I voted because I liked everything.
Over the years I have enjoyed LSC, Bob’s messages are consistent with this site’s rules and courtesy expectations.
So why do problems occur? Here’s a guess: Large Scale topics are limited. Gee, that’s easy. With one or two active manufacturers producing a very limited menu and the others either asleep or defunct, what is left is our user experience – and the hobby history is an accumulation of everyone’s opinions. Those opinions become the topics. Some are historically repeated from postings long ago with a new application. Some are obvious some are not. No matter, they become the focus along with the person who presented them.
Much easier is to discuss a new product, a new manufacturer, a product review, with the source of the topic a manufacturer and not one of us. Manufacturers are not personalities. The courtesies we are asked to observe with each other are not as easily challenged.
Secondly, we are getting older not younger in membership – so the history stories, theories, experiences, and unresolved large scale problems continue to surface from our well-aged experience in the LS hobby. Opinions are again assessed, responded to, and feelings are measured.
Answer: Let sensitivity as to how you wish to be treated activate your personal responses to Bob’s messages – as I think the far majority of us do.
Best wishes,
Wendell
Wendall I’m wondering whether theres also a certain amount of “cabin fever” going around too. This winter means alot of folks are cooped up, I notice how alot of these flame ups tend to occur when the weather is at its worst, and this winters been very bad, cold and wet. For us in the parts of the country where winter means we have to done a sweater and endure some rain, its hard to fathom how much the weather can grate on folks nerves. I’m sure hope once spring breaks and we’re all back outside doing what we love, things will be much smoother again.
I’m sorry, I keep deleting all the posts that would have corrected your thinking.
(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)
This cold is agrevating for sure, the Syracuse area is looking at breaking 4 records this month
2 for lowest temps for 2 days this month since 1902 when records were started here
1 for the coldest February on record
and the worst one
Since Jan 29th the temperature in this are has not gone above freezing, the entire month of Feb, and that is predicted to last until next week atleast…
Vic Smith said:
Wendall I’m wondering whether theres also a certain amount of “cabin fever” going around too. This winter means alot of folks are cooped up, I notice how alot of these flame ups tend to occur when the weather is at its worst, and this winters been very bad, cold and wet. For us in the parts of the country where winter means we have to done a sweater and endure some rain, its hard to fathom how much the weather can grate on folks nerves. I’m sure hope once spring breaks and we’re all back outside doing what we love, things will be much smoother again.
There’s really no excuse for any flame ups. Hot weather, cold weather, whatever.
This is, or should be, all about being nice to people and not trying to prove some remote point that only I care about. I truly believe that we can be nice what ever the weather. OK, so I’m an optimist. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-embarassed.gif)
Now, this is an optimist… or is it pessimist.
I report, you decide.
Vic and others responding to my analysis:
I agree, boredom produces conversation. What I think remains is our LS group does not have a parade of new products to respond to and discuss. Topics then are personalized insights, questions, and maintenance topics from years of being in the hobby.
The rest is in my discussion above.
Thanks for the response.
Wendell
I think the real problem is the internet and the impersonal communications. I can say somebody’s an idiot to their face and they laugh it off because they not only know me but they also realize I’m really kidding and it’s as close to a term of affection as a guy can get. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)
Say the same thing in a post and I start a 3 page flame war with all sorts of folks jumping in feeling they have to defend one person or the other.
When you feel offended, do what I do: think of “Hanlon’s Razor” which states “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”
Trust me, you will never be offended on the internet again, and you’ll avoid a whole bunch of stupid posts. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
I am just amazed at how many threads and posts we have on this subject. I try to treat people the way I want to be treated. If they do not respond to that, then I ignore them, or avoid them. Simple.
Too many times I have read a post and thought “Oh no! Here we go again.” Adults shouldn’t have to snipe and dig at each other. If you have a reasoned point, it can be presented without any personal attack involved. If you have to resort to a personal atack, then maybe your point isnt so well reasoned. Mature adults should be able to disagree in a reasoned way, and not bring any type of personal attack into the conversation.
Now if only I could present that viewpoint to my boss, it would save me a lot of stress at work.
If you went to work for Bruce, you wouldn’t have any boss problems!
Lou Luczu said:
If you went to work for Bruce, you wouldn’t have any boss problems!
Nobody wants to work for a stupid boss. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-embarassed.gif)
Yep, no personal comments period, including the “I did not mention a name”, but the post unambgiuously refers to an individual.
If someone does post a personal comment, then you STILL cannot respond in kind.
Two simple rules, and I’ve heard about every rationalization under the sun on why people need exceptions to the rule.
My forums, no exceptions. Post is deleted. Keep it up, you are banned. That is how I run mine.
Simple, clear, and people get the message right away.
Greg
Random tangent on spell checker, Firefox here has a built in one which underlines missspelled words then when you right click it offers several alternatives from which to click one to replace typo, but something in some websites interferes with it, this one among them.
My health is a mess and sometimes my coordination and/or focus are too far off to drive, or to work on models, or to spell perfectly like I did 40 years ago in high school typing class: on those days I often do more damage clicking the wrong thing than if I do nothing, and eventually just quit trying.
And then on the your words getting you in trouble thing, I have on top of the physical troubles, Asperger’s, bipolar, and PTSD - and of course no one with even one of those has eeeeever gotten themselves in trouble with their mouth, right? I don’t like when I do that to me, but given the laws of cause and effect, and probability, pretty much guaranteed to happen once in a while. On the whole, though, I luckly usually do pretty well at staying ahead of that ball game; but, sometimes that proverbial “perfect storm” hits, and what I say won’t look good on my resume. Err. Oh well, such is life. Recover, adapt, and keep on keeping on.
Why are we bothering to continue this discussion ?..Why not tell everyone about what you are building…
Taking “New Stuff” out of the box is boring…so we lost a manufacturer…this just gives a reason to dig in there and try building something.
Hey; how about trying for the first time, to kitbash something, and learn of talents you didn’t know you have…
For example…look at the idea of a Steam Generator car for your passenger train…I started a thread on Passenger train operations…how about someone else looking into some other railroad operation that could bring new life to your railroad, after the round and round wears off…
How about looking at new materials that might solve someone’s building problems…join in the chat and ask questions…and give ideas.
Lots to do…give it a try…
…and for the love of life…practise FORGIVENESS…we all need it sometime…
Thanks Fred.
I agree.
I’m having a nice day working on my latest project.
Vic Smith said:
Wendall I’m wondering whether theres also a certain amount of “cabin fever” going around too.
…
Vic (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Could I convince you, without pictures to prove it for each day, that spending three or more days a week XC skiing in mountain sunshine does wonders? But that doesn’t preclude looking at the secret meaning of cryptic “posts”. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-sealed.gif)
One wonders if the level of alcohol consumed changes the way people/individuals reply and respond to certain threads…
Whenever I think about commenting on a topic of turmoil, I always try to rememeber the kittens:
I’d love to talk about what I’m currently working on, its a really simple HO microlayout, but nobody on the Model Railroader forum was interested in Micros so never took any pics of it. I’m not ‘serious’ enough I guess for them…
(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cry.gif)
