diy solar

diy solar

Threads going Off Topic & Other Forum issues

svetz said:
Should moderators be held to higher standards? If we do, will we have any moderators left?
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Only in the respect that they control the forum from going to the dark side. Mods don't have to be more knowledgeable than anyone lese in the ways of the the tech. It would be nice, but certainly not required. Mods are there to keep posts above board. This means not only for foul or off color content, or moving posts to more correct sub forums, but also being aware of things like copyright. So far, most here have done it right, a simple line or two quote form the original source with a link to the actual article included, and credit to the originator. Copy/paste of an entire article gets people very upset, and they go after the owner of the forum. This I know from personal experience on another forum.
 
Example. I used to be in a Jeep Renegade forum over on that Book of Face. EVERY DAY someone posted "What kind of gas mileage are you getting?" WHY?? WHY??? You don't have the exact model I do. We don't live the same life. I don't drop kids at school and do 3-4 mile errands all day long. Unless the cars are exact and the daily routine is the same, my gas mileage is a moot point. Is knowing my mileage somehow going to affect yours?

It was that and "How often should I change the oil?" And I once replied "What does your user manual say?" And for that reply I was chastised as "not being helpful." To which I replied "Not reading the manual to him is somehow not being helpful? Should I go to his house and drive his car to the oil change for him too?" And then I quit the forum. It was one stupid, inane question after another EVERY DAY as new people joined and didn't take the time to read the posts before posting "Should I use synthetic oil" AGAIN!!!!

And that's when forums get frustrating. When people are too lazy to read.
 
svetz said:
I've seen a few members express concerns over threads that go off topic. What do you think and what would you like moderators to do about it if anything?
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If a thread's title suggests a question or answer about a particular item, but the content is a stream of messages about something unrelated, the visitor feels they've been clickbaited and the whole forum loses value.
We might expect the original poster to try to keep to topic, but if the thread strays for too long a moderator should ask contributors to keep to topic or start a new thread.
If the OP agrees it may be appropriate to change the title, so that newcomers or anyone using a search won't feel cheated.
I don't see this as 'censorship', but keeping the forum's value high.
 
brianlowe said:
If a thread's title suggests a question or answer about a particular item, but the content is a stream of messages about something unrelated, the visitor feels they've been clickbaited and the whole forum loses value.
We might expect the original poster to try to keep to topic, but if the thread strays for too long a moderator should ask contributors to keep to topic or start a new thread.
If the OP agrees it may be appropriate to change the title, so that newcomers or anyone using a search won't feel cheated.
I don't see this as 'censorship', but keeping the forum's value high.
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There also comes a point when there's really not that much more to say that's on topic. I don't mind a humorous quip every now and then. In fact I post a good number of them myself.
 
eddie1261 said:
Example. I used to be in a Jeep Renegade forum over on that Book of Face. EVERY DAY someone posted "What kind of gas mileage are you getting?" WHY?? WHY???
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Sorry to be literal, I can think of three reasons, first is they honestly don't understand that different driving conditions affect mileage, secondly that they're being social and using that as a conversational ice breaker, sort of a "Think it'll rain today?" The last one is they've been hired by your ex-wife to stalk you... ;)
 
Thank you to everyone that has posted to make their feelings known!

It sorta feels we're at the half-way point and the thread has morphed a bit from the original topic to more of what can/should we do about the problems. As Brian suggested I'll update the thread subject to reflect that.

Anyway, to bring if full cycle and cover the different areas we have members who:
  • love the forums as it's a place to discuss a topic they love and they can learn from one another
  • get frustrated and quit forums because of dumb questions.
  • hate it when threads wander
  • hate it when quotes are subquoted/altered
  • can't stand it when members are rude
  • There's a concern some members won't participate if they feel it's a hostile environment.
  • Dislike thread subject lines that lack clarity
The moderators currently only delete posts that are threatening or offensive (or reported posts might be as those obviously bothered someone) and issue warnings leading to bans.

It "feels" like the pitch on the table that moderator's delete/move posts to keep threads on track is a slippery slope and too heavy handed. Not sure about the other stuff that has come up in the bullet list above but look forward to your thoughts.
 
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My opinion....
svetz said:
  • love the forums as it's a place to discuss a topic they love and they can learn from one another Agree.
  • get frustrated and quit forums because of dumb questions. Don't quit, maybe just become less responsive.
  • hate it when forums threads wander Nope.
  • hate it when quotes are subquoted/altered See above.... ?
  • can't stand it when members are rude A bit harsh, but yes.
  • There's a concern some members won't participate if they feel it's a hostile environment. Agree.
  • Dislike thread subject lines that lack clarity Eh. If the thread isn't what you expect, there's no obligation to continue reading. You can always hover over the thread and the first few lines will be shown without actually having to open the thread, to see if it's what you expect.
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"So each one of you agrees to disagree with what ever the other one agrees with, but if you both disagree with the same thing, aren't you really in agreement?" ......Norton Juster ;) ✌
 
svetz said:
Spent the night thinking about some of the rudeness/insults in this and other threads. No solutions, but it does make me want to stop being a moderator.

