London Bikers should change

Off-topic
1

Having seen the fallout of Drei’s post and not having been back to the post until today, my opinion has somewhat changed.

It’s a sad fact of life that people cannot discuss sensitive topics on a public forum without this amount of aggression. It’s sad that over sensitive people feel so threatened by what others say.

Since this is the case, and because these sensitive types have the tendancy to start rubbishing the source of their discomfort to others who may well have had prior interest in this place, I feel the forum should perhaps be less broad in what subjects can be discussed.

I know this completely goes against what I have been trying to say to you lot, but it’s like this…

I like this place and I’d like to see it grow…I tell many bikers I see to come here and have a look. If those said bikers then hear it on the grapevine from the over sensitive minority that LB harbours racists, that certain members are really KKK Grand Wizards, how will that look to them?

Not good.

Perhaps then LB should be less diplomatic in what can be discussed.

There are plenty of forums on the Internet to discuss racism and other issues.

Perhaps then, this forum should strictly be for London Bikers, and the issues (around bikes only) that they may face.

Sorry if this change of opinion appears to be cowardly or lilly livered to some.

I just don’t want the minority to ruin this place.

Thanks for listening.

2

well said

3

good points afro, why should this place be dragged down over the minorities views and arguments amongst themselves

4

He speaks sense!

5

I just ignore posts that I see to with race, immigrants etc because no matter what you say its going to get someones back up!

Im here for bikes

6

I agree with Afro, most of us are here to ask/give advice on bikes and interact with people that share the same passion (if only transportation).

If i wanted (dont) to have political,religious,racial,etc discussion id go elsewhere…

just my 2cents

P

7

Well said Afro

8

Here here. Can we get back to talking bollox about bikes

9

Blimey! At last a post that makes sense!

I LOVE BIKES!

I’m doing Brands Full GP on Monday. I will be with the Doc Bush endurance team with pleanty of mates.

Any LBers there I’ll be on a blue 04 R1 with ohlins everything and a custom painted Arai Corsair with ALEX in orange on the back.

Lets get back to biking!!

10

Love it Afro…completely agree…the subject WAS bollox (sorry it WAS!)…you are SO right…

Changing subject? did you see the new busa in MCN? Well, weve been down to order one !! looks like we might get the one in red…whoooo hoooo … (when i say WE, i mean HE, cos i cant give up my blade…not yet!)

11

This is a very good point Eugine.

Obviously, when the klaxon goes off at LB HQ over discussions like that of late, then we’re left trying to work out how to balance the interests of the community, the individual and the entity that is LB. It’s not easy and it’s a serious issue when you’ve got all the LB staff taking time out of their busy work schedules to try to fight fires, which invariably are not bike related at all.

LB is here as a service to bring bikers together, to improve the quality-of-riding for all those touched by it. What we’re not here for is to be a broadcast medium or battlefield for discussions outside of this remit. That said, of course we have to talk about other things as we’re here for the social aspect, not just to talk about roads and engines.

I’m often left thinking is it really worth my time trying to fight these fires. And I know it’s not what others signed up for as well. We do this for the passion and the vision that we can improve riding in London.

I welcome this sort of thread, if it can generate some well-thought opinions and possible ideas then it’s got to be good for all that is LB.

We don’t want discussions that offend individuals or groups, we don’t want discussions that make us look bad, we don’t want discussions that turn people away. We want to embrace people, make them feel welcome and allow them to have fun, make new friends and do new things.

Managing a forum like this is no trivial tasks, you have to decide where you sit in the scale of freedom-of-discussion, moderation and encouragement. LB definitely has a character and sits somewhere in this scale probably near the center; we have learnt not to moderate where possible, to invite people in, but we won’t allow nasty threads where people are subjected to negative things. It’s a hard call though what action you take when bad things from this lot crop up. I like to think most times we get it right after a couple of years of lessons learnt and advice taken onboard, but nobody’s perfect and every now and then we end up having to look at things retrospectively.

