ve never met Mark. I just think if you visit someones ‘house’ you don’t insult the host.

Hmm well it’s not quite like that is it, when you invite guests to your ‘house’ in order to profit by their presence and discussions should you then assume the right to dictate the terms of the said discussions?

Mr Agreeable – Member
You make ’em – an old ski pole (eBay or charity shop) and some 63mm HDPE water pipe (chat up a builder or a fellow player), a bit of drilling, and bob’s your uncle.

There’s a guide for beginners what I wrote here:

http://bs3polo.blogspot.com/p/start-playing.html

Where do you live? Have a google for your town’s name plus “Bike polo” – chances are there’s already some people playing.

Thanks, I live near Hickstown (Folkestone)on the south coast they can barely ride down here in between the afghans knifing each other. Nonetheless I shall google away, does that guide (haven’t clicked it yet) set out typical court dimensions?

Thank you zippy, I know it’s s’ok, it’s sat right next to Awolnation ‘sail’ I got from that vid with the bloke flying in a wing suit..

Junkyard – Member

not everyone is funny as you prove most posts

Exactly my point.. mods have done that to me, I bore myself now, whereas unleashed, unrestricted in a mod free environment, I have been known to crack myself up, tears streaming down my gorgeous cheeks (face cheeks in case you wondered) at comic riposte unfortunately at someone like our recent departed friends expense.

But sadly you’ll never know that now…

Hey..

If what you’re now all doing to him (TJ) aint what you’re complaining about ffs lighten up eh?

And the little guy want to give him another kick now he’s on the floor?

Fine thanks how are yours?

Thanks, I’m going to see if our local sports centre would be interested in letting us in, I used to play roller blade hockey in there but the kids liked to ape the violence for violence sake of ice hockey and none of them were that fit, they used to sit down every ten minutes because they were knackered.

Where do you get those plastic mallets from?

The worse thing imv was the captain and crew abandoning then getting off ahead of the passengers..

Captain Coward is the current title for the Eyties, then they always did run their tanks with five reverse gears or so my Grandad told me..

Fundamentally to be ‘bullied’ by somebody you have to first acknowledge some superiority about them that you are fearful of.

Now ffs this is the internet, you can turn it off, walk away, do something else.

TJ couldn’t bully the skin of a rice pudding, virtual or otherwise, he can be painful, but to me his greatest crime? He rarely makes folk laugh, I like a chuckle now and again, this place was always sold as a place with great humorous asides and tbh they are very rare, maybe in some previous time there were more instances.

How any of you could view any of the others on here as in some way superior is beyond me, it seems a place of equals, theoretically like minds, the only bullying going on is as I’ve previously described and they run the place so it’s put up or shut up imv, don’t go getting all scent of blood and try and nail the other pain.

Lifer – Member
derekrides – Member
so next time I go off on one and am condemned
Joining the Overinflated Church of Unmerited Victimhood while you’re there?

Why thank you, I shall although in reality I already spring from just such a victim.

Junkyard – Member
So in reality you have been bullied by mods into no longer expressing an opinion, one I might add I agree with and recall a banning incident involving precisely such an experience.
So the reality it could be argued here, that more often than not it’s the mods that are the bully.
Supression of free speech that at one time folk died to protect the right for..
yes our forefathers died so bell ends can behave like bellends on an uncensored interent forum…they died to protect your right to use hyperbole to the n th degree etc

You need to get some perspective – someone stopping you posting on their forum [ that others pay for] is hardly the end of democracy

Please tell me this is your sarcasm at work ..please let it be irony

You can take it whichever way you like dear boy, I now have a twitter account so can become an **** like exelfinperson, I find this strangely liberating, so next time I go off on one and am condemned for it I shall live on and dig myself an even bigger hole..

er probably not that it will greatly interest you but it’s @derekrides of course and I shall use it to unveil the birth of my extensive range of Derek Rides fun cycling machines with which I fully intend to make my fortune – or not 😉

Edukator – Member
I never contributed to the Bullheart thread, the constructive comment I could have made would have no doubt resulted in a mass of complaints from the hand wringers and a ban. Ernie has a point. I’ve given up stating the obvious when pepole rant about their private lives blaming everyone but themselves.

