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An observation on list attitude, as seen by a relative newbie


amianda

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It's like walking into country and western bar and complaining that the juke box doesn't have enough show tunes

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I'd say it's more like picking a song on that jukebox and then being run out because the regular patrons are tired of hearing that song.

 

I agree with this, Bad Duck. While my original post wasn't "I don't like how you run things around here" at all, really, it was more of a "hey no need for the negativity, man", this analogy didn't make much sense. If this forum can be compared to a country/western bar, then I have come here because I like country/western music. I would like to talk about the music with the bar patrons, find out what drinks go best with the music, and listen to some good examples of country/western on the juke box. Heck, it's even fun to laugh at the bad examples of country/western they have on the jukebox...

 

But when I sidle up to a bar regular and ask him, "This is a great country/western song, do you know who sings it?" and he says, with a heavy sigh and a roll of his eyes, "Damnit, why does everyone ask that question? Do you know how many people have asked me the name of this singer? s***. If I had a nickel for every person who waltzed in that door and asked me the name of this singer, I'd have beer on tap for life! dadgum it." He gestures angrily. "That yokel over there asked me yesterday. His girlfriend asked me the day before. That idiot in the dress boots in the corner asked 3 days ago. Last week, I was asked about it 6 times by the same guy - I think he didn't really speak english or something. Look," he says, refocusing on the topic at hand. "It's on the INTERNET why not look it up? Heck, it's on the Jukebox over there, 10 paces away. You've got a phone in your pocket, why not *call someone who cares*."

 

Ya know?

 

Anyway. Huh. Kinda got caught up in the roleplay of that for a bit :o

 

This is a forum where people can come to ask questions and discuss topics. There are *alot* of archived threads. I try to go through several pages of them when looking for a topic similar to mine (in general, not just on this forum), but sometimes a topic has been buried pretty well and a search doesn't seem to turn up anything. Perhaps certain threads should get pinned at the top, or perhaps the FAQ should be updated (or one should be made for the forums specifically) to try to stop repeat threads. But this place was made for the exchange of information. That's why we're here. We don't have to be nasty about it...

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Since it seems as if most everyone is in agreement that there really is nothing that hasn't been discussed to death. I propose that starting new threads get locked. Except those that get submitted to the "know it alls" that form a committee to decide if any new thread has merit. This will give the heavy posting know it alls something else to do than slam newbies for starting rehashed threads. *G*

Instead of locking starting new threads, I think Groundspeak should just charge a fee (say, US$1) for starting a new thread. This should cut down new threads significantly, and add to their revenue. To save on credit card / Paypal processing fees, new thread licenses are sold in packs of 10. You'll be issued with 10 unique validation codes that you'll need to enter when starting a new thread.

 

The non-existent Platinum members get to post 5 new threads every month for free.

 

 

 

 

Edit : In case it is not obvious, here's the smiley : :o

Edited by Chrysalides
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Since it seems as if most everyone is in agreement that there really is nothing that hasn't been discussed to death. I propose that starting new threads get locked. Except those that get submitted to the "know it alls" that form a committee to decide if any new thread has merit. This will give the heavy posting know it alls something else to do than slam newbies for starting rehashed threads. *G*

Instead of locking starting new threads, I think Groundspeak should just charge a fee (say, US$1) for starting a new thread. This should cut down new threads significantly, and add to their revenue. To save on credit card / Paypal processing fees, new thread licenses are sold in packs of 10. You'll be issued with 10 unique validation codes that you'll need to enter when starting a new thread.

 

The non-existent Platinum members get to post 5 new threads every month for free.

 

 

 

 

Edit : In case it is not obvious, here's the smiley : :o

 

That's a joke right???

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This is a forum where people can come to ask questions and discuss topics. There are *alot* of archived threads. I try to go through several pages of them when looking for a topic similar to mine (in general, not just on this forum), but sometimes a topic has been buried pretty well and a search doesn't seem to turn up anything. Perhaps certain threads should get pinned at the top, or perhaps the FAQ should be updated (or one should be made for the forums specifically) to try to stop repeat threads. But this place was made for the exchange of information. That's why we're here. We don't have to be nasty about it...

