Free Speech

Hi Martin

It is not helpful to you.

It is helpful to the organisers of Alexandra Palace in not encouraging people to stay away.

regards David

Even if the conditions are perilous it would seem!

We go to these exhibitions by choice, not because we have to, and many people appreciate the feedback from others that have attended. This is all the more important considering the age of those likely to attend.

I'm afraid your response is another example of business being more important than people.

Martin.

Martin

I don't understand what you mean by " I'm afraid your response is another example of business being more important than people."

It is not our show. We have nothing to gain by people going or not going.

regards David

Martin

Perhaps the organisers of the Alexandra Palace exhibition should provide information on the weather conditions prevailing and offer advice to those wishing to attend. Maybe you should take it up with them.

Norman

David

I feel that ALL comments about the exhibition itself both good and bad should be allowed OR NO comments at all (Good or bad) should be allowed.

Only allowing good comments is giving a biased view.

Dave

I'm not going to Ally Pally 'cos it's a long way from N Scotland and it's snowing here (600 miles away) If I did go and fell over in the icy car park who could I sue?

Hi Dave
I won't get complaints about the good, only about the bad.
I am not trying to bias the coverage, just trying to stop leaving us open to complaints if the attendance is low because of the weather.
regards David

David, I doubt that you are any more likely to receive such complaints than the Met Office and whoever issues those "Don't travel unless you absolutey must" warnings.

That said, you are the boss on here, and I can appreciate your wanting to avoid any possibility of accusations that you are raining on someone else's parade. Or snowing on it, for that matter.

Andy

It really is very simple. David is denying the opportunity for ANY accusation from a commercial competitor that comments made on the forum his company hosts in any way contributed to low numbers attending the show should that be the case. It doesn't matter what it is. Any negative criticism related to the show could be considered detrimental to it and possibly liable to it. Even if no legal process can be brought, rather than antagonise that competitor, just body swerve the whole issue until the show is over and David can genuinely be able to say that MEW did not host any material that could be described as detrimental to the show because he didn't host any material about it period. It's the safest way.

Forgive me but I have not yet seen any posts about the Alley Pally show in this thread. Did I miss something?

Jo

There's danger in everything if you look hard enough for it, but the thought that a competitor could heap blame onto DC1 for poor attendance at its exhibition, because a forum member here warned of severe weather locally, is beyond belief.

Martin.

"Beyond belief" !!!!! not in this day and age Martin when the legal proffesion are only too willing to releive folk of as much cash as pos for the most ridiculous things.

Cheers Derek

P.S. They make you take out insurance in case they lose the case, they never lose..

Edited By magpie on 19/01/2013 20:14:42

I'll leave my comments about the show until Sunday after it has finished so no one will get blamed..

But just say the roads were all fine, AP even had a tractor with small plough clearing the carparks closly followed by a pick-up with mini grit spreader on the back. Shuttle bus was running though I walked up and back.

Jo yes you did miss something yesterday.

Edited By JasonB on 19/01/2013 20:29:59

Had a grand day out at Ally Pally yesterday, the walk up from the station was freezing so when I went back I caught the bus. The show was good but quiet as you would expect with all the dire warnings in the papers. As usual well worth the visit.

I have seen people pull out of events because some one sent an E-mail around with a gloomy outlook in regards to the weather , this was over a week before the event .

When you have to travel 500km + to an event you don't want rain particularily if it is held outside .

This was all it took to put an element of uncertainty into thier minds so they made other plans .

I see no reson why one can't ask current weather conditions for a region a day before or even on the day of an event as long as they don't mention the events name .

So they may ask for current conditions say for example London but there is no need to say they are going to such and such exibition but may not if the weather is crook .

Weather reports i take with a grain pof salt as they are rarely correct and never correct 3 days beforehand .

When a posting or thead is Moderated is it possible to message the person who has breached the forum regulations to explain to them what thie issue is ?

I'm sure this would eliminate any cofusion ,stop tempers fraying and give the person who posted it the chance to submit new posting minus any issues as they may have something important or interesting to add to the forum.

Ian

I'm sure the rules about comments on the different shows were layed down fairly early in this web sites history, have not been back through the files to see, it was a long time ago. Ian S C

PM's were sent out, well at least I got one.

DC you say we can say what we like after the show has finished BUT could you not be leaving the Mag open to problems if next years show suffers due to adverse comments? Though I expect you won't care as it won't be your problem then!

Hi Graham

I was not forced to make the decision.

However, being editor and first in the firing line, sometimes I have to take decisions I do not want to.

That is far better than doing nothing. I have absolutely no problem with competing exhibitions. I was asked to remove comments from the home page about not posting about a another exhibition a couple of months ago.

This was done together with an offer to start talking but that offer was as usual ignored.

So, the moderation was added.

When the exhibition is over, probably tonight, moderation will be removed.

Next year, as I will no longer be editor of Model Engineer, someone else can make the decision or accept the consequences providing they remember.

regards David

Hi Jason

I trust readers to use their common sense.

Really it is car park and weather comments while the exhibition is on that were causing a problem.

Good or bad comments after any show should help the organiser to see what they did right and what they did wrong.

regards David

Hi Ian

Several people got personal messages explaining my decision including reasons I could not post without causing trouble.

On occasion I have contacted people by phone to explain decisions I have made where I could not put something in writing.

Please remember that I am employed and have to do what I think is right for my employer if I wish to remain in work.

regards David