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I'm going to resign from posting to all sections except the classified area when I have something to share for sale. I don't have time or energy to waste posting topics that might be helpful or interesting only have them destroyed by jealous overbearing guitar makers or anonymous jerks.
Problems that have been bothering me for some time.
1. Lack of constructive moderation to keep guitar construction topics on topic. I've mentioned several times having a split between general guitar talk and conversations specific guitar construction may prove useful to keep construction related topics from becoming bogged down in drama, personal infighting and interference from anonymous trouble makers.
2. Posters that don't contribute constructive dialog who use "handles" or nicknames without giving their identity. These posters often foment trouble by making rude, disruptive and hurtful comments without being held accountable for their actions. Posters who use their real names or include their real name in their profiles suffer because they have no recourse against such anonymous attacks. The argument for letting this type of bullying stand is weak. Those who are attacked by these cowards are asked to ignore them. That is like asking a rape victim to ignore the rapist. Rape is a violent sexual crime and and more serious than the fleas that bite you on the internet, but when you are trying to create conversations it creates the same the same feeling of helplessness at the hands of anonymous attacker. I'm not going tolerate it any longer. I have complained about El Carbonero ( and others) who continue to harass me even though I have reported the harassment. I should not have to deal with this type of anonymous attack, period anywhere any time. In a properly moderated forum the rules would be set to keep anonymous disturbers off the discussion board. It's an insult and disrespectful to guitar making to tolerate this nonsense.
3. Favoritism. The drama dept. is down the hall. Go sign up for some classes because your acting is pretty bad.
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The luthery section has become a waste of time and resources for me personally. I regret to say I will no longer share my time or projects. I've begun a moderated space elsewhere to discuss guitar making in a more focused and friendly context. Contact me if you are interested in participating.
RE: Resigning the board. (in reply to Erik van Goch)
That's a shame. Sad to say, I think your new forum will also get its cast of jerks. That just seems to be the way with online forums. They're not good for anything involving emotion or subtlety.
I was thinking of doing a spoof on the Morality Plays of the 16th century with characters like Counterfeit Countenance, Perseverance and Cloaked Collusion drawn from characters from this foro, but realised that I really should be doing something else.
Dealing with people in the forums is just like dealing with them in real life, there are many types, it doesn't mean you have to stop communicating. Also when it comes to forum aliases such as "tele" I see nothing wrong with it as long as I am not using it as excuse to do whatever nasties I want because nobody knows the real name... There's alot of offtopic in this board but so it is in just about every board because people like to discuss several things, I just dislike it when there's one page on topic and the next two about something else such as segovia or color of a guitar
Also written words appear so much more manifest, that one might be easier drawn into peripheral remarks that may have not been meant too seriously originally.
I like communication through written words, as it allows for sorting a bit in advance, as well as it helps reveal one´s skewed perception of a message when you re-read it. ( Similar to mistaking with perception of visuals and sound, as fallible reading can be too when on the fly.) But the obvious disadvantage of written communication is the lack of means for the author´s emphasis and mood.
Take it easy, Stephen. I think the rate of quality in terms of style and contents on the foro to be pretty good. In contrast you should have seen the plain rude, cynical and often useless postings on the early Steinberg forums where bovine imatures used to take the chance of jerking anonymously. ( It made me diss that board altogether after just one time of reading and clear problems directly with the company and sales personal. -Becoming first guy in Germany who managed to return Cubase. Hah!)
Maybe just take a sip of sake or so ( lucky you), imagine the irking posts as half as wild and keep communicating with the people behind the cyber melting pot. If there is someone harrassing, you can use the ignore function. I had it on for a while and it works ( unless you cheat like I would from time to time by reading blocked posts in the notification mails.)
You are sensible and it shows that you are alive. Much better than being morlock, I think.
I hope you change your mind and stay here. I enjoy your style of writing and caustic wit. Ignore the trolls and the panty waists who can't deal with a little ribald humor.
Let the truth be told. There are some pompous jerks on this forum who present themselves as if they could teach Paco De lucia about how to play and Manuel Ramirez about construction. (Would love to meet these idiots in person, but ofcourse, they wouldn't have the manly essentials to speak in the same manner. Instead they hide behind their computers.)
When I first joined, I posted a few topics inquiring about different guitars, etc. The amount of crap I got from the same few members was so rude and just plain childish that I decided to just be a lurker.
