Gordo’s Model Railroad Rant

[CP5415]

What we’ve got here is, a way to communicate. The internet has opened up the hobby we all enjoy. I believe this we can ALL agree on right!
What we have to remember is that there is an amazing degree of differences of opinion when it comes down to modeling. WOW!
There are the people that love to have everything exactly the way it was.
I believe we lovingly call them “rivet counters”.
We also seem to have people that want to model trains in varying degrees of realism. They want to model trains, but not everything, or anything, has to be exactly the way it was.
I myself fall into that category.

In this forum, we have people that are young, people that are old, & people in-between.
This is where the ‘problem’ begins.
Does it really matter if someone starts a post that isn’t railroad oriented?
I can’t remember seeing on this website where it said that all posts NEED to be railroad oriented.

I’ll admit that I’ve posted recently in the Discontinuance of Stars topic. So what.

I'm here to have fun & learn about this great hobby.

There will always be people with vast amounts of knowledge, there will always be people greener than the grass always asking questions & there are the people in-between.

In my opinion, what WE ALL NEED TO DO is drop the attitude. There is no reason to flame or berate anyone here as we are all here for the same purpose.

The purpose to learn about a hobby that has peaked our curiosity & have fun in the process.

Gordon

[Anonymous]

Thank you sir!

Educate me, don't berate me.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CP5415


What we’ve got here is, a way to communicate. The internet has opened up the hobby we all enjoy. I believe this we can ALL agree on right!
What we have to remember is that there is an amazing degree of differences of opinion when it comes down to modeling. WOW!
There are the people that love to have everything exactly the way it was.
I believe we lovingly call them “rivet counters”.
We also seem to have people that want to model trains in varying degrees of realism. They want to model trains, but not everything, or anything, has to be exactly the way it was.
I myself fall into that category.

In this forum, we have people that are young, people that are old, & people in-between.
This is where the ‘problem’ begins.
Does it really matter if someone starts a post that isn’t railroad oriented?
I can’t remember seeing on this website where it said that all posts NEED to be railroad oriented.

I’ll admit that I’ve posted recently in the Discontinuance of Stars topic. So what.

I'm here to have fun & learn about this great hobby.

There will always be people with vast amounts of knowledge, there will always be people greener than the grass always asking questions & there are the people in-between.

In my opinion, what WE ALL NEED TO DO is drop the attitude. There is no reason to flame or berate anyone here as we are all here for the same purpose.

The purpose to learn about a hobby that has peaked our curiosity & have fun in the process.

Gordon

[#ditto]Well said Gordon.

[Anonymous]

thank you for knocking the high en mighty down a few, the people that **** me off are the ones who forget they once knew NOTHING about this hobby, their also the ones who say everything else is junk because they themselves dont have it. i guess what iam saying is if you cant help someone on their post just leave it the F**K alone .

[lupo]

[#ditto][#ditto]
mee too!! well said gordon and fergus: don't quite know what berating means but I think that is not a good feeling![#ditto]

you hit the nail on the head and not in it!

[cacole]

There are Rules of Conduct that users of these forums are expected to read and comply with, and the moderators are supposed to enforce those rules. Basically, they state that these forums are not to be used for name calling, flaming, obscenities, derogatory comments, etc. directed toward other users, and those rules are beginning to be violated.

[CP5415]

Why arn't the moderators enforcing these rules of conduct?
Maybe we need new moderators as they don't seem to be doing their job!

Gordon

[Anonymous]

Lupo,

I see that you are from Holland. Here's a link to Merriam-Webster online dictionary http://www.m-w.com/

I have 2 windows open most ot the time. One here on the forum and one with the dictionary open so I can "spell check" my posts (I'm the world's worst speller) and look up some of the words like berate.

Hope this helps. [:D]

[tomwatkins]

It's part of a hobby, which means it's supposed to be fun. it's not a place for ranting because we don't agree with someone elses opinion or they don't agree with ours. It's for exchange of information and learning more about something that interests us. There are a zillion different ways to be a " Model Railroader " and every one of them is valid as long as it is fun for the person doing it that way. If everyone on these forums liked the same things, modeled the same railroads and did it the same way it would be awfully boring and none of us would learn very much. However, we all need to respect other people's opinions and choices and act, and post accordingly. Now i'll get off the soapbox and get back to detailing a steam locomotive.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

[easyaces]

Gordo's point is a good one!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CP5415


What we#8217;ve got here is, a way to communicate. The internet has opened up the hobby we all enjoy. I believe this we can ALL agree on right!
What we have to remember is that there is an amazing degree of differences of opinion when it comes down to modeling. WOW!
There are the people that love to have everything exactly the way it was.
I believe we lovingly call them #8220;rivet counters#8221;.
We also seem to have people that want to model trains in varying degrees of realism. They want to model trains, but not everything, or anything, has to be exactly the way it was.
I myself fall into that category.

