Changing Forum?

[Rob_Webb]

After a long break from the YM forum (for reasons not worth going into) I was delighted to be able to log in again and catch up with sailing news & views in time for the start of the new season.......

.... my delight has been short-lived. From what I can see, it's mostly politics, in-jokes or simply totally unrelated to boating. It seems to have become a low-end/tabloid chat-room. The most interesting (boaty) threads seem to have the least response whilst the innane/irrelevant ones attract most banter.

Things is, I can't work out whether the forum has changed or I have changed - has it always been this awful? I feel like an adult returning to a childhood place that used to hold fond memories..... but the illusion is shattered and I don't feel particularly compelled to re-visit.

I was going to write about the thrill of being in Auckland recently at the helm of an ex-Americas Cup boat but somehow this no longer feels the right place to talk about this kind of thing. Pity.

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[warrior40]

You need to go to the PBO forum, thats where all the boaty stuff lives!

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[Stingo]

You can only keep some of the people happy some of the time! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

And if you can't handle a bit of light-hearted banter (especially over the winter months when this is the closest you can get to waterborne sanity), then you're right, this isn't the place for you.

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[sailbadthesinner]

no doubt the forum has changed. everything does.
but what you see now is less boaty is due to;
A) Closed season.many people's boats are not in. most have yet to have first trip, so fewer stories/queries.
B) we need more newbies to come in with problems/dillemas.
C) there have been a few get togethers so some of the people do 'know ' each other and running jokes are bound to occur, this is not normally to the exclusion of others

I would put most of it down to pre season nerves. the boaty stuff will pick up as more get on the water. the few already on the water have normally exhausted their stories/ queries by a Thursday and cabin fever may resume.

this is a broad church and all banter and queries are welcome to me . remember pbo is the realy boaty bit for technical probs. here is stories and debates on all things but mainly boats.


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[kimhollamby]

Rob,

Welcome back.

You've landed in a bit of an odd week, that's all. Clearly everyone is halfway out of winter, halfway into summer mode. Plus there's a little matter of a war.

This is certainly the place for your Auckland posting and I for one would enjoy reading it. Please go ahead.

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[NigeCh]

Here's what is made by those who post. I'm sure that if you posted about Auckland then a thread would develop into a sailing thread (whether proper or not is another matter)

Winter on the hard (for those who are on the hard) is a discomfitting time as is reflected by the nature of the posts.

Now, stay awake, and start posting again: Just how did taking the helm of an ex_americas cup boat thrill you? Was the wind speed above 20 knots? Did you have to reef? ... Or were there no reef points on the mainsail?

Whilst you were away we tore Americas Cup boats to shreds as they can't or won't sail in a ordinary fresh breeze.

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[Magic_Sailor]

Nearly reduced to tears!

Hi Robb

Must say you sound a bit sorry for yourself. Most threads are boaty but having some 40,000 troops in a war with someone who may use WMD is a bit disconcerting and bound to take a lot of attention.

Post whatever you like - I think you'll find you get a very informed response. There are some jokes sure, but I like to think that humour, reflective discourse makes us a little more rounded as people.

Your post describing what we are saying as awful could be considered rude - but looking at other postings on the thread I note that people have been welcoming (inc me). So, maybe you'd better bear that in mind before being quite so dismissive and aloof.

Magic



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[warrior40]

Re: Auckland

I'm from Auckland, did you go out on that NZL 40 and buy the t-shirt , I used to watch them going out every day and evening when I lived in Auckland, They always look really cool, I always think what a great buisness it is for them, they have recently bought another one from Peter Harrison, an ex Nippon boat I. I love NZ and can't wait to return .
what boat do you sail over here?

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[Twister_Ken]

Re: Nearly reduced to tears!

>someone who may use WMD<

That'll be George W Bush then?

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[beancounter]

Rob,

as a newcomer to this forum - indeed to forums (fora? forii?) in general - like you I was a little bewildered by the eclectic mix of topics. However, I have come to think of Scuttlebut as the sailing club bar, where all sorts of topics will be discussed over a jar. If the topics aren't interesting, then move your drink further down the bar. The PBO forum is probably the equivalent of conversations down on the pontoon/slipway, i.e more technical & specific.

I'm sure your Auckland post would be welcome - there have been such posts in the last little while, such as Magic Sailor's lyrical description of his first voyage, and Nicho's experiences with his new boat. As other respondents have pointed out, I'm sure such tales will increase as the season progresses.

cheers

John

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[Magic_Sailor]

Re: Nearly reduced to tears!

