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Forum improvements


lanesteele240

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i was thinking of ways to improve our great forum. many others may also have ideas that could make things better. here are a few of mine.

1. since we have added on quite a few new members, keeping up with the builds that i am following in the "Model cars: under construction" is getting harder to do. it would be nice if we broke that section into sub sections. like adding one link for Japanese, european early american and late model american. this would help keep track of others builds.

2. have a master builder link for those builds dreamed a master builds. like the ones put out by Mr Obsessive. only moderators could move A build there

3. add a small section for military builds. (that might bring in others too)

thats it. i know some are happy as it is. i just want to make it better.

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The problem with adding more sections is that many people don't pay any attention. I have to move posts constantly because people just don't care about posting stuff where it's supposed to go... they just post where they feel like it. Those are the same people that wouldn't pay any attention to separate areas for Japanese cars, etc.

As it is, I already have to do way too much babysitting here and move things to their proper place. The last thing I need is even more separate sections that nobody pays any attention to.

And we already have a section for military... It's called ALL THE REST (In the "Other Models" section) and has been in place for a long time.

See what I mean about people not paying attention?

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One way to follow a build is to bookmark it in your own browser. Then build your own special sections in your favorites or bookmarks. Then you just go back to that when you want to check for updates.

I have created such bookmarks as: "MUNSTERS", "TOMMY IVO",etc.

That way, when I finally start to build these models I already have them in a special place on my browser,then just click and I am on my way.

Simple and no extra work on the moderators.

Works for me.

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welllllllll excuse me!!! sorry for trying.

I knew of the ALL THE REST SECTION. i have post there and it is a BIG OLE MESS.

if some one post something in the wrong place, they most likely did not do it on purpose.

they just did not know. i have called anything plastic that you glue together a model car my whole life. so if mistakenly post a truck in the model car section then please forgive me. or a race car. or a drag car. or a what ever.

if being a moderator is such a chore and you hate baby sitting so much then give it up and become a regular member

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i was thinking of ways to improve our great forum. many others may also have ideas that could make things better. here are a few of mine.

Here are some things to think about regarding each suggestion of yours., Lane:

1) No matter how many sub categories, someone will be "left out" say there aren't enough sub categories, or "why isn't there a sub-category for apocalyptic vehicles??", and so on. Which sub-categories do you add, and based on what? There is no correct answer, and not everyone would agree on what the sub-categories should be.

2) Who's going to determine who is a "Master Builder" and who isn't? And who really wants to be labeled a "Master Builder", as if their models are so far above and beyond everyone else's here, that they get a special sub category? We don't need nor want that ego-feeding drama here, and nobody should get special recognition IMHO. Everyone's model can stand on their own merits for everyone else to see.

3) This kind of goes back to point number one, but the main course for this forum seems to be Cars and Trucks, and though we have members who build plenty of "other" models-- figures, Sci-Fi, military, fantasy, etc-- the bulk of what people are interested in are plastic cars and trucks, and again, deciding which new categories to add or not add isn't a simple thing. No forum can (nor should IMO) be everything to everyone, so compromises need to be made.

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casey. i like your answer way better than harry potters.

yours was professional. it gave some thought as to why not add. it did not belittle me and try to make me

look dumb.

the master builder would be some body that contributes builds to the MCM. it may help someone become a better modeler seeing a step by step build instead of the few pictures you get in the magazine

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I knew of the ALL THE REST SECTION. i have post there and it is a BIG OLE MESS.

How so?

It's an "everything else" category... a catchall for all the stuff you guys build that is not either a car or truck. Like Casey said, this forum is primarily a model car (and truck) forum, so we concentrate on that. The "Other Models" category was put in place as a courtesy to those who also build "other" models and would like to share them here.

If you think it's such a mess, why not just ignore it? Nobody is forcing you to either look there or post there. If you don't like it, that's fine. Just ignore it.

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the master builder would be some body that contributes builds to the MCM. it may help someone become a better modeler seeing a step by step build instead of the few pictures you get in the magazine

Ah, now I see what you meant. I think that would be a good idea, and would expound upon the article or feature in Model Cars Magazine, directing the reader to a place here on the forum where they could view more images and get much more (or more in depth) information. It would be heavily dependent upon the builder providing that info and those images, as not everyone is good at, interested in, or simply has the desire to share that here on the forum. I think member Cruz is a good example of someone whose work has been both posted here and featured in MCM.

I would never be comfortable labeling someone as a master builder, though, as that implies they have reached a certain standard or level which is above or higher than almost all other members. While I think we can all agree some builders here are extremely talented and skilled and others are still developing their skills, I can't see any benefit to the forum by adding any sort of title linked to the builder's skill level.

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The problem with adding more sections is that many people don't pay any attention. I have to move posts constantly because people just don't care about posting stuff where it's supposed to go... they just post where they feel like it. Those are the same people that wouldn't pay any attention to separate areas for Japanese cars, etc.

