Jomarac5 Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Apparently, these forums are not moderated at all. Even the most straight-forward of topics become free-for-alls with the anarchistic rule that is demonstrated here. Obviously, common sense is not enough for some people who frequent post here. Where are the forum moderators? Far too frequently, topics go wildly astray and quickly go so far off topic that they no longer resemble the original discussion. Some might say that there is moderation because some threads are closed -- this is not moderation folks -- it's a desparate action to stop discussion that is out of control -- moderation is keeping the discussion civil and on track. It's a good thing. I, myself have changed discussion topics and swayed the course of threads. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. Don't bother flaming me by telling me that I have been responsible for many topics changing course -- I already know this to be true. And frankly, I am amazed that I've been able to so often control discussion without intervention. Why does every thread become a venue for joking around? This happens even when there are threads specifically for fooling around in? Case in point are these two threads that had a specific and valid purpose: Scarey Weather, and Wildlife while Caching The above two threads didn't even make it past the second post before going off-topic. A lot of people here get pretty passionate about caching and are attempting to bring about some positive changes by discussing the issues here in these forums. But there is so much disarray that serious discussion is next to impossible. We all know that some topics have resulted in some very heated arguments -- and there is no excuse for this -- these topics should have been moderated and kept under control. A good example is a certain very popular thread that I started (you know which one I'm referring to) that quickly went off topic and the entire thread was an argument trying to get it back on track. The real issue of the thread, which was to bring awareness to cachers of a potentially unsafe area was trivialized. The topic was recently brought up again and the same thing happened to a lesser degree -- where are the moderators? Why aren't these discussions put back on track before they get out of hand? I'm not asking for more rules (far from it) I'm asking that the forums be moderated to allow proper discussion of important issues. If people want this activity to progress responsibly, then there must be some order and civility when discussing the problems and concerns that are relevant to it's success. ***** Link to comment
+woodsters Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 LOL Brian As long as you're going to think anyway, think big. -Donald Trump Link to comment
+briansnat Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Take a chill pill dude! The last thing we need here is more censorship. I'm sure the admins really don't have the time, or inclination to patrol every thread and delete all posts that aren't consistent with the original topic. "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry Link to comment
Dru Morgan Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Well, those of you who bet the longshots, sorry, the favored poster, Woodster, comes in with the win. He only pays off 2-1, but as a steady bet, he's a geocaching favorite. BrianSnat comes in with the "place" and DruMorgan trails with the "show" OK, betting has ended for this race. Ever notice how anyone that caches more than you do is a maniac, while anyone that caches less than you do is an idiot? -Dru Morgan Link to comment
Jomarac5 Posted August 18, 2003 Author Share Posted August 18, 2003 quote: BrianSnat wrote:The last thing we need here is more censorship. I'm not talking about censorship, I'm talking about moderation -- there's a very big difference. ***** Link to comment
+carleenp Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 I don't feel particularly bothered by this. Things here stay on track better than almost every other forum I've ever posted on. Day to day conversation often doesn't stay on track either and includes humor instered into the conversation. That is the way it is. I'm OK with it. Link to comment
+Team GPSaxophone Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Amazingly enough, I agree with Woodsters and BrianSnat. Jomarac, when you have a conversation with someone, do you get upset when someone makes a comment not related to the discussion, such as a joke or off-the-cuff remark? That's what you're getting upset about here. Relax, take a deep breath and hold it until you turn blue, then purple. Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darkness Link to comment
Jomarac5 Posted August 18, 2003 Author Share Posted August 18, 2003 Interesting really, that the biggest offenders are the first to post to this thread. ***** Link to comment
+woodsters Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 stones...glass house... Brian As long as you're going to think anyway, think big. -Donald Trump Link to comment
+briansnat Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Great photo. Anybody have more like it??? "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry Link to comment
Jomarac5 Posted August 18, 2003 Author Share Posted August 18, 2003 quote: BrianSnat wrote:Great photo. Anybody have more like it??? Expected immaturity. Exactly what I'm referring to. ***** Link to comment
