08-15-2014, 05:40 AM
(08-15-2014, 04:01 AM)Papa Weeley_imp Wrote: Well, being the OP of the HD thread in question here, I just saw this and thought I'd chime in and clear things up...
I PM-ed Ferret and suggested locking the thread down. This wasn't a heavy-handed moderator action on his part - it was my thread and I approached him about it. It had gotten far off the path I had intended it to, and I didn't want it to become a thorn in his side as it snow-balled and was beginning to take its own bashing/flaming path. The guy's got enough to do without creating additional, unnecessary work for him.
I started the subject because I really was amazed that a large faction of the motorcycle community (Harley riders) has suddenly acknowledged me on the road on the CB after probably 30 years of being ignored - when almost no other type of riders ever have - and was wondering if others were experiencing the same thing. It was truly not meant to be a statement about Harley riders in any way, but a statement about MY experience on this bike. I guess I was too naive about bringing the subject up; I really thought I'd made my point pretty clear, but obviously not...so, as I said, I chose to "nip it in the bud" before it became any more vitriolic. Whether or not anyone was serious, or just having fun, most of the responses had nothing to do with what I was actually asking.
To those wondering about our collective sense of humor, I can only say that I'm far from a stoic, conservative type when it comes to humor, so cracking jokes is the last thing that'll insult or annoy me. Unfortunately, after years on online forums, I've learned that things you say aren't always taken/perceived/understood in the way you meant them (something about the lack of inflection in the written vs. spoken word, I think), and I've massively reeled in my personality online. Regardless, I felt that my thread wasn't going where I'd planned it to, and decided to have it yanked before it became a nasty black, smeary mark. My apologies if anyone misunderstood or was upset about it - but please don't blame our illustrious Mr. Ferret.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled fun, stupidity and douchebaggery!
That's all well and good, but people get involved in the topic, and then it's no longer yours, it's everybody's. Also, I believe the thread was deleted, rather than locked.
To the moderators: deleting threads/posts is a very good way to alienate your forum participants. If I may offer a word of advice cultured over 30+ years of online social interaction: try real hard to lock the thread with a final post indicating _why_ it's getting locked, rather than deleting it. And also try hard not to lock threads unless they really get absurd (usually with a warning posted within the thread first) -- I think this latter part you guys already handle decently well.
My $.02. Take it for what it's worth.