Jump to content
  • Member Statistics

    17,502
    Total Members
    7,904
    Most Online
    Weathernoob335
    Newest Member
    Weathernoob335
    Joined

Public Service Announcement - Please Read


Bob Chill

Recommended Posts

I think most know I tend to fall on the "less moderation is better side" and generally have little sympathy for those who seem compelled to always snip and control the flow of the dialog. That said, our most precious resource is our mets and skilled hobbyists like hoffman and bob. So if the **** is getting too deep for them or they are getting nasty PMs then it is time to clamp down a bit. I haven't noticed more BS than usual in the threads this winter, but I have been here a tad less than in the past too so I won't claim to really have the pulse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 107
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Just want to echo the many thank yous, Mr. Chill.

I’m one of those 90% visitors who never or seldom post. I like coming here for the analysis and discussion but the recent  “doom and gloom” posts that seem to be more prevalent this year have made coming to the long range discussions more depressing than insightful. 

Hopefully, this is a wake up call and folks will be more thoughtful before posting. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm another who created an account just to say "thank you" for this post. 

I've been reading this board for years, mostly during the winters. We are active duty military, and being from Texas, winter weather was new to us when we were stationed here. I have relied on this board for information every winter, and I have found it invaluable in helping me stay ahead of the grocery store panic that a few inches of snowfall can cause around here.  ^_^  In all seriousness, being prepared for weather is especially important when my husband is TDY or deployed and I'm on my own. Most recently, my husband drove home from a 6-week TDY through the 9 December southern snowstorm and I relied heavily on this site to let him know what to expect on the trip.

That said, I have found myself reading less and less, simply to avoid the meltdowns. And recently, I've seen some pretty inappropriate stuff in the threads dedicated to on-topic weather discussions. I don't read the banter or panic threads for a reason, and it's disappointing to see that content creeping into on-topic threads.

So thank you for this post, and thank you to those who've raised your hands and said, "I'll do better." It's much appreciated. You may not be aware of how many people rely on your weather knowledge, but I'm sure there are many like me. We make plans and decisions based on what we see here, and we count on you to bring your best.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, Ka60 said:

Thank you BobChill for putting things in perspective.  Scientists and researchers like myself visit this type of forums to check discussion posts to gain valuable information about atmospheric changes and not always for how much snow certain region receives.  I appreciate the opportunity to read different views of many members.  Keep up the great discussions.  

Bob: I have been in the thick of controversy recently. My bad. Perhaps I should have confined my comments to banter instead of a storm thread. I posted in the storm thread because I truly believed my concerns to be significant to the rabid concerns on this board. Perhaps that was a mistake,  If so, I apologize.  One word of guidance. I detect a resistance to newbies on the board as if they have to prove themselves to be accepted into the club. Cobalt was criticized a week or two ago simply because he was inquisitive. This is not healthy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started at Eastern in February 2005...thought it was like heaven on Earth to have found a discussion board with other weather fanatics. I went through the transition to this site that we all did. I have written 2800-some posts since the board started. That’s about a tenth of the posts from our most prolific posters.

I know what I can contribute to this board. I try to limit my posts to that niche. Before hitting “Submit Reply,” I double check that what I send will contribute/add some insight to the discussion. In the model discussion threads, I know that I won’t ever match the speed of those who pay for subscription services. So I stay out of the way and really appreciate the immediate analysis many members offer.

I work with teenagers all day, and maybe that makes my patience for entitlement less than others on here. It’s just been annoying to see post after post by people who feel entitled to dump their misery everywhere... treating this online community like a personal playground to crap all over. Emotional posts don’t/have never contribute(d) anything in the main discussion threads. I don’t think the ones who do that realize how much it impedes the flow of the thread, and how defeating the experience of reading posts becomes for a lot of people. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

B.C. is the man, there are others in this place as well,  yoda , 007 aka the reaper, stormtracker, psu , and many others,  that h20 guy is always fun,  mappy, the dancing banana guy ,  there others but the names don’t come to mind.  

i try to show my thanks for letting me post by donating 20$ a year to the forum. not much but better then nothing. i think most rookies like my self should have to pay to play.  

and um ...... o Sht this isn’t the panic room is it...   :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've lurked since the 2009/2010 winter, which was a great starting point. During the 2017 hurricane our forum was a welcomed respite from the main tropical board, which became close to unreadable.

I still enjoy (read everyday) but the constant negatively  has worn a bit thin. Even with that I love this board, and really appreciate that yall have made me sound alot smarter than I am when people in my office ask me whether it will snow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So Bob are you saying i am now useless around here from now on?. My expertise is nothing compared to any of the better posters, so I guess i resort to doing what i do best (although Mappy would disagree). I am sorry if I offended anyone with my posts and i will try to limit my crass comments in the model threads. I think i need to go to dirty jokes anonymous.

Thank you to all the great posters here who have made this place and Eastern so great over my 12 years here. Thank you especially to Bob who does incredible work explaining everything so even an idiot like me can understand. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Bob, my Rockvillian neighbor.  Thank you for the thoughtful words.  As a longtime lurker, I very much appreciate the hard work of yourself and all the others that take their time to post and share on here.  Having moved to Rockville from Stevensville a few years ago, it's been fascinating to see the difference a 50-60 miles make.  Keep up the great work!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great read man. Told you last week you get a kudos for keepin it real despite the duldrums we were in. You held onto the wheel while many were jumpin ship.

