[bangerblueed]

I am a member of this forum Rmweb forum and Demu forum and I have to say that I take exception to the laying of the blame in Rmwebs corner I think the "row" as such actually started on the Mremag site and spread to other forii . I believe Bachmans descision stems more from the potential for more egg on face scenarios like the 57011 incident than the actual postings.

All 3 forums are differant in both style and content this one is the quitest and most "formal" of the three it therefore follows that the more controvertial postings are less likely to appear on here. The internet has enabled spontaneous debate and will therefore be less easy to control editorially and i think it is all the better for it I agree that the language does get a bit OTTat times but as the saying goes if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen which is what bachman have done

I would also like to defend Andy Y's moderating policy I think it works just fine and enables the debates to flow which makes for a far more exciting and enjoyable forum so give credit where it is due he does do a good job

there is absolutely no point in Rmweb being a clone of any other forum likewise this one it is unique and should stay that way

I would also like to point out that if postings are made which are OTT then the poster usually gets posted down in flames

by other forum members so if Andy does go on holiday it is NOT OUT OF CONTROL far from it modt of the members of rmweb are sensible and intelligent people and by the way there are a lot of regular contributors on this forum who are also contributors on Rmweb forum

lastly I have to say that the idea of the internet forum is as a place to discuss issues. If railway modellers have issues with Bachman modelling forums are the ideal place for that debate. To suggest they should be censored so as not to offend Bachman Hornby heljan etc is nonsense what is the point of telling them what they want to hear how will that bring about the improvements to their products we all want ? I run my own business and yes i get flak from customers but at the end of the day that keeps you on your toes and makes you less complacent I don't run away from it

I only came back into this hobby 2 years ago after dabbling with it in my teens I knew next to nothing about modelling but thanks to forii like rmweb mrf and demu I have learned a great deal even 10 years ago this would not have been possible. Internet forums ARE the future of the hobby they provide a level of contact within the hobby unprecedented in it's long history and are a great place to learn about the hobby and debate issues within the hobby. If Bachman and Hornby don't wish to get involved well thats their loss not ours sooner or later they WILL REGRET IT

 

[bangerblueed]

QUOTE (Gary @ 26 Aug 2006, 20:32) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>However the online community does contain its fair share of armchair critics who want to make a name for themselves and who get a kick out of winding things up a knotch. They hide behind the cloak of anonimity.

So how can these concerns be addressed?

Happy modelling
Gary

I would disagree with that the critics are not generally "armchair" people they are usually very much hands on modellers with quite a lot of knowledge of their subject. The internet is almost instant so people are able to say what they think and feel without drafting and reddrafting their response with the consequent watering down of their words which most of us do after reflecting on what we've written.

The only way to address the concerns of manufacturers is to offer them some measure of control over forum content this would be UNACCEPTABLE to many forum members and could result in starving a forum of it's lifeblood i.e. talented modellers wanting to share their thoughts and knowledge with other modellers of all skill and knowledge levels