+Team GPSaxophone Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Jomarac5:Interesting really, that the biggest offenders are the first to post to this thread. I think that makes perfect sense Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darkness Link to comment
+Cat'N'Geo Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Who wants pie? They say this universe is bound to blow, I say we crank up the Calypso Control! ~Jimmy Buffett ~Someday I Will~ Link to comment
+Harrald Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Jomarac5:Interesting really, that the biggest offenders are the first to post to this thread. ***** You're close about the first. You should try taking a break from the forums instead of posting about forum etiquette. You are just as guilty of hijacking threads as anyone. _________________________________________________________________________ Nobody can be so amusingly arrogant as a young man who has just discovered an old idea and thinks it is his own. Sydney J. Harris Link to comment
Bluehook Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Speaking of photos, has anyone seen any coyotes along the trails in NE NJ? I hear their population is way up this year. Link to comment
Jomarac5 Posted August 18, 2003 Author Share Posted August 18, 2003 quote: Harrald wrote:You should try taking a break from the forums instead of posting about forum etiquette. You are just as guilty of hijacking threads as anyone. And I said so, didn't I? I also said that it shouldn't be allowed to happen by me or anyone else. Good forum moderation would eliminate this and keep discussions on topic. Link to comment
Jeremy Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 If you want the kind of moderation where every post has to be scrutinized before listing, this will never happen. However, you have a legitimate beef with a few Cheers members here who think they need to jump in on every conversation, or cause topics to drift off. If you don't have a real contribution to a topic, don't post. No one needs to see your pointless post. Honestly, I don't have time to babysit every post to make sure its on-topic. Usually if you ignore the bear baiting it goes away. There is also a "report this post" (looks like a caution sign). I'll see if I can get some folks to watch for these. Jeremy Irish Groundspeak - The Language of Location Link to comment
mckee Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Speaking of coyotes along the trails in NE NJ, what about Lassie? Anybody a fan? Lassie has single-handedly done more for the popularity of the Collie breed than any other single dog. We have him to thank for putting the breed at the top of the popularity charts for many years. He has done a tremendous amount of public relations work by showing Collies to be courageous, loyal, intelligent, protective and great with kids! How many of us grew up watching Lassie on television or in the movies, fully convinced that we had to someday own a Collie? What kid doesn't come up to your dogs and say "There's Lassie". Thanks to Lassie the Collie breed is universally known and loved! "Lassie Come-Home" written by Eric Knight, was first printed as a short story in 1938. Two years later the book was published in an expanded version of the story. The book which became a popular best seller, paved the way for an overnight sensation! Several perfectly timed events completed the scenario. In 1941 MGM, one of Hollywood's major studios, decided to make a movie out of the popular story. They purchased the movie rights for $10,000--a move considered risky at best, since dog movies weren't necessarily big moneymaker. At about the same time, an errant Collie named "Pal" was giving his owner fits! He couldn't be cured of chasing motorcycles as well as several other bad habits. Mix in a respected Hollywood dog trainer by the name of Rudd Weatherwax, who acquired Pal when his previous owners gave up and a legend was born! The movie titled Lassie Come Home premiered in 1943, starring the infamous "Pal". It was beautifully photographed, in gorgeous Technicolor, and was the story of a loyal Collie who crossed hundreds of miles of rough terrain to return home to the boy she loved. The critics and public loved it! It made the "Ten Best Movie" list at the end of the year. The movie featured two youthful stars, Roddy McDowell and Elizabeth Taylor. It was a huge box office success and the public demanded more. MGM turned this enormous success into a series of movies whose appeal has spanned five decades. Link to comment
+Snoogans Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Jomarac5:A lot of people here get pretty passionate about caching and are attempting to bring about some positive changes by discussing the issues here in these forums. But there is so much disarray that serious discussion is next to impossible. If people want this activity to progress responsibly, then there must be some order and civility when discussing the problems and concerns that are relevant to it's success. ***** I have to admit that you have a point. I can't believe that I am agreeing with you more and more often, since yours were among the first posts that I started to mostly ignore. Over the past week I have actually clicked on threads because you posted just to see what you had to say. Of course your comments fit well with my request to have an Other Stuff forum specifically for off topic posting. Face it. Alot of us have become friends on these forums and when you are chumming with buds you're gonna get silly. I don't care to go to a forum on some other site and joke with the general public. Geocachers are the people with whom I have the most in common. GEOCACHERS ARE MY KIND OF PEOPLE! Thanks for the thread. Sngans Sacred cows make the best hamburger....Mark Twain. Link to comment
