CoinsAreFun
Open Forum => General Discussions => Topic started by: coinsarefun on April 27, 2011, 02:42:05 AM
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Its been slightly over 2 years that CoinsAreFun has been online. We have over 5,000 posts and have managed to get a almost 200 members. We have been lucky to get written up in a magazine two years in a row as a great place to discuss coins.
So If you will permit me to talk about something that has been troubling me for quite a few month's now.
As many, but not all have seen or heard lately there has been some rather hefty purging of members from a coin forum.
Some very good, decent, smart and important members that contribute to the coin community.
Some that were good but just act childishly (sometimes)..... but IMO without malice.
I have been thinking about this lately. Why you may ask? well......because of our forum here.
We are a great forum, small community and still growing. Most if not all post regularly and most if not all get along.
Now we are a very small little group compared to the 2 larger coin forums that have grading companies.
I still can't help asking myself, what would I have done? How would I handle this place when and if its gets large enough?
When there are that many people in one room, it is bound to have clashes.
I have never posted on such provocative threads on that coin forum as I care not to be banned myself.
Yet I did find myself banned for a short time for a very simple misunderstanding and was back on within days.
It brings up many questions........are moderators supposed to be sensitive and ban without warnings or say that they have warned
and simply dismiss a member?. Is it there liability or sense of wanting to keep the scales of justice balanced? How far can or should they take it and to what point does it become censorship? Yes, it is their home we have come into and have discussions, but if one feels like they are walking on eggshells how honest does the discussion become?. Doesn't the point of open discussion about coins get diluted when you are concerned about how you phrase a certain sentence or word?.
What about the responsibility of the poster? Shouldn't he or she have some responsibility to be respectful of others.
This doesn't meen you need to agree with everyone or say that you like a certain coin when you don't. Just put your likes or dislikes
about a certain thought in a way as not to antagonize the other member or mock them.
In my opinion I think it comes down to liability and money, at least in regards a certain forum I am speaking to you about.
I feel that there has been frustration built up on both sides of the room. The forum members and the forum moderators.
In which this case the main moderator just so happens to be CEO. This to me is a double edge sword and has more con's than pro's
but that's an entirely new discussion.
I will give you a few of my thoughts and feelings on how I would handle the situation and we can all look back on this years to come and say
ha.......if she only knew ;)
If i was CEO of a large grading company I would not be scanning and playing moderator to a forum.I don't care if I own and pay for it.
I want to hear it all.....the good, bad and ugly. If there is something I don't like I would have a "delete this thread" control button and move on. When a poster has so many threads deleted he either changes his ways or moves along to another ballpark.
I would have mod's set in place to take care of the threats and nasty language that may occur sine you never know when YN's are reading
the forums. Even though that forum is paid for by them they still reap benefits because the word of mouth and shear membership help adds
to their bottom line. This....no one can convince me any different!
I guess I can take solace in knowing that I will not ban someone for having an opinion that is different from mine or any other member.
I also know that I will never own and run a large 3rd party grading company either so I will not have that problem.
I thank you for reading this and letting me think out loud, I appreciate each and everyone one of you that contribute to CoinsAreFun
forum. Each one has an outstanding desire for coins and enjoy them greatly and are willing to share your knowledge with everyone.
I am grateful for this little merry band of forumites and look forward to many great years to come!
Stefanie
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bump for the morning crowd
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Here's how I see it -
Each person is responsible for their own actions, and in turn accountable. Don't say something you wouldn't want to back up. That is the member's responsibility.
The forum mods can do what they want, but should also be aware of the signals they send out. When you were banned (for a technicality, I'll add), it backed up my impression that those guys have a hair-trigger and don't really care about us as members. I see far too much favoritism on those boards, and it's not fair to all others involved. But it's their place, and I just have to take it for what it is, flawed as that may be. In fact, go and look at the so-called sigline infractions that still exist, it makes you wonder why some were banned and some weren't.
I thoroughly enjoy your forum, Stefanie. We have a nice little group here who knows how to get along well without all of that ego bumping or competition. The atmosphere is relaxed, that's the key.
Thanks for all that you do, Stefanie! :)
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I do agree with much of what both of you have stated. I'm also a member on the forum you were banned from. To many over sized ego's on that forum. This site is how a forum should be,.... relaxed and no ego's. DW could learn a lot from how this forum is run.
Your one Grand Lady, Stefanie. Thanks for letting me be a member here.
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That board is far too ban happy, and it's especially troublesome when they ban people because others complain about them- not for breaking any specific rules, just because people keep complaining about them ad nausem!
Many of the rules seem arbitrary as well. I rarely spend much time there anymore.
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Stephanie, you might want to open a thread on the Forum titled " I was walking thru the woods" by Chumly.
You might find it interesting. Regards, Abe
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Stephanie, you might want to open a thread on the Forum titled " I was walking thru the woods" by Chumly.
You might find it interesting. Regards, Abe
I just did and your right, very interesting indeed. I like the way he presented it and I LOVE your new coins!!
