Comments from the moderator on Richard King

This post is going to be a long one, I will break it up into several short posts then I will lock this thread.

Richard has received a 30 day ban from posting on the Practical Machinist Forum. This is not the first time and I wanted to say a few words about it as I know others will have questions.

For the new members Richard is a professional machine re-conditioner who specializes in scraping and refitting. He has worked all his life all over the world and for many years has traveled to teach scraping techniques. You can imagine what a lifetime of that kind of work can do your body. The wear and tear on your hands wrists forearms and back. If you cannot at least give some respect to a man who has done this work for as long as he has then you need to rethink your values.

Richard has a failing that has come up many times in this forum. He is so opinionated about his techniques and opinions that he can really hurt some members with his comments. I have worked with him for several years now to get him to see where the way he writes can cause offense. And it has worked for a while and I think we can all see that the New Richard has been very helpful.

But I have received several complaints lately about a few posts. Richard himself asked me to go back and delete some comments he had made. But after some consultation I decided not to change them as that would make the thread to difficult to understand.

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I want everyone to understand that as Moderator, it isnt my duty to figure out who is right and who is wrong. I just try to mediate problems and find mutual solutions. This is the best way for us all to try and enjoy the content we get from this forum. In this current incident, the complainant was willing to let the issue go with a proper public apology that covered a few points that were important to him.

Richard wasnt banned for what he said or did, but because of what he wouldnt do. Work with me to offer a meaningful apology.

As a moderator when I ask someone to work with me on an apology. I need you to do that, when I cant work with you or you are unwilling to offer one that is meaningful then I have few choices. This is what has happened here.

Richard is not a bad guy or some terrible monster, neither is the offended party, who is also sometimes strongly minded. But what we have here to quote the movies, is failure to communicate.


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To conclude I just want everyone to understand that this forum is useless if we dont all share. We are adults and I expect everyone to be able to accept that sometimes a post may offer offense. We all are guilty of sticking our foot in our mouths from time to time and having to enjoy the taste. And then ask for forgiveness with an apology. No one gets through this life without forgiveness from time to time.

Please dont let your ego prevent you from being willing to work together to sort out the occasional problem. Work with me and this kind of action will not be necessary.

My rules for posting that I keep taped to the wall next to my computer say this.

Is it True?
Is it necessary?
Is it helpful or hurtful?

Answer all three of these things before you hit the send button and many of these kind of bad experiences will not happen.

I appreciate your time and hope all of you read this and think it over.

Richard will be back in 30 days and I will still welcome him, I hope the rest of you will also.

Charles
forum moderator