Conduct issues

[SD80MAC]

I think this board is moderated very well. Kudo's to Zack and his helpers. I agree that if a participant doesn't want to play nice, they get warned, continue not to listen, a ban may be appropriate, even permanent in the case of a few. Not sure how one enforces an age requirement on the internet. We all were 14 at one time, some us us never grew up . I would agree, if one can't say something positive, don't say it. If you don't like something or a statement, PM your concern to the Admin. That's worked for me in the past.

This! If you have nothing nice to say (or worth saying), keep your hands off your keyboard and go punch a wall instead.

[Crow T Robot]

Self moderation/modulation is the key here. If you don't like a certain someones posts then DON'T READ EM! See its easy.
Like our new trainmaster says, "We are all men here." And I add, "act like it."
No problemo.
And actually I really don't see much of a problem here at all anyway. I look at it like this...we get newbies that know next to nothing about railroads...can be annoying but how else do they learn? Tolerance is needed for so called DUMB QUESTIONS. So be it. Be tolerant and also remember you and me don't know everything anyway. I learn every day and come here to get info that even the guys at work have heard nothing about (nor do some/most care).
So it goes.
Book em Dano.

Agreed. My thing is treat people on the forum as you would if you see them in person. If John Doe came up to you in person as asked a question at a meeting, would you answer or ignore?

Agreed.

[Crow T Robot]

I think this board is moderated very well. Kudo's to Zack and his helpers. I agree that if a participant doesn't want to play nice, they get warned, continue not to listen, a ban may be appropriate, even permanent in the case of a few. Not sure how one enforces an age requirement on the internet. We all were 14 at one time, some us us never grew up . I would agree, if one can't say something positive, don't say it. If you don't like something or a statement, PM your concern to the Admin. That's worked for me in the past.

This! If you have nothing nice to say (or worth saying), keep your hands off your keyboard and go punch a wall instead.

Another good point...

[hobojim]

Having been on numerous boards since the inception of the net, this issue has always been a problem. Some think that sitting behind a keyboard in their home makes them safe and secure from all negative responses to what they say. What many do not realize is that while they may have the feeling of being Barney Bada.., they really do not know who they are talking to most of the time and how the other person will take it. On most boards this is not a problem as you will never meet the others. This board is different as we make efforts to meet each other. At the very least it could be embarrassing to meet someone you have insulted and bad mouthed in the past and find out they are a very nice person. Conversely it could be threatening to ones health to run into someone they dissed six months earlier who now wants to settle it face to face. ( Go back and read Big Frank's post early in this thread and think about it before you insult someone next time.)

My rule that I use is simple and has worked well for me. I don't say or post anything that I would not say to you face to face. Having lived by that mantra, I have no qualms meeting anyone from this board and no worries about how they feel about me.

[redside20]

I say, keep the moderation and as for James MP 25 project, I am silently cheering on James so that his project goes well. If your passionate about something and if others share and work out your views and the project takes off, great! James, you might be a big bird look alike and a bit loud at that, but I will always be in your corner cheering you on Hell I might even join you on your outings. We should treat these group projects like we to at our group meets, we do what we please with plenty of leeway and freewill and treating our fellow members with courtesy and kindness at the same time. I will admit I myself have been surely and a bit of a troll at times and have even been banned temporarily on occasion, which I totally brought on myself. As far as internet presence, online moxie, and karma, most people have it, some people don't and you can tell when some of these young kids that join up here when there 12,13, or 14 will contribute right away and be rational about everything. While others need a little while to bolster their maturity level and learn how to rationalize properly, and then there are others, (and this includes adult newbies) who just don't get it, and get the banhammer shortly after they join or after they become complete trolls ie example Eric Augatis, Dan Valentine, Mike Fair type of people..Y@ and Charlie will probably give me hell for this but I was just stating the obvious..thank you and good night.

[justalurker66]

A good rule:

Members - behave in a way that you will not need to be moderated. Moderators - moderate in a way that no one questions the choices you make.

The first part should be easy. Before you click "Submit" think! What is the topic of the thread? Is the post about the topic and not personal? If it is personal does it further the on topic conversation? Don't give the moderators anything to moderate. If you feel the twinge of "I shouldn't say this" respect the feeling - and if you don't feel that twinge when making personal comments see if you can adjust your sensitivity.

