You posted a message about a year ago concerning the cost of maintaining the forum. As I recall, NO ONE expects you loose $$$ to give us this service. You mentioned the possibility of using banner ads to help pay the cost. I say go for it.

Also, have you considered the possibility of running the forum from a US web site? I'm sure it would be a big savings.

This is not a CLUB! its just a:

Extremely LARGE posting board that is great and put together very well and for the most part has some very good people on it.

I have found this place to be a great source of information and was grateful to find it. People should not get in the mindset they have a say here. They don't. Cliff did what he needed to do and has the right to do anything he wants. Being I have been away for awhile, I don't know exactly what happened but anyone who thinks he "HAD" to re open this Board, the one HE PAYS FOR!, has a misconception(ed)that REALLY worries me.

With that said, Cliff, I thank you for the board and all the great help it has brought me and the other Fiero fans. I can't say I didn't see this coming, The handwriting was on the wall. A lot of us were seeing some absurd posts on the board lately. The posts were getting a little out of hand and Cliff just needed to do a "Wake up" call. For that, Cliff I applaud you.

I didnt know the board was closed till I saw this but if there is anything in the way of support we can offer, as so many have already offered, please let us know Cliff.

And again, thanks for the Forum

Rob

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Robert
88GT 56k T TOP
North Florida Fiero Club

http://fullspeed.to/NorthFLFieros

[This message has been edited by RobertVol (edited 07-04-2001).]

quote Originally posted by Galen: I'll nominate Orief as a moderater.. I think he'd be a good one.

I 2nd the nomination of Orief...
I would like to say Thank You also... I have mentioned many times on here before, We OWE Cliff for getting us together.... Steve

Sure a small fee would help Cliff defray some costs (which would be a bonus), but the reason I advocate a fee is that it would clean up the quality of the membership a lot. Look at it this way, the guys who cruise the 'net looking for various Forums where they can raise hell then take off for the next site, wouldn't pay a $5.00 fee to cause problems here when he can go elsewhere free.

I don't think we need moderators, Cliff has been doing a great job with leaving everyone have a lot of freedom. The jerks can be handled (& kept to a minimum) by just loudly booting a couple of them from time to time. Multiple Moderators would confuse issues by bringing their personal opinions into that job. When people are not allowed to dis-agree for fear of being booted then this Forum looses it's value.

I feel that pulling the plug on this was a great wake-up call (sorry I missed it yesterday). However, I think the PFF is not going to be well served if the membership feels that the plug can be pulled anytime. IMHO, the thing that makes this group so appealing is that people are allowed to disagree without without worrying about the plug getting pulled. However the threat of cutting off individuals for major insults etc. should be the tool used & it should be used by the ONE PERSON in final authority. When someone posts a message that has no Fiero value and that is intended as an insult to one or more members, he should be slapped around in public and then booted if it continues... period.

I don't pay any attention to the O/T section & maybe that section needs tighter moderation, but the Tech & General sections for the most part are fine.

I hope this makes sense.

Fella's, if it weren't for Cliff creating this wonderfull environment for us... I would not have been able to rebuild my GT (last year), or make some cool friends.

Cliff does a damn good job taking care of this place by himself. I will say that it has grown probably too big for one person to handle, but that is up to him.

You know, everyone is entitled to an opinion (that's what makes most of us free), however there are few people SMART enough to know that you need to hold that in!

I am on my honeymoon and have no idea, really, what has transpired here... but I will say this... DONT SCREW UP A GOOD THING!

This is not a club, or a cult, or a pay per view thing (although if Cliff did charge a nominal annual charge, he could easily cut people off)... this is a place for people to meet and share information, and chat... not to attack each other. Attacking individual's on this forum is a truely childesh endevor.

I now stepp down from the platform and once again say: THANK YOU CLIFF... FOR EVERYTHING!!!

The Forum can be moderated by anyone. Cliff is the guy that can pull the plug, but all of us have a responsibility to defuse the conflicts that arise on this Forum.

We all love Fieros so I think we can all see this Forum is the lifeblood of our hobby/obsession. Put another way, when you are on Pennock's you are "on sacred ground."

This Forum is the "Church of Fiero." When someone acts up in church, the priests do not have to throw them out. The congregation enforces the peace in a church so well no one even thinks of starting trouble there. I mean seriously, have you ever seen a fight in a church (words or physical).

This Forum is a community. I think Cliff keeps it around because it is full of interesting members that share his love for the Pontiac orphan-sports-car-mobile. If I were him (which I am not), I would be in it for the feeling of community.

So, when we as members go off on proving we are right, insulting other members, judging, cheating, lying . . . It is all sin.

I am not religous, just concerned that the message/lesson is not being learned.

YOU MUST TREAT YOUR FELLOW MEMBERS WITH RESPECT ON THIS FORUM

If you don't like it, don't post. I think Cliff is too dissapointed, forgivably so, to say this himself:

When you say "bad" things about Fieros or other members, you hurt all of us deeply. When you allow, or join in, a flame war you make all of us look like trailer trash.

Treat this Forum as if it were sacred. Do this not because you fear it being closed but rather to set a better example for your Fellow members and the other Forums out there.

As the J. Giels Band once said so elloquently,

"This is muma-guma with the green teeth and I am here to say . . you abuse it, you gonna' lose it!"

Further, if you see a flame war or misdeeds then post your opinion that such behavior is childish and unnacceptable in this Forum. Don't pick a side and don't fight to shove your opinion down the throats of the other members.

It's like pollitics, if you allow a little corruption then it will spread as a disease like cancer.

Jaime