From the latest edition of A to B magazine

[flecc]

It would be much braver for this "mole", as a paid employee, to be accountable to the his customers and advertisers publish in his real name

Tiny as it is, A to B is very much a family and friends affair, primarily David and Jane Henshaw with input from David's brother Peter who has experience on the moped/scooter side of things as well as his cycling. Occasionally there are contributed articles, I had one myself in issue 40 for example, under my full name.
.

 

[lemmy]

Could I suggest that some people take themselves a little less seriously? There are windbags on this forum, just as there are pompous ones, clever ones and funny ones.

What this Mole person said comes under the heading of fair comment as far as I can see. To the extent that it is insulting, it is very mild but some of the reaction to it tends to reinforce his comment.

With today's political correctness and people's tendency to see insult in the mildest of observations, we seem to be corralling ourselves into a world of overwhelming blandness.

To (mis)quote James Brown: I'll say it loud, I'm a windbag and I'm proud!

 

[Alex728]

With today's political correctness and people's tendency to see insult in the mildest of observations, we seem to be corralling ourselves into a world of overwhelming blandness.

I disagree - despite (or even because of?) so-called "political correctness" the freedom of expression in the UK, that of the "common person" as opposed to a middle class élite, is now greater than ever before, particularly to discuss controversial matters and to offend people. Even being younger I can still remember when swearing in public could get you hassle from a bobby, and both commercial presures and government censored the media. Today much more is tolerated. In my own lifetime taboos on discussing sex, drugs and extreme politics have disappeared.

Britain was bland in the 1970s and 1980s before the revolution of popular youth-orientated media (of course fuelled by whatever happened in the 60s before my time). Now technology has shifted the balance of power and freedom of speech to the communities on the internet.

Go and observe the banter of some teens/younger folk if you don't believe me (try not to get arrested though.)

this forum is indeed a bit like an old English gentlemans club, where you would expect to find avuncular windbags (you'd expect some to smoke cigars and pipes, wear tweed and often be barely sober enough to ride a bicycle!) and are expected here to use long words and not write in Estuary English but thats its unique selling point!

It however has a level of decorum and a balance of serious and fun items lacking in so many other so-called "online communities" and this is worth preserving and defending, when all the other media (A to B included) is increasingly dumbed down. The world is full of wannabe gonzo journos, in reality they are just muppets..

 

[flecc]

What this Mole person said comes under the heading of fair comment as far as I can see. To the extent that it is insulting, it is very mild

I also disagree. I have often enjoyed the writings of "The Mole" but there are a few times when he goes much too far, and this is one of them. I don't see it as a mild insult, it was unnecessary and gratuitously offensive and clearly part of a hidden agenda to attack the pedelecs forum rather than the individuals. There is absolutely no way that suggestions to move a national event from a remote and inaccessible backwater like Presteigne to a more accessible place like Bromsgrove justified such a comment. Indeed the suggestions were entirely rational and what might be expected of intelligent people.

There are others within the broader industry who are not entirely happy with this forum, but they join and if necessary criticise constructively from within rather than snipe anonymously and without justification from the outside.
.

 

[NRG]

Burn the Witch, BURN THE WITCH!....come on guys n gals let's not make a mountain out of a......wait for it......'mole' hill

I think some of the replies are a little too 'uptight' and should address the point and not the writer, don't lower yourselves to their level. In the mean time I'm off to rattle some mice...that should scare the little blighters....

 

[HarryB]

One point that has come up on this thread is the (un-named) battery problems we experienced 3-4 years ago. A to B were extraordinarily slow in picking up that the early li-ion batteries were giving up early and in the end it came up (from memory) in the letters section. Of course we had already been talking about the problems for many, many months - I was surprised that it took them so long.

 

[eddieo]

One point that has come up on this thread is the (un-named) battery problems we experienced 3-4 years ago. A to B were extraordinarily slow in picking up that the early li-ion batteries were giving up early and in the end it came up (from memory) in the letters section. Of course we had already been talking about the problems for many, many months - I was surprised that it took them so long.

Nothing particularly astonishing there, all mags are the same whatever the subject matter. When you rely on advertising for the larger share of your operating revenue /income whatever......consumer/readers interests often come a poor second or even further down the chain to the interests of the advertisers.....Thank God for this forum!

 

[jerrysimon]

I too have become aware that on line information in many technical/hobby areas is always way ahead of published information e.g. in the RC model world stuff appears on line months before it gets into the magazines.

That said its probably more important to scrutinise online stuff more closely, for the many inaccuracies that are around.

I still do buy magazines, but not nearly as many or as often as I use to before information became so widely available on line.

Access to this forum has provided me with far more information and help than any magazine on the subject could ever have done.

Regards

Jerry

 

[lemmy]

But Alex, are you not guilty of hyperbole? Worth preserving and defending? Who is trying to close it down? And you are offended when someone says there are windbags here, then you yourself go on to say the same thing

And Flecc, 'hidden agenda' somewhere? What, against people who buy electric bikes?

