"Kids" on the forums

[wctransfer]

Well thank god someone stands up for us. Over on my other forum(my home you might say) we all get called "kiddies", and i sware it takes sooo much not to reply and yell at them for that, but you all have to remember that how would you feel? No one ever cares if they make fun of somebody, because they arent on the receiving end. Before people start posting about us Kids, take a look back at your child hood.

Alec

[davekelly]

Alec,

Y'all don't need anyone to stand up for you. Your actions are what will gain you acceptance into any group.

Don't get upset about being called "kiddies." Our neighbors call us that and we're in our 40's!

[Anonymous]

I got to thinking about the perception that young people are "immature" when posting on forums vs. how things were when we were young and how we had to gain information in our childhood. In the "old days", if communication wasn't on the telephone or in writing, it was all face-to-face. When someone was talking to you, he really knew who you were. Chances are, if he talked to you on the phone, or even read a letter, he could still tell who you were, cuz if you wanted help you needed to give him you phone number or have your return address on the letter. Nowdays, with the computer, we don't really know who we are communicating with! Look at the thread a couple of days ago whether or not someone was a kid like he said he was, or a troll pretending to be a kid, or the "E-bay cancelled my account" fiasco. That couldn't have happend any time before the early nineties or whenever people started forums on the internet, or buying on ebay So to my way of thinking, if you young folks go out and meet people in the hobby shop, all of us can figure out who you are, and maybe be better able to help you, because you ARE the future of our hobby. .

I'm still not convinced that this big plastic thing on my desk is the ultimate in communication.

I guess what I'm trying to say to the young guys, go out, MEET some of the old guys, let us know who you are and how much you love this hobby. And old guys, realize this is our future. If you see a kid at the hobby shop, treat him like a peer. There are a bunch of things young guys can do besides model railroading or railfanning, and we need to be glad there ARE young people interested in continuing our hobbies. For the most part, young guys, you make great posts, ask good questions, and us old guys need to be glad to have you.


mike

[Anonymous]

That reminds me of a story when I was 14 and into model railroading, I remember my grandfather worked as a traffic manager at TP&W, he got a magizine called Traffic Managment, a trade mag, I was able to subscribe by saying I was the President of a railroad called Pacific & Western. They gave me my subscription for free cause I was in the industry [;)]

Well I carried it a little further, I was 14 and didn't know that what I was doing would end up costing someone money and probably embarresment, but I filled out a reader card because I wanted to know about Freuhauf trailers or containers, can't remember for sure. I got the lit in the mail. About a month later our phone rings at home, my mom answers and a gentleman asked for me, and added I believe he is the president of P&W. Well my mom had to tell him it was a model railroad in the basement and I was a 14 year old kid. I was in some deep do do for a few days, not model trains for a week. I never sent a request card after that [:D]

So I guess the moral is we all have been there, done that, just I didn't have the Internet to learn.

[Pruitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dthurman


Well I carried it a little further, I was 14 and didn't know that what I was doing would end up costing someone money and probably embarresment, but I filled out a reader card because I wanted to know about Freuhauf trailers or containers, can't remember for sure. I got the lit in the mail. About a month later our phone rings at home, my mom answers and a gentleman asked for me, and added I believe he is the president of P&W. Well my mom had to tell him it was a model railroad in the basement and I was a 14 year old kid. I was in some deep do do for a few days, not model trains for a week. I never sent a request card after that [:D]

OOPS!

What a great story, dthurman!!

[Anonymous]

As a grumpy ole fart, and geezer(55) I can only say I envy the young. It agravates me when I see some young person's ability to see, and to work with that tiny little part. I wish I could crawl around on my knees to work on something like they do. I wish I still had the exuberance of youth. I admit that being around the youth sometimes annoys me, but remember ,"you dang young whippersnappers", my grumpyness is caused by envy. I wish it was "me" being the young, exuberant, irriatating kid. You young'uns give us old geezers a break, and remember that alot of our grumpiness is envy of you.
I know I would give everything I have to be in your place. Never let some grumpy ole fart drive you from the hobby, or anything else you want to do. You're the future. Run with it!!

[dave9999]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wctransfer

Well thank god someone stands up for us. Over on my other forum(my home you might say) we all get called "kiddies", and i sware it takes sooo much not to reply and yell at them for that, but you all have to remember that how would you feel? No one ever cares if they make fun of somebody, because they arent on the receiving end. Before people start posting about us Kids, take a look back at your child hood.

