I would agree with both Dave & Randy as well. There were 2 posts I noticed that escalated out of control rather quickly. The language doesn't bother me. It's how some things have turned personal with uncalled for comments regarding personal tastes, etc. Makes me kind of wish for the good old days of "Should I get a Cooper or Cooper S" To those that may not have the posts, they were clearly out of line. NO gray areas whatsoever.
I will say that MCO is still where I post the most, and spend the most time. Other boards I frequent - photography, watches, whatever, tend to get really bogged down and stale. In some cases it's like an old boys club - new posters are ignored or ridiculed, some members don't take them seriously. At least here I if I ask a basic question regarding tires or seats, it gets answered or I am pointed in the right direction.

 

It does seem the Aura of the page has morphed over the past few months.
Everyone has made good points, and good points will lead to a better space. Here is my attempt at flubbering out an idea:

I don't see a problem with moderating myself, I do all the time. A number of times I've PM'd members about a specific something and worked it out privately. I think this is an important aspect in keeping On-Topic, friendly, and helpful.

I hope I'm not on anyone's doo-doo list, but if I am, please tell me about it; I would very much appreciate working it out. Sometimes I can be hard-nosed on a technical topic; this is because I'm very logical and do not appreciate crappy information. It's better for us to chat privately about our personal discomposure than to make idiots of ourselves and bring the image of the forum down with us.

In the words of Ren and Stimpy...or was it Barney (eek!) "...happy, happy, joy, joy!"

Cheers :smile:
Ryan

 

>>In the words of Ren and Stimpy...or was it Barney (eek!) "...happy, happy, joy, joy!"
>>
>>Cheers :smile:
>>Ryan<<




Cheers!
Clover

 

I love you too Clover!

Smoochez,
Dr. VMA

 

Heck, I love everyone on MCO as well, and I have YET to meet ANYONE from here

 

I love everyone too!

Wow I haven't been here for awhile and there is so much going on. I feel like I missed key episodes from my favorite shows. Anyways I'm all for whatever keeps everyone feeling like family. I don't care if it's in the style of the Cunningham or the Corleone families. MCO is one of the few places I enjoy visiting on a consistent basis, because it feels much more involved than most forums I visit. I also love all the strange, curious, and quirky people I've met on this site, it's definitely more interesting than meeting carbon copies. I remember when mferguson had to ask me to change one of the avatars I used, because some people were offended by it. Although he found it amusing, some people didn't and I respect the fact that he and all the moderators on this board actually listen to the concerns of both the majority and minority. I love you people!

Well whatevah, all we are saying is give peace a chance. I wish we could all just share a drink. A drink of Guinness to be exact.
Cheers

_________________
no alarms and no surprises

 

Greatbear, you bring up the best point yet; The MINI community is definitely the most friendly and fun of any car-club I've ever had experience with. If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting another MCO member yet, you have much to look forward to!

Definitely; Motor-On,

 

MCO is my favorite MINI resource, and I have met many other MINI owners thru this great site. I would rather have mods than not, just to keep the flaming down. I agree with Clo, some other sites have gotten unpleasant to visit due to lack of personal control by some members. Mark has worked hard to make this site a meeting place for a very diverse community, and it's paid off. You are visiting someone else's site, kinda like visiting his home - he has an unlocked door, as long as you don't set the furniture on fire, steal his liquor, and kick his cat on the way out. He has every right to run it however he wants, and every right to make some users shape up or ship out, as he or his mods see fit. If you want to say or do anything that comes into your head, there are other places for that kind of thing.
BCNU,
Rob in Dago

 

>>
>>>>Actually, Dave did say both of those things:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>Might want to clarify that somehow (OR just drop the whole thing...

 

>> MCO is my favorite MINI resource, and I have met many other MINI owners thru this great site. I would rather have mods than not, just to keep the flaming down. I agree with Clo, some other sites have gotten unpleasant to visit due to lack of personal control by some members. Mark has worked hard to make this site a meeting place for a very diverse community, and it's paid off. You are visiting someone else's site, kinda like visiting his home - he has an unlocked door, as long as you don't set the furniture on fire, steal his liquor, and kick his cat on the way out. He has every right to run it however he wants, and every right to make some users shape up or ship out, as he or his mods see fit. If you want to say or do anything that comes into your head, there are other places for that kind of thing.
>> BCNU,
>> Rob in Dago


Steal his liquor, KICK HIS CAT! ROTFLMAO!
Very funny stuff Rob...

 

>>To pick up on something Randy took note of, the tone of the site has started to change in subtle and not so subtle ways. There has been an increase in hostility and a less welcoming and tollerant atmosphere. That's personally what is most disappointing for me.
>>

Amen, Dave and Randy!
Glad to see I'm not the only one who's noticed this trend.
It seems like lately you can't post anything on MCO without the fear of something "similar" having been posted at some time in the past and being instantly slammed by angry and intolerant replies full of " :evil: " icons.
When I first came on MCO as a newbie several months back, one could still safely post a question or comment and recieve positive feedback even if the question had been asked before. If it was a particularly common question or comment, you would be politely pointed in the direction of a previous thread on the subject but never ridiculed or made to feel like an idiot.
Sadly, things have been changing a bit lately and MCO seems to be turning into an elitist, hostile environment for new members.
If a newbie comes on MCO asking if the MCS is fun to drive, I'll gladly tell him stories about how much I enjoy driving my car, instead of getting pissed off and yelling at him for not using the search function.
Sure, that question, along with many others, has probably been asked a million times before...But it's great to recieve an updated, personalized response to YOUR question from another enthusiast. That's the whole point of MCO....Its a DISCUSSION FORUM, not a SEARCH ENGINE.

$.02

_________________

 

>>Again, I want the site to be as open and informative as possible but I also want it to develop into the best example of what an online community can offer its members. To do that everyone needs to contribute in a positive way.<<

From a recent Private Message I wrote to a fellow member:
"In the late 80's I was the equivalent of a Moderator in a graphical online community. In the beginning, it was a really tight knit group of poeple who seemed to enjoy each other's company. It was fun, and I guess it was kind of an escape from some of the ugliness of the 'the real world.' As it grew, many new people came who did not seem to share the same spirit and seemed to want to cause other people grief. I 'resigned' after a couple of years because it was getting very time consuming trying to keep peple from bickering and attacking each other. In this way, it became too much like the 'real world,' and wasn't fun anymore."

It can be difficult as a Moderator, I tip my hat. I sincerely hope that MCO thrives as a constructive community, a great example. Meanwhile, I visit the site for the information and try to weed through what doesn't interest me.

Thanks for your collective efforts, and I wish you the best of luck as the site grows.

Sincerely,
Ravenwhyte

 

>> Sadly, things have been changing a bit lately and MCO seems to be turning into an elitist, hostile environment for new members.

I've seen signs of this as well which is, to a large degree, why we have been trying, as moderators, to improve the "tone" of the site recently. That said I would REALLY appreciate everyone taking the time to help welcome people to the site and help them become familiar of how to use the site and find information. Every time I want to rant I remember that it would likely take the same amount of time to help the person as it would to rant. Improving the tone of the site can only be done by everyone putting for an effort to do so...

Mark

 

>>Heck, I love everyone on MCO as well, and I have YET to meet ANYONE from here

 

Hey for what it is worth, I'm a pretty darn new member....

... and you guys made me feel RIGHT at home.

THANKS

Kev