Recent Suspensions - Offer of apology

Motorcycling
1

The last 24 hours have seen a lot happen on the site, regarding a member who was suspended, and a lot of opinions have been expressed, with them being for, against, or impartial. LB is humble enough to know when a mistake has been made, and we feel that in this case, the situation could have been dealt with another way, that wouldn’t have caused so many frayed tempers.

The issue arose because LB felt that certain threads were constantly turning into slanging matches between certain members, and we wanted to try to keep the peace. Unfortunately, we don’t have a set of guidelines defined that say what is, and isn’t acceptable content for the forums. In hindsight, we feel that if we had these guidelines, things could have been pointed out clearer, and we could have handled the situation differently.

Whilst we’ve tried to handle this situation as impartially and fairly as we can, we now realise that the handling can be seen as very one-sided, that not both parties involved were treated the same. Whilst we stand by our statement that both parties were contacted about it, how this appears, is different altogether.

As a result of this, we feel the right thing to do is to put things back to how they were, and start-afresh. This means offering Ghostie our apology and inviting him back into the community. As well as this, we will be drafting up a set of guidelines that define what is and isn’t acceptable, and a fair way of dealing with any situations that breach these terms.

Either party involved here has the right to decline our offer (but we feel this would be rather tragic), but we give our word that things will be dealt with different in the future, and we will always work to respect the portrail of those concerned. LB is not in the business of trying to make people look stupid, or infringe on their rights to post up, but we do need to draw the line somewhere. From this, LB will take a big lesson.

Those people suspended as a result of this are also invited back, and your suspension has now been removed. I hope we can all move on from this and return to being the great community we are.

There’s been so many different viewpoints on why this all started in the first place, down to how it was handled, but I hope we can all agree now that it could have been handled better, and that we’re moving on by setting things right, and arranging things for the future so things like this don’t happen again.

Ghostie, please accept our apology in the way you were treated.

2

Very well Done! at last some common sense in the matter!

I would like to point out that if any one out there gets themselves in to deep in a thread,

you can always go out ride it off, thats what we bikers do you know.

Best,

Vinnie

3

Nice one.

Takes a certain calibre to admit mistakes esp in public.

But there is a lesson for us all to learn here.

4

I still don’t know whats happened but Ghostie if you come back welcome back
Lifes to short to fight (and car/van drivers intend to make it a lot shorter) so let all just get along.

5

Here Here !!

6

Again, I go away for a weekend and miss all the fun. What happened?

7

Well what ever has happen I hope everything returns to normal.

Glad to see Ghostie back

8

The funniest thing to come out of this for me is the following:

I read a post in the other thread - informing LB in general that they too wanted their account suspended - so long and thanks for all the fish…

I thought “That’s a shame” and then noted the post count: 1

PMSL!

9

I would also like to have my account suspended…

Just spoke to Ghostie aswell who said he has got no wish to log back on as he has blanked by some so called friends

10

‘Betrayed’ ??

Sounds dramatic.

Tim man, just don’t log on or post for a while eh? No need for suspensions surely.

11

did i miss something?

12

This is such a shame ive watched the AWOL CREW & think they are fantastic,like i said in a previous post this is such a great site! I understand not everyone can always get on in life blimey i should know i work with children!

13

Does that mean Laura is unsuspended Too

H

14

Yes, she is. I hope Ghostie accepts our apology, and that we can see him back here…

15

I hope he does come back, everyone has apologised, and TBH for a good old fashioned argument on the boards to end like this is a real shame.

16

Come on everybody…All together now!

I have over 500 posts on other sites, have entered into silly banter myself, when you read certain things you can get passionate about your beliefs and opinions,or very pissed off with certain people, but that is all they are…

Your beliefs, and opinions!

17

Jay, what I see in my mind from the threads you have posted recently (and also from things you say on your adair website) is someone who is so obviously deeply passionate about something he has created from its beginnings. You held the beliefs that in order to protect your creation, a creation that hasn’t happened overnight but has clearly taken lots of your time, effort and commitment to set-up, you needed to moderate at all times to prevent the site from turning into something foul, offensive, one big slanging match even. You wanted a community where people who shared the same love of biking got along with one another and shared their experiences in an open friendly forum without the hostilities seen on some forums. I suppose its only natural that when you care for something that has taken so much effort to get off the ground you want to protect it.

But moderation to excess can kill the very thing one sets out to protect. Human nature often sees to that.

Jay, its clear that you have recognised this. We’re all human and we all make mistakes. But it takes courage and great decency to stand up as you have (and so quickly too) and offer an apology and admit that maybe you were wrong and that things could have been handled differently. I take my helmet off to you for that. You are without doubt a gentleman sir. I, like you, hope that with your new approach, this site can now continue forward with people being able to discuss, object, argue their points, agree to differ, and generally have a good old debate on the things that matter most to us, within the community we want to be a part of.

Haven’t said it before, but thanx for a great site Jay, it IS appreciated, and I will be staying as a member of LB, and really really hope Ghostie and Bozzy both return. I loved reading anything posted up by those 2. I was REALLY Pi**ed off when I heard a couple of weeks ago that Bozzy had been banned from the site. It seemed so unnecessary. But that was then. This is now.And cant wait to get down the Ace and see Ghostie do his thing. Good stunting takes my breath away. I am so in awe of people like that. Pure class.

So come on Ghostie and Bozzy, please accept jays apology and come back to this site. I know you have your pride and principles. And I respect you for that. But you are 2 good members too good to lose.

Cheers all, and all the best for the future :thumbup

18

All im going to say is that porkscratchin was fueling it too much, i was talking with people at the Ace today and a lot thought the same. Dont get me wrong we love this site and maybe this will only happen once, but there was more than one in this issue. Right happy new year too all for 2006 !!

19

Was quite laughable eh Pete!!!

20

Very but lifes too short for all this, so hopfully we can put all this behind us Ghostie come back mate you will be missed big time