Triumphrat

RonD · 03-01-2008

I Dont Know how others feel but i havent been contributing much to this site lately and maybe thats a good thing , but it seems to me if there is any sign of spirited debate or some one has an opinion thats a little bit out there the thread is shut down . personally I cant see whats wrong with freedom of speech, Haveing said that i realise we cant go over the top its not that kind of site, but if you put to big a lid on things just because it might offend a minority it becomes boring in my opinion..

BorgCymru · 03-01-2008

I'm all for freedom of speech. We fought for it, and still are.

But the problem lies in who might be reading it. Now if you run a family orientated site, much like this, you have to keep a line. Who decides where that line is is up to the owners of the site/forum.

So would the answer be having for instance an over 18 section. Where you have to apply for a password from a moderator ?

Also though you have to think that this is a multi cultural and multi readable forum. You then have to accept that there are bound to be people with different and maybe opposing views.

What then counts as a decent open minded discussion and/or an argument. Something said in all honesty on one side could be totally misconstrued by the other party.

Although I am against censorship I'm also for common seance in these matters.

Its a hard one to work out for the majority with out upsetting the few.

But then that is democracy, and we are also fighting for that.

mecscc · 03-01-2008

Ron: you are certainly entitled to express your opinions on this subject, but this is not the place. I will move this over to Site Happenings and Discussions, and leave a link here for those who want to contribute to the discussion. Shawn moderates that forum so you will be able to express your views to the one who decides policy for the site.

Take care,

PAAS · 03-02-2008

I've seen the assertion before that this is a "family orientated site". It isn't. It's for the owners of Triumph motorcycles who are largely (probably exclusively) adults. I don't recall seeing posts from minors asking for advice on re-jetting after they've "NARKED" their Bonneville! How many ten year olds could afford genuine Triumph (Mobil) oil, let alone start another oil thread? Yes, the site has its AUP and moderators who invigilate it, some more stringently than others. However, it does feel like being back at school sometimes.

Shawn · 03-02-2008

I visited a very busy motorcycle forum recently, but was hard-pressed to find a thread or post about a motorcycle. There's nothing wrong with that, seemed like it was understood among it's users.

TriumphRat.Net is an enthusiast's site. For some people, that isn't enough, and I understand - but it's something that can't change.

Maybe a day will come where you won't think of us as boring ...

Silverado57 · 03-02-2008

I visit a number of motorcycle forums but the "moderating" here can be a little heavy-handed sometimes.

yonder · 03-02-2008

The moderators do a pretty good job here for the most part. It's one of the more enjoyable forums to hang out on.

But discouraging cross-brand heckling is not something that should be done, IMO. It's all done in fun and anyone that gets upset by it should probably loosen their bra a notch. This is, after all, a Triumph site first and foremost so this of all places should be a safe place for the rivalries to have a home field advantage.

Shawn · 03-02-2008

A significant number of us do own other motorcycle brands.

Having a love for Triumph is cool, it is why I created this site. I may feel awkward on a Sportster, but if another enjoys riding it then why ridicule them for it?

One Harley Owner I know when down a few years ago, taking out a small tree in the process. I was riding behind him on an Adventurer, and took him home on it.

After, he didn't ride with me much. When I "fell from grace" and started riding sportbikes, he didn't ride with me at all. We still chat on occassion, and he manages one of the world's biggest annual rally events. He is a very cool person, and like some of the folks like him, they will make a small "comment" at times about things like "wearing a lid" or something else I'm wearing.

For me, it's not a big deal, I'm not the safest person to ride behind on the road - and am good at annoying cruiser packs. In the end, there are some folks who respect how I ride, and I do the same for them. If the majority wants to take the "popular" action of bashing others, that is their decision.

On Rat.Net, we love everyone - regardless of how they act towards us; it's what happens on the road that counts. In my book, we ride hard and take a positive lead toward anyone who rides a motorcycle

RonD · 03-03-2008

Shawn- Iam not saying this site is boreing in my opinion its very informative, but you would have to be blind not to notice if there is a bit of a dedate lately, its canned straight away, where as in the recent past it was tollerated and kind of interesting to a degree, what would happen is the partiies would tire of it and really they were quite harmless, but entertaining to a certain extent , were all human and a diagreement should be allowed to flow for a peiriod provided that it is not over the top or too nasty and thats what was happening here untill recently, now things seem to have changed and i think what was a good site and still is a good site has lost a little bit of what it had, because it seems to me that it is now being overly moderated I mean no offence too anyone ..

Old Scratcher · 03-03-2008

I'd be sorry to see you go Ron. I've missed your input lately, & always enjoy our banter.
I find the AUP to be bit OTT. But I agreed to it, & I've learned to live with it's constraints, & still find this site a good place to visit.
Hope you decide to stick with us
Ride safe
Scratch