howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
29 September 2009
19:2429508some interesting points raised on the subject of opening up the forums to anonymous people.
weighing everything up i do not think this will work, one look at the other forum in town will confirm this with personal attacks being prevalent. scotchie paul suggests more moderators, but another look at the same forum will show that the moderators are out of control with personal attacks and a bunch of closed threads when they look like losing control of the posters.
phil makes a valid point about some sort of indemnity from new members, this could be looked at.
the trouble with a lot of people's idea of free speech, means that they can make as many slurs as they like.
maybe the threat of legal action against them would make them more responsible?
Guest 670- Registered: 23 Apr 2008
- Posts: 573
29 September 2009
20:0229509The main problem on hiding behind a pseudoynm is that you remain anonymous. I think what Scotchie Paul is saying is open up the forum but use your own name in that way you would reduce the number of slurs and personal attacks.
To encourage responsible posting is more important than legal action, the latter is an extremely expensive procedure and at a minimum would cost £250.000 in legal costs and fees so such action even should you have that amount stashed under your mattress is not for the faint hearted.
The forum needs new opinions instead of the same people posting all the time,we have got to the stage where we can vrtually guess how a person is going to respond to a thread before they have even posted. That's when it becomes stale and starts to lose its appeal.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
29 September 2009
21:1029513Your latter point is a good one Dave.
30 September 2009
01:0329517I would be disappointed if the Forum should go, as it keeps me informed of what is going on in our town, I enjoy reading people's debates, and the events that could be missed especially the DF parties. Though I am not a big contributor to the forum, I would dearly miss everyone if this should it disappear from our little website world.
. I have met some lovely people from here over the years!
Saying this I do think that interesting news has dimished of late, it all seems to be a lot more of doom and gloom and it has been circulating for such a time, maybe we need to inject some new ideas, new work and new news
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
30 September 2009
07:0729520Terri just a quick note for you for now...will get back on later to answer and acknowledge all the excellent posts. All guys are clearly experienced here and all accurate in their own assessments. As always in these circumstances there are variations on right. Its all accurate and right but which right is the right for here. Will get back to it later, now off to do new frontpage for the moment.
Terri though...two things. Most of the news ( soft news) items are now on the frontpage so if you are bypassing that you will miss some of the gems. The other point is this...thats the classic problem isnt it, you are not able to get on often enough to help keep the thing going. Thats the problem with others too across the board and thats why we have the dilemma. Do you see what Im saying? No reflection on you personally but everyone says much the same thing so as a consequence only a few guys are left to keep it going..or indeed not going soon.
Thats the classic point, if people dont use it regularly and put the spadework in it will go.
30 September 2009
07:3629521I suppose, then, it begs the question: who is it for?
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
30 September 2009
08:1229527I don't think Dover Forum has a problem with slurs and insults etc. but to my mind there has been a big reduction in interesting articles and debate.
My main interest is helping to drive Dover forward (tourism, business, the Town itself etc.); I also enjoy the involvement of being a Councillor and helping constituents with their problems and of course spending as much time as I can with Jean, whether in doors (or the garden) or out for a drink or a meal.
At the moment there isn't much I can say on the tourism and business front, as things are still at a delicate negotiating stage and obviously I can't talk about helping resolving constituents problems, as they are of a personal nature.
I spend as much time as I can reading the Forum (usually a couple of times a day) and responding where I feel appropriate.
Sometimes important issues get dropped almost as soon as they come up because of their delicate nature (immigration, race, crime etc.) and I for one am not putting myself up for attack, as per the AH who did so with the fairy joke.
We all have different views, but sometimes we're afraid of posting them, even if they aren't extreme, hence we have a subdued Forum.
Roger
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
30 September 2009
08:5929532Yes as I said some very interesting points of view and all of them valid.
The thing that must be rememebred or highlighted here though before I start to try and explain a few things is that this is an Accidental Forum. When we started up the recent version of this Doverforum, there was NO FORUM at all. Some of you will remember it. I had had enough of doing Forums from way back TEN years ago when myself and Rick used to do the old one that Rick pioneered on Doverweb. It was great in those early years, we were part of the dotcom revolution, yes it was that long ago.
But after ten years of doing it Rick was gone by then and the forum eventually disintegrated into a dreadful miserable thing. When I started going out into the town with my notebook and camera to do editorial I was surprised how many people actually hated it. It was loathed far and wide. It had to go...otherwise my editorial aspirations would get nowhere, as nobody at all is really interested in Forums other than those taking part. I wanted to be more of a sort of a magazine type kentonline or a thisiskent although I dont think either of those sites were around then.
So this brings me back to this modern version of the site. We rebuilt and restarted and we had NO FORUM at all. And all was much better. The only communication with the outside world was the very basic GuestBook. After a while i was surprised when people started to use it to communicate. So we turned it into a very basic Letters Page and it ran for 170 pages with no trouble at all. We were then clobbered by persistent spam and as it was totally OPEN we couldnt win, although we tried, and we had to give up and close it. It was then and only then we started a small club for the guys who had been in the letters page ...and then the current Forum came into being. We didnt call it a forum, we didnt push it, we didnt advertise it, because we didnt want any members. Weird but we just wanted to provide a chat point for ther few guys in the letters page. We called it the New Letters page never using the term forum. Lots wanted to join but we didnt want them as our 'forum for real' days were over. Ten years of doing that were enough and as I was over 60 I couldnt be bothered anymore.
