Off Topic

[bigladdub]

Surely it boils down to the posters aswell to have respect for other users threads by not taking them of topic. I dont envy Jackie in this task as i can see a lot of "why was my post deleted " or "my post wasnt off topic" threads starting

An Don,

You are spot on. I have lost count of the number of times that I have seen posts go off topic from a single post, typically from a very well established user (and as often as not, a moderator). The issue here is that this IS a community and it is NOT a personal playground for a few very frequent posters.

However, there is one way and one way only to make sure that things run smoothly, and that is for posters to have respect and regard for their fellow community members. It cannot be done by rules upon rules etc. I remember before there were any moderators, and I believe that it ran fine albeit that it was a bit chaotic. The trouble at the moment in my view is coming from a combination of moderators being a little trigger happy (hard for them not to be in reality) and a bit of friction between them and the other habitual users who are not moderators...

Unless Patricia wants to abolish the member moderators and move exclusively to employee moderators like samlad and VampireJackie, this problem will not go away.

There was a vibrant user community on a couple of other sites in the past and the demise of the community was entirely as a result of bad management of one sort or another, i.e. the users only drifted away when it stopped being fun.

I think what Pat did in trying to harness the energy of some of the strongest posting members was very clever (i.e making them Moderators) but it hasn't really worked. The Advertising revenue is a direct function of the vibrancy of the site as a whole, see IIE as a classic example.

If I were asked for my advice, I would readily give it....

BLD

[Westsidex]

Surely it boils down to the posters aswell to have respect for other users threads by not taking them of topic. I dont envy Jackie in this task as i can see a lot of "why was my post deleted " or "my post wasnt off topic" threads starting

From the same minority. Most of the posters on the site are quite happy posting and having fun but its that exact same minority, none of who want mods, are creating these threads.

Westside.

[Westsidex]

An Don,

You are spot on. I have lost count of the number of times that I have seen posts go off topic from a single post, typically from a very well established user (and as often as not, a moderator). The issue here is that this IS a community and it is NOT a personal playground for a few very frequent posters.

However, there is one way and one way only to make sure that things run smoothly, and that is for posters to have respect and regard for their fellow community members. It cannot be done by rules upon rules etc. I remember before there were any moderators, and I believe that it ran fine albeit that it was a bit chaotic. The trouble at the moment in my view is coming from a combination of moderators being a little trigger happy (hard for them not to be in reality) and a bit of friction between them and the other habitual users who are not moderators...

Unless Patricia wants to abolish the member moderators and move exclusively to employee moderators like samlad and VampireJackie, this problem will not go away.

There was a vibrant user community on a couple of other sites in the past and the demise of the community was entirely as a result of bad management of one sort or another, i.e. the users only drifted away when it stopped being fun.

I think what Pat did in trying to harness the energy of some of the strongest posting members was very clever (i.e making them Moderators) but it hasn't really worked. The Advertising revenue is a direct function of the vibrancy of the site as a whole, see IIE as a classic example.

If I were asked for my advice, I would readily give it....

BLD

So is this about me or an off topic debate? Incidently when did you last get an eye test?

This is a commuinity ,yes but once a member registers ,as long as they stay within the rules, then they can feel free to use this site as they wish.

The rest of your thread is simply nothing but a personal vendetta against the mods team and interestingly enough for a guy who feels so strongly about this being a commuinity and not a personal playground for a few, this would also apply to the few anti modding posters on here.

The site you mention is miles behind this one so its not the best example to use really.

Once again we have the same theame from the same few who are all against modding period.

Westside.

[An don]

From the same minority.

Westside.

So if its the same minority taking the threads off topic, surely a warning should be nudged in their direction. Surely it would be the same as bumping a thread which there is an infraction issued for

[Westsidex]

So if its the same minority taking the threads off topic, surely a warning should be nudged in their direction. Surely it would be the same as bumping a thread which there is an infraction issued for

Well your referring to an infraction you got for bumping a thread so i cant comment on it because i dont know about the situation or the thread.

Im no longer a mod here on the forums either so my views here are of a poster and not a mod.

Westside.

[bigladdub]

From the same minority. Most of the posters on the site are quite happy posting and having fun but its that exact same minority, none of who want mods, are creating these threads.

Westside.

Westside,

I think you have a very good point.

However, there are two points I would make.

1. There are only a minority of the total community who are very very regular posters. All of the friction is between the part of this group who are mods and those who aren't mods, I know that sounds simplistic, but I hope the logic comes through eventually.

2. I dont know if that group dont want mods, but I think there is a fundamental problem between the two groups. Therefore, it is very difficult for each group not to bait, slag or belittle the other posters....

All things probably come back to the old hackneyed 80:20 rule, and in this case, it is probably more like 90:10 but it is causing a problem that has the potential to destroy the entire community if not resolved...

BLD

[An don]

Westie why are turning this in to issue about you because it is not . Is it about threads being posted and not reaching their conclusion by people taking them off on other tangents.

[punterminator]

From the same minority. Most of the posters on the site are quite happy posting and having fun but its that exact same minority, none of who want mods, are creating these threads.

Westside.

I presume you're including me in that one are you? I've no problem with mods and never had. My problem is when the community mods itself and everything that has happened over this weekend has proven me quite correct in that assumption.

I don't think anyone has a "personal wendetta" sic. against you either West, I just think there's a lot of people here who think you're a numpty who should never have been allowed mod. Again, events of the weekend have proven us correct.

[An don]

Well your referring to an infraction you got for bumping a thread so i cant comment on it

I wasnt , i was stating that there is an infraction rule for bumping a thread why not have one for taking a thread off topic. And for the record i think the mods are doing a good job . I think the purpose of this thread is to try find a solution to off topic posts.
But it looks like going off on another tangent all together like most of the general threads here lately

[punterminator]

I wasnt , i was stating that there is an infraction rule for bumping a thread why not have one for taking a thread off topic.

There's an infraction rule for bumping? Can someone link me to these rules please?