Should Matthew start deleting negative posts?

[bonesbr549]

My only comment is if the fog rules are violated i.e. vulgar language etc, then OK, but because we don't like someone's views it's OK to leave. That seems where I go over the edge.  I will admit I am a newbie in your terms (to festool not woodworking), and enjoy the tool talk. I visit numerous forums and treat this as others as just another great source.  Just as I subscribe to multiple magazines to get as round a view of the craft as possible.  I have to say that since I've been here the amount of posts dedicated to us .vs. them or we're number one is unreal.  I would hope this is a recent aberration instead of a long standing practice. 

 

[Bill Wyko]

Realize that a negative post I think, would be defined as someone being unruly or rude, not expressing a different opinion. It goes back to expressing your opinion respectfully. It's not about making everything one sided. IMHO.

 

[Mike Goetzke]

I'm new to this forum. I frequent other woodworking and other hobby forums on a regular basis. I purchased a Domino, CT33, and RO 150 FEQ. I stumbled upon this forum when looking for information on these new tools. After a quick search I found some very helpful articles here at FOG. Then as I dug deeper I found several negative or counter productive posts. Especially in this "Way-Off-Target" forum. On the other sites I visit a forum with a similar title has articles on car problems, politics, the economy, wife or girlfriend problems (maybe both) ;D. At FOG, many of the posts end up in flames. From what I have seen they start with many assumptions about how Festools are compared to this or that or someone thinks someone is getting free Festools as a kickback......all I want to do is learn how to use the tools in the most productive way. On other forums (even non-woodworking) I can simply look through all the new posts - at FOG, even though I've only been here a short time, I find myself using the search tool to be very specific about the things I want to look at so I can bypass the "you-know-what."

I don't have a vote about negative posts since I'm too new to tell if the administration of posts or users are the problem - hopefully something changes to retain new owners/users like me.

Mike

 

[peter halle]

Mike:

Stick around.  This forum is probably the single best source of information on Festools and their operations.  Yes there is a buch of feathers flying around but a bird only has so many feathers.  Don't be hesitant to ask questions - there are so many people here who would love to help.  In time I predict that you will agree that you just happened to get here after the dog pooped on the carpet.

Peter

 

[Bill Wyko]

Damn Dog ;D Thanks for the chuckle. Today's been one of those dog pooped on the carpet 10 times days. I needed a good laugh.

 

[woodshopdemos]

...From what I have seen they start with many assumptions about how Festools are compared to this or that or someone thinks someone is getting free Festools as a kickback......all I want to do is learn how to use the tools in the most productive way....
Mike

Mike,
  You are right. You come to this forum in troubled times but don't let that stop you from reading and posting. I am one who gets Festool equipment free for review. Far from a kickback though. I get equipment from all manufacturers free...sometime an enviable position and sometimes not. I have chosen to review woodworking equipment.  Never, though, has the free source caused me to alter my reporting of the product. Just this week I am using a new product and it works fine, but just not as well as other ways. I say this as candidly as I can.  I have 78 pages of how-to on Festool products. I like them most of the time. Even to the point that I sold my old trusty Unisaw....I needed the space and I wanted to prove to me and to others that you could build furniture and cabinets with the All Festool Shop. Come Sept 1, I will be showing the side board that I made with this shop...it takes some figuring here and there but very  doable. I do it because I get a kick out of such things, not a kickback. Go to the website Festool sub-menu and you be the judge.

http://www.woodshopdemos.com/men-fes.htm

And I do have the best shop assistants

 

[peter halle]

Makes me want to have a helper again : : : :

Peter

 

[Matthew Schenker]

Good Morning,
I've been having an offline discussion with a few members about this very subject, and it got me thinking about how evenly split the community is on deleting posts.  I was about to post something to this effect, when I remembered that EricL had already started a poll about it a while back.

Then I looked at the poll results, and I had to laugh because they say all I needed to say.

Shows you why either decision won't please everyone!

Thanks,
Matthew

 

[JeromeM]

Good Morning,
I've been having an offline discussion with a few members about this very subject, and it got me thinking about how evenly split the community is on deleting posts.  I was about to post something to this effect, when I remembered that EricL had already started a poll about it a while back.

Then I looked at the poll results, and I had to laugh because they say all I needed to say.

Shows you why either decision won't please everyone!

Thanks,
Matthew

An alternative that may be available is the kill file then you can choose not to see posts from  people you personally find offensive. There is one poster who I would like to put in my personal Kill File if this were available.

The benefit if this is it is a personal choice and affects only you.

 

[dirtydeeds]

we all make our descions on the best information avaliable at the time

leaving aside legal issues and personal attacks, which MUST be addressed in an impartial way

all humans have a set of ingrained cultural and moral biases that do impinge on our descisons

when mathew deletes posts, we have to assume, he does not take his descions lightly

over the period i have been here i have seen mathew's views change sublety

that leads me to the conclusion that mathew has come to regret some of his earlier descions (and reinforced others)

 

[Daviddubya]

An alternative that may be available is the kill file then you can choose not to see posts from  people you personally find offensive. There is one poster who I would like to put in my personal Kill File if this were available.

The benefit if this is it is a personal choice and affects only you.

This forum has an "Ignore" feature for Personal Messages, whereby you can block PM's for individuals.  Having that same feature for posts would provide an easy way for members to make their own choices.

Personally, I have no issues with the few posts that get deleted.  I am confident that Matthew exercises good judgement.  I do think a more specific set of rules for posting would help to reduce the discussions that sometimes start when a post is deleted.  If a post violates a rule, then the post gets deleted, period.

ps - It is interesting that the poll generated less than 60 votes, representing around 1% of the forum member population.  Does that mean that 99% of the forum members don't care one way or the other?  Or maybe it means that it is impossible to draw conclusions from such a small portion of the population.  Or???

 

[Matthew Schenker]

This forum has an "Ignore" feature for Personal Messages, whereby you can block PM's for individuals.  Having that same feature for posts would provide an easy way for members to make their own choices.

I had that feature enabled a while back, but the problem is, some people realized that they had accidentally put others on "ignore" who they do not want to ignore.

Here are two previous discussions we had on this topic:
Problems with "Ignore User" Option!
Ignore User Options

Personally, I have no issues with the few posts that get deleted.  I am confident that Matthew exercises good judgement.  I do think a more specific set of rules for posting would help to reduce the discussions that sometimes start when a post is deleted.  If a post violates a rule, then the post gets deleted, period.

Thanks for the vote of confidence.  Actually, I am unbelievably hesitatant to delete posts.  It takes a lot for me to actually make that move, and I have exercised this option in only a very small number of cases.  The entire history of deleted posts in this forum can be viewed on one screen, and that includes the obvious spammers for various wonder drugs.

ps - It is interesting that the poll generated less than 60 votes, representing around 1% of the forum member population.  Does that mean that 99% of the forum members don't care one way or the other?  Or maybe it means that it is impossible to draw conclusions from such a small portion of the population.  Or???

Most polls don't get more than a small portion of the membership.  The larger the sample, the more representative it can be.  However, I have found that the percentages, even when small, do reflect the way people feel generally.  Perhaps it's like the way we do national polls: 1300 people can give you a good sense of how the entire nation feels.

Stay in touch,
Matthew

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Are you Guys serious?    If it wasn't for the really useful information here, I dont think I could handle all the whining and snivling that goes on here.

Seriously, most of you guys are quite older than me but, it reminds me of a bunch of bickering H.S. kids.

Lets just focus on the task at hand and stop being so sensitive.

Now run along and enjoy something!!