Decline in Valued Contributors???

[doctor Bob]

I find it frustrating that many many threads are hijacked by individuals, purely for their personal entertainment, or if they feel in a mischievous mood they start a back door political thread.

I look at the forum regularly and post reasonably often at present, however I went through a 9 month spell last year of being totally inactive due to the above paragraph.

I blame the moderators for being feeble (lacking balls whatever you want to call it) and not willing to stop it, been like it for years, they have had hundreds of opportunities to knock it on the head but have always stuck their heads in the sand as an easier option.

Political threads often run until it gets out of hand, why not just delete them immediately. Whatever the title of the thread, if the underlying theme of the thread is socialism then it's political.

The majority of posters mentioned who have left have done so because they have been bullied, vilified and abused on threads which should have been shut down way earlier.

 

[Peter Sefton]

We have lost some very talented woodworkers over the years, I think some had run-ins with certain members (member) so just gave up posting. Others are commercial makers so have limited time with all the demands that life brings and this is a busman's holiday, if they receive abuse for sharing their experience-well why bother.

Naturally the same topics crop up over the years so longer standing members will have posted their thoughts many times. We also now have Facebook, YouTube, Insta and TickTok pulling us in other directions.

I still think this is the best forum but youngsters will probably be using social media.

Cheers

Peter

 

[Dibs-h]

What happened to the the likes of BradNaylor? Anyone know?

 

[deema]

To be successful in anything you need to know where you’re going, have an idea of what it is you’re striving to achieve. More importantly you need to know what you’re not and avoid getting sidetracked from your stated goal. From my ‘armchair’ perspective there are two issues that seem to create problems, and are probably closely interlinked. Firstly, if you look at the board index, the second highest category for threads isn’t anything about making stuff, it’s Off Topic Chat with 19K threads. This is usually the destination where frustrations surface, and understandable people get disenfranchised; a theme which has come up in some of the replies and which I categorise as the second issue. I have been guilty of off topic chat, but on reflection, it would seem that this section doesn’t serve the purpose of the forum. Having said that I am assuming that the objective is to create a community of creative people as opposed to driving just any traffic through the web site to attract advertisers by high numbers

 

[Jacob]

What happened to the the likes of BradNaylor? Anyone know?

He's alive and well, retired from successful woodworking career and now working at a golf course, golf being his favourite pastime, and posting about it enthusiastically on FB. Still an outspoken lefty!
PS plays mouth organ in a rock n roll band too. Seems to have life well sorted!

 

[Dibs-h]

He's alive and well, retired from successful woodworking career and now working at a golf course, golf being his favourite pastime, and posting about it enthusiastically on FB. Still a lefty.

Cheers for posting the info Jacob. Glad to hear he's still with us.

 

[mikej460]

Compared to the other place, I prefer this forum, mostly because it is more user friendly - easier to post pictures and to find useful posts. I do tire of the arguments, especially the oft posted 'my way is better than your way' nonsense and I've now stopped reading most off topic posts as they have nothing to do with woodworking and are often just belligerent rants. I do like the joke thread though

On the subject of project posts, rather than wait until the project is completed why can't we have the ability to switch off replies/responses until invited? This way we get to enjoy a project's progress without interference but also invite advice if needed?

 

[AJB Temple]

I stopped initiating threads and WIPs on this forum when it became too belligerent around the time ownership changed. So now I pop in occasionally and sometimes comment. But never initiate. There used to be a lot of advice I found helpful, but many of the most helpful people moved elsewhere, which was a shame. The other place is indeed hopeless for posting photos etc quickly, but tends to have several people who are rather skilled. Personally I can't see a problem with having several forums and dipping in as we wish.

In practice I tend to regard forums as a sort of woodworking club where people "know" each other and are civil. This one was diluted (sadly) with a lot of political stuff which put me off. I suspect the more successful forums become, the more conflict becomes inevitable. Monetising forums (as here) gradually destroys their purpose. I detest Facebook and will not use it. Since Meta owns Instagram too now, I wont post there either as the respect for personal privacy is nil.

 

[Jacob]

....it became too belligerent around the time ownership changed.