In this forum, we have people that are young, people that are old, & people in-between.
This is where the #8216;problem#8217; begins.
Does it really matter if someone starts a post that isn#8217;t railroad oriented?
I can#8217;t remember seeing on this website where it said that all posts NEED to be railroad oriented.

I#8217;ll admit that I#8217;ve posted recently in the Discontinuance of Stars topic. So what.

I'm here to have fun & learn about this great hobby.

There will always be people with vast amounts of knowledge, there will always be people greener than the grass always asking questions & there are the people in-between.

In my opinion, what WE ALL NEED TO DO is drop the attitude. There is no reason to flame or berate anyone here as we are all here for the same purpose.
The purpose to learn about a hobby that has peaked our curiosity & have fun in the process.
Gordon

Gordon, I'm sure you mean well, but you are "preaching to the converted"....those who agree with your post, are likely already behaving in a manner you find acceptable.[8D]

Then there are others who may not agree with you at all.[:0] Go figure !

Thing is, there will be people from BOTH camps who feel you may be overstepping yourself by lecturing them. Putting your collar on backwards this morning doesn't equate to a divinity degree.[:I][:D]

Personally, I've been around several forums for several years, and I find this one is becoming more and more juvenile in nature, since trains.com reformatted it to a "faster, more popular style".
It used to be slow and plodding, but it didn't permit long sigs, pictures, smilies, stars, & post counts, etc......BUT.... THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON WHY it was essentially free from the "spam-threads" that eat it up now. I do continue to participate, but know that at least 75% of the total number of posts will be a waste of time for anyone serious about learning the intricacies of the hobby.
A lot of modellers who used to participate in this forum, back under the 'old format', do not bother any more...they were GREAT communicators.....they were always helpful...and I miss them. They never bothered announcing they were leaving, either.

BTW....this is not a "slam" against ALL beginners & young people...what makes a post or thread "juvenile" is never-ending fluff & nonsense, posted by any age member.

Even most flamethrowing posts here are essentially juvenile...they lack the wit, subtlety, innuendo, and sarcasm, one often encounters on other forums.
Most flamer posts here are more like watching zoo monkeys fling *** at each other, or listening to some grade three snot-nose threatening to hold his breath, 'till he turns blue...hardly entertainment, unless that's the level of debate one's own personal intelligence level is comfortable with.
But, all of this is just a good old "IMHO".[;)]
regards;
Mike[:)]

[lupo]

Thanks snake!
I tried looking for a good online dictionary, but had not found one yet,.
I hope my english is not that bad!
but I keep learning ( I hope)

IMHO: ( learned that one ) I think very strickt kind of forum police is not needed, there is a lot off 'self regulating" going on, and most fires go out as fast as they start.
But: there is a topic that dissapeared without a trace over the last days, so there must be someone watching over us!


LOOK, NO MODERN SMILIES USED IN THIS REPLY!!!

[CP5415]

Maybe I was overstepping myself.
I'm just sick and tired over the crap that goes on in most forums.
As I said before, all I want to do is to gather information on how to model a model railroad & have camaradarie with others that have an interest in trains.
Is it right to go & slam a 12 year old just because he's having fun.
That's all I wanted to do when I was 12. Were you any different?

I can't say what the previous forum was like as I was unfortunatly not involved in them.
You were probably right about the fact that a lot of people haven't come back. 100,000 + people subscribe to Trains forum but less than 200 are constantly involved in the new forum.

I have receieved a lot of information regarding model railroads & real-life trains since joining this forum. 99% of it useful.

I never said I was perfect. I'm far from it.
I just don't like it when people put down others because they don't agree with others.
That, to me, is juvenile.

