Ethics again

VAGSG is experiencing a crisis as a unilateral plan for the forum to be split according to marques revealed some sore points. Besides smacking of high-handedness, it turns out that some of the moderators went on a trip to Finland that was sponsored in part by commercial entities, which was not made known to the forum's members. The main beef the members have is that VAGSG is proclaimed to be free of commercial interests. So the lack of transparency has hurt their credibility.

A similar incident happened a few years ago when SGEvoClub had a club trackday, and one of the former moderators questioned the incumbents about how the leftover funds were used. The ill-will and animosity persists to this very day, leading to apathy and distrust. What had been built up over the years was severely set back by a single event that was supposed to promote friendship and understanding.

The point is not to vilify or commend either side. But to show that these are very real problems that have been around for a long time yet most people are insufficiently equipped or experienced to face them.

My view is that all these enthusiasts sites will inevitably turn commercial. Since everything has to be justified and above-board, a person cannot be expected to do all this out of his own free time with no monetary compensation. It is just not worth the hassle. That is why being a forum moderator is considered one of the worst jobs known to humanity.