On the positive side, there a few members who I really pay attention to - Namely, Rombsix, Andy Culpepper and A_leo. They contribute meaningfully to the forum in a very professional manner and they are down-to-earth.
Stephen, I enjoy your contributions and this forum will be at a major loss without your membership. (I hope the Moderators wise up and change the way things are done in here.)
estabanana is a luthier , and has a good reputation , which is something every one needs and can get by working hard at it.
I do not think that it is a good idea on this , or any thread, to start saying names of people who are good , or people who are bad ..this cannot lead to a good discussion ..IMO
While I have read many of Estabannas posts and like to read/ see the work of the luthiers here , I do think it is strange and possibly not a good idea to actually open a thread dedicated to leaving the foro.
For a minute I thought "resigning" was a luthier technique, and checking in to see if "board" was fingerboard or soundboard. This is WAY OFF TOPIC...although I enjoy all the name dropping, that is fun.
I have looked through several threads that you started in the past few months and can only find one member who made two not-so-nice (but not terribly inappropriate) remarks in 2 of your threads. All the other comments were on topic. You have made public comments before about leaving the foro. Why not go directly to Simon and state you complaints without these public temper tantrums? I think you are hurting yourself professionally by carrying on like this. It appears to me that you are guilty of many of the things you accuse others of doing. You have had strong words and rude comments for others here and have gotten away with it. I'm a strong proponent of more moderation on this forum, but one must lead by example and help moderate what one says. What you contribute should not depend on how many compliments or hits you get-it should be something you want to do. If you need more than that, perhaps you should look inward for a solution.
I also hope you'll decide to stick around. You're a valuable member here and it would be a shame to lose you. If nobody will moderate the trolls, you can always just block them so you don't have to read their messages.
I know of only one web forum where the standard of behavior is that of civilized society. It is for owners and fans of Nikon camera equipment. It has more than a quarter of a million members, and a large team of very active moderators. Even the very slightest deviation from topic, politeness or helpfulness is immediately addressed, often publicly. The moderators are firm but polite and friendly.
The forum costs money to join. There are various levels of membership. I vaguely recall mine is $75 per year. The forum was founded by a prosperous Mexican businessman who studied in the USA at a prestigious university, and a German, also well off. They met on another photography forum. They corresponded privately and bemoaned the often petty behavior on photography forums. They decided to start their own forum, and to be sure it was rigorously policed.
My impression is that the large crew of moderators devotes almost full time to the job. Certainly on the subforums where I participate (mostly lurking) they respond very promptly to correct mistaken info, or to supply info if no one else does.
But it's absolutely the only internet forum I have come across where the standard of behavior even remotely approaches the politeness I would expect in person from most of my friends.
Other forums range from occasional jackassery to complete zoos. I find a very small number of members here pretty annoying. I'm sure I annoy some people as well. But I put up with the annoyance for two reasons. One is that the content and socializing here outweigh the negative aspects. The other is that I like being reminded of the tremendous diversity of human behavior, as long as it doesn't get completely our of hand.
Simon seems to have plenty to do to make a living. I think he keeps things at a fairly reasonable level here, compared to the savagery and looniness of unmoderated forums.
The internet brings out the undesirable sides of many personalities. People can say stuff that would get them assaulted in real life, or laughed at, or ostracized, and can keep on doing it. It seems to be the price we pay for life on the internet.
ORIGINAL: Richard Jernigan The moderators are firm but polite and friendly.
The forum costs money to join. There are various levels of membership. I vaguely recall mine is $75 per year. The forum was founded by a prosperous Mexican businessman who studied in the USA at a prestigious university, and a German, also well off. They met on another photography forum. They corresponded privately and bemoaned the often petty behavior on photography forums. They decided to start their own forum, and to be sure it was rigorously policed.
RNJ
When you pay money to write on a board you don't want to lose your membership
the only internet forum I have come across where the standard of behavior even remotely approaches the politeness
I suppose you can only really make that comment justified if you had visited every internet forum ... however point taken .. I think here most of the members are self governing, and thats what makes it good as oppose to 'Big Brother ' stuff ..
I have stopped posting Saturday night after drinking at 2 a.m. as thats my most annoying state .....
quote:
they respond very promptly to correct mistaken info,
I gave up doing that , folk around here dont like that at all ... nope ..
I'm gonna find your Nikon camera equipment forum ...join ....drop my pants then start a fight ....cant let them get away with an unblemished record....I'll post 2 a.m. This Saturday , if I remember ......