Why members leave TPF

[The_Traveler]

This is a bad day for this forum.

We've had worse ones.
I remember the alien abductions of '06 when we lost half the members and the other two fell down the back of the sofa. But we got a Government grant and bought some new ones. You'd never know.

Another important step that mods can take is to discourage the kind of thread jacking when there is an attempt at any serious discussion. There is the kind of 'I think I'm cool' group here that plops into many threads, being funny, trying to get attention and diverting any chance of keeping a core community of people who care about and want to talk about photography. Their attitude is that if they don't think it's important no one else should talk about it.

point made

 

[usayit]

I am very familiar with the thread you're talking about (LOL, I'm quoted in the excerpt you posted), I just don't see the connection between that and long time members leaving...

I too don't make a connection between that thread and members leaving. The way I see it, Cooler King placed himself in a position of expertise on the subject and made some bold statements. An expert should be capable of defending their statements AND properly explain (educate) those asking questions. Neither accomplished successfully and a very defensive tone was taken for those questioning the statements made. Posters responded with equally defensive posts... it was down hill from there.


My take on why members leave.... this is a community... An open community.. there are no restrictions to membership... As such, you can't take this place too seriously. There are way too many people taking "stuff" too seriously. The whole "The Pact" thread is a prime example of this.

 

[skieur]

May I suggest a more EVEN handed approach by moderators, when both sides are at fault?

Thanks for the tip.

People leave forums for their own reasons, but to imply that it has to do with the moderating team here does a disservice to us who, while trying to promote good will and camaraderie, have to suffer through this type of drivel from members who refuse to take any accountability of their own actions.

I am sure that the moderating team is trying to promote good will and camaraderie, but I am just saying that I think the approach could be improved.

The best approach would be to catch the thread as soon as it goes off track and issue a warning to the offending one and get it back on track. That I realize is occasionally done well but is most often NOT possible.

Taking one side of the argument after both sides have gone too far does NOT seem fair to most readers. In this thread I would have liked to see the moderator redirect the argument to the main point that I quoted.
Proving it as anyone with computer literacy knows is not possible unless you have completely programmed your own web site and it is understandable that a knowledgeable IT person would not necessarily have the interest in doing that. This does not make his knowledge of programming subroutines necessarily suspect. The "put up or shut up" bandwagon carried things too far.

It would have been nice if the moderator had pointed out that both sides were in the wrong and perhaps quoted the uncomplimentary terms that BOTH sides used or the off track arguments and then warned BOTH sides to take a better approach to discussion threads in future. That I think would have headed things in a better direction to achieve the goals of the moderators.

skieur

 

[jensgt]

Its a forum...people leave them..because they get bored or because they need thicker skin. Happens all the time no matter what forum it is.

 

[Rekd]

There was wrong on both sides of the argument and then a moderator jumps in and instead of mediating, takes ONE side of the argument and then locks the thread.

...

The basis of Cooler King's argument was that photos could be technically protected against copying.

No. They can't be protected. That's why the moderator took one side over the other. :er:

There's a dozen free apps out there that will copy the screen in one or two clicks.
Don't care how much you try to protect it, if you put it on my screen, I can take it.

Period.

There is a juvenile type of one-upmanship at the heart of these discussions that has next to nothing to do with whatever the topic may be.

No there's not!
.:greenpbl:

 

[skieur]

This is a bad day for this forum.

We've had worse ones.
I remember the alien abductions of '06 when we lost half the members and the other two fell down the back of the sofa. But we got a Government grant and bought some new ones. You'd never know.

Another important step that mods can take is to discourage the kind of thread jacking when there is an attempt at any serious discussion. There is the kind of 'I think I'm cool' group here that plops into many threads, being funny, trying to get attention and diverting any chance of keeping a core community of people who care about and want to talk about photography. Their attitude is that if they don't think it's important no one else should talk about it.

point made

I totally agree with Traveler that these types of intellectually challenged posts should be strong discouraged by the moderators.

skieur

 

[jbylake]

We've had worse ones.
I remember the alien abductions of '06 when we lost half the members and the other two fell down the back of the sofa. But we got a Government grant and bought some new ones. You'd never know.

Another important step that mods can take is to discourage the kind of thread jacking when there is an attempt at any serious discussion. There is the kind of 'I think I'm cool' group here that plops into many threads, being funny, trying to get attention and diverting any chance of keeping a core community of people who care about and want to talk about photography. Their attitude is that if they don't think it's important no one else should talk about it.

point made

I totally agree with Traveler that these types of intellectually challenged posts should be strong discouraged by the moderators.

skieur

Intellectually challenged? Just who the hell do you and traveler think you are with your remarks that indicate that everyone except your inner-circle of friends are either a less evolved life form, or intellectually challenged. I'd say I did quite well in my undergrad and post grad work. Have been lucky enough to work on some very interesting and important engineering projects, and was good enough to be able to retire at 50. Maybe your sanctimonous attitude goads people into leaving. :lmao:

Intellectually challenged, kiss my A$$.

Jim.

 

[usayit]

Being a moderator sounds like too much work...

Used to be mod's were expected to enforce the forum rules. Now... they are expected to also moderate and direct content.


THEN:
Mod's == Police

NOW:
Mod's == Police, Judge, Executioner


I won't pretend to have the best solution for the TPF. Just an observation.

 

[manaheim]

Put about 40,000 people with various cultures, upbringings, tendencies, opinions, etc. into one room and see how long it takes until a fight breaks out, someone pops uncle Lou in the face, and some percentage of people depart because of it.

 

[usayit]

Oh no...

 

[manaheim]

Oh no...

I actually didn't mean you. You posted before I hit submit on mine. Sorry.

 

[usayit]

Oh no...

I actually didn't mean you. You posted before I hit submit on mine. Sorry.

Actually.. I knew who you directed towards... NO problem here...

"Oh no.." was directed at the same exchange.. hehehe (limitation of this form of communication)

 

[DScience]

EGO!

 

[jbylake]

Put about 40,000 people with various cultures, upbringings, tendencies, opinions, etc. into one room and see how long it takes until a fight breaks out, someone pops uncle Lou in the face, and some percentage of people depart because of it.

Maybe I'm Uncle Lou, not sure....but regardless, I'd say that you're about 99.9% correct in your assesment.

J.

 

[usayit]

btw... Glad to see you are still around Manaheim... at least in lurker mode.