Well Steve, it's been nice to have you as a participant. I usually start my comments with something to the effect of " in my experience" or "if it were my bike, I would".... Like you, I have many years of experience. I have no problem with Richards input, even if he does not always agree with me. I try not to respond to topics that I do not know everything about. (lets talk about the /5 main switch, I know everything there is to know about that) All of us add up to the whole of the club, and that is the main ethos we should keep in our minds. I'm thinking of the club cannons. Fact over fiction, Friendship over friction. When I was Airmarshal, it was not un common to have to warn members about treading close to the edge of stepping on the cannons. 

James, I have read your replies to questions posted and I an impressed.  I try very hard as you do to only reply to the best of my abilities.

I make a couple of suggestion: First, there would not be friction with me if Mr. Whatley were to keep his attitude in check. I have worked many years with various versions of his type and few of them ever turned out to be a positive asset or inspiration.

Second, if you all decide to keep allowing Mr. W's actions and are okay with them how about just eliminating the forum and rename it the Whatley advice column?  Frankly that in my mind might be a disaster as he is no Oak nor despite his ego will he be.

Again I say this is the only forum I have issues with on a constant basis I have been chastised in other forums when I got out of line and it has always been done in a respectful professional manner.  

What I have never seen with the exception of this forum is a moderator causing the issue first or being insulting when reprimanding me when I do cross the line.  In this case I DO NOT feel I have crossed any line and it is a given the line has been drawn by someone who feels it is okay for him to step over it.

At this time there is no reason for me to participate in this forum anymore.  I am wasting my time as you have Mr, W to answer everything what can I write that he does't already know.  Thankfully the dues to this club were not high so I have just paid to learn some things that look good are not always all they are cracked up to be,  St. 

Hi Steve - I am not aware of the issues you have described, because I haven't seen the threads, but I hope you don't leave the Forum. I value your input, in this and all the other BMW Forums.

Ran Bush - Nor Cal Airmarshal

ABC #3484, MOA, RA, VBMWOA, BYOB, PDQ.

James and Ran, I have written the owners in the three current forum posts to forget the advice I gave them due to my ignorance despite my lifetime of experience.

I made it clear I thought I was dealing with a forum but mistakenly wrote in a Mr. Whatley's personal Q snd A column.

I have suggested their best bet in the future for any work to be done should be done by either Mr. Whatley, or one of his chosen club members nearby or at a club function.

I will add here, God forbid they should go to a repair shop that doesn't use a vacuum device to set up carbs or don't recommend draining a gas tank for six months of winter storage. Shame on them they don't replace their fuse holders.

Remember keep buying that NO Ox.  Good bye. St.

Now I see my post has been removed.  St.

If you want an example of how a moderator should act in a forum, check out the UK forum's Rob Frankhamr. BM riders UK. St.

Steven,   

    I think people forget this forum is to provide/give their experiences to a problem to the author of the question. Its the author to choose wether to accept the information provided or not. Everyone else can read the inputs other provide if they like, but shouldn't argue another persons opinion or their knowledge. I think people read too much into the context instead of content. MTC

V/R Eric

Eric, I fully understand what you have written.  The issue I have is the undercurrent of insult dished out by the moderator of the Airheads forum.    

I respond to nonsense of for example, not using a carb sync tool to set carbs as the sign of an inept shop.  I understand many shops have such tools now but, to question the work of a shop owner who doesn't, so pointedly as Mr. Whatley does is boarder line insulting.

I don't know how much time you spend in various forums, I myself spend quite a bit of time amongst the four I belong to.  Members in general over time have said and done things I disagreed with in either knowledge or presentation. BUT as I say, they are the members, not the moderator.   In the other forums, such members are chastised by the moderators, it is NOT the moderator who is causing the issue.

Do you, yourself enjoy or find it positive to have a moderator or member call your experience to question in the manner of which Mr. Whatley has done?  St.

Steve I get what you are saying, but have not found it that bad here - at least not yet. If I ever do, you know me well enough to know I will speak up. I am glad you spoke up here; I believe all should have an equal voice, and mutual respect must be the norm. Board position should not make anyone 'better than', or grant them know-it-all status. I've always appreciated your input (on both forums we've been on together); it's obvious you speak from experience, and you choose your words carefully so as not to come across as a know-it-all, but as well intended and helpful. IMHO, can't ask for better than that.

With some of the quirkiness on Airhead boards, I wonder if it may be, at least partially age related, as most of us are getting long in tooth, and a bit cantankerous. As for the "other forum", I left because the mod came across as a know-it-all, and anything he did not know, he deferred to Snowbum's writings, as if it were Holy Scripture. Similar to what you've said here, I figured there, if the mod knew everything, no need to call it a forum (where ideas are exchanged), just call is a Q&A, with only that guy allowed to answer. So I called him out on his BS, then promptly left. But I did miss other members there, and was glad when you drifted over here. Hope you don't leave here as abruptly as I did there. It's good having you over here.   

Joe, I would rather a moderator quote snowbum or if it were possible Oak than to come across as a know it all as does the moderator here in the Airheads forum.   I don't have a real issue with this moderator's  knowledge or experience, it is the way he puts it out, his attitude.   

I know the moderator you are writing about and I find he is in both the MOA and Vintage forum to be humble.   I guess I missed your posts you had issues with so I cannot comment on his writing at the time.   

Vintage BMW is lucky to have Snowbum's stuff available online, sadly and I can understand why, Airheads is not so lucky to have Oak's material available anymore.   

As for old and touchy, yeah, I really resent a moderator calling me a teenager who just knows enough to be dangerous as has happened here in the Airheads forum.  I also resent having my friend's shop insulted by said moderator or myself for that matter as being unprofessional for not using a carb sync tool to set carbs.   I am not pleased when a moderator spouts nonsense about using a crystal ball to troubleshoot an issue when he didn't read replies and conversations that were leading to the same conclusions he was reaching at the same time adding a bunch of "I know best and you must do this" to the issue.

I always enjoy reading your posts, ride safe and happy.  St.

I will say Richard put up a number of helpful posts on my thread help me with a few issues on my R100 RS. I do not claim to be anywhere near an expert with any of it, but I do what I can. He did chastise me a little for my chaos theory methods of doing things. I didn't notice he was a mod and just went on my way.

Talking forums I am here a little bit, Pelican Parts R1100 S a little bit, ADVrider every day with over 20K posts, MOA every day and our local ridetherock.com every day. 

I did get tangled up in a couple of threads on ADV where the mods were coming in very heavy handed removing posts etc but it seems that it has settled down since the worst of it. Change of ownership there turned any number of people away. I have never run into any noticeable mod behaviour on the other 2.

I have tried a few other forums but after getting spanked almost immediately for a minor hijack and the totalitarian vibe I got I quickly left. 

To date here I have not had an issue but I can see the point of the OP. 

Gee, Steve...are we having fun yet;)

Greg Hutchinson

greg@airheadadventure.com

www.airheadadventure.com