This is like Vics life story...more to follow
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
30 September 2009
09:2229534Yes we just wanted to be loyal to the 25 or so guys who had begun posting on the simple Letters page to give them an outlet. These were all the guys you still see here today, the oul stalwarts from the ould days. But at no time did we want a forum back again. We had done our stint on that, TEN years is enough, and were happy to see new forums starting up. We wanted to do something new. ..a magazine, within our limited resources.
And thats where we are today.
Phil mentioned the name Doverforum. Yes its one from the old days. Its like a law firm of old...Hokey, Hokey and Brown, but although the name's the same the partners are long dead. Its new business but still the same name. Too late to change it now.
Other points raised were very good and all very accurate and true. Rick spoke of "Small Forum Fatigue" and thats exactly what we are experiencing.
Others said we all know each other too well and thats true too...we know what each other are going to say and how we are going to respond to different things, well after 10 or more years now thats hardly surprising.
Opening the forum up anew to new people...well Im too old now for that. 62 at next birthday. My daughter BB wouldnt be caught dead on Doverforum as we are all too 'old'. She is a youthful afficionado of Facebook and MSNMEssenger and knows all those inside out. A new open forum would need to be attracting people from that age group if it was to be any good but I certainly wouldnt be on the pace. So its a no no for me. Im the wrong man for the job.
Pseudynoms:
This problem highlighted itself years ago after a fair few late jars with Nigel Collor in The White Horse Inn. He said that it was impossible for himself and Paul Watkins, who were both active members then, to have meaningful discussions with someone called the Yellow Donkey or someone called Turniphead or some such name. of course these pseudynoms were all the rage so what could you do...we had hundreds of guys with names like that, but I did promise Nigel that one day if we ever started with a clean sheet I would take that point onboard. And so I did. The irony is nether Paul nor Nigel post much now.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
30 September 2009
16:5929566Paul, I think your post is working we are now geting more and some of them are good,I am doing the best ones
the rest still need to pull their socks up
To Barry and Howard youare both droping behind now with the rest of the forum, and I am way out in front so come on get working.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
1 October 2009
07:0729579I'm sorry Vic - and I don't wish to be rude, but many of your posts are silly and frivolous and add nothing to the value of the Forum/Magazine.
Perhaps we don't need to be heavy all the time, but pointless silliness just gets in the way.
Constructive, interesting dialogue, should be the order of the day; if potential or current posters see just trivia, they'll stop contributing - won't they ?
Roger
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
1 October 2009
07:3529582Paulb
Im concerned at the lack of posters, for my part my computers at doctors, so im beg and borrow till it returns
im hopeful it will pick up, sure it will
i enjoy reading comments and contributing when i can.
Im pleased you took advice on politics bit
heres to a better future
post away
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
1 October 2009
17:1229609Roger, I will always be the same,if that upset you,nothing I can do about that.
The Boss will tell me if I am out of place with my postings he has done it before.I can not take life that heavy (Thats your wording not mine).I like to keep smiling all the time.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
1 October 2009
17:4629615I said we don't need to be heavy all the time Vic and sometimes people do take them selves too seriously.
Paul wants an intelligent, good humoured Magazine where the participants engage in that kind of discourse.
We do need to be happy, but not always silly.
Roger
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
1 October 2009
21:1229623I am glad to be silly and happy that way I will died with a smile on my face,just look at the numbers when I post most well over 100 each time so I must be right most times.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
1 October 2009
21:4229626And 'the Meek shall inherit the earth' also
'the first shall be last and the last shall be first'. So someone is going to have a long wait at the Pearly Gates! Let me think 'blowing ones own trumpet' I could 'like Vic' go on all night but 'it would fall on stoney ground'. Its not the quantity of your postings Vic that matters it's the quality that counts.
Do you get the point Roger is making?
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
2 October 2009
07:4929642Thanks Marek
Roger
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
3 October 2009
18:3529756MAREK/ROGER
Blimey mates chill out, vic has strong opinions that even i dont always share but like others posters i may disagree with i defend there right to post
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
3 October 2009
18:4129757Keith
Everyone has the right to post.But if those postings are pointless,silly or worse still self promoting and lead to the forum being disbanded then it is better to speak now and the truth rather than leave it until its too late.
The truth often hurts.
Vic "I am glad to be silly and happy that way I will died with a smile on my face,just look at the numbers when I post most well over 100 each time so I must be right most times"
How can one describe this post as a strong opinion?
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
3 October 2009
19:4529760Just going on the views of over 662 of the club thats ok with me,if they all said Vic you are wrong in the way you post I would stop, but as it is only 2 or 3 and again the boss can stop me at any time, in the mean time I will just keep on smiling
I just think it is me you do not like,thats Ok with me I can understand that,But I do not dislike anyone .