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Default stances of negativity


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I know it's not everyone here and I know it's not just people within this hobby but I feel obliged to comment that there's a very wearing level of commentators who seem to adopt a position of negativity on anything that is new, different or not up to their independent and assumed 'standard' - often this perspective is taken whilst they're in a position to know precisely beggar all in terms of facts but they've jumped to their own conclusions and feel that everyone should hear their pronounced judgement.

 

I've seen it about product announcements where they feel they should tell everyone that a manufacturer shouldn't have chosen that but done something else which is personally of interest to them. I see it when we announce any changes here, someone normally says "it's change for change's sake" without having a flaming clue what they're on about - that's rarely the case but they know best, and of course must tell everyone. I've seen it when products arrive on shelves; constructive commentary is fine and feel free to comment on specifics where it merits mention but, to be honest, no-one else really cares whether you feel they should be sent straight to landfill - let people make their own assessments. The pricing situation gets wearing too; especially comments that the end of the modelling world is nigh; it isn't, it'll carry on and people can make their own value judgements. Do some people just like moaning for the sake of it and permitting their self-centred analysis to waft round the room making others gag?

 

As I say I don't think it's this hobby, my local forum is taken up with conspiracy theories about local corruption and bad traffic - I don't think much of the latter but I don't feel compelled to tell strangers I hate queueing to get anywhere; it's not relevant to them. I don't think it's recent either, a percentage of people have always been vocal moaners - "Why of why oh why oh why does the BBC put this programme on?". I hate it when the forum looks like a model railway version of Gogglebox.

 

What I will say is that I think there is an immunity to the malaise, exhibited by those who pick up raw materials, kits or products and do something with it on their workbenches or layouts. The price isn't important; the enjoyment is!

 

Of course it's hypocritical for me to pass judgement on this negativity as I'm moaning but when I know it gets to a number of other people down who I'd put in the immune category I think it's reasonable to draw attention to it. I doubt they'll change though but at least I can recognise that they're a blight and say to anyone else who feels the same that you have my sympathy.

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I've never watched Gogglebox, but I gather it's pretty much a 'let's watch other people prattle on' type of programme [that's cheap for TV companies to make] rather than produce better quality telly. Anyhoo, as far as this (and any other forum I frequent) is concerned, I try not to say something unless there's something genuinely worth saying. I do get it wrong occasionally, but I hope most of the time I'm being well behaved :angel: :devil:

 

Edit: [ ] to make the sentence a little clearer.

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Do some people just like moaning for the sake of it and permitting their self-centred analysis waft round the room making others gag?

 

Says it all really, Andy.  Oh yes, they do. And go on and on and ononononononononnonoononononononononon

 

 

 

Edit just to clarify this wasn't aimed at Ed!  The worst offender has been banned, I think.

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Well said Andy; I am in complete agreement.

 

There have been several threads of late that interested me - however the issues you have identified means I now ignore them!

 

I do feel you have been extremely patient - had it been me those threads would have been long since locked.

 

Regards,

 

Dave

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Do you not think this is just because we are living through difficult times?

 

There isn't much to be positive about wherever you look right now.

 

You want to see negativity you should read the eBay community boards. For seriously unhappy people, they make RMWeb look like model railways are on free prescription.  The same with message boards on nearly all my other interests.

 

Frankly there is a lot to be cynical about at the moment. When government, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, utilities, banks and all the rest start doing what they promised the would do when they invited us to sign up and pay our money, then I am sure a sense of optimism will return.

 

When the supply chains of Hornby, Bachmann and others return to normal,

when we can be reasonably confident of receiving the models we order within two years - or at all in some cases,

when the manufacturers stop messing around with specifications,

when they decide which outlets they want us to buy from.....

 

...then I'm sure negativity will revert to traditional low levels.

 

Right now there are some very good reasons indeed to be underwhelmed.

 

Sorry but that's the way it is.

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What I will say is that I think there is an immunity to the malaise, exhibited by those who pick up raw materials, kits or products and do something with it on their workbenches or layouts. The price isn't important; the enjoyment is!

Well said that man.

 

"The price isn't important; the enjoyment is!"

 

 

Kev.

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Do you not think this is just because we are living through difficult times?

 

There isn't much to be positive about wherever you look right now.