Rudeness/insults derails threads and makes the environment seem hostile. It's also pretty clear that there are those that are willing to be rude regardless of the consequences and there are those who are repeat offenders and those who I believe are genuinely sorry for a momentary frustration.
And what about those posts that aren't outright rude/insulting in context, but fool no one regarding the covert war they're engaged in?

It's sad to see this in something that Will created to help people. Is there a way to break the cycle?

As much as I hate the thought, perhaps it is a moderator's job to delete posts perceived to be rude or insulting as they come across them and issue a warning. Perhaps a 3 strikes policy and then ban them? That would also mean deleting or editing other member's posts to remove references to the rudeness. Let's hear what you all think.

Finally, one member wrote:


Should moderators be held to higher standards? If we do, will we have any moderators left?
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the best mods can do is delete offensive comments.
I have no problem with any member insulting me. I am a tad oblivious and accidentally argue with people. I do my best to be helpful.
And I understand when someone is trolling a thread, it is SO HARD to avoid fighting with them...
my advice is to have a hard shell about trolls. Ignoring is easiest.
Bad information or dangerous information should be corrected, but insulting a member, or using vulgar language will get deleted.
mostly though... we delete spam.
 
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Crocodile tears .
If you learn to moderate and not react ,that would be a good start. If you interfere with every thread, which some of you are doing now, then the forum loses. People want free expressions of questions and opinions without feeling belittled because they don't know . They want answers to specific questions at times because they don't know. That's why these forums exist

OK, if you as a Moderator knows the answer , let someone else have a go and only put your two bobs worth in if there are no answers after say a week.

I noticed that there was quite a long list of posts without an answer after a week and started replying just to say Hi . There were too many to continue on with so I gave it away.
 
b.james said:
Still just clowning around.
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Took the liberty of moving this post from here as it seems a simple misunderstanding and so as to not derail the other thread further.

In the post where I said another post helped you there was a reference to this link. From that link we have:

svetz said:
... Hope that helps.
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b.james said:
Yes it does svetz Thanks...
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I do see however how you could be upset with me for that given your later thoughts, and so I offer you my apology.
 
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Rider said:
This is what I'm seeing too. But rather than commenting about it, I see the folks with knowledge are not jumping in and offering as much help as they had originally. It's obvious the people asking questions haven't looked at the forum at all, not aware the Learning section is there, looked at the multitudes of videos out there. So much easier just to say, "Tell me what to do." and let someone else do the work.

Many of us are more than willing to offer help and suggestions, but when the same questions are asked over and over and over again, it gets tedious.
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This will never stop, because it's human nature. People get excited about such a cool forum and want to dive in right away with a post. Or, as in my case, I OFTEN find conflicting information, and seek clarity. It may seem like a dumb question to a solar expert, but often dumb questions spark more interesting conversations that provide additional clarity.

When the folks with knowledge stop answering "dumb" questions, someone with less knowledge will answer. Which is better? I think the mods job should include handling the dumb questions, even if it's just a link to the answer. What I like(d) most about this forum was that it seemed like a safe space to ask anything. I think Will intended it to be that way.

Just my 2 watts. I love it here and am thankful for everyone.
 
New Mexico Will said:
... I think the mods job should include handling the dumb questions, even if it's just a link to the answer....
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I like to think everyone would do this this as they come across any post where someone was looking for help. Moderators can't be everywhere, only have so much time, aren't any more of a "solar expert" than the next guy, and a lot of the time they do have to contribute winds up being consumed dealing with "reports" or trying to organize information so it's useful. A lot of members already do this, I hope they feel the environment is safe enough to continue to do so. Except for a few hiccups here and there, I'd say the members have been doing a fantastic job.
 
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svetz said:
I like to think everyone would do this this as they come across any post where someone was looking for help. Moderators can't be everywhere, only have so much time, aren't any more of a "solar expert" than the next guy, and a lot of the time they do have to contribute winds up being consumed dealing with "reports" or trying to organize information so it's useful. A lot of members already do this, I hope they feel the environment is safe enough to continue to do so. Except for a few hiccups here and there, I'd say the members have been doing a fantastic job.
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I very much agree!
 
b.james said:
How were you appointed? Are you employees ? Are you somehow related ?
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Mostly, moderators get appointed because they are willing to spend some of their free time to help the administrator with chores that would otherwise consume all of the time, or get neglected. I don’t know svetz, he(or she) doesn’t know me. I have no idea how he got his appointment. Probably the same as me.
Will accepted my offer to help out.
that’s it.
I have a good track record moderating other forums I use. Free help is hard to find, and a forum with hundreds, or thousands of members and threads is nigh impossible to handle alone. On sites I use, and love, I offer to moderate. Mostly to ban spam bots... ugh those are hard to keep out!
but also to make the forum a safe place for members to feel comfortable asking questions without being berated for stupidity or getting insulted or whatever.
I will look at every reported post, and I harshly deal justice to members that insult other members.
If some question comes up I can answer, I do. If anybody doesn't agree with something I post, I am not bothered by it at all. If something I post is incorrect, I take no offense with anybody pointing it out. I like to learn and will till the day I die.
I follow the forum rules, and hope all members do the same.
 
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