You deserve to post this and if any are offended, too bad. This forum is awesome and as you can see appreciated by more than many realize. Great conversation and anyalysis sprinkled with a little humor is what made me come here. So many good posters that share a common love of winter weather. 

I’m no expert but do my best to qualify my content and have a little fun at the same time. Keep it up and thanks for throwing this out there. The winters over stuff gets really old. We live in a tough region for great snows. Some seem to forget that. 

Nut

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear Bob Chilly Sauce, (or Bob Chill)

Adding to the crowd, I've been a long time lurker.  First time to register to this forum and this is my first post.

I moved from Texas to DC back in 90-91.  I am not sure when I found this site, but it has been enjoyable. To be honest, I am only a winter board member,   Tornadoes and spring storms are things that were just common in my world -no big deal, although I took many meteorology classes in college, it never took.  I loved the science, but I had other interests.  

I get the discussions you and others have about upcoming storm potentials, and even the analysis and hope for the best (if you are a snow lover}!  It is very helpful to many lurkers like me.

Also, I also want to thank all the Pro Meds that post here.  There are many of you that post very useful information and have "tread lightly" on those that are only interested in what the forecast is for IMBY tomorrow.   I know most people on this forum are praying for sow - and more power to you.  I hope it works out for you.  

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bob, I wish I had half your ability at the Gift of Gab. Excellent post. 

As many long time posters already know I am Conservative in nature when it comes to the moderation of these boards. I have always felt strongly that self-moderation by posters, without Big Brother looming over your shoulder, was the key to healthy discourse and a thriving board. So when even I become an advocate for a scorched earth policy of both posts and posters I know there are some serious issues that need to be addressed.

To right the ship we ALL (none of us are angels) need to make a conscious effort to filter out the BS moving from our brains to the key board. That is the nature of self-moderation. Slip-ups will occur though and as long as they are minimal it is no big deal. But if you get called out, be an adult and take accountability and then move on. None of this trying to excuse away your bad behavior or shifting of blame.

We all need to remember that this is an adult community and act accordingly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another mostly lurker here.  I am a HoCo county teacher and Columbia Resident.  One thing I really miss is that when a run was bad people use to post analysis of what had changed to make it a bad run.  Now most of the posts are "bad run, we can't get snow, cancel winter,"  I really think its going to take a mod crackdown to bring everything back in line, and you know what, that isn't terrible.  Sometimes it takes a period of strictness to remind people that they can have more fun when we can trust them to largely police themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Nalanthi said:

Another mostly lurker here.  I am a HoCo county teacher and Columbia Resident.  One thing I really miss is that when a run was bad people use to post analysis of what had changed to make it a bad run.  Now most of the posts are "bad run, we can't get snow, cancel winter,"  I really think its going to take a mod crackdown to bring everything back in line, and you know what, that isn't terrible.  Sometimes it takes a period of strictness to remind people that they can have more fun when we can trust them to largely police themselves.

While I agree with this, I would add that many mods here also have real jobs, and do what they do for the love of the game, and spend countless hours "working for nothing".  A I run a snowmobilie website and facebook page, i can tell you that "modding" is not fun, and all of this can be laborious...let alone parsing through every post for suspicious content.  They/we need a higher pay grade ^_^..especially during storm mode (and this year)

To showme's point, mod yourself...keep it real (and a little bit fun), and that solves 80% of the problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

People need to understand how to formulate achievable expectations.   South of 40N, we have a moderate climate with skewed distribution of winters able to please us with big snows.   Live long enough around here and you will get some 20"+ snows but having a long wait is normal reality.   Looking at it in that manner, this is a normal winter.  Accumulating snows arrived before too late in the season, not much but some.  More importantly, during the initial five days of January, the average temperature was around 15 degrees F.  It hasn't been 68 degrees with scattered thunder.

Anyone that thinks we haven't had some authenticity to this winter has unrealistic expectations.  The models are improving (slowly) and the AFDs provided by LWX are improving as well.  To those folks that are disappoint and hoping that the models and the weather can stoke some thrills, put more discipline into the avoidance of wishcasting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yet another lurker here. Thank you, Bob.
This board is the place I go for solid meteorology, and I do expect higher standards from the members.
 If all I wanted was the banter, I'd just read the comments on Capital Weather Gang, complete with political snark and endless snow song parodies.:P
I do read the actual blog there, I hurry to add. But I know that I'll get the information here first!

I struggle to understand a good deal of the terminology and science, but I can puzzle out enough to keep my workplace and family informed. I'm not bothered by the chatter in general, but I get enough whining at home from my teenagers. :D


 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/16/2018 at 3:10 PM, mappy said:

well work on being better regardless of those other things. :lol:

 

On 1/16/2018 at 3:08 PM, Ji said:

im guilty of some of the cry baby stuff but i blame the pattern, models and the european models. If they were better...i would be better

 

Bump... this worked well

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Ji said:

Your cluttering the boards. Bob and psu have provided rebuttals to my whinning so its a positive

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 

Lol

I made a few posts outside the banter and here.  So yeah, my mistake then.

You aren't supposed to be whining and complaining in the main threads anyway.  That's what the banter thread is for... and you know better

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I find it irritatingly interesting that there seems to be a high tolerance for weenie whining and trolling from a couple members, maybe for comedic relief for a few long timers at the expense of everyone else.

I kind of wish “Storm Mode” existed for the mid and long range discussions on a seasonal basis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...