Well that got really long winded...
Yeah, I am actually getting ready to retire from the mod world. It truly is a thankless job and I don't do well with people who just cant understand basic STEM subjects. I have a guy who wants to buy my 4Runner (I didn't have it for sale) and is willing to pay top dollar. I have been thinking of getting something different and the way I see it, I can make a lot of folks happy to leave here, get away from 4Runners and do something else.
As a retired moderator - I get it, and I can't say that I blame you. I will say that I do feel like you keep this forum on topic and enjoyable while still being informative.
I've been around here awhile and I've seen it REALLY bad- out of control threads (pure bullshit) that went on for days. Greg reigned it in- anyone that was here saw it and appreciated it.
1E sees black and white, no grey. That's what makes him a good Mod. No Mod can please everybody- especially the whiney babies that get on here and can't handle a little direction from the mgmt.
I appreciate the work 1E does- I've known him quite a while and his heart is in it.
If/when he goes my prediction is that things will be much worse.
^^^Everything he said.
I was a SuperModerator over at a large Toