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Best and Worst of RMWeb


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Best for me: there is no "average" Rmweb member, as the site embraces all sorts of fascinating people using their creative abilities in countless different ways, which means there's never a dull moment, or "dud" topic as every creative effort has it's worth and potential learning outcome for both the creator and observer...

 

Worst for me: contributors passing negative comments on what they perceive to be an inadequate display of others' creative abilities, forgetting that they were no more born in perfection than any other member, and completely missing the fact that people portray their efforts at their own level of ability thus each creation has its own validity...

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Best for me: Alot of information shared on subject, and good advice shared by individuals on this site. Knowledge about cornish china clay workings has been very helpful recently.

 

 

Worse for me: I prefered the old workbench topics on the previous incarnation of RMweb, it's a personal preference for me.

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Guest Natalie Graham

Most topics that get locked are due to duplication or old age with repeating circular arguments. We try not to stifle discussion and do edit when appropriate (something that many members would not even see) but it's a fine line and not everyone will agree all the time.

 

The finer the line the less likely to get agreement too. Everyone agrees with the clear cut decisions moderators make. It is only where there is no clear right or wrong that moderators always get grumbled at for getting it wrong. I'm not wishing to try and find fault with the moderators. The ones here do an excellent job. I have been both admin and moderator elsewhere so I appreciate the effort that goes into it and how much of a thankless task it can seem sometimes. As a forum admin I held to the view that moderators never made wrong decisions. Every decision made is a matter of judgement that there is no right and wrong answer to.

 

It doesn't happen that often and my comment comes only from a personal frustration with interesting threads that get shut down when a couple of people cross the line where maybe their posts could have been removed and the thread carried on. It is just something that has always struck me about the forum that threads seem to get locked rather than edited. Perhaps it is just a different approach to moderating than I am used to. Maybe the fact that I mentioned it shows just how hard it is to seriously think of a 'worst thing' about RMWeb.

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Best: apart from what has already been said - the way the forum constantly forces me to up my game, who would have thought I'd be building my own track in O gauge 5 years ago?

 

Worst: see the Harry Callaghan quote in my sig - OK, it's only a very small minority :)

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Can't really add much to this at all. I think Stubby hit the nail on the head a few posts back (top of page 2 was it?), for me, as know-nothing novice, finding my way onto this forum was a huge boost. Without this fourm, I'd not have been able to achieve what I have... and judging by the number of times I see mention of new members "back to the hobby after a 30 year absence" I suspect that I'm not alone.

So,

:) (sorry Pete pinched this from you)

What else that hasn't been said:

A wealth of experienced, helpful, inteligent members providing an invaluable resource to railway modellers new and experienced.

A well moderated IMHO forum that allows strong debate... but reminds when the line is being crossed.

A forum that uses English and moderately tolerates, but does not encourage, text speak (a very minor point mind you)

 

:(

The amount of time I spend on here when I should be modelling (what was the "That's Life" phrase, a victim of its own success... I suppose I'm a victim of RMWeb's success... but wouldn't actually have it any other way!

A few who like to break the rules

Poor quality gallery posts that lack any viable content or description.

One line blog entries.

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RMWeb and its associated events have played a very major part in helping me to maintain my mental health- and at some points too my continued life- during my continued - but temporary - lack of employment. I have met some great people through it which has made things easier mostly and made me feel that I am still a part of society with a worth and part to play- unlike some of the attitudes of red-tops would have you believe.

 

It has given me things to get interested in and look forward to- something that is vital if I am to continue to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Hopefully it'll be someone with a torch, bringing you some work! Chin up, love!

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Best

 

Inspiration, modelling news, interaction with manufacturers, encountering different areas of the hobby I wouldn't have looked at before (finescale track being the latest)

 

Worst

 

One or two posters can come across condescending and smug. They have fantastic talents, but need to pull their heads out of their behinds. Its a small niggle though on a community this large.

 

Sometimes the community itself can seem a bit of a 'closed shop' with a group dominating proceedings. Again, not something that really bothers me personally, as I tend to dip in and out, and post any news from the Irish RTR scene that I can to let members interested in that area know what's coming their way, but I think it might be off putting for some new members.

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Pros .....Inspirational modelling, always generous help from those on here, friendship and sometimes downright fun....I'd certainly be lost without it as looking on here has become part of my daily routine....

 

Cons....

 

Oh, I have just thought of the one thing that does annoy me!

Posters who put pictures in the Gallery and they are either or totally un-titled or of something like a sheet of chipboard with some set track and a class 99xxx sat on it

 

Most definitely agree with that....and much else that has already been said.

