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Odd Advice To Give A Noob


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Closing comments to a thread opened by a "tadpole":

Please post this in the thread in the OT section

thank you

 

What's up with this O.T. forum thing anyway? Since it appears to be a "members only" benefit, what is the point of telling a non-member to go there?

 

Suggestion:

More people might be interested in paying to post if they could at least SEE the O.T. forum.

 

To a noob it must be like some kind of secret mystery that they try to figure out from the context of various closed and moved threads. Had I not been subscribed to one of the threads that was moved, i would be in the dark about the new forum.

 

Sorta like saying "meet me at XYZ tomorrow at 3:00" and assuming that EVERYONE knows where XYZ is. And if you don't, we ain't telling.

 

Congratulations GC.com, you have succeeded in making the forums into an elite clique.

 

GDAE

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Come on now, no one has told this n00b to go OT... :lol:

 

Seriously, though... I understand that an oversight was made in closing that topic, but the forum isn't even a month old, and there are a good many reasons it was/is only available to members.

 

First they had to have a shakedown - let the mods get a feel for it. They ended up needing to assign new mods to it becuase it created an extra workload for the volunteer reviewers/moderators.

 

Second - it lets gc.com gauge behaviour without offending the masses before going live.

 

Thirdly - If one had read the geocaching.com website discussion forum, they would know that TPTB have not yet decided if it is always going to be members only or freely available.

 

Give the guys a break already. They are human, not perfect machines. Unless you are willing to provide the bankroll so they can afford to hire enough people to think of everything, cut 'em some slack and make some gentle suggestions, not insulting their intentions.

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Closing comments to a thread opened by a "tadpole":

Please post this in the thread in the OT section

thank you

 

What's up with this O.T. forum thing anyway? Since it appears to be a "members only" benefit, what is the point of telling a non-member to go there?

Now now, you're not being fair. The moderator's comment came after someone had already mentioned the existing topic:

Now why would anyone want to compete for them, when there's a thread in the "Off Topic" forum dedicated to giving them away?
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QUOTE (Two Geeks and a GPS @ Aug 31 2004, 08:16 PM)

What does "bumping" mean?

 

 

Sarcasm

 

If you would like to continue this thread please do so in the Off Topic forum.

 

Recently, the above sentence has been used by one or more mods. This has almost always been directed towards someone with "geocacher" under their avatar. That, my friend, is sarcasm.

 

I copied the above from another thread. Actually it might seem like sarcasm or rudeness, but I think the mods have orders to give this reply. Don't expect them to admit to this, and I can't blame them. As for the "O.T." forum, be careful of what you wish for. Remember the Abject Silliness thread? It's probably worth the $3 not to see it. There may come a time when access to any forums or geocaching will be denied without some sort of fee. Hey, it was fun while it lasted! :lol:

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QUOTE (Two Geeks and a GPS @ Aug 31 2004, 08:16 PM)

What does "bumping" mean?

 

 

Sarcasm

 

If you would like to continue this thread please do so in the Off Topic forum.

 

Recently, the above sentence has been used by one or more mods. This has almost always been directed towards someone with "geocacher" under their avatar. That, my friend, is sarcasm.

 

I copied the above from another thread. Actually it might seem like sarcasm or rudeness, but I think the mods have orders to give this reply. Don't expect them to admit to this, and I can't blame them. As for the "O.T." forum, be careful of what you wish for. Remember the Abject Silliness thread? It's probably worth the $3 not to see it. There may come a time when access to any forums or geocaching will be denied without some sort of fee. Hey, it was fun while it lasted! :lol:

In the past (before the OT forum was created) the mods would just lock threads that were off-topic. Now, paying members have the option to continue the discussion in the new forum.

 

Now, what was the problem again?

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1. The forum guidelines do not allow off-topic posts. An exception is made for the new off-topic forum, although the other forum guidelines do apply there.

2. As a forum moderator, I've been asked to enforce the forum guidelines. I haven't been given a whole lot of specific marching orders, and certainly no required text that I am to use in certain circumstances.

3. When I see an off-topic post, it should not have been posted in the first place. I have a duty to do something about it.

4. One option is to look the other way. A limited amount of OT commentary is fine, as the forums are much like a regular conversation. But a totally OT thread... or one that is derailed OT by a succession of posts, I need to do something about it.

5. Another thing I can do is move the OT topic to the new OT forum. But there were outcries when this was done in a handful of cases, as the thread "disappeared" for those who were not premium members. They might be puzzled why a thread that shouldn't be there was not there anymore.

6. What the "Geocaching Topics" moderators are now doing is closing the off-topic threads here, and inviting anyone interested to continue their discussion in the OT forum. That way, evidence remains to show everyone the disposition of the OT thread. There are various words that might be employed to convey this message. Perhaps I should just link to this post from now on.

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Now now, you're not being fair. The moderator's comment came after someone had already mentioned the existing topic:
Now why would anyone want to compete for them, when there's a thread in the "Off Topic" forum dedicated to giving them away?

