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Where it not for the clique that throttles them back this board would be like most boards: mean nasty and rampant with hate and bigotry. No? Well take a look at other boards where you will read post that border on malevolence.




With due respect to yourself Jim it bothers me a little that you assume this board may be or become like this. I say all this because I feel a certain allegiance and loyalty to this place, it being my first English-speaking board.

If I take you back to the beginning of this board you will possibly remember that we had these lively debates on a daily basis for the first almost 4 years, without major drama. Specifically until around August of 06. A specific member disrupted the civility getting vitriolic almost in his every post. Not naming names but he was the fella who said he didn't believe in "Italian-Americans" or "Irish-Americans" and that you were either American or you weren't. At the same time his site avatar was the Irish flag and his site handle/name was a region in Ireland (I have actually ridden there which is why I recognized it)... for flucks sake. He also go this history AND geography messed up ... probably got it from comic books.
He has since disappeared.
I have better examples but am a little vague on purpose.

It was directly after his aggressive attacks that FJ and a couple of the mods started becoming somewhat trigger-happy and started treating us like we were in a nursery school. Sorry, but this is how I felt and I am a grown boy with a lot of mileage on my back, as are most.

You are right, some sites are crappy but I also know of a couple that are pretty well behaved, without any intervention.

I would like to think this could be another one, as per the early days.

Bedouin. Blessed are those eyes that have seen more roads than any man! (Homer).