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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 13, 2007 11:36:35 GMT -8
Nice summation of the matter....I agree with your conclusion.
It's interesting to note that it was this same "Robert" who was interviewed by The Province newspaper, after a freighter grounded at Stanley Park, a few months ago. He, and his WorldSocietyOfShips colleages just happened to be on the Lions Gate Bridge taking ship pictures at the time.
It's also because of him that I learned of the shipspotting.com website and forum.
It's too bad that he's not easier to work-with here.
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Post by Mike C on Jan 13, 2007 12:05:51 GMT -8
I couldn't agree more.
Robert: It's good to see that your continual interest in ships has brought you as far as this. However, on the other hand, you have declined every offer of assistance in making your posts more legible. FURTHERMORE, you seem to over-react when offered of this assistance, as you interpret it as a personal offence. Then you leave, and return, as what Fenklebaum mentioned, sad and woeful.
I'm sorry, but it had to be said.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,177
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Post by Neil on Jan 13, 2007 13:33:40 GMT -8
Maybe it also has to be said that this fellow has probably had enough lecturing from us. Also, to bcinnj, I feel uncomfortable when people volunteer information about others, including any suggestions that may leave the impression of someone having a learning disability. Although I realize your intentions were benign.
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Post by Starbucks Queen on Jan 13, 2007 16:28:58 GMT -8
I think, that bad styles of posting like that should not be accepted here, at all ! As it does bring the quality of the forum down, and this just because of disrespect and a careless attitude.
I personally enjoy reading the forum, and members no matter whether they are working for BCF, WSF - are very young, or older enthusiasts are putting their efforts and pictures on, and share their enthusiasm.
So I do think, if there are just a few individuals, who do simply not CARE - and are rude as well, if someone tries to help, it does not have to be accepted.
As well I say "careless attitude" and not "learning difficulties" - as if that person can install a computer, use it - read the manuals that are needed - it's a rather cheap excuse not to be able to do a proper post.
I don't know how many people who don't have English as their motherlanguage are reading this here, besides me I know of two. But if this is the case you are getting lost easily if there is slang used and too many abbreviations.
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Post by Coastal Drought on Jan 13, 2007 21:09:54 GMT -8
Here's a post from the world of www.bigfootforums.com/index.php?act=idx. (insert laughter here). This post is typical of the poster, and what makes it a problem is that it's so tough to read. I don't mind the spelling mistakes, as lots of people have spelling problems and we can usually figure out what they are saying as they are writing phonetically (sic?). But it's the use of the 1 big paragraph style that kills me. It would be so much easier to read, if this fellow would just chop it up a bit into some smaller portions. That's what paragraphs are for. It gives the reader a chance to stop, breathe, reflect, continue. This particular poster sounds like it's one big breath of details, and that's why I think it's a bad post. =============================== Thats funny Dan !! Ok lets just start from the begining I moved out here 3 years ago I am in the panhandle of fla the nearest town is 12 miles away there are very few people that live in this area it is dence forest with giant oak trees big pines cypress and many other kinds of trees that borders a massive swamp a creek runs through my land hence the name . I wont tell you the name of the town I dont want any crazzies out here trying to hunt it down and kill it .It all started the first week I moved here I was working on geting my well pump going when one of my screwdrivers went missing I left it by the pump when I had to go to town for parts no one had been here and I dont just lose 25 dollor screwdrivers I looked every where it was not here we will get back to the screwdriver later it has meaning this was just the first of many strange happenings . like I said the events that lead up to seeing it are intresting . The next thing was the to go box I had left in my burn pile one night it had rib bones and some left over potato salad and baked beans I could not finnish the next day I looked out the back door and saw the box siting on my picnic table I dident think much of it at first then I got to thinking just how in the hell did that box get on the table when I know for sure I put on the burn pile . So I went out to take a look it was closed I opened it and the food was gone there was no marks on at all I thought this was strange a coon or possum would have torn the box up or a cat would have too they damm sure would not have sat down had dinner then closed the box . This got me thinking of course but I did not dwell on it other things where happening like the day I came home and and heard something or someone move to the back door and slam it shut as I entered the front door . Still I had no idea what was going on then one day there was a bad smell comeing from my cabinets It was very bad so I pulled all my can goods out and in the back there where 3 cans of pork an beans with holes poked in the top they had festerd and the juice was comeing out of the holes I still dident think much of it at the time I just thought one of my freinds was playing a joke on me but then I got to looking at the holes trying to figure out what made them and they where the same shape and size of the screwdriver that was missing . It dident even fase me that the cans where allways out of place I had allways put them in order so I could tell what I was geting low on I still thought it was just one of my freinds playing a joke or to lazy to drive the 12 miles to the store for a can of corn I would just put them back and keep going about doing what I do . Sorry got to take a brake again========================= Congratulations if you made it to the end. Can I breathe now? lol
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D'Elete BC in NJ
Voyager
Dispensing gallons of useless information daily...
