For your consideration... - Page 2 - Montana Owners Club

TheCoachPotatoes · 12-21-2007, 12:31 AM

Stiles,

I think you are right on target here. Monitoring is not what is needed. We are all good people here! But, new people especially need to have their questions answered before the thread is hijacked. And yes, it has been a problem lately. I remember this topic came up a couple of years ago and it got pretty heated. We have had our questions hijacked in the past, but not recently. One comment that's off topic can spiral and turn the entire thread down a different path. We can still have fun on this forum and we can still occasionally get a little off topic on the threads that are a few pages long. Just apply the Golden Rule here.

I look at this as a family discussion. No one should take offense. Thank you Stiles for bringing this to our attention.

Waynem · 12-21-2007, 01:51 AM

Learning and having fun are equally important to me. I would like to learn others concerns and issues in one thread and have fun in another.

sreigle · 12-21-2007, 04:20 PM

I took "core membership" to mean those who "frequent" the forum on a regular basis. The reference was a bit veiled but since I've heard from a several people over the past year or so who were disillusioned with some things happening in the forum and who said they are dropping out, I took the reference to losing "core membership" to mean those folks leaving. Some of them were here in the very early days. I thought the reply a bit harsh but it's very hard to see the smile behind the post when it's all in words so I may be misinterpreting it. I didn't think Dave's comments warranted a harsh reply. After all, we're all supposed to be friends here. Here's my smile:

RVWheels · 12-21-2007, 05:01 PM

The last time we had this sort of discussion we ended up losing at least one or two members.... maybe more. I hope this time we don't lose anyone.

We can flag posts that we think are "off topic" but we cannot move individual posts. The software does not support that action.

I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread. It is great to see so many thoughtful and mature responses.

RVWheels

Karl · 12-22-2007, 02:42 AM

At the risk of continuing to beat the ubiquitous horse, I don't think any type of flagging/monitoring is necessary. This thread can serve to all of us that we are all best served when a thread remains on topic. While realizing that some straying from the original is as natural here as in a live group conversation. I like what the forum was at the beginning, and I like what the forum is now. With so many more members now it is very normal to have more diversity in a thread because of so many more persons viewing and responding. A reminder from time to time such as Stiles gave is appropriate and I believe sufficient.

exav8tr · 12-22-2007, 02:53 AM

As a fairly recent member of the forum, I am in agreement with both Stiles and Karl. Getting off topic on ocassion seems to be more like conversation and often leads to another informative topic. While this may be somewhat frustrating to the original poster it is easily brought back to topic by just reposting. I don't see where people should leave because of the ocassional errant post. I enjoy this forum too much to leave it....POST ON, MAN!!!!!!!

Montana Sky · 12-22-2007, 12:55 PM

After rereading my previous post, I realize I owe you all an apology on the "core membership" verbage. What I meant was; I have noticed over the past few years that many of the frequent posters have stopped posting, and the "style" or "culture" within the group has changed. To some this change has not been good, and to others or newer members, they probably have not even noticed it. I realize that as groups and clubs grow to more than 7,000 members, things are going to change or take on a whole new dynamic. The whole purpose of my previous post was to just say: "I like things how they are" and do not want to see this great place lose any more members. Again, I am sorry for any hurt feelings or undue anger my previous wording may have caused.

Parrothead · 12-22-2007, 03:24 PM

Dave, I don't think you need to apologize, you didn't say anything wrong. Core could be substituted for old and then you would have caused a stir. Like you, I have been around here for a long time and I miss some of the "early" members. I hope some of them come back. The thing I don't like about getting off topic is I miss things. I don't read about Fords since we don't have one and never will so if a Ford topic turns into a jostling in good humor, I miss it. Oh, well, I only skip these topics to prove I am not addicted to this forum.
Happy trails.........................

TexasTraveler · 12-22-2007, 06:04 PM

I'm pretty new here so perhaps I should keep my opinion to myself ... but here's my two cents for what its worth.

I would think the most simple and easy way to get a subject back on Topic is for us, the members, to do it. Two or three posts addressing the subject originators question or concern would soon cause the off-topic subject matter to become history in the thread. Or, "we" could start a new thread addressing the off-topic subject matter.

Hijacking a thread is going to happen and I've been guilty of it myself. But if "we" correct the matter ourselves there should not be any hurt feelings or animosity. JMHO.

TLightning · 12-23-2007, 07:15 AM

The biggest problem I see in a thread getting hijacked is that the second topic will not get the attention it deserves. As an example, if the OP has a question on a Ford diesel, and the thread ends up talking about an Allison transmission problem, and I have an Allison problem, I'm not going to look at a Ford diesel thread because I don't have one and am not interested in that topic. Bottom line, the solution to my problem may be on that thread, but I'll never see it.

simonsrf · 12-23-2007, 10:47 AM

This topic is the very subject from 2 years ago that I posted about that created many heated posts. For more than a year, I read every single post, and thought the off-topic problem was a problem for me, because I found myself wasting time looking for information. I tried to state my case in a way that would help everyone.

