Posted by Truebash on 25/6/2008, 3:15 pm, in reply to "Re: Two Message Boards"

Steve P, I agree with everything you say. I have supported Bash through thick and thin for about 20 years but didn’t post on the old forum precisely because it was open to abuse. Perhaps people don’t realise, but anyone can post anything on here in anyone else’s name and it is impossible to track. Such boards were all the rage 10 years ago but are now frankly too risky for many folk to consider using. Like Steve P, I also won’t be posting on here again. This forum is almost exactly the same as Pete’s old forum – same provider (Boardhost); perhaps even worse because it doesn’t even have the legal wording bit at the top that Pete originally had on the old one. We all remember the unwelcome visitors we had last season from Gloucester and elsewhere. I am really concerned about the damage this board may do to the club’s reputation if there are any unsuitable postings on here; unless Steve is prepared to moderate it 24 hours a day, this is bound to happen given the board is completely open. Given our recent history with certain elements of the local press, this worries me. I know this board is independent of the club but that subtlety will be lost on most people. In recent years, Pete has gradually developed the website till it is now one of the best in our league. Personally, I am surprised he has not changed the message board before now - it was out of date (as is this one). I think he has chosen the new message board provider well; it has loads of new features and is well organised. There are forums set up in different sections to accommodate both serious and less serious posters. If we as fans want to influence the club, and I certainly do, there appear to be at least two members of the Exec Committee already registered on Pete’s new messageboard; I’m not sure posting on here will influence anyone! For what its worth, I didn’t agree with Pete making his new board registration to view, and have voted to make it open to view. Fair play to Pete though; he has recognised that he maybe didn’t get that right and has had the balls to ask us what we want, which can’t have been at all easy for him to do. Sorry Countourman, I don’t agree with you that the two boards can co-exist. In my opinion, having two different boards is going to make us look really stupid as a club to outsiders. Steve, I’ve never spoken to you, but as a true Bashley fan, I’d ask you please to close this board down and move to the official one once it becomes open to view, as I’m sure it will. You are well-intentioned but I worry about the harm you may be doing to our club. I also don’t believe that you whinging publicly more than once on the Bournemouth Echo website (about Pete’s new board being registration to view) was at all helpful or good for the reputation of the club. I realise that you have strong feelings about this; you have made your point, and it looks like you will get what you originally wanted. Pete to his credit has recognised that he maybe didn’t get it right and is trying to resolve things in the best interests of the club we all support. I think we owe it to Pete to all give him our support by using his board for all postings. If you want to know where to find me, I’ll be on the new message board talking about the new season. Second seasons are never easy in any league and we all need to pull together to support the club. Right now it doesn’t look like we are, and I suspect this is a distraction the club can well do without!