Posts: 1,671
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on Jan 15, 2007 3:32:25 GMT -8
Maybe it also has to be said that this fellow has probably had enough lecturing from us. Also, to bcinnj, I feel uncomfortable when people volunteer information about others, including any suggestions that may leave the impression of someone having a learning disability. Although I realize your intentions were benign. If you follow through all of Robert's postings, he had already volunteered all the information I posted. My point was only to say he wasn't BS'ing the group. I should have quoted his statements before making mine to avoid any confusion. In addition, you are correct about my comment about learning disabilities...I was not making a judgment, or implication. In any case, a learning disability should never be viewed as an indication of intelligence, or ability; it is nothing more than a challenge some people are forced to overcome (albeit sometimes a difficult one). The point of my comment was to open peoples' minds up to the possibility that not all people are going to be able to communicate in this medium as effectively as they, or we, would like, and, as long as they are trying to communicate clearly, we should be tolerant. And, I'll leave it at that!
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 16, 2007 8:00:21 GMT -8
Here's an excerpt of a rule that I found on another message-board, that you might find interesting. I'm not suggesting that it be implemented here, but it's for your reading pleasure. Some of the long-time members here might appreciate it.... ====================== One of the most common emails we get is from 'new members' who email because they think there is something wrong with their account - there isn't.
When you registered, part of the terms you agreed to stated that until an administrator manually promotes you to 'member', or you have reached a pre-set number of posts, you will have the status of 'new member', and will not be able to start new threads or use PM.
Keep an eye on your member status - as soon as you see 'member', you can start new threads.
This is done for two reasons:
1) Security - it slows down those who try to spam the forum with meaningless new topics.
2) It encourages you to join in with conversations and get a feel for the place, do some searching etc. before you jump in with the sort of new topic that the grumpy old-timers hate.=============== www.bigfootforums.com/index.php?showtopic=15350
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Post by Political Incorrectness on Jan 16, 2007 9:14:08 GMT -8
I'll have to say no comment to this one LOL.
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Post by Mike C on Jan 19, 2007 14:01:59 GMT -8
It actually sounds like something we should consider. This is a fairly large board, 100+ people, and perhaps it's something to consider.
It would deffinatley be a step toward the prevention of spammers.
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 16, 2007 11:40:21 GMT -8
(the following item isn't an example to avoid...but it's a good comment on how to frame a situation when someone disagrees with your post. This is a reader-comment from Tyee.ca, from today, from a writer named "James Burns"). Again, the relevance for our ferry-forum is re disagreements with points of view, and how this can be a valuable thing. ===================================
I always find it remarkable that people who operate in the public sphere are frequently surprised that others attack them for their points of view. If you're going to put your opinions and thoughts out in public, then be prepared to have someone respond. That awareness should hold true whether you're expressing a political ideology, or bitching about the movie reviews. The same goes for the writers. If your skin is so thin that you can't handle people angrily disagreeing with you, you're in the wrong profession.
Yes, expressions of hatred, whether in the form of homophobia, racism, or bigotry should be unacceptable, to say nothing of threats of violence. But cutting critique, when it is logical and well written, is terribly useful. It's good for the audience, and it helps the writers of the original articles. Of course, I'm not suggesting anyone feel grateful about being hammered in print, but critique can illuminate parts of your point of view that you simply take for granted. You may not change your mind, but the process of argument will help you better understand your ideas and notions. At the very least, it gives you a sense of how your audience thinks (or appears unable to think).
Personally, I know my comments on the Tyee can be harsh. I usually reserve the worst of that for other commenters, because they tend to be the ones who spout stupid or tasteless material. I feel most of the Tyee writers do a very good job. The only real exception to that is Terry Glavin. His sin isn't a differing ideology. That I can accept. But there is little I detest more than someone with a relentlessly one-sided opinion who fails to acknowledge reality. It's not just that he gets many facts wrong, which is bad enough, but he manipulates his facts to avoid an accurate picture of events. That is unacceptable from someone who makes claims on being a professional writer and journalist.
As for the technical changes to the comments, I think it is an excellent idea to experiment with different approaches. A lot of people have already suggested nesting threads, and that can have some utility, although it can also obscure the work of others. Personally, I think the best solution is some form of minor moderation. Too many commenters, who are too lazy to think, resort to name calling. Their efforts seem more directed at generating noise to drown out the real insight of others. The noise makers should be pruned, because they divert debate into an empty exchange of insult. Enlisting the audience to help in that effort, by letting them vote on individual comments, could be useful; as long as you have a means of tracking IP addresses to identify voting abusers (cookies help, but they can be removed, allowing people to vote again).