Gordon

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by robmik

QUOTE: Originally posted by CP5415


What we#8217;ve got here is, a way to communicate. The internet has opened up the hobby we all enjoy. I believe this we can ALL agree on right!
What we have to remember is that there is an amazing degree of differences of opinion when it comes down to modeling. WOW!
There are the people that love to have everything exactly the way it was.
I believe we lovingly call them #8220;rivet counters#8221;.
We also seem to have people that want to model trains in varying degrees of realism. They want to model trains, but not everything, or anything, has to be exactly the way it was.
I myself fall into that category.

In this forum, we have people that are young, people that are old, & people in-between.
This is where the #8216;problem#8217; begins.
Does it really matter if someone starts a post that isn#8217;t railroad oriented?
I can#8217;t remember seeing on this website where it said that all posts NEED to be railroad oriented.

I#8217;ll admit that I#8217;ve posted recently in the Discontinuance of Stars topic. So what.

I'm here to have fun & learn about this great hobby.

There will always be people with vast amounts of knowledge, there will always be people greener than the grass always asking questions & there are the people in-between.

In my opinion, what WE ALL NEED TO DO is drop the attitude. There is no reason to flame or berate anyone here as we are all here for the same purpose.
The purpose to learn about a hobby that has peaked our curiosity & have fun in the process.
Gordon

Gordon, I'm sure you mean well, but you are "preaching to the converted"....those who agree with your post, are likely already behaving in a manner you find acceptable.[8D]

Then there are others who may not agree with you at all.[:0] Go figure !

Thing is, there will be people from BOTH camps who feel you may be overstepping yourself by lecturing them. Putting your collar on backwards this morning doesn't equate to a divinity degree.[:I][:D]

Personally, I've been around several forums for several years, and I find this one is becoming more and more juvenile in nature, since trains.com reformatted it to a "faster, more popular style".
It used to be slow and plodding, but it didn't permit long sigs, pictures, smilies, stars, & post counts, etc......BUT.... THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON WHY it was essentially free from the "spam-threads" that eat it up now. I do continue to participate, but know that at least 75% of the total number of posts will be a waste of time for anyone serious about learning the intricacies of the hobby.
A lot of modellers who used to participate in this forum, back under the 'old format', do not bother any more...they were GREAT communicators.....they were always helpful...and I miss them. They never bothered announcing they were leaving, either.

BTW....this is not a "slam" against ALL beginners & young people...what makes a post or thread "juvenile" is never-ending fluff & nonsense, posted by any age member.

Even most flamethrowing posts here are essentially juvenile...they lack the wit, subtlety, innuendo, and sarcasm, one often encounters on other forums.
Most flamer posts here are more like watching zoo monkeys fling *** at each other, or listening to some grade three snot-nose threatening to hold his breath, 'till he turns blue...hardly entertainment, unless that's the level of debate one's own personal intelligence level is comfortable with.
But, all of this is just a good old "IMHO".[;)]
regards;
Mike[:)]

I think, that taking all the fun out of the hobby, is to make it dull and lifeless. I guess the old addage, "ALL WORK AND NO PLAY, MAKE JACK A DULL BOY", would aptly apply here. Hobbies were meant for fun, and life is too serious to begin with, not have some fun. You're retired now, as I am, but I'll bet I'm having more than you are.[:)][:)][:)]Gordon you made some good points.

[Anonymous]

"anger is for the young, there's nothing more pathetic than an angry old man" ...Mick Jagger.

I thought wisdom came with old age. It doesn't, you just get tired and can't raise the effort that controversy requires, so you just appear wise.

Another problem with getting old is that the absurd becomes more obvious and instead of trying to change the world one tends to laugh at it. I am amused very easily and some things that make me chuckle are Posts that start with;
"I think I can speak for....."
"This is a stupid thread....."
"Why are you people........."
Then the posts that translate to "No matter how much I stir the embers, the fire won't go out"


"Would you please continue with the petty bickering, I was finding it quite interesting" ....Commander Data.

[Anonymous]

Tony;
Regretfully, I am unable to quote Mick Jagger or any Star Trek characters, [;)]as even angry, unwise old men are prone to having SOME reference standards.........but I would offer up:

Socrates: "A life unexamined is not worth living."

Emeraldisle;
You may well have more fun than I, but I am not envious. If we met, and you were wearing a beanie with a propeller, [:0]....I might consider that "juvenile", and you might consider that "fun"....it's only a point of view, not the rationale for a quality-of-life thesis.[:I]


I apologize to anyone who feels that my opinions were malicious in nature.Those who may have taken my opinions personally are, as always, entitled to any degree of umbrage they may muster.[:D]
regards;
Mike
a big fan of...
Monty Python,[:D][:D]
but not...
Mick Jagger.[xx(]

PS: lupo...when a thread 'disappears' without a trace, it's usually because a forum participant has emailed Bergie, to suggest that the thread was inappropriate.
Anyone on the forum is entitled to contact the forum administrator, to express any content concerns directly to him. There's a link under "Contact Us".

