From Digitalscream & TTony

earwighoney

A shame it got to this but thank you Tony & Lee for all the great work you have contributed and I hope you return.

stratman3142

That's sad news. Thanks for all the excellent work you've both put in to run a great place for me to visit and contribute. Hopefully you'll be back after a break.
 

not_the_dj

Thanks for your efforts over the years, and enjoy your new found freedom!

tone1

Thanks Guys... This is my only Forum I use... I don’t Tweet or Facebook but I do like coming on here....Take care & enjoy the break

ourmaninthenorth

Personally I welcome the news.

Laws of diminishing returns have applied for a while. 

You've both put a bloody big shift in. 

Stay gone, and get on with your lives...just like the rest of us. 

Fretwired

Sad news ... thanks for everything.

stickyfiddle

Thank for everything chaps. You don't owe anyone anything after the amount of hard work you've both put in for so long. 

Enjoy the break. I hope you both return in time, and look forward to it

JezWynd

Sad news, your presence will be missed in lots of ways but I concur with your thinking. Stepping away will help get a clearer picture of what you want to do moving forward. Thank you both for your hard work creating an interesting and companiable resource.

Grunfeld

Lee and Tony, makes total sense. 

First, a genuine thank you.

I've been here from the start and while I'm not a prolific poster I log in and out a lot -- so this space is a place I like obviously or I wouldn't spend so much time here!  The difference for me is that when I see the kind of things you've mentioned I can just click away from it.  If I had to deal with it... yuk.  I've read your posts when you've had to do mopping up and it's like reading the wisdom of Solomon sometimes, god knows how you stay so reasonable, and figure if you ever needed a change of career you could go straight into Relate, or a nursery school, or charge people £££s per hour as they recline on a couch and tell you about their mother. 

Secondly, no actually that's it!  Thank you and it makes sense.  Enjoy.

richh

Tony & Lee - thanks, and sorry that you are continually having to get involved in the same old crap, but hopefully by taking a break, you can come back refreshed and enthusiastic, whether to your current roles or just to hang out.

Sadly I can't see a way of getting people to comply with the rules or guidelines, without a lot of time being put into it, and it must be very tedious.  I've personally spent less time involved in the banter here recently - which is great though.  Because it can be very time consuming, and there are other things to be getting on with in life for most of us.

Best of luck, and I hope it is a short term break.

Emp_Fab

Honestly....  (and the caveat being that I'm no longer privy to what goes on in the admin area)...  I'm struggling to see what the big problem is.  From this side of the fence, the forum is calmer and happier than it's ever been.  I don't see this big troublesome burden you're describing @TTony. ; OK, I don't venture into the classifieds much but if that's a PITA, just shut them down.  

richh

I'm guessing people not posting prices, pics properly embedded, deleting info after selling, and petty disputes?

It must all add up, even though we've not had any major scraps for a while.

Wazmeister

Absolutely gutted and devastated by this news...

But you know @digitalscream and @TTony, I really don't blame you. Some of the attitudes must be so wearing and trying.

Don't give up guys; have a rest and re-think, and if it can work again, brilliant. If you are suffering too much yourselves, move on with your own life and loved ones.

I've been here from the very start, and I cannot express how much thanks I feel for your time and hard work.

Warmest,

Waz

ThorpyFX

yeah. gutted that it ground you down to this point. best wishes and i hope you enjoy your extra time!!

blobb

Maybe it's time for theFretboard II - thePickupboard. Er, maybe not.

Thanks for everything you created here, lot's of people go through lot's of sh*t n their life (me included) and have found some kind of semi-insane sanctuary here thanks to what you achieved. Music is the best.

scrumhalf

Thanks for all you've done for this band of miscreants, you'll be missed. It's an amazingly diverse community that you've been nurturing.

Those of us with brains hope you'll return to the ranks.

Flink_Poyd

Ive seen this happen to a few places Ive been. Start up with good intentions and a community spirit, lightly moderated for a while in the hope that people are grown up and can behave. For the most part people do, then as the community gets established people get to know the online personas of real people, and like in life, some dont get on. Flamewars and shitstorms occur, die off, people get banned and back to square one. This goes on until the people running it feel its getting out of hand and more of a chore than its worth for the time, effort and babysitting duties required to keep everything in check.

 Fork in the road time.
Do you carry on as you are and go through the same cycle every 6 months or so?
Give everyone an ultimatum of play by the rules or we shut it down?
Go full on with the moderation to attract sponsors/ads as ways of running the site?

Ive seen all 3 happen as no one has totally solved the problem of people getting together on the internet and playing nice all the while.

thomasross20

A massive shame but also massively understandable. Will miss you both but hope to see you either at jam or back here in time.. many thanks for all your efforts and whenever you need another fundraiser I'll pitch in again!

Teyeplayer

Really sorry to read this, although whole heartedly agree with the sentiments you’ve expressed @TTony .

I was late to the game and didn’t get involved for a while, but this remains the only form of social media I have been, or continue to participate in -I honestly think that is in many ways down to you guys and the community you’ve built here. 

So, thank you both.

poopot

Emp_Fab said:

OK, I don't venture into the classifieds much but if that's a PITA, just shut them down.  

This!... shut it down for at least six months and weed out the non contributors!...