forum or Facebook

[boxerman]

Well, I know I'm not a heavy poster around here, mainly 'cos I haven't got my wood yet so have little to contribute but I have found this place incredibly helpful in my search for knowledge of a subject that I knew little of both with the input of members and by browsing old posts. It's not exactly the busiest forum in the world tho and I've always put that down to the fact that the guys on here are too busy with work and managing their woods to find the time and it concerns me greatly that two of the most avid posters + one other are talking of basically abandoning ship because of over moderation - these are probably the guys that have helped my learning process the most and I regard them as friends (as I do most folk on here) and they are the guys that will do the same for other genuine newcomers - if they leave how much of this forum will remain in a couple of years?

Because of this I actually made a decision to break a vow I took maybe 10 years ago that I would never join Face book (mainly 'cos of the information harvesting) and joined the FB swog - the activity there has to be seen to be believed and the welcome I received was almost overwhelming. It appears to be pretty well behaved, with massive amounts of knowledge passing though and all in a good natured way with naturally added humour (just how a community should be) BUT because of how it works the information is, inevitably scattered and not easy to find - this is where a forum like this wins hands down because all info is stored for easy access and readily available. For info gathering I'd go with this place any day but for fun and quick responses FB wins hands down.

Clearly both Paws and Dexter (sorry for mentioning you by name both) have issues with the moderation here and I do know that both have been banned at some time or another - I don't know full details (and, of course, there's always two sides) but as someone who runs a forum that's much more active than here - it's a friendly, chatty and thoroughly well behaved forum with both a light hearted side and a serious side - in the close to 10 years it's been running I've publicly slapped wrists maybe half a dozen times, not one warning has had to be give and no-one has ever come close to being banned. Yes, we have rules, we have moderators and the mods are well aware that they can use their discretion. It's an extremely knowledge and friendly forum and banter is encouraged because it creates a feeling of family and no-one feels excluded - most of that is down to the light touch moderation.

These problems have made me look again at this place with a forum admin's eyes - much as I love it what hits me in the face is the minimal amount of humour and banter that's around and that's what creates community.

I'm pretty much a newbie around here but I'd have to ask this: if long term, friendly and active members are talking of jumping ship because of what they perceive as over moderation, is it, maybe, time for the admin/mod team to rethink strategy and perhaps relax the the reigns a little??

[SimonFisher]

a little while ago, on the chainsaw stuck in tree post, I made a comment to the posters pat&sam, whom I know personally outside of this forum, the post contained some mild tongue in cheek humour, no swear or sexual words, yet it was deleted and I received a one month ban

The comment which Dexter's Shed was banned for contained crude sexual innuendo which was out of place for this forum. Whether the person or persons to whom the comment was targeted was known personally to the poster is immaterial. Whether the target was offended is immaterial. The post was made on a public forum and was deemed by me to be inappropriate and that a ban was appropriate.

Whether such behavior would be permitted on any other forum is also immaterial.

This post is made to provide some insight and counter argument to the apparent claim by Dexter's Shed that he was or is unfairly treated.

The level of moderation on this forum is extremely low. It has proved unnecessary in the case of most contributors and posts. A very small number of users, two to be precise, attract the attention of the moderators on a regular basis and have been urged on a number of occasions to tone down their language and 'humour'. If that does not suit, those users are more than welcome to take themselves elsewhere.

Simon, one of the forum moderators

[SimonFisher]

... if long term, friendly and active members are talking of jumping ship because of what they perceive as over moderation, is it, maybe, time for the admin/mod team to rethink strategy and perhaps relax the the reigns a little??

There was a much larger number of contributors on the forum in the years before your "long term, friendly and active members"...

[Dexter's Shed]

There was a much larger number of contributors on the forum in the years before your "long term, friendly and active members"...

but we live in the here and now, where are those contributors now? did they stop being woodland owners, or just stop posting here?

[Dexter's Shed]

The comment which Dexter's Shed was banned for contained crude sexual innuendo which was out of place for this forum. Whether the person or persons to whom the comment was targeted was known personally to the poster is immaterial. Whether the target was offended is immaterial. The post was made on a public forum and was deemed by me to be inappropriate and that a ban was appropriate.

so, could I suggest that it be written into the forum rules, as reading them, it makes one believe there is a warning system, when obviously there is, but only sometimes

[boxerman]

Many thanks for that, Simon. I figure those comments tell me everything I need to know.

