Is It Just Me............?

[MonacoMike]

Not all, but unfortunately far too many. Considering the "Tiki Bar" has more threads than 75% of the actual boating related threads, it's easy to see why they left.

Are you saying that valuable members left here because of non-boating threads?

MM

 

[Alex F]

Are you saying that valuable members left here because of non-boating threads?

MM

Non-boating threads and all other "total BS threads" shouldn't belong to the same category. We have number of good non-boating threads but they're legit and helpful to many people. However, for the past couple of years, as the site grows and the member count went from 9K to 25K, we're experiencing very high volume of "Total BS Threads", which are useless. There were number of times when a legit boating thread was berried and bottomed out due to the high activity on the BS threads.

We started off as a small and friendly community having great quality of information shared and exchanged that helped and saved tons of money to a lot of people (myself included). It appears that quantity is overtaking the quality. This is why on several occasions we get comments from senior members that CSR is not the same anymore. As a result, many of them loose interest and become quite and some just choose to go some place else where they can "restore" the smaller community with quality threads.

Not all, but unfortunately far too many. Considering the "Tiki Bar" has more threads than 75% of the actual boating related threads, it's easy to see why they left.

IMO, 75% is an understatement when looking at overall picture.

I don't think that the quality of the board is something that falls under the admins. We can ask for more control, but there's only so much they can do. In the end it's the mutual effort of all members to improve and restore the board's quality.

 

[Bridog]

Non-boating threads and all other "total BS threads" shouldn't belong to the same category. We have number of good non-boating threads but they're legit and helpful to many people. However, for the past couple of years, as the site grows and the member count went from 9K to 25K, we're experiencing very high volume of "Total BS Threads", which are useless. There were number of times when a legit boating thread was berried and bottomed out due to the high activity on the BS threads.

We started off as a small and friendly community having great quality of information shared and exchanged that helped and saved tons of money to a lot of people (myself included). It appears that quantity is overtaking the quality. This is why on several occasions we get comments from senior members that CSR is not the same anymore. As a result, many of them loose interest and become quite and some just choose to go some place else where they can "restore" the smaller community with quality threads.



IMO, 75% is an understatement when looking at overall picture.

I don't think that the quality of the board is something that falls under the admins. We can ask for more control, but there's only so much they can do. In the end it's the mutual effort of all members to improve and restore the board's quality.

Alex said it perfectly.

 

[Nehalennia]

Frank is correct. There are many comments that either are incorrect or the humor is lost in type without the tone of voice and could be extremely costly.

All the Good Guys that used to provide valuable information have gone to that other place.....What a bunch of Snobs!

boc?

No, http://tiaraownersclub.com/f/category-view.asp

 

[MonacoMike]

The more things change, the more they remain the same: How Accurate is the Information You Receive Here?

10/20/07: We have just gone through several weeks here on CSR with a pretty active "industry professional" where there were several posts that were inaccurate or just plain wrong.

If the methods in at least 2 of the procedures are followed, you very likely could have a significant repair facing you in the future. So, I'm wondering if any of you ever attempt to verify the accuracy of the information you get here and if you do, how do you do it?

Frank is dead on right to bring this up and keep the actual information shared valuable and safe, but it hasn't changed with increased member count.


http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/5485-How-Accurate-is-the-Information-You-Receive-Here

...And back in the good old days there were no "total BS threads"...

10/30/08: Hello everyone- I have really enjoyed Clubsearay and I just want to let everyone know that I go to my 320 da every weekend on the Columbia river in Portland, Oregon(I live 100 miles from Portland so it is a long drive) to get away from it all and be with fellow boaters ; To have fun and let it all hang out... Please keep this forum free of the politics and garbage of everyday life .. let's support everyone in our crazy little world of boating.. Outside of boating everyone is different, but as boaters ,we are all the same-Whether you own a 60 searay sundancer or an 18' bowrider. we all share the same passion!

http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/13267-Lets-have-fun

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

MM

 

[KayKook]

If I have a problem here it is that I think we all need to be conscious about the quality of the information we post on CSR. Some poor smuck may search for how to fix a hole in a boat 5 years in the future and end up looking for a 1/8" hole saw (sorry John!).

This is just a public message board, nothing more, nothing less. The poor smuck should take the good with the bad, and make his own conclusions from what he reads here. Knowone here is perfect, and knowone that reads these boards are either. The lighthearted and sometimes silly responses to questions is what makes it fun to be here. If it was as sterile as a medical manual on how to perform a lobotomy, it would be less of a message board. IMHO.

 

[Alex F]

This is just a public message board, nothing more, nothing less. The poor smuck should take the good with the bad, and make his own conclusions from what he reads here. Knowone here is perfect, and knowone that reads these boards are either. The lighthearted and sometimes silly responses to questions is what makes it fun to be here. If it was as sterile as a medical manual on how to perform a lobotomy, it would be less of a message board. IMHO.

I agree, but it feels like folks often forget that this is not a Facebook, so this is where it gets way out of the proportion.

