Seems to me, too many threads are locked because a couple of knuckleheads have personal, hostile arguments. Better than shut down a thread, I thinks, would be to give the guys a 2, 4, or 7-day suspension to cool down.
Mark
Ya know it’s a shame too, I’ve been coming to this forum for a long time now and that seems to happen more and more unfortunately. Suspensions sound like a good option, though there are some folks out there that are just unhappy no matter what and I’m not exactly sure how to remedy that. Hopefully folks just try to relax and enjoy railroadin’…
Mark and Dano,
Suspensions (or temporary locks) are used but only after a certain number of infractions have taken place. The length of the suspension is also contingent on the type of infraction.
Whenever two or more forum members clash and a moderator does need to step in, the moderator does attempt to preserve a thread - whenever possible - by editing or removing the offensive post or posts. However, there are times when editing or deleting several posts isn’t practical (because of continuity) and locking or deleting a thread is the only viable option. Perhaps what some may believe to the contrary, the moderators do use the latter as a last resort.
Tom
Seems like it’s maybe more a few individuals with badly swollen egos that result in most of the problems here. Also seems like this forum has a lot more trouble with swollen egos than the other forum I visit regularly.
Suspensions would probably not do much other than cause the egos look for another forum to troll at. For me, I’d rather see them remain here than move on to other forums and ruin the harmonious groove elsewhere.
I tend to think that if everyone just ignored the “known egos” and rather than taking issue with their comments and posting a retort, just report their posts, state your grievance, and then perhaps the mods could edit or delete the offending post rather than locking threads because of flame wars…?
If the egomaniacs get enough complaints about what they post the mods should be motivated to do something about them.
Just one guys [2c] though.
Should be interesting to see how long this thread stays alive.
It’s kinda weird, I was thinking the same thing about an hour ago about the tone in some of the threads. I think we will never be able to shut it down completely. I was on non-train forum earlier today and got into a back and forth, seems many people are responding with emotion instead of really reading the posts and answering based on facts.
Ricky
I’m just kind of curious about this whole thing. I think that maybe just saying --“yes yes we know about------” whatever and leaving it at that would work. At least it would calm some of this post Xmas angst down a tad[:-^]
----then this may be me just barking at the wind again-----[:)]
Forgive my ignorance for not being a member as long as some of you have been on here. I always appreciate the knowledgable responses on here. I know that some posts can get out of hand and some are kind of humorous, but I think that some people need to be more civil.
I don’t know if people have lost respect for each other or if the economy has something to do with it, but there seems to be people who argue over the stupidest things and it is not just here on the forums.
It may be coincidental, but I was reading some older posts on here that dated back a couple of years or more and those seems to be a little more civil
I’ve been a member here for quite some time, but as you can see from my post count I don’t really comment that often.
It seems to me that the Kalmbach forums are fairly restrained. There are other forums, MRR & Non-MRR, that I’ve participated in where things get much more out of hand. In some cases it’s the regular users that go off and in others I’ve seen owners / moderators veer out of control. [:O]
For my $.02 Kalmbach makes an honest effort to strike a balance and I appreciate that.
Mark Gosdin
Mark, since you are among the individuals I do respect on this forum and in that I appreciate that my views are often not well received, even though they are typically based on information substantiating them and that my presentations can sometimes be curt, I would like to offer my take on this situation and on your suggestion of how to handle it.
I’ve been part of this forum from its inception and have watched its make up decline from a group which included a large percentage of well rounded and informed hobbyists, to one now consisting largely of what I would, as kindly as I can, characterize as casual hobbyists. As a result of the forum’s make up today, it tends to generate replies to many posts that offer either ill-advised, marginal, or downright inaccurate advice or information to the OP and other readers of the thread, most of whom are too green to recognize this.
Likewise, the hobby’s historical perspective is often so wildly distorted by many of the posters here that it can in no way be reconciled with any reality. Either situation is, at the very least, irksome to anyone with any real knowledge of the hobby and its accepted methodologies. I would also offer that being docile and timidly accepting such inaccuracies and going on without comment so as to not ruffle the feathers of some uninformed poster, nor expressing any corrections or conficting views for the same reason, is an indication of ignorance, not an expression of civility.
Compounding this in my particular case is that along the way I have picked up a particular individual on this forum whom I believe is
Mark,Its not quite that easy.
