Large Scale Central

Point to ponder

General Discussion
#1

G Scale Mad is a UK web site dedicated to the G scale hobby. I liked the site, and contributed regularly.

This is the message that now greets anyone who navigates to G Scale Mad:

“The G Scale Mad website and forum has been taken offline while I deal a few issues some of which are technical and some personal.”

“I would like to take this chance to thanks all those who one way or another got into contact with me since G Scale Mad Went off line.”

“I am very sad to say but the reason the website and forum was taken offline was because I was being subject to a series of emails attacking me personally which has ended with both my family and I being threatened via our mail or while out and about at the shows and events I attend.”

“This was the about as much as I could take and suspended G.S.M while I took time to reflect on how things had come to this.”

“I am working things out with the help of my family and moderators to see what the future holds for G Scale Mad and I will try and make an announcement soon.”

I regret that this has happened, but not surprised. There is an inherent risk in running any sort of forum, blog, chat room, call it what you will, and the operator of such an enterprise is, by definition, opening himself up to criticism, abuse and malice. It’s not territory for the thin-skinned or faint of heart.

Bob, if you’re reading this, thanks for your good work. I use other sites, but this one is my favourite.

#2

It never ceases to amaze me how many people there are that deliberately do all they can to destroy someone else’s fun and hobby. :frowning:

#3

I’ve never been to the site, but I am certainly sadden by the events as described. This is a hobby, though some have helped us out by making it a business. And I certainly thank then for that. Why people feel the need to attack the services and products people provide for us, I can’t understand. If you don’t like how you are treated, use your feet and your wallet and go somewhere else. Silence can be a wonderful weapon.

#4

G Scale MAD Forum is a very plain and simple site, which is predominantly composed of British members, with a sprinkling of European, American and Australian members. The total membership is around 800. The topics discussed do predominantly concern discussion on Lehmann products, with a sprinkling of live steam and products from European and American manufacturers. Any hint of ‘dissent’ is treated with by the owner deleting ‘offending’ postings. This is definately a friendly, family-oriented site. Why someone would target it with abusive, threatening emails, directed at the webmaster/site owner is beyond reasoning. The site simply does not attract any ‘heavy’ discussion on topics, so any form of personal retaliation is not warranted.

A server which hosts the website should be able to determine the origin of the offensive emails and block that site.

#5
Tim Brien said:
G Scale MAD Forum is a very plain and simple site, which is predominantly composed of British members, with a sprinkling of European, American and Australian members. The total membership is around 800. The topics discussed do predominantly concern discussion on Lehmann products, with a sprinkling of live steam and products from European and American manufacturers. Any hint of 'dissent' is treated with by the owner deleting 'offending' postings. This is definately a friendly, family-oriented site. Why someone would target it with abusive, threatening emails, directed at the webmaster/site owner is beyond reasoning. The site simply does not attract any 'heavy' discussion on topics, so any form of personal retaliation is not warranted.

A server which hosts the website should be able to determine the origin of the offensive emails and block that site.


Yes, I was very surprised to read that message. As far as the abusive, threatening emails are concerned or for that matter threats at events … hmmmm I don’t know, in that case I’d hand the stuff over to the cops. Some people need a reminder of what’s what.

BTW one of the most remarkable features of GSM is the “Coffee Room”; if anyone is ever in need of an example of extreme topic drift, go read the daily thread on the GSM Coffee Room. Usually runs way beyond 100 posts a day. An absolute hoot!

#6

Internet sites seem to bring out a type of behaviour that would never occur if we were all sitting in a room together. No doubt it’s because one can act like a total jerk and not get slapped.

Perhaps he could publish the email addresses of all those jerks and we could send them our greetings.

GSM was a nice site. What a shame.

#7

I’m a member there and greatly enjoyed the site. HJ is right about the Coffee Room…cake anyone? hehehehe

I have almost as many friends there in large scale trains as I do in the USA. A very sociable bunch. I’ve been invited to numerous layouts on my trips there. With the hoopla over the track price increase we should look to out friends in the UK. They do marvelous work with much smaller areas and less track than we are accustomed to.

While I agree I would love to get a hold of the jerk responsible, the truth is it may not get much attention from the police there. Their idea of policing is certainly different than ours.

However…I am on friendly terms with an gentleman that in younger days was head of one of Glasgow’s razor gangs. I’m sure he could hook us up with someone to take care of the problem!

Andre’

#8

I, too, admit to being a Madder, along with a few others on this forum whom I won’t mention for fear of attracting the wrong kind of attention.

