Ok it's 9am on a Sunday morning and I've woken up to a PM which has REALLY rattled me!!!   It's come to my attention that members of BM are bitching and moaning about moderators "only changing photos and not doing any real work".   You have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA how wrong that is, and it's so unbelievably disrespectful for some members to be even suggesting that!!   Just because YOU had your pic changed because YOU didn't read the photo rules does NOT mean the mods don't do anything else!!   Basically nobody on BM reads the photo rules, so the one or two of you who've had your profile pic swapped around by a mod are stamping your feet and bitching about the mods behind their backs.   The truth is that the mods work their arses off keeping this site CLEAN, FUN, FRIENDLY, SPAM-FREE etc!!!   The mods work damned hard for NO REWARD checking all new profiles, looking for con-artists and spammers, monitoring the forums for aggressive behaviour, responding to hundreds of emails.... then they have to deal with bitching and moaning from people who stamp their feet when they have their photos changed.   You should all be THANKING the moderators for the hard work they do and buying them a beer when you see them!  Not bitching behind their backs.   Without the moderator team this site would fall to pieces like every other biker site out there.  It would be full of spam, testosterone and nasty little keyboard warriors like the guy who was deleted yesterday.   If that's the kind of site you want, there's plenty of them.  But for as long as you're a member of this fun and friendly site you should be grateful for all that hard work that the mods do BEHIND THE SCENES which you don't ever hear about!!!   I don't want to hear ever again that people are saying the mods only deal with photos.  Bloody ignorant school children who think that.   Yes I'm really wound up about this!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

I think if anyone is suitably qualified to add to this, it is me.

I was a mod for a good couple of years but recently stood down.  My main reason for doing this was that, speaking frankly, compared to the rest of the mod team, I wasn't pulling my weight.

The mods do a lot of work.  There is so much going on behind the scenes that most members are simply not aware of and being a mod pretty much eliminates spare time, believe me.

I was very active as a moderator for a very long time before other things started to take over the time I would have otherwise spent moderating the site.  And I had noticed for some time that the rest of the mod team were doing far, far more than me.

Hence why I thought it only fair to the rest of the team that I stepped down.

If you believe the mods don't do owt, then you're wrong.                                                                                                                                                                             

"If you believe the mods don't do owt, then you're wrong."   Was it just you then?  hahaha Sorry i couldn't resist.  Cheered myself up now with that.                                                                                                                                                                             

"Was it just you then?"

Would it be causing trouble mate to say that some do do more than others lol  

Perhaps I should clarify ... I was talking about the moderator's role, rather than individual moderators.  (Clears throat!)                                                                                                                                                                             

PS: On the profile photos issue.  Some new members just don't realise that they can set their "main" profile photo!  What they end up with is just the first photo they uploaded.  When someone has 10 great photos but one wrong one set, it's just easier for the mods to change it and let the person know than it is to try explaining to someone how to do it themselves and then having to monitor to make sure they do change it.   Here's the photo rules again for those who STILL haven't bothered to read them....   >>>Profile photos must be in accordance with the following rules.  Failure to cooperate will result in your photos being remove or your account deleted... Your "Best/Default Pic" must be clearly of yourself, without helmet and not in the middle of 50 other people either.  It should be a recent portrait photo of yourself, or as near to this as possible. Miscellaneous photos such as bikes, cars, kitchens, fish, sheep(!), etc can be uploaded in addition to your Best Pic.  We have no problem with you uploading jokes which add humour to the site... but you main pic has to be of yourself. Photos solely of other people will be removed from your profile unless we can confirm who it is and that you have permission to upload the picture. You wouldn't want people putting your worst picture on THEIR profile would you? Photos of children are explicitly not allowed!  One exception: photos of yourself with your own children.  You must have at least one other photo which clearly identifies you. Weapons/Guns being held by a person will not be allowed in profile photos.  Neither will photos representing gangs or other threatening behaviour be allowed.  Loose articles are fine. 'Suggestive' photos will not be allowed.  It goes without saying that 'nude' pics aren't allowed, but neither are those that are too suggestive and of an adult nature.  It's at a moderator's descretion whether to allow your photo or not. Photos that are so small and pixelated that it's impossible to make out any details will be removed.  These photos frustrate other members (who think that the site is at fault and end up reporting the photo to us). Photos including personal contact information put you at risk, and so will be removed.  The 2nd time you upload a photo with your contact details in, you will be banned from the site (Permantently & without exception, subscribed member or not). Number plates of vehicles should be removed, but we do not enforce this.  You put yourself at risk if you include your number plate in photos, from those who copy plates to those who want to find you.  You should edit your photo(s) before uploading.                                                                                                                                                                              

