In the long run, I wonder.
Fluff posts are harmless, I can skip them. Complaint or “gloom-n-doom” posts on the other hand leave me depressed or angry, and that’s NOT why I come here.
I don’t mind a complaint, as long as it’s legit. It does need to be tempered with a solution though. I guess it’s not a complaint I mind, it’s more of an out and out rant that I find unappealing.
Chip,
I’d have to say the complaint post. You know very well how those turn out sometimes.
On something that may be controversial or negative, some folks can make there point calmly and logically - without raising feathers. (Or the fur on the back of everyone’s neck.) On the contrary, there are others who just have a real knack for saying JUST the right thing (or wrong, in this case) and end up igniting a conversation that has, up to this point, been discussed at a reasonable level.
I agree with Ken. The fluff post is usually easily bypassed, if you aren’t interested in the topic. The complaint post, however, has more of a tendency to suck people in like a giant vortex or black hole and accomplish nothing more than ill-feelings towards one another.
I also agree with Philip. We can discuss things complaints as long as it’s not just a R & R (rant and rave) session with no solution either posed or contemplated.
Tom
Boo Hoo.
There are some people who gravitate to the light and positive. Others gravitate to the bitter and negative. This post is meant to ask the question:
What do you want this forum to be?
I hate the fluff posts, they are useless and just a waste of space. Complaint posts are just as stupid. A large group of people here tend to gravitate to the bitter and negative posts. Its like they aren’t happy unless they are complaining about something, kinda makes me wonder about their home lives. I usually picture them as either young bandwagon jumpers or just bitter old men with no lives because their wives have left them years ago. I wonder why eh. Mind you this is just my opinion and of course it means nothing.[:X]
I put Other,
I think some fluff posts can generate some great insite and thoughts and possibly some legitimate posts will be created because people are thinking positively.
I also think some complaint posts are constructive and can really help people count the costs on decisions they may need to make.
But, I will say that not all fluff posts are worthwhile and not all complaint posts are constructive.
I think this question already has an answer: This forum is what Kalmbach wants it to be. This particular forum is about Model Railroading General Discussions. The rules of conduct for all forums are spelled out under “Terms & Conditions”. So anything within those parameters that they (Kalmbach) does not take action against is what the forum will be.
So to take this a step further (and to make my point) - people may not like fluff posts, complaint posts, post count posts, etc., but in the end it’s not up to us to make the call on which is type of post is worse. If Kalmbach allows them, then that’s the way it will be.
While in principle you are correct, in practice this forum is laissez-faire and pretty much anything goes until someone calls Bergie. That leaves us, de facto, self-policing. So in reality, it is up to us to set the tone of the dialog. Each of us with our contributions either adds or detracts from the group conscousness.
What part do you play? Do you have a responsibilty one way or the other?
We all have a reposnsibility to avoid pushing on-topic model railroading posts off the front pages with worthless threads like this one.
Definitely “the mouse that bored” with this thread
To me the worst posts are those solely intended to start a flame war. One always has the choice to not read or respond to posts that do not interest him/her. Personally I probably only respond to one in 100 posts and only start a topic if I either (A) am in need of some railroad related information or (B) have some new information that I think other model railroaders might be interested in. This is not the proper place for the joke of the day or a story about one’s personal life unless it relates to the hobby.
Bob DeWoody
Bob DeWoody
Neither. All posts, believe it or not, contribute something to this forum. If nothing else, what YOU call the worst are going to get you, at some point, to speak up and attempt to assert yourself so that the tone shifts more to the way you’d like it to be. That technique is available to every one of us. If…IF… we can maintain civility, and I think we do darned well in that respect [^], and hash it out, we are all winners. Of course we’ll never have everyone satisfied enough to stick around, but most of us will grumble, shift down the bench one warm spot, and get on with keeping up.
So, I would get tired, frankly, of endless threads on CV programming, Mountain sculpting, and so on. The polls are okay (WAIT…let me finish) occasionally, especially if they have a healthy light and humorous tone, but if done for the sake of getting recognition,…[xx(].
So, Chip, it’s all about balance. Niether type that you mention is going to be worse or better than the other. They each have their place…although I will allow that a few less would be nice.
-Respectfully ('cuz yer da Mouse)
Crandell
Yes, I agree with you that there seems to be a hands-off approach to level of moderation here. I can’t say how and when Bergie will involve himself in questionable situations, but you’re correct that he does depend on us to some extent to bring his attention to those circumstances that break the rules. He’s requested this of us before.
So what part do we play? Well, as members we have already agreed to play by the rules, so I think that would be the place to start. Do we have a responsibility one way or the other? I think so long as the rules are being followed, there really is no further responsibility. If people want to self adopt a higher standard of conduct, then great! But there really is not all that much we can do about anyone who wants to complain, whine, post fluff, etc., so long as they are doing so within the rules and Bergie doesn’t shut them down.
So while you have a right to post a topic (poll) about this issue (which is a complaint BTW[:D]), other than allowing people to vent and/or express their opinion on the subject, I really don’t think it’s going to change the way things are run. The forum is what it is.
In hindsight you are right. I should have posed the question on a post rather than as a poll. The poll as a post form is inflamatory. For that I apologize.
My goal was not to inflame, but rather, hopefully, to inspire people to think a little before they go off half-cocked. I shot myself in the foot by using the poll.
Would that be the first time you’ve done that, all passtimes considered, Mouse?[:D]
ROFLMAO!
Metaphorically, yes. Actually, the closest I’ve come is about 5 feet and that was a 12 ga.
So to clarify, you’re saying that YOU went off “half-cocked” which is in essence what you are trying to get people not to do…hmmm…by thinking first…Oh wait, I get it, teaching by example…Do as I say kids…Not as I do…Genius Chip, absolute Genius[(-D][(-D][(-D] …and before you get out your “FT2000” military grade flame thrower…I’m just kidding…
Trevor[:D]
All my weapons, like my current train layout are pre-1900. the worst you’d get is a 12 guage pump or if you were running away a mile out, a 45-70 from my Sharps.
I don’t know, I think that the mood around here has been getting pretty sour lately. I’m reading lots of doom and gloom and flaming over stupid things,(holiday or Christmas, peoples names, polls, fluff). I thought this was supposed to be fun.
Tangarine Jack posted a great challenge last week and it got all but ignored by most of the people here.
I saw the post about you the other day and I was pretty appalled. That guy had just signed up, what business did he have slamming you. I have enjoyed reading your posts and found them to be interesting. Don’t let jerks like that bother you, you have plenty of friends here.