Well Ihave only been on this forum for a couple of weeks, but I use many other forums to do with my interests. I have to say that some of the replies, especially to people new to caravanning on here, are extremely blunt, if not outright rude. If established members of this forum wish to encourage new people to come caravanning, a little bit of politness and encouragement would not come amiss.
Replies to posts.
- Thread starter PR
- Start date
this forum has just changed and it was a lot more fun before we have seen a change and some say for the better some say not.
Damian
Moderator
Perhaps you would like to indicate which posts you refer to.
Not all postings are seen by the Moderators and if any are cause for concern, they will be dealt with appropriately.
Also, if you have real concerns about a post, you can always use the "Flag as Offensive" button to alert Haymarket.
Not all postings are seen by the Moderators and if any are cause for concern, they will be dealt with appropriately.
Also, if you have real concerns about a post, you can always use the "Flag as Offensive" button to alert Haymarket.
Parksy
Moderator
This forum has only very recently undergone a major upgrade and like anything which is new and relatively untested there have been a few teething problems which thankfully now appear to be solved.
I can't say that I've noticed any deliberate rudeness on the part of forum members towards newer members but because in it's early stages the forum pages were taking a long time to load contributers may have allowed some of their understandable frustration with the difficulties at the time to show in their posts.
A lot of the information or advice given by more experienced caravanners can become confused if it's buried within masses of detail so perhaps this directness when imparting information is being confused with bluntness or rudeness.
I'd contend that members are generallly helpfull toward less experienced caravanners but now and again members begin to wonder if some of the comments submitted by 'strangers' are entirely genuine or from bona fide caravanners.
I can't say that I've noticed any deliberate rudeness on the part of forum members towards newer members but because in it's early stages the forum pages were taking a long time to load contributers may have allowed some of their understandable frustration with the difficulties at the time to show in their posts.
A lot of the information or advice given by more experienced caravanners can become confused if it's buried within masses of detail so perhaps this directness when imparting information is being confused with bluntness or rudeness.
I'd contend that members are generallly helpfull toward less experienced caravanners but now and again members begin to wonder if some of the comments submitted by 'strangers' are entirely genuine or from bona fide caravanners.
What a shame PR. I cannot recall any rudeness to any newbie. I accept there is banter between a lot of people but that is all done in good spirits.
In fact only in the last week have I seen lots of help given to fellow forum members who are stuck on something.
Are you sure it's this site? No wish to be blunt or rude , it's just that I'm a dog and a bit barking mad. LOL
In fact only in the last week have I seen lots of help given to fellow forum members who are stuck on something.
Are you sure it's this site? No wish to be blunt or rude , it's just that I'm a dog and a bit barking mad. LOL
Moderator Note:
Post removed as it was the most unhelpful reply , exactly the kind of issue the OP indicated.
Damian (Moderator)
Post removed as it was the most unhelpful reply , exactly the kind of issue the OP indicated.
Damian (Moderator)
I'm sorry you feel that way, PR. Was it comments directed at you personally, or that you've observed being made to others? I wouldn't have thought that established members would be deliberately rude to newcomers, I hope I never would. However, some people are naturally blunt, that's their makeup (I know one or two like that!!) - they may come across as being rude, but without actually meaning to be. But if you're a newcomer and don't know the person who's addressing you, then you wouldn't necessarily know that it's just their natural manner, of course. Please give us all a second chance, I'm sure you'll find our bark is worse than our bite!
hi all
yes PR it is a shame you feel that way being new to the forum and I am sure there is absolutely no malace in any post you have read. while I would echo the thoughts of parksy however it must be understood that this like any other forum is open and therefore subject to the occasional and spasmodic posts that is wide of the mark, or a comment made prevoke a response from another poster or members. A.K.A the wind-up there is now and again the odd bogus post or a question that on the face of it seems to be rather silly it is only human nature therefore to expect a silly answer to the question.
futhermore it can fustrating (you will understand this more the longer you are a member) continually answering the same questions over and over again or answering questions that needed not to be answered if the poster had done a little research beforehand or gone back a few pages to see if the question had been asked before. And yes I do know that newbies are a little green and niave at times "we all remember getting our first van" but there is really no excuse these days for not knowing the basics before parting with a wad of cash for their first van. It is rather like buying a new sports car before learning to drive and then asking what the silver knob in the middle of the seats is for??.