 

[MasterFab]

I've been reading this thread, on and off, all day, and I must admit I feel compelled to post. I've been a member here for quite some time now, but if you look at my profile, you see that the number of posts I have made is quite limited. I normally scan the "New Posts, Last 24 Hours" each day, and look for those threads where I can contribute meaningful, factual, and correct information. I don't post unless I have a 98% certainty that I know the answer. For the political or social threads, I don't tend to contribute, with very few exceptions.

When I do make a post, you can be sure it is based in solid engineering principals and practices, and based on years of experience and study. So, where am I going with all this? My point is that, with seemingly increasing frequency, I scan the posts each day, and don't make any contributions. So I would agree that the board is becoming more and more social, with a lesser concentration of boating, engineering, and maintenance related topics.

We make the site what it is - it won't change unless we are vigilant, and all try to keep the focus on boating and boating related issues. It's in our hands.

Dale

 

[hack4alivin]

We have been down this road several times in the past, and if we are around long enough we will see it in the future as well. It’s an online forum and the information content cannot be controlled. That is the nature of the beast here, but at the same time advice, good or bad, can come from many other sources as well. I have heard some pretty dumb stuff from sales people. Buyers beware!

The biggest difference I have seen over the past year or so is that no one is coming out and reaming the people giving stupid advice the way someone used to do. The ridiculing was usually pretty viscous, but generally right on for the degree of stupid of the post. This would have a way of weeding out some of the bad advisers. I miss that. It sure was fun to watch.

 

[Henry Boyd]

Didn't the last time we go down the path of having a ranking systems and green balls? Look how well that turned out.

Henry

 

[BonBini]

I can certainly see what you guys are stepin in... but I cant see CSR doing anything to reduce traffic. Perhaps it's time for some kind of split!

ie: a tech side and a social side. both with the 24/48 hr new post buttons that we all use. As far as the bad advise goes; Well... if a boater is willing to repair a hole in his boat with a lag bolt (stainless of corse), well you just cant fix stupid!

jm... 0.02

 

[crowder]

I look at things a little differently. Yes some of the posts are bad information but that is where the experianced members come in, to not only correct the bad information but to also EDUCATE the poster of the bad information. Ridiculing someone for a bad post is not a productive activity. However if you can point out to that person why there post is wrong not only has he learned something new but others as well.
As has aready been pointed out here the information coming from this or any forum should be taken with a grain of salt and verified against other forums or other sources of information. Trying to rebuild your marine engine when you have never seen one before based on what you read in a forum is probably not a wise move no mater how correct the information is.

 

[HUMPH]

I am on the fence here. I completely agree with Frank regarding the quality of the "help" that is provided in threads where people are asking for instructions or recommendations. The amount of good or great help I have received here is amazing and the jokester input is cast aside. I can see where someone can be screwing with a poster and they don't understand that. In maintenance threads there should be less funny business and I am aware I have had my part in this but have noticed the trend too.

As far as having the Tiki Bar or general BS threads goes, I see no issue with people having fun and just joking around as long as it stays in the correct thread. If technical contributors want to avoid the nonsense these threads contain they are easily avoided. I find myself responding to these more often than I would have thought I would but I believe it's because I have not seen too many threads of late that contain useful information or even issues that catch my attention. It seems that when I post a legit question I am offered very few responses to review and chew on, is this due to lack of interest because of the diluded content here? If it is the reason I am all for cutting back on the BS and make it more related to helping and sharing information about our Sea Rays.


A solution may be to create (2) section where people that want to BS like a chat room can go and technical threads are separated. Not sure how much effort would go into this but it might be worth while.

 

[John_Gault]

As a boating (not a non-waving fishing boater) newbie, I wanted to express gratitude for the information provided to me in the past few mo the on this board.
Do I wade through numerous erroneous posts, yes.
Have I enjoyed some of the non-boating topics, yes.
Overall, I appreciate the combination of social and technical information. Enough that I check 24/48 updates multiple times a day. It got me through the winter!
Now, as I read this over my bourbon, I realize I was aiming just to express my appreciation to the "old" salts on the board...
And, glad I didn't suggest the wine bottle cork to fix the hull hole...

 

[2texoma]

I agree with those who believe this forum is like day to day human interactions as far as feelings and opinions toward one another. People need rules,known expectations,leaders and other guide-posts if they are to conform. We aren't allowed to make or change rules here to suit what we personaly think. There is an abundance of aspireing leaders in and around the members so lets see if they can help improve what is being complained about .
Fully realizing I may add salt to some wounds,there wasn't very many signs of the warm comradery between old and new,experinced and greenhorn,dedicated and casual nor other atendees while I lurked prior to joining. So much so that I started an early post apoligetly for benifit of those who feel newbees seldom contribute and should seek wisdom only.
How does it present a problem if folks want to visit and chat in Tiki ect?
I do see how there might be a rub when a thread like this one is started in General Maintenance/Repair rather than General Discussion. It's certainly not worth stewing over if a member has a favorite forum they like to post in rather than hopping around. But don'tca think it will help newbees if we post in proper forums so those looking for a mechanical fix doesn't have to wade through a debate/rant like this.
If I understand the problem,provisions were made for other than hard core boat talk. What's wrong with people useing the chat forums?