Are we not doing ourselves a service? Should we perhaps take a more active role in nipping these “red-alert” discussions in the bud? Who would gain the most, and lose the most from this?

The only thing that must happen is the community as a whole is protected and the growth sustained to allow us to go on and do bigger and better things, but not at the expense of individuals.

Can we strike a balance?

12

Agree Jay, maybe when something like this crops up (not saying it will again) but IF it does? maybe a pm to the originator politely letting them know that posts of that nature will not be tolerated and please refrain from that sort of topic, and then deleting the post before it “catches”? Just a thought?

13

Well said Afro and at times like this it is a shame that you are having to post such a topic and action was not just taken.

This is the balance that my home site does not need to try and work out. We are a small group of friends who meet each other a lot and know each other well. There is no interest in pushing adverts or selling things to “cover costs” and so trying to get the membership numbers up.

This is not a dig at the site and I say best of luck in working the balance needed to run the sait to Jay and Co. But this is a little dig Jay, “founder” lol. I do laugh each time I see it and thanks for that A friend of mine who posts under the name DarkMonster told me about the time he meet you at the Ace cafe

14

Great post Jay.

I’m sick of all the small talk and interfighting. I thought I had signed up to a biking web site.

I work in a retail enviroment where i am lucky enough to be able to do what I want. If someone comes into the shop with attitude I give it back to them and if they are nice they get treated nice.

I get the odd assh0le and they get treated like assh0les.

I believe in LB. It’s a great site and for new LBers I think it’s a really great introduction to biking in London.

I do think the wider picture is important. I do think that we should be civil, polite and law abiding. That said I think we should be able to swear ****, **** **** and wank … we are bikers after all.

15

Nuff said.

16

Perhaps then, this forum should strictly be for London Bikers, and the issues (around bikes only) that they may face.

Bring back Cez eh?

17

Leave it.

18

nice one afro…

altho i dont agree with some topics …dosent stop me from adding to the debates…and not taking it to heart…

i love em…big…mass debates that i can think about while im riding home from work…lol…ive had huge row’s with members on here b4 and when we’ve met up…nothings changed…were still dam good mates and that has never been forgoton…sharing a cuppa and such…its only a debate…

there has been times (when i first joined) when ide be sat at work,itching to get home and see what responses were to my posts…loved it…and it gave me a sence of belongingness…(i spelt that soooo wrong)

just my nickels worth…

smiled.

19

I believe my thoughts have been made perfectly clear. I am one of the people who has been giving up my free time to try and help LB move on to bigger and better things. I always champion LB, everywhere I go. I would be embarrased and ashamed for newbie to log on and find this.

I am upset and disappointed that even after expressing how much I, and other people, had taken offence by the racist ignorant views being posted that when it was eventually locked, a 2nd topic was started and allowed to run for almost 2 days.

I’m not much of a ‘cryer’ but this has had me and other people in tears since it began.

That is the reason I have stepped down from my role as a host.

20

I normally stay out of any political or sensitive topics because that’s not what I joined LB for. I perhaps don’t put as much into LB as others but I do enjoy logging on at work and seeing who is riding where and what everybody is up to. I also enjoy the ride outs and try to join as many as possible.

The problem with an internet forum is that people take it far too seriously. (I don’t mean any disrespect to anybody who has been offended, I mean in general)

What you have to remember is that a forum is like a “virtual pub” You can’t walk into a busy pub and expect everybody to like you or everybody to have the same opinions as you. The thing you don’t do in a pub walk in and say something that might offend people, you also choose what you react to a little more carefully. Not to mention how sarcasm, bad grammar and interpretation can change the meaning of what you said/typed.

I guess it is different in a pub because you are likely to get a beating or thrown out. It seems easier when you are a screen name and can hammer away at your keyboard!

Remember too that the mods have a tough job, if they don’t remove offending topics some object and if they do they get complaints from others about free speech.

Jay and the rest of the team that keep this place running-you do a bloody good job and I wouldn’t let these sort of problems get you down. Next time I see you at the Ace I will happily buy you a cuppa