Oh, THAT thread, was it? I thought that was pretty shabby treatment, myself.

 

Newbie comes along, thinking he's doing something nice by offering gmail invites, no way of knowing the off-topic forum is drowning in them. A week ago, it wasn't. A week ago, his offering would've been well-received. Heck, did the off-topic forum even exist a week ago?

 

Have you ever been slapped down when you were trying to do a good thing? If the passion to keep posts on-topic trumps all other priorities here, at the very least it would behoove everyone to be nice about it.

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Have you ever been slapped down when you were trying to do a good thing? If the passion to keep posts on-topic trumps all other priorities here, at the very least it would behoove everyone to be nice about it.

 

See the thing is, I don't think he was *trying* to be a jerk about it. Between reviewing cache submissions, communicating with the owners thereof and moderating several foums here, never mind having a personal life, I think it was just an oversight.

 

Please, don't get me wrong - I do understand where you are coming from. As is everything presented via the written word, so much can be read into things that are not intended. Personally, I think the best resolution to this issue would simply be for a PM session between the poor n00b and the moderator.

 

Beyond that, I don't see what can be done except the moderators getting another 'heads-up' from what is a brand new situation - an unexpected one from the moderator groups own admission. It's a learning curve for everyone, n00bs as well as old timers. Even intermediates like me... :lol:

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A week ago, his offering would've been well-received. Heck, did the off-topic forum even exist a week ago?

No, two weeks ago I would have closed such a thread and invited the poster to go to Abject Silliness. New off-topic threads were not "well received." Or have you already forgotten how big of a jerk I was about that? :lol:

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It's a learning curve for everyone, n00bs as well as old timers.  Even intermediates like me... :lol:

Sorry, d00d, but "New England Intermediate" just doesn't have the same ring to it. I don't want to hear another hint of that.

Gotcha boss... how about one of these synonyms?:

 

Average, between, center, central, common, compromising, fair, halfway, in-between, indifferent, intermediary, interposed, intervening, mean, medial, median, mediocre, medium, mid, middling, midway, moderate, neutral, so-so, standard, transitional

 

I think I kinda like "mean". It works on so many levels, but prolly the one most thought of would get me banninated if I chose to act like it... *sigh* I guess the n00b is here to stay for a little while longer. At least until I hit 100... Sometime in 2007.

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BTW this thread is off-topic. Moderator, please self-moderate.

Discussion of moderator conduct, done within the forum guidelines, is an on-topic subject.

 

If you're referring to the more lighthearted of my three posts to this thread, I would direct you to point #4 in my long post above, which stated in pertinent part as follows:

 

A limited amount of OT commentary is fine, as the forums are much like a regular conversation.

 

I'm not a machine, I'm a person, and if I see something worthy of a quick quip, I won't bypass the opportunity so long as it does not detract from the general flow of the thread. And you wouldn't disagree that I am trying to contribute to the thread? I try my best to apply these same standards to everyone else.

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Well, this thread has nothing to do with geocaching at all. Therefore, it belongs to the OT section. Or do we have a double standard here?

and your post is off topic to the off topic thread. Dang, so is my response!

 

Ouch, circular logic hurts my head!

 

Actaully, it has been my experience that talking about the forums is not considered off topic.

Edited by Elf Danach
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just curious... anyone notice that threads are more often being closed because they are "off-topic?"

 

just curious. not trying to make a point or anything.

well, maybe a thought attached to it... since the creation of the off-topic forums, people (mostly non-members) have had more locked threads. is it because the mods have become less lenient now, now that there is a definite off-topic area?

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It's a learning curve for everyone, n00bs as well as old timers.  Even intermediates like me... :lol:

Sorry, d00d, but "New England Intermediate" just doesn't have the same ring to it. I don't want to hear another hint of that.

Gotcha boss... how about one of these synonyms?:

 

Average, between, center, central, common, compromising, fair, halfway, in-between, indifferent, intermediary, interposed, intervening, mean, medial, median, mediocre, medium, mid, middling, midway, moderate, neutral, so-so, standard, transitional

 

I think I kinda like "mean". It works on so many levels, but prolly the one most thought of would get me banninated if I chose to act like it... *sigh* I guess the n00b is here to stay for a little while longer. At least until I hit 100... Sometime in 2007.

how bout New England Novice

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It's a learning curve for everyone, n00bs as well as old timers.  Even intermediates like me... :lol:

Sorry, d00d, but "New England Intermediate" just doesn't have the same ring to it. I don't want to hear another hint of that.