I hate to say it, but another newbie making assumptions and not knowing the history.

 

This forum has a great getting started section. Newbie are welcome to ask questions there. It doesn't matter how many times someone has asked "How do I change my username?" or "Which GPS unit should I buy?" These questions get answered in the Getting Starting forum and generally get polite answers. Even those that simply provide a link to FAQ where the question is answered are trying to be helpful. Groundspeak did notice however that sometimes people did jump on newbie who was asking a simple question. So the instituted the practice of labeling newbies with the forum title of tadpole. The regulars were told that when they see tadpole they should give a bit of slack to the newbie and try to be helpful. The forum moderators are much more likely to issue a warning if someone is being rude to a tadpole. But rudeness is always against the forum guidelines and can always be reported to the moderators.

 

In other parts of the forum discussion are often about more controversial topics: What makes a good (or bad) cache? Why can people log a find on a cache they own? When should I post a needs archive? Why are virtuals no longer published? Sometimes, because these topics can be controversial, forum participants suspect a tadpole is really a sock puppet. I find it a bit annoying that people will immediately assume that a new account is someone trying to hide their identity there have been a few times where this was verified to be the case. The use of sock puppet accounts is prohibited by the forum guidelines.

 

Geocaching is a simple game, so people with relatively little experience tend to see themselves as experts. They tend to think they have a new idea for how to improve the game or are the first to see some problem that is threating geocaching. Maybe once and a while a newbie actual brings a fresh perspective on some topic. But generally these are things we have heard hundreds of times before. One common response is to post a bunch of links to earlier discussions. The newbie can read these threads and perhaps learn something, or they can choose to ignore the suggestion and continue the discussion. Occasionally a moderator may lock a thread in favor of having the discussion continued in another currently active thread, but generally if a newbie starts a thread on a subject that hasn't been discussed in a while, no one is preventing that discussion from taking place by posting a few links to prior discussions. If the reactions to a proposal are overwhelming negative perhaps that is a sign that the idea isn't as good as the newbie thinks it is.

 

I think its great that newbies want to discuss geocaching and that they feel passionately about something. But then I also feel its great when a newbie wants to hide an LPC.

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Take a stroll over to the TB forum and take note of the repeat threads that are clearly visible on the first and second page- even in the presence of several FAQs stickied at the top of the page. Understand that at some point it can get frustrating for other members.

 

When it gets tiresome I take a break, but I don't believe I've ever complained directly to the poster about it. At most I'll refer them to a thread that addresses the issue in greater detail.

 

I don't even asked for a pinned thread. Eartha just notices the barrage of questions and decides to do it herself.

 

I figure there's always going to be someone new asking the same questions that were asked before even when they are pinned at the top. Being frustrated about it doesn't stem the tide of new people making their postings and taking it out on the poster really doesn't fix my angst level in the long run.

 

I do better if I just smile, shake my head and answer the post as it needs to be answered.

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Since it seems as if most everyone is in agreement that there really is nothing that hasn't been discussed to death. I propose that starting new threads get locked. Except those that get submitted to the "know it alls" that form a committee to decide if any new thread has merit. This will give the heavy posting know it alls something else to do than slam newbies for starting rehashed threads. *G*

Instead of locking starting new threads, I think Groundspeak should just charge a fee (say, US$1) for starting a new thread. This should cut down new threads significantly, and add to their revenue. To save on credit card / Paypal processing fees, new thread licenses are sold in packs of 10. You'll be issued with 10 unique validation codes that you'll need to enter when starting a new thread.

 

The non-existent Platinum members get to post 5 new threads every month for free.

 

 

 

 

Edit : In case it is not obvious, here's the smiley : :o

 

Yes, but are the validation codes trackable? :laughing: If we buy 10 packs, do they come with their own icons?

 

Inquiring minds want to know!

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...When it gets tiresome I take a break,...

 

When I first started I got disgusted with the forums for all the usual reasons and took a year or two off. Later I got a job that required that I take lunch and then having nothing much to do I dipped my toe in. I found that a buch of regulars liked slamming noobs so I took to body checking them and it was great fun. I don't know if I made a difference I I don't know if I managed to avoid the Jaded regualr slaming the noob's syndrome myself but at least for a while I tried.

