Folks:
I'll be plain. We received a recent complaint about the Warbird thread.
Because it's not a railroad topic, it's against the forum rules and I locked it.
Four years is a good long time for an off-topic post to stick around and under the radar — pun intended. Kuddos to all of you who kept it clean and above board.
And so you know, the editors are NOT out prowling to lock things down or get heavy handed, as one might suggest. No, the way I see it, we're doing the best we can and applying the rules as circumstances present themselves.
I certainly hope you understand.
All the best,
Steve S.
Steve SweeneyDigital Editor, Hobby
Forum interest has waned all right Charlie. Not a good thing, and I'm at a loss to understand why. Not just on the "Trains" Forum but also on the "Classic Toy Trains" and "Classic Trains" Forums as well.
Have some former frequent posters died off? Maybe, but there's no way to know. Are some people too intimidated to jump in? I hope not. All newcomers whould be welcomed enthusiastically, and should understand "The only dumb question is the one you're afraid to ask!"
I sincerely hope that newcomers aren't intimidated by the frequent posters who seem to dominate the discussions, myself included!* I do think a lot of frequent posters do so in a effort to keep things lively. "Miningman's" doing yeoman work on the "Classic Trains" Forum trying to keep that one alive!
The "Classic Toy Trains" Forum was quite lively until a popular member of the CTT staff was laid off, and then the Forum discussions seemed to come to a grinding halt and have never come back to the level they had before. Cause and effect? who knows?
Anyway, it's disturbing, to say the least.
Anyway, I'd say to any possible poster sitting on the fence "Come on in! Don't be scared or intimidated! If your language skills aren't the best, if your spelling's not what it should be, if you never mastered sentence structure don't worry about it! No-one going to grade you on your contribution and if you have something good to say come on in and say it! A lot of us want to hear it!"
*Maybe I should shut up for a while?
The simple fact of the matter is that forum interest has waned, judging by the number of threads that quickly die and lack of participation. Why? There are fewer members than ever. Why? Lack of interesting subjects. Sure it's Kalmbach's free service, but the boredom level here does nothing to boost paid ciculation. Heavy-handed moderation may be •correct• but it loses sight of the bigger goal.
Plain fact of the matter is boys, I'm not going to lose any sleep over this. Maybe someone complained, maybe someone was told to "Get busy!" and cruise the threads for "anomalies," for lack of a better term. Who knows?
When all is said and done Kalmbach provides the various Forums for different mags as a courtesy, not a right. Their Forums, their rules, however they interpret those rules. In this case I think it was an unfair and unreasonable interpretation considering how much fun everyone was having, but that's the way it is.
By the way, how many of you looked in on those webcams of the EAA Fly-In in Oshkosh and drooled all over your keyboards? Im amazed I didn't short out my lap-top!
charlie hebdo Murphy Siding I'd say that people that are interested in trains tend to also have an interest in other forms of transportaion as well. If you were to look in my way overstocked library, you'd see lots of books on trains, airplanes, ships & cars. Could the thread be re-opened if its scope was expanded? Perhaps the title of Historic Warbirds and Trains would fit the bill? Here's a question that you would know the answer to. Moderators look at a thread or post only when someone complains, true?
Murphy Siding I'd say that people that are interested in trains tend to also have an interest in other forms of transportaion as well. If you were to look in my way overstocked library, you'd see lots of books on trains, airplanes, ships & cars. Could the thread be re-opened if its scope was expanded? Perhaps the title of Historic Warbirds and Trains would fit the bill?
I'd say that people that are interested in trains tend to also have an interest in other forms of transportaion as well. If you were to look in my way overstocked library, you'd see lots of books on trains, airplanes, ships & cars. Could the thread be re-opened if its scope was expanded? Perhaps the title of Historic Warbirds and Trains would fit the bill?
Here's a question that you would know the answer to. Moderators look at a thread or post only when someone complains, true?
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
No problem Vince, I surely know you're not calling me Shirley!
That's a neat cross-over shot Mike sent us, a nice "rail and air" intersection, kind of like those 737 fuselages on the September "Trains" cover. All that "whoop-ass" for Hitler and Tojo had to get to the embarkation points somehow.
It's ironic, David P. Morgan (David the Great I call him) was an aviation enthusiast himself. I wonder what he'd have to say about the "Warbird" thread being locked?
I respect your opinion Vince, even though I don't necessarily agree with it. "Warbirds" was fun, and we really learned a lot from each other, in more ways than one.
The REAL shame is that Wanswheel's still in exile!
