Can we have a forum forum to discuss the forum?

just make your own :o)

i’d better ascertain whether you’re serious

of course he was serious!

Points taken and i agree with your view Mark, everyone has opinions and discussion can be healthy.

One point though the top of the forum list says “topic Author” but it should say “last post by” as thats what its showing. Just a nit pick sorry!

of course he was serious!

thanks simon, but he has a keyboard, right?

I was serious. He didn’t break a particular rule at that time but the culmination of his previous posts and then finally the one that broke the camels back, caused me to act. It was a typical rant about our use of advertising which you may be aware is a particular bugbear of simon’s. If you want to assign a particular rule to his banning it would be our catchall rule of negative use of the forum. But in all honesty I, and others here, had simply had enough of his constant ‘digs’ at our advertising policy and in particular how it was possible to set up a browser to mask them. So he was banned. And here at the office blood pressures fell for 8 hours (especially mine) and we all felt better for it. Now Simon is particularly careful when the topic of advertising crops up and considering his previous views on the matter, we think that is a good thing. And to be clear on that point, the topic of advertising per se is not an issue but the topic of how to mask or disable ads on our website is one we do not allow to take place on this forum for really quite blindingly obvious reasons.

Could we have a little peace returned to the forum. It’s always such a happy place. We don’t need all this bickering when everything in the big bad world is going to pot.

The STW cheers me up every day!

I’ll shut up now.

Thank you. 😀

Mark, I have a considerable sympathy with anyone attempting to moderate a ënet forum. Itís a thankless task, the only certainty being youíll never please everyone.

You gave very clear, unambiguous and frank posting guidelines in your Our policy on… post. Which you then completely undermined with your You pissed me off! So I picked on you and made a special rule just for you at that particular time. commentary.

So which is it? Should I quake in my boots at somehow pressing one of your buttons? Or should I read the words on your original post, abide by them, and post within those guidelines?

Frankly, I donít give a hoot over your advertising policy. Anyone taking pot shots at your commercial operation deserves anything you care to throw at them. I do care when you appear to speak with the voice of a measured rational individual in one post and the voice an angry petulant individual in the next. Inconsistency worries me.

Please, clarify the situation.

Just to help you out, ro, I’m sure it will be quite clear when you’re about to get a ban in the way sfb did. IIRC he even got a warning shot across the bow, but in any case it was pretty obvious what was coming, even to sfb, but he still couldn’t resist the final post which resulted in the ban!

Yes… he was warned.. Yes, he pushed my buttons.. I got pissed off and banned him. That’s because I and all the moderators are human, no apologies there. Like aracer said above, those that watched it happen saw it coming and very few people had any sympathy other than those that liked to watch Simon stir things up, as he is want to do.

So, you can call it inconsistent if you like but he still deserved it. Simon is a master at keeping just the right side of the rules ‘technically’ but he has a real and admirable talent at doing so with maximum irritation. It’s a genuine talent he has. Many have said to me that I shouldn’t let him or others like him wind me up and I should ignore it. All I know is that for 8 hours after I banned him I had a sense of peace and calm at work.

One point though the top of the forum list says “topic Author” but it should say “last post by” as thats what its showing. Just a nit pick sorry!

no, it’s now ‘topic author’ because that’s what everyone asked for. This is not an invite for everyone to ask for more.

very few people had any sympathy other than those that liked to watch Simon stir things up, as he is want to do.

Even those of us who like watching him do that had little sympathy – an emotion which is largely wasted on sfb anyway!

That’s because I and all the moderators are human, no apologies there.

I didn’t request an explanation or an apology. I asked for clarification on the forum posting guidelines.

So, you can call it inconsistent if you like.

I do, and I have, because that it what it is.

Many have said to me that I shouldn’t let him or others like him wind me up and I should ignore it.

I would agree with the ‘many’.

However, that does nothing to assuage my confusion. Am I bound by your rational or too-easily-wound-up persona when posting here?

Mark, it’s a serious question and I’d appreciate a considered response.

Mark, the forum says “author” and displays the name of the last poster. Can you have a look at it once you stop defending the right decision which you made despite wrong reasoning behind it? Thanks.

It’s correct now. Lovely!

old forum was better and would be good to see it up again. but, don’t take it all to heart and do as OP says and segregate everything or it’ll end up like this….
http://www.mtb-news.de/forum/index.php

very german, alles in ordnung

J

I like the new Forum. Only thing i’m not a huge fan of is when you click a link it takes you away from STW, and onto the link, rather it open the link in a new window.