it is also annoying when a poster does not bother to reply to a answer that is given, sometimes being of a complex nature and therefore depriving readers the benefit of knowing if the information was usefull or not. there is no wonder then that subsiquent questions are are answered with short answers that on the face of it could seem rude.
colin
yes PR it is a shame you feel that way being new to the forum and I am sure there is absolutely no malace in any post you have read. while I would echo the thoughts of parksy however it must be understood that this like any other forum is open and therefore subject to the occasional and spasmodic posts that is wide of the mark, or a comment made prevoke a response from another poster or members. A.K.A the wind-up there is now and again the odd bogus post or a question that on the face of it seems to be rather silly it is only human nature therefore to expect a silly answer to the question.
futhermore it can fustrating (you will understand this more the longer you are a member) continually answering the same questions over and over again or answering questions that needed not to be answered if the poster had done a little research beforehand or gone back a few pages to see if the question had been asked before. And yes I do know that newbies are a little green and niave at times "we all remember getting our first van" but there is really no excuse these days for not knowing the basics before parting with a wad of cash for their first van. It is rather like buying a new sports car before learning to drive and then asking what the silver knob in the middle of the seats is for??.
it is also annoying when a poster does not bother to reply to a answer that is given, sometimes being of a complex nature and therefore depriving readers the benefit of knowing if the information was usefull or not. there is no wonder then that subsiquent questions are are answered with short answers that on the face of it could seem rude.
colin
Good answer, Colin (you're actually quite wise underneath that gruff Yorkshire exterior, aren't you?! LOL).
I agree - an excellent response Colin. Your comment re members asking questions and then not acknowledging "your" reply is spot on and can be slightly disappointing and makes one somewhat reluctant to bother answering queries etc in the future.
I think the answer is in the question?/ LOL here is a clue if you dont use it you will never get out of 1st gear or even get it in first gear to start with that is providing you know how to use the clutch oh that by the way is the pedal on the left hand side in the foot well the foot well is were you put your feet while driving there are three pedals down there " unless the car is automatic then there are two" "" but dont bother about that just now as it is a bit complicated"" the left one as I said is the clutch the middle one is the brake this is used to stop the car. WARNING do not stamp on this pedal while moving as you may sustain damage to the rear of the new sports car by following traffic ramming you from behind. the right one is the accelerator and makes the car go faster however this pedal will not work unless the engine is turned on. in order to turn on the engine on you have to put the ignition key in the lock that is situated down the right hand side below the steering wheel. you will find this right in front of you it's the big round thing that turns the wheels left and right however this will not turn as it is locked "for safety reasons" untill you turn the key. once the key is turned the wheel becomes free and a further turn starts the engine once this is running you can push the left pedal down to operate the clutch now the clutch is disengaged you can now select a gear using the shiny silver knob you asked the question about. alternativly just go and have some driving lessons and leave the car where it is.
did you like the long winded answer?? good now here is the short rude one...
IT'S A GEAR KNOB
Moderator Edit:
A wee bit too rude for this forum Colin
did you like the long winded answer?? good now here is the short rude one...
IT'S A GEAR KNOB
Moderator Edit:
A wee bit too rude for this forum Colin
My post was removed because it was supposed to be unhelpful, but my post never broke any of the rules. Is this an overzealous moderator at work again?
PR comes onto the site moans about it within the first five minutes when most of the posters are helpful. it seemed that PR was obviously looking for conflict, but if they weren't then apologise, but next time start with a friendly post instead fo attacking other forum members.
BTW what has happened to PR after their first complaining post?
PR comes onto the site moans about it within the first five minutes when most of the posters are helpful. it seemed that PR was obviously looking for conflict, but if they weren't then apologise, but next time start with a friendly post instead fo attacking other forum members.
BTW what has happened to PR after their first complaining post?
Parksy
Moderator
It all depends on your definition of 'overzealous'.Uvongo93 said:
If removing a fairly rude word which may have caused offence (albeit written jokingly) from another forum members post is considered to be overzealous enough for you to take issue without knowing the facts then I'm afraid that no action taken by any moderator is going to meet with your approval.
I certainly did not post any rude word by any stretch of the imagination. All I suggested was that if the OP did not like this forum is that there were plenty of others that they could join. Nothing offensive or rude about that! Did you actually read my post that was deleted?
Parksy
Moderator
I think that we may be at cross purposes here.