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It's like walking into country and western bar and complaining that the juke box doesn't have enough show tunes

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'd say it's more like picking a song on that jukebox and then being run out because the regular patrons are tired of hearing that song.

 

I agree with this, Bad Duck. While my original post wasn't "I don't like how you run things around here" at all, really, it was more of a "hey no need for the negativity, man", this analogy didn't make much sense. If this forum can be compared to a country/western bar, then I have come here because I like country/western music. I would like to talk about the music with the bar patrons, find out what drinks go best with the music, and listen to some good examples of country/western on the juke box. Heck, it's even fun to laugh at the bad examples of country/western they have on the jukebox...

 

But when I sidle up to a bar regular and ask him, "This is a great country/western song, do you know who sings it?" and he says, with a heavy sigh and a roll of his eyes, "Damnit, why does everyone ask that question? Do you know how many people have asked me the name of this singer? s***. If I had a nickel for every person who waltzed in that door and asked me the name of this singer, I'd have beer on tap for life! dadgum it." He gestures angrily. "That yokel over there asked me yesterday. His girlfriend asked me the day before. That idiot in the dress boots in the corner asked 3 days ago. Last week, I was asked about it 6 times by the same guy - I think he didn't really speak english or something. Look," he says, refocusing on the topic at hand. "It's on the INTERNET why not look it up? Heck, it's on the Jukebox over there, 10 paces away. You've got a phone in your pocket, why not *call someone who cares*."

 

Ya know?

 

Anyway. Huh. Kinda got caught up in the roleplay of that for a bit :o

 

This is a forum where people can come to ask questions and discuss topics. There are *alot* of archived threads. I try to go through several pages of them when looking for a topic similar to mine (in general, not just on this forum), but sometimes a topic has been buried pretty well and a search doesn't seem to turn up anything. Perhaps certain threads should get pinned at the top, or perhaps the FAQ should be updated (or one should be made for the forums specifically) to try to stop repeat threads. But this place was made for the exchange of information. That's why we're here. We don't have to be nasty about it...

 

Since it was my analogy I should probably respond.

 

I understand where you're coming from and have certainly seen a lot of what appears to be unwarranted hostility. While I have certainly seen plenty of "list attitude" my response was primarily to possible provide an explanation as to why some might my not always want to "get along". Consider this: almost everyone you see here would probably rather be out geocaching than reading or posting on the forum. It's no surprise that some of them are cranky.

 

I honestly have not seen an excessive amount of hostility to questions which might come up frequently similar to your "Who does this song example". More often than that someone will actually take the time to post links to earlier threads which discussed the topic and leave it at that.

 

What I have seen, however, in this forum as well as many others, is someone will come in and ask a question and then get testy when the answer provided is not exactly what they want to hear or presented exactly how they think it should be said. Inevitably it devolves into a "if you can't answer my question you shouldn't have respond" by the newbie to someone that as been posting and contributing to the forum for years. After hearing that a few times in becomes somewhat understandable that the old timer might not be quite as helpful the next time.

 

A typical example is when someone new comes along with a great idea for a new cache and they're told (often by several people) why it's not such a great idea and in fact violates several guidelines. Rather than accept that maybe the original idea is not so good an argument ensues. Sometimes it's pretty obvious when an OP is more interested in arguing than getting information.

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Ever known anyone that, when you ask a question, sighs and says, "If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times", or "sigh... LIKE I SAID..." ?

 

You can't honestly ask everyone that is coming here to ask a question to do a thorough forum search first. Besides, some things just can't be searched for, or maybe are to be found on the 20th page of a 21 page thread. Not everyone that comes here to ask a question hangs out here like some of us do.

 

Again, take a stroll on over to the TB forum and look at the duplicate threads. There is some give and take to be done here, the older posters should be able to post a polite "here are a few other threads that might have answered your question" and the newer posters should at least give the search function a shot or look through the 1st and 2nd page.

 

I don't see anybody saying that a new member should search manually through 20 pages of topics or 21 pages of a thread. Do you?

