Missing Members

[DavidW]

Apparently, there was some stuff on the reading thread that had to be cleaned up last night. Don't know if it got personal.

For clarity, Spotted Horses brought up Trump in the reading thread, and that post was reported. I took care of it lightly by deleting the offending post(s) and the post(s) that quoted it.

There was no heated debate, ad hominem attacks, or anything else. But I responded to the post report because (a) there are posters that do not like seeing US politics thrust into threads having nothing to do with it, and (b) preventative action stops something nasty before it happens.

Many of you will quickly form a narrative about draconian moderation driving him away. But he is an adult who left the forum over an off-topic post being deleted. And I'm confident he will be back soon.

It wasn't personal, and I would have communicated that in a hopefully thoughtful PM had Spotted Horses not so quickly left.

[Florestan]

Spotted Horses brought up Trump in the reading thread, and that post was reported.

Gotta love it when somebody's only activity in a 700-page thread is reporting a post which was offensive to nobody...

There was no heated debate, ad hominem attacks, or anything else.

Exactly. The discussion wasn't even about Trump but actually about the various forms censorship can take (which is not entirely off-topic in a thread related to books). SH brought DT up merely as an example. Imho, the potential of the talk to develop into a kerfuffle was minimal and the whole thing would have most probably sunk into oblivion quickly, were it not for people who feel and act like self-appointed guardians of public morality.

Many of you will quickly form a narrative about draconian moderation driving him away.

The moderation on this forum is and has always been the most lenient I've ever known --- and the very rare instances of rather unjustified draconiam measures being taken belong to the former team of moderators, not the current one.

I'm confident he will be back soon.

I hope so too. He's a very valuable member of our community and his contributions to various GMG threads have been much more substantial and interesting than those of the one responsible for his abruptly leaving the forum.

[Harry]

Gotta love it when somebody's only activity in a 700-page thread is reporting a post which was offensive to nobody...

Exactly. The discussion wasn't even about Trump but actually about the various forms censorship can take (which is not entirely off-topic in a thread related to books). SH brought DT up merely as an example. Imho, the potential of the talk to develop into a kerfuffle was minimal and the whole thing would have most probably sunk into oblivion quickly, were it not for people who feel and act like self-appointed guardians of public morality.

The moderation on this forum is and has always been the most lenient I've ever known --- and the very rare instances of rather unjustified draconiam measures being taken belong to the former team of moderators, not the current one.

I hope so too. He's a very valuable member of our community and his contributions to various GMG threads have been much more substantial and interesting than those of the one responsible for his abruptly leaving the forum.

Andrei, everyone is a valuable member, until proven otherwise, and is not dependable on clever contributions, or knowledge, it is basely founded on friendliness, and the love for classical music.

[Florestan]

Andrei, everyone is a valuable member, until proven otherwise, and is not dependable on clever contributions, or knowledge, it is basely founded on friendliness, and the love for classical music.

Precisely so, Harry. Someone who reports a post who was offensive to nobody just because he feels it shouldn't have been posted acts unfriendly.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

I came out of hibernation (I'm still in a jazz and rock phrase right now), but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry that Spotted Horses has decided to delete his account and leave the forum. He was a hugely knowledgeable member here and was always willing to share this knowledge with everyone. Let's hope he returns and that this was merely a case of needing a break.

I can't speak of the whys someone deletes their account as I had done it myself and did so with the intent to never post on this forum again. Problems blow over and it is as @Harry mentions the love of classical music that brings us all back to this forum. The best we can do is let bygones be bygones and try our best to be respectful of other people.

Anyway, hoping this isn't goodbye to Spotted Horses, but, in the meantime, let's keep classical music our main priority here and leave all of the pettiness and bickering to another forum.

[vandermolen]

I came out of hibernation (I'm still in a jazz and rock phrase right now), but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry that Spotted Horses has decided to delete his account and leave the forum. He was a hugely knowledgeable member here and was always willing to share this knowledge with everyone. Let's hope he returns and that this was merely a case of needing a break.

I can't speak of the whys someone deletes their account as I had done it myself and did so with the intent to never post on this forum again. Problems blow over and it is as @Harry mentions the love of classical music that brings us all back to this forum. The best we can do is let bygones be bygones and try our best to be respectful of other people.

Anyway, hoping this isn't goodbye to Spotted Horses, but, in the meantime, let's keep classical music our main priority here and leave all of the pettiness and bickering to another forum.

