Is it my imagination but did another thread just disappear off the OGR Suggestion Forum? Yesterday someone posted a poll asking about who has paid their OGR Forum membership fee. That disapeared. This morning I posted a thread wondering where that thread went and now that’s gone. That’s two threads in two days! Since I just posted a new thread wondering where the other two went I’m willing to bet we will go three in three days[:0]
That was mine. It went to the suggestion box for some odd reason, even though it was a question. I ask why it was moved now it’s deleted. Another thread be CSX Joe I think about York Yuck is now gone that I posted to.
Go figure,
Gary
And just think, people will get to pay for that level of “service” soon.
My thread on York was not disparaging, just that for me I have other ways to purchase trains and train related items and meet others interested in the hobby.
After a while, all this York, York, York stuff does get a littlle over the top. Last nite, at our club, I again reiterated myh feeling towards York even though 4-5 members plan on attending.
Unless you bring a large wad of cash, it’s not financially sound.
Camardarie? Fourtunately, being in a club, I have the pleasure of being with at least 15 train nuts every Tuesday and Friday nite who BTW, do know what a shower is for.
Deals? We got club guys always wheeling and dealing something. Can’t beat MTH Premeir rolling stock for $15.00 a pop.
It’s my impression that Rich Melvin is getting a little exasperated and rather quick on the trigger deletion wise. Probably too many years of policing a bunch of people with a fair proportion of knuckleheads in their midst :). When moderation includes banning multiple sorts of civil and profanity free, flame free posts, it’s a big job, but that’s the way he and his co-owners have chosen.
I’m beginning to think only a hundred or so folks will sign up for the new pay for posting forum. I’ll probably sign up but more out of a sense of duty than any real joy :). I’m getting the feeling the new forum’s composition of hobbiests will be heavily oriented towards hi-rail and scale, and possibly MTH-only fans from the early returns :).
The major accomplishment of the forum during the last two years was providing beta testing for the initial releases of DCS and helping those who had problems. Which were legion :). Nothing wrong with that focus, and it probably saved MTH’s bacon, but time will tell whether a broader range of interests will be represented on the forum. It will be interesting to see the number of posts on June 2nd. Even now the number of threads has decreased substantially as those who are resolutely opposed to the new charges have gone elsewhere. Change is always painful.
I’m wondering when that $18 will be a requirement. I haven’t been following OGR too closely. I think it’s end of this month. Refugees are welcomed to come to our train station at CTT. The more the merrier. They don’t seem as trigger happy here and pretty reasonable as far as not deleting posts. I’m pretty happy.
Dave Vergun
Trigger happy Rich[C):-)]
CTT IS THE BEST![#welcome]
[quote]
Originally posted by FJ and G
Refugees are welcomed to come to OUR train station at CTT.
David Vergun
Dave, does this mean that you will be doing ‘Bios’ on CTT members? [;)]
(aka; The Man, The Myth, The Legend. series)[:)]
Remember, Rich Melvin did say that HIS forum is a “…benevolent dictatorship”
I think Their forum will die a slow death. I give 'em a year or so unless they change the fee structure.
David:
The $18 becomes mandatory to post on June 1.
Tony
eZak,
What is esp. ridiculous is that subscribers to OGR would have to pay as well. What ever happened to member benefits?
I’m glad that CTT’s forum is free and that there are no plans to charge. Heck, why should I pay to give someone advice? Yet, I can lurk for advice for free. Doesn’t make sense.
If every site on the internet started charging, it would no longer be a place anyone can afford, with free-flowing ideas.
Also, I’m wondering what exactly the $18 pays for. I never saw the breakdown. I think if you pay that amount, you should at least have that information. But I haven’t been visiting there too often so they may have put that out by now.
I don’t want to say anything bad about anyone over there. i just don’t understand their logic. Why shoot the pooch, as Tom Wolff would say.
They won’t get a plug nickel of my money. I absolutely refuse to pay for contributing to a forum of any type. Is anyone going to be foolish enough to pay for the EXACT same thing that other forums provide free? Only time will tell, but I have confidence that most of my fellow model railroaders are smart enough not to throw away their money on something that ALL other forums provide free. That other forum provides nothing or offers nothing that warrants a fee. I hope that all other people on that other forum also refuse to pay. The censorship on that other forum also bothers me. If you somehow state an opinion on a post which goes contrary to what the moderator believes is correct, the post is quickly deleted. Sounds like a rather hostile aproach to me.
I now intend to post mini articles on my scratch built structures and things about my layout here on CTT. Seems like a friendlier place to share your hobby.
I look forward to seeing your articles about scratchbuilding.
I’ll try to limit my posts to 1 or 2 a day with a lot of replies to yours & others as I don’t want to be to obtrusive and make an as* of myself here.
Btw, at one time, about 1/3 of my posts were getting deleted on OGR. So far, none have disappeared from here. It esp. was frustrating to try to reply to someone’s post on OGR, only to see it vanish while I was in the middle of replying!
Dave, don’t feel you have to limit your posts - I enjoy them - they make me think or make me laugh.