Could be. Although I doubt it. He might in retaliation though. I noted at some point the he said he'd do anything necessary to win the war - which I thought a dark threat.

I was trying to demo the gravity of the situation.

Magic

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[Breoch]

I don't think it's you sir! Some real prats out there just wanting to put finger to keyboard without putting brain into gear, so as to say.

Look at some comments made by KH over the past couple of months on all the Forums and you will see that they don't think much of some of the content either.

Could be that in the end there is not much new to say about sailing anyway.

Glen

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[[448]]

Hey Rob, if you think this is bad, have a look at the stinkpots forum.
Cheers, Dave

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[Ohdrat]

Re: GW is a WMD!

All by himself he's created one hell of a "stink" just by creating the "axis of evil" rubbish.. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr if I could get my hands on GW and TB whilst I'm about it.. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Sorry Rob.. as soon as I get sailing I will post about sailing .. first I have to get a boat... !!!!!!

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[Rob_Webb]

Thanks for all the considered responses.

In my former visits as a fairly active visitor, I was as keen on humour as the next man and often got drawn into (and even initiated) the occassional 'off-piste' discussion when I thought it could be productive or interesting. And I accept the clubhouse analogy as a good one and understand that I can 'move on' wherever a topic doesn't suit.

But I think that returning with a fresh set of eyes after several months, the thing that strikes me is a shift in the balance of topics. I seem to remember boaty talk being in the clear majority with other discussion in the minority, often developing as an addendum to an earlier boaty discussion.

But now there are a large number of threads that start out as clearly non-boaty and it just makes me wonder why here? I accept that the war situation creates a special atmosphere and I'm not saying it should never feature, it's just an observation about balance.

I realise that the PBO forum exists for 'jetty talk' but this has usually been a bit to detailed for me and my interest was more about the pleasures of owning and sailing my boat rather than how it worked - hence YM was more my place. My observation is that an apparent (to me) shift in emphasis seems to have created a bit of a gap now - it's either detailed boaty DIY (PBO) or a mixed bag with an occassional naurical theme (YM). Maybe the regulars have been too close to see a shift occuring but it is definitely visible after a break!

Anyway, I'll give it a bit more time and see how it goes before sailing off into the sunset.

And I'll do the Americas Cup outing in another thread.

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[Oldhand]

Yes, isn't it sad Rob. There appears to be a group of arm-chair sailors who have sat in their arm-chairs so long they have forgotten about boating and have taken over this forum to discuss TV programmes and other trivia. Your proposed contribution would have best suited the Yachting World forum but that disappeared. Can't beleive a PBO forum is quite the right place to tell the world about helming an America's Cup yacht.

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[Gunfleet]

just post it, Rob. I think you've hit the forum at the equivalent of LWS, as Kim hinted. Everyone is in the last stages of cabin fever. Everone will turn nice once they start sailing

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[nicho]

The sailing club bar - now that's a very good analogy!! The discussions get more aggressive as the clock ticks by, and by 23.00, some are ready to sort it all out in the car park! It is true the forum has become a host to very wide and oft boring subjects of late, spiced up by some lively discussions (often started by our friend Jimi - he's been a bit bolshi lately hasn't he?. No excuses like "boat out the water, not doing any sailing" etc, 'cos he's out every week and just back from Cherbourg). Once the season gets into full swing, various posters will be on complaining about motorboat wash, flag ettiquette, IOW ferries aggressive navigation, marina prices, (the bills are now arriving - look out John Watson!) then the fun will start again, so lets not give upon it yet!!

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[escape]

Hi Rob,
I'm afraid I have to agree with your posts.
After a long break I started browsing again last week only to become discouraged.
Even the evergreen disptues between the Contessa/Vertue owners and the Jeanateau owners seem to have dried up !
But in a similar way I am finding the Magazine offerings a little the same.Let me explain before I get moderated.
April YM has a fit out guide which I found close to 'condescending' in content. Whilst I appreciate there are always some newcomers each year perhaps fitting out for the first time I believe the number must be exeedingly small and most would have enough common sense to manage what was listed. I won't go into dicusssion about wether such an article should be in YM or PBO.
Whilst I realise this is only my point of view and we are all entitled to have differences perhaps if no one speaks up the slide will go on ?


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[Grehan]

Rob

How long have you 'been away'?

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