I would not want to read a forum where no negative comments were permitted ... there is a place for valid critique. But there is no place for stalking (following another member from thread to thread making negative or sarcastic comments) or unreasonable negative critique. If you can't make a negative comment politely don't bother. And try to respond to negative comments politely. Stay constructive and let the moderation take care of the ones that need their sensitivity adjusted.

Don't forget that this is a PUBLIC forum. What may work in person when sitting around cracking jokes while waiting for the next train does not work with "the whole world" watching and a record of every comment. As you make a comment imagine that the one person you don't want to see that comment is reading it (grandma, niece, parent - whomever you would not say that comment in front of). That might help you install a "self filter".

If all works well then WHEN moderation takes place anyone who sees that moderation will agree with it ... that the moderated content was over the line. It really works best when the members respect each other and the site enough not to post content that needs moderation. If that respect is missing, perhaps the members who lack respect should be missing as well - at least until they learn some respect. It is a tough call ... so please, show some respect and don't post in a way that leads to that level of moderation.

[amtrak1007]

Teaching people to think before the post is something that can't always be taught... I for one tend to think that self moderation ie:

Self moderation/modulation is the key here. If you don't like a certain someones posts then DON'T READ EM! See its easy.
Like our new trainmaster says, "We are all men here." And I add, "act like it."
No problemo.
And actually I really don't see much of a problem here at all anyway. I look at it like this...we get newbies that know next to nothing about railroads...can be annoying but how else do they learn? Tolerance is needed for so called DUMB QUESTIONS. So be it. Be tolerant and also remember you and me don't know everything anyway. I learn every day and come here to get info that even the guys at work have heard nothing about (nor do some/most care).
So it goes.
Book em Dano.

Agreed. My thing is treat people on the forum as you would if you see them in person. If John Doe came up to you in person as asked a question at a meeting, would you answer or ignore?

should be more adhered to. I however also am a fan of the sarcasm that Y@, and Mangnum are fans of which is all fine and good as long as it follows the self moderation rule. I myself would have liked to read the MP25 thread before it got cleaned up because yes I did feel hot under the collar when I got an email on it a few day ago and a phone call on the steps that the site moderation here had taken to resolve the issues. Now, I personally would rather have some moderation with definite consequences for actions than a free for all where the largest zealot wins. Moderation will make mistakes, but only because like the rest of us they are human.

At the end of the day had I taken on the flame war on that thread what would that have accomplished? Would people think better because I "stood my ground" or would I just look like . Now I didn't say anything, but that in the least doesn't mean I don't want to or have a ton to say about the matter. I just know that opening my trap and trying to "correct" those that I see in the wrong won't do me any good. As Abraham Lincoln said "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."

Ergo I exercised my ability to censor myself. I'm sure that not everyone will chose to see this issue the same way that I do that's fine. We are all our own person and responsible to ourselves for our own actions. I am also sure that when I was a young phoamer, I said some pretty dumb stuff on message boards and the like so I can't throw the first stone to condemn a new phoamer for trying to learn. I applaud them for asking the questions and trying to figure it out. That shows initiative and drive something that will help carry them in their adult life. If we sit here and denounce that kind of ambition are we then not partly responsible for the failures of the individual later in life? (Yes I know this goes back to the individuals responsibility vs the group and there are many theories on that.)

As Red Green Says:
Keep your stick on the ice.

[justalurker66]

I am also sure that when I was a young phoamer, I said some pretty dumb stuff on message boards and the like so I can't throw the first stone to condemn a new phoamer for trying to learn.

I don't believe I have ever been a foamer ... just a fan of trains who never let it get out of hand. The "I own the railroad" foamers are not a breed I want to be associated with. I am sometimes amazed at what they get away with ... but I'm not willing to trespass and interfere with operations to get the shots they get - and occasionally their behavior has led to further restrictions on my hobby (additional areas marked as off limits, additional police patrols - railroad and city, additional questioning of my presence near a railroad due to some foamer's stupidity).

My rail side activities fall under the same rule I suggest for here ... self moderation. Respect the railroad(s) and don't give the police a reason to run you off. Lose respect for the railroad and you may end up damaging more than just your own participation in the hobby.

