Celebrate!! / Does the Paddock Need to Continue?

[Randy V]

Greetings GT40s Community!

No this is not about the holidays... This is about people. All of us.
Why is this website and collection of forums here?
Why are we here?

Because we all celebrate one thing in common. Our love for very special cars, in particular the GT40, but extending beyond that to a rather wide range of exotic and special cars... Lately we've even included a section for literally anything that flys, drives or floats called Wings Wheels and Keels.

What is this message about? It's about reminding all of us that regardless of our political, religious, personal rights differences - we all share one thing in common - our love for the automobile..

You may have noticed that there have been a number of threads here that seem to want to pit us against one another with very polarizing subject material. While these threads are not against the rules at this time - they are causing a great deal of anxiousness among many in the community.

I would like to ask each and every one of you to remember why we are really here and to observe the rules as well as going the extra mile to respect one another in your posts..

.....and to those who I know will want to bring it up - yes, even I have fallen into the trap a time or two... I regret having played a part in it and have risen from it. Now it's time for me to do my job and for you to do yours...

CELEBRATE!!!!

Thank you for your time, tolerance, patience and partnership in the GT40s Community!

 

[Jeff Young]

Re: Celebrate!!

Good post.

I still maintain that car forums should haven't and don't need political forums. ALL of them turn problematic.

Again, good post.

 

[Jac Mac]

Re: Celebrate!!

Plus 1, I occasionally weaken & post in the paddock, usually its from boredom or sheer devilment, often wonder what some of the regulars would do to fill their days without it though!!

 

[Jeff Young]

Re: Celebrate!!

Masturbate more.

 

[Jim Craik]

Re: Celebrate!!

Randy,

I, James Craik, promise that I will never again start a derisive, political thread.

Who will joine me in that promise?

 

[Randy V]

Re: Celebrate!!

Thank you guys, I actually meant to close this thread too, but somehow missed that ... I will leave it open for now. Any inappropriate posts on this thread will be deleted.

Jim,

I will stand with you on that.

Thank you...

 

[Ron Earp]

Re: Celebrate!!

Randy, thanks for that post and reminder about the Paddock. Nice work with that.

Guys, I was thinking of posting a similar question - Do we need this subforum?

I've had PMs, emails, and even phone calls to shut down the Paddock or kick certain people off. It seems people just can't not read stuff they know will piss them off.

Over the years we've changed the rules that govern how the paddock gets indexed by the forum and right now The Paddock is not indexed on the main forum. However, we may not have that option with the impending VB software upgrade, meaning the Paddock would heavily populate the "Today's Posts" listing.

GT40s.com is a car enthusiasts forum with a fairly narrow focus. It isn't a political debate forum, but some of the people that post in The Paddock exclusively post in The Paddock and nowhere else on the forum. Do we need a subforum for the exclusive soapbox for a handful of individuals?

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Re: Celebrate!!

It's your site Ron, you can do what you wish.

 

[Ron Earp]

Re: Celebrate!!

I'm aware of that. But you know from being on the site for almost ten years we don't make decisions with some consultation and discussion. I know you and a few others use the Paddock as well as the rest of the forum.

But there are more than a few personalities that use the Paddock only and simply constantly bicker down here. I stopped coming into the Paddock over a year ago and rarely visit to read threads here. I suspect there are some folks who are the opposite of me, that is, they only read the Paddock.

So the question is, does GT40s.com need to support a discussion forum that appears to be for a handful of individuals and has nothing to do with the focus of the site? The original idea of the Paddock that "we" all agreed on was that it would be like a race track paddock, a place to shoot the shit and discuss off-car and off-race topics. However, as one who has spent many, many hours in track paddocks shooting a lot of shit I can tell you for sure religion, politics, hate, name calling, verbal abuse, and so on are not topics or behaviors observed in the race paddock, at least not at road race tracks (circle track might be a different thing! ). So do we need it here?

 

[Jeff Young]

The Dodge Charger forum I visit has a paddock with the following rule: you can discuss anything but politics or religion. Moderator decides if a positing is political or religious in nature and deletes those he thinks breaks the rule.

It requires active moderation but it works.

That way, Pete, Keith, et al. still have a place to josh around without others -- including myself -- messing it up.

 

[Mark]

I'm all too often drawn to argue in here. It doesn't do me any good and I suspect my posts do little to bring joy to others either. I would support a Religion and Politics ban in the Paddock, for the sake of one and all.