Alec

Alec,
One day you will be wishing someone would call you a "kiddie".[:)]
Getting older might sound good to you right now, but it's not all it's
hyped up to be. That reminds me, I got a ton of bills due... that doesn't
sound fun, does it?[8D] Enjoy yourself, Dave

[Anonymous]

A long time ago teens were considered children. I was a teen in the late 50s. (The 1950s). The young people who contribute on here TODAY are generally well read and well informed, albeit mostly via internet resources, I think. I do think though, that local model clubs and librarys are a vital part in gathering personal knowledge about anything, specifically about railroads. I personally have perhaps a thousand historical resources in my library of railroad facts and I take out railroad specific VCR titles regularly from my library. If you are a teen, I would suggest you consider your words carefully and treat all of us on this and anyother forum with a certain level of civility and respect. That way, your contributions are better received and you gain the admiration and envy of all the others who try really hard to add to the knowledge base. You will be the adults designing the models we will be buying down the road. For this time, I suggest you go build something neat for your layout. Best, don

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dthurman

That reminds me of a story when I was 14 and into model railroading, I remember my grandfather worked as a traffic manager at TP&W, he got a magizine called Traffic Managment, a trade mag, I was able to subscribe by saying I was the President of a railroad called Pacific & Western. They gave me my subscription for free cause I was in the industry [;)]

Well I carried it a little further, I was 14 and didn't know that what I was doing would end up costing someone money and probably embarresment, but I filled out a reader card because I wanted to know about Freuhauf trailers or containers, can't remember for sure. I got the lit in the mail. About a month later our phone rings at home, my mom answers and a gentleman asked for me, and added I believe he is the president of P&W. Well my mom had to tell him it was a model railroad in the basement and I was a 14 year old kid. I was in some deep do do for a few days, not model trains for a week. I never sent a request card after that [:D]

So I guess the moral is we all have been there, done that, just I didn't have the Internet to learn.

That's funny! Great story!


m

[Anonymous]

I am pushing 40. Climbing the mountain as they say.

I think sometimes I am a very big kid who wont grow up. But advancing age and needing a magnifying glass to install parts on a Blue Box kit kinds of reminds me of how far I have gotten.

I appreciate the courage of many of the younger folks who come on to these forums to "Play with the big boys"

I think back to my younger days which was mostly "Dont touch this" "Dont reach for the train" or.. "Dont bump the models" and train running was with the father who hooked up the track, transformer and did a few test runs before letting me have the throttle. Of course I would open it up full bore and stand on that lionel whistle until one of the parents expressed "That whistle is enough to last a week."

If the internet was around back then... who knows what could have happened? But it was a different time and place.

I think because of the internet and the particpation of all ages, the hobby has benefited greatly. However on the flip side of the coin we have seen some of the worst in folks. Usually we either settled it ourselves or Bergie settled it for all.

Because of that I think there will be more young people involved in the hobby due to the technology involved (QSI, DCC, TMCC etc etc etc) which will probably get deeper and deeper in the really thick wiring under the layout or... wireless frequency bands.. who knows?

Good luck y'all.

[Anonymous]

I personally welcome young people to the forum-as long as they don't act silly and waste my time. I'll go out of my way to help them as much as I can if they're serious about learning about the hobby. Like someone said. They're our future...

trainluver1

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bostonsrock

A long time ago teens were considered children.

A longer time ago, 13 was when you became a man.

[Anonymous]

kids don't feel bad. sometimes you are treated without respect when you are very new to hobby, and and found a love for something that keeps you awake at nights, when you are 65. i asked a question, dumb or not, part of my answer was "its called research". i really didn't want to ask a question without being on computer for 2 weeks trying to find answers for myself.

[JohnT14808]

I'm with most everyone else. The teenagers and young folks are important to the hobby and having them here on the forum just makes it better. Some of these teens have what I don't have...that's a layout at home. Either they built it themselves, or they helped their dad build it. No matter, they have done more than I.
I too have a problem with immature postings in the threads, but hey, forums are for giving and taking of information. I have a tendancy to read alot, as opposed to posting. I am trying to contribute more, but my not having a layout close at hand to work on does prevent me from doing a lot. So when I read the troll comments, or smell the burning lubrication, I generally click on to the next thread. Too many things to read and learn....not enough time for reading of rants.....
You young folk keep up the effort. Use common sense in your postings and hope that others do as well.

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Leon Silverman

Just a reminder to any of us old geezers who might still look down on these kids. They can assemble a kit with available light. They do not need the aid of an illuminated magnifying glass to see their work clearly.

In the words of Maurice Chevalier, "Ah yes, I remember it well . . .) [X-)]

[Anonymous]

When I was I teen [way before the Internet even existed on paper I might add![:D]], I didn't catch much flak from the 40+ crowd - they tolerated my youthful energy quite well and were very supportive. It was the early twentysomethings who abused me the most - maybe because they had just been thru it themselves and thought they had "earned" the privilege to pass it on! (Sort of like college fraternity hazing)