Offroad-Express

[grumpy bastard admin-cap]

Firstly - can we stop with the bullshit threads, stupid post-whoring thread-jacks and other dribble that seems to be proliferating on the site lately. Check the address: offroadexpress.co.nz - its not dumbannoyingcrap.co.nz. I know a lot of people on here are getting annoyed (myself included) with the lack of 4WD tech and the amount of garbage on here. As a consequence, do not be surprised if the off-topic section dissapears. Several people put a huge amount of time and energy into this site - and Mike puts massive hours into it - its not cool to see it being used for pointless and meaningless reasons.

This is not pointed at anyone in particular, but take it as fair warning... actions will have consequences - Most of you know I can be a grumpy bastard when I need to

Secondly - Avatars. There have been grumblings from some members about some of the avatars on the site. This is not an R18 site, and there are a number of younger users here - Just think how upset and confused poor Turoa feels each time he sees Mikes posts... he is young and impressionable... But seriously, I have a 5yo daughter who likes to watch some of the 4WD videos and pics on here and I have to be careful what I look at when she's around... and I don't really think I should have to on a 4WD site. I've spoken with Mike about it and he believes, as I do, that a decision on whats acceptable needs to come from the ORE community itself... you guys need to seriously think about that. Personally I believe that funny pics, and pics of your truck etc are fine - sexual pics are not... if you want porn, go look at it - if you need some links I'm sure you can PM Rex for them

Thirdly - reposts. IF you are going to post in the forums, at least read them as well. in the last week I've seen one trade me auction posted, then reposted then reposted again... Its annoying and wastes peoples time...

Thats all for now... sorry to have to rant, but ORE is a now a huge community which some people think is falling off the rails a little at the moment... Its taken years to build and I'll be damned if I will stand by and watch it fall apart considering the not-insignificant amount of time and energy I have put into it personally.

I fully intend to keep it on the rails and moving forward - and if needs be, then I will exercise the admin powers I have to make sure it does.

Steve

[/grumpy bastard admin-cap]

Well said Steve.

On all three points I would have to agree entirely ....

Off topic is good for related stuff that does not fit anywhere else.
Some of the stuff is people having a bit of fun but some of the crap that is being posted lately is a complete waste of space

The risque Avatars have caused trouble for me at work

Reposts ... nuf said

Good on ya steve for stepping into the line of fire

Dose the off topic stuff have to come up on the home page can it be made that if you want off topic then you have to go through the forums page to see it then the home page will look more like a 4wd website instead of bullshit website

As for the avaitars my daughter who is 3 thinks that mikes avaitar is mummy (I wish)

Alot of the repost are due to trademe or youtube how about a youtube forum and trademe forum (sorry Mike I know this means more work )

My 2c

Great, finally I can view this site without having to worry about who is wathcing behind my back (have two young kids). Some of the avatars were getting a bit extreme (borderline soft porn).

Fully agree, this is a site for offroad stuff primarily and it would be a loss to dilute it with all off-topic stuff.

I bet your kids all like my avatar!! (even though I bet you guys have absolutly no idea who/what it is!!)

Show them it, and say "I like chocolate milk" They'll think you're sooooo coool

Goose wrote:I bet your kids all like my avatar!! (even though I bet you guys have absolutly no idea who/what it is!!)

Show them it, and say "I like chocolate milk" They'll think you're sooooo coool

But you are allergic to chocolate milk!! Mr. Cheese......

No, not allergic, lactose intolerent...
Nice work TJ, ya big kid!

whats all this crap you guys are posting? I thought we had to be boring old farts memorising technical manuals now?

Disclaimer: usual blah blah etc

I thought the OFF TOPIC section was where we could post all of our NON 4WD Related stuff So we have the SPELLING POLICE as well now, I agree with the R18 stuff, and posting non topic stuff in certain threads ie Build threads but not in the OFF TOPIC threads. What next the RADIO CONVERSATION POLICE. If you don't like the OFF TOPIC stuff don't look at it....concentrate on the other threads and if you feel theres too much sh#t on these ones then remind people etc. don't get all stroppy about it as people will leave and that makes ORE BORING.

I don't know where you are getting this view that MOST PEOPLE don't like it as 100% of people I have spoken to on the subject are of a totally opposite opinion.

So in this scenario who moderates the moderator

Jerry wrote:I thought the OFF TOPIC section was where we could post all of our NON 4WD Related stuff So we have the SPELLING POLICE as well now, I agree with the R18 stuff, and posting non topic stuff in certain threads ie Build threads but not in the OFF TOPIC threads. What next the RADIO CONVERSATION POLICE. If you don't like the OFF TOPIC stuff don't look at it....concentrate on the other threads and if you feel theres too much sh#t on these ones then remind people etc. don't get all stroppy about it as people will leave and that makes ORE BORING.