The slightly rude word which I was referring to was not written by you and I removed it from the forum and added a note to the bottom of the relevant post to say so.
You then decided to submit a comment complaining about overzealous moderators which I took to mean my action in deleting part of another members post.
I have no knowledge of any editing or deletion of your own post so we are discussing entirely separate issues.
The slightly rude word which I was referring to was not written by you and I removed it from the forum and added a note to the bottom of the relevant post to say so.
You then decided to submit a comment complaining about overzealous moderators which I took to mean my action in deleting part of another members post.
I have no knowledge of any editing or deletion of your own post so we are discussing entirely separate issues.
Uvongo93 said:
Sorry have been away! My post was not intended to be offensive to anybody, it was just an observation on the replies to some of the posts on here.
I did put a friendly post on here when I first joined the site, when I properly introduced myself.
I missed your first post. PR no problem and hope you have many helpful replies. Seems (S)Parky got his wires crossed as it was Damien that removed my orginal post for some strange reason.
Parksy
Moderator
Uvongo93 said:
Apologies, I did.
I thought that you were complaining because I'd removed a bit of a ribald comment from Colin.
I'd just like to add that I do agree with Colin's comments about posters who do not reply, or thank other contributers who have taken the time and effort to give them advice or answer their questions. I find this very rude, although it may not be intentional
im a newbie, but have to admit, i havent really noticed any rudeness, especially on any posts ive made. There is the usual bickering amongst those that proclaim to know everything and wont accept alternative views but thats life on the internet forums. From expereince it happens on forums discussing everything from gardening to babycare to which polish is best for my dark green car.
Re colins point about newbies asking repeated questions. Yes this does happen, ive done it myself and on other forums where im more expereinced ive done my best to answer them, however many times it comes up.
Ive also tried using the search button but to be frank, its useless. I recently looked for advise on towing in windy conditions and the search through up 50+ pages with everything from farting behind windbreaks to how well a volvo 940 towed in reverse uphill!
Yes we are new, and yes we should all do some research before parting with cash but maybe thats what newbies are actually doing. Yes the more expereinced were new once, but like learning to drive, i honestly think some may have forgotten just how daunting it was and how much information there is to take in!
The positive note is, at least these newbies who ask questions are thoughtful enough to actually seek answers from a forum to ensure their safey or best value, rather than just hitching up and driving off clueless.
Re colins point about newbies asking repeated questions. Yes this does happen, ive done it myself and on other forums where im more expereinced ive done my best to answer them, however many times it comes up.
Ive also tried using the search button but to be frank, its useless. I recently looked for advise on towing in windy conditions and the search through up 50+ pages with everything from farting behind windbreaks to how well a volvo 940 towed in reverse uphill!
Yes we are new, and yes we should all do some research before parting with cash but maybe thats what newbies are actually doing. Yes the more expereinced were new once, but like learning to drive, i honestly think some may have forgotten just how daunting it was and how much information there is to take in!
The positive note is, at least these newbies who ask questions are thoughtful enough to actually seek answers from a forum to ensure their safey or best value, rather than just hitching up and driving off clueless.
Parksy
Moderator
Good post Andy.
If no one ever asked any questions the forum would die through lack of interest and personally I never mind answering even the most obvious questions if I have the answers because for someone starting out these things are very important.
It always seems better to confirm what could be coldly researched by asking experienced members of a forum who have been there and done that, the info is straight from the horses mouth and somehow feels better.
I have to disagree with you there Andy, it was useless on the old forum but a few minutes looking through the posts shown and then following the topics that are of interest to you will unearth masses of information.
http://www.practicalcaravan.com/forum/towing-driving-safety/easter-weekend
Every post that was written on Practical Caravan forum both on the old and this new upgraded website is in the archive and available.
If no one ever asked any questions the forum would die through lack of interest and personally I never mind answering even the most obvious questions if I have the answers because for someone starting out these things are very important.
It always seems better to confirm what could be coldly researched by asking experienced members of a forum who have been there and done that, the info is straight from the horses mouth and somehow feels better.
andy72 said:
I have to disagree with you there Andy, it was useless on the old forum but a few minutes looking through the posts shown and then following the topics that are of interest to you will unearth masses of information.
http://www.practicalcaravan.com/forum/towing-driving-safety/easter-weekend
Every post that was written on Practical Caravan forum both on the old and this new upgraded website is in the archive and available.
hi all.