That's the answer to the question of where they went. AFAIR I personally wasn't posting at the time so it was nothing to do with me!

..... This one was diluted (sadly) with a lot of political stuff which put me off. I suspect the more successful forums become, the more conflict becomes inevitable.

Mods sensibly put the political stuff in an optional sub forum. You can completely ignore it if you choose. It's not that contentious - people disagree but without going over the top. More grown up discussion than anything. People get angrier in sharpening threads!

Monetising forums (as here) gradually destroys their purpose.

But it's optional. Most of us don't pay a penny. I'm not too bothered if the organisers can make a bit of cash - there are expenses and a lot of voluntary time given up. I doubt it's a get rich quick scheme.

I detest Facebook and will not use it. Since Meta owns Instagram too now, I wont post there either as the respect for personal privacy is nil.

 

[Spectric]

How about a new approach in 2023, can we just accept that everyone is different and is entittled to their views and just be nice to each other, if you think a topic is veering off course and don't like it then report it so it can be discussed amongst the moderators or if a member is causing grief then don't take the bait and instead just let the moderators know, but at the end of the day no one can ever keep everybody happy.

 

[deema]

I have no idea how this site is ‘managed’ and by that I mean how any rules are formulated, decisions made on what direction to take it in. What I would like to see, which may be ongoing but very subtle and I’ve missed it is proactive listening / seeking out the views of the members on what they like and don’t like about the forum and making changes appropriately.

 

[Jacob]

I have no idea how this site is ‘managed’ and by that I mean how any rules are formulated, decisions made on what direction to take it in. What I would like to see, which may be ongoing but very subtle and I’ve missed it is proactive listening / seeking out the views of the members on what they like and don’t like about the forum and making changes appropriately.

Well they seem to like this thread. What about having more threads complaining about the site instead of all that woodwork stuff?
Could bring our absent friends back, they were all into complaining before they went.

 

[baldkev]

When i was much younger i was on a car forum, it basically became a place for a nightly argument with the same people, so i stopped logging on.
I often find the recurring arguments about the same old stuff quite annoying. You can say your bit and move on, let the o.p or whoever is reading, make their own decisions..... no point keep going over old ground trying to bludgeon the opposition to death with replies.

As my mum says, "if you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything "

Ive learnt a lot being on here and there are some very knowledgeable people around, but as always, its a matter of self control ( knowing when you dont need to post )

mind you, i didnt need to post this

 

[Sideways]

I find it frustrating that many many threads are hijacked by individuals, purely for their personal entertainment, or if they feel in a mischievous mood they start a back door political thread.

I look at the forum regularly and post reasonably often at present, however I went through a 9 month spell last year of being totally inactive due to the above paragraph.

I blame the moderators for being feeble (lacking balls whatever you want to call it) and not willing to stop it, been like it for years, they have had hundreds of opportunities to knock it on the head but have always stuck their heads in the sand as an easier option.

Political threads often run until it gets out of hand, why not just delete them immediately. Whatever the title of the thread, if the underlying theme of the thread is socialism then it's political.

The majority of posters mentioned who have left have done so because they have been bullied, vilified and abused on threads which should have been shut down way earlier.

A request to you and to all others on this point. If you see this happening - especially if you are the originator of the thread and object to people trying to drag it off topic - please use the tools to report the post and just put a note saying why.
There's an area specific to moderators where reports of this nature are flagged up and it gets someone's attention usually within 24 hrs. One or all of the mods in consultation may not agree with you, but a report never goes unconsidered.
I for one would have no qualms in killing off a thread drift if the original poster requested this and there have been controversial threads started in Off Topic in recent months that have been dealt with within hours (we have to be online and notice them) and wouldn't have been noticed by most members..

It is helpful to receive this feedback. Your mods don't want to be policemen and over control the debate. We're adults and it's not a nanny state. In the same spirit we have to use judgement about when banter becomes more personal. Please do use the "report" button at the bottom of a post if you have a genuine issue with it.

Thanks !

 

[Sideways]

Another point arising.
Jacob is right that persistent editing rights could become a way to rewrite history so to speak so this isn't offered.
But - we all appreciate these substantial project and work in progress threads. I've written a few of my own and know that they take effort and also become a useful reference for information.

