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Time for reflection

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John Coates25/08/2011 21:17:31
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558 forum posts
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Internet forums are not gentleman's clubs or debating societies. If you venture there then I think you have to accept its rules may not be in line with your own.
 
The removed nature of assuming a personality behind the anonymity of a keyboard imbues people with a sense of power and protection which perhaps may explain why behaviour changes and words and thoughts that are not usual may be exhibited.
 
I know ths is the fact and I accept it because I want to use the internet and know I cannot change what it has become
 
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
 
My two penneth worth
DerryUK25/08/2011 21:43:47
125 forum posts
What I do here matters not one jot generally, but I come because there are things here that I like and I find them interesting.
 
I have stopped going to other forums on the internet because I found them not to my taste for various reasons (usually the users attitude.) I didn't tell them I was not going any more because I matter not a jot but, if enough people stop going perhaps they will change. I checked back recently and they haven't changed, in fact they have started berating the forum I switched too!
 
Derry.
PS it was not a forum on this subject I stopped attending
PPS sorry about the jots, it's a handy little word though, a bit like tad
 

John Coates25/08/2011 22:23:42
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558 forum posts
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Rob
 
I would not be discourteous or impolite on here as I gauge the appropriate behaviour as not including that. There is one motorcycle forum I frequent where it is far more vicious, intolerant and obscene but that is there and this here and my respect for the people on each is different. I have been on that forum since 2003 and am one of the more senior members but them's the rules on that forum where any moderation is opposed with venom and so it doesn't happen.
 
Sensitive individuals or those whose sensibilities are easily offended should not go on THAT forum
 
Charlie,25/08/2011 22:56:50
76 forum posts
1 photos
Mr woodward,
I read your post several times because i was struggling to find the
point you where trying to make,I found it a bit vague,But i have to say
that untill now i have never been ofended by anything posted on this
forum and i like to think i have never ofended anyone else,And i think
we all realise that there are people on here who are not in the best
of health,But i like this forum and i am aware that there are people
on here who have forgotten more about engineering than i will ever
know,And hardly a week passes when i dont learn somthing off
off this site,And i like it as it is!,I supose it is inevitble that sooner
or later a rule changer will pop out of the woodwork,Which begs
The question, Havent you got any ironing to do,
Regards,
Steve Garnett25/08/2011 23:25:21
837 forum posts
27 photos
Posted by Robin Woodward on 25/08/2011 21:00:58:
 
Therefore the question is does this forum think that it is about time the standards are raised and that some respect should be shown to others even though they may have a different point of view. If so how is the forum going to move forward, (two questions really)
 
This often happens with forums during the relatively early parts of their lives. Behaviour generally falls in line with normal group dynamics, and the particular pattern we are looking at here is the straightforward "forming - storming - norming - conforming - performing" behaviour. If you look that up, you'll find loads of references, some of which will actually tell you something useful about it.
 
What you are asking is about the 'norming' process, I think, which is about where this forum's got to, and most of what's needed is contained in the generally accepted forum etiquette rules. These vary a bit according to who's posted them, but you will get the general idea here:
 
 
 
Finally if you have nothing constructive to add, please, do not post
 

I hope that you find this to be of some constructive use...

blowlamp26/08/2011 00:27:13
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1885 forum posts
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Which thread has been closed today?
 
Lots of threads in forums have heated conversations, but in general I find it best if the moderators lie low and let things resolve themselves naturally if possible.
 
If there's one thing that's likely to fan the flames, it's when one parties' opinion is censored at the behest of someone that claims to have been insulted, injured, or traumatised.
 
This isn't to say that we all sit and watch a fight to the death, but most people contribute because they feel they have something of value to say and simply don't appreciate having their view being erased as having no merit.
 
I believe that when an individual puts his work or opinions before the public, he does so with the understanding that they will be his judge and accepts that he may receive criticism as well as praise. It also follows that matters that are considered by some to be side issues, are brought into the conversation.
 
 
Martin.
NJH26/08/2011 22:30:16
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2314 forum posts
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Here's a suggestion.
 
When you post or reply just imagine that you are talking face to face with an individual and that you do so as a guest in his house. If you can keep that in mind all should be well and any complicated " set of rules" should be unnecessary .
 
What do you think?
 
Norman

Steve Garnett26/08/2011 23:34:58
837 forum posts
27 photos
Posted by NJH on 26/08/2011 22:30:16:

 
What do you think?

 
Norman, I think that spoken English and written English are two completely different animals when it comes down to how they are perceived and understood. With face to face communication you get a whole raft of other clues as to what's going on that you simply don't get when your thoughts are just written down. But that's just the tip of a very large iceberg, and it's complicated.
 
