Afraid to post?

Rainband · #181 Postby **Rainband** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:41 pm

budrizr wrote:Allowing people to state their opinions in this thread, without fear of a backlash, would be a big step to right your ship. Some of the most amazing people in the weather board community have been either banned from here or don't post here any longer. There may be good reasons for these things and I won't speculate here, but the sanitized environment that is created by the rules/moderation is probably a hindrance to the continued growth of this board.

People disagree, especially in regard to politics & religion, but banning the discussion of those topics really can limit your off topic section. If you think about it, there's not always weather to talk about. What will keep the people coming back even when the weather is slow is a lively OT section. If you silence the discourse, you silence the discussion.

If you want to be "Your Year Round Weather Community", then make people feel welcome. Rules are needed, but they shouldn't be used to completely control the member's experience.

You make a lot of good points here. I for one step in when someone is disrespectful. You can discuss with Respect and still make a point. Do you agree??

Dustin · #182 Postby **Dustin** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:42 pm

Rainband wrote:
Dustin wrote:If I were the admins here, I'd take the suggestions and do something to fix it, even if that means pushing out overly strict moderators. You guys are now not just loosing, people from *shutters to say* easternuswx, but your own long time members who have DONATED MONEY to storm2k. That tells you something.
The moderators do a Job with guidelines provided to us. I was banned from S2K because of my emotions and it took me a while to seperate them from my job ,but I did and after that I have done nothing but moderate to the best of my ability and without bias. I have always been fair and considered the entire situation before making a judgement. Does S2K have some problems?? Yes we have over 8000 members from all different walks of life. Yes it's true we have lost members and some of them we are better off without. Have we made errors in judgement?? Yes we have. We are only human. The only thing that bothers me is in this thread is the comments that seem to want to continue the drama, rather than fix it.

Well thats beside the point, all boards have problems, but members got banned/unbanned etc over giving their thoughts. I am not saying this is a bad board man...it's not.

Rainband · #183 Postby **Rainband** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:48 pm

Dustin wrote:
Rainband wrote:
Dustin wrote:If I were the admins here, I'd take the suggestions and do something to fix it, even if that means pushing out overly strict moderators. You guys are now not just loosing, people from *shutters to say* easternuswx, but your own long time members who have DONATED MONEY to storm2k. That tells you something.
The moderators do a Job with guidelines provided to us. I was banned from S2K because of my emotions and it took me a while to seperate them from my job ,but I did and after that I have done nothing but moderate to the best of my ability and without bias. I have always been fair and considered the entire situation before making a judgement. Does S2K have some problems?? Yes we have over 8000 members from all different walks of life. Yes it's true we have lost members and some of them we are better off without. Have we made errors in judgement?? Yes we have. We are only human. The only thing that bothers me is in this thread is the comments that seem to want to continue the drama, rather than fix it.

Well thats beside the point, all boards have problems, but members got banned/unbanned etc over giving their thoughts. I am not saying this is a bad board man...it's not.

I have never removed a post or pmed a member unless the discussion was getting disrepectful. Sometimes it was the matter those thoughts were given and not the thoughts themselves. Like I said above you can debate and still use respect. There were a lot of instances where pm's were exchanged between staff and members and the context of those pm's got members banned. I am not saying we as the staff haven't made some errors in judgement but as shawn and some of the others have said.... A lot goes on behind the scenes that the members aren't privy to. I assure you I am deticated to doing the best job I can for the members. You guys are what makes us what we are and we are listening.

#184 Postby **Jack8631** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:57 pm

Rainband wrote: I was banned from S2K

As a staff member?!?! Wow, that's a little over the top. Does this type thing happen often?

Dustin, no offense intended but it seems like any time there is the least bit of controversy on any weather forum on the planet, you find a way to get involved.

budrizr · #185 Postby **budrizr** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:59 pm

Rainband wrote:
budrizr wrote:Allowing people to state their opinions in this thread, without fear of a backlash, would be a big step to right your ship. Some of the most amazing people in the weather board community have been either banned from here or don't post here any longer. There may be good reasons for these things and I won't speculate here, but the sanitized environment that is created by the rules/moderation is probably a hindrance to the continued growth of this board.

People disagree, especially in regard to politics & religion, but banning the discussion of those topics really can limit your off topic section. If you think about it, there's not always weather to talk about. What will keep the people coming back even when the weather is slow is a lively OT section. If you silence the discourse, you silence the discussion.

If you want to be "Your Year Round Weather Community", then make people feel welcome. Rules are needed, but they shouldn't be used to completely control the member's experience.
You make a lot of good points here. I for one step in when someone is disrespectful. You can discuss with Respect and still make a point. Do you agree??

Absolutely. At the same time, just because someone gets their feelings hurt doesn't mean that the discussion needs to be locked or deleted. I'm not saying personal attacks are ok. Clearly they're not. A good discussion or debate can get heated, but if you can't take the heat, stay out of the debate.

