Off-Topic Discussion area removed

nothing but solid support from this corner!!!!! (and questions ) will General modeling discussion be formed into this new forum??? all forum games are eliminated as well??? will the general discussion be moved back to the top of the forum list???

About time Lawrence. I was very close to not coming to this site again, as I was getting sick of seeing posts about politics, war,etc. I completely agree in this move.

Thanks. (and I will be a regular visitor still to this site.)

I concur with this sentiment. An unfortunate situation that needed attention and I support your decision. Keep up the great work.

fsm, thanks. you show how much you care yet again. i (among others) really appreciate this. it makes us want to come back.

joe

Glad to see it go. I enjoyed it when it first started, but it has deteriorated to pure drivel & Hot Topics better left to other Politically oriented sites. I may take modeling more serious than others, but if your'e not interested in modeling why are you on this site ? Just hope you can follow through on keeping the new Odds & Ends Forum under control.

Regards, Rick

I too will support this. I do have some questions though. Will Fightnjoe still be able to toast those who reach a milestone? Will anyone be allowed to post the funny news stories (The missile on the golf course, ie)? I am sorry to see the OT go, but I do understand the need for it along with the reasoning behind it.

oh, one other thing: by holding over all those posts from OT, its gonna be hard to get away from all the senseless and political threads. I say go through the old OT and keep a couple threads over to start the new forum off.

I must say that this saddens me. What will go next? Not sure I'll enjoy this forum as much. Informative, sure, fun and entertaining, probably not. Guess I got some forum surfing to do. It was great getting to know some of you guys personally and not just getting to know your builds, I will miss that. See you around.

I certainly hope it won't become dull and boring, but as a "newer" guy (after the OT came in at least) you don't know what the feel was, when the forum was in its first year. I do, and I loved it!! I think that we can stilll have fun (like we did before the OT), but not with totally senseless posts and debates.

Call me silly, and I will agree that some of the posts were way overboard, but I always enjoyed some of the spirited discussions carried out on the OT thread. It's always interesting to share our opinions / thoughts about various subjects. What better way to get acquainted with ourselves when many of us will never have the opportunity to have a face-to-face sit down chit-chat. If I didn't like a topic, I didn't read it. If I didn't agree with someone's post, 99.9 times out of 100 I'd let it go with it being that person's right to voice their opinion. Occasionally, I'd throw in my 2 cents worth. They weren't right and they weren't wrong. They were simply expressing their opinions and beliefs. I'll miss the fun of the O/T thread.

Oh well...now I'll have to find another way to get to 10,000 posts

gotta agree with Murph on this one, i'll miss some of the debates and the funny links. (can we still have the funny links please, please, PLEASE?????).
Greg

if you look in the forum policy, they endorse humor and jokes.

i had read that bit, i was just having a bit of fun
cheers guys.
Greg

I do think that there is a need for an off topic area, it gives an insight into the forum members and with the worldwide nature of the forums, it gives everyone a sense of community and somewhere to post when you just want to let off steam or provide a bit of info that may amuse someone from the other side of the world.
As I am not a jet-setter, this gives me an oportunity to interract with like minded people from around the globe without travelling and meeting face to face.
I don`t want politics or religion, but just interaction between the forum members.
BTY Free holidays anywhere in the world would be appreciated.
IMHO, keep the off-topic going
Daveash

well all i gonna its a shame and i wont be using fsm any more bye bye , please could you remove me from the forum as a member

dissapointed about the ot's my mate seanrgb just emailed me he has just deleted his account

Wow! This seems to have really opened a hornet's nest. [:0]

I think the best alternative would have been to keep the OT forum and assign two or three senior members as moderators. That way if posts get out of hand the moderators can warn them, lock the thread, etc.

Oh well

Mike

If you guys want any pics I've posted or the Star Trek GB badge download them soon. It's been great guys see you around.

The problem with that, Mike, is that bad feeling can occur. "Just who is a senior member?" "What right does that guy or gal have to censor me?" etc. I've seen in happen in other forums.

Personally I seldom visited the off-topic forum. I saw the types of discussions going on there and figured that my time was better spent working on models than arguing about the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq

Still, the odds and ends area sounds pretty good.

Regards,

QUOTE: Originally posted by Lufbery The problem with that, Mike, is that bad feeling can occur. "Just who is a senior member?"

Someone who has been on the forums for quite a while and is respected.
That would have to be the choice of the owners of the web site.

QUOTE: "What right does that guy or gal have to censor me?" etc. I've seen in happen in other forums.

They would have the right assigned to them by the owners of this forum.
These forums are privately owned and are subject to the rules set forth by the webmaster, that gives them the right to enforce anything they please doesn't it?

Mike

I would like it if FSM would clarify what kinds of posts would be condoned.

Thanks,

Good move. No problems here.

Mike,

You said:

QUOTE: These forums are privately owned and are subject to the rules set forth by the webmaster, that gives them the right to enforce anything they please doesn't it?

Of course it does, and if the staff at FSM were to appoint a moderator from our ranks, I'd respect that authority or stop coming to the site. That's all fine.

My only point was that I've seen the kind of thing you describe go bad very quickly on other tightly-knit forums. One guy volunteered to be a moderator at pretty substantial flight sim forum. He apparently got angry easily and starting banning people who disagreed with him! He was somebody who'd been on the forum for a while and was well respected (up to that point, anyway).

On the flip side, I've also seen volunteer moderators work very well. I just wanted to insert a note of caution.

Regards,

Good points Drew. I agree.
That is why I said, "moderators" in that there could be checks and balances between the group. Oh well, it was just an idea.
I just hope we don't lose more members over this, but it seems inevitable.

Mike

I agree about the political stuff. I have tried to steer clear but curiosity got the best of me sometimes and I was swept in. I've found that some members 'positions' have changed the way I think of them and I consider that a unfortunate consequence. All in all, I don't mind the loss of that aspect....
However, I can't help feeling like I'm being 'policed'. Not for language, I agree with that, but for content.
Is an absurd post about PE problems considered frivolous? If a thread degrades into some jokes about anti-mime-mines does it get removed?
I haven't been to other forums but I've heard rumblings here regarding missinglynx, et al as being bolt-counters and too serious. I have been amazed at the lightheartedness and acceptance of FSM and fear it may be turning a corner.
There's a camraderie here that may suffer if we can't vent or joke about Otto Carius warming himself around a candle in a Australian pub.
Is the Cretin gone for good?

I came to this forum from another that I'll call forum X. I enjoyed my time on the other until the EXACT same thing happened on it. A handful of "modelers" got upset because they thought some of the posts were frivolous and inane. They threatened to jump ship and leave forum X if these "ignorant and stupid posts" didn't stop. So what happened? The webmaster went through and deleted all of the posts that he felt were "offensive" to said members. I had one post deleted because it was felt that it had no bearing on "serious" modelling. That was when I jumped ship and I haven't been back. When the censorship started, ALL feeling of comeraderie were gone. I have a feeling thats going to happen here also. Seangrb, woody, sahickerson are gone so is Shermanfreak, who else is going? who's next? I've seen this forum turn from a really good place to a so so place BECAUSE of the complaints of a very vocal few. There was nothing wrong with the OT. Nobody was forced to look in it, nobody was forced to read it. This is just so much BS.

I can see the point particularly where politics is concerned.Some posts where getting really heavy. I will miss the silliness though. Lost over here in Warsaw I looked foreward to hearing the funny stories happening in other peoples hang outs.

Congratulations on what i'm sure was a difficult & controversial decision......

a few of the topcs were interesting.........enlighening...........and provacative.......but, it only takes one or two to create a malignancy.

Yes,

...........curiosity drew me into the OT discussions also, and although some did get heated IN THERE, over in the Modeling threads, the same people would exchange idea's, photos of builds, and compliments with no apparent hard feelings or complaints. It was almost like... the OTF was a sanctuary where everyone could just be there self, you know, real life/world discussions and debates. It offered a place where I could pull up a stool beside the stove, with others of like mind, and be a part of the community when I am taking a break from modeling. Everybody needs a break once in a while.

I'll miss seeing Seangrb, woody, sahickerson, and Shermanfreak around however. It is sad that the complaints of a few whiners have to bring about such drastic change, and loss.

Politics, Religion, War etc etc.... those are subjects normally discussed amongst people who are concerned or just plain scared of all the things going on around them. Through the threads, insight is gained on both sides of an issue, which always made me breath a little bit easier, especially knowing that I am discussing them with Friends.... and like I said, tomorrow the same people would be comparing notes about a canopy or wheel strut on some kit that's giving them problems, in one of the Modeling groups.

A Moderator could insure no one resorts to cursing, or personal attacks...... but the owners have obviously made their choice, and I'll respect that.

Frank