oooooooooooooooeeeeeerrrrrrrrr mrs ( this should go on a rant theme, )                                                                                                                                                                              

ooooe  eck.. the boss is in!!!  i best get some work done..   Please Boss ..don't lock me in that padded cell again with nothing but photos to check..nooooooooooooooooo i can't stand it!   haha ...sorry couldn't resist.   Seriously anyone that's been a moderator on any sites, will understand just how much work goes on behind the scenes, it's definately not just about changing photos.   There are a lot of us working hard behind the scenes ( all voluntary by the way ) and we're based all over.    Most of us have met, some haven't but we all liaise together and work as a team to help keep this site friendly and informative and clean etc, as possible.   I have met hundreds of members over the years and have become close friends with lots of them and I'm sure I will be making lots more friends over the coming years.   I get to as many meets as i can ( be warned I tend to hug everyone, so if you don't like hugs, i apologise) I'm there as a biker/member/moderator and will happily listen to anyone if they have any grievances..and convey them back to Matt and the rest of the team and we will resolve any issues as best we can.   We all work hard ..and enjoy what we do, we know we can't please everyone, it would be a funny old world if that happened, but hopefully we can help keep BM one of the top Biker sites.   Ps.. I'm only human..and will be at FYP getting sozzled at the weekend  just like the rest of you biker dudes, beware the Karey hug                                                                                                                                                                                     

beware the Karey hug   Be afraid, be very afraid!   No, to be fair, I've been on the receiving end a few times, and so long as your innoculations are up-to-date you'll be ok.   ***prepares to be hugged(to death)at FYP***                                                                                                                                                                             

 hahahah ....there's nowhere to hide.....   actually there is,, but I'll find you! 
                                                                                                                                                                             

ive still got shatterd collar bones from the Karey hug !! ;-)                                                                                                                                                                             

The Karey hug was one of the first things I experienced with BM , the rest is history                                                                                                                                                                              

ive still got shatterd collar bones from the Karey hug !! ;-)     ooops...sorry Neal...lol   The Karey hug was one of the first things I experienced with BM , the rest is history   haha..yep..and the history has been good, Karen                                                                                                                                                                                       

But beware of hugging people, because another accusation in the PM i received this morning was that "if your friends with a moderator you can get away with anything you want on BM"!!!!   Yea I'm still miffed off about the PM i woke up to today                                                                                                                                                                               

No more hugs then Kaz                                                                                                                                                                             

no cos you don't want people thinking that you get preferential treatment!     Honestly there's some really childish people lingering around with a grudge against the mods and they're doing their damndest to damage the site.   Another one is those people who think there's a "Clique" here.  Just because they didn't get an invite to someone's private BBQ for example they go around bitching that BM is "Cliquey".  NO - it's just someone who doesn't like you didn't invite you to their BBQ, get over it you child and move on... it's nothing to do with there being cliques just because someone doesn't like you!  Not everyone is going to like everyone, simple.                                                                                                                                                                             

"if your friends with a moderator you can get away with anything you want on BM"!!!! 

Pls tell me which MOD ?, I am friends with Kaz, Karen, Jackie, V, Janet ... & I regularly get a roasting & I am staff so shows no preferential treatments here lol 

                                                                                                                                                                             

We just like bullying you lol                                                                                                                                                                             

LOL .. only cos you know I wont take any                                                                                                                                                                              

Right I'm cheered up a bit, spent 2 hours in the gym to get all my frustration out.  Now I'm going drinking for the rest of the day.  :-D   Tata folks!                                                                                                                                                                             

As a Mod all i can say is  ................. mint choc chip ice cream can work wonders 

Just for info i have been away at the Cornwall camp this last week and i have come back to nearly 200 emails and god knows how many pm's .......................