 

[Alex F]

.... So, where am I going with all this? My point is that, with seemingly increasing frequency, I scan the posts each day, and don't make any contributions. So I would agree that the board is becoming more and more social, with a lesser concentration of boating, engineering, and maintenance related topics...

Same here, Dale.

..... It seems that when I post a legit question I am offered very few responses to review and chew on, is this due to lack of interest because of the diluded content here?....

Ken, IMO the deluded content is a huge contributor.

....A solution may be to create (2) section where people that want to BS like a chat room can go and technical threads are separated. Not sure how much effort would go into this but it might be worth while.

It looks like our admins tried fixing it by introducing the "Tiki-bar" section, however the way it works it affects the other threads. Perhaps, if our admins can introduce priority level where anything like "Tiki-bar" sections would drop down the list and all other boating related threads go to the top of the list, that would work much better, IMO.

People can say that we've seen these threads many time, bla-bla. The bottom line is, if we want to fix it we can. Every problem has a solution, all we need to do is find it. So, if we skip the BS and contribute good ideas, I bet we can make the difference.

 

[OldSkool]

I too review the site multiple times a day. I enjoy the banter of some issues however I have seen a decline of tech type questions in general. There have been more than a good share of "what wax to use or cleaning my filters today" threads. And let’s be honest, how many times have we posted "here we go again" after a newbie asks a general maintenance question or God help anyone who starts the dreaded portable generator thread.

What I'm saying here is that we have brought some of this on ourselves because we are super critical to open ended question. Yes, they are newbies and yes, they may not know how to use the search function so why do we complain that the thread is diluted when we criticize a question when it’s asked?
How many time have we jumped a poster over spelling and grammatical errors completely overlooking the content of the post?
Seems like we are our own worst enemy here.

 

[Alex F]

.... There have been more than a good share of "what wax to use or cleaning my filters today" threads. And let’s be honest, how many times have we posted "here we go again" after a newbie asks a general maintenance question ....

IMO, there's nothing wrong with those threads and they have real value compare to BS threads. Let's be realistic here, nothing is static, things change. Threads about "Which wax is better?" may seem like "oh no, not again", but reality is that the product we used 3-5yrs ago may not be the best solution now. I'm actually looking for better ideas in regards to wax, which I've used for few years. Same goes for stuff like PFDs, bottom paints, etc.

Another good reason for having old topics to resurface is that they refresh memory for seasonal boaters, and we have tons of them on the board.

So, my point is that I'll gladly take those threads over some social non-boating related BS threads.

 

[OldSkool]

IMO, there's nothing wrong with those threads and they have real value compare to BS threads. Let's be realistic here, nothing is static, things change. Threads about "Which wax is better?" may seem like "oh no, not again", but reality is that the product we used 3-5yrs ago may not be the best solution now. I'm actually looking for better ideas in regards to wax, which I've used for few years. Same goes for stuff like PFDs, bottom paints, etc.

Another good reason for having old topics to resurface is that they refresh memory for seasonal boaters, and we have tons of them on the board.

So, my point is that I'll gladly take those threads over some social non-boating related BS threads.

You make my point Alex. We have brought a lot of this on ourselves.

 

[MonacoMike]

I agree, but it feels like folks often forget that this is not a Facebook, so this is where it gets way out of the proportion.

It looks like our admins tried fixing it by introducing the "Tiki-bar" section, however the way it works it affects the other threads. Perhaps, if our admins can introduce priority level where anything like "Tiki-bar" sections would drop down the list and all other boating related threads go to the top of the list, that would work much better, IMO.

People can say that we've seen these threads many time, bla-bla. The bottom line is, if we want to fix it we can. Every problem has a solution, all we need to do is find it. So, if we skip the BS and contribute good ideas, I bet we can make the difference.

What is becoming clear is the forum users have a philosophical divide over what is the proper use of this forum. On one hand there is a group that just wants boating related posts, minimal social content, when they check here for information or to help someone. On the other is a group that enjoys each other, sharing fun, all while waiting to help the next newbie, to them this is a from of interaction like Facebook. Both groups benefit from their shared interaction and should be respectful to the other.

As for the "Tiki Bar" these posts are really a bother? I looked back and we seem to average 1-2 posts per day and most seem to have a fairly short life span and wouldn't cause a valuable thread to be "berried and bottomed out due to the high activity on the BS threads". The problem with ranking posts is who gets to be the 'IT" that decides what is and is not a "BS" post?

The new members that have helped this site grow also pay their way by increasing the hits for advertising hopefully keeping the financials viable for Jim. I'm sure new advertisers use things like hits on the site, links on the site, thread counts, and members to determine ad rates so would the elimination of the "BS" threads actually help the site?

I understand that those of you who joined when there were a few thousand members, miss the sleepy little almost private site with close interaction to the best posters and close-knit camaraderie. I'm jealous sometimes I missed the "formative" years here and at SRO, but am very grateful to all that have helped me and hope I can return the favor to those of you that helped me in some way. I also enjoy helping the new members here and helping the site grow.

I hope I have contributed something here that makes the site better. MM