Bluebird

[sheppane]

Paul,

I'm interested that you have felt it necessary to close the latest Bluebird thread. Can I ask from where the pressure came?
I agree that the thread contained plenty of conjecture and hearsay. That is why I indicated that contributors were transparent in their identity, to keep them honest and considered. With this in mind can you facilitate a thread where contributors once having identified themselves, they are free to pass on their views. This is an important subject that arouses specialist interest and the views surrounding it deserve a hearing. From my knowledge of Campbell / Bluebird, which is extensive, I read nothing that looked like a libellous comment. There were some legitimate comments being made, albeit in rather sloppy language.

I look forward to you comments.

Best,

Neil

[Eighteeteewhy]

I thought it was made clear?

Even though I enjoyed reading the thread I thought its closing was inevitable.

Let's just wait and see what happens, maybe there will be an official thread in time?

[Turn7]

Has ph really come down that far now? Not even a thread on Campbell and Bluebird escaping descending into a thread lock?

[TheLastPost]

Eighteeteewhy said:

I thought it was made clear?

I share Sheppane's disappointment that the thread was closed; as he suggests, it is a topic which ought to be of interest to most petrolheads and there were genuine concerns being raised and genuine news being made.

Let's not forget that it appears to be at least partly as a direct result of the discussion here on PistonHeads that Gina Campbell has now broken her public silence and made clear her desire not to see K7 run again (though it's fair to say that the cracks had been showing for a while, to anyone who took an interest).

Eighteeteewhy said:

I thought it was made clear?

[quote=in closing the thread, Garlick]I have started to receive a few emails from people involved in this project who are concerned about the mixed messages being shared on this thread. I have also received some requests to close it before more (untrue) comments are made.

Like Sheppane, I acknowledge the conjecture (it's difficult not to speculate when those who know are making such strenuous efforts to avoid giving a straight answer), but can see nothing that was libelous and am struggling to see anything that could be deemed to be definitely 'untrue' even.

Garlick's closing comment suggests that he believes that specific untruths had already been stated on the thread: if so, surely it would be in everybody's interests to make clear exactly which comments were felt to be untrue and why they justified the thread's closure, as from a brief skim I cannot spot anything that has been deleted in moderation, hence the implication would seem to be that untruths remain there, unanswered, to mislead anybody who turns up the thread by way of a search on the subject in the future?

I am sure that certain individuals involved with the Bluebird Project would be concerned about the light it cast upon them, but that in itself is surely not a reason to close the thread: perhaps their behaviour and intentions deserve closer scrutiny... and if not, they should be able to provide coherent and believable explanations that dismiss the criticism?

If they have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear.

Sheppane's equivalent thread on the BBP forum is titled 'the Elephant in the Room'. Those of us who have been following the project closely have been aware of problems and frictions for some time, but discussion of those difficulties has been at best ignored and at worst deliberately stifled on the BPP forum, which is both dominated and moderated by key members within the project and is therefore extremely partisan.

It is worrying that they now appear to be trying to stifle debate on other forums, too, upon a matter which to many of us is of some importance to our national and cultural heritage.

It is equally worrying that PistonHeads feels obliged to bow down so easily to such pressure - it makes the forums rather toothless if they immediately close any thread which raises questions that others may find slightly uncomfortable?

[Switch]

Garlick may not have seen this.

However I think his final post has made the reasons quite clear.

Garlick said:

I have started to receive a few emails from people involved in this project who are concerned about the mixed messages being shared on this thread. I have also received some requests to close it before more (untrue) comments are made.

With that in mind OI have reviewed the thread and there are a few accusations being made without foundation, and these alone would normally be reason to close a thread, but we have tried to keep this open for as long as possible as the story is an interesting one.

Sadly the time has come to close the thread, but once the situation progresses we hope to open a new thread, or maybe an edited version of this one. In the meantime I hope this explains the closure.

Thanks
Paul

The section in bold makes the future of this situation quite clear, that if/when progress has been made it may be up for further discussion. Until that time I'm afraid his decision stands.

This is not a forum for public discussion of PH Moderation policy. However should you wish to continue this enquiry then please contact Garlick directly via the "email me" link in his profile.
You could also email [e-mail] if you wish to not go via the PM system.