I agree with that. Surely if ORE is to develop and keep it's following up, it has to be like any other club where you can build a relationship with fellow members. Just because we are online we can't neglect that aspect of the club. While i agree 100% that some of the posts have been not my cup-of-tea, it show's a group of members building a raport with each other.
I'm sure that is no different to what they would talk about, around the camp fire after a few beers, when out on a 4wd trip

grumpy bastard

curly12 wrote:

Jerry wrote:I thought the OFF TOPIC section was where we could post all of our NON 4WD Related stuff So we have the SPELLING POLICE as well now, I agree with the R18 stuff, and posting non topic stuff in certain threads ie Build threads but not in the OFF TOPIC threads. What next the RADIO CONVERSATION POLICE. If you don't like the OFF TOPIC stuff don't look at it....concentrate on the other threads and if you feel theres too much sh#t on these ones then remind people etc. don't get all stroppy about it as people will leave and that makes ORE BORING.

I agree with that. Surely if ORE is to develop and keep it's following up, it has to be like any other club where you can build a relationship with fellow members. Just because we are online we can't neglect that aspect of the club. While i agree 100% that some of the posts have been not my cup-of-tea, it show's a group of members building a raport with each other.
I'm sure that is no different to what they would talk about, around the camp fire after a few beers, when out on a 4wd trip

I'll second that

brianr70 wrote:

curly12 wrote:

Jerry wrote:I thought the OFF TOPIC section was where we could post all of our NON 4WD Related stuff So we have the SPELLING POLICE as well now, I agree with the R18 stuff, and posting non topic stuff in certain threads ie Build threads but not in the OFF TOPIC threads. What next the RADIO CONVERSATION POLICE. If you don't like the OFF TOPIC stuff don't look at it....concentrate on the other threads and if you feel theres too much sh#t on these ones then remind people etc. don't get all stroppy about it as people will leave and that makes ORE BORING.

I agree with that. Surely if ORE is to develop and keep it's following up, it has to be like any other club where you can build a relationship with fellow members. Just because we are online we can't neglect that aspect of the club. While i agree 100% that some of the posts have been not my cup-of-tea, it show's a group of members building a raport with each other.
I'm sure that is no different to what they would talk about, around the camp fire after a few beers, when out on a 4wd trip

I'll second that

thirded

i agree with Jerry(never thought id hear myself say that)and curly!!
and leave the "bullshit thread" alone

my thoughts entirely

if you move the off topic header to the bottom of the page then its not the 1st link that shows.... also if you have another thread area, label it "THE PITT" and state it is where all the deviants and filthmongers live and post... and moderaters can move any threads that get a bit too far into stoopidness into it?? and the pit could only be accessable by ORE supporters/members maybe ???? that way anyone browsing this great website for the 1st times wont be subjected to all our "rubbish" 1st of.... and i agree with Jerry and the guys ( not getting at you Steve) but general "banter" in threads is what makes a web forum unique to its users and if you remove it , then the site becomes a tad " information only" and boring... and i like the idea of a trademe link page too...

whew....

I personally think we should leave the off topic & bull sh*t threads alone. That's just people being people and if you want people to use the forum best leave them as they are. Perhaps moving them to underneath the Association threads on the main forum page would be a good place to put them so its not the very first thing you come across. Perhaps and I don't know if your admin console allows you to but for when you search for new posts if the off topic/bull sh*t topics don't show, so that people have to look for them if they want them. Would be interesting to know if the number of new users signing up and posting has decreased lately or are we basing the off topic issues on current user feedback?

Fair call on the avatars, I have to legitimately use forums at work but its a bit difficult to hide ORE amongst these when you have tits and arses bouncing all over the show. I'd be sad to see them go, another forum that I use allows you to choose if you avatar is R18 and you actually have to click it to view it. Sorry to include other forums in the post but it illustrates the point. http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/

As for reproducing posts I haven't really noticed it hugely. Perhaps that is something that the moderators will just need to deal with.

Should I PM Rex for these links that you speak of Steve

JMHO

billyvanboheman wrote:I personally think we should leave the off topic & bull sh*t threads alone. That's just people being people and if you want people to use the forum best leave them as they are. Perhaps moving them to underneath the Association threads on the main forum page would be a good place to put them so its not the very first thing you come across. Perhaps and I don't know if your admin console allows you to but for when you search for new posts if the off topic/bull sh*t topics don't show, so that people have to look for them if they want them. Would be interesting to know if the number of new users signing up and posting has decreased lately or are we basing the off topic issues on current user feedback?

