what is the purpose of the membership in these forum?
 

Hi guys,
maybe these letter was also removed shortly after the publishing, but i think i must say my opinion open and not via privat emails to some moderators.
Yesterday i wrote an thread in the forum because the removing from threads over
Exhibition Catalogues !!!!!!!
from the ethnographic discus forum to the swap forum thrue the moderators.
I hoped that an open discus was started, than not only in my opinion is these removing from these threads wrong. It is one of the purpose from these forum that the members give theire informations over such news to the other members, or missunderstand i these forum all the time?
Where is the problem when these member write such an important feature like the price form these catalogues in these thread ?
I was very thankfull over such informations and i think the most of us too!
Everybody could see that these threads wasn´t an comercial thread for the publishing of these books.
I hoped we could something change when we see that one rule is not perfect, and it is so easy when we talk together, but i was so disapointed from one moderator.
Andrew stoped these thread and closed my thread for other opinions.
This is 100% the wrong way for an discus. The other moderators are quiet, no one reaction at my thread, no mail, no message from these corner!
I ask my self what i´m or what are the other members? A number only, or slaves without an voice?
Is it an problem or mybe prohibited in an democratic forum to discus?
These exampel remember me very strong at my time when i lived under the leadership from the communist. Ooh what an “happy idea” for all workers in the world, but when you have an own free mind so waiting the secret service at you and than you could see the true face of these people..,
i was more than one year inprisoned because my free mind( nothing else!!), i thought i own my self!!
I wrote it before i´m very disapointed over these reaction and so i decide me that there is not longer place for me in the forum. There is an bitter tast in my mouth after that !!
When it is prohibited to discus, than i better leave the forum.
This is my last post!
Thanks at all members who wrote and helped me in the past years!!!
Kind regards, stefan

Salaams ~ No don't leave ... Please I think you missed the point slightly ... Its a legal thing OK... The forum becomes liable in the case of such commercial discussions...hang in there don't go and dive out because of this because its good to hear your viewpoint. Forget that one..
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi. :)

Hey Stefan
Cool down a bit :-) You are a big boy already and you know that is not a perfect world after all!

Exhibition Catalogues !!!!!!!
 

Hi Stefan ,

'm Your opinion, but still remain in the forum.
Don't leave !

Regards
Kurt

Stefan,

As I understand it, the prohibition on discourse regarding currently active sales of arms and armour is a measure for the protection of the site. To quote the relevant part of the Forum Rules and Regulations:

The difficulty is that, should a potential buyer for an item be put off buying, or demand a reduction in price, because of discussion he or she spots here, the seller may be left out of pocket. The seller, in turn, may be inclined to seek legal redress for his or her loss of earnings, especially if it turns out that the forumites' assessment of the item was incorrect.

For instance, if you were to post a gun I were selling, and remark that it was too badly damaged by far to be worth its current price, I might decide to sue the site (vikingsword.com), on the grounds that they had unfairly, without seeing the item first-hand, and without taking any pains to contact me, caused me loss of earnings. Were I particularly thin-skinned, I might also seek damages for defamation written by the members (for example, if someone on here were to say "he's always doing this, overpricing knackered old guns"), although that would likely be a lot harder to pursue.

In any case, this may be frustrating (and I understand the frustration of seeing a thread swiftly and unilaterally stopped - Ibrahiim probably remembers the Restoration Workshop Library thread, which was summarily closed), but on the whole it's for the protection of the forum and its members. I for one would be bloody annoyed to see Ethnographic Arms and Armour vanish because some seller decided to reach for his solicitors!

Best wishes and hoping you'll stay here,

Meredydd

Salaams RDGAC ~ Oh yes ! I remember that brilliant thread ~ What was it called again ... oh yes http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=14017 I sometimes pop along and see that one as its got some good stuff on it...
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi. :shrug:

Is it the official policy of the entire Forum, or only of this particular sub-Forum?

The sister sub-Forum Keris Warung Kopi is, as we speak, cheerfully discussing another new book, its academic level and, - oh horror! - the price:-)
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...921#post147921

Stefan,

while I agree that the rules of the forums could benefit from some clarification and revision, you are completely mistaken in thinking that these forums are in any way a 'democaracy'.
These forums are privately owned and paid for by Lee.
His forums, his rules, his liability and responsibility. If something causes a problem, he carries the can, not you, or me.


Andrew gave you a fair bit of leeway and completely spelled it out for you when he said: "If you wish to discuss an exhibition or catalogue, feel free to start a thread about it without commercial purchasing or sale information. Pretty simple, really."
So why not just do that instead of this?

Now I'd have not replied here but for your comment:
You are German correct?
So are you seriously likening the Moderators actions here to those of the secret police in post war Communist East-Germany: The Stasi?

You are SERIOUSLY going about this the wrong way if you expect to solicit support from members of a change of heart from the Moderator team with such an inflamatory exaggeration.

P.S. And I say this as someone who has certainly had his fair share of disagreements with the Mod-team.

Namaste Ibrahiim,

You've got your own website, why not start a section for these big project/database threads there and invite people to contribute?
you could run them whatever way you want to then.
:shrug:
Just a thought. ;)

Simple equation. Follow the relatively unrestricting rules and it all should be fine. Can always discuss the books without sale information/links etc :-)

Staff Comment
 

Thank you to the calm voices of reason. Seriously--we appreciate it.

Stefan, I took a deep breath before responding to this. I realize you are upset and, for that, I am sorry. Also, for that, I choose not to take offense at your tone, your accusations, your mischaracterization of my actions and your continuing refusal to abide by the forum rules and my requests made privately and publically.

As someone pointed out above, this is not a democracy. This forum is privately owned (by Lee) and moderated by a volunteer staff. We donate our efforts and time because we love this place, the people here and the hobby we all enjoy.

As a result, we get to make the rules in order to protect the forum, the owner and the staff and to engender and foster the type of environment WE want.

We can be as arbitrary and capricious as WE want. We strive to avoid that type of attitude, but the fact remains that this is OUR sandbox and we will do what we deem necessary to protect it.

I hope this will be the final word on this topic. Be advised it will be my final word. Any further threads of this ilk will result in swift and harsh moderator action, indeed.

Sincerely,
Andrew
Vikingsword Staff

Please forgive me Andrew for this brief re-opening of this issue, however, i think that it is important to allow Ariel and others who may be asking themselves the above question to understand what the differences are here. Though numbers are being thrown around on this book discussions on the keris forum, this thread was presented as a discussion of the book itself without any further information on how or where to buy the book. The question being raised here is whether or not this (or any) book is worth the cover price. It is not a commercial advertisement for the book as the Samurai thread appeared to be. Apples and oranges. For clarification, the rules on commercial threads in the keris forum are the same as they are in any of the other sub forums and will be dealt with in the same manner. :)