OP etiquette: should CF be more professional?

[ronstory]

My feedback would be that the signal to noise ratio seems to decreased since I dropped from sailnet and focused on CF 4 years ago.

I now find myself looking at threads with the fewest posts. New posts IMO quickly devolve into "look a squirrel!' off-topic discussion that has little to do with the original topic. Then we have the bickering stage where a couple of folks pick some minutia and the argue over it in unflattering ways for three pages.

Other forums I have frequented the accepted ettiquet is the the OP could call out thread drift and ask folks to start a new thread. It seems like on CF that would be considered rude. ;^)

That said, the CF community is very helpful and has gobs of experience, its just trying to extract that knowledge from existing threads is tedious.

My 2 cents

[tarian]

this place works for me , it is not just a technical forum but its peoples outside world were they meet and read about intresting people around the world with questions and answers , as we all know there is no right or wrong answer just opinions and it can be fun , we were all new to sailing once ,
searching always can be better but why search when there are people willing to keep giving input. as for op coming back , lol some of them scarper as the thread turns into ego and master technicians ,

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by tankersteve

... create a thread and folks who have provided their experience or credentials get a 'vetted' mark by their name.
...
I've seen too many posts where folks comment about things based on their VERY limited experience, where the situation doesn't actually match their limited experience, and give advice that is specious at best, and outright dangerous at worst.

I've seen some sites where posts are upvoted/downvoted and members have their net 'score' under their name... but these can become a sore point with some if they don't get upvoted for what they think is a good answer, or maliciously downvoted just cos of some personal emnity.

So a formalized reputation system often brings more grief than benefit. I don't think it would be a net benefit to CF.

[Pete17C]

Originally Posted by Capn Jimbo

2. A prime example of abuse are those absolute dreamers who ask questions like “What is the best way to make my “fill in the blank” dreams come true. The usual suspects and resident expurts will go on for 15 pages of the kind of blather that is better delivered in between beers at the bar. Those who respond are similarly problematical.

Nothing get solved, no definitive answers are given, the information is already there and worse yet: the OP who has encouraged others to take of their time and energy never shares his/her response and decision.

Carry on.

You just need to understand I am sitting at a bar drinking a beer when I post on CF.

I guess I could be wrong in thinking that the guy/gal I am responding to is as well.

[cyan]

Originally Posted by Capn Jimbo

OP’s often don’t really take the time to search and find answers or relevent threads that already exist.

Maybe so, but then super-helpful members often step in with help...
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...nt-180502.html
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...re-178292.html
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ay-161109.html
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ad-135468.html
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...age-40280.html

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by tankersteve

... I'd greatly appreciate a (mandatory) thread where all participants/members post an introduction. Or create a thread and folks who have provided their experience or credentials get a 'vetted' mark by their name...
... i've see this style of self-vetting on other forums, and it greatly adds to the value of the responses provided.

Could you link to an example?

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

I've seen some sites where posts are upvoted/downvoted and members have their net 'score' under their name...

I believe CF used to have a members' reputation feature. Don't recall why it was dropped; but can't imagine that it was very useful in determining the value of anyone's contribution.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Pete17C

You just need to understand I am sitting at a bar drinking a beer when I post on CF.

I guess I could be wrong in thinking that the guy/gal I am responding to is as well.

hey I need to try that

says I, the fat man living in his parent's basement in Ohio cruising the net on his sofa

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by GordMay

I believe CF used to have a members' reputation feature. Don't recall why it was dropped; but can't imagine that it was very useful in determining the value of anyone's contribution.

Yes, I seem to recall something like that. But I never used it, or cared. Actually, what’s the stars under everyone’s name? Seems to be related to number of posts.

… OK, so I did a little more research. There is a reputation marking of sorts attached to each members’ public profile. It’s a series of little green squares () up in the top-right corner. Not sure how these accumulate, but I can see that

• GordMay has 11 squares: “Has a long history of being thanked” — true
• Sailorboy with six: “Is a poster of great renown” — well, he’s certainly know
• and I too with six am apparently “gloriously helpful” — cool .

Jimbo is new here, but he already has one square, and is “a helpful poster.”

So there you go. Look to the little green squares () for your answer.

[picklesandjesse]

Originally Posted by Pete17C

You just need to understand I am sitting at a bar drinking a beer when I post on CF.

I guess I could be wrong in thinking that the guy/gal I am responding to is as well.

I wish I could have a beer but it gives me gout !!! Oh no.... thread drift.

[GordMay]

The number of yellow stars is related to a member's number of posts.
1 star = 10 posts
2= 50
3=100
4= 400 or 500
5= 1000 or more
The number of green squares is related to number "Thanks" received.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by picklesandjesse

I wish I could have a beer but it gives me gout !!! Oh no.... thread drift.

I get the gout too but not since I started Allopurinol. Have your doc get you set up. It’s cheap too. Drink or eat anything. It’s been years since a flair up.

What thread drift?

Oh, just remember we weren’t always geezers. I sat at a desk and raced weekends on somebody else’s boat. Wondered how I could afford one, if I could do it, where I might go. Lots of what if dreaming. I used to think I’d done it all weekend sailing on Lake Michigan. Then one August we flushed ourselves out the St Lawrence and sailed to the Caribbean. Two light hit east coast hurricanes on the way. The boat never stops handing you lessons. You have to start somewhere. Be nice to the kids. Let them play on your grass.

[zeehag]

ok so the green boxes vanished.. looked everywhere but se fuen. they went sailing away into unicornville....
restrictions are uncool. we have said restrictions already why make redundencies and duplicates when we all know em.
those unable to follow are entertainment.
easy peasy.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by zeehag

ok so the green boxes vanished.. looked everywhere but se fuen. they went sailing away into unicornville....

Sure enough! Thanks for that

Unicornville

[GordMay]

The vBulletin software applies both boxes and stars automatically.
The green boxes show up on a members profile page. Zeehag, for instance, has 7 boxes, and is “splendidly helpful”.