Dear PPRuNe Pop,
In my more than 500 postings to PPRuNe (the majority of which appear on the Manchester threads) I have always endeavoured to be respectful towards other contributors and towards yourselves (the mods). I understand that you have a difficult job to do. However, respect on forums such as this one is a two-way street. I have noted other internet forums which have withered to irrelevance as over-zealous moderation drove well-informed regular contributors to alternative venues. It would be very sad to see that happen here. Good quality user-generated content is a valuable resource which should be appreciated by the host website. It is specifically this which attracts traffic to the site. The best forums are moderated with a velvet glove, not the jackboot.
In this case, my own posting discussing the North-South divide was directly relevant to Manchester Airport and relates to the ongoing fallout from the Davies Report. This report will directly affect the future distribution of business across UK airports including MAN. Bagso's posting on London-centric taxpayer-funded inbound tourism promotion tackled a topic which is fundamentally important to MAN. It must have taken him a couple of hours to research, compile and post it. Some may disagree with his opinion, but that posting was directly relevant, interesting, respectful, thought-provoking and non-abusive. Exactly the type of constructive submission which a forum-based website ought to appreciate.
Postings such as my own, and those of Bagso, Skipness, FDF, LAX-LHR, LN-KGL and many others do not just magically appear. These more involved submissions require knowledge borne of in-depth research, professional expertise and considerable time invested in acquiring that. If we are to invest our precious time contributing to these discussions in good faith (and in a wholly respectful manner), then it it is most disappointing to find our postings abruptly deleted because a moderator disagrees with the views expressed. I have to tell you that I contribute a great deal of valuable time in doing my bit to help make PPRuNe the vibrant resource that it has become. You moderators are the law, but frequent contributors are the lifeblood and soul of the site.
I will do my best to respect the rules of the forum (as I always have) … respectful exchanges with those who hold different opinions, no foul language, no abuse. I am happy to continue informing, educating and answering questions across the PPRuNe forums where my years in the industry have afforded me the insights to do so. This effort and time I happily contribute free of charge. In turn, I appreciate the opportunity to learn from the expertise of others and bounce ideas off them.
Bagso, FDF, Skipness, LN-KGL, LAX-LHR and so many others similarly donate their time and professional expertise to PPRuNe discussions. However, if one finds respectful and entirely relevant postings randomly deleted by the invisible hand, it becomes difficult to maintain the enthusiasm to contribute. Can the time and effort required still be justified? Please be careful not to kill the geese.
We respect you. Please reciprocate that respect to your dedicated regular contributors. They are well-informed professionals with valuable insights to share. They are not naughty schoolchildren.
Best Regards, SHED.