Ok I wasn't going to get into this but
as you have asked Neil
I think a lot of it is that tolerance has become very reduced by the current crop of regulars . Hey that's life be it a forum or a pub new regulars move in and the old guard move on . I think that for whatever reason it has all become a bit serious on here and people take things a bit personally .
Around the time of national events an element of negativity creeps in ( or this year comes in in a supercharged D12 bully ) but that is a sign of a flawed system not necercererly the messengers.
In the old days we used to argue the bejezzus out of things , the stouches between Nathan S and the the Late great Magoo were the stuff of legend such was the passion . Yet when they got together at CDs etc were were all just blokes who shared a love of old dirt bikes .
The multi personas of some and the shit fights of Ross Nimmo and Craig Taylor could have all been sorted over a beer had they met at CD . Who can forget Graeme (MX 250) ? the man kept the funnies page alive and my ribs still hurt from his contributions . Doc an absolute wizard with Suzukis and who showed this Kiwi Pom hospitality unrivalled anywhere in the top hotels in the world on a number of occasions ( Doc im still waiting to repay some of that hospitality )
Firko , Bernie , Dave Tanner , Bazza ( Mike Jolley ) who welcomed Vale and I into the Klub Kevlar fold at CD3 , DJ a brother who would literally give a limb to help a friend , Brad 090 , Tatey (Joan ) , Stewy (oldfart ) Dodgee , Tony T , AJ , and More recently Vandy , Ted , mainline , Johnny Kittle , Rusty , Trev (worms ) Alison and Steve , GMC , Graeme M ,Neil and Steve Sweeny and so many many more really lovely passionate people I have been privileged to meet through this forum .
So many more who I have not met in person yet consider friends
I suppose its evolution , I make no secret that I despise the modern PC world ( that's why I live my sport in the past through VMX ) but you cant stop what some would call progress .
I attended my first vintage meet in Belgium in 1991 and I am still waiting to meet a bad bugger
Away from keyboards I believe that 80 % + 0f forum regulars past and present would enjoy a beer , Bourbon , Spliff or whatever their particular poison is around a campfire at an event surrounded by old bikes and the passion that we all share