complaints

[MY littleboat]

This forum is much more than a forum and many members meet up regularly - indeed we even have official meets and to that end I see the mods as more 'committee members' and although they do a good job on the forum, I feel that if they cannot interface with the other members then it is time for them to move over and give their chair on the team to other members who are balanced, can fit in with the team and give their time to the forum

Looking at the Birthday Bash, so far only David has popped his name down and there is most definitely a North and South split here and this type of event is exactly the type of event that will break that down,

Likewise the Beccles meet also had only one moderator attending..

So please, let me put this out there...should the moderators attend more.. I will pop this as a seperate post as members comments will be most interesting on this point!

[Paladin]

I think you need to establish exactly what it is you want. Do you want an Internet discussion forum, which this is at present, or do you want a members' club (with a members discussion board), with an elected committee, constitution etc, to which members have to subscribe financially (more properly known as an unincorporated association).

At present, the mods are appointed by some method unknown to me. Are you proposing elections to those roles? If so, who will run them, how will votes be cast?

[MY littleboat]

I think you need to establish exactly what it is you want. Do you want an Internet discussion forum, which this is at present, At present, the mods are appointed by some method unknown to me. Are you proposing elections to those roles? If so, who will run them, how will votes be cast?

No I dont believe this is a discussion only forum as many members meet each other regularly and also newcomers arrange to meet others on their travels via the forum, it is a forum of people who openly promote a common interest and many new members are 'recruited' by those out and about welcoming newcomers, as we once were, to NBN - What I havent suggested is a club of any sort although, bacause we do have OFFICIAL events etc then maybe we should have these at least attended where possible by those in the team as lately these events especially have been poorly attended by the mods (Obviously commitments occasionly prevent all of them attending) , but I also do feel there is an inbalance of team members at the moment. For the record I feel that on the whole the moderators are very good at what they do on open forum but often post up similar points in open forum and my suggestion is only to broaden the interest in the forum rather than criticize it

My point is asking an open question to find out what other forum members feel in light of the comments that were posted above and also in light of recent threads - to that end I have moved my comments to another post to keep the 'complaints' thread just that.

The new thread on this topic is here;

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=10889

[Paladin]

Well, this is very 'them and us', isn't it. You've posted into a section that is only for limited viewing. I'll let you get on with it behind closed doors then.

[jimbo]

"we do have OFFICIAL events etc then maybe we should have these at least attended where possible by those in the team as lately these events especially have been poorly attended by the mods (Obviously commitments occasionly prevent all of them attending) "

Not totally accurate Gav as I believe half the team were in attendance at the spring meet. As yet I am waiting for leave to be granted for the Birthday bash, so won't commit until I have the green light

[Guest]

I think you need to establish exactly what it is you want. Do you want an Internet discussion forum, which this is at present, or do you want a members' club (with a members discussion board)

Both (please), if that's another choice as well.

I view and post on a wide variety of forums, about the Broads , boating, and other specialist interests.

The "Club" aspect seems to have become the major interest on most of the Norfolk Broads forums, though it is much rarer with the wide majority of Internet forums.

I'm not much of a "Club" person myself, but I value the information I can get from forums like this, and try to reciprocate wherever possible if I can possibly help anyone else. I have to admit, I often change my own personal view on things after reading some of the replies from sometimes more informed people on here.

Genuine first hand knowledge and experience is the true value of a forum, and is a real upside to the Internet, as valuable as email.

It would be a shame if non-"Club" members were ever excluded, I believe there's a quite a few of us....

[MY littleboat]

Not totally accurate Gav as I believe half the team were in attendance at the spring meet. As yet I am waiting for leave to be granted for the Birthday bash, so won't commit until I have the green light

Yes I have that in mind and it will be good to see you at the Birthday Bash, however, my view is that the official meets should be at more accessible venues such as Beccles etc, however, I thoroughly enjoyed last years Spring meet but still would like to see the moderator base widened slightly now, hence the open nature of the comment.. maybe the reciprocal thread can be moved from the members area to open forum, I was just unsure as whether the discussion was better suited to the MA.

[RedRover]

This forum is much more than a forum and many members meet up regularly - indeed we even have official meets and to that end I see the mods as more 'committee members' and although they do a good job on the forum, I feel that if they cannot interface with the other members then it is time for them to move over and give their chair on the team to other members who are balanced, can fit in with the team and give their time to the forum

Looking at the Birthday Bash, so far only David has popped his name down and there is most definitely a North and South split here and this type of event is exactly the type of event that will break that down,

Likewise the Beccles meet also had only one moderator attending..

So please, let me put this out there...should the moderators attend more.. I will pop this as a seperate post as members comments will be most interesting on this point!

Hi,Gavin in your request for more moderators to attend meets,i don't think you realise but there were 4 mods at the salhouse meet and there is going to be at least 2 mods or more at the birthday bash including me,i think it is unfair of you to suggest that not enough mods attend meets as a lot of them live far far away and in the current fuel climate find it difficult to attend.It seems like to me that you would like to be a mod am i right?? maybe you don't know who all the mods are.

[Dan]

Looking at it another way, as a moderator attending the spring meet it was a shame to not see many members!

I think one of the teams strengths is its diversity of characters. Being a socialite shouldn't need to be one of them. If people cannot or do not wish to attend that's up to them, they can still and do make a valuable contribution in my opinion.