[CP5415]

Mike, everyone's entitled to their opinion.
I don't take offence to it.
I get tired of the attacks being thrown around especially since they're usually not warranted.

Gordon

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CP5415

Mike, everyone's entitled to their opinion.
I don't take offence to it.
I get tired of the attacks being thrown around especially since they're usually not warranted.

Gordon

Same for me, life is too D@%& short to get ticked off all the time, you agree???

[Roadtrp]

"Why arn't the moderators enforcing these rules of conduct?
Maybe we need new moderators as they don't seem to be doing their job!"

Oh God, NO!!!

The BEST thing about this forum is that the moderators allow a certain amount of conduct that is outside a strict interpretation of "the rules".

I've participated in forums that were absolutely destroyed by moderator ***. All you need to cause REAL trouble is to start enforcing the rules strictly, and then deal with all the protests resulting from that.

The moderators of this board are OUTSTANDING!!

[:)]

[Anonymous]

One word.....


Grace.

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Roadtrp

"Why arn't the moderators enforcing these rules of conduct?
Maybe we need new moderators as they don't seem to be doing their job!"

Oh God, NO!!!

The BEST thing about this forum is that the moderators allow a certain amount of conduct that is outside a strict interpretation of "the rules".

I've participated in forums that were absolutely destroyed by moderator ***. All you need to cause REAL trouble is to start enforcing the rules strictly, and then deal with all the protests resulting from that.

The moderators of this board are OUTSTANDING!!

[:)]

Just to let you know that the Mods are doing their job several days ago someone infiltrated are band or merry makers and posted a political sight on Iraq.

It's been removed. Thank you Bergie and company. I think we're doing a fine job moderating ourselves and as long as we are respectful of each other we'll get along just fine.

[MAbruce]

Folks, I’ve been around these kinds of forums for a while now. The one thing I have learned is the fastest way to kill a thread that has gone way off the reservation is not to reply to it. That includes posting remarks like “I’m not going near this one…”, or “Let’s get back to model railroading…” Just leave it alone and move on. Let the moderators step in if they think it’s necessary. It’s their forum and their rules.

There will always be disagreement, and the way it is handled seems to be the root of the problem. You don’t have to agree with everything or everyone, but you also don’t have to respond it either. Sometimes silence speaks loudest.

Then there are those who are easily bored and seem to think that stirring the pot will spice things up. They seem to get a rise out of pulling the pin from the hand grenade and running away. As I wrote earlier, there is only one effective way to handle this – don’t get suckered into the room when the grenade goes off. Just say “NO”, and don’t post.

There is a lot of talent on this forum, and I really like it when people share their work and experiences. It should be a place where questions can be asked, and even though it’s the fifty ninth time it’s been asked this year, it will get answered with enthusiasm. I like when people share their modeling aspirations. I like the occasional humorous detours. The younger modelers need a place to come, and even though the things they dream about are beyond affordable, they can get inspiration (and maybe even figure out how to do something now instead of later).

Maybe I’m just dreaming, but that’s what I think we need more of here.

Gordon - keep the faith!

[lupo]

[#welcome]
newbe fergmiester !!
Well said about moderation, there is enough self regulating on here!
I think the topic you ment, was was the one that I noticed had dissapeared, first they deleted the post you warned about, later the complete topic, WELL DONE, we can do without it.

btw [:p][:p]any relation to a well known member called FERGUS maybe
IS HE YOUR CLONE??[:p]
as we say in dutch: STRAKKE ACTIE!

[Fergmiester]

According to those who know me the mold was broken when I came along. I just decided to increase my boiler pressure.

[Anonymous]

Yo Mike,

I don't think it's you who should regret being unable to quote some rock star or cult tv character, I'm the one that should regret being able to do that. I haven't bought any Stones records and haven't bothered seeing them live since 1962 if that helps. I do respect everyones right to enjoy the banal occasionally though.

I've read a lot of Socrates but I don't think he's very funny. He was Greek after all, I prefer the Romans for proper belly laughs although Monty Python does have their moments.