Geez man! I looked at the OGR site and you have over 7000 posts that stayed! All in a little over a year! And you say that you had “about a 1/3 of my posts” deleted?! That would put you just about over 10,000 on that site alone! 343 here in less than a year, who knows how many on other sites…Do you have an IV bottle strapped to your arm so you don’t have to get up to eat? Do you have a train layout at all? Are you rich and don’t have to work? This is scary! I have to work and make money do stuff around my place and eat and sleep and other stuff. I have very little time for a hobby. But when I do it is to relax and work on my hobby. It seems like your internet site here is a full time job. Just curious about how you have all this time for here and stuff. It is very wierd. Don’t be mad.
I’m really sorry to see things going the way the are going. I mean, I kind of lost it for the OGRR Forum. That doesn’t mean the owners are bad or the folks there are bad.
YES, I think there has been a strong leaning toward the scale-end over there for a very long time. And yes, there were some comments there a long time ago that I took great offense too. BUT that’s not really a reflection on the vast majority of folks there - many of whom are over here. And after the initial apprehensive worries here, so far everything’s just fine.
I find it ironic how comments that some of you guys made - that weren’t intended at all to be inflamatory - ended up being deleted. Meanwhile the weenie comments stay up. By the way, I understand how that in a group of friends, comments can be made that no one is bothered by. Amongst friends, there is understanding. Even an element of allowable kidding around.
But there were times when these comments between friends started looking like a “clique.” When you read comments that poke fun at someone on a emotionless computer screen, they quickly lose the element of fun.
All that aside, I figure things will work out somehow. I hope so anyways.
Hey, I see things from my vantage point. Not everyone agrees with me, and that’s okay. What I have liked about posting here is a greater level of acceptance. Sure, there some scale guys here. There’s also some 027 guys here too, posting actively. I know from being here a while that Elliot (Big_Boy4005) doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with me. But he doesn’t tell me run scale or get out of the hobby. He doesn’t call me names either. And for all our operating differences, I think we do agree on a lot actually.
The hobby needs more people. We want to be tearing down the fences, not putting up new ones. You can stand firmly on one side of that fence, and still smile and wave to the guy on the other side. You can even unlock the gate door and leave it open.
That’s how
Brian,
I haven’t seen that us vs. them mentality on CTT at all and I agree with everything you have said. We really do agree a lot or are tolerant.
Now, Pease, please tell me what you really think of me!
After being on the other forum,its real clear there are many favorites that post whatever they like and its not deleated,bunch of BS, Many good opinions are always posted, sometimes they are not agreed with but that 's the idea of a forum! By deleating info nothing is gained by its members and after a while members who don’t have “favorited status” just plain give up and leave!
I don’t need the other forum and its webmaster to enjoy this hobby,as a matter of fact I’m tired of seeing his picture,He’s very annoying!
45467MARTIN
I have been reviewing the topics on OGR’s forum fee, but haven’t previously posted an opinion. I might be ready. This topic’s participants seem to be a little more analytical, than ranting.
OGR is a lot smaller operation than CTT and its parent company. They may need the $18 to stay in business or to support web activity. Unfortunately, if this is true, the hobby is going to lose a very nice magazine.
Most companies consider a web site, and whatever features it supports, a very cost effective way to promote the company and its products, to comunicate with customers, and to gather marketing and technical information. This is best done if customers have a good reason to visit the site regularly, and something like a forum is a great way to encourage regular visits. Charging for a forum defeats this valuable marketing tool.
Base costs for a web site are small. Mine costs me about $12/year for the URL and $6/month, paid yearly, for the host. ORG’s traffic is high so their costs would be higher, but compared to other ways to promote and gather information, its very cheap.
If OGR needs additional funds, I can think of better ways to get them. For example, I don’t think I would have objected to a couple of dollars increase in the magazine subscription to reply on the forum, if it came with the subscription.
There is something wrong with looking, and learning, for free, but making contributions costs $18. Yet, without a free look, no one would pay the fee, sight unseen. Bit of a quandry.
Some forum contributors make very valuble posts. Their expertise is what subscribers are supposed to be paying for. A free subscription offer may have kept them from jumping to this forum. A masthead of experts could make a subscription forum work. Overhead for experts would be small, since they could be located anywhere. An opportunity?
Layout pictures are nice, but a limit of ten, for $18, is stupid. I can have my own URL
Pease…and soon he’s coming to a computer near you…!
Seriously, people who have more ideas than I do sometimes drive me crazy too. David’s getting older, you know. Maybe he not sleep so good…
John,
Agree. OGR always denies this but a lot of what gets deleted seems (has the appearance) of being conflicts of interest with their advertisers. I know I will get beat up for saying that but I just did.
Also, reg. the archives, a lot of good information got deleted. Stuff was never organized into categories such as valuable tips saved to their tips site. Granted, someone would have had to do that work but why pay $18 and then not have someone do that.
For $18 I would want at least a free boxcar mailed to me, along with a T-shirt and cap.