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Well I make no apologies - it is my toy set. Some have used the pub analogy and I think it's a good one and the nearest thing most of us can relate to. I suppose then I am the landlord and the other admins & mod's are my bar staff. As landlord (in the traditional sense) I have a view of the way I want my pub to be and there are things I can do to get it the way I want it. I can have a juke box, or not, I can change the décor, have a pool table, nor not. You know what I mean and depending upon the various factors I may attract and retain a certain clientèle and those that don't like it will go elsewhere by almost a process of natural selection. So what dictates the way a pub is - is it the landlord or the clientèle? In an ideal world it's a bit of both but sometimes a situation arises where something a bit more drastic has to happen.
Its not just us- couple of smacked bums on the LMA forum tonight!
Why's that Bob? Models too small?
Tsk what are they like
Hmm... i guess i am one of the ones who post about anything and everything.. which i admit that i do, but i do try and keep my blurb in the pub wher eit belongs. I know there were a few people who put me on their ignore list, i know there were some that got fed up with my whining and whingeing.. Sorry about that.. i dont post on techy threads where what is being discussed i know nowt about, and yup i know threads i start do generally degenerate more often than not, apart from a couple which were pretty serious.But im not going to sit here wondering if i am part of the problem, i would hope that if i were, id be told as much. I would like to think, that maybe this thread may be a wake up call for all of us. It certainly has been for me, i feel like ive been browsing with blinkers on my fingers.
With the benefit of a night's sleep and a little more clarity of thinking this morning I would like to explore some of the overnight replies and try to articulate where I'm coming from.Let me first refer back to the original and well-observed post that kicked it off. In essence we have more 'read only' visitors and a falling overall post-count. Now there are small seasonal variations which have been there since the very beginning so some small fluctuation is to be expected. There are also a number of other external factors - for example the state of the economy means that most of us have less disposable income and so are not buying some many new toys to talk about. The economy is also a factor in some people doing less flying due to fuel costs etc and perhaps some people having to spend more time doing jobs around the home where previously they might have bought new or got somebody in to fix a problem and that detracts from modelling time. These external issues are beyond our control and it's all part of the natural cycle of things. Having said all of that, these fluctuations are relatively small compared to the overall downward trend. So let's put that downward trend under the microscope...We know for a fact, from comments made here and conversation I have had with people that we are losing posts because some former and well respected members have "lost the will to live" as far as RCMF is concerned and have reduced the number of posts they make or ceased entirely. We can't ignore the fact either that the reason cited for that is, and I need to find a better term, "posts falling into disrepute" which I paraphrase as "going bad". I spent an hour late last night going through some of the posts in our "Limbo" section, the kind of room 101 we have and where most of the "posts gone bad" reside and it's quite a telling, and for me, depressing picture because with few exceptions they started-out perfectly reasonably but were then taken-over by probably only half a dozen members and then, because what you might call the more moderate-thinking and rational members had given-up posting in the topic through shear frustration, it quickly distilled and spiralled-down into personal attack and then consigned to room 101.There is also another category of "posts gone bad" and this is a far more gentle but yet insidious decline. I can't think of a name for it off the top of my head but it's where a sensible technical topic becomes the subject of heated debate and/or becomes a sparring-ground for a handful of egos and people who must have the last word at any cost - Usually these topics end-up being severely edited or also dumped into room 101. There is also a sub-category of this one where the original topic is quickly diluted and destroyed by quite bizarre and deliberate hijacking of a thread and I can't quite fathom that one yet.So let's look at that Hitec topic and what's happening there. I can tell you now that left as it is, it will either just fade away or be consigned to room 101 - after 12 years of doing this I can spot 'em a mile off. Without a doubt it's the kind of post I welcome on RCMF; it's interesting, it expends our knowledge and it 'pushes the envelope' in terms of what's possible. It is people who are prepared to try something new, different and, yes carries an element of risk, that mean we progress - not just in our sport but in all aspects of human endeavour. Now this is where