Gotcha boss... how about one of these synonyms?:

 

Average, between, center, central, common, compromising, fair, halfway, in-between, indifferent, intermediary, interposed, intervening, mean, medial, median, mediocre, medium, mid, middling, midway, moderate, neutral, so-so, standard, transitional

 

I think I kinda like "mean". It works on so many levels, but prolly the one most thought of would get me banninated if I chose to act like it... *sigh* I guess the n00b is here to stay for a little while longer. At least until I hit 100... Sometime in 2007.

how bout New England Novice

n00b & novice are the same thing to me... so... thanks anyway though... ;)

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Seriously, to all non-members, the off-topic forum isn't that interesting. Just go to any old forum on the internet, go into the "talk about anything" area and that's more or less what you'll see in OT.

MarcB

Perhaps a few freeloaders (like me) would like to judge for themselves.

 

But OTOH, it sure is comfotable to have such nice BIG BROTHERs to look after us.

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Seriously, to all non-members, the off-topic forum isn't that interesting. Just go to any old forum on the internet, go into the "talk about anything" area and that's more or less what you'll see in OT.

MarcB

Perhaps a few freeloaders (like me) would like to judge for themselves.

 

But OTOH, it sure is comfotable to have such nice BIG BROTHERs to look after us.

Wha? I'm missing something here... why the put-down?

 

Or rather, IS it a putdown, and if so... why?

Edited by New England n00b
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well you can get a trial membership for 30 days for $3.00. thats a heck of a deal.

Plus during that trial period you get all the other advantages of membership.

Don't know how anyone else feels about it, but deliberately and (seemingly surreptitiously) segregating the site makes me LESS inclined to pay rather than more so.

 

Regarding n00b's post,

The ot forum does not have to be unreadable for the moderators to test their skills and potential, just don't allow people who are not "Premium" members to post. On second thought, that might not be a good idea- freeloaders would be able to read where others are talking about them and not be able to defend themselves. At least as it is, if you're talking about someone behind their back, it remains behind their back.

 

OBTW:

We are not discussing members vs non-members here, we are ALL members. GC was founded as a FREE listing service and has been vowed by the founder that it will ALWAYS be that way.

 

Whether a portion of the forums should be available to "premium members" only is a valid question for TPTB's consideration. No valid reason exists why it cannot be segregated this way. But if it is going to be segregated, it should be clearly stated and newcomers should never be told to go where they cannot go.

 

It just seems to me like GC is saying "All Non-premium members move to the back of the bus, please."

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It just seems to me like GC is  saying "All Non-premium members move to the back of the bus, please."

Maybe you have this backwards. Now, I haven't ridden a bus in some time, but the back was where the cool people sat.

Interestingly, that's about where the OT forum is as well. Coincidence? I think not! At least that's what my teachers always use to say... :lol:

 

Seriously, I do think too much is being read into this...

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Seriously, to all non-members, the off-topic forum isn't that interesting. Just go to any old forum on the internet, go into the "talk about anything" area and that's more or less what you'll see in OT.

MarcB

Perhaps a few freeloaders (like me) would like to judge for themselves.

 

But OTOH, it sure is comfotable to have such nice BIG BROTHERs to look after us.

Wha? I'm missing something here... why the put-down?

 

Or rather, IS it a putdown, and if so... why?

I didn't mean it as a "put-down" but I guess it does really look that way.

 

I was not refering to you as BIG BROTHER, but in general to TPTB assuming they are, as you say, trying this out without "offending the masses" (or whatever your exact words were).

 

Why do TPTB assume that I, a member of the "masses", will be offended by whatever a free moral agent types into a computer keyboard somewhere else on planet Earth?

 

That TPTB do not allow me to be offended if I want to be makes them like the proverbial "BIG BROTHER".

 

That's all i meant. Clear as Ohio River water, I hope?

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well you can get a trial membership for 30 days for $3.00. thats a heck of a deal.

Plus during that trial period you get all the other advantages of membership.

Don't know how anyone else feels about it, but deliberately and (seemingly surreptitiously) segregating the site makes me LESS inclined to pay rather than more so.

 

Regarding n00b's post,

The ot forum does not have to be unreadable for the moderators to test their skills and potential, just don't allow people who are not "Premium" members to post. On second thought, that might not be a good idea- freeloaders would be able to read where others are talking about them and not be able to defend themselves. At least as it is, if you're talking about someone behind their back, it remains behind their back.

 

OBTW:

We are not discussing members vs non-members here, we are ALL members. GC was founded as a FREE listing service and has been vowed by the founder that it will ALWAYS be that way.

 

Whether a portion of the forums should be available to "premium members" only is a valid question for TPTB's consideration. No valid reason exists why it cannot be segregated this way. But if it is going to be segregated, it should be clearly stated and newcomers should never be told to go where they cannot go.

 

It just seems to me like GC is saying "All Non-premium members move to the back of the bus, please."

With all due respect, I disagree with your comments sir.

To me, In my humble opinion, this is a mountain being made out of a mole hill.

There are always people that will want to protect the masses. even when the masses dont want to be protected. This seems to be one of those times.

 

If you like I will pay the $3.00 for you so that you may visit the holy land and report back.

 

Let me know.

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