Speaking as a moderator on three different forums:
1).Where there is no rule infringement there is no foul.
2).Many members see any type of a discussion as a argument even if it remains civil or if a member has views that differs he’s trolling.
3).Topics gets out of hand for several reasons to include egos and different opinions-this is usually cause by experts(usually magazine backed) that has bombarded the masses with their style of modeling,track cleaning etc and believed by modelers-if its in a magazine it must be so.
4)There are many “hot” topics that is bound to start a riot from metal wheels to that old standard "which DCC system is better? I think that one has cooled and went out.
Moderating calls for common sense action.Repeat offenders after being warned 3 times should have a 7 day “vacation”.Repeat violations calls for permanent suspension.However,the final call is up to the forum’s administrator since he holds the magic lock.
However,permanent suspension doesn’t always work…A change of IP addy and a new moniker and you’re back in business.
I think the moderators here is doing a excellent job in keeping the peace…I been around long enough to know things has quieted way down since they became moderators.
Myself, I’m never sure timeouts work with adults.
But one thing may be to ask why someone’s knowledge is to be questioned every step of the way. If one found that there was a certain toning down of the “I alone know the truth—” sort–which has actually happened, then I’d like to see someone not get so irritated by another’s knowledge base too. There is a certain amount of chutzpa in all of us I’d gather—some keep it a little better hidden–others not so much. Whether someone has more knowledge in some places than I do should not behoove me then to bark about someone else’s knowledge as if it did not count for a hill of beans. After awhile this all ends in a marking territory scenario-----
Mind, I’ve seen WWAAAAYY worse in some other forums. Check some of the political ones sometimes![(-D]
Barry,I am highly knowledgeable in some areas and the old days being one since I had a blast back then and recall those days quite well.
As a example I had 6 of these jewels painted and lettered for my first short line the Detroit Connecting.
http://www.caboosehobbies.com/catalog/popup_image.php?pID=90247&prod_image_ext=jpg
Although today these are well known as a KTM drive “howler” I enjoyed these RS1 tremendously as a lad of 16.Of course noise was accepted back then as a very natural thing.
The best part these cost me $27.50 each after discount…It took me 6 weeks to buy 'em.
It’s funny how some of the worst offenders are posting in this very thread. I guess one man’s learned “insightful commentary” is another man’s incitement.
Hi!
I’ve been a member for some time and have been especially active in the last few years. The vast majority of my readings & postings have resulted in positive experiences. However, there have been a few times when I was pretty surprised at what was posted.
In example, a couple of times in a posting I started, I got a response that in effect said “How stupid you are to ask such a question”. I confess those comments kind of stung, for I would never think of insulting someone (on a public forum) in that manner.
And, the Forum gets an awful lot of subjective questions. Most folks understand that one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure, but there are those that seem to want to belittle the folks that don’t feel as they do. That’s pretty sad!
Lastly, there are folks that just haven’t learned politeness, courtesy or tact & diplomacy. I suggest if they can’t learn those traits, then perhaps they should just concentrate on the Golden Rule. Like my dear ol Daddy used to say… Tact & diplomacy is the ability to tell someone to go to Hxll, and have them look forward to the trip!
ENJOY, We all have one thing in common - we love our TRAINS !!!
Mobilman44
CNJ831 - Bravo, bravo! Well said.
emphasis added.
There seem to be some here that think the post counter under their name entitles them to certain exemptions and privileges. To some the higher the count, the bigger the ego or more
Ever think of this?
Its those type of comments that gets the fireball rolling and I dare say gives moderators headaches.
Say, fellas, you should all understand the protocol requested of our members by our hosts; if what you read offends you, report the post and the moderators will take a look when they see the report. The moderators are not obliged to read every post on all the forums we cover…and there are many. The mods may or may not agree with your observation, but we will at least assure those so objecting of consideration. Most often, when we have the time, we answer those who report problems to at least thank them for their efforts. If we agree, we’ll act, and if we disagree we’ll usually respond via PM with our rationale.
Please report those posts that truly offend you and then live with what the outcome is…assuming it isn’t an irrational response by the mods. And, no matter what, you always have recourse to Dana Kawala and Customer Service if you don’t like the results.
-Crandell
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