 

[Randy V]

All...

Personally, I think discussion of all things is healthy when people have respect for one another's beliefs and opinions. Venting frustrations is actually healthy, but needs to stop short of causing anxieties in others.
However, we seem to have some that use this forum to not only vent but to make sport of belittling others and trying to force them into their own particular mold. This is not healthy and as many of us know, it has gone too far for too long.

Another forum I once belonged to had a private subscriber area. Yes, you had to actually be a forum supporter ($) to be able to join these areas. It was gloves off there much like the Paddock has become here. I got a belly full of the hatred and I have left that forum permanently. I dare say that we have some members here that are teetering on the brink of doing the same thing.

As I alluded to in my previous posts on the subject matter here -
There are many subjects that are very polarizing -
Politics
Religion
Guns (control / rights)
Abortion

Personally, I think the discussion of all is good - but only when people respect the rights of all to their own opinions.
The only way I can see this forum remaining a viable place for such topics is the immediate ceasation of name calling (spoken or inferred) and respecting each other for their opinions.
Can the GT40s Community rise above most other forums that have thrown in the towel and banned the discussion of those topics I listed above?

Frankly, I don't have time to be traffic cop and detective both here. I try to review every post on GT40s, but at times I need to be elsewhere only to return to see the defecation contacting the rotary oscillator and a few PMs in my in-box from upset people.

You are all grown men and women. You should not need a nanny to tell you right from wrong.

 

[Doc Kaler]

Ron,

The Viper forum has a forum much like the Paddock with the exception that there is a "sub-forum" for politics,etc. Seems to work pretty well....

 

[Malcolm]

Seems the padddock is only spoilt by certain subjects. The rest is fun to dip in and out of. If you made the paddock only available to post in if you have posted elsewhere on the forum you may well get the paddock addicts straying to other areas off topic so spoiling those. If someone is happy to moderate subject matter I think a ban on some subjects could be helpful. At least for a while till those who concentrate on those subjects go posts their rants elsewhere. Maybe a year? Maybe we need the Iron Sheik back to moderate? Un-insultable and swift in his justice!

 

[Doug S.]

I enjoy the Paddock for all its contents.

Yes, even the political discussions.

I find it refreshing to be exposed to such a different viewpoint from mine. I don't find it so refreshing to be insulted. Like Randy, I'll confess here...I made an insulting comment once, but before I posted the next time I had already made my peace with the issue and have not repeated the transgression.

One of the reasons I think we feel it's OK to have these vigorous political discussions on the Paddock is because we're a fairly small online community when you think about the number of members who post to any large degree on the forum. We come to know each other and I guess that helps us feel like it's OK to call a wanker a wanker, so to speak.

I, for one, would not like to see the Paddock removed...nor would I like to see political discussions moderated out. I have the choice, it's not hard to see where the topic is going as soon as you get into the thread. If I don't like it, I don't go there again. Case in point, I grew up using guns, have very firm viewpoints both positive and negative about guns...have chosen not to participate in that thread. I've said it before, will say it again....."I don't have to attend every argument to which I'm invited".

It's a choice. Life is all about choices.

I must admit, I'd like to see certain trolls modify their behavior on the political discussions, but they're sitting there with their popcorn and their beer and enjoying it every time they elicit the desired indignation. They know who they are....but I would rather have to wade through their pile of crap than have somebody else tell me that it's not worthwhile to read it....I can make that decision, and have already since I have three members on "Ignore" right now. It's another of the choices we have.

Cheers!

Doug

 

[zollis]

If the paddock were gone, then where can I post this pic?






Z.C.

 

[Jac Mac]

Duh...On the SPF ( Superformance ) forum ???

 

[Frank3]

WE all need the Paddock .
Gives some a place to .... a ..... voice opinions ,
And others a place to have opinions about them ; I mean their opinions .
Seems all good to me !

 

[tom pritchett]

I think the problem is the personal attacks that come of discussing the issues pointed out. I have enjoyed some discussions with people of other political leannings than myself as I learn and we discuss things with respect. I have been attacked personally and it is not fun, so I understand the points of having things removed. This may have to be the course of action if people of both sides of the isle so to speak cannot refrain from attacks.

Ron, I respect you and your decisions in this matter.

 

[Bob Fechter]

"My facts beat your facts" isn't getting anywhere. I've stopped, I get it.

Just for the record, even after having my home address and my wife's name posted on this public forum, I never sent a single anxiety whine of any kind.