Policing ourselves was my term. I meant it "generally, not literally. I guess I should have said “helping to keep things cool”.
For example: There have been sevearal topics posted over the year in which I chimed in, suggested that we calm down, and added information that winded up helping to change the tone of the thread and make it useful.
I forgot which topic it was, but I did this, when member Ted E. Bear was involved and flames were starting to sparkle. After my post, the thread became informative. As a resutl, Bergie didn’t delete the topic. So there was “no moderating”…just a little humility and common sense. What I did and have done on several occasions is the same exact thing ANYONE here can do.
Big Boy 4005 and JNichols have also done this several times. Were they acting as moderators? NO. They were well mannered, humble, and only made suggestions. No bullying, arroagance, or demands involved. The results: Usually positive.
MaBruce,
none of us here are moderators or act as such, but again, my only suggestive emphasis is that without being moderators we can still do our part in encouraging forum members to “stay cool” [:)][:D][8D] when flaming occurs.
As for Off Topic threads, I tend to leave them alone and reply to them if they’re interesting. I sure like the ones that show humor! Now, If the threads are indeed offensive…I don’t post any replies, I simply send Bergie an e-mail and “suggest” to him that he take a look at the topic in question. AGAIN, this is the same thing ALL OF US here can do anytime.
So Bergie still does his job. and we all continue to have equal footing here.
I really don’t think the off-topic threads are a problem - I’ll take a look and reply if I have something useful to add, but if not I’ll just ignore them. I’m not sure who first suggested the idea that it’s like a MRR club, but I agree - the “off topic” is the other social stuff you talk about at the club.
I think the best course of action to “keep things cool” (as you curiously state later in your post) is to leave these topics alone and report them to Bergie. Let him decide what needs to be done.
Good for you, but I see you already patted yourself on the back.
I disagree. It seems to me that you are attempting to moderate the discussion in these examples. Follow your own advice - show humility and steer clear of them.
If you feel the need to encourage members to cool down, why not do it privately? Then it won’t seem like you’re trying to moderate and/or grandstand.
Standing ovation
David,
You make some excellent points. I have been here longer than most and not
as long as some. In that time I have seen and been a part of some nasty
discussions and most of them had nothing to do with the subject of the forum.
It still amazes me to see a topic that is so far off topic that I have to think that
the author has no other people in the world to talk to… why else would they
bother to post it here. Still, as someone pointed out, there is the Coffee Shop.
I think it was an excellent idea to start it… it gives us all a place to vent, discuss
and ask questions about any topic under the sun.
I often shake my head when I see some topics that have no relevance to the subject
of this forum. I think " What kind of reponse would I get if I started a topic on one of
the football forums about my new locomotive?" I would probably get a lot of “huh’s”
and “why the heck would you post that here’s?” There are a lot of forums on the
web and I bet dollars to donuts that there is one for a topic that is “off topic” here.
I also belong to a Ramcharger forum and I would not post a train topic over there
any more than I would post a Ramcharger topic here. And I would not start a
religous discussion on any of them!
The best advice in the world is “reread the post before you post it”. Walk away from
the computer and come back in few minutes. If you still feel it is appropriate( and
most of the time if you have to think about it, then it’s probably not) then go ahead and click “submit”.
But, be prepared for someone to jump on you… and don’t cry when
they do.
That brings up the “thin skin” issue. If someone disagees with you, take it like a
man. This is a public access forum… anyone can join.
And people are different and have different ways of looking at the world. Nobody’s
right, but they all think that th
I don’t ever pat myself in the back…nor do I ever want to or need to. I work with people that are ambitious ladder climbers constantly looking for that attention. The back patting the seek, makes me laugh or causes my stomach to turn. I mentioned the above only to let you know I try to be helpful and not a burden to fellow modelers. NOT to receive a “pat on the back”, especially on the internet, of all places! So, interpret it as you wish.
We can happily agree to disagree. I’m not moderating anything. If that’s your view than so be it.
Oh, as for encourgaing modelers privately? Of course, if they have an e-mail link! Many do not. Did I mention this eariler? No, beacuase just as you’ve just done above, I would be accused of “patting myself in the back”…
GrandStanding? Good Grief! Isn’t that what you’re doing in the reply to me above? Please, Re-read your above responsethat include: “I think the best course of action”… "It seems to me that… “steer clear of them”
Hello… Who’s grandstanding? Sounds more like hard charging commands to me. (Really…Have I ever done this?)
Well, you can keep whacking me with a virtual 2x4 if you wish…[B)]… My view has not changed that I really like this forum, and the good crew on it…but for now I’ll say:[;)]
A couple simple way to solve the problem would be to :
have 'full disclosure" in the topic (what it’s really about) - so others can avoid “wasting” time
2)use the search engine to find what you are looking for before asking - aren’t you on the site already
checking your grammer and spelling
And hey - [:D] I work in a prison but I don’t ‘act’ like a prison guard.
I have in fact contacted MR - twice, offering my service.
On this, and other forums there is a stigma that a moderator is somehow a prison guard or some anti-Constitutionalist - both couldn’t be further from the truth. It goes back to the personal reponsiblity part - if people post things that don’t belong, the moderator will have to take action - if not you won’t know he’s around.
While you may see it differently, the way I presented myself is as someone hoping to improve the forum through everyone (myself included) being responsible in their posting habits - pointing out other forums where this works, and as I said even though I moderate have had little to nothing to do because people post responsibly. I don’t have to be appointed to a position here to share my experience and opinion - just as you do not have to be MR staff to share your model railroading experience here.