But fortunately it was all condensed down years ago by a chap called Osmo Wiio into some extremely amusing Laws of Communication, and they can briefly be summarised as follows:
 
  • If communication can fail, it will.
  • If a message can be understood in different ways, it will be understood in just that way which does the most harm.
  • There is always somebody who knows better than you what you meant by your message.
  • The more communication there is, the more difficult it is for communication to succeed.

He also makes the observation that anytime there are two people conversing, there are actually six people in the conversation:

  1. Who you think you are
  2. Who you think the other person is
  3. Who you think the other person thinks you are
  4. Who the other person thinks he/she is
  5. Who the other person thinks you are
  6. Who the other person thinks you think he/she is
Multiply that up by the number of people participating in a single thread, and I think you might be able to see why the rules might actually be quite important!

Edited By Steve Garnett on 26/08/2011 23:36:03

Chris Trice26/08/2011 23:41:43
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1376 forum posts
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Norman's right and it's a shame that it even needs to be discussed. People forget that they are guests at any forum with no inherent right to be there. Courtesy costs nothing and shouldn't need to be legislated. It is quite possible to disagree with someone or even express displeasure without 'smart' comments nor use the forum to vent your spleen at someone because you had a grotty day. The respect you deserve is proportional to the respect you show others.
alan frost26/08/2011 23:43:15
137 forum posts
3 photos
What on earth is this lot about ? Is Charlie the only one without a handbag ?
blowlamp26/08/2011 23:57:29
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1885 forum posts
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Posted by alan frost on 26/08/2011 23:43:15:
What on earth is this lot about ? Is Charlie the only one without a handbag ?
 
Dunno, but he'll probably tell us when he's done his ironing
 
 
Martin.
John Stevenson27/08/2011 00:08:05
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5068 forum posts
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Using the example of treating a person as you would a guest in your own house assumes that you would admit some of the twonks that post on here in the first place ?
 
Note I did same 'some'

John S.
Steve Withnell27/08/2011 08:23:29
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858 forum posts
215 photos
I wasn't going to be drawn into this, life's to short and getting shorter and dimmer (need more light on those Whittle engine parts!!)
 
Nice thing about this post, is just about everyone has posted their opinion without hiding behind a sock puppet. That's a real big step on from the usual forum behaviour.
 
There is an amazing amount of really good stuff on this forum, the help and advice from guys with decades of hard won experience freely given. New starters I think get well supported, with as ever the odd Twonk comment thrown in (and they get "advice" too)
 
So why are we wasting time talking bollocks about a 1% problem?
 
Must go, Dad's WiFi to fix, first match of the season at 3, lathe tied up with a Stuart water pump and another 547 bits to make for my Whittle V8, which will probably result about 5470 questions on here!
 
Yours respectfully
 
Steve
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Andrew Johnston27/08/2011 10:35:02
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7061 forum posts
719 photos
Posted by Steve Withnell on 27/08/2011 08:23:29:
 
....... and another 547 bits to make for my Whittle V8, which will probably result about 5470 questions on here!
 
 
Errrr, 547 bits? But a V8 has an even number of cylinders. Oh, of course, you're taking into account the bit that will inevitably be left over once the engine is assembled.
 
Regards,
 
Andrew
Steve Garnett27/08/2011 10:43:28
837 forum posts
27 photos
Posted by John Stevenson on 27/08/2011 00:08:05:
Using the example of treating a person as you would a guest in your own house assumes that you would admit some of the twonks that post on here in the first place ?
 
Note I did same 'some'

Thank you, John - that potentially explains the shortcomings of only adopting that approach very nicely!

Ian S C27/08/2011 12:33:27
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7468 forum posts
230 photos
Theres only one crankshaft I hope, he does'nt want to do that too often. Ian S C
JasonB27/08/2011 12:49:48
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25215 forum posts
3105 photos
1 articles
I thought he was going to say there was only one dip stick
 
J
Steve Withnell27/08/2011 12:53:05
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858 forum posts
215 photos
...and one crank
...and one big nut
...and... your turn
 
 
Stovepipe27/08/2011 13:33:36
196 forum posts
....and one who's lost his bearings (spherical, of course) ?
 
Dennis

Edited By Stovepipe on 27/08/2011 13:34:02

JasonB27/08/2011 13:48:44
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25215 forum posts
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Actually with some of the multiple parts is's not a bad idea to make an extra one so nine of everything. The extra one can be used to establish the machining setups and if something should go wrong in the later stages of machining it save shaving to go back and set the machines up to do it all again.
 
I have a V twin with three cylinderheads but the third one was not intentional
 
J
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