So in reality you have been bullied by mods into no longer expressing an opinion, one I might add I agree with and recall a banning incident involving precisely such an experience.

So the reality it could be argued here, that more often than not it’s the mods that are the bully.

Supression of free speech that at one time folk died to protect the right for..

So in the end the result will be a forum of a particular view, held by a narrow minded interest group and will in due course wither, if taken to a logical conclusion, whereas normally forums flourish for precisely diversity of opinion and controversy…

I don’t subscribe to that twitter thing it all seems fairly pointless, but this lead me to seek out the players and it seems significant that @Elfinsafety follows no one yet expects all to listen to his rants which kind of sums it up really.

And for someone of his undoubted intelligence and internet capability with the tools around there’s no stopping him returning, hearing of that LOIC thing made me chuckle, to retaliate by bringing the forum down…

But all this angst over the removal of an anonymous ID, he should just return as a woman for a while, they’d never guess…

I wouldn’t say the Tunnel is way faster, it can be if it’s not busy/being disrupted by French Trade Unions/operation stack in process or late at night when hourly crossing are in process.

On the other hand you can literally turn up drive on the ferry and it leave minutes later, tuck into breakfast and almost before you’ve turned your bike around you’re docking in Calais, it all depends.

So yes if time is of the essence then the Tunnel can also work well, but it’s never a given and it does tend to cost more, the experience is boring and there are no facilities to speak of on the train.

Having said all that I live locally the tunnel tips out barely a mile from my gaff so I do use it for work trips and in the winter when the weather can also screw the Ferry’s and make your life hell on earth if like me you suffer from motion sickness.

Back on topic and following Stoatsbrothers post, one has to wonder how being largely anonymous one can complain about being bullied, I mean it’s not you is it? It’s a forum ident you’re already hiding behind, how safe do you need to feel?

No-one can stop anyone posting, O.K. posts get ignored, not surprising in a place with as high volume as this and not the easiest ‘quote’ procedure, so what is being bullied then ? Being Ignored? Sub plots you’re excluded from? I rarely see direct attacks or folk vilified (except when they’re already banned and can’t answer back :lol:)

It’s a piece of work of a forum this, all manner of human character failings are here..

Well I don’t like to see anyone banned unless they’re a total and persistent pain, I can’t say I cared for the Elfin fella, but he was easily ignored as are any of you, it is only a forum and it’s chatter, but I do miss being able to use the full spectrum of my ironic sword and sarcastic shield with which to combat said irritations

So I don’t and remain boring as a result.

And mine wasn’t ironic?

I don’t condemn anyone for what they say or type and wouldn’t ordinarily report any post, having said that, this place did drive me to do exactly that, so it’s catching.. ( I didn’t like the Queens head on some obnoxious body thing so reported it, even so I didn’t expect the guy to be banned all i wanted was the thing removed which is normal practise) They ban here and ask questions after, instead of simply removing offensive posts then wrist slapping which might be wiser..

TandemJeremy – Member
v8 – I think on the whole the modding is fairly light touch. today was a one off from what I have seen on here.

However the modding is inconsistent and capricious and some people get treated differently from others – thats what annoys me.

True, you said “fuzzy wuzzies” and nothing happened, I said “slanty eyed” and got the ban and then a bit more because they didn’t think they’d given enough the first time…

So in truth you are favoured, clearly there is more being occasioned behind the scenes, this place is not light touch, not in the slightest…

Anyway as the man said their playground their rules, like it or leave..

Or not.

It’s a mountain bike forum ffs, not mums net…

That’s what I find so perplexing..

ernie_lynch – Member
derekrides – Member
The moderation of this forum is very bizarre.

