Regional or National Cold Spell Threads?? (Poll closes at midnight/ Please Vote)

dav3

I don't understand what everyones problem is with regional threads. The 100+ page threads are a nightmare. If you live 100's of miles away from me I really don't care if you don't have any snow or if you have 10 feet of snow.

It should go further and have a separate thread for Dublin exactly the same way that Met Eireann does it.

HellFireClub

I think it's very unfair to expect the experts on here who give us so much information, to have to post what is usually national weather information, in terms of countrywide radar images and precip animations, continually across 4-5 different threads or stickies.

Some people on the forum seem to have very little patience and wade into a thread demanding info on their particular region/area. When it isn't forthcoming because the request has landed into the thread on top of another discussion, the tribalism then gets aired and requests start being made for their very own area thread!

Personally I'd much rather one thread, and more patience and respect for users, if you are not going to get snow, then you are not going to get snow and no amount of regionalised threads is going to remedy that for you.

I think also that folks who start getting impatient or start going on about tribalism on thread should be warned once and then banned. A lot of the petty tribal arguing that goes on in this forum would lead to bannings on other forums, I know our experts and mods give us great discussion here but there are days I'd wish that the whip got cracked a bit more and obvious trolls were made an example of.

HellFireClub

dav3 wrote: »

I don't understand what everyones problem is with regional threads. The 100+ page threads are a nightmare. If you live 100's of miles away from me I really don't care if you don't have any snow or if you have 10 feet of snow.

It should go further and have a separate thread for Dublin exactly the same way that Met Eireann does it.

You only really need to look at the last few pages of posts to get a good angle on what is happening, there is no need to go reading 100 pages of redundant information, the latest imaging and analysis is all you need to digest.

Also, I want to see how a national weather system is developing and changing either in my favour or against my area.

Just throwing up data for each area is just pandering to the lazy and those who have no real interest in the way weather systems develop, this is just pandering to forum users who want exact data for their area on demand, folks who it seems to me are just too lazy to step up to the learning curve and learn how to read the images and charts and the data and form their own analysis with the help of the forum experts.

Cionád

Just in case anyone doesn't realise, you can edit the amount of posts that appear on each page...

Log In
Go to User CP (Control Panel)
Then select Edit Options
Scroll to Number of Posts to Show Per Page
Then pick Show 40 Posts Per Page

Only once has my comment appeared on the previous page once posted, and that was a thunder-snow event somewhere over Dublin.

HellFireClub

Weathercheck wrote: »

I personally don't like the idea of regional threads but it was getting far too messy, and i think more people want regional threads than don't.

We will reconsider it for the next spell (if we get another one!) but for the moment we are giving this a shot.

Feel free to keep commenting below though.

It only got messy because people started whinging and moaning about regional threads when they didn't get any snow in their area and were reading about 4 hour blizzards in Drogheda or wherever. If the folks who started moaning and stirring sh*t on the forum when they were not getting snow were banned for a day or two, I don't think the single thread approach would have had been messy or had any issues. I like the fact that a bit of banter is allowed, but area specific trolling has been tolerated on the threads far too much I think...

TheZohanS

WallyGUFC wrote: »

No. Go away. Last week was painful. "Oh we're getting a dumping right here right now." "WHERE CHARLIE?" "Could people please name the area where it is snowing in their post blah blah blah!"

Multi-threads won't cure that, the provinces are big.

I liked the old way, in fairness we're all here for one thing and that's snow...'twas interesting having updates from all around the country because you could track the snow showers etc. and the craic was good hearing from posters all over.

giggsirish

Being a newbie I am just putting in my 2pence worth.

I really enjoyed the single thread we had for the last event. Yes it did mean refresh after refresh but I doubt anyone can deny it was exciting.

All the regular seasoned weather experts really showed great spirit in explaining what it was the models translated to and answering questions left right and center. Very accommodating and patient with us newbies.

By not having all the experts in the one place knocking ideas back and forth against each other the overall atmosphere "excuse the pun" is lost.

Again im just a blow in and new to the weather forums. But I have an appreciation for it and a growing interest thanks to the weather forums.

This aside I can see how constant silly "will it snow in 5 minutes at my front door" question can be trying on the regular users.

nacho libre

you can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.

what is a mod to do?

BlackWizard

nacho libre wrote: »

what is a mod to do?

They can bring it back to the one single epic entertaining thread

opr

nacho libre wrote: »

you can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.

what is a mod to do?

Please the vast majority ?

Opr

nacho libre

opr wrote: »

Please the vast majority ?

Opr

Correct. so maybe a poll could be done to determine what the majority want?

ninebeanrows

This poll will close at midnight.

