The Forum

[byron]

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I just worry that someone will read a certain experts advice and then follow it.

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Hear! Hear!
This too has been a worry of mine too. Also just because it 'in the book' doesn't make it right. It should always be borne in mind that even Macmillans and the RYA get it wrong. P'raps with some luck he'll rely on Macmillan Waypoints and disappear up his own exhaust pipe.

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[tripleace]

So much for fresh start... Clearly we have moved on so much..

maybe the forum should classify users on knowledge not on number of posts:

ie:

idiot

has a book on something and might have read it.

could be right occassionally

probably more right than wrong

could be right

worth double checking

fountain of all truth

and then the highest standard
..
Byron says its right so it must be.....


obviously we would all have to go on a training couse, prepare lists of equipment that we might need if our vessel drifts from the solent into the frozen Bearing sea and prove we can still plot a course on paper charts after 12 pints of badger.


The results could be displayed on the forum so that everyone else can take the P($$ and generally be-little formites.

Burgees .... all old ones recalled and we could all have different ones depending on our status.

I am somewhat surprised that we all do not wish to go back to a more self regulated format and feel that its quite right to do whatever we like and rely on Kim to pull us up.

Oh well its a free world.




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[kimhollamby]

Okay the \'club bar disease\'

Yes, but you cannot level that at any one person on unmoderated boards can you?

There has been loads of tosh spouted on here among all the good stuff and there is an issue, I agree, if people come on here, view it and take it all at face value. If I see anything completely off beam I sometimes intervene, or other forum users do so. But the bad info remains as a snapshot that can be searched ou and taken for gospel.

You get exactly the same problem at the club bar. As MBM editor I sometimes saw the current season's pet theory run around whole piles of boatowners like a wave following germination at the real equivalent of a forum, a collection of bar stools. Some of it was good, some of it was rubbish, frankly. Unlike the forum, Chinese whispers sometimes subtly changes the bar advice as the season wears on.

That's not to diminish the role of clubs or, for that matter, this forum. But if hard facts and good ones are the priority, then the only way to do it is to have editors/moderators in place and not release anything to live until checked. That's not an offer by the way, just a view.

It of course takes us back to the original demand for an FAQ section to feature the very best of the advice offered here. Unfortunately, if you look at the volume of posts, that's hugely labour intensive which is why we haven't gone there as of yet. But it is not forgotten.

Finally, if anyone sees a post that they believe to be highly misleading, dangerously so, then PM me if you think I might not have seen it (currently 11,000 posts per month so highly possible) and I'll take a look.



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[TonyGerrard]

I'm with you Jeff. I'm a newcomer and in recent weeks I have received a lot of sound advice and learned a lot just by reading the posts every day.
I know drivel when I see it so I can safely ignore it, but I'd be disappointed if a handful of guys on broadcast mode could switch off the more experienced people on the forum. I'm hoping this whole thread will disappear shortly.........
Cheers

<hr width=100% size=1>TonyG

 

[MedDreamer]

Simon

You are right we should stop the navel gazing and get back to where it was. I do believe that most forumites prefer the self regulatory approach, which gives plenty of scope of debate, banter etc.

However this approach does not work when we have individuals who seem to think that they can validate their point of view by "shouting louder" and/or insulting other posters who may contradict them even if they are only passing on their own, sometimes considerable, experience.

There is a place for everyone on here and everyone deserves respect but I am quite sure that if you look at the recent flashpoints most have them have been generated by the "I know more that you do you idiot" approach of one particular individual.

Come on H1 just calm down a little bit, keep us entertained and informed but please be more tolerant of other views - its ridiculous that the the longest running thread on here is something as anal as this one.

Time to move forward I hope.

<hr width=100% size=1>Martyn

 

[kimhollamby]

Time out

Okay, subject well enough aired. I'm locking the thread now but of someone has further concerns please send me a PM.

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