There were several pages of anger with members being self-righteous and self-serving, me included. The consensus from the people with lots of posts was to leave the forum as it is, and let the members "do it like they always have" attitude.

Many members PM’d me with support, and many posted on the forum against. The Admins eventually locked the topic up. I fought a loosing battle for change, nothing was settled then, and nothing has changed. So, I adjusted and decided that hijacking is part of the way this forum works, especially amongst friends.

For the new members, learn to read only the members posts who give pertinent information. It won't take you long to figure out who they are; and you will save yourself lots of time by skipping those constant Off Topic member's posts. (I always read Stiles posts).

Stiles, great ideas, good luck buddy.

sreigle · 12-23-2007, 01:09 PM

Every forum I've ever been involved with has had this same "problem" of threads straying off-topic. So have every usenet rv newsgroup I was involved with back before these forums became prevalent. Some of them asked people to stay on topic. Usually that worked. For awhile. Then it was business as usual. The only forums successfully keeping a thread on topic were those where every post went first to moderators who decided whether the post was appropriate for the forum and that thread. That in itself caused additional issues, naturally.

To me, this is just a human nature issue. We can try to be better posting citizens. But I doubt it will be long before we're back where we were. And I'm not sure that's really all that bad.

bsmeaton · 12-23-2007, 01:12 PM

I guess if this was strictly an informational forum, then a regimented format would be appropriate. However, y'all seem to profess to be friends as well and I don't know any group of guys that can sit in a circle and stay on a topic about tires for very long. To me, once the question has been asked it is typically answered correctly within the next couple of posts, and then 30-40 repetitive answers after that. At that point I consider the topic "burned out" and don't see any issues with deviating off topic to chat with a "friend" about the weather.

I would hate to see it change into a "Bob's Tech Notes Q and A page" and loose the "personal" atmosphere.

ole dude · 12-23-2007, 01:31 PM

It seems that the older I get, the better my forgetter works--what were we discussing?

quarrles · 01-03-2008, 03:33 AM

Pardon the late reply, have been following this topic with interest since our return from Christmas in Chicago on the 29th.
I don't see an issue with the way things were here prior to Stiles post. It was a sort of "folksy", conversational, friendly type of forum. Sure there were disagreements but that is to be expected where more than one person posts.
I like the way it was, but if we "need" an on topic police then I guess that the majority will prevail. My stand is "If it's not broke don't fix it", and skip the part that irritates or bothers you.

Happy camping....John

PartyCrashers · 01-03-2008, 05:43 PM

I love ole dude response... I think everybody has good points.

We all have admitted to getting off topic.... I myself do not mind a gentle reminder of being "off topic". Conversation is all about giving and taking. Two way.

Although too bad we couldn't have a little "off topic" icon. (expect you'd be waving it at me a lot

)

* I will be more careful in the future.

sreigle · 01-04-2008, 03:50 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by quarrles

Happy camping....John

I am trying very hard not to take offense at this statement. Take a look first at my number of posts. Then take a look at my moc number. That tells you how long I've been around here (since day 4 of MOC existence). Then take a look at our website (click the link below). Now, tell me again I have too much time on my hands.

Parrothead · 01-04-2008, 04:12 AM

Why are there constantly negative remarks being made here? "Profess to be friends" is not nice, we are friends, we do not need to profess.
I agree with Steve also, the longer the membership, the more posts. "To much time on their hands", well, duh, we are retired. I do lots of other things besides the MOC but I also enjoy the MOC so what if I've posted a lot. This shouldn't bother anyone.
Happy trails..................

VanMan · 01-04-2008, 05:14 AM

Those folks with 1000s of posts are the very people who make the MOC what it is today - the VERY BEST discussion forum in all cyberspace (IMHO). This information sharing has been invaluable to me and I would like to think that maybe one of my 1000+ posts has helped at least one fellow MOCer. Note my MOC member number also.

mail2us · 01-04-2008, 05:58 AM

Stiles original post was on track, and if we all just monitor our own posts and replies we can easily see what we say, what we meant to say or why didn't we say it better. Editing does work! We all wander, whether we admit it or not, young and old.

We transmit but often can't receive. It's those darn brain antennas not working I guess.

I want to receive everyone's input on a topic if they think it's worth their time. I truly respect the more senior members and their input. I have found everyone thus far to be genuine in their input whether critical or otherwise. I love this forum. Dennis

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