Hi Jen have I missed something ,are you no longer doing the moderator role ?and if not why !!
I have been a Mod on internet forums for 20 years, back before the days even of ISP's and in the days when CompuServe, AOL and other "membership community" providers ruled the roost.
In 2013 I had a flush of blood to the head, decided to quit from everything, Social, academic and professional, all my volunteer jobs online and on earth went out of the window and I bought a camper, my beloved Albert, and went back to my roots of a free-wheeling libertarian hippy type person, only instead of a backpack it was a lorry and instead of smoking "substances" I now drink Taylor's of Harrogate tea,
When Martin asked for volunteers it was natural for me to offer. A job that I had done for nearly a quarter of century, on some of the most shouty, rowdy, forums on the internet, and a forum that I love and of which I was becoming despairing of for the bitchy negativity that was beginning to creep in.
Quite by accident I became embroiled in someone having a huff and storming off. It seems, unlike on my rowdy, shouty over-18 forums where a quiet word in private was often sufficient, there was no such thing as private and no such thing as respect. Then of course we have, as always on every forum, the great debate, - and mistaken belief, that moderation means censorship. I was wrong to allow someone to be criticised in absentia yet turning the place into a North Korean satellite by closing the thread to prevent further personal attacks.
No. With the hugest respect to Martin and Kev, who have provided ALL shades of camper van owners a brilliant platform to discuss and share and enjoy all aspects of the camper van world, it is not the job that I wished to do on this forum.
The CV provided by Martin had bits in it like "liven up dying threads", greet new posters, show help, organise the boards. That I would have loved to do but sorry, I have refereed cyber battlegrounds for long enough and it is not what I seek and it seems instead I have stirred one up.
The decision was mine. A personal one, and not one cast in stone. I will be happy to do the job as Martin described, this forum would for me have been like an old nag put out to grass, a peaceful haven of tranquility where I could just potter around and tidy up the place and help individuals wherever I could. quite honestly it needs someone younger and less jaundiced to deal with the destructive negativity.
Anyway, let the dust settle, if Martin and Kev think there is a job that I can do to help this forum it would be my privilege to do it,
NOW! Can someone, all you thousands of newly appointed Mods, do something about tidying up the mess of "steering column " threads that are all over the place!
nice post. Division between Cali owners and those who convert is ridiculous in the extreme.
