Constructive Suggestions?

[kay]

While all of us are perfectly capable of not reading beyond the useful (or entertaining) life of a thread, this is missing one point - that some people (including Bubba I think, but I may be wrong) feel that the drivel (1) may deter newcomers from joining the site - ie, the attempted clean-up is not for our benefit but for 'public  consumption' - those people who who are viewing from 'outside'.

So far we have two suggestions that address that:

1) 'post of the week', to encourage us into a mindset where all our posts are at best useful and even our dirvel is entertaining

2) delete all drivel from threads outside 'idle chat'

Any other ideas?

(1) Drivel: technical term meaning conversation tangential or totally unrelated to the original topic of the thread; or a thread unrelated to the topic area of the subforum

 

[kay]

I was going to wait for a few more offerings before making this very point. So I'll say it now - if you can't think of anything positive to add, then don't bother adding anything at all.

[quote author=Peter Burgess]
Oi, aren't you supposed to be finishing off a valuable new website feature????? What are you doing wasting your time here?
[/quote]

 

[nickwilliams]

I'd like to see contributors limit the number of postings they make in any given day to (say) generally no more than three. People might then take the time to reflect rather more than they do at present on whether what they have to say actually has any value. It might also be possible for those of us who have lives to lead outside of caving (and UK caving.com) to get a word in edgeways.

Frankly I'm getting rather fed up with the fact that the forum seems to have become the personal playground of a small number of people with verbal diahorrea who seem to be unable to live without having the last word on every single subject.

Nick.

 

[Peter Burgess]

I do not think that is a constructive idea, Nick. It is a very restrictive idea.

"Fed up".
"people with verbal diahorrea".
"unable to live without having the last word on every single subject"

Either say something useful or find a better forum if you can.

 

[cap n chris]

I'd like to see contributors limit the number of postings they make in any given day to (say) generally no more than three.

Fine by me - I'd only need to rein myself back by just under half a post a day, were that possible.

 

[Peter Burgess]

I thought I was supposed to be the one with naive ideas.

 

[Dep]

I'd like to see contributors limit the number of postings they make in any given day to (say) generally no more than three. People might then take the time to reflect rather more than they do at present on whether what they have to say actually has any value. It might also be possible for those of us who have lives to lead outside of caving (and UK caving.com) to get a word in edgeways.

Frankly I'm getting rather fed up with the fact that the forum seems to have become the personal playground of a small number of people with verbal diahorrea who seem to be unable to live without having the last word on every single subject.

Nick.

That's your personal view to which you are of course entitled.
You don't post very often but when you do your posts are nearly always worth reading. I think this is probably the first time you have ever posted something that I so utterly disagree with.

With respect...

Trivial chatter does not prevent the forum being used for good and sensible things too.
Some of us do like to relax and do so in a way that suits us - join in or don't, it is down to individual choice.
Perhaps we can get the forum so focused it becomes sterile and dead - I can show you several examples of this, some not so far from 'home'...

>>personal playground of a small number of people with verbal diahorrea

Why not name names?

Some people do go on a bit (myself included) but generally there is entertaining banter there.

Do understand that it is only the high frequency of posting here that makes it worth coming back to, without this people would only dip in occassionally, posts would decrease, there'd be less to see, less reason to come back - the board eventualy stagnates and dies.

I don't find it hard to edit out what I don't want to read, and accept that there will sometimes be topics and posts that bore me shitless - if myself and so many others (see the killfile topic) can manage it why can't everyone else?

 

[Downer]

This is ridiculous. If "drivel" were a real issue before the demise of karma, the moderators would have had a word with the perps. As Chief Driveller, I can catagorically tell you I have not been approached in any way. Which is possibly not surprising as at least one mod is an accomplished driveller himself. Fun and wit wasn't regarded as drivel last week - by and large it was appreciated and enjoyed. The whole thing has suddenly become an issue because Bubba had a little rant about it and now all the whingy-whiners are out in force, destroying the forum ten times faster than any amount of joking ever could. The most constructive thing anyone can do is ignore the thundering jack-boots (pace Godwin).

 

[Known by None]

While it is great to have stats, weighty posts and informed discussions about caving, often the small talk is what keeps a forum ticking over and ensures people come back more frequently. If nothing else 'chatter'  gives the forum some life and helps build up an affinity not only with the people but also the clubs, caves and organisations they are a part of and feel passionately about. I've met a few people on this forum now and learnt more than I possibly ever could from search engines and publications, it is a melting pot of information and if there is some humour in there then all the better, it makes people approachable and gives the forum some humanity.

 

[andymorgan]

Frankly I'm getting rather fed up with the fact that the forum seems to have become the personal playground of a small number of people with verbal diahorrea who seem to be unable to live without having the last word on every single subject.