 

You want to see negativity you should read the eBay community boards. For seriously unhappy people, they make RMWeb look like model railways are on free prescription.  The same with message boards on nearly all my other interests.

 

Frankly there is a lot to be cynical about at the moment. When government, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, utilities, banks and all the rest start doing what they promised the would do when they invited us to sign up and pay our money, then I am sure a sense of optimism will return.

 

When the supply chains of Hornby, Bachmann and others return to normal,

when we can be reasonably confident of receiving the models we order within two years - or at all in some cases,

when the manufacturers stop messing around with specifications,

when they decide which outlets they want us to buy from.....

 

...then I'm sure negativity will revert to traditional low levels.

 

Right now there are some very good reasons indeed to be underwhelmed.

 

Sorry but that's the way it is.

Well said.

 

Life isn't a dance throughout daisies  for the majority of people. That is nothing whatsoever to do with model railways but sadly the real world.

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Forester is right.

 

I notice it more and more when driving, not really aggression (though plenty of it out there) more just people are pre-occupied, whilst driving with a multitude other thoughts and diversions, taking attention from their driving and thus there driving goes to pot. Mobile phones, (talking, texting), barrage of adverts on the radio, work schedules, worries, time deadlines, must get there quickly, just in time etc etc etc.

 

We have a word for it in Wigan - Moider  !!

 

Brit15

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Do you not think this is just because we are living through difficult times?

 

There isn't much to be positive about wherever you look right now.

 

You want to see negativity you should read the eBay community boards. For seriously unhappy people, they make RMWeb look like model railways are on free prescription.  The same with message boards on nearly all my other interests.

 

Frankly there is a lot to be cynical about at the moment. When government, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, utilities, banks and all the rest start doing what they promised the would do when they invited us to sign up and pay our money, then I am sure a sense of optimism will return.

 

When the supply chains of Hornby, Bachmann and others return to normal,

when we can be reasonably confident of receiving the models we order within two years - or at all in some cases,

when the manufacturers stop messing around with specifications,

when they decide which outlets they want us to buy from.....

 

...then I'm sure negativity will revert to traditional low levels.

 

Right now there are some very good reasons indeed to be underwhelmed.

 

Sorry but that's the way it is.

Maybe while we wait for all this to happen we can observe the real railway and research it's history, do a bit of scratchbuilding or build some kits, pick up some new skills that will make our next layout a bit better. There's always something we can do as modellers before that blue or red box we've been waiting for finally appears - longer lead times shouldn't stop us modelling and they sure as hell shouldn't make us negative about this hobby.

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Do you not think this is just because we are living through difficult times?

 

 

 

Not at all; it's just the way some people are. I know people who have genuinely and really challenging lives but they face it with determination and a smile rather than trying to poison others.

 

 

Life isn't a dance throughout daisies  for the majority of people. 

 

As above but hopefully people can enjoy their hobby and engage with others without be dragged down to the misery of the minority.

 

 

I notice it more and more when driving, not really aggression (though plenty of it out there) more just people are pre-occupied, whilst driving with a multitude other thoughts and diversions, taking attention from their driving and thus there driving goes to pot. Mobile phones, (talking, texting), barrage of adverts on the radio, work schedules, worries, time deadlines, must get there quickly, just in time etc etc etc.

 

 

It's not a topic to moan about what stinks in the rest of the world. Quite the opposite.

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Oh, dear......

 

Actually there is more to life than whether a model locomotive is late or never arrives at all. And I remeber going to bed in 1962 (or whenever the Cuban Missile Crisis was) wondering whether I'd actually wake up.

Life ain't bad, the alternative is.

 

Best, Pete

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I personally think the internet was invented purely to allow certain individuals to pontificate.

 

We are fed a constant stream of negativity in the media, be it politics, terrorism, hatred or how many rivets are missing from the latest iteration of the Dapol Terrier.

 

This all pervading negativity ends up in everyones psyche and for some they find it blights their view on everything.

 

Me, I suffer from it time to time but I've reached a level where I actually think about what I am about to type and then delete the post. Of course sometimes I just want to vent and then I let rip but generally such venting is against negativity and moaning.

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Invite the moaners to the Members' Day in Taunton. They will see optimism, humour, camaraderie and people willing to share their experience with other, perhaps less gifted, individuals.