Fair call on the avatars, I have to legitimately use forums at work but its a bit difficult to hide ORE amongst these when you have tits and arses bouncing all over the show. I'd be sad to see them go, another forum that I use allows you to choose if you avatar is R18 and you actually have to click it to view it. Sorry to include other forums in the post but it illustrates the point. http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/

As for reproducing posts I haven't really noticed it hugely. Perhaps that is something that the moderators will just need to deal with.

Should I PM Rex for these links that you speak of Steve

JMHO

Can't agree with you more, I also understand Mikes and Steves (and some others fustrations) Maybe it's just a matter of moving things around a little bit. I do believe that being able to socialise online is an important part of the site. Maybe the two need to be separted a little more by that I mean 4wd talk and BS talk, with maybe a little less BS in the BS talk. In the end of the day this site is so freakin cool I will just go along with what I am told to do

Bubba wrote: I will just go along with what I am told to do

And that is a prime example!! Anyone who knows the wellington crew would expect a off-topic reply to that comment( and it may involve gladwrap )that most people won't understand. The idea of placing the forum a couple of 'layers' down would be great.

curly12 wrote:

Jerry wrote:I thought the OFF TOPIC section was where we could post all of our NON 4WD Related stuff So we have the SPELLING POLICE as well now, I agree with the R18 stuff, and posting non topic stuff in certain threads ie Build threads but not in the OFF TOPIC threads. What next the RADIO CONVERSATION POLICE. If you don't like the OFF TOPIC stuff don't look at it....concentrate on the other threads and if you feel theres too much sh#t on these ones then remind people etc. don't get all stroppy about it as people will leave and that makes ORE BORING.

I agree with that. Surely if ORE is to develop and keep it's following up, it has to be like any other club where you can build a relationship with fellow members. Just because we are online we can't neglect that aspect of the club. While i agree 100% that some of the posts have been not my cup-of-tea, it show's a group of members building a raport with each other.
I'm sure that is no different to what they would talk about, around the camp fire after a few beers, when out on a 4wd trip

I must learn to think thing through

When you consider the off topic section as the the Local bar where members gather after a meeting, a lot of the stuff is the equivalent to pub or bbq banter.

And I think that I would have to with the others have said the section should stay.
I also agree that it should not be as prominent as it is ...
I think that the 4wd topics and off topic should swap places

I am going to post a couple of polls to see what people think...
Avatar Poll
http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=85874#85874
Off Topic poll

http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=7957

Jerry wrote: as people will leave and that makes ORE BORING.

Have a look around fellas.
Where have all the good threads gone?
Who is left giving the advice that used to come off this site?

If you let bullshit and the "my dick is bigger than your dick"
shit run too rampant, ORE will die as a 4wd forum.
I'm not saying get rid of banter etc, I love all that shit, but a 4wd site cannot survive on banter alone, and over the last few months, that is all that seems to come from here.

Mike built a 4wd forum for the 4wd community as a whole to share experiences and technical expertise. It would be a real shame to see this core philosiphy lost forever.

I think it all depends if we can stay on topic, I enjoy all the crap etc but i do think it should stay in off topic, i look through some of the old threads and they are full of useful info which is great for guys to look over and learn, all of the recent threads are full of shit, someone asks a question and we end up with it answered in a couple of posts and then pages and pages of crap. When people join the site and ask the same questions over and over and we say check out some of the past threads what do you think they will be thinking looking through the many many crap posts..
The other day a mate asked me a question that i knew had been answered on here before, i found the old thread (instead of just reposting) and had to read through 6 pages of crap and only 3 posts were on topic. Would you read an article in a paper or book if everysecond sentence was someones smart ass remark about nothing relevant???
Ive never used it but maybe some of its better off in a chat room or similar where we can all go on about what ever we like and say what ever we like without it being recorded and left as a thread on the site for everyone and anyone to look through. Then people can decide if they want to partake or not. In my opioion useful threads should stay as threads but really how many of you ever look back in the off topic section for info? wouldn't you agree it would be better to be gone when you close the chat window or something..
My 10c

rangimotors wrote:Ive never used it but maybe some of its better off in a chat room or similar where we can all go on about what ever we like and say what ever we like without it being recorded and left as a thread on the site for everyone and anyone to look through. Then people can decide if they want to partake or not. In my opioion useful threads should stay as threads but really how many of you ever look back in the off topic section for info? wouldn't you agree it would be better to be gone when you close the chat window or something..

I agree that a lot of the conversations that have been posted in some of the off-topic threads lately would probably be more suited within the confines of a chat room, hopefully the new ORE website has a more functional chatroom included

In the mean time though, having an off-topic area, I believe, is most important, how else can you informally get to know your peers?