+briansnat Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 I just went through all my posts and 98.8 percent were on topic. The one in this thread lowered the percentage a bit. Sorry for that. I also came up with this: 89.1 percent offered important information 84.3 percent were pithy 58.2 percent of my posts were funny 4.3 percent were to bait The Woodster 37.3 percent of my posts were in support of something Criminal said. .013 percent were to bait Jomarc5 45.3 percent were to brown nose NJ Admin Sorry I've been away so long. Took me quite a wile to go through all my posts. "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry Link to comment
+Planet Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Go back to bed, get up on the other side. We are dealing with humans here and every single one is defferent. No two are alike, not even twins. Everyone has a different thought process, sense of humor, morality, common sense, right from wrong, etc. etc. etc..... If you don't like their post, scroll past it, get over it, read what you want, don't read what you don't want. Plain and simple. Sometimes people are just bored, or the weather is too lousy for caching, which has happened a whole lot this summer, and they just want to idle away the hours in the forums. Don't sweat the small stuff. Be thankful you are alive. Now, can we get on with real life? Cache you later, Planet So many caches, so little time. Link to comment
+Criminal Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Planet:Go back to bed, get up on the other side. We are dealing with humans here and every single one is defferent. No two are alike, not even twins. Everyone has a different thought process, sense of humor, morality, common sense, right from wrong, etc. etc. etc..... If you don't like their post, scroll past it, get over it, read what you want, don't read what you don't want. Plain and simple. Sometimes people are just bored, or the weather is too lousy for caching, which has happened a whole lot this summer, and they just want to idle away the hours in the forums. Don't sweat the small stuff. Be thankful you are alive. Now, can we get on with real life? Cache you later, Planet So many caches, so little time. Oh yeah, like that's on topic... http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/ Link to comment
+Team GPSaxophone Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Wow, Brian, I have only 1/4 of the amount of posts you do and couldn't sort them all that fast. What software do you use to do that? Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darkness Link to comment
+briansnat Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 quote: Wow, Brian, I have only 1/4 of the amount of posts you do and couldn't sort them all that fast. What software do you use to do that? Post-o-matic. Oh, crap, that just knocked down my on topic percentage a bit. "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry Link to comment
+Planet Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Oh, and if this is Cheers, I get to be Carla!!!! Cache you later, Planet So many caches, so little time. Link to comment
+Snoogans Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 I'm NORM! Sngans Sacred cows make the best hamburger....Mark Twain. Link to comment
+briansnat Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Can I be Woody? Darn it! There I go again! "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry Link to comment
+carleenp Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 quote: I also said that it shouldn't be allowed to happen by me or anyone else. Good forum moderation would eliminate this and keep discussions on topic. That would require constant moderation and the moderator would at times need to make tough judgments. Sometimes an off topic remark is made along with one that is on topic. Sometimes the topic drifts off to something else, but it is still related to caching and loosely related to the original. What should be removed and what should stay? Many of the heavily moderated forums that I have seen have a lot of threads of people complaining about how it is moderated (until the moderator cuts them). I don't want to see that here. Many of those forums are also less interesting or useful than unmoderated ones. I tend to not read the heavily moderated ones anymore. Link to comment
Jeremy Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Only if your jokes are actually funny. Closing this thread. Jeremy Irish Groundspeak - The Language of Location Link to comment
+Criminal Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Brian, can I point out that you started a handful of threads in the GPS Ham Radio area that have nothing to do with Ham Radio and little to do with geocaching or Vespa scooters? BTW, 100% of your posts mention Morris County NJ. http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/ Link to comment
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