The chosen option will be pursued for the upcoming cold spell.

HellFireClub

Weathercheck wrote: »

This poll will close at midnight.

The chosen option will be pursued for the upcoming cold spell.

I think the regional thread approach is pandering in the large to people who are not even getting snow, and are just p*ssed off reading about other parts of the country that are getting blizzards. Is it really a good idea to run with a regional thread which a lot of people seem to want, but who are actually not getting snow, so therefore whatever they may have to say in terms of their objection to not getting snow is really completely off-topic?!?

Mmcd

HellFireClub wrote: »

I think the regional thread approach is pandering in the large to people who are not even getting snow, and are just p*ssed off reading about other parts of the country that are getting blizzards. Is it really a good idea to run with a regional thread which a lot of people seem to want, but who are actually not getting snow, so therefore whatever they may have to say in terms of their objection to not getting snow is really completely off-topic?!?

I agree. I wouldn't be particularly delighted to hear that they are after having 2 feet when its raining outside but I still want to know. Everyone watching the news every night rarely see good news. That's not why you watch it though. Next people here will want downgrades to be kept in a seperate thread!

mickger844posts

I think everything is too diluted with these regional threads. Bring it back to the way it was for the last cold spell. One thread for general stuff and another with models, charts and a place where the experts can express their opinions.

TheMilkyPirate

I don't mind the regional threads but most people do so the obvious thing to do is just have one thread for models and forecast discussion and one thread for discussion and general chat/banter.

Rebelbrowser

Agree with mickger84posts - one thread for chat, one (rigidly enforced) for analysis by the knowledgeable and intelligent questions to them.

TheInquisitor

We need 4 regional Threads, and 2 national threads. The national threads being one for chit chat and one for model discussion.

There'll be 1000+ people on here later and without that there'll be so many posts for IMBY that charts and proper discussion will be lost

Wine Goddess

wingnut32 wrote: »

Two threads:

One for the experts to discuss the charts etc.

One for general chit chat and "any chance of.."

agree completely otherwise we'll have arguments about what places belong in which regional thread!!!
Also I really like hearing people in the Rebel county (and others) talking about their experiences....it makes it more of a community feel than just us Leinsterites!!!

Godge

Thematic rather than regional

- MT's forecast thread, only for him
- Expert thread for discussion of charts etc.
- Chit chat thread
- Current conditions thread

Caitriona

I'm only one of the irritating noobs but I really enjoyed the national threads last time. Could a mod just ruthlessly cull the silly posts from a knowledgable-people thread and give us another one to play and have snowball fights in?

ninebeanrows

Democracy will win at midnight tonight.

Then new threads will be set up for the 16/12/2010

If National.

I will do the following.

Expert Forecasts/ Model Analysis (Strictly no other posts)

National Cold Spell Thread ( General Chat )

Cold Spell Road/ Transport Issues

BlackWizard

odyboody wrote: »

I feel that the way it was set up yesterday was ideal. 1 thread for forcasts and charts, strictly no chit chat and another for discussion of the charts and forcasts.

Definitely. 100% agree with that.

ninebeanrows

Caitriona wrote: »

I'm only one of the irritating noobs but I really enjoyed the national threads last time. Could a mod just ruthlessly cull the silly posts from a knowledgable-people thread and give us another one to play and have snowball fights in?

Yes that will be the case if the National side win.

Rougies

I voted "other" .. What about

Chart/model/forecast analysis thread (gtfo, we're doing science!)
National Snow report/road conditions thread (It's snowing here in my back garden etc etc)
General chat thread (Is it gonna snow on my aunt mary's head at 3pm on sat etc etc)

I think that could help keep things tidier yet still have the excitement/atmosphere. Any thoughts???

thetonynator

If regional i voted for, would say it should be greater dublin, everything north of galway and everything south of galway.

H2UMrsRobinson

I don't care if it's 4 threads, 1 thread, 800 threadcount - just as long as we can talk about the weather...I do not however want anymore threads about threads...I'm feeling a littel threadbare

ellieh1

I voted for the regional thread as I think it is easier for people to find out whats happening around their area rather than having to wade through pages of posts looking for information.

I wonder how many people living outside of the main areas of snowfall during the last weather event found the main thread easy to follow??

fizzycyst

I think having both a national and regional threads is the best option. The national thread up to now was for charts and analysis so the regular experts seemed to post there, since these are mainly the posts I like to read, I was quite happy with this. I do also like to here the banter, but it's not that much of a hassle to look at the regionals IMO

Edit: I voted other btw

snaps

Seems the national vote is going for the Dubliners? There is more to Ireland than within the M50.