Apparently if there are enough complaints concerning one forum user, this justifies banning them on a whim – that was the reason which Mark gave me for a extended ban which I recently received. I suspect that it only requires a dozen or so people to persistently complain, out of a forum of several thousands, for this to have an effect- I don’t know, but I can’t imagine that there’s many more than a dozen or so people who really give a monkeys what I think or say.

All of which I guess causes what appears to be rather bizarre moderation decisions. Still, it’s not my forum and I don’t have to post if I don’t want to, so I’m not unduly bothered by it all.

Anyway there you have it, if you are a sad inadequate person who wants to see other forum users banned, then just keep complaining about them – there’s a fair chance you’ll succeed.

Although interesting enough despite all the “good riddance” comments concerning Elfie on the other thread, and the “why don’t you follow him” ones directed at TJ, the two people who by far most STWers on a recent thread said they wanted to meet, was, yes, you’ve guessed it, TJ and Elfie. And I didn’t get the impression that it was because people couldn’t stand them.

So the persistent whingers far from having a positive effect on the forum, are likely to have a negative effect by getting rid of popular forum users. Still it’s not my forum so I’m not unduly bothered by it.

Well thanks for that, I felt it favoured the existing ‘clique’ as I managed five bans in the first three months and have noticed lots of them not banned for far less withering remarks than my banal quips.

Not sure why I persist, banning is a very serious punishment on most of the other forums I visit and only resorted to in extreme circumstances so difficult not to take offence when it’s occasioned for fairly trivial ‘incidents’.

There is an increasing culture of ‘being upset’ for attention seeking device that is very prevalent here, as is an extraordinary left leaning PC tendency for a world that is supposedly aimed at the ruffty tuffty mtb rider.

Then from what I gather the powers that be aint any of that which makes it all the more perplexing.

It can be done for you, by the moderators, a guy had his account and all his posts removed on a yottie forum I frequent when he got threatened by Laser lawyers for talking about it detrimentally (it **** his knees when he was young).

There were some at ‘deal prices’ at the Bike show…Hard Case 50% off …

druidh – Member
Other bike forums are available….

Yes but this is the one everyone loves to ‘hate’..

Y’all should select somewhere to go when you’re banned then meet up and carry on as if nothing has happened..

If you struggle with them try doing ten, but like this.

Do 1, then get up, then get down and do two, then three and so forth see if you can reach ten.

Done them for years bloody boring things, trouble is once you’ve done them you then build pecs, which soon become moobs if you don’t keep em toned, so beware…

No it was definitely down for a while, some rumour of a DOS attack by some guy they banned, not sure..

It’s an ego maniac that feels the necessity to announce a banning unless there was some positive requirement to ‘warn’ others against similar behaviour.

What exactly was the fellow guilty of, other than over post.

The moderation of this forum is very bizarre.

In regard to the original post I’d be inclined to agree depending on where you live and depending on which part of history you compare recent decline in values.

Personally I find current society from top to bottom devoid of honour, and without ‘shame’ so you can hardly blame feral kids when they simply have no boundaries set in the first place.

Society in the post war years, indeed between the wars did have a sense of self policed community, kids acting up would have been chastised by somebody or other without fear of reprisal by the PC fascists.

So yes I agree, some aspects of our current society are worse, but it’s got not a lot to do with technology.

Bike Polo should only be played on fixies, then it’ll be uber rad!

Getting banned for a remark like “slanty eyed” and watching a big hitter get away with “fuzzy wuzzies”.

CaptainFlashheart – Member
knee pads on the tranny stand

Interested Mr H?

Hangover from hell I had..

I noticed 50% off signs in the Madison hall, Kali Fullface and knee pads on the tranny stand, they didn’t appear to have anything off their bikes. There were various deals in the boat show I was looking for a dry suit tbh so not really in bike buying mode, but was surprised at that large a discount, couldn’t find dry suits with 50 off.
It was just such a vibrant show with lots going on, defo worth a trip if you want something like accessories, probably recoup the ticket cost.