The recent announcement by Wingnut Wings that they are developing 1/32 scale kits of the Avro Lancaster generated heated discussion on various hobby forums, and unfortunately also generated a stream of unpleasantness on our forum.
Stemming from that experience, I feel there’s a need to reaffirm one of the cornerstones that has been a foundation of this forum since it was created in 2012. We are here to support one another in our shared interest in the WW1 hobby and while a spirited discussion will always be welcomed, any outbursts that contain abusive or denigrating elements will not be tolerated.
Many of us were astonished to hear Wingnuts was expanding into a WW2 subject, but in the stream of sometimes emotional outbursts that followed this news there were some unfounded claims about Wingnuts’ business practices, even claims they were “betraying” their WW1 customers. When we stepped in to stop this, there were insinuations both the Administrator and Global Moderator were biased in our treatment to favour Wingnuts, the inference being we were protecting Wingnuts against any criticism.
This is untrue and quite unfair. Myself as Owner/ Administrator and Lance Carroll as Global Moderator have no affiliations to any hobby business. We are volunteers who have given up our time to try and provide the best possible specialist WW1 hobby forum and continue the legacy created by Des Delatorre in 2012. We are driven solely by the wish to provide the best possible hobby forum for fellow modellers with an interest in WW1 subjects- nothing more.
As a public forum it requires some measure of standards and minimums of behavior and expression. Insisting on a standard of behavior is not a restriction on the rights of members to express their opinions.
Ours is a niche of a relatively small hobby, few manufacturers are investing in WW1 models and accessories so I believe wherever possible we should support all businesses like Wingnuts, Roden, Copper State Models, Eduard, and all of the aftermarket manufacturers. Fairness and respect should drive all discussions on this forum.
I am enormously grateful to Lance Carroll for taking on the burden of Moderator and am personally offended at the criticisms leveled against him by a few people holding extreme views over his moderation of a volatile thread.
We want a place where like-minded people of common interests have the opportunity to compare ideas, seek information, and discuss topics of common interest in a respectful and wholesome atmosphere to the benefit and enjoyment of all.
In hindsight I should have deleted the entire thread. However I was out of town and I naively hoped the debate would remain civil. Sadly it did not.
Ray Rimell of Albatros Productions, a man who I hold in the highest regard for his long time involvement in WW1 modelling, summed up the meltdown like this: “I have been bemused by the many vociferous reactions on various forums to the news about WNW having the temerity to release a couple of non-WWI products. Over 50 years working in the model publishing industry, I have noted that a lot of modellers are totally unaware of how this business actually works. I personally applaud the new releases, both WWII and WWI”
I agree with Ray. Many of us model other eras and themes as well as WW1 but this forum is a specialist home for a unifying interest in WW1 subjects. That is the core of who we are and what we do.
So where do we go after this?
Forum members are encouraged to discuss WW1 subjects and while there may be times we don’t always agree with one another I would ask members to respect the other person’s right to their view. The great majority of members do this but it only takes a few to throw accusations about and things degenerate quickly.
So forum policy re behavior will be enforced without compromise. Any posts about non-WW1 subjects must go in the off topic Time to Relax board. Anywhere else and they will be moved to the off topic board or deleted. This is a WW1 forum and will remain as such.
I apologise to those forum members who found themselves innocently caught in the middle of a nasty dogfight between a few individuals venting about Wingnuts’ new projects. It is not typical of our members and It will not happen again.
David Wilson
Forum Owner & Administrator
