| Hi,
I have a unique prospective few others share regarding this issue.
I found this forum several years ago, back on the "old" board days. I lost net access for about 2 years and came back. All the changes I've seen are not for the better.
My first observation:
There seems to have evolved some sort of elite posters that can say whatever they please and nothing is done about it. Some of the responses to newbie postings don't just approach condesending, but goes all the way past pomp. These elite folks seem to know more about the technology (and everything else) involved in our DIY craft than human nature. Some people don't care if it costs them $10 to make what they can buy from the grid for $1. Since when is that any of your concern? If I had millions of $'s I'd ask what the best gen set I could use to screw over Entergy of Arkansas. I'd give away megawatts if I could. Rather than dismiss such posting out of hand, offer some constructive advice, or keep your trap shut! It seems 90% of these elite want to be the board editors and act as if they were. It seems they must hold some hidden place of honor for acting so without repremand. You know what I mean and who I'm referencing!
My second observation:
Oh sure, there's going to be posters that don't do their "homework", or so it would seem. The trouble is there are so many topics that it becomes confusing. Besides, some people simply do not have the time. They may actually have a life. If you feel it's a waste of your time don't respond. Nobody is holding a gun to your head. Get over yourself. You might have the facts but that doesn't make you right. If you want to talk about lazy let's get into posters that use "somebody at somewhere dot com" email addresses to defeat spam. For Gods sake is it that hard to either set up filters or use your delete function?
My third observation:
There is a noticable absence of posters I remember from "back in the day". I've been back for about a month now and I rarely see names associated with that time frame. Some of you long term users still around will notice this as well. Could it be they grew tired of things here other than newbie questions? Could it be that there is a tone of unfriendliness that seems to have reached the saturation point?
My fourth and final observation(s):
There are too many chiefs at the editorial helm to guide this effort effectively. Do you really need a "staff" of editors? Goodness, there must be several hundred unworthy postings from which we are saved every day! Thank goodness we have such wise and tanlented people to save us from this durge. Oh come on. The "mother hen" protectiveness of this "valuable" resource is becoming bothersome, and wearing quite thin.
I can see why this is so with several people trying to run the show. Is there one person in charge or is it a communal effort? Like it or not all ships need only one captain, and with several people shouting orders let's hope there's no real storm. The posting a few weeks ago of all the editorial dogs was amusing, but why not be a little more up front about this? Is there some reason to be so secretive? I distrust secretiveness and I feel others may as well.
Finally I have a problem with anyone, especially those in positions of authority, hiding behind a title. If you have the power to make editorial decisions and you add a comment to another persons posting, use your real name. It is the honorable and forthright thing to do. Of course this allows for a blanket editorial staff to make us all think they've really got it going on, when in fact things seem to be spiralling fearfully close to the drain.
If this is the last posting I make here I say fairwell. At least I put it in the diary section where supposedly "anything goes", and I wrote nothing that I feel was not true or self evident.
Roger A. Stephenson |
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