In another recent thread, a writer retorted "....If you are tired of our bickering, then you know where to go."

Well in my case, no, not really. Allow me to explain.

What I would like is a forum (not email based) which has a decent format, which has a search facility, where quality items of information do not vanish off the site.

I would also like it to have a significant representation of the variety of people and their expertise, associated with flutes and flute playing.

I would also like a foundation of personal respect towards others, so that unpleasantness towards others is at a minimum.

I would like fast-acting moderation when the need arises, and the ability to actually discuss issues with the moderator as the need arose.

The site needs some means of quickly dealing with trolls, which implies means of tracking ISP, login names etc. It needs to accept that some degree of anonymity is absolutely required when chosen, because there are some very, very nasty people out there.

It needs to be a place where rational discussion prevails, but human emotions are recognised.

And last but not least, it must not be a sterile place. Personalities, WITHIN THE RESPECTFUL ATMOSPHERE, must be allowed to interact, in order to allow cyber acquaintanceships and friendliness to occur.

There are such sites for other instruments, such as clarinet and sax at least.

Unfortunately it has not yet happened for flute, and this is largely on the issue of personal friction that flute players seem hell-bent on.

8notes.com held a lot of promise initially, but seems rapidly deteriorating to the state where it can perform little function other than being a harbour for bitchiness towards others.

It would certainly be easy to blame one or two people for this, but in reality it is not that simple. For example some seem to think that excluding me would make this a sweet place. How is it then, that in a few other major or forums I am not regarded a problem (to my knowledge - otherwise I would have been removed), even with around 3000 accessible contributions which people could react to. I am just one of thousands present there.

If I am a person as rotten as some make me out to be, then how come I have over 3000 customers in the face of some fairly decent colleague competition in my work?

No, the reasons for the rotten atmosphere in this forum go far deeper.

I thought this forum had the POTENTIAL to fulfil the criteria I mentioned above, but it seems to have an Achilles heel which will destroy it to a rather functionless mess.

The flute area of the bulletin board in saxontheweb has the potential to fulfil criteria I list, but just needs more people going there. The place certainly works a thousand times better for sax players than 8notes is currently working for flute people.