 

The only grumbles are likely to be around who's up next for pasties. And possibly wiring ;)

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Nice own goal Andy as in one of your recent posts you described one of the Forum members as something you get if you touched a hedgehogs back somewhat negative I think! I will not use the expletive as it contravenes the Forums/your rules, so please stop being a hypocrite and preaching from the shaky high ground you appear to inhabit.

 

Bye everyone! :jester:

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It's a forum. It's life. People express opinions on everything. Most of those opinions by their nature are personal and not the corporate view.

 

If we only subscribed to the magazine (I don't specifically mean BRM) view of life, products, the railway, and how modelling is perceived then what is the point? New product announcements are there to be informative - I think that itself gets a big like and thumbs up all round. But some feedback, even negative, is worthwhile. If that critique comes from the gut as in "don't like" then it is just one member's opinion, not that of every member but it is still opinion. We are not all nodding donkeys, not everything pleases everyone. There are things I don't like and things I do like. I'd like to think I like like more than I don't like and also believe that is the same for most members of the forum.

 

Andy, you are of course more than entitled to add your view on this. But sorry I am in strong disagreement on this one. If anything I think we seem to be going the other way and becoming more and more dumbed down and censored - no evidence to that - just a feeling. I think we have lost a number of fine contributors over the years - to that I mean fine in terms of modelling contribution but perhaps a little negative on other matters, troublesome even.

 

I don't like censorship in any form and the comment coming as it does from yourself (in relation to your position) has the whiff of a threat about it.

 

We have had relatively few serious public fights on the forum for a long time (ok it is the good supervision of the Mods and yourself that keeps such things at bay) but everything seems much calmer here than years gone by.

 

This forum has always worked well because of the characters that have contributed to it and some of those contributions are perhaps sharper and more negative than others but I think that is what keeps this place the lively fun place that it is. Let's not dumb it down to some magazine mouthpiece with just corporate announcements and company sponsored adverts. It is the people that make it work, their opinions and contrary views and sometimes (quite often actually) inspirational modelling.

 

There that's enough negativity I need to take a chill out pill now and go read a few more interesting modelling topics.

 

[Ed] Just to say I would have probably just pressed the disagree button but for some silly reason it has been removed so there is no longer any way to disagree - even mildly with content - including mine of course. So the only option now is to post a negative - which seems about as boring as a ME2 post saying "I like" or "I'll buy one" instead of just clicking the "like" button.

 

{Ed2] And I still have no way of "following" a topic unless I post something - so don't encourage me.

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There have been a few threads on here in recent times which I have found negative to the point of being totally unreasonable. I would have been inclined to lock them far earlier than was the case in reality, so I don't sense threats of censorship.

 

Over the years my work has required participation in many a public forum and meetings have frequently been dragged down by constant negativity and narrow-mindedness. In most cases this has been addressed by strong and effective chairing to maintain balance and prevent voices of reason being deterred.

 

There are parallels in all walks of life.

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Not at all; it's just the way some people are. I know people who have genuinely and really challenging lives but they face it with determination and a smile rather than trying to poison others.

 

As above but hopefully people can enjoy their hobby and engage with others without be dragged down to the misery of the minority.

 

It's not a topic to moan about what stinks in the rest of the world. Quite the opposite.

 

There is this bad attitude in business at the moment that when things go wrong: blame the customer.

 

So organisations fail to deliver on their promises and they criticise their customers for complaining.

 

Then they wonder why customers get really angry.

 

 

So, is RMWeb now blaming its members for justifiably complaining about the current poor service by some manufacturers? 'Cos if you are.. :nono:

 

 

There is an alternative business strategy I commend to all organisations:

 

'Fess up, say Sorry, put the Customer first, Communicate and keep them updated about the recovery plan. It keeps people happy.

 

 

 

No, you're right. No chance at all......

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Well said Kenton the problem is in many walks of life people set themselves up as impartial when in fact they have their own axe to grind and we are all guilty of this to a greater or lessor extent and that applies many on RMweb be it member or staff/volunteers on behalf of Warners. Censorship has a place of course at certain times however if it is overused or abused it can have a negative effect and can do more damage than issue it is attempting to silence!

 

What a dull forum RMweb if everyone agreed and you heard the sounds twittering in the trees through your PC's speakers  as you read or composed content!

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