Miningman Yeah but... Surely there are WWI vintage aircraft Forums and aviation in general. ( Wayne--I'm not calling you Shirley) The Trains Forum should reflect the spirit of the magazine at least somewhat. It's the encroachment of a whole lot of very non Train related items, a lot of nonsense and one upmanship and posturing. Even if the thread or comments were even somewhat connected to Trains then ok. That's a pretty wide berth. However much of the Trains Forum lately has become somewhat nothing more than a Facebook type thing. Thinking it's that very reason that the Historic Warbirds got locked. It's just too much of all the other junk. I don't blame Kalmbach one bit. If it continues as it has been I would not be surprised to see it cut just as the Astronomy Forum was. If I received my monthly Trains Magazine and it was mostly this kind of content and maybe 15% actual trains then what's the point. Its their Forum. It's understandable. Ok put me in stocks and start throwing the rotten veggies.
Yeah but... Surely there are WWI vintage aircraft Forums and aviation in general. ( Wayne--I'm not calling you Shirley)
The Trains Forum should reflect the spirit of the magazine at least somewhat. It's the encroachment of a whole lot of very non Train related items, a lot of nonsense and one upmanship and posturing. Even if the thread or comments were even somewhat connected to Trains then ok. That's a pretty wide berth. However much of the Trains Forum lately has become somewhat nothing more than a Facebook type thing. Thinking it's that very reason that the Historic Warbirds got locked. It's just too much of all the other junk.
I don't blame Kalmbach one bit. If it continues as it has been I would not be surprised to see it cut just as the Astronomy Forum was.
If I received my monthly Trains Magazine and it was mostly this kind of content and maybe 15% actual trains then what's the point.
Its their Forum. It's understandable.
Ok put me in stocks and start throwing the rotten veggies.
You could have ignored it. Perhaps someone on here reported the thread? For shame.
From Mike:
MiningmanYeah but... Surely there are WWI vintage aircraft Forums and aviation in general. ( Wayne--I'm not calling you Shirley) The Trains Forum should reflect the spirit of the magazine at least somewhat. It's the encroachment of a whole lot of very non Train related items, a lot of nonsense and one upmanship and posturing. Even if the thread or comments were even somewhat connected to Trains then ok. That's a pretty wide berth. However much of the Trains Forum lately has become somewhat nothing more than a Facebook type thing. Thinking it's that very reason that the Historic Warbirds got locked. It's just too much of all the other junk. I don't blame Kalmbach one bit. If it continues as it has been I would not be surprised to see it cut just as the Astronomy Forum was. If I received my monthly Trains Magazine and it was mostly this kind of content and maybe 15% actual trains then what's the point. Its their Forum. It's understandable. Ok put me in stocks and start throwing the rotten veggies.
Since it was not locked on September 8, 2015 when 'Norm48327' requested it means that 3 years 11 months later is should not be locked.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I'm with you Zardoz! As such, I sent a PM to Mr. Sweeney respectfully asking "How come?"
I'm not really expecting an answer. Every time I've PM'd a "Trains" staffer I've never gotten an answer. Maybe I can't blame them, who knows how many PM's they get in the course of a day.
On the other hand, just about every time I've sent a message to a "Classic Trains" or "Classic Toy Trains" staffer I have gotten a response.
Anyway, I am disappointed that a discussion of WW1 fighter aircraft that was really beginning to take off (no pun intended) was cut short. It was getting good!
And Zardoz, when you come down to it "Warbirds" was a separate category in it's own right. There it was, no-one was forced to read it or take part in the discussions, just like any other Forum topic.
Hey, there's topics I have no interest in. I just ignore 'em.
I'll tell you what, a thread that lived for one month shy of four years with 414 comments and 21,877 "Views" must have had something going for it!
I think someone became too impressed with their own importance!
Especially since the importance of a internet forum is zero and even less than zero when there is no flame war involved.
I for one think his decision was not well-considered. The thread has been around almost four years, with over 400 posts. The title clearly identified it as non-railroad. So why now? That is the $64 question.
Why?
Yes, it was obviously a non-railroad topic; however, it was interesting, and there was no arguing or name calling, like there is in some of the railroad-themed threads.
Those of us that participate in these forums sort of get to know each other, and as such we sort of become friends (or antagonists). The Warbirds thread was one of those threads that those of us with similar interests can get together and BS about something OTHER than train stuff. Isn't the camaraderie some of us share even slightly important?
Sure, I realize that if everyone started their own thread regarding their own particular interest, they would soon crowd out the train stuff. Perhaps a separate forum category could be established so those of us that have become kinda friends can go and yak at each other without disturbing those that only wish to discuss railroad stuff.
How do the rest of my fellow forum participants feel about this?
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