I think sometimes its forgotten that moderating is not a job at a limited company or a PLC. A moderator isn't an area manager that everyone has to see, it's great some people meet up - just as on many forums, especially the Broadland ones, but it's not compulsory and nor should it ever be in my mind.

I dont think the forums faceless, but it cant be what everyone wants as everyone wants different.

Enjoy it for what it is and contribute as much or as little as you feel comfortable with sounds good & pretty fair to me

All the best

Dan

[MY littleboat]

As I've said before, the comment was posted following reading what was written above and on another post - to bring other members comments rather than defence from the mods as I am in no way attacking nor criticizing those currently in the chair as we have a very well modded forum, and Dan you are absolutely right. But I must say one thing "Take it for what it is and contribute etc" - Like many things it is a growing entity and in order to survive must evolve as the membership evolves surely?

Barry - regarding the Spring Meet, many comments were made at the time that it excluded alot of members because of location - and I also realise fuel is very expensive.

I think I'm being taken the wronng way a little in that I find this forum somewhat different from others that I am a member of as it is far more social and to that end and in respect of posts that were posted over the last week or so, I feel that if the mods knew some of the posters and vice versa we would avoid the clash that happened this week with one member wishing to leave - regardless of the politics of that post, maybe (and it is just maybe) the poster may have been m ore diplomatic in their views and inversely the replies may have quelled the bad feeling earlier - it may NOT, but it was just a thought and led to an open conversation as it seems this topic has come up on a number of occasions before

I honestly believe that this is the best forum representing everyone who has an interest in the Broads and many members advertise it enthusiastically to others and it is always great to see them pop up as new members, but in the future we need more members to keep the forum lively and exciting, to prevent it becoming stagnant and more importantly maintain the revenue from advertising etc to keep the site development going forward and in order to do this people have different views and I am just throwing this one into the pot!

[RedRover]

Barry - regarding the Spring Meet, many comments were made at the time that it excluded alot of members because of location .

It excluded some members but most of the broads Forum members with boats keep them on the northern rivers it just disapointed me that so many Northern boaters decided not to turn up whatever the weather. And the way i see it could turn into predominently southern meets in the future if the Northern based boaters cannot be bothered to turn up, I am southern based and have MADE an effort to turn up at the meets up north many times.

[Paladin]

I feel that if the mods knew some of the posters and vice versa we would avoid the clash that happened this week

Unfortunately, most people don't know the posters and only read what is posted. As with any text-based method of communication, body-language and personality are absent. The use of smilies is no substitute.

A poster might write something that he would say to his mates, knowing that his mates would know where he's coming from and might even agree with him. Not every member of this forum, or others who are not members but who nevertheless read the posts, are his mates and might well feel aggrieved or offended by such posts.

It's no good saying that if you don't like what's being posted, don't read it. Until it's been read, it's impossible to say whether a post is acceptable or not.

[MY littleboat]

Barry - regarding the Spring Meet, many comments were made at the time that it excluded alot of members because of location .

It excluded some members but most of the broads Forum members with boats keep them on the northern rivers it just disapointed me that so many Northern boaters decided not to turn up whatever the weather. And the way i see it could turn into predominently southern meets in the future if the Northern based boaters cannot be bothered to turn up, I am southern based and have MADE an effort to turn up at the meets up north many times.

And I agree Barry, I too did the same last year and I would have at least attended if I had been in the UK this year as you know

[Stranger]

hi Jill whats happened to Daytona-bills posts

[NorfolkNog]

hi Jill whats happened to Daytona-bills posts

He seems to have disappeared from the members list

[Antares_9]

He's banned from this forum.

[Stranger]

and why is that David

[Antares_9]

We never disclose stuff like that, how would you like your business discussed in public, it would be a breach of confidence, nothing will be served by discussing it further.

[MY littleboat]

David, I'm sorry to hear about that news. Are all his previous posts intact? Although sometimes many disagreed with his posts, they often formed a great basis of debate and as such were a valuable contribution.

Sad to hear this news

[Antares_9]

Yes they are Gav

[MY littleboat]

Yes they are Gav

That's good as they have formed a framework of some good debate. Would also echo the points about reasons etc on the forum. Apart from the legal and professional implications It would be quite wrong to post comment of any sort when there is no right of reply.

[BuffaloBill]

I too am sorry to hear this.

Last year he 'left' of his own accord but eventually came back.

Some of his comments have been a little controversial but

always generated a good debate, as has been said.

I'm sure it was felt he maybe overstepped the mark but it is

up to the admins to decide where that boundary is.

Iv'e no idea what the subject was about, so can't comment

other than what I said at the beginning.

Bill

[Antares_9]

That's good as they have formed a framework of some good debate. Would also echo the points about reasons etc on the forum. Apart from the legal and professional implications It would be quite wrong to post comment of any sort when there is no right of reply.

Indeed Gav, and it is admin that suffer because of our own refusal to move from respecting confidentiality and not discuss such issues, it means that only one side of a story can be heard, but we have to live with that as respecting confidentiality is sacrosanct here, as I said, no point in discussing it as there can be no "informed" discussion.

[Stranger]

seems like the begining of a decline to me

[pks1702]

I don't agree with you Dave this site has always taken a very even handed view on things.

The moderating team have pledged confidentiality so to snipe when they can't defend is a bit of a poor show in my view.

Stay if you want but if you don't like it don't; we all have a choice in life.