 

This forum is a tool. It's function is to organize the chaos of hundreds of people screaming into the night and trying to all be heard. Duplicate posts contribute to the chaos and break the tool.

 

There is another issue- perception. The perception seems to be from some that the older posters are mean wicked people that yell and belittle newer posters for certain behavior- in this case duplicate topic thread starting. I haven't really noticed this myself, but some people's point of view is different than mine.

 

If an older poster provides a list of links to previous threads one could perceive this as either a jerky thing to do or a very helpful and informative thing to do (with varying shades in the middle).

 

Perception works both ways and this is something that it seems (from my own point of view) that some of the more sensitive posters can't grasp. When you ask a question that has been discussed ad nauseum, ad infinitum, and it's very clear that you didn't do a cursory search then it can be perceived as either a new member making their first steps and in need of gentle guidance or it can be perceived as a rather needy request to have questions answered- to have work done for them. Sometimes, right or wrong, it looks like the poster is not willing to try to find the answers and wants them delivered on a silver platter, with fries.

 

It's an internet forum. We are but words in bottles thrown in the cyber sea (apologies to Mr. Peart). There's no body language, no subtle inflections and we are left to work out the hidden meaning and nuances of text on our own. Sometimes we get it wrong.

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Yes, but are the validation codes trackable? :o If we buy 10 packs, do they come with their own icons?

 

Inquiring minds want to know!

Not only all that, I think the thread starter should get a smiley for every post in their thread as well. Then we can have a new level of one-upsmanship. "I started 537 threads with 4396 posts, don't you dare tell me what to do" etc.

 

Of course, Vinny with his legion of sock puppets will quickly make a mockery of all this...

Edited by Chrysalides
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Since it was my analogy I should probably respond.

 

I understand where you're coming from and have certainly seen a lot of what appears to be unwarranted hostility. While I have certainly seen plenty of "list attitude" my response was primarily to possible provide an explanation as to why some might my not always want to "get along". Consider this: almost everyone you see here would probably rather be out geocaching than reading or posting on the forum. It's no surprise that some of them are cranky.

 

 

Just a quick comment. I should apologize first off for running in a tangent with the refinement of the analogy. I like responding to people's comments even if they're slightly off the point I was trying to make, so the thing I wrote about the guy in the bar... that wasn't meant to be an example of things I've actually seen as a problem here. My original post was not specifically about duplicate topics and stuff, but other people brought it up as a problem and I ran with it. Sorry about that.

 

My original post was more about things like this:

 

I hate to say it, but another newbie making assumptions and not knowing the history.

 

This, while maybe not meant to be, is a hurtful statement. I haven't been (to my knowledge) making assumptions about anything here, though I am a Newbie. Ok, there is a Getting Started forum, I've looked at it. The problem that we were discussing (the one of multiple identical topics) happens in every forum from time to time, and isn't limited to newbie questions. The fact is that the membership here grows and changes and new people will doubtlessly have similar ideas or questions as other people have in the past. "Show pictures of your favorite cache container" (for example - i'm not saying this specific topic is a problem) is not a topic that necessarily belongs in the getting started forum. It belongs here. But occasionally the thread gets buried, someone wants to show off a CCC and a new thread is born.

 

As to the history thing, you're right, I don't know the history. By your statement above you are accusing me of not knowing the history, as if I had a choice in the matter. By saying this unnecessary opening statement, you've drawn a line between yourself and 'ignorant newbies', making whatever you say after this sound a little derogatory.

 

Now, to be fair, I'm picking on you right now. I am using you as an example and I'm stretching things a little bit out of proportion to make a point. Your statement isn't all that bad, it just happened to come up when I was making this point. Please excuse me for this.

 

I am very glad that GS decided to point out the newbies with a specific label with the intent of helping other people be nicer to someone who may not know how it is around here. That's great. But it works only if people actually are nicer to the noobs.