I had never heard of The Mole before this - he/ she must be thanking you all, more readers than he ever dreamed of among electric bikers.

Some little bloke who writes in a journal read by - what, 500 people? - calls me and a few others windbags! This may be something that does not keep me awake at night.

It brings to mind Claud Cockburn's spoof entry for the world's dullest headline, Small Earthquake, Not Many Dead.

Now what does annoy me is people who use peddle when they mean pedal, loose when they mean lose. Did these people not go to school, dammit

 

[jerrysimon]

Now what does annoy me is people who use peddle when they mean pedal, loose when they mean lose. Did these people not go to school, dammit

Guilty as charged

Regards

Jerry

 

[John Fleet]

Could I suggest that some people take themselves a little less seriously? There are windbags on this forum, just as there are pompous ones, clever ones and funny ones.

What this Mole person said comes under the heading of fair comment as far as I can see. To the extent that it is insulting, it is very mild but some of the reaction to it tends to reinforce his comment.

With today's political correctness and people's tendency to see insult in the mildest of observations, we seem to be corralling ourselves into a world of overwhelming blandness.

To (mis)quote James Brown: I'll say it loud, I'm a windbag and I'm proud!

Dare I suggest that some folk here should get out (on their electric bikes of course) more..... I must admit that I had a little chuckle at the Mole's aside and I'm with lemmy on this one

 

[Barry Heaven]

I disagree - despite (or even because of?) so-called "political correctness" the freedom of expression in the UK, that of the "common person" as opposed to a middle class élite, is now greater than ever before, particularly to discuss controversial matters and to offend people. Even being younger I can still remember when swearing in public could get you hassle from a bobby, and both commercial presures and government censored the media. Today much more is tolerated. In my own lifetime taboos on discussing sex, drugs and extreme politics have disappeared.

Britain was bland in the 1970s and 1980s before the revolution of popular youth-orientated media (of course fuelled by whatever happened in the 60s before my time). Now technology has shifted the balance of power and freedom of speech to the communities on the internet.

Go and observe the banter of some teens/younger folk if you don't believe me (try not to get arrested though.)

this forum is indeed a bit like an old English gentlemans club, where you would expect to find avuncular windbags (you'd expect some to smoke cigars and pipes, wear tweed and often be barely sober enough to ride a bicycle!) and are expected here to use long words and not write in Estuary English but thats its unique selling point!

It however has a level of decorum and a balance of serious and fun items lacking in so many other so-called "online communities" and this is worth preserving and defending, when all the other media (A to B included) is increasingly dumbed down. The world is full of wannabe gonzo journos, in reality they are just muppets..

Thart is so true. It has become a cliché of those of a right-wing tendency to trot out the vague term 'political correctness' whenever a view that they don't like is uttered. As you say, there is far more freedom of speech now than at any other time in history. Could you imagine, for example, the media criticising the royal family in the 50's, 60's or even 70's in the way they do now. That self censorship was the real political correctness in action.

 

[flecc]

And Flecc, 'hidden agenda' somewhere? What, against people who buy electric bikes?

No, it's as I said above, the hidden agenda is against the web. They have long disliked the web, resisting all earlier attempts to have PDF editions and only very belatedly using Exact Editions. The dislike of the pedelecs forum is not something that's just reared it's head. I wouldn't have been so concerned about that comment as part of the text, but highighting it large in a bubble is normally done with a comment of importance which that certainly wasn't. That drawing unnecessary attention made it very clear that it was an attack on the forum in general, rather than the comment about Presteigne. Like many others, I find their anti-car and eco agendas tiresome, but I respect their right to those views and haven't attacked them online with unjustified insults. As I said above, e-biking is too small a field to suffer their silly infighting, we should all be working together for our common good.

Now what does annoy me is people who use peddle when they mean pedal. Did these people not go to school, dammit

I see Wisper join the club in some parts of their site:

Throttle only, peddle assist and throttle assist, with
on / off button on handle bars, high and low power settings.

That's in the model specifications, but in the text elsewhere the spelling is correct:

Throttle. If you are lucky enough to live in an area that allows throttles without pedalling, you can use masses of power getting from start to cruising speed on the throttle alone. So try always to pedal up to a comfortable speed before you transfer to throttle.

All part of their customer service, suiting everyone!
.only, peddle assist and throttle assist, with
on / off button on handle bars, high and low power settings.
(Throttle only not available in EU outside the UK)

 

[Alex728]

But Alex, are you not guilty of hyperbole? Worth preserving and defending? Who is trying to close it down? And you are offended when someone says there are windbags here, then you yourself go on to say the same thing

It wasn't so much the windbag comment per se but the implied contempt that people dared to suggest online that shifting the UK's major e-bike event to a more sensible and accessible place (where train fares might be cheaper, trains more equipped to take bikes, and you might not even need a car to get to ) was "windbaggery". Even more ironic with their so-called eco-friendly agenda!