it gets tricky because we all view these things differently - one man's fool is another man's genius. History is full of examples.It boils down to whether your glass is half full or half empty; whether you'd class yourself as an optimist or a pessimist. Personally, I'm a very 'glass full to brimming' sort of bloke, perhaps too much so and from time to time, I need the balance of someone saying "whoa Nige" when it may not be what I want to hear but that's me, it's the way I'm made so you will always find me backing the long odds, the underdog, and the bloke that dared to say the earth isn't flat. I also understand that there are those 180 degrees out from my perspective who's glass is bone-dry; not risk-takers and will always take the short odds, it's what makes the world go around but it doesn't stop one group totally peeing-off the other on a continuing basis! So when the Hitec thread started my immediate thought was "Wow that's cool, now what other boundaries does that challenge?" but then there are those who's first thought is "End of the world as we know it, we're doomed, the sport is doomed, it's reckless and it should be banned" I paraphrase of course but there you have the nub of the issue and the juxtaposition we face. What I do know though, from going through old threads, is that by and large, negativity around here has increased, and I'm afraid to say the same names crop up time and time again who either consciously or unconsciously pee on the BBQ and usually the topics are insurance, CE marks, BMFA and what they would call reckless flying. My goodness, look back at some of the old threads when 2.4GHz started to evolve - if the naysayers had been right, we should all be dead by now surrounded by nothing but scorched earth! So trying to sort out human nature and psychology is beyond my remit and all I can do is to look at practical ways in which I can make a difference around here. After all, like it or not, I steer this ship, my ship, and a ship that I'm actually very proud of and will fight to keep on course - a course to which I plot BUT with help, input and guidance from others. Trouble is, when that course takes me 180 degrees off-beam, I will take control and react in an autocratic way, which is not always popular and sometimes results in collateral damage but I've got this ship this far, my trusty crew have made it all possible, but we must be doing most things right and I just have a feeling that whatever results from this examination of our navel will be be the right thing in the long run, Jim lad Now this is what I need to happen ....1) If you read a topic like the Hitec one and you honestly, seriously believe it poses a real danger to people or property then you must be able express your concerns but you must do it in context. In the example given, it is clear that the original poster has the skills and experience necessary to perform the modification. He will be aware of the risks and potential pitfalls and has accepted them before moving-on. He doesn't need to be told. It would be different though if it were a novice planning to do something stupid in which case a well-worded and polite response is appropriate but even then, it's doesn't mean that if one person has commented on it, everyone else needs to jump on the bandwagon so unless you have something truly constructive to add - don't post. You might also like to consider a more political and sensitive response like "That's really good, well done! ...However, have you thought about ...." It's still peeing on the BBQ but in a way that's much more likely to be treated as constructive criticism rather than a put-down.2) Remember, we are not the "RC Police" whatever some people might think. Our purpose while we're on this forum is not to make sure people keep to the rules, or what we might consider guidelines or our personal boundaries. I would venture to say it's not even to make sure people stay within the law. We are not the BMFA or CAA (mostly) and we are not the police or lawyers (mostly). Our purpose here is to help, assist, encourage innovation, explore new ideas and challenge old ones. In short you shouldn't make it a personal objective to enforce your views on others because they are almost certainly different to you, rightly or wrongly. Sorry to say, if you don't subscribe to this view then this may not be the place for you to frequent. I would rather have fewer, better quality posts than the other way around. It sounds crass but we need to make this place somewhere that people are excited and inspired by, not depressed!3) Stop making inappropriate comments in otherwise constructive posts. If you want to engage in robust banter, do it in the pub not elsewhere. Myself and the mod's will be taking a harder line on this one from now on. We will let threads take a natural course and meander (as they naturally do) but we will knock on the head anything which actively seeks to detract from the original post, except in the pub (mostly).4) I encourage you that if you read a post which inflames your senses, goes against what you believe is right and makes you want to type furiously in response, to consider starting a new thread in the appropriate section. Using the Hitec example above, it would have