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Pros:

 

Inspiration, in spades;

Advice, freely dispensed;

Currency - you really do read about it, and see it, here first;

Informed (and sometimes opinionated, but none the worse for that!) commentary and critiques on new toys out there. I particularly enjoy the efforts of those who take the time and trouble to do an exhaustive photo-review of new releases, for example. For someone like me who can't just walk into the Local Model Shop and have a gander, it's a good way of making that call as to spend or not;

Breadth and depth of coverage - there's really something of interest for everyone here;

On a similar subject, the "Special Interest" sub-fora are (IMO) the best change ever brought about, structure-wise, to the site.

Manufacturer interaction - in extremis, as displayed by DapolDave over the past year or more, showing truly amazing and commendable dedication to service and "getting it right" - and boy, has it paid off in terms of the quality of their recent (and, doubtless, their forthcoming) releases.

 

The Cons:

Not many.

I concur with those who've raised the issue of uncaptioned (or just poor quality) Gallery uploads;

The predictable moans about plastic bags on magazines, magazine content, manufacturer announcements, etc;

And the "when is it coming out" threads... like it's a matter of life and death.

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People who don't set 'Receive notification' when they post a question or request for advice/assistance and consequently don't thank respondents or re-visit their thread

Or ask the same question again elsewhere that you have already answered for them, or, worse, argue with the answer you have given them. Yes, there are a minority of ungrateful ####### out there, but also the ones who say thank you aren't all that common either.

 

I know the mods have to draw a line somewhere, but in their defence, if a topic has wandered off in a different direction which is still relevant, the mods on this site do at least allow you to continue rather than some other sites where it would just be locked and that would be it. This thread is going between a discussion and a list, but its relevant, several sites I've been on would have closed this now, so let's face it, some folks may complain about our moderators, but it does take a lot to rile them, and they do let us discuss things, the point of a discussion forum. It's just when things get to the point of who has got the line highest up the toilet wall that they step in and act. Even if one of them is only 2 feet tall.

 

Got to concur with some of the comments about gallery uploads as well, the same thing from slightly different angles, un-sceniced set track formations or out of focus blurs aren't really what the gallery is about. Mind you, some of the stuff in there is excellant, but there are always several examples of visual froth in there. Now I'm off before the smallest moderator headbutts my kneecaps.

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Best thing - kept me sane during the whole of October 2008 between my cochlear implant operation and activation of the implant.

 

Worst thing - any mention of b***les in Wheeltappers bringing out the anti-***list barbs! :no:

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I suppose I really should consider a response to the topic from my perspective. :)

 

+ Seeing the emergence of genuine new talent that gives lie to the 'hobby is dying out' myths.

+ Witnessing experienced and respected authorities and talents interacting with fellow hobbyists.

+ The immediacy and relevance of advice given (in most cases)

+ Democratised review processes

+ Discussion and input to forthcoming projects

+ The activity levels, the site is more about modelling than most.

+ Being in a central position to support the manufacturers, retailers, customers and publishers in initiatives.

 

- The personal nastiness found elsewhere perpetuated by individuals when they've found they couldn't do as they pleased here for whatever reason.

- Having to keep treading over old ground about blog and gallery quality with folk who slap any old tosh up without considering those topics or even the quality of their contribution.

- Pointless echoes that do nothing to move a topic onwards.

- Lack of commercial awareness when telling a manufacturer what they should or shouldn't do (scattergun wishing).

- Having given someone the benefit of the doubt over issues only to be in the same position some weeks/months down the line.

- Repetition of the same topics or questions when some basic thought or searching would find what's needed.

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Guest Natalie Graham

Andy Y, I think the negatives you mention are common to running all forums. I used to actually be pleased when people I had to exclude came back with a torrent of abuse. I used to write and, very politely, thank them for confirming that I had made the right decision. As to the repeated threads I guess you just have to think that if there are people posting them who haven't read the earlier thread then here are possibly people reading them who haven't done so either.

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Best thing: Watching RMW move from being a small enterprise that challenged the status quo of text-only corporate forums to this game-changing multi-media behemoth that that not only has traders and the established model railway media onside, but genuinely moves the hobby forwards on so many levels.

 

Worst thing: 1. The rampant parsnipsim which has somehow infiltrated the site for the last half-decade. Bring back the roulade! 2. Cliquey in-jokes; left-overs from when the membership could be counted on, erm, 80 hands or less.

 

Luckiest thing: Andy didn't have any hair to pull out when he kicked it off...

 

Biggest unanswered question: Just who was the original Fat Controller?

 

 

Did I mention cliquey in-jokes?

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I don't spend so much time on here at the moment so have probably missed the Chris Leigh bashing. Can someone kindly refer me to these activities please ?

 

Nah, you don't really want to go and read them do you? Not hard to find or stumble across, but surely no need to actively go looking for the crap parts of the forum...

 

 

People who don't set 'Receive notification' when they post a question or request for advice/assistance and consequently don't thank respondents or re-visit their thread

 

Ummmm.... I had never thought of doing that before now!! How embarrassing.

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