The founder and boss of the site, Jason, AKA ‘Teaspoonthecat’ is a very personable young man who drives a public transport bus for a living. I met with him and his dad at a recent show here in UK, and he and the many other Madders there agreed that we all had a great time on the site.

As has been pointed out, the site seems to have its lighter-minded members as well as a few heavyweights who could make Gordon Brown look like Captain Kangaroo, and cake features strongly in the inter-communication between members. In addition, LGB’s best friends in this branch of the Milky Way could be found on the site most days.

It’s true to say that I found a couple of the posters there to be a mite too serious for me, and a while back one of them made life pretty unpleasant for those who are not entirely British in speech or writing. But hey, I made a little dolly of the offending person and stuck a miniature pineapple up its fundament, and all the nastiness suddenly stopped.

Can’t imagine why.

It would be a great shame if the site disappeared, in spite of the appalling near-illiteracy that plagues many of the posters there, for one reason or another. I look forward to it coming back on-line again, if not for the cakes, then for the usually friendly chat.

tac

#9
Andre Schofield said:
I'm a member there and greatly enjoyed the site. HJ is right about the Coffee Room....cake anyone? hehehehe

…


I signed up four weeks ago. The welcome was “did you bring cake?”, :smiley: :smiley: Then for some strange reason that thread got wiped - which in retrospect makes me put two and two together and I come up with five :wink: :O.

Anyway the thread started once more and I told them that all the cake got eaten on the weekend. 't was the truth, too; so there! :lol:

BTW on those emails, to me that sounds just like the escalation of snowing the webmaster under with incessant emails, or playing a bit of hanky panky with the site. Or as in the GSM case a lot of bandwidth being used up with no discernible reason other than all kinds of “visitors”. Hmmmm …I guess the MO doesn’t vary all that much. Same old, same old. :frowning: :frowning:

#10

Tossers sending you emails can be dealt with, ppl making threats at you and your family in person face to face is another matter.

Jason is a decent bloke and is clearly putting the interests of his family first.

All this over toy trains, unbelievable…

#11

Rod: Thats the attitude I take, too. “So, you’re getting in a blind rage over toy trains?” Puts things in perspective for me, particularly all the insanity thats gone on in the last several months.

#12

I am a member there (or was).
Real crock.
I noticed some of our Red Brigade was over there creating havoc, too.

As far as threats, BTDT.
But, I tend to take the offensive role when the threats involve my wife.

And, there are definitely ways to track the SOB’s down.

I look back on all these years of bullcrap I’ve seen and been subjected to on algore’s internet, and it’s no freaking wonder I am not as active as I once was.
And even then, some moron will comment that I’m not posting for some reason HE has conjured up in his foggy partial blob he likes to call his “mind”.

I’m getting real close to just turning this damn GatesBox off.

#13

Excuse me! I’m not eliterite!!

but I am a G Scale madder…

#14

I am a member of G Scale Mad , and have been for a little while .
Some of its members do seem to have entrenched views , but I cannot imagine why any one of them would stoop to threatening the site master .
It is very unpleasant when your family get threatened though --it was that very thing which caused me to leave “the other site” that gets a mention here every so often .
Equally , I have had snide emails from members of this site , too . I send you my warmest greetings , those responsible —I wonder if any of you would care to publish your names here ? Or should I do it , just in case you are scared to ? Nah , you’re not worth the space on the site .
But what is the answer ? We can all huff and puff ; no doubt some of us could find who is the perpetrator and send the lads round–my ex SAS contacts would enjoy the exercise .
That’s not the answer either , no matter how attractive it seems .
So we just have to accept that this is becoming par for the course and give the site masters all the support we can .
Right , back down me 'ole .
Mike M

ps TAC mentioned the excruciating English and speling used by some site members on GSM . Two of them are dyslexic .

#15

Here in the US, when it turn to violent threats, thats time to call in the cops, and give them copies of every e-mail exchange. Threats like this falls under the catagory of making terrorist threats, and they do take them seriously, last jury I was one was just such a case, only in this case it was threats over the phone but the victim had kept the answering machine recordings and turned them over to the cops, and given the history with the threats in context the guy was found guilty.

#16

The ‘suprising illiteracy’ as noted, is actually a medical problem that a certain member has, of which he is acutely aware. The member has my admiration, as even though his writing comes across as illiterate, he has the courage to continue posting, inspite his handicap. I was at first a little put off by the ‘poor grammar’, but now knowing the circumstances I admire the person. He is also one of their LGB experts and offers many tips on fitting decoders, carrying out maintenance, etc.