Thoughts about content on this sub-forum

[CBlair]

This was posted in a thread and I wanted to share what was written.

" as a newer member having thought deeply about my experience here so far, I'd ask the old guard to be a little more understanding and look more holistically at the content than just strictly applying rules. I can think of Stefan or Robin having done excellent work to and on machines that would be a clear violation of the standards, but well within the spirit of what I think you are trying to achieve here.

I wonder how much knowledge was never shared, how many members with something useful to add choose silence rather than having to deal with the fallout because the subject matter was borderline taboo? These forums are pretty quiet, and while I much rather have silence than idiocy, I don't mind seeing uncommon and useful techniques documented and have some constructive discussion about the alternatives and applications "

When I was asked about creating this sub forum I purposefully kept the content very tightly defined. I wanted there to be a place inside this forum to focus our attention on the specifics of "reconditioning" or bringing machines into as new or better than new condition. I didnt want to see it become a storage house for everyone looking for parts or just showing photos of a new project without sharing the work that is done.

The forum owner also has rules about what kind of machines should and should not be discussed. And he has his own reasons for this. However, I do have the prerogative to decide for myself if the content is relevant enough to be included.

At least once a year I feel the need to mention that we are all here to learn and share about a subject that is of no interest to anyone who doesnt need the knowledge. And it is better for us all to accept that even if we dont agree with a technique or tool that we can each decide for ourselves if that has value or not. Some people are more opinionated than others, and a few have at times been less than cordial. But I have only ever asked the forum owner to ban two people permanently. Although a couple of others have had temporary penalties.

I do try to be flexible and I have pretty thick skin but please remember that any personal attacks or abusive language will not be tolerated. When offering criticism try to do it with the idea that the person you are talking to is sitting next to you. You would speak to them differently if they were. This format is one of the only forms of communication that shrinks our world almost instantly. And it is also the only time you will be able to think about what you are saying before you hit the send button.


Thank you
Charles Blair
Moderator

 

[eKretz]

I would add that if feeling riled, it may not be the best time to post. I've personally found it helpful to come back later after I've calmed down and thought about what I want to say and why for a while more than once. It's good mental exercise too. After a while of doing that I've found I get riled up less and it's easier to respond calmly and rationally even if someone is trying to be a troll.

 

[dgfoster]

I am well aware of the reluctance of people to participate in this sub forum due to their concern about blow back and trolling. Many of those folks who have contacted me offline never engaged due to fear or have simply gone elsewhere. My worry is that there has been so much of this behavior that the well has been poisoned. If that is true, it is a shame as this could be a world-wide clearing house for advancing metrology, scraping, and machine reconditioning.

Do you really think folks of the caliber of Rob Renzetti (whose work was in May of 2020 slighted.by a member here as not being “as good a scraper as many thinks (sic) he is”) is going to come here and listen to that? This is just one example of off-putting behavior on this forum. No one likely needs reminding of this stuff. Do not imagine for a second that those comments did not get back to him. Those comments are still on the forum. Is that personal? Is it helpful to the forum?

So, maybe going forward this sub-forum can somehow avoid such nonsense. However, much damage has been done and that is hard to fix. And changing ingrained behaviors is even harder to fix.

Denis

 

[eKretz]

You can't change all behavior by moderation. And you can't stop people from giving an opinion - whether valid or not - as long as it's not maliciously insulting. There is a bit of a fine line to be walked by moderators. Someone commenting that someone else is not as good a scraper as many think they are doesn't really cross that line, in my opinion. If someone made that comment about me, with respect to anything I do, it wouldn't bother me a bit. I think that goes for anyone who is confident in their abilities. I doubt that comment bothered Robin even a little bit. He is good at what he does, and from my interactions with him I am sure that he knows it.

That's where the body of membership can step up and and as they say: "If you see something, say something." If other members call out the behavior of the person who's a little too harsh or what have you, that gives the person making comments pause and perhaps second thoughts, as well as gives the person on the receiving end a little support and perhaps validation. Just don't turn it into an insult-fest; instead be the adult in the room. (Not directed at anyone in particular here, just a generalization). Over time, that will shift things more and in a better direction than moderator intervention (or non-intervention) every time someone gets a little upset IMO.

It's not a bad thing to develop a little thicker skin if one is going to be participating on internet message boards either. There are trolls and people who just like to stir the pot all over the internet. The sooner one learns to ignore the white noise of those people, the better.