It just seems to me that making rules not allowing people to open threads to voice complaints, banning people because they voice complaints about Storm2k on other boards, not allowing topics that affect people's everyday lives, etc. just isn't the atmosphere that keeps people coming back.

You have some members here with a very high post count, but once you get past the top group, the post counts drop quickly. I would think that you'd want to have more balance in that area. It looks to me like the board's core membership needs some company.

Thank you for allowing me to make my honest opinions known here. Nobody here even knows me, so I'm glad that people are listening.

yoda · #186 Postby **yoda** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:59 pm

Jack8631 wrote:
Rainband wrote: I was banned from S2K

As a staff member?!?! Wow, that's a little over the top. Does this type thing happen often?

Dustin, no offense intended but it seems like any time there is the least bit of controversy on any weather forum on the planet, you find a way to get involved.

I think it was before he became a staff member, but I don't know for sure.

kmanWX · #187 Postby **kmanWX** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:02 pm

Well I honestly feel a thread like this is best served during the time when the political board is was back around a few years back in 2004. Since from what I've read, everyone seems to be beating an dead horse with contentions from that time of origin mainly. I think the problem is that, the rules lacks protection towards the staff whenever they do something wrong and against the board rules!!!! Otherwise this now 10 page posting basically baiting a certain staff member (mainly) wouldn't even existed in the first place.

kmanWX · #188 Postby **kmanWX** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:03 pm

yoda wrote:
Jack8631 wrote:
Rainband wrote: I was banned from S2K

As a staff member?!?! Wow, that's a little over the top. Does this type thing happen often?

Dustin, no offense intended but it seems like any time there is the least bit of controversy on any weather forum on the planet, you find a way to get involved.

I think it was before he became a staff member, but I don't know for sure.

Hes been a staff member here longer then I could recall, and I've been posting on this board since 2003.

Dustin · #189 Postby **Dustin** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:07 pm

Jack8631 wrote:
Rainband wrote: I was banned from S2K

As a staff member?!?! Wow, that's a little over the top. Does this type thing happen often?

Dustin, no offense intended but it seems like any time there is the least bit of controversy on any weather forum on the planet, you find a way to get involved.

None taken, you make a valid point and I have nothing else to say on the matter. Sorry if I offended you or anyone else.

#190 Postby **Jack8631** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:11 pm

Dustin wrote:
Jack8631 wrote:
Rainband wrote: I was banned from S2K

As a staff member?!?! Wow, that's a little over the top. Does this type thing happen often?

Dustin, no offense intended but it seems like any time there is the least bit of controversy on any weather forum on the planet, you find a way to get involved.

None taken, you make a valid point and I have nothing else to say on the matter. Sorry if I offended you or anyone else.

Nah. My bad. I shouldn't have mentioned it. Sorry dude.

Rainband · #191 Postby **Rainband** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:13 pm

Jack8631 wrote:
Rainband wrote: I was banned from S2K

As a staff member?!?! Wow, that's a little over the top. Does this type thing happen often?

Dustin, no offense intended but it seems like any time there is the least bit of controversy on any weather forum on the planet, you find a way to get involved.

It happened because I broke the rules and no it doesn't happen often. I had to learn to keep my Job and my personal views on an even keel

Dustin you didn't offend anyone.

MS39047 · #192 Postby **MS39047** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:59 pm

To me, this has been one of the most informative and interesting threads I've read on Storm2K since...I don't know; probably as Katrina was cranking up in the Gulf. I spend hours upon hours reading posts during hurricane season AND off season but rarely post. The main reason is because I come here for information and knowledge and you tend to learn more with your mouth closed (or fingers not typing in this case) and ears open. I will agree that I do (and have) thought twice before posting for reasons already stated. During "peak season" I'd be scared to death to post under the wrong topic or ask a question that may have already been asked 500 replies before and have the "thread police" step in with attitude. :roll:

As far as the off topic threads go, from reading other member's comments, of course I don't feel welcome to participate being gay and a Democrat. But that's OK, I just read other people's thoughts and opinions and remember that what other people think of me isn't any of my business.

With that out of the way (since this seems to be a very popular thread) I'd like to thank everybody here that has taught me so much about weather, tropical storms and preparation. I live approx 180 miles from the coast and it seems very few here (Jackson MS area) were ready for Katrina. Because of what I've learned on Storm2K, when our power came back on 6 days later I still had blocks of ice in my freezer, we had several boxes of food and water left over I was able to donate to a local church, our chainsaw was ready to help neighbors with clean up, we weren't calling radio stations trying to figure out where to get gas, and on and on. I'm looking forward to learning much more in the upcoming season.