Oops what have I missed LOL, just got back from a long session on a carp lake. guess I should have taken the laptop eh!!.
Now lets get to the nitty gritty, the offending word richard "shortened version" that I used on the post (removed by parksy) was not intended to cause any offence at all in fact just the opposite. It was a way of illustrating to PR what a rude answer would look like. had we all on here not been all friendly and sophisticated and answered the fun question posed by Forest in the same fun way at the same time. the very action that parksy took removing it should be applauded and welcomed as it shows the system works, well done parksy. "think I will find a less crasse word next time but the point is taken even if the idea of it remains".
There is a serious side to this however and that is how newbies both to caravanning and the forum view the comments and the banter used between established members. sometimes I agree the line is very narrow or blurred but nothing should be taken at face value EVER. as with all things in life a difference of oppinion is to be expected ask 10 experts a question and you are likely to get 10 different answers each one saying the other 9 are wrong!!.
on the subject of silly or niave questions on this I am at a loss I personally can't understand it to the point where I dont bother to reply to most of them anymore, reading some of them sends a shiver down the spine wondering what the hell they are thinking. however at the same time realising that what on one hand may seem silly could acctually be something fundimental and requires a immediate reply.
unresearched questions are my biggest gripe though, as illustrated by the gear knob senario ie; cant drive but bought new sports car "asking questions about the controls" we see this all the time in one form or another, now it could be just me and my practical mind but surely before buying something it would not be out of line to find out how it works or what it does at the point of sale not after when you have no idea how it connects or erects. Most sellers will give a demonstration if asked and if they won't ? buy elsewhere. a case in point was when we bought "the van" the dealer threw in some extra kit and spent 2hrs showing us exactly how everything connected and worked throughout the van even to erecting the awning (without pegging it down due to concrete yard) and numbering the poles with coloured marker pens. for his efforts he got the sale and a substantial ammout of our money. it really IS that easy.
As for not responging to answers when a question has been asked I am really annoyed by this it is very rude and prevents some form of closure to the threads it also prevents the posters who have contributed from finding out if their answers helped and also anyone with a similar problem somewhere to start without having to ask the same questions all over again. at least I have some support in this it is a pity that somefolk think it is allright or accetapable.
colin
Oops what have I missed LOL, just got back from a long session on a carp lake. guess I should have taken the laptop eh!!.
Now lets get to the nitty gritty, the offending word richard "shortened version" that I used on the post (removed by parksy) was not intended to cause any offence at all in fact just the opposite. It was a way of illustrating to PR what a rude answer would look like. had we all on here not been all friendly and sophisticated and answered the fun question posed by Forest in the same fun way at the same time. the very action that parksy took removing it should be applauded and welcomed as it shows the system works, well done parksy. "think I will find a less crasse word next time but the point is taken even if the idea of it remains".
There is a serious side to this however and that is how newbies both to caravanning and the forum view the comments and the banter used between established members. sometimes I agree the line is very narrow or blurred but nothing should be taken at face value EVER. as with all things in life a difference of oppinion is to be expected ask 10 experts a question and you are likely to get 10 different answers each one saying the other 9 are wrong!!.
on the subject of silly or niave questions on this I am at a loss I personally can't understand it to the point where I dont bother to reply to most of them anymore, reading some of them sends a shiver down the spine wondering what the hell they are thinking. however at the same time realising that what on one hand may seem silly could acctually be something fundimental and requires a immediate reply.
unresearched questions are my biggest gripe though, as illustrated by the gear knob senario ie; cant drive but bought new sports car "asking questions about the controls" we see this all the time in one form or another, now it could be just me and my practical mind but surely before buying something it would not be out of line to find out how it works or what it does at the point of sale not after when you have no idea how it connects or erects. Most sellers will give a demonstration if asked and if they won't ? buy elsewhere. a case in point was when we bought "the van" the dealer threw in some extra kit and spent 2hrs showing us exactly how everything connected and worked throughout the van even to erecting the awning (without pegging it down due to concrete yard) and numbering the poles with coloured marker pens. for his efforts he got the sale and a substantial ammout of our money. it really IS that easy.
As for not responging to answers when a question has been asked I am really annoyed by this it is very rude and prevents some form of closure to the threads it also prevents the posters who have contributed from finding out if their answers helped and also anyone with a similar problem somewhere to start without having to ask the same questions all over again. at least I have some support in this it is a pity that somefolk think it is allright or accetapable.
colin
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