🙂

Right Click

druidh – Member
Right Click

But that is hassle 😉

Oh yes – not noticed that before, will. Can’t believe it’s a huge coding change to add that in (IIRC in HTML it’s something like “target=_blank”)

Not that much hassle to middle click, or Ctrl click if you’re using a modern tabbing browser though.

ut in any case it was pretty obvious what was coming, even to sfb, but he still couldn’t resist the final post which resulted in the ban!

being told not to do something or else obligates me to do it straight away :o)

but he has a real and admirable talent at doing so with maximum irritation

I don’t even know why I do it – perhaps it is just my inherent vocation. It may be that it forces people to reveal their true nature.

All I know is that for 8 hours after I banned him I had a sense of peace and calm at work.

it was worth it then 🙂

yes it was and like I said at the time it was as much a cathartic action as a moderation one 🙂

Ro?
I’d say go and look at the thread in question and form your own opinion. But that’s gone – bugger.

But I don’t think you as much want a clarification as an argument. It’s a forum. behave yourself and you are fine. Deliberately annoy people and you are not. It’s not rocket science.

Hairychested – Member
Mark, the forum says “author” and displays the name of the last poster. Can you have a look at it once you stop defending the right decision which you made despite wrong reasoning behind it? Thanks.

Posted 59 minutes ago #
Hairychested – Member
It’s correct now. Lovely!

Posted 57 minutes ago #

It’s not working here. Am I doing something wrong?

Sorry, it is half working. On the main page it shows the author, but when you go to the individual forums it still shows the last poster.

It’s a change we have recently made so it’s likely a cache issue. But Tom will correct me if that’s wrong.

It’s a change we have recently made so it’s likely a cache issue. But Tom will correct me if that’s wrong.

It was not cache, it was a stupidity issue. fixed.

Is there any chance of searches finding words <4 chars? Searching per forum? A few more search features at least – seeing as we’ll have no ammunition for the “USE THE SEARCH” people (like myself) if we cant moan at newbies legitimately not searching.

Mark: You pissed me off!

No swear filter then? 😉

Tom: It was not cache, it was a stupidity issue. fixed.

I like that sort of honesty 🙂

As Mark is observing this topic I’m just going to quickly say what I miss?
I know things are still in creation mode but some things evolved nicely.
Having the option of having replies noted – i.e. recieving an e-mail to say you have a response.
The topics being put in intitial posting order – I know where to find them and don’t miss any. I know someone else earlier mentioned it too. Perhaps this can be a future ‘option’ like Outlook Express columns.
I don’t have a Mac Mr/Ms. druidh, but those with one can’t right click. I did like the pop up in a new tab.
These are of course preferences and I shall still visit even if you deliberately ignored me.

Now that the author of a thread is shown, I kind of miss the last author 🙂 I think it’s just because I’ve got used to it over the last week or so.

I always disliked the fact that links opened in a new window, so I prefer the new method.

I like the fact that the most recent replies come to the top as you can keep tbs on your favs easily. I do miss the tabs for each forum as its a pain albeit a small one having to go back to change forums.

Can’t work my way through all the above but it does strike me that (and you don’t half see this on other forums) that some people see a forum as a electronic Speakers corner. Open to all. They aint and any moderator should have total freedom to do what the hell they like. It’s their ball etc. I always reckon this forum is well run. Anyway if anyone doesn’t like it they can always goes elsewhere.

but i got nowhere else to go!!

It’s their ball etc

but, as I pointed out, our attention is paying them, so the situation is more complex. With good will it works fine, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t entitled to monitor their performance and comment on it.

But I don’t think you as much want a clarification as an argument.

Mark, don’t sit at your keyboard and tell me what I do or don’t want. It’s condescending and, in this instance, completely incorrect.

You were asked, in your position as moderator, to answer a simple direct question relating to a statements you made – unprompted by me – on this thread.

You ignored my question, twice, and repeated a ‘defense’ of an action about which I’m neither interested nor care. If I’m taking the time to come and post here – just as I take the time to search out and buy your magazine in Bangkok or Singapore when I visit – I do care about what I may say and how I may express myself.

I’m a customer. Treat me like one, not like some wandering ninny you stumbled over on the way to an important meeting.

Please. Answer. The. Bloody. Question.

I’ve forgotten the question 🙁

the reason you forget things, simon, is because you’re aging.

don’t stress, little one, just accept it’s natures way of telling you your end is fast approaching.

best move on to full suspension bikes now. you know it makes sense….

Give me a T give me a ro give me a LL !

I think Mark explained himself just fine ro, if you continued like this to the landlord of my local pub he’d have put you out the back doors on your bum by now 🙂

Ha, this has made me laugh.

In the real world (say a pub or cafe) you also pay the owner & the staff’s wages.

They also reserve the right to refuse service if you are being a cock.

Simple really.

HTH

:-)Yay, the buttons are back
😕 Boo, the Search has vanished

the reason you forget things, simon, is because you’re aging

wrong. I’ve been absent minded since I was 6. Anyway, I suspect you’ve forgotten too as you’ve not reiterated it