Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

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5x5
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Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by 5x5 »

Recently (actually forever) there have been instances where severe threadjacking has occurred on this forum. Not only has the topic been completely derailed, but the personal attack quotient has gone through the roof. The end result is that discussion of the original topic gets lost, readers and posters alike get turned off and leave, and the overall value of this site is dramatically diminished.

The question is - do we as a group of participants want this to continue?

I feel it should be easy enough for anyone who does not feel a particular thread is important to just not post in it. There is no need to try and convince people that the thread has no value. The value will be determined by the amount of participation.

Even if someone feels that a given topic is cheesy, try and refrain from personal attacks. There is no value added by insinuating that an anonymous poster has certain characteristics or level of experience. Instead, stick to discussing the points that were made and if you feel they are silly/wrong, post what you think is correct. Again, if it's really not important then start a thread about what you feel is important and see which one gets the most action. That will indicate which topic is important to this forum's membership.

I'm not sure why some people seem to feel that they are (or perhaps definitely should be) the final arbiter of what is important and what is worthy of discussion. Regardless of anyone's personal experience, accomplishments, education or safety record none of those attributes gives them the right to determine for others what topics or situations are worthy of discussion.

Internet forums are intended to give a large group of unconnected individuals an opportunity to discuss a wide variety of topics and issues. When they devolve to a small number of active and opinionated posters that feel the need to comment and take control of a large percentage of the threads, the value of the forum degrades significantly.

Let's all try to reverse the trend here on AvCanada and grow the value of the site as a place where any and all topics can be reasonably initiated and discussed and value will be evident based on the entire community's involvement or lack there of.
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Cat Driver
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by Cat Driver »

I think you are on to something here 5x5.

I am probably the most guilty poster here for thread hijacking and it sort of crept up on me.

Many years ago I started posting on the forum because I wanted to better aviation, however over the years I have become very negative and thus wasting bandwidth.

Seeing this is the beginning of a new year and I should be building my Cub project I am going to take a one month holiday from the Avcanada training forum and see if in some small way that will improve the content of the forum.

Truth probably is I just do not understand how the industry has evolved....especially the training part of the industry.

So lets see if my taking a holiday improves the forum. :smt040

I will read it though. :smt040
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Last edited by Cat Driver on Sun Jan 13, 2013 3:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by YYZSaabGuy »

5x5 wrote:Let's all try to reverse the trend here on AvCanada and grow the value of the site as a place where any and all topics can be reasonably initiated and discussed and value will be evident based on the entire community's involvement or lack there of.
Great post, 5X5 because yeah, this forum has become something of a downer over the past couple of months: more like CatFightCanada or JerrySpringerAviation. Your post is logical, intelligent, and fair. Let's see how many of us take it to heart, cut back on the sarcasm and the personal attacks (and yes, I've been guilty of both) and live within the eminently reasonable guidelines you've laid down.
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North Shore
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by North Shore »

Lurk a while more - you'll tend to get a feel for who the straight shooters are and who are the flame artists. PM the straight guys - I think that you'll find that most of them will offer (anonymous) constructive advice.

Good luck with your 'renewal'!
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by cj555 »

Great post 5x5. I agree with you, this forum would definitely improve its value if some people refrained from posting overly negative, or just plain non-sense posts. I think that if your post isn't directly related to addressing the main topic of the thread, don't post it. People want facts and genuine advice, not overly negative opinions and personal attacks.

I also agree with North Shore. It doesn't take long to identify who the real, genuine people are on this forum. When I have serious questions to which I really want a good answer, I just pm them. I would say most of the people on here seem to be very knowledgable, helpful people...its just a few bad apples who sometimes ruin it for everyone else.
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ahramin
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by ahramin »

Please note what 5x5 said about not responding. You'll notice the most viewed and most posted to topics are the ones that are little more than schoolyard shouting matches. When you post to a topic you think isn't worth discussing in order to denigrate those discussing it, you instantly move it to the TOP OF THE FORUM LIST, thereby promoting what would be better ignored.
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Skyhunter
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by Skyhunter »

Good post 5x5, agree with all you said.
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just curious
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by just curious »

I'm happy as hell to edit boneheaded, malicious, or witless digressions from topics if someone sends me a note about it.

That having been said, I have a day job. Lemme know and I can get onto things, otherwise if I don't get the time in a day to read a thread...

JC
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High and Behind
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by High and Behind »

Wow... get out of my head 5x5.
I was mulling this very thought over today before I looked at the forums.

I read a few threads in the general section, that were down right insulting to those trying to participate.
There seems to be great sport taken in mud slinging and name calling,either of companies or individuals or of certain situations that we as pilot's are passionate about. The Buttonville Closing post was beyond classless in my opinion.

I would suggest to those that wonder "What is wrong with our industry"? They look no further than the very
pages of this forum.

The lack of respect for a difference of opinion is so ripe here it is sickening.

If anyone was sitting in my living room and had that tone they'd be out on there ear.
The curtain of anonymity does nothing to help people remain civil.

If we look at our society this is becoming more and more the case. As we rely on technical devices to act as middle men as we attempt to communicate a point of view.
I believe what we are seeing is what happens when one cannot be held accountable for there words in a direct manner.

Unless the moderators want to live at there computers policing every line of text, nothing will change.
My 2 cents

Regards

H&B
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ahramin
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by ahramin »

H&B, as far as I'm concerned you are correct about the mods not having the time for line by line edit, but I think you are incorrect about that being the only solution.

It takes a minimum of 2 people to have a pissing contest. If someone wants to start mud slinging, IGNORE them. If they act like an ass but make a valid point, feel free to address the point, but refuse to get involved in a childish argument. If someone really is an idiot with nothing to contribute, go to your settings and have the forum automatically ignore all their posts. You'll never see them, problem solved.
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ahramin
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by ahramin »

I'm also with JC on trying to moderate more. Feel free to report posts that insult other members or try to derail the thread and we'll do our best. It's also far easier to delete one or two bad posts if NO ONE RESPONDS TO THEM. Otherwise you get a chaotic thread that everyone posts in trying to figure out who said what.

Report, don't respond, and we'll do our best to keep it on topic.
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by cj555 »

I just finished reading a thread about "Fort Mac" where a poster was asking for some information about 2 operators there. Then every post after that was a barrage of uterlly useless posts with no value at all. I wish people would take this forum more seriously, and stop wasting everyone's time by writing useless crap.

My point for this post being: Please stop and think before you respond to a post. If it is not relating to a valid discussion on the topic of the thread, don't respond. Nobody likes filtering through pages and pages of garbage searching for the valuable posts.
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North Shore
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by North Shore »

^ Noted.
I'm on here far more than I should be as it is; it gets difficult to read all posts on all threads; and not all of us have superhero powers in all fora.

At the bottom right of each post box is a little red exclamation mark ! < like that, only smaller. :wink: Click on that, and add to the comments on the subsequent page that you think the thread needs a little attention. It will alert us, and we'll get to it in a more timely manner.

Thanks!

NS.
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JungianJugular
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by JungianJugular »

What's the squawk code in the event of a potential threadjack?
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by NeverBlue »

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cgzro
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Re: Importance, Threadjacking and Decorum

Post by cgzro »

Well its an anonymous forum.. That leads to the usual internet abuse which you see everywhere anonymity is required. Thats why I sign my name, keeps me polite.
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