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I am not a pilot.
There, I said it. I know I've said it before, but I want to make absolutely clear to everyone that I have no pretense of claiming to have any sort of experience when the reverse is true. I've had the good fortune to see a lot of cool stuff, meet an awful lot of incredibly interesting people, and I've made a few good friends through this board, including Zack Baughman and Jack Cook. And I continue to visit because I love to learn. I'm an author, a professional modeler, and a (gasp!) re-enactor, and each of those hobbies demands an attention to detail above and beyond a mere "casual" interest, at least if they're to be done correctly. I share all this not to point out how awesome I am (ha!) but to indicate how much I have yet to learn... there is an incredibly deep well of talent and experience here on WIX for which I am continually grateful.
But Pogmusic is right- those reserves of talent and experience are shrinking, and have been for some time. Some very prolific posters have left due to antagonistic actions on the part of moderators, others have left due to repeated attacks and ridiculous statements from anonymous Internet trolls who have taken up residence here... whatever the reason, their departure leaves the community poorer. To some extent, heated exchanges and attrition are inevitable- one thing I've learned is that the warbird business is no place for a shrinking violet. There are an awful lot of full-throttle Type A egos in the warbird field, and again, that's somewhat inevitable given the size of the investment required to keep a Mustang or Corsair or Spitfire or B-25 in the air. Folks who can afford that sort of commitment generally come from a highly successful business background where an aggressive personality is not just welcomed but required. And make no mistake, it's not a BAD thing to acknowledge the role ego plays in the warbird business.
The true gems of the Warbird movement, though, have been the ones who worked their way up and built a rapport with people. They understand their role isn't just to maintain and fly their precious aircraft today- they recognize their role includes generating that "spark" that will get the next wave of Warbird enthusiasts involved, men like Gary Austin, Gerry Beck, and Bob Odegaard, all of whom have sadly left us too soon. We need more of their kind, not less, and while I realize that a massive paradigm shift from an ego-centric to inclusive approach may be all but impossible for some folks, it's still an effort I think needs to be made if the warbird movement is to continue to grow into the future. And we need more of them here on the boards as well- that inspirational role doesn't stop on the ramp or at the airfield boundary, it continues online and behind the scenes as well. Those who are willing to share their thoughts and experiences should be appreciated, encouraged, and yes, to some extent protected as well from the excesses of ill-mannered and ill-tempered posters by both the community and the moderating team. As to those who take perverse delight in a combative, confrontational or otherwise unnecessarily aggressive approach here on the boards- the moderating team needs to be relentless in their efforts to enforce the standards of civil discourse, up to and including termination of privileges. Lastly, as if it were not obvious, the moderating team needs to be able to set aside personal animus and act in the best interests of the community at large. If a moderator is unable to do so, they should be honest with Scott and relinquish their moderating permissions. Tall order, I know, but one which is necessary to rebuild the integrity of the board.
Lynn
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