To everyone, I’m glad this topic has progressed with just about everybody having something to add in a respectful manner. Thank you.
While it is commendable to make such suggestions (many of which I agree with BTW), insulting the way things are moderated is naturally going to cause some friction. But you already knew this as a moderator of four forums - right?
Just a question, if someone came in on a forum you moderated and insulted the way you moderated it, would you allow the topic to continue?
“Respectful” meaning to all those who agreed with you. [;)] Hey, you’re really getting this moderator thing down! [:D]
Some of us “participate” more than others. Or, are more “active”. That says nothing about how well they are regarded, the quality of their contributions, nor anything else that would suggest authority or status.
If you can stand it, my expertise is in group dynamics. There will always be informal leaders in a leaderless forum (let’s forget Bergie, his role is singular and immutable). Accordingly, a few of us speak up when we think that the direction were moving in is at variance with the “norm”. In that sense, we “moderate”, or make moderate, the tone and subject so that it all seems to fit.
Naturally, some stronger personalities get rankled when one of the informal leaders tries to set things straight. It can’t be helped, folks. And when you look back on this past year of huge variation, how many times has Bergie had to slam his desk with the ruler? Maybe four or five times at most…over several thousands of reponses? Not bad, surely.
David’s thread is a perfect example. Look back and do a quick tally of the yays and nays. This is what makes this forum, an exchange of information forum, work so darned well! We get told six different ways to say/do/see/hear. And like Antonio says, it is a veritable grocery store.
Vive, vive la difference!! Vive la forum sans la police!!!
Did I blatently insult the way things are moderated or did I suggest ways members can improve this forum through their own posting?
There is a huge difference and I think you didn’t get the gist of what I posted.
Usually agreement is presented in a different way than dissent - though both can be done respectfully - picking on other members, accusing them of grandstanding and the like, insinutating them is not the way.
I have had people confront me about my moderating twice - once the person was banned by the administrator because they were in the wrong and hostile. The second person came around and understood where I was coming from. I’m not some delete key nut and I am sure as heck not suggesting anything here be deleted.
What I was saying was, members can improve the forum with the content they choose to post, and, having a moderator available to lock a topic that has its initiating post content removed by the author will keep it from going on to be a 3 page insult match.
Dave, you don’t have to defend yourself. Your posts throughout this forum, IMHO, are very informative and helpful. I’m one of those modelers that has benefited from your information.
If some posters disagree with your views…so be it. We’re all still cordial here.
I hope that you stick to your good values and continue making this forum a very useful tool to improve our modeling skills and enhancement of the hobby.
hum, ok here it goes for me . i know i’ll have people make comments but , guess that is life. a suggestion on the polls …Cant there be a seperate place for polls to be posted? information …cant there be a seperate area for that. I have looked for information and it gets to be time consuming and frustrating at best.
A area for DC a seperate for DCC. Information posted there , a " Hows to " if you will on how to do certain things. Example: " How to wire " step by steps on it. There are too many ideas to post here but if you read and try to understand you will. I am new to all this so words like " frogs throw me off " i go to the glossary and get the meaning but it still isnt to clear. I think information that is given by alot of you guys is great ,but there are other aspects that arent given and that leaves the individual confused on where to go and what to do.
In Short you have options when you log onto this forum on where to go if memeory srves me there are at least 4 maybe 5 different .Everyone doent just come here, so couldnt there be a seperate place to find all the information stock piled in one area?
I believe grande man and others have posted this idea before ,introduced little step by steps that i personally have found interesting and brought up the idea as well i have all of them saved in a seperate folder. So, for some of you who get tired of reading and answering the same qusetions this would eliminate this problem i think? Maybe, but if not it should reduce the amount of like posts.
As far as he polls, If kept in a seperate polls only area if you dont want to be involved in them then dont go to that area of the forum![;)] i beleive this to be a grand hobby and the individuals that have helped me are priceless people with great hearts and soul to help someone new like me enjoy this great hobby and progress from day to day
On a final note people make mistakes , if your perfect , Lucky you .there are alot of people on this site from different parts of the w
I agree with you Dave. I have been a member here for 4yrs,when I first came onboard there was alot of great info,then after awhile this forum went south,I only recently came back to it and found that there is still good info shared here,but I still see somethings that made me leave the first time are still here.
Both actually. Your suggestions were well thought out, but it ultimately went down hill when you put it in the context of “the MR forum here is notorious for being blatantly out of line with many topics [so let me moderate and I’ll fix that]” The last part in “” was my summation of your overall tone.
Oh I think I got the message just fine. Heard this many times over the years. You’re not the first, nor will you be the last.
You still didn’t answer my two questions. Did MR respond to your two offers to be a moderator, and would you do something about me if I came on one of your forums and wrote how your forum was” notorious for being blatantly out of line with many topics"?
For everyone else, sorry for making this seem like another out of control topic, but the issue of how some members seem to assert themselves in a moderator role is a pet peeve of mine. I want to thank Crandell (Selector) for confirming what I’ve been trying to point out.
Another suggestion here.
Most of you guys have been on this forum for many many years; So most of you know what has gone on and have different inputs about it. How about you all get together somehow? Either by emails ,phone, a chat room of sorts discuss this forum logically get in contact with MR about it , heck go as far as to ask everyone else for suggestions on how to make it better and try to make the change with the MR people and the moderaters ? heck i’ll give you my email addy " talon104@stx.rr.com " there ,everyone play nice and make things better for everyone involved here. a joint adventure if you will
sorry , am not trying to make anyone mad just a suggestion
Chris