Are we all sheep?

[magnetman]

That's why I suggested advertising and paid moderators and no banning of anybody

[Stilllearning]

Oh dear, I do hate having to explain Jokes!

It is a pun based on the site owners name, as Alan has realised.

And so did I, belatedly.

[frangar]

I do find this 'The Mods' thing annoying. 'The Mods' didn't do this, James did (Fade to Scarlet) because he was one of two moderators active at the time. All these 'Mods' are people. And precious few of them, these days, working in isolation and copping a lot of crap for it via private message and (can you believe) being telephoned at home after midnight.

 

They are not The Illuminati, they are actual human beings volunteering to do this - God knows why, I wouldn't do it

 

Richard

They could reduce their workload by quite a bit by letting us all self moderate....it works on other forums I'm on....you quickly learn what posts might be useful and what aren't......I'm sure most of us are big and ugly enough to look after ourselves.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[cuthound]

And so did I, belatedly.

Yes I posted before continuing to read the thread. Sorry.

[DHutch]

I would first like echo that the comments made here are very welcome and that myself and the other staff are following topic, because as always we are keen to do the best we can by the members.

Yes we did move too slowly a few years ago when a small number members started causing some issues, yes in trying to 'cut out the bad' we did end up with a harder line approach which also lost some of the good, and yes in trying to then scale back the hard line approach we have perhaps become a little less formal which some have seen as patronising, and there is some variation in the moderation depending on which of the staff are available at the time. So its good to get the feedback and for us to be talking openly about it.

As said a few posts back, it is all about balance, and it is hard to identify at times who is causing the trouble and who is simply reacting to it. Forums are also surprising fluid things, and what worked for x-years can suddenly stop working, or need and extra of action for a certain issue, which then needs to be slotted in with everything else. Which is why there are ebbs and flows with all forum, and particularly with a site which is growing and changing.

 

It may be a case where the language could have been better, but naming an individual in the thread was not appropriate and was adjusted to remove the personal aspect and make it easier for people to find the thread.

 

 

Daniel

[gazza]

In this new found spirit of openness how do you propose to improve things?

[pquinn]

BEWARE THE SHEEP!!!!!!!

[RLWP]

BEWARE THE SHEEP!!!!!!!

 

[magnetman]

I thought it was the bull wot did that?

[Chris-B]

As a "long standing member" I too drifted away from CWDF a couple of years ago as I found it had lost it's way

The good ole days have been and gone, sadly those members who made it great are no longer posting,BUT like all things nothing stays still

Over the last few days I have poked my head back in and dipped my toes in the water

My observations are thus.. it's a damm sight better than it was, it's not the same as it once was and there are still some people who's idea of fun is to be confrontational

 

This is purely MY opinion

 

Chris

[DHutch]

In this new found spirit of openness how do you propose to improve things?

 

I think new-found is a bit harsh, however the myself and the other staff are constantly talking about how the site is run and what we can do to improve it, some of the topics covered in this thread where already being talked about this time last week, and this will continue. I have highlighted some of the issues I see, so obviously we will be working to correct this.

 

We will be watching this thread, and suggestions and support are welcome, as is constructive or even open criticism.

 

 

Daniel

[magnetman]

As a "long standing member" I too drifted away from CWDF a couple of years ago as I found it had lost it's way

The good ole days have been and gone, sadly those members who made it great are no longer posting,BUT like all things nothing stays still

Over the last few days I have poked my head back in and dipped my toes in the water

My observations are thus.. it's a damm sight better than it was, it's not the same as it once was and there are still some people who's idea of fun is to be confrontational

 

This is purely MY opinion

 

Chris

Would you like to step outside and discuss this sir ?

[gazza]

Ummm, it's not harsh, until today the party line was do not questions a decision made by the admin staff for fear of sanctions, or at least a comment about slapping wrists or some such other school teacher type way of dealing with questions as they arise.

 

Why it took a post by Matty to get here is a differing issue that I have no real desire to debate, I will state that if it has been the catalyst to kerb some of the more heavy handed actions or quite frankly condescending comments that have been made (and not just by the admin staff) then so much the better.

Edited October 12, 2016 by gazza

[Chris-B]

Would you like to step outside and discuss this sir ?

No it's raining and I have just made a cup of tea..............would you like one ?

[tree monkey]

No it's raining and I have just made a cup of tea..............would you like one ?