There was a much larger number of contributors on the forum in the years before your "long term, friendly and active members"...

Mouth and foot come to mind here...... The burning question that statement creates is: where have they gone and why?

I posted a simple point of view and asked a very simple question - does that really warrant such an aggressive response from a moderator? If it does then I apologise but this is a place I love and care about. In my short time here I've never made any inappropriate posts and I really don't expect to be getting this sort of response from anyone never mind someone who's agreed to maintain the forum.....

[SimonFisher]

There was a much larger number of contributors on the forum in the years before your "long term, friendly and active members"...

but we live in the here and now, where are those contributors now? did they stop being woodland owners, or just stop posting here?

Well more than a good handful of of them will cite the wisecracks and put downs from a small number of users as the reason they now just sit on the sidelines and don't feel like being active participants anymore.

What you might like to bear in mind is that behind the scenes we get to see the figures for visit and post patterns for all users and we get feedback from some of the large number of now silent members.

[SimonFisher]

Many thanks for that, Simon. I figure those comments tell me everything I need to know.

There was a much larger number of contributors on the forum in the years before your "long term, friendly and active members"...

Mouth and foot come to mind here...... The burning question that statement creates is: where have they gone and why?

I posted a simple point of view and asked a very simple question - does that really warrant such an aggressive response from a moderator? If it does then I apologise but this is a place I love and care about. In my short time here I've never made any inappropriate posts and I really don't expect to be getting this sort of response from anyone never mind someone who's agreed to maintain the forum.....

Phil, my response was not intended to be aimed at you in any way. I quoted your post to show what I was referring to. Apologies if you feel I was having a go at you in any way. That was not my intention.

This is difficult without naming names, so here goes. There are some on this forum who obviously think Dexter's Shed and Oldclaypaws are the life and soul of the party. There are a large number of others for whom the very reason they sit quietly is the same pair.

Fundamentally perhaps there is a differing of views as to what the forum should be like. There are some who want it to be like a bunch of mates down the pub, making the wisecracks, exercising their individual and somewhat acquired style of humour. Others don't mind if there are no new posts for a few days so long as they don't have to wade through pages of drivel to get to anything useful. If anyone wants the latter, it sounds like the Facebook page is really the place for you.

[oldclaypaws]

There was a much larger number of contributors on the forum in the years before your "long term, friendly and active members"...

5 years ago nobody had heard of Facebook, now is has 1/4 of the total global population or 50% of all internet users registered as members. All other internet forums have lost members as they've shifted to FB. Our coin forum, with no moderating issues, has dwindled to 10% of the previous activity. This is a global shift, the numbers here have not dwindled due to myself and Dexter. Is anyone else prepared to speak out and say we've spoilt the forum? There seem to be plenty saying they don't want to lose us ....

My first post on FB was about squirrels, it had 80 replies in 24 hours-more than this forum gets in a couple of weeks. I also used the same picture and style that I used here. People liked it. On here I had a caution from you Simon for over the top humour on the very same post. Nobody else has been in the slightest bit offended, including my very PC wife who said she couldnt see the slightest thing wrong with it.

On FB, there is far far more humour by virtually everyone, and nobody is pulled. The mood is lighthearted and friendly. Here, while certain subjects are covered in more depth, such as tools and planning minutia, the way in which everyone hides behind an assumed name means they are free to knock other people and the mood can be pretty bitchy at times.

In the last week, 5 users on this Forum have switched to FB, that is an increasing trend. More than 2 people on here have been banned. Where's Pat?

If this Forum is to continue, it needs to be less up tight and maybe you should consider asking someone else to moderate rather than telling the most popular and regular contributors to leave.

[SimonFisher]

The comment which Dexter's Shed was banned for contained crude sexual innuendo which was out of place for this forum. Whether the person or persons to whom the comment was targeted was known personally to the poster is immaterial. Whether the target was offended is immaterial. The post was made on a public forum and was deemed by me to be inappropriate and that a ban was appropriate.

so, could I suggest that it be written into the forum rules, as reading them, it makes one believe there is a warning system, when obviously there is, but only sometimes

You really need a rule that says "don't post crude sexual innuendo" in a woodland owners forum???