Thanks Bunkerbarge. I know I am a relative newbie, but I think I have been on here enough to make a comment.
I certainly don't tar everyone with the same brush, I don't want to take sides either! I see a lot of sense talked on this forum, I just find it slightly odd, I am a regular member on a fairly small flying forum, where I know many of the posters in real life, and on a large model car forum too, although I don't really know them personally in the same way. This is the only forum I have ever joined where there seems to be a string of people throwing their toys out the pram. (just to clarify, some of the posts I have seen of this nature have seemed reasonable to me, and some not, so I am not critisiszing everyone who has posted a "make a statement" topic).
I have to say the chat section is important in any forum, it helps us to find out about each others personalitys. I don't think it should be dropped. I have never seen comments of the type we're discussing on another forum, I don't know, but I think it's because if people say things that are well out of order, they pretty much get shut down straight away by everyone who reads it and told where to get off. I don't agree with posts being locked or removed because they say something a mod doesn't agree with. I don't agree with Dicky's farewell post being locked at all. I don't know the guy, and I don't really know what has happened. I know that if he had posted some inflammatory comment digging holes in the forum, then it should be banned, but I don't see the problem with the post????????????? (apologise for excessive question marks).
I have read posts from first timers where their spelling and punctuation was critisized, in fact it happened to me when I first joined and I take pride in the fact that I never use a spell checker because I think we should all be able to spell, but we can't all spell and we have to accept that. I hate text speak, and on all forums it's banned, but you can't criticise for the odd word or phrase that has become common useage in english. In FACT! All you criticisers who use smileys, they are "txt spk" so I suggest you get over yourselves.
Anyway, I have said before I know I am opinionated! So I suggest you all consider yourselves told!
and get used to it. :)
Matt (my real name, and the only one I use and I don't have any alias's and I don't really care if anyone else does if thats what gets them going)