If he doesn't I would, never turn down a brew

[RLWP]

If he doesn't I would, never turn down a brew

 

Are there biscuits?

 

Richard

[tree monkey]

Are there biscuits?

 

Richard

Who cares, it's the tea that counts

 

 

 

Not much of a biscuit person tbh

[Chris-B]

Always bikkies for friends.... ginger nuts or chocolate digestives ?

 

and as TM knows the kettle is always on

Edited October 12, 2016 by Chris-B

[RLWP]

Who cares, it's the tea that counts

 

 

 

Not much of a biscuit person tbh

 

More for me!

 

Richard

Always bikes for friends.... ginger nuts or chocolate digestives ?\

 

Both

[Captain Pegg]

I have never previously been moved to comment on threads on contentious subjects but in this case I do feel inclined to lend support to Matty40s view. Debate and discussion benefits from diverse viewpoints but it does of course require acceptable behaviour. It is quite possible to exist here without being moderated and get your view across. I have never read the forum rules either.

 

The moderators have my support as it necessary to have some form of moderation and I don't wish to volunteer. I would also view the two moderators that I encounter frequently in the topics I engage in - that's F2S and Magpie Patrick - as excellent contributors in much the same way as I view Matty40s to be so. There are also many excellent contributors who for whatever reason I don't share a common point of view with.

 

Before I joined up I was very glad to be able as a visitor to form a more enlightened view of the contentious issues around enforcement and licensing to which many of those now departed were significant contributors. Again I didn't have to agree with them to be informed by them. I think the forum currently is poorer for its more narrow outlook.

 

However things do indeed change continually and I do observe returning members and I can also understand why those site staff on the receiving end of protest/abuse may find it hard to accept the return - should they ever wish - of some who have departed.

 

I hope and do expect the forum will again become richer and broader with time and I would welcome the civilised contribution of anyone no matter what their history with the forum.

 

It needs not only the site owner but all of us to make that happen and we should remember that it takes two to fall out.

 

I have viewed the other site - and I do find it odd I can't mention it but I will respect that request - but it's not a place I feel inclined to join mostly because the things that I am interested in are better covered and better debated here.

 

JP

Edited October 12, 2016 by Captain Pegg

[UseleSS Enterprise]

Absolutely agree with what Matty said

[system 4-50]

Biscuits? Does that mean no doughnuts?

[Jim Riley]

Biscuits? Does that mean no doughnuts?

Hobnobs for me, the holes in doughnuts give me wind.

[David Mack]

I'd like to add my support to Matty's post and the almost unanimous agreement it has received from a wide range of frequent and not so frequent forum posters. I'm pleased that Dan and the mods have let the thread run, and appear to be listening.

 

But we have been here before. After the banning of religion and politics a few months ago we were promised a new openess provided we followed the new rules. But that pretty soon descended into unnanounced and unexplained deletion of threads on grounds of R and P, even humerous threads that merely touched around the edges of those subjects.

 

What I don't understand is how the mods can all seem to be perfectly reasonable people when involved in ordinary forum discussions, and when gently chiding us for posts which are on the edge of what is acceptable, yet they apparently engage in behind-the-scenes discussions which seem to result in arbitrary and irrational editing of posts, deletions of content and banning of members.

[Graham Davis]

I would first like echo that the comments made here are very welcome and that myself and the other staff are following topic, because as always we are keen to do the best we can by the members.

 

Yes we did move too slowly a few years ago when a small number members started causing some issues, yes in trying to 'cut out the bad' we did end up with a harder line approach which also lost some of the good, and yes in trying to then scale back the hard line approach we have perhaps become a little less formal which some have seen as patronising, and there is some variation in the moderation depending on which of the staff are available at the time. So its good to get the feedback and for us to be talking openly about it.

 

As said a few posts back, it is all about balance, and it is hard to identify at times who is causing the trouble and who is simply reacting to it. Forums are also surprising fluid things, and what worked for x-years can suddenly stop working, or need and extra of action for a certain issue, which then needs to be slotted in with everything else. Which is why there are ebbs and flows with all forum, and particularly with a site which is growing and changing.

 

It may be a case where the language could have been better, but naming an individual in the thread was not appropriate and was adjusted to remove the personal aspect and make it easier for people to find the thread.

 

 

Daniel

 

 

Thanks Dan.

I hope all read this and take it to heart.