I was pleased to see a 'Mirror Image' post pop up on the forum! Good to see you back here John and I agree with you about Spotted Horses and also hope that he returns.

[Mandryka]

There was no heated debate, ad hominem attacks, or anything else. But I responded to the post report because (a) there are posters that do not like seeing US politics thrust into threads having nothing to do with it, and (b) preventative action stops something nasty before it happens.

Sledgehammer to crack a nut.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

I was pleased to see a 'Mirror Image' post pop up on the forum! Good to see you back here John and I agree with you about Spotted Horses and also hope that he returns.

Thanks, Jeffrey, but unfortunately I won't be sticking around for too long as I'm deep in a throes of a jazz and rock phase at the moment.

[vandermolen]

Thanks, Jeffrey, but unfortunately I won't be sticking around for too long as I'm deep in a throes of a jazz and rock phase at the moment.

That's fine John - always good to see you here, even if it's only for a rare guest appearance!
Take care and all good wishes.
PS I'm not sure why the sculptor David McFall appeared below with his wonderful Head of VW - but, why not?
 

[JBS]

Thanks, Jeffrey, but unfortunately I won't be sticking around for too long as I'm deep in a throes of a jazz and rock phase at the moment.

That's what the jazz and non-classical threads are for!
Classical does dominate here, but the forum's title after all is Good Music Guide.

It's always good to see you.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

That's fine John - always good to see you here, even if it's only for a rare guest appearance!
Take care and all good wishes.
PS I'm not sure why the sculptor David McFall appeared below with his wonderful Head of VW - but, why not?
 

Thanks, Jeffrey. That head of RVW is rather scary. The way McFall is pictured here makes it appear as if he's holding up the head like it's Medusa.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

That's what the jazz and non-classical threads are for!
Classical does dominate here, but the forum's title after all is Good Music Guide.

It's always good to see you.

Thanks, Jeffrey. You do have a point about the jazz and non-classical threads, but those don't get as much traffic as the rest of the forum, so you really can't have a conversation with someone since some replies happen days or weeks a part from that initial post you made.

[foxandpeng]

Thanks, Jeffrey, but unfortunately I won't be sticking around for too long as I'm deep in a throes of a jazz and rock phase at the moment.

Particular bands or rock genres?

[Le Buisson Ardent]

Particular bands or rock genres?

I'm rather all over-the-map with my musical tastes when it comes to rock music. I like everything from Pink Floyd to Black Sabbath to Steely Dan to Frank Zappa.

It seems that I'm starting to inch my way back into a classical phase at the moment, though, which isn't unusual for me as it seems the spring-summer months I listen to rock and jazz and the autumn-winter months I listen to classical music. This seems like some kind of strange pattern I'm in.

[foxandpeng]

I'm rather all over-the-map with my musical tastes when it comes to rock music. I like everything from Pink Floyd to Black Sabbath to Steely Dan to Frank Zappa.

It seems that I'm starting to inch my way back into a classical phase at the moment, though, which isn't unusual for me as it seems the spring-summer months I listen to rock and jazz and the autumn-winter months I listen to classical music. This seems like some kind of strange pattern I'm in.

OK. I am more of a metalhead, but some hard rock works for me too. Again, everything from Zeppelin, DP, Gillan, etc., through GnR, Dream Theater, Godsmack and others.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

OK. I am more of a metalhead, but some hard rock works for me too. Again, everything from Zeppelin, DP, Gillan, etc., through GnR, Dream Theater, Godsmack and others.

I absolutely detest Guns N' Roses and Godsmack. Dream Theater had a few good albums --- Images and Words, Metropolis, Part 2: Scenes From A Memory and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence being particular favorites.

[foxandpeng]

I absolutely detest Guns N' Roses and Godsmack. Dream Theater had a few good albums --- Images and Words, Metropolis, Part 2: Scenes From A Memory and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence being particular favorites.

 :

[Harry]

OK. I am more of a metalhead, but some hard rock works for me too. Again, everything from Zeppelin, DP, Gillan, etc., through GnR, Dream Theater, Godsmack and others.

I am utterly shocked!    

[foxandpeng]

I am utterly shocked!    

Ha. It gets worse, Harry, much worse than these...

[Le Buisson Ardent]

Ha. It gets worse, Harry, much worse than these...

Stop scaring the man!