 

And beyond all that, the real solution I'm proposing isn't to treat the noobs different than you would anyone else - why not be nicer to everyone? The forum temperature is something that most people can sorta feel after reading a few topics. Whether the person on the receiving end of negativity is new or not is actually kind of irrelevant to the third party watching. Hostility is hostility and it can make people uncomfortable and not want to post, whether they are new or old members of these fora. My suggestion was only for people to look around and notice how others, newbies in particular but anyone else, honestly, could perceive what you are saying and how you are saying it. Be friendly. Neighborly.

 

A cheesy slogan to lighten the mood - Cache talk in, trash talk out! :o

 

Anyway, I'm very happy this topic has gotten alot of interest and views and I hope the discussion continues.

 

Thank you for considering my thoughts.

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Now, to be fair, I'm picking on you right now. I am using you as an example and I'm stretching things a little bit out of proportion to make a point. Your statement isn't all that bad, it just happened to come up when I was making this point. Please excuse me for this.

That's alright. I sometime forget that one can't hear a tone of voice in a forum post and forget to use smileys. I think you understood the choices of words were not meant as an attack on you but to express a sense of irony. I should have posted a smiley of some kind. I understand that that some newbies who don't have experience in online forums may not understand when a expression is used jokingly and may take that as meanness.

 

Like others I took a break from the forums shortly after I first started because I thought there was too much snarkiness. Later I hung out in the Getting Started forum trying to be helpful to newbies trying to figure out how to set up their GPS. I think I got warned a few times however because I was critical of people who confused datum and coordinate format when trying to give an answer. (I didn't criticize the newbies who didn't know the difference but the other people who were trying to help but had these terms mixed up). Eventually though I found I liked the debates on topics such as what made a good cache and what the Wow guideline for virtuals meant.

 

Like the country western bar, the regulars tend to know what is being said in fun and don't take anything that is said here too literally. When I first began, the forums were unmoderated (or moderated by Jeremy and Rothstafari). Soon after, Groundspeak started using volunteer moderators. It took a while for the moderators to learn how to enforce the guidelines and still let the forums be a place where people could freely post their opinions.Between the moderators and the additional Groundspeak employees who monitor the forums the level of snarkiness is not what it has been in the past. Another historical fact. One problem the moderators had was people starting topics that had nothing to do with GPS or geocaching and with topics going off-topic no matter what the moderator did to try to control this. The off topic forum was added for premium members and that has done a lot to control this problem. There are still basic members who try to start off topic threads and these get locked since basic members can't see the off topic forum. I think the off topic forum is one of the primary reasons for getting a premium membership. But they also serve to provide moderators with an easy way to keep the discussion elsewhere relevant.

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Ever known anyone that, when you ask a question, sighs and says, "If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times", or "sigh... LIKE I SAID..." ?

 

You can't honestly ask everyone that is coming here to ask a question to do a thorough forum search first. Besides, some things just can't be searched for, or maybe are to be found on the 20th page of a 21 page thread. Not everyone that comes here to ask a question hangs out here like some of us do.

 

Again, take a stroll on over to the TB forum and look at the duplicate threads. There is some give and take to be done here, the older posters should be able to post a polite "here are a few other threads that might have answered your question" and the newer posters should at least give the search function a shot or look through the 1st and 2nd page.

 

Please don't confuse me with a "noob". I've been around here for about 4 years, and have well over 1000 posts to these forums. I've been online in general since 1200 baud modems. Remember BBS'? Please don't think that I don't know what I'm talkng about when I say this forum all too often tends to gang up on newbies (and others). I've seen this subject has come up many times before and I'm sure that it will come up again. Where there is smoke, its a good idea to look for the fire. It'd like to hope that at least some will learn from this thread and improve their online manners.

 

I don't see anybody saying that a new member should search manually through 20 pages of topics or 21 pages of a thread. Do you?

 

I think you probably misunderstood me. What I was saying is that when you do a forum search, it sometimes shows you that it found your search topic in a very long thread, but it doesn't tell you what page. Many times I've heard "the regulars" answer a question by telling the OP to do a search before posting. My point is that a search does not always provide the answers, or if so, can do it in a non-effective way.

 

This forum is a tool. It's function is to organize the chaos of hundreds of people screaming into the night and trying to all be heard. Duplicate posts contribute to the chaos and break the tool.