I totally agree. It seems to be turning into a chatroom, and I think this post in this thread proves the point

Oi, aren't you supposed to be finishing off a valuable new website feature????? What are you doing wasting your time here?

Idle chat in idle chat is fine, but many threads are degenerated by 'what are you having for dinner comments' (I know I am no  :ang: though). Speaking to other cavers, I know many who are put off by the cliques and the crap posts.

I think in answer to Peter's initial post a bad poster of the week would be better, and maybe they can be banned if they keep 'winning'!

 

[cap n chris]

Bubba, ignore the nay-sayers! - this forum is excellent, vibrant, full of useful - and sometimes essential - info on technical, historical, access-related caving and more besides... and also enjoyable banter. It is a superb example of a good forum. Cliques? - bollocks. It's a public forum to which any and every one can join; it couldn't be further from a clique. Humbly suggest such false accusations are levelled by people who can't type or be arsed to learn.

Drivel?

Go to any pub with your mates. S'drivel. Fun, though, innit?

In short I find myself fully agreeing with Known by None's observations and those of Dep and Downer. UKCaving is great. Long may it continue. If it wasn't so much fun people wouldn't keep visiting it. Speaks volumes.

 

[francis]

2) delete all drivel from threads outside 'idle chat'

 

[Peter Burgess]

Bubba, ignore the nay-sayers! - this forum is excellent, vibrant, full of useful - and sometimes essential - info on technical, historical, access-related caving and more besides... and also enjoyable banter. It is a superb example of a good forum. Cliques? - bollocks. It's a public forum to which any and every one can join; it couldn't be further from a clique. Humbly suggest such false accusations are levelled by people who can't type or be arsed to learn.

Drivel?

Go to any pub with your mates. S'drivel. Fun, though, innit?

In short I find myself fully agreeing with Known by None's observations and those of Dep and Downer. UKCaving is great. Long may it continue. If it wasn't so much fun people wouldn't keep visiting it. Speaks volumes.

So, do we want a forum that is like a lively pub session, or one that is like a town council meeting?

 

[Peter Burgess]

I do not think that is a constructive idea, Nick. It is a very restrictive idea.

"Fed up".
"people with verbal diahorrea".
"unable to live without having the last word on every single subject"

Either say something useful or find a better forum if you can.

Possibly a little harsh on you Nick, as indeed you do add good informative stuff to the forum. However, place either a strict limit, or encourage people to impose it on themselves, and I can promise you people will walk away. We go caving and engage on this forum as part of our free time activities. If we have severe limits on what we can do, then people will find something else to do without restrictions. Free time implies freedom to do as we wish, within the bounds of acceptability.  We are not kids who should have TV-time limited to 1 hour a day 'for our own good'. Look what happened with imposed food standards at schools. People walked away in droves! It isn't the sentiment that's wrong, its the way it is introduced. Please don't start a discussion on school food!

 

[graham]

Question: Is this forum more or less useful than that on the BCA site?

 

[Downer]

Speaking to other cavers, I know many who are put off by the cliques and the crap posts.

Funny you should mention cliques. As the champion creator of crap posts, I have laboured to get to the top of my vocation for, umm... is it really as long as that? About six weeks. Of course intially there was much resistance from the in-crowd but my persistence and determination saw me through and now I'm accepted into at least the outer ring of the inner circle albeit with a certain amount of caution and suspicion. But I have my certificate of cliquedom safe in the family vault now, next to my caving licence and doctorate that I paid $50 for. It's a good system. You and your dreary cronies endlessly moaning about the forum but never doing anything about it should apply.

PKB.

[/quote]

 

[footleg]

Question: Is this forum more or less useful than that on the BCA site?

Just had a quick look (first time in ages) and the last post to the UK caving forum on the BCA forums was on 17 Aug. So I guess it comes down to whether you like a lively active forum or a quiet one which does not take up a lot of time to read.

 

[Downer]

Question: Is this forum more or less useful than that on the BCA site?

Just had a quick look (first time in ages) and the last post to the UK caving forum on the BCA forums was on 17 Aug. So I guess it comes down to whether you like a lively active forum or a quiet one which does not take up a lot of time to read.

You can set up your preferences to be notified of new posts in a given board or any given topic so you don't even have to log-on. That should be quiet enough for anyone.

 

[fi]

...So, do we want a forum that is like a lively pub session, or one that is like a town council meeting?

Definitely "a lively pub session"!  Life's too short for formality.  Think someone said it was getting like a chat room in here - please don't suggest we all go to a chat room!  I can type fast enough to cope in here but last time I tried a chat room I got so left behind (and I can type with all my fingers in the right places) I just gave up. 

 

[darkplaces]

well we need a bit of balance and people needs to exorcise some judgement (myself included) to not leap into a serious discussion and post some crap (me included).