brannonspillars

Wow am I glad this all finally happened!

Civility and basic respect are principles that Benjamin Choi never will get. He is classless, rude, and I am looking forward to more activity on this forum now that he is gone. My only gripe is that he was not banned sooner.

As my dad used to tell me, "don't let your alligator mouth overload your tadpole ***". Where I am from (Oklahoma) people are known for being nice. The reason people are nice to one another here is not because they are simpletons (or inbred, as Ben once told me), but because they are held accountable, directly and in person, for their actions. This has been called "cowboy justice". Trust me, you don't want to be on the receiving end of redneck justice.

I still wish I could meet Ben in a bar so I could show him the "respect" and consideration he has so often shown others on this forum.

FLY996

See ya later bud...

Wellardmac

I'm sorry to see anyone leave, but the honest truth is that Ben was driving people away from here. He was turning this place into something that we didn't like.

If you like Ben, miss Ben, and liked what he was doing, then this incident is a message to you that his kind of behavior will not be tolerated. If you don't like that, then you know where the door is.

We're here to have fun. Reading Ben's insults and rants was not fun. It's way more preferable to waste my time in other ways than put up with that BS.

rotokim

Thanks for administering, John D. I've read all of the posts on this thread and the one that were Ben's last, and it wasn't a surprise. This isn't a "feeding frenzy" of people who are behaving like vultures. This is the overwhelming reaction to the demise of someone who intimidates and attacks with the explanation "Hey, that's who I am" - a bully. Keep in mind that Ben's wasn't disrespectful to me. So, I have no personal bone to pick with him about flaming me.

That being said, even the best people draw back in every social environment when there is an aggressive attempt at being "Alpha". It sucks. The retreat of good, smart, polite enthusiasts is simply bad for the forum. No one should be here for a sparring match. Because of the cars we own and the brand we love, we're in a club where many of us have paid to be members. We have a right to expect good behavior - we're not even demanding best behavior (although that would be somethin' else!).

Apply Ben's behavior to any group. It was bound to happen and I'm grateful that John D. did it. Look at how many people (and the hundreds of lurkers) that are now surfacing on this thread. If that could be quantified, we could all see how much knowledge, relationship and membership dollars have been compromised by many of the statements and attacks that have taken place.

Lastly, let's not kid ourselves - the young, old, abrasive, impolite, overly-opinionated members are still here to a good degree. They always will be. But, if the day comes that they dominate this forum again, I hope we don't wait for John D. to take charge. There are so many of us who (like me) who opted not to say anything. I could have at least PMd John D. This place is like a mental sanctuary for me. If I read bad behavior again, I'm not going to pull back and avoid it. I hope you agree, and will do the same.

Bob

Barn996

I cannot believe how many forum members have returned to the fold in the last day or two , who were always major contributors when I joined almost a year ago. Welcome back, it feels like a reunion of sorts...and that is great to see.

mickey6

I was wondering if there were several users (new and old) not posting scared of getting flamed. Personally speaking, I posted seldom not wanting to get into a war of words over something petty. I frequent other boards too and see something like this off and on and then the admin steps in. I guess it was about time.

programmatore

I was in NYC for a few days. What did I miss?

TD in DC

welcome back. Did you return because Ben got banned?

Blackness

Ben (and others) have made me laugh, cry, curse, whatever at things they've said... in general, about Porsches, and about other Rennlist members. If you have a problem with it and feel that strongly about it, call them out -- once. After that, simply ignore them. If everyone had ignored Ben's button pushing, he would have either calmed down or left on his own. Otherwise, it's like providing negative reinforcement to a two year old.

chsu74

I was lurker when Ben was around the board. I remember Dell straightening Ben out a few times. That was well over a year ago. It is true that Ben's attitude can be hard to deal with. I have had my battles with him. Now, I accept him for who he is and filtered out the things that do not apply to me. I am not surprised clashes happen often. I only wish those diagreements resulted in more positive responses. Those people who have taken the extra step in getting to know Ben have found an excellent human being.

The world is changing fast and we don't have the time to really get to know someone. We all live in a melting pot world drawn closer by the internet while geography remains unchanged. It is regrettable that some people choose to value their first impressions more than its worth.

Riad

Drinks with me!

deckman

You can always be counted on for comic relief

DanJK

Whether Ben is an "excellent human being" or not is irrelevant to why he was banned.

And his "first impression" was much like his last.

chsu74

There was one before and will always be another "Ben." Ben was probably the most colorful of all which is why he sticks in our minds. I get a chuckle out of people here who think Rennlist is now heaven.

Chuck Jones

It was nothing more than a self inflicted gunshot wound. You don't have to look far for the suspect.