Just my one and a half cent

wxmann_91 · #193 Postby **wxmann_91** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:01 pm

Here's a suggestion. I'm all for respect and I agree that respect among members, pro mets, moderators, etc. is key. But perhaps instead of outright banning/suspending them, maybe give them a warning first? I think many times on a message board, that there are unnecessary misunderstandings that lead to unnecessary conflict. This is where I believe that this board is too strict; basically you're forced to walk on glass because if a mod/admin misunderstand you, you could be suspended and/or banned. Now I personally am not worried but this is what the thread was originally about, why people are afraid to post. So maybe in the future, if there's some type of offending post or it "breaks the rules", just send them a nice calm PM addressing the issue. Perhaps wait until a few offenses until punishing them. There are some rules I believe that could be transcended without major inflictions to post quality or member happiness, and perhaps the mods/admins could be a bit more leanient.

And as someone already said, this thread has been a lot of idealogy clashing, liberal vs. conservative. Obviously the majority of the staff are conservative. I'm just saying, perhaps try to be considerate of both beliefs. Ask members to be respectful but also allow open-ended and even controversial discussion. For example, during cane season, allowing some "chit-chat" and encourage lively, interacting discussion. Yeah, ask to refrain from "OMG!!" and ":o" type one word replies, but also allow for open-ended discussion. It's difficult to be able to understand both sides if your strictly one side but doing that will make this board so much better.

I have also not really understood the preoccupation with the bandwidth (relinquishing sigs, games forum, etc). I think this board's been upgraded, and considering how quiet it has been, I don't think it would hurt.

These are all simply suggestions, and I say this with utmost respect out of the hard work that the mods and admins put in for the welfare of this Board.

PS Sometimes people say some really bad things when they're angry. I've been there before, yeah. Maybe instead of banning them, let them calm down, give them a warning and/or short suspension, and then send a nice PM or something when they come back. That way, everybody's happy and good members aren't banned. My experiences are that, after I get angry and do something stupid, after some time when I calm down, I am much more level-headed and I do regret what I did.

Rainband · #194 Postby **Rainband** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:09 pm

Good post 91

Rainband · #195 Postby **Rainband** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:15 pm

MS39047 wrote: As far as the off topic threads go, from reading other member's comments, of course I don't feel welcome to participate being gay and a Democrat. But that's OK, I just read other people's thoughts and opinions and remember that what other people think of me isn't any of my business.

I am part of the independent Party and Gay. As a Moderator I had to find a balance between my Personal beliefs and My passion. Being passionate about what you believe can be troublesome and I had to find a way to balance my Beliefs and My Job as a Staff member here. I did so without letting either one suffer. Please don't feel like you cannot participate in a debate because you will just cheat yourself and others. The suggestions and views in this thread are very important and I for one will work to get these issues resolved..I am certain the S2K will work through our differences and put these concerns and ideas in the forfront. After all we are here for you all. If anyone has any concerns please let me/us know

Sincerely
Johnathan

Janie2006 · #196 Postby **Janie2006** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 6:05 pm

I just want to clarify that my own remarks about the board's "atmosphere" haven't been directed at any one person, member or staff, in particular. I've viewed this thread as an opportunity for honest, open discourse. You know, in threads like this contentious issues are bound to arise and I've appreciated the opportunity to learn and appreciate the views of other posters. Threads like this are never easy....processing is never easy....but they can clear the air and ultimately stregthen the board, as long as we treat others the way we want to be treated.

therock1811 · #197 Postby **therock1811** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 6:07 pm

I'm going to make one quick, quick statement and then leave this thread alone again...

No one said there's a rule against debate. Just the disrespectful stuff. I'm not Republican. Never was. I might vote for one if I feel they did a good job last term, but I am a registered Dem. Never once felt unwelcome here. Not once. No one should feel unwelcome because of their beliefs/lifestyles/whatever.

Rainband · #198 Postby **Rainband** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 6:11 pm

Keep up the input. Good Job guys and gals. We want to know what you all think.

MS39047 · #199 Postby **MS39047** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 6:17 pm

Being a registered Democrat I will admit to voting for a Republican more than once since moving to Mississippi. At times there's no choice (except not to vote) with some of the Democrats that run in this state - Ha! Again this has been one of my favorite and more informative topics here in a long, long time!

#200 Postby **O Town** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 6:42 pm

MS39047 wrote:To me, this has been one of the most informative and interesting threads I've read on Storm2K since...

lol, I was just thinking the same exact thing.

MS39047 wrote: During "peak season" I'd be scared to death to post under the wrong topic or ask a question that may have already been asked 500 replies before and have the "thread police" step in with attitude.

I felt that way this past season as well. 2005 was alot different and felt like I could step in and ask alot of questions that were answered in a friendly welcoming way and was not ignored. 2006 was not like that at all, I didn't post much at all in TT fourm sadly.

I have only been here about a year and a half and I can see a definite change since I joined. Some of the things wxmann_91 posted I have to agree with. Like having some casual chit chat in TT fourms during season, I mean I can understand completely why you guys had to stop some of the conversation, it was getting way out of hand, and some people ruined it for all. But I missed some of the joking and chit chat that happened in that forum the year before.

I love this board and the people here as well, but have noticed some change in the whole feeling I get when I come here now. I hope no one decides to leave and will hang in there for a bit longer. 8-)

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