I agree that the issues are more to do with topics getting thread jacked rather than whether there should be an 'off-topic' area... I don't think it's fair that every thread, regardless of the topic, should be degraded to a Nissan Vs Toyota discussion, that is not to say that this sort of discussion isn't of some value but I do mean to point out that it should stay on-topic in an area suitable for this sort of discussion. There should be an area for members to discuss off topic interests, it's what makes this community what it is. As a reader, you know its off-topic, don't read it if you think it's not important to you!

People remember this is first and formost a 4wd forum, and the amount of good tech and the speed build threads die or cannot be followed or get lost and cannot be found to be updated is becomming faster.

we need to get it back to a little more relavant, or more threads will start and move to other sites.

On a side note Mike and the other admins are doing a good job trying to define limits and control the content by discussion rather than personal attitude and feeling.

All good to them, we need some freedom

Jerry wrote: as people will leave and that makes ORE BORING.

If those posting the crap threads left, would that make ORE boring? Quite frankly Jerry, if YOU left - would that make ORE boring?

FFS! The reason people are leaving or not posting so much good stuff here is that they can't be bothered with it any more. If you are retarded enough to believe that a 4WD forum will survive only if people can post up that this weeeknds achievements included mowing their lawns and going to the park, or that they've just found a picture of a deer scratching its balls with its antlers then you really need to take a look at why you're here...

I agree there needs to be a non-tech section for general banter, but some of the crap on here lately is bordering on content that would either be better suited to an insane asylum or a primary school.

Perhaps the Bullshit thread should stay, and be removed from the front page... so that those who feel the need can go vent themselves in there. The rest of off-topic should (in my opinion) be for sensible adult threads. To be honest I don't have the time or patience to do much moderation (if any) in there, and I doubt Mike does either. An appropriate warning of possible objectionable material prior to entering the area could also be a good idea (having said that, I would also suggest that if truly objectionable material started to appear in there that it would most likely be deleted and the offender warned or given time-out - referred to as "joining the band (banned)" on Pirate).

Another thought I have is that there are too many topics which makes choosing an appropriate place to post a thread a difficult task at times - I would suggest that we slim down the number of topic areas (ie: combine projects/mods with toolshed, combine the engine topics with engine/drivetrain/suspension and pull the suspension threads into their own topic etc...

Its a shame to see the number of good on-topic threads that end up in off-topic as well... i'd be interested to know why that happens... Is it because a lot of people just go there first or is it because people don't know where to post things? Ie: a good 4WD for sale on trademe that someone thinks might suit other members should be in 4WDs for sale, not OT.

I'll end this with the following thought of the day:

Sometimes its better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you're a fool than to open it and remove all doubt

SupraLux wrote:Its a shame to see the number of good on-topic threads that end up in off-topic as well... i'd be interested to know why that happens... Is it because a lot of people just go there first or is it because people don't know where to post things? Ie: a good 4WD for sale on trademe that someone thinks might suit other members should be in 4WDs for sale, not OT.

I'll end this with the following thought of the day:

Sometimes its better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you're a fool than to open it and remove all doubt

IMHO , if on-topic threads stay on topic, people can choose to ignore the off-topic if they want to.
Even though moderation is a fine line, it may be the only way to control the on-topic threads

Sometimes people just have to be shown the way


Quote:

Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go

SupraLux wrote:Sometimes its better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you're a fool than to open it and remove all doubt

Good quote - probably one that you need to keep in mind when posting as a moderator.

As the page header says -

A Community for NZ four wheel drivers

All sites ebb and flow on what is posted - if you start arbitrarily moderating to suite your ideals then you no longer have a community - you have a dictatorship.

I stumbelled across ore almost 3 years ago and it was great. The people that arent happy are the ones that have been here for ages and know what it used to be like. You could go on line and look at great truck stuff.

I think that Steve is right. There should be less topics so that it doesn't get confusing. I want to se more mods! I couldnt care less if someone likes butter or not what the #### is the point in talking about that! Some people just need to get a life.

Any thing that isn't in the off topic should be 4wding related. If you did something sweet to your truck on the weekend then put it in the projects section. Nobody cares if you mowed your lawns. I like the weenend post cos of the cool pics of trips that people did.

If your planning a trip then keep the topic about planing a trip. Some of you guys have 7 pages of crap before the trip has even taken place. And when the trip is done post lots of pics!

There are two many people that know their shit and can offer great advise that have left the site because of the crap. Without them you just have a bunch of people talking about crap.

Pete

Petemcc wrote: I like the weekend post cos of the cool pics of trips that people did.

ditto - what Pete said

Personally i think the b.s. threads are a waste of time.. but i guess they also serve a purpose.. they keep a few people here and the boards moving.

My thoughts would be make sure they are kept to the off-topic page and not listed as "new posts".