I was unaware of any long term wider hostility to the web from A to B (ironically I first saw their website about 10 years ago!) until flecc highlighted it but I trust his judgement especially having been a former contributor.

I certainly don't think anyone is trying to close this forum down but I still think a free resource like this (funded at "arms length" by advertisers but not wholly dependent on them) should be defended over others more commercial enterprises. I think if some posts make people in the trade unhappy but force them to reply and debate thats a good thing, especially when it exposes failings in customer service.

As someone who grew up with the sweeping changes technology has made I am completely unsympathetic to embittered mainstream journalists who have lost out lucrative jobs - I have myself seen jobs come and go as the markets and technology changes, its part of life.

There aren't as many jobs for stevedores at Felixstowe in the 21st century as there once were (or even nearer to London), even in IT loads of jobs have gone permanently through outsourcing and downsizing.

in the case of a commercial publication in a competitive market - its not a matter of freedom of speech but consumer power. For the same reason I would not buy a copy of the Daily Mail, there is no obligation for me to fund a magazine whose content I disagree with - and I would not buy a Guardian either as although I read some of the articles many are of little value to me. So the power shifts to online media with more interactivity and much less placing of journalists on pedestals - something I think is a very welcome development.

And many of the other more prolific posters on the forum have far more time to get out than I do, being retired and time-rich!

 

[bode]

What David Henshaw thinks about this forum

I have had a reply from the editor of A to B magazine to my email. It shows what he thinks about this and other forums and their denizens, and, I think, rather proves my point about his self-righteousness:

How good of you to let us know that you will no longer be grappling with our stream of relentless self-righteousness! And I hope you continue to take pleasure in the outpourings of the tedious wind-bags on the pedelecs forum! To be honest, I don't agree that forums are remotely representative of society at large. By their very nature, they attract few women, and very few technophobic men. As The Mole suggests, they have a tendency to wind-baggery.

Best Wishes


David Henshaw

 

[flecc]

Thanks Bode, supports what I've said about their anti-web stance.

While we are hardly swamped with women members, we do have a fair number, some concealed by their online names, and they are always made very welcome. It's true that specialist magazines like A to B also attract few female subscribers, so the pot indeed calling the kettle black.

As for the comment about technophobes, clearly wrong about this friendly site where the technically ill-equipped are made especially welcome with non condescending help and often express their appreciation of this.
.

 

[HarryB]

I have had a reply from the editor of A to B magazine to my email. It shows what he thinks about this and other forums and their denizens, and, I think, rather proves my point about his self-righteousness:

How good of you to let us know that you will no longer be grappling with our stream of relentless self-righteousness! And I hope you continue to take pleasure in the outpourings of the tedious wind-bags on the pedelecs forum! To be honest, I don't agree that forums are remotely representative of society at large. By their very nature, they attract few women, and very few technophobic men. As The Mole suggests, they have a tendency to wind-baggery.

Best Wishes


David Henshaw

What an extraordinary response. Sometimes it is worth waiting a day or so before hitting the send button and I think that this is such an occasion.

 

[lemmy]

Blimey, he sounds a po-faced prat.

They're awful, these Guardian journalist types. The cloak themselves in their public school fuelled self-regard and self-confidence and they pontificate from en haut on areas of normal life from which their upbringing and education has shielded them and of which they know nothing.

There' s not much else to be said about them except (a) never buy the Grauniad, it only encourages them. (b) never let one babysit your children.

 

[HarryB]

Blimey, he sounds a po-faced prat.

They're awful, these Guardian journalist types. The cloak themselves in their public school fuelled self-regard and self-confidence and they pontificate from en haut on areas of normal life from which their upbringing and education has shielded them and of which they know nothing.

There' s not much else to be said about them except (a) never buy the Grauniad, it only encourages them. (b) never let one babysit your children.

Thanks for the chuckle.

 

[Alex728]

by his own admission (I didn't even know this until now.) he's a former car thief, illegal driver and the 70s' equivalent of a gary boy!

to my generation that makes him as laughable as those older folk who say "don't take drugs kids", when they were up to all sorts from the 1960s to 1980s then gave up and "dropped back in" and then are now horrified by what hedonistic ravers (including their own offspring) get up to. I do have some respect for the proper hippies (the ones who did useful creative or innovative things as well as getting high, many of them are still present in East Anglia) but don't think much of old folk who "had their fun and now want to dictate to others". TBH I sense more petulance at declining magazine subscriptions and journalism income, but he's saved so much money from not having a motor and presumably lives in a house with a garden in a rural area so I very much doubt his family will starve..

The Four Wheel Detox - David Henshaw

on the subject of hippies, Neil from the Young Ones is there as well