I agree that it would be a shame to see PPRune go as it can be a useful and fun forum from students all the way up to management. I also think that due to the nature of the internet then another, and perhaps even worse, site would soon follow if it were shut down. Better, I think, to keep it where we know we have some control over it.
What I would say though is this:
I have a good friend who's life has been badly affected by this forum. He was severely slagged off by his workmates openly on this forum. All comments were unfounded and very unwarranted. Comments made ranged from personal insults to professional slander - they were basically nasty. They were all anonymous and thus clearly cowardly in nature. I suspect comments were born from jealousy or simple personal dislike.
This happened quite sometime ago.
This came at time when he was suffering considerable personal difficulty at home and in his personal life.
He took it very personally and became doubting and paranoid of his own abilities. He felt that people would think (as people do) 'no smoke without fire'.It put an even greater strain on his home life and his very own partner started to doubt him after reading the comments. A promotion was cancelled at around the same time and he felt he began to lose favour with his management, he believes, because of the comments. Attitudes seemed to change toward him at work - or certainly he felt that. He was even called into see his managers to answer to the allegations made - which he did and disproved everyone of them! He was placed under a tremendous amount of strain as a result of someones cheap, poorly thought out and ill researched comments.
He eventually left the company that he was working for as it simply became too stressful for him. That was a great shame as he had a promising future ahead. It was a great shame as he is actually a guy of great integrity, very capable and would help anyone get on.
A couple of years later he has recovered his life well and is today a training captain on a large jet. He still, though, suffers from lack of confidence as a result. His relationship is only just starting to recover fully. Occasionally he still gets comments from people that knew of the slander. He is also paranoid that people will remember the slander and assosciate it with him, and affect his career again. He still resents this forum very very much.
He considered suing but was unable, at the time, to track down individuals responsible. An option would have been to sue PPRune for allowing this to happen. He spoke to Danny first, however, and decided not to proceed with legal action as he would probably close the site down. He beleived that would result in the forum setting up somewhere else and it would likely be even less regulated. Danny also promised to moderate these matters better. Danny is also a nice guy who is willing to help in these matters. So my friend didn't proceed - although, at times,he says he wishes he had.
So what I am saying is THINK!!!!! Before you post. What you post here, sitting in the comfortable anonymity of your home; what you think is a bit of fun or a pop at someone can have very real and lasting affects. To try to change peoples perception of an individual or situation using this forum is very very cowardly and childish. Some people will take what is said here very seriously.
THINK before you post or one day it may be you they are talking about!