been useful to to start a new topic in the appropriate section something like"Unapproved modifications to radio gear - right or wrong?" and even providing a link to the original thread for reference. In that way a more constructive debate gets under way. It may also go bad but that's for us to handle as and if necessary.5) We need to self moderate more. Think before we post and, especially if weuse "show unread" check that you're actually responding in the right section and also, whatever you're responding to, check the original post for reference which will help you keep on-track.6) I encourage you to use "report to mod" (not in a factitious way) to highlight anything you feel needs addressing but please do not use it an an underhanded way of getting another member into hot water or getting their posts deleted. We know it happens and we recognise it for what it is. We're much more likely to take action as the result of a well worded report than a rant! We're human too.7) Think before you post. Think not only about what it is you're saying but think about the impact it may have on others who may not share your views. Speak frankly by all means but do it in a considerate way. For example saying something like "The public sector is a resource sapping waste of space" is deliberately inflammatory, offends probably 30% of the membership and is also certain to put a thread into terminal decline and just because you end the post with a "wink" won't make it any less offensive. Stop reading the Daily Mail.8) The vast, vast majority of members here act responsibly and post accordingly. What we have is a typical social situation of a minority making the rules for the majority. Sadly we do have a core of perhaps only half a dozen members who seem to have too much time on their hands and will post about anything and everything whether they have any knowledge on the subject or not. In web-world and according to the BBC news this is now called "trolling", it happens and it happens a lot around here. We know who those people are and so do they. They will either change their ways and fit-in, or they won't and we'll have to deal with it in a more robust way. Ironically we might end up with fewer but better quality posts and that's fine by me.9) We are bringing on-board some more global moderators. We have appointed one already (and I'm pleased to welcome Charlie C to the team) and there will be two or three more announced in the next couple of weeks to cope with what might be an increased workload.I've said too much already in what was going to be a succinct summary but I feel it needed to be said. Sorry if I offend anyone in saying these things but I am passionate about this place and I know many of you are too. It's been a major part of my life for 12 years now, I live it and breathe it as do many of the admin team. There are a lot of exciting things to come, ideas for the future, new developments and alliances but we cannot go forward while we are in the mire of negativity that we seems to be in. It's time for the majority of members to regain control over their forum and go forward from there. Thank you.
Perhaps we are both part of the problem, PhilMike
There you go starting your own clique Keith
Us?
I always had that Mike down as trouble.
Thank Heaven some lightheartedness is creeping back inMike
vulcan can i just point out your 2nd to last post as something that gets my goat, you quoted all of wiz's HUGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE post, just to add a single sentence at the bottomif you've got points to each of his, fair enough, quote each bit seperatly, but hitting the quote button as reply is just... cheers
HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE, shurely? Or is picking up that sort of thing something else that gets everybodys goat?Oh, and congrats on 27,000 posts, spiky one. It only says 26,999 on that one but I'm sure you've posted somewhere else by now as well.
It can be a pain on a phone. And is it a problem that he has posted 27,000 times? Its a free country...
missreading intention there bobby, tis banter with us
ah..... should banter posts be another colour, so we all know? Cactus green, perhaps?
I see things are already back to normal. The in crowd are trading irrelevant, occasionally bad-tempered banter, the subject is nowhere in sight and I can stop considering joining in a bit more. Nothing's changing.Ah well, perhaps I'll play with some toy aeroplanes instead.Steve
occasionally bad-tempered banter, Steve
...and I can stop considering joining in a bit more.
Wonder if I will get a lambasting over this post?
Perhaps this is part of the problem as it did not seem like banter to me and probably to others also.Absolutely nothing constructive being posted so why do it unless it is just to get the post count up?. Its this sort of thing that put people off joining in on a thread.Wonder if I will get a lambasting over this post?
Well, it didn't to me, which is why I mentioned the PERCEIVED word earlier on. Then again, if there is nothing important being posted at that point, then I don't see the harm in a bit of levity. Maybe a bit less of the 'in joking' and include us all in the fun?
Welcome, Guest. Please 
June 19, 2013, 02:53:02 AM