But all in all a wonderful effort on the part of the Tyee writers and staff. Keep up the good work.
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Post by SS San Mateo on Jun 11, 2007 12:07:17 GMT -8
Hopefully it never happens here, but there is a new internet trend out called "Rick Rolling". What this is is when someone posts a link to the music video for "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley, but the user claims it's a link to something else. For example, suppose I posted a link in the thread about the Cathlamet hitting the dock and said it was video footage of the ferry hitting the dock. Instead of the ferry hitting the dock, the video is acutally the abovementioned music video. That would be considered "Rick Rolling". This trend is so bad that some message boards will ban/suspend users if they so much as post a link to the video (even if they weren't guilty of "Rick Rolling"). BTW, for those of you who have never seen said video, here it is:
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Post by Retrovision on Jun 11, 2007 14:19:22 GMT -8
'Never gonna give, never gonna give' Personally I find this trend hilarious, and the video even moreso considering that my computer is currently without audio Thanks for the heads up
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Post by shipchandler on Sept 21, 2007 19:44:49 GMT -8
Alright, you asked for it I will now meekly defend myself in hopes of getting my point across. If you cannot understand what the person is saying, then how are you going to read it? I couldn't agree with you more; I was merely pointing out many other members had offered help to dunbar (Robert) For those of you questioning Robert about his credentials, I did a little research. He is indeed a member of the Vancouver chapter of the World Ship Society, and apparently a prolific photographer of shipping in the Vancouver area. He is also a member on shipspotting.com (harbour), and has been for about 8 months. I point this out because I know several people who, if they joined this forum, would experience significant difficulty in communicating their ideas to the rest of the forum due to limitations due to ADD, or functional illiteracy. Yet, the knowledge you would receive once you decipher their comments may prove well worth the effort. I recognise the need to make every attempt to have ledgible, coherent posts on the forum, and I am not defending Robert if his posting style is due to lack of desire to improve. I also am not too keen about the little tirades when he thinks someone is insulting him. But if he admits to needing help, and is willing to work with us to improve his posting style, why shouldn't we help? im new to this forum so please forgive my injecting myself into this ,but i agree with you B.C.inN.J. this is an online ferry discussion forum not the ROYAL VANCOUVER YACHT CLUB, i thought the purpose of these sites was to discuss points of view and to share intersting stories and NOT to be hypercritical of others shortcomings ,i could see it if it was foul language or personal attacks ,but i think some of you [with all due respect to your higher education] take it a little too seriously and try to chase off those who don`t measure up to your "RULES OF ORDER" sorry to rant but i thought it was needed........ p.s. sorry for my punctuation but i never finished school either
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Sept 21, 2007 20:30:18 GMT -8
im new to this forum so please forgive my injecting myself into this ,but i agree with you B.C.inN.J. this is an online ferry discussion forum not the ROYAL VANCOUVER YACHT CLUB, i thought the purpose of these sites was to discuss points of view and to share intersting stories and NOT to be hypercritical of others shortcomings ,i could see it if it was foul language or personal attacks ,but i think some of you [with all due respect to your higher education] take it a little too seriously and try to chase off those who don`t measure up to your "RULES OF ORDER" sorry to rant but i thought it was needed........ p.s. sorry for my punctuation but i never finished school either The post that your are quoting is a nine month-old 'specific' issue... -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- All we ask (and have ever asked) is that you make your post as legible as possible. When we have individuals posting a response with no punctuation and countless spelling errors - this becomes unacceptable. Especially when there is a spell check available on every reply window. After all, what is the point of posting if nobody can understand what you are saying? It proves to be a waste of time for the poster, as well as the contributors and observers of this board.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 21, 2007 21:14:28 GMT -8
Chandler: Imitation is a good way to improve posting style. Observe how others lay-out a post, with separation into different paragraphs, for instance. Those types of things make it easier for you (and others) to read someone else's post, so feel free to use that as a guide. Don't for a second think that your contributions are not valued or appreciated; because they are. I really enjoy reading the various points of view on this forum, from all the different types of people. And I appreciate you trying to make your posts as easy to understand as you can do. I also appreciate you taking suggestions from others, just like we all do. I'd hate to live in a world where people's pride got in the way of improvement. That wouldn't be any fun. Thanks for your posts.
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Post by SS San Mateo on Sept 21, 2007 22:51:19 GMT -8
Another bad trend I've seen is posting "in before the lock". This happens when a thread goes bad and everyone knows it's going to get locked/deleted, so members will simply post "in before the lock" (or something similar) for no obvious reason other than to increase post count (also known as postwhoring).
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