 

Yes, this forum IS a tool. I totally disagree with you though about the chaos. There is nobody "screaming into the night" that I've seen... not here, and not in the Geocoin forum.

 

Duplicate posts often post a fresh answer to a stale subject that is buried somewhere in the stacks, much as a "bump" of one of those threads makes it resurface. That can be a good thing, because it exposes that previously hidden subject to other newbies and lurkers. Its seldom that answering a question online only answers the asker.

 

If a question is asked repeatedly, there is probably a very good reason for it and that reason should probably be addressed somehow.

 

This forum and all of the forums on this site belong to Groundspeak, not to a small group of insiders that visit here.

 

If an older poster provides a list of links to previous threads one could perceive this as either a jerky thing to do or a very helpful and informative thing to do (with varying shades in the middle).

 

I totally agree, but that perception is generally based on how that information is presented. I've seen that sort of thing done in a friendly, helpful manner, and in an "oh, geeze... (sigh...) here we go again!" manner.

 

It's an internet forum. We are but words in bottles thrown in the cyber sea (apologies to Mr. Peart). There's no body language, no subtle inflections and we are left to work out the hidden meaning and nuances of text on our own. Sometimes we get it wrong.

 

And it COULD be an exemplary internet forum on helpfulness and friendliness, or it could be exemplary of the old USENET groups that others here have eluded to. Its our choice.

 

By the way, there were no subtle inflections, body language, OR smilies in snail mail, yet they managed to remain generally civil to each other back when that was the primary method of communication.

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Please don't confuse me with a "noob". I've been around here for about 4 years, and have well over 1000 posts to these forums. I've been online in general since 1200 baud modems. Remember BBS'? Please don't think that I don't know what I'm talkng about when I say this forum all too often tends to gang up on newbies (and others). I've seen this subject has come up many times before and I'm sure that it will come up again. Where there is smoke, its a good idea to look for the fire. It'd like to hope that at least some will learn from this thread and improve their online manners.

 

...And it COULD be an exemplary internet forum on helpfulness and friendliness, or it could be exemplary of the old USENET groups that others here have eluded to. Its our choice.

 

By the way, there were no subtle inflections, body language, OR smilies in snail mail, yet they managed to remain generally civil to each other back when that was the primary method of communication.

 

So what you're saying is that comparatively speaking I'm a noob that doesn't know enough history and I'm making assumptions? (Insert emoticon to reflect the non-serious nature of the previous sentence.)

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that just because a question has been asked before that an older member is entitled to be a jerk about it. I just think that just as there is a jerk contingent there are also people that will find any reason at all to be offended and will cry "attack" and "abuse" at the drop of the hat. (I'm not implying that I put the OP in this category at all.)

 

As for your notion that snail mail is somehow more civil... I'm sure it was when civility was the intent of the letter, but I hope you're not being unnecessarily nostalgic and suggesting that humans have just recently started acting like jerks.

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Almost forgot...

 

Yes, this forum IS a tool. I totally disagree with you though about the chaos. There is nobody "screaming into the night" that I've seen... not here, and not in the Geocoin forum.

 

Maybe that wasn't the best comparison (and perhaps extreme), but you take a forum and completely remove the moderation, let people post any way they want to and pretty soon you'll be looking around for the conch shell to speak and hunting wild pigs in the moon light. By no means are we to that point. The TB forum (my hats off to the people that answer the same questions posted as new threads over and over) is closer to it.

 

Sorry to pick on the TB forum but it's the best example that I view on a regular basis.

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Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that just because a question has been asked before that an older member is entitled to be a jerk about it. I just think that just as there is a jerk contingent there are also people that will find any reason at all to be offended and will cry "attack" and "abuse" at the drop of the hat. (I'm not implying that I put the OP in this category at all.)

 

As for your notion that snail mail is somehow more civil... I'm sure it was when civility was the intent of the letter, but I hope you're not being unnecessarily nostalgic and suggesting that humans have just recently started acting like jerks.

 

I agree with the fact that there are 'over-reactors' on both sides. Although much of this thread has been focusing on the old-timers setting the (sometimes negative) tone, my original post did point this out.

