Should there be more moderator intervention on the forum?

[mayalld]

rec.canals or whatever the newsgroup is called, perhaps? I could even name one of the egos, because it's bigger than a barge. Or maybe the same size.

 

I think you mean news:uk.rec.waterways.

[carlt]

OK

In no particular order, and with no direct criticism intended...waterways forums that I am/have been a member of:

 

CanalScapeBCN

JustCanals

Riverboating Forum

Boats and Canals

East Coast Rivers

Classic Boat

 

Edited to add: news:uk.rec.waterways

 

plus a variety of boat building and technical type forums which are too boring for anything other than reference, or arguing about glassing over wooden boats (the wooden boat equivalent of galvanic isolators).

 

All have their merits, though I don't contribute to any, regularly, for a variety of reasons (listed, in no particular order, in an earlier post).

Edited October 30, 2008 by carlt

[stort_mark]

I think you mean news:uk.rec.waterways.

 

I couldn't possibly comment.

[RLWP]

Could this thread be moved to the general boating section where it may get a wider audience?

 

Richard

[carlt]

Could this thread be moved to the general boating section where it may get a wider audience?

 

Richard

But it's not about boating.

[Liam]

I'd like to leave this in the suggestions section as it is really putting a suggestion over via the use of a poll. It's good to see individual views on how they would like the site crew to operate.

[RLWP]

But it's not about boating.

 

True, but it is very much about the forum. My impression is that most members will go through that section. I very rarely end up this far down the forum in Suggestions. I know that this is due to the way I use the forum, starting at General Boating and going down through the categories to the historic bit. Not much changes down here in the basement so I don't usually drop in.

 

Richard

[carlt]

True, but it is very much about the forum. My impression is that most members will go through that section. I very rarely end up this far down the forum in Suggestions. I know that this is due to the way I use the forum, starting at General Boating and going down through the categories to the historic bit. Not much changes down here in the basement so I don't usually drop in.

 

Richard

I just click "view new posts" and never use any of the sections, unless posting a new topic. That way I get to see all new posts throughout the forum.

[RichardH]

I agree with an earlier poster, too much moderation can be bad. There have been some excellent debates on this forum and I have also learnt a great deal about canals and boating in general.

 

Any posts which I don't feel I want to comment on I don't. I have only been grumpy once when told to 'mind my own business' when expressing a perfectly valid point.

 

I did once upset someone from the Lancaster who vowed never to return.

[RLWP]

I just click "view new posts" and never use any of the sections, unless posting a new topic. That way I get to see all new posts throughout the forum.

 

Yes, I was aware that that was what you did. It's a fairly sophisticated way of reading a forum that comes with experience. From watching how new posts propagate my impression is that many users work as I do, start at the top of the forum page and work down. Consequently they may never end up here to comment or vote.

 

Richard

[Keeping Up]

True, but it is very much about the forum.

Based upon which, ALL posts should be in the General Boating section.

 

Which would then need to be subdivided for convenience, into General General Boating, General Boating Waterways Holidays, General Boating Equipment, General Boating Living Afloat, and so on through General Boating Virtual Pub to General Boating Admininstration Suggestions etc.

 

Except that all the postings would have to go into the General General Boating section, so it would need to be subdivided ...

[carlt]

It's a fairly sophisticated way of reading a forum that comes with experience.

And I thought I was just being lazy!

[bottle]

Always done it the same as Carl but do not read every post now, did when I first joined.

 

The only time I get frustrated is when the topic goes for a few pages and then comes back on topic.

[RLWP]

Based upon which, ALL posts should be in the General Boating section.

 

Which would then need to be subdivided for convenience, into General General Boating, General Boating Waterways Holidays, General Boating Equipment, General Boating Living Afloat, and so on through General Boating Virtual Pub to General Boating Admininstration Suggestions etc.

 

Except that all the postings would have to go into the General General Boating section, so it would need to be subdivided ...

 

So the consensus is that this topic is OK under suggestions and doesn't need to be moved?

 

Richard

[carlt]

So the consensus is that this topic is OK under suggestions and doesn't need to be moved?

 

Richard

Well, if the majority of members won't see the thread then it can't be a consensus.

[RLWP]

Well, if the majority of members won't see the thread then it can't be a consensus.

 

I think that this is where I came in...

 

Richard

[carlt]

I joined an angling forum, some time ago, to take part in a "cross-forum" debate (a bit like Dirty Den making a cameo appearance on Coronation Street) and still receive the odd email from them, to tell me of an "important" thread I should look at.

 

This is usually a request for me to take part in an undersubscribed match in some godforsaken part of Lincolnshire.

 

Perhaps the mods may deem polls, such as this, important enough to trigger such an email to all members?

[Liam]

It shall stay put for the time being

[bottle]

edit: deleted cause the facts didn't support my observation.

Edited October 31, 2008 by bottle

[KenK]

edit: deleted cause the facts didn't support my observation.

 

That's never stopped anybody before, why do you want to be different?

[Greg_F]

The only time I get frustrated is when the topic goes for a few pages and then comes back on topic.

 

+1 on that one.

[stort_mark]

OK

In no particular order, and with no direct criticism intended...waterways forums that I am/have been a member of:

 

......

 

plus a variety of boat building and technical type forums ....

 

Actually thanks for sharing these. There were a couple that I didn't know about and have since joined. Sad that some of them have so few posts though.

[carlt]

Actually thanks for sharing these. There were a couple that I didn't know about and have since joined. Sad that some of them have so few posts though.

Funnily enough, yet another CWDF slagging session has begun, on Just Canals.

 

For all its, perceived, faults, at least this forum doesn't suffer from a pompous, holier than thou attitude.

Edited November 1, 2008 by carlt

[bag 'o' bones]

Sometimes a long techno thread can be liven'd up by a little humour and off topic banter.......I like it the way it is warts an all.

 

There is nothing worse than re-reading a historic thread and finding half the posts deleated. The beauty of this forum is that everyone has a voice and even those who have openly departed just keep on coming back because its adictive and infomative and above all....entertaining

I think you missed the point. Warts and all yes granted it livens up a thread, yes everyone has a voice which fair enough - one of the reasons why I stepped down as a moderator on the other site was the site owner was taking political correctness too far deleting slightly 'off the cuff' not quite P.C. posts. Made the site boring.

 

When i said deleting posts I meant anything posted by 'post hoares' - you know the type - posted purely to increase a members overall post count - usually a couple of words, adding nothing of relevance to the thread..... sad but true. Ok not all chit chat is of the same type, its just after a few months a lot of chit chat has no relevance.

[Chris J W]

When i said deleting posts I meant anything posted by 'post hoares' - you know the type - posted purely to increase a members overall post count - usually a couple of words, adding nothing of relevance to the thread..... sad but true.

 

I don't think I've really noticed anyone paying attention to "post count" on here. I've certainly seen it on other sites where the "I've posted more than you, shut up" card has been played quite a bit, but really don't think I've ever seen that here.