Sorry, I'm a bit late to the party.
We could try to get a handle on our scene, overhaul NP and maybe be a bit more selective who we let into NP, and be more aggressive with booting people when they rock the boat. That seems to work for the Cave Clan, although they've got their own problems atm and loads of people have been booted for mouthing off to dougo (the CC OT for those not in the know), but their iron fist approach seems to work in some respects.
That's not exactly correct.
One of the problems with Cave Clan is that the Iron Fist thing is a bit of a myth - everything is done by polls and the majority wins even when 48% vote to oust someone, but 52% vote for some other kind of penalty, that a lot of friction in a group. It really needs an ironfist to boot the person, because if every second person doesn't like someone then they should go.
Regarding "loads" of people being booted for mouthing off to me - that is totally untrue. Sydney have recently suspended a few members (my last update was a couple of months a go), however that was to do with trolling the Sydney members.
I knew the issues I brought up earlier in the year would result in some members mouthing off at me - I would have been surprised if they didn't, but with the exception of Luke quitting, no one (as far as I know) has been booted because of it. I think your source has mixed up "quitting" and "being booted". Critt (25 years in the group) has been banned for a year (he didn't say a word against me), iD (20+ years in the group) quit as a result of a small part of the group using the majority of the group, and I also chucked it in partially for the same reason as iD, Critt and the other old school members, but (and this is probably the relevant part of my post) the main problem I had was with a well known popular Clan member that takes everything I ever do for the Clan as an attempt to control things - not an attempt to help. With the part of the group that was using the group, I would have been a part of the discussions to try and sort things out - it's part of being in a group, but not with this other member. Once he's got it in for you he just never stops. He has a form of Autism (probably closer to the traditional Asperger's) and so much goes over his head and with his illness he just keeps going in circles. His last post that I read quoted Ogre (SydClan member) from nearly two decades a go basically saying I was fucked. 8 years a go Ogre travelled 1000k to my engagement/40th birthday - we'd well and truly sorted out our issues, but this guy still quotes him as if it was yesterday. Not a big deal, but I have dozens of examples of things like this.
He alone made me hate being in the Clan - not the users or the slackers or the new skool fools
I'm not going to spend the rest of my days hating this guy, but he did turn me away from the greatest thing (other than my kids) in my life.
THIS is what causes the problems in a bigger group, not the blatant vandal or media junkie that the group will willingly get rid of with little effort.
So when someone has a go at this post, just remember that I love draining, the underground and general urbex like someone obsessed with it - because I am obsessed with it
I love helping people with drains and stuff. I don't care about Likes or how many Hits or Views I get. Check out IronFistDoug for proof to back this up
I hope everything goes as well as it can for you guys 'n gals.
Go in drains (and stuff)!
Cheers
Doug/Mick