 

I also wanted to discount the notion of snail mail being more civil. Snail mail was (is?) usually sent for business purposes or to people you know directly. There are exceptions, but when you wrote a personal letter, it wasn't generally for strangers. It was to your friend, your family... you knew the person, probably liked them. So, the analogy between that and an open forum on the internet like this doesn't hold.

 

Just my $0.02...

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I also wanted to discount the notion of snail mail being more civil. Snail mail was (is?) usually sent for business purposes or to people you know directly. There are exceptions, but when you wrote a personal letter, it wasn't generally for strangers. It was to your friend, your family... you knew the person, probably liked them. So, the analogy between that and an open forum on the internet like this doesn't hold.

 

Just my $0.02...

 

Yeah, I agree... I chose a bad analogy.

 

A food blog that I follow regularily asks of posters to please not post anything that they would not say if they were sitting at her table, dining with her. I like that.

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I have only been Geocaching and following the Forums since August 2008. I have not meet that many Cachers yet, but some of the best Hiders and Finders I have meet never visit the Forums.

So I assume you can visit or not and still enjoy Geocaching.

 

This post sound a little bit disjointed, but when in doubt I throw these words of wisdom out. "I know not what the truth may be, I tell it as was told to me"

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I have only been Geocaching and following the Forums since August 2008. I have not meet that many Cachers yet, but some of the best Hiders and Finders I have meet never visit the Forums.

So I assume you can visit or not and still enjoy Geocaching.

Sure enough a fair number of people never visit the forums. But I think amianda's point is that some people look at the forums - decide they don't like the tone of the conversation and decide not to come back. These people may be missing out of a resource to get their questions answered or to discuss aspects of geocaching that might not come up with the geocachers they hang out with (or perhaps they don't know any geocachers to discuss things with).

 

I see that people who are asking for help are usually treated nicely. Perhaps the one exception are people who ask for help on a particular puzzle cache. They usually get told, "You're not allowed to ask for help on puzzles here". I wish someone would come up with a nicer way to tell people that the community has pretty much decided not to have the forum become a puzzle solving site. Some people consider it cheating and others simply believe that the puzzle owner should have control over how much help is given on a puzzle.

 

On the other hand, whether you are an old timer or a newbie, if you come on the forums to announce that someone isn't playing the game right you should expect to get a lot of push back. And not just from the anything goes group. If you are going to suggest that someone start doing something differently than they do it now, you had better have a good reason and you better expect that even if you do you're going to make someone mad. And when you're the fiftieth person to come on the forums and suggest that change without offering a well thought out reason, you might be surprised when everyone knows the counter arguments or even when they don't bother to tell you the counter arguments because you can look them up the other 49 threads. When arguments over how people should be geocaching get to the point that the forum guidelines are being violated, the moderators can and do step in to stop it. People are given suspensions and repeat offenders get banned. I guess I'm just not seeing the level of negativity that some people claim to see here. I see people discussing a rather silly game that they nevertheless feel passionate about.

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Almost as if guided by an occult hand which has moved events much like pawns upon some giant chessboard, I am briefly resurrecting this thread after a one-week dormancy because....

 

it has come to my attention that this thread, albeit about rudeness on forum threads here, is lacking at least two elements that would be needed to qualify it as a true and real thread on forum rudeness, and so, here goes, so that this thread may henceforth be included in the Forum Rudeness Thread Hall of Fame:

 

First, to satisfy the of Geolclatching Hates Chinldren law:

You know, rude people on these forums must really hate chinldren, else they would not say the nasty things that they do, because they know that chinldren read these forums and these kinda things hurt chilndren.

 

Next, to satisfy Godwin's Law:

It strikes me that Hitler and his top lieutenants would have loved this thread, and they would also have loved forum rudeness.

 

Next, to satisfy Benford's Law:

...ohh... never mind....

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Um, thanks Vinny. :)

 

I was glad this one had faded away, because I saw that people started focusing on this thread and debating whether or not there was negativity and rudeness, instead of just moving on and fixing things or not as they saw fit.

 

But <_< Whatever.

 

Parlay? ...Oh wait, Pirate's code, more of a guideline than a rule... :huh:

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