Technical discussion sub forum

BEASTERLY

Just an idea I thought I'd throw out there. In light of recent 'issues'. How about a sub forum like the pictures one, for technical discussion but with posting rights only available upon reques. Anyone can join but must request permission from a mod and then wait 24/48 hours before being allowed to post. This should free up technical discussion from trolls and silly IMBY posts. While non members can read and learn. Then all chat/questions go in the main forum.

We would then have technical discussion threads worthy of the title. Would also help to retain some of our more 'serious' posters.

Any thoughts?

BEASTERLY

Just reading through a thread there and people are suggesting something similar. Some support so?

omicron

I think a sub forum would be too far to go. It's only really necessary at times like now.
Instead I think it would be better have a technical discussion thread which is strictly enforced - i.e. chat /IMBY/snow report posts deleted and/or warned/infracted. Anyone could post in it as long as it is technical discussion.

If the discussion was separated to a sub forum it could kill interest here.

Just my 2c, but I think something like this worked for a while last winter.

BEASTERLY

omicron wrote: »

I think a sub forum would be too far to go. It's only really necessary at times like now.
Instead I think it would be better have a technical discussion thread which is strictly enforced - i.e. chat /IMBY/snow report posts deleted and/or warned/infracted. Anyone could post in it as long as it is technical discussion.

If the discussion was separated to a sub forum it could kill interest here.

Just my 2c, but I think something like this worked for a while last winter.

True. But, and no disrespect to the mods, those rules are in place but are not being enforced, at all. The thread types should be a good system but dont work as there is very little enforcement, if any. I know its its difficult with the traffic now but if the mods dont really rachet up the moderating, the current system will continue to fail miserably.

omicron

BEASTERLY wrote: »

True. But, and no disrespect to the mods, those rules are in place but are not being enforced, at all. The thread types should be a good system but dont work as there is very little enforcement, if any. I know its its difficult with the traffic now but if the mods dont really rachet up the moderating, the current system will continue to fail miserably.

I suppose thats a problem all right, if people reported the offending posts would it make it easier I wonder?
I suppose even with 4 mods, it's still hard police it, god knows they have to give up enough time for it already!

Calibos

TBH while I grant the possibility that the frustration with OT posting might be the straw that broke the camels back in a lot of these situations, it looks to me that these account closures always seem to come within a day or two of a heated debate with another expert poster.

Over on NW Su is already bumping heads with some of the other experts over there. He's gone from being a Big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a big pond. (in terms of number of experts and ego's to bump heads with)

Many already expressed surprise when they heard he was posting over there now. ie "If he thought the OT posting and ramping is bad here, he's in for a shock over there. What I mean to say is, if your reason for leaving one forum is ramping and OT posting, why go to a place that takes those things to another level. Thats why I don't think those are the main reasons anyones left. I think its personality clashes between the experts.

BEASTERLY

omicron wrote: »

I suppose thats a problem all right, if people reported the offending posts would it make it easier I wonder?
I suppose even with 4 mods, it's still hard police it, god knows they have to give up enough time for it already!

Maybe yea, but theres so many off topic posts in threads that they're all the very same. At the moment the tech, ramp and ME threads are all the same. Reading them, you couldn't tell which is which. I'm starting to wonder if it's possible to provide the required level of moderation for the current system. Hence I would go with some form of limited access to technical discussion.

tomcosgrave

Very sorry that Deep has gone, hope he returns someday soon.
People need to relax. It's frustrating when the forecast doesn't turn out like you wanted, but figuring out why that happened is great fun and hearing the views of the wiser heads is hugely educational.

My suggestion is to create two forums - this one be left "as is" for casual weather discussion and a new forum called "Earth Sciences" or something similar - since the nerdier types in here like myself also like to discuss seismology and volcanology as well as more indepth discussions of meteorology and forecasting models.

John.Icy

I agree something needs to be done, threads are getting awful to read, all technical posts swallowed up by hundreds of "where's maah dang snow" posts. A couple of things I think would help;

1)A select posting 'Technical discussion', where people post their thoughts/proper analysis on the models, with all other posts deleted and warned. No one liners such as; "amazing run", "will it snow in ballyboghill", "f**k you Gerry Murphy" etc. Strict modding needs to happen, any drivel deleted immediately, warned and 2nd time offences met with an infraction. This can be done by creating a thread called "Model Output Discussion". This is how other places do it and any off topic stuff is deleted before most even see it. All time ranges can be included in it.

2)Lock the Winter thread that has been around since Summer. It's pointless atm with so many threads and the few pieces of model discussion that pops in there every so often can be put in the official output thread. This can be reopened whenever the cold disappears and the particular event threads are gone.

3)Change the ramping thread to a to a 'General Winter Chit Chat, Ramping and Moaning'. This can still include ramps galore but it serves as a place for moaning so it doesn't clutter other threads.

4)Lock the discussion thread that was mostly centered around Fridays event. Sure it says it's for further events too, but it's gotten to big now, and if someone was to say make a detailed post about tomorrow, it will get swallowed up, and by the next page people will be asking question after question which were just addressed the page before. A new thread for tomorrow and Monday will be useful for simple reasons that the current event thread is too long.

5)I'd open one final thread for the moment. It will be an official snow reports thread. Of course you can report snow in the event thread if you have been successful in getting snow from the event, but with a snow report thread, it will be easier to keep account of when and where snow(sleet too) is falling. It'll help keep event threads abit more consise I feel. If its raining don't post in it

And if none of these are ideal, maybe just add another Mod!

Redsunset

Hang on a minute. Just speaking for me here but I've a long list of banned members and deleted posts too.

I know other mods do the same.

As for the technical model discussion.

Why are those posts NOT going into their proper destination?

I'll tell you why.

People got carried away and banged everything into the one fastest moving and most viewed thread.

It became the only roller coaster here.

Think for a minute yourselves about where a post is most suitable and leave the rest to us.

Also the closing of accounts issue.

NO NEED FOR IT.

If opinions differ and your feeling to hell with this place then

TAKE A BRAKE FOR GODS SAKE.

SpongeBob will be back soon by the way. That is all.