The London Lounge

Gentlemen,

We all read the other fora, certainly; that's understood. Some of us post there; many of us don't. But the goings-on there should remain wholly separate, and should not seep into the London Lounge.

I feel very strongly that the London Lounge is a glorious thing apart; a utopian venture, in which graciousness and high-mindedness are not merely accidental by-products, but are essential and integral.

I am not the sort of member who asks the questions, nor am I blessed with the answers, but I speak perhaps for the many silent members who enjoy the gentle, worldly, elegant exchanges in these pages.

Gossip, vendettas, carping, smugness, belligerence, defensiveness: the real world, and cyberspace at large, are full of these things.

But Mr. Alden has created a special place where those things should not intrude. And I ask that we all do our utmost to preserve this fragile oasis.

Regards,

Huzir Sulaiman

I have taken a moment to consider the content of this thread and have decided to remove all but one post from it.

This club is a garden whose area code is not situated in Eden. There are times when Gentlemen will disagree and should be encouraged to engage in gentlemanly debate. The important thing is that debate in a forum dedicated to Elegance should be elegant. An elegant debate is passion and intellect displayed dispassionately, in whispers with nary a grimace or roll of the eye. And above all, fairness and respect to all who are involved or referenced. It has always been this way to date in the londonlounge and this thread was not an exception.

However, we should be careful about comments that could be construed in any way as equivocal about people outside of this forum. There was no evidence of such behavior in this thread. I am satisfied that the communications were not intended to do any harm. But it is better to err on the side of civility where there is any doubt. And that is why this thread has been truncated.

Healthy praise or criticism of the work of artists is encouraged. If the comments are negative let them be constructive and fair. The same holds true for positive comments. However, anything that resembles hearsay, rumor, or innuendo will not be accepted.

If there are artisans or providers whose attitude or business practices are dubious, lack good faith or can be clearly demonstrated to be anti-commercial or constitute fraud, then it is the responsibility of members to present their own stories and the facts of their experience.

The very positive side of this is the concern for civility displayed by all who participated in this thread. I would never have imagined to see anything but this necessary concern.

The post that remains, written by Mr. Sulaiman, merits to be reread by all who frequent this club.

Best regards,

M Alden