As it is, I already have to do way too much babysitting here and move things to their proper place. The last thing I need is even more separate sections that nobody pays any attention to.

And we already have a section for military... It's called ALL THE REST (In the "Other Models" section) and has been in place for a long time.

See what I mean about people not paying attention?

Then, why is it that you posted a 1910 double decker bus in the "Pickups, Vans, SUVs & Light Commercial" section of the forum??? :wacko::rolleyes: It's odd how you know the "correct" place for everyone else's topics/builds, but you couldn't figure out the "correct" place for a double decker bus. Maybe you thought it was an SUV. :rolleyes:

Edited by plowboy
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Then, why is it that you posted a 1910 double decker bus in the "Pickups, Vans, SUVs & Light Commercial" section of the forum??? :wacko::rolleyes: It's odd how you know the "correct" place for everyone else's topics/builds, but you couldn't figure out the "correct" place for a double decker bus. Maybe you thought it was an SUV. :rolleyes:

We have two basic sections for trucks: Big Rig... and Pickups, Vans, and light commercial.

A bus is obviously not considered a "big rig," it's a commercial vehicle. It fit best where I posted it.

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Guest G Holding

i am sorry i brought up any ideas. it will never happen again.

Why ? Harry blows a lot of air here...just ignore some of his air...but pay attention as he does have the "power" Casey seems to be a bit less severe, but Harry has seen a lot MORE nonsense over the years. BUT please do think and post your thoughts and Ideas....they might be what we need here. This forum was a hotbed of ideas and people and models a few years back. Lack of rules and flame wars were normal. So Harry clamped down and things changed...not always better, but calmer. If you don't like ideas being commented on, try that on the "other forum"...the editor / moderator / nazi will just eliminate it...here, at least a reply. You decide...I think its better here. ^_^

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Why ? Harry blows a lot of air here...just ignore some of his air...but pay attention as he does have the "power" Casey seems to be a bit less severe, but Harry has seen a lot MORE nonsense over the years. BUT please do think and post your thoughts and Ideas....they might be what we need here. This forum was a hotbed of ideas and people and models a few years back. Lack of rules and flame wars were normal. So Harry clamped down and things changed...not always better, but calmer. If you don't like ideas being commented on, try that on the "other forum"...the editor / moderator / nazi will just eliminate it...here, at least a reply. You decide...I think its better here. ^_^

You make a lot of good points (and a few lame ones).

So let's go over the good ones. Aside from the fact that you think it's best to ignore me, the fact is that you're right when you say that I have seen a lot of nonsense here over the years. If I had kept every PM from every member who had a problem with this forum, or how it was being moderated, or why I did this but not that, or the other guy asking why I did that but not this... I could have a pretty hefty book by now.

The simple fact is that there is no way possible that I ((or anyone) can moderate a forum in such a way that everyone is always happy. It's impossible. Period. Dealing with angry members is just part of the job when you moderate a forum. Sometimes they have a valid point, and when they do I have always tried to concede that and make appropriate changes. But believe me, by far the biggest number of complaints I get are from people that just have an ax to grind, not a legitimate complaint. So yeah... dealing with all kinds of cranky people over and over again does get on your nerves after a point.

However... I don't think that Gary had any legitimate reason to complain about my reply to him. I laid out the reasons why adding more forum sections won't work. If he didn't like my reasoning, fine... he doesn't have to agree with me. But saying I "belittled" him and made him look stupid is a little over the top, isn't it?

As far as his comment about never again posting any ideas... we never said people shouldn't post ideas. In fact, I think this forum is more open to member ideas than many other similar forums... yet we still get complaints. :rolleyes: Again, that "can't please everyone" thing...

And finally... if you (or anyone) posts an idea or suggestion, and we say it won't work... believe us when we say it, and don't take it as some sort of personal slam. I'm not in the habit of shooting down good ideas, but I will say no to ideas that by virtue of my experience moderating here, know won't work.

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Casey seems to be a bit less severe...

That's pretty funny. Even Casey will tell you that he locks more threads or deletes more comments than I do. In fact, for the longest time I kept getting a ton of PMs complaining that I was too lenient and didn't clamp down enough! And these days I get PM after PM complaining about some thread or another that was locked... and it wasn't me that locked it! But lucky me, I'm the one that gets the complaints. :rolleyes:

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That's pretty funny. Even Casey will tell you that he locks more threads or deletes more comments than I do. In fact, for the longest time I kept getting a ton of PMs complaining that I was too lenient and didn't clamp down enough! And these days I get PM after PM complaining about some thread or another that was locked... and it wasn't me that locked it! But lucky me, I'm the one that gets the complaints. :rolleyes:

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at least there is some good in everything.

1. harry got a chance to blow of some steam. (lose my respect in the process)

2. i learned not to speak up

3. i learned a bus is a light van

now if i just knew how to lock my post. so it will go away.

it would be cool if the forum had a user manual. dang on it, i said no new ideas

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