And the 1850-O Is the cats meow :Beatingheart;
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does anyone else have thoughts about this ;)
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The PCGS Forum appears to make snap decisions without finding out both sides of a story. It almost seems
that management feels endangered by senior members and resent, what they construe as undue influence over
the other Forum members. Over the past year many senior members have been banned. It has certainly effected the
depth and quality of educational postings. The fear of being banned, has intimidated people from starting new threads\
or replying to threads. This especially impact the newbies who are not sure exactly what is going on. It is a rather sad
development as it seems that the baby is being thrown out with the wash water.I have always felt that the PCGS Forum
was my second home. As I approach the twilight of my life due to illness, all I wished to do was give back some of the wonderful
experiences that this great hobby has given me. No matter what happens in the future, I will always have warm feelings
for the PCGS Forum and its membership and continue to monitor the Forum, even though I am unable to reply or institute threads
or even answer PMs.
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I agree and can honestly sum this problem up very quickly and one word.........Don!
I haven't been on that board that long, probably 5 years or so, but it was never like this.
Its true, many great members are online and do not post, nor respond to threads, I think in fear of banishment.
In the end its the members that suffer the most for the lack of information and insight that will never get out to other members
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I have always believed that collecting is a very personal matter. When I explain how
I go about collecting, I always make clear that my way is not the only way, or necessarily
the best way, it is just my way. I never get offended if people disagree with me, because in
honest debate and polite argument often comes light, knowledge and truth. No ones honest
opinion should be held in contempt because each person is important to the health of the Forum
as a whole. There are no foolish questions by newbies, as each generation must ask the same questions
and receive correct answeres if they are to grow as collectors and numismatists. Ego and folks who feel that they
are a legend in their own mind are always with us and do tend to make life difficult for average collectors. Not a day
goes by, where I do not learn something new. If I had all of the answweres to life and collecting I guess I would be rich.
Since I am not rich, I guess I do not have all the answers. People who are reasonable and polite and who defend their
opinions with solid foundations are always too be treated with respect. Often, I find that my opinions on a issue will change
as arguments convince me to grow in understanding and comprehension. It may sound like wishful thinking to approach life that
way but I find that this particular Forum has a live and let live attitude that is most refreshing. There is no piling on by a mob, on some
poor soul who just takes a position different from a militant minority. I have seen many a good new member chased away from Forums
and the hobby, from such vigilante cruelty. We all come to these Forums for a little restful interlude, to relax from the strains and stresses
of our day. We definitely do not need more stress when we really need to relax and not fear reckless hostility.
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Well said, Bear. I feel that a true sign of intelligence is a clear change in thought process, such as you reference on lines 11 & 12 above. Sadly many people on the internet come in with preconcieved notions and will argue them until they are blue in the proverbial face, regardless of how many differing opinions- or even facts- are presented. Unfortunatly I think many people are that was in real life, as well.
They say that people use the internet to act out as they would not do in real life, but I don't really believe that. People who are rude and inconsiderate online are almost 100% likely to be rude and inconsiderate in real life, too. I've even found some people who are great online but jerks in real life. Go figure! I've been on message boards now for over a decade, beginning when I was 15, and I've seen all kinds of personalities.
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At my ripe old age of 72, I have decided to throw off the garb of the warrior and ignore all who are ignorant,
course, crude and evil. I will only spend my time, dealing with true collectors who are open minded, polite and
intent on learning and exchanging experiences. That way, I will never have to get angry or excited and can do
what I feel is beneficial to the hobby , its newbies and other like minded folks, of good nature and kind dispositions.
Let the nasty ones stew in their own acidic and corrosive stew.
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The PCGS Forum appears to be under the control of anal retentive personalities. These are people
that are controlling because intrinsically, they are insecure and need to constantly reaffirm that they
are in fact in control. By creating a cadre of snitches and tattle tales , management seeks to manipulate
the membership and also attempts to limit the Forum from exerting any meaningful force that be viewed as
a challenge. Thus, this requires the gradual elimination of natural senior leadership around who the membership
can rally. It is a shame that such political games are deemed necessary by management because it undercuts the
very basis of the Forum. By allowing these groups, with mob mentality, to gang up on Forum Members, gives the
Forum in question, an edge , sharp enough to draw blood. The entire feel of the Forum has changed and it is now much
like trying to walk on eggs without breaking them. The tactic of this small clique, is to anger the selected target,
causing the individual ,to do something that will lead to a banning. It is a weapon that has proved very effective
in silencing any potential leadership . Thus the mantra becomes "Fall in line or ship out". If you in any way challenge the
company clique, they immediately report a biased tale to the powers that be, which then uses that report as a basis
to ban the accused. It is a cruel and eventually self defeating process that crushes the human spirit,the creativity and the
honest discussion and debate that are so important a part of civil discourse.
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Bear,
I am sorry to hear of your illness :( I wish you comfort at this time, and I wish you better health. I have always enjoyed your threads on the PCGS board, and always felt that your knowledge was a great contribution to the board.
A message board is only as good as its' members, I am a member of a Traditional Hot Rod/Custom board (The HAMB) that gets about as much traffic in an hour as the PCGS board does in a day (topics 2 hours old are at the bottom of page 4) and it takes a lot to get banned from there, especially if you're an established member and it NEVER happens without multiple warnings. But then again, it's a wildly successful board with incredibly talented members. What Don is doing is going to hurt the board and, ultimately, hurt PCGS. And that's a shame. There's a reason I haven't been on there in a while, I am disgusted with the place.
Anyway, please feel better and if you need anything please let me know.
Bill