If you have a thread like that, don't be reluctant to post an update to your thread and report it yourself with a request that the mods move your new text onto the end of one of your ealier posts. Tell us what post number you'd like it added to.
We have editing rights that enable posts to be combined like this and have done it before for worthwhile threads. It helps readability and some threads are well worth keeping alive as they become a shared reference.

 

[Blister]

I was an " Old Lag " and prolific poster some 10+ years ago in the woodturning section , Running monthly competitions with awards for the winners , Had 2 professional turners judging , Driven out by forum trolls who made all sorts of accusations about me being a dealer and shouldent be allowed , I was asked to be a moderator , Had the status when I left home for night work and by the time I arrived home the mod status was gone and also the thread welcoming me , Never managede to find out why , Some of the culprits are still here now , Have a great new year guys

 

[sawtooth-9]

I joined this site because I saw it as a forum where people exchanged their experience and helped others along the way.
I always loved others restoring older machines - not just to save a few quid, but because the older gear was "real"
Also, was always interested in some of the more inventive projects.
In my view, there are just too many off topic posts - these should be in the facebook bin !
Most projects I now do, I don't bother to post as there is little response ( probably means little interest ).
This site has changed since I joined - and not for the better.
If this was a real business, I would review my strategy.

 

[Seascaper]

In recent years I have noticed a distinct decline in the ‘old lags’ that made this forum the rich and valuable source of information. I miss the contributions of people like Steve Maskery and AndyT and many others who were always very prolific. There are a number of others who also seem to have dropped out. I then took a gander at an alternative wood working forum, and was greatly surprised to find a gaggle of people who I was missing from this forum!

The other thing I’ve noticed is that the number of threads on any form of wood working or machine enhancement seems to have also declined to a mere trickle. It’s always good to have lively debates about off topic subjects, but the heart and sole of any forum is the depth, quality and quantity of threads related to the subject the forum was setup to serve.

Id like to suggest something is or was wrong, and to ensure the long life, frequent reoccurring visits and ensuring the forum is an enclave of knowledge something needs to be addressed. I don’t know why the ‘old lags’ left, but for such a migration to have occurred has a cause and a symptom.

Hello,
I would like to suggest that the reason for this is the increase in very annoying pop up adverts which are getting worse and bad enough to drive anyone away. Just writing this I have had to shut down three video ads and like a lot of others I will be looking for somewhere else without advertising swamping the site,
Regards

 

[Blackswanwood]

Hello,
I would like to suggest that the reason for this is the increase in very annoying pop up adverts which are getting worse and bad enough to drive anyone away. Just writing this I have had to shut down three video ads and like a lot of others I will be looking for somewhere else without advertising swamping the site,
Regards

It’s within your gift to stop adverts appearing. Click on your avatar, then click on preferences and tick the box to disable adverts.

 

[Henniep]

I've written this before, and will repeat it again. The Internet is large enough for many workshop forums, so there shouldn't be a turf war between which site is better, larger, or more active. If Site A doesn't meet the needs, try Site B, C, or D...or use all of them at the same time as I do.

I don't think it is reasonable to expect a single site to have all of the expertise or knowledge base to suit everyone. Some sites are less inviting to beginners asking basic questions, or less likely to be open to topics that stray from the local region, but that doesn't imply they are less important or interesting.

For anyone who is interested, we do have a hidden forum called "Pre-Articles" that is available for members to build multi-post project threads without external interruption. This allows the member to create a string of consecutive posts for a project. I used this when I created my MFT-style workbench thread and it is currently being used by another member on what might be the longest duration project thread yet.

Access to the forum is by request only and limited to the duration of the build project. At the completion of the project thread, when the member is satisfied with the content and formatting, the thread will be moved to the appropriate forum for all to see and admire. Access to the Pre-Articles forum will be removed until the member is ready for the next project thread.

For what it's worth, I agree and support wholeheartedly your opening two paragraghs. As a relatively 'newbie' I think this forum is very informative and well balances. My hat off to the administrators and contributors alike.