With reference to this thread
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=90978.0I think it is only fair I get the chance to put my point of view across, as I appear to have been discussed at some length on here with many an assumption made as to what type of person I am.
I never normally feel the need to qualify my posts with what I do for a living or my qualifications to add “weight†to them, as I think if you have a balanced and objective outlook to posting and more importantly are willing to listen, then it shouldn’t really matter… but lets have a little about me.
I’m 31 and “an expert in ITâ€. I live in a sleepy village with my missus of 9 years and work for a very large company. I design networks for a living, Cisco routing & switching but I predominantly work with firewalls, the current project I’m responsible for is for a Global customer and we’re charging 16.5m for it. So as you can imagine I have sufficient qualifications to enable me to do this job and I am paid very well for it. So “stupid†or a “toddler†I’m not.
I like to think I’m a decent enough person, one with a warped sense of humour and very adept at sarcasm, but certainly never nasty person.
My father has been a predominant figure in the VW and Porsche scene for as long as I’ve been on this earth. He nut and bolt restores old dubs and 911s for both him and customers. He does everything - welding, engine building, painting as he’s a perfectionist and quite frankly would rather learn than pay someone to do a job he’s not 100% happy with. I always enjoyed helping him with his work growing up and we built my first car (a ’66 ragtop beetle) from the ground up together. I’ve had VAGs ever since.
I use a couple of forums and I post with the philosophy that you do so in such a manner as to share information in an easy to understand manner and with a balanced, objective view. I dish out my opinion like anyone else, but I always try to do so with a reason why I’m stating it – be that facts, references or simply a story attached with how I’ve come to that opinion. I have no problem admitting when I’m wrong or have made a poor decision.
So, the thread in question:
http://uk-mkivs.net/forums/p/213612/1406834.aspxFirstly, or should I say first? Both perfectly valid adverbs in the Oxford Dictionary used for enumerating… but I digress..
First. Ignore anything from Beddie – the 1.27mph “bait†obviously snagged TT like a good-un and he ran with it. You’ll note that I dismiss this and ask him to ignore it in my questioning. I simply want to know how he has come to the opinion he has voiced on the grilles.
So, we have a discussion open. I don’t feel it necessary at the time to inform TT that my father-in-law is an Aerospace engineer and Professor in the field… why should I, it was an innocuous question and had no malicious intent – I didn’t want to risk coming across as “I know more than you because of x/y/zâ€
I’d seen posts about the grilles before, so having shown him the front end he has given it his quick opinion. I’m not going to waste his time by asking him to “prove itâ€, but in simple terms he explained the point of axis in which airflow is split by the front of the car “under or over†is above the intakes for the brakes/DSG. So it cannot and will not “steal†any significant amount of air, you’re simply taking what would be deflected over the bumper. The result of his opinion is by the by, what I was more interested in is that he told me to correctly calculate this to the point where you are absolutely certain would be a very complex matter…. I wanted to know what expertise TT had in this field to back up his analysis? I don’t think it was unfair to ask this.
I got a response back which I felt was both patronising and in places “shoutyâ€. The use of “my learned opinion†basically telling me mine is worth nothing, as his is clearly better. I am also grouped with (and I quote) “Yanks who like to fit crap to their carsâ€.
So, if I’m honest I get a bit defensive and point out the manner in which he is addressing me is not particularly helpful or conducive in making me want to respect his opinion. I ask again for him to back up his claims with fact and reference. He doesn’t. He goes balls out offensive and lays on the patronising even more… the sheer bloody arrogance of the manner in which he’s posting, the refusal to even consider any points I’ve raised or questions I have asked is staggering. He still has never answered any of my questions. TT’s opinion is correct and final, that’s the way it works eh?
Now, I ask you to read the thread again and think about the “OT- The “dark side†thread. There’s mention of this being the place where the mature, intelligent people hang out… did you see any similar ‘slagging off thread’ appear on the UK-MKIVs forum? Does your opinion of the forum or me change?
Tabs has been more than accommodating of this place, encouraging you to share, putting you up when your server crashed, allowing you to spam links here all over his forum.. and it’s been thrown back in his face.
Now, I don’t actually have a problem with TT – I joined here to give a bit of background on the Whiteline kit I had fitted as a few of you seemed genuinely interested and I’m happy to help. I certainly don’t mind that several of you all here took the p*** out of me a bit in that thread, it doesn’t hurt me as it was tongue-in-cheek.. but being called a “bullyâ€, which I find both unfair and incorrect was a bit much if I’m honest. I haven’t slagged him off anywhere, or baited him in any way at all – yet all over this forum I find childish references to me from him.
I’ve never had so much as a bad word said against me with regard to my use of a forum. TT has had several serious written complaints levied against him, many people have commented on his inflammatory writing style and content…. And yet you all hang on every word he says.
The mods need to think carefully about what their role actually is here, people do not have freedom to say whatever they want on forums… they may THINK they do, but you’re allowing him to rule the roost and opening up a very big can of worms allowing him to slag companies off with such venom and no facts to back it up. Carefully consider your legal position, because if someone takes exception to one of his posts, you’ll find yourselves shut down and in court. They’ll want everything he’s ever posted and you’ll be taken into account for allowing him to do so. If you don’t believe me, ask Tabs as he is very clued up on this and it’s the reason the site is moderated in the manner it is.
Everyone likes to have a resident expert, it’s valuable to the forum and generates traffic. I don’t doubt that TT has a wealth of knowledge that is very useful, but you’ve got to exercise some control. Any advertiser seeing you as moderators allowing him to post in such a manner will avoid you like the plague. I know full well your site is attracting a lot of bad opinion within this community… think on – otherwise he’ll be your site’s destruction.
Mike.