BTW: When I was young my "Internet" connection was a 300 baud dialup to CompuServe. It took too much time to say dumb stuff at that bit rate.

[CharlieX90]

I say, keep the moderation and as for James MP 25 project, I am silently cheering on James so that his project goes well. If your passionate about something and if others share and work out your views and the project takes off, great! James, you might be a big bird look alike and a bit loud at that, but I will always be in your corner cheering you on Hell I might even join you on your outings. We should treat these group projects like we to at our group meets, we do what we please with plenty of leeway and freewill and treating our fellow members with courtesy and kindness at the same time. I will admit I myself have been surely and a bit of a troll at times and have even been banned temporarily on occasion, which I totally brought on myself. As far as internet presence, online moxie, and karma, most people have it, some people don't and you can tell when some of these young kids that join up here when there 12,13, or 14 will contribute right away and be rational about everything. While others need a little while to bolster their maturity level and learn how to rationalize properly, and then there are others, (and this includes adult newbies) who just don't get it, and get the banhammer shortly after they join or after they become complete trolls ie example Eric Augatis, Dan Valentine, Mike Fair type of people..Y@ and Charlie will probably give me hell for this but I was just stating the obvious..thank you and good night.

I'll keep my kind reply to myself

[Robert MacDowell]

There's a computer game called World of Warcraft. With 16 year old boys of every age and gender on the forums, you have the most unruly forum posters you could have. The official forums are useless. But in this nightmare was born the most civilized forum I have ever seen anywhere. Here are the rules. http://elitistjerks.com/faq.php?faq=for ... troduction

I know you're saying "that can't work, the moderators would never have time to sleep." Nuh-uh... they publish each moderation action... look at the dates. http://elitistjerks.com/f34/

My theory is that people behave because the rules are clear. What makes them clear is the consequences. If there's no consequence, then people think too much about what they can get away with, and not enough about contributing good content.

At the end of the day, people are only human. You can only do so much to control a crowd.

[justalurker66]

With 16 year old boys of every age and gender on the forums,

I remember when there was only one gender boys could be ... and one age a 16 year old could be.

[J T]

I think this forum began its downward slide when the Ohio people started posting.


JUST KIDDING!!

[AC60CW]

Like many things in the world today. People confuse a right with a privilege. It is a privilege to be able to post on this board, not a right. Privileges can be taken away, just remember that.

[J T]

Like many things in the world today. People confuse a right with a privilege. It is a privilege to be able to post on this board, not a right. Privileges can be taken away, just remember that.

Not to mention, there is no such thing as "Freedom of Speech" on the internet, especially when it comes to privately owned forums.

[SD80MAC]

Like many things in the world today. People confuse a right with a privilege. It is a privilege to be able to post on this board, not a right. Privileges can be taken away, just remember that.

Not to mention, there is no such thing as "Freedom of Speech" on the internet, especially when it comes to privately owned forums.

I really wish more people understood that.

[railroadchoad]

With 16 year old boys of every age and gender on the forums,

I remember when there was only one gender boys could be ... and one age a 16 year old could be.

I can't believe nobody caught that, "Lurker!" I went through my 16 year old boy stage when I was a 15 year old girl.

[Big Frank]

dont make me be this guy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eo0OY8GOuc

[hobojim]

With 16 year old boys of every age and gender on the forums,

I remember when there was only one gender boys could be ... and one age a 16 year old could be.

I can't believe nobody caught that, "Lurker!" I went through my 16 year old boy stage when I was a 15 year old girl.

So you were a female part at one time?

[bdconrail29]

No offense, but this seems really, really silly to me. If grown adults can't act like adults on a message board, we have more serious problems here with the world than what to do regarding banning them or not. There's some kids on here that get annoying? So what? Get a life.

[~Z~]

So all in all, think we've came to the conclusion that things are going pretty well here. Don't slam on the noobs that come in and ask questions. As for the existing members getting along well all of the time, well, that we'll need to work on. I would like to see that threads in all areas except off subject chit-chat to actually stay closer to the original topic, but hey, we encourage conversations so it's easy to drift off.
Overall, glad that most seem to think things are running well here.