this reminds me of one time on this forum where someone started a tread stating they recieved a telescope with a scratched mirror from a vendor they named and said how bad it was and how pissed off they at said vendor which started other saying much the same thing... my first question to the thread starter was have you contacted the vendor and what did they say? of course the thread starter hadn't even told the vendor the problem
a bit of common sense and the sort of measures mike has had to take wouldnt happen me thinks. I actually feel sorry for mike because this has had to happen...
of course i like free speech and I personally would like it if we could pick out bad vendors and share our experiences. who ants to buy from a bad vendor? not me! theres a wealth of knowledge on this site and its a shame to let this information go to waste...
chris made a good point about ebay (or should i say online auction sites
). does this now mean that when we see a online auction site shop selling telescopes with those dangerous screw-in solar filters that can leave you blind if they crack we shouldnt warn other members of the community? I am guessing that you are saying to yourself "well of couse we should mention it !" right? whats the difference between that and warning members of a shonky dealership that gives say bad service or bad advice?
... anyhow mike is just protecting himself here. we are not talking about a giant multi-national company that deals with these sort of claims every day, we are talking about someone who runs a forum in his spare time from home... he dosnt need or want to be hauled off to court cause someone is less that tackful in airing thier grievances.
It would be good if mike could have a disclaimer stating the he and the moderators were not responsible for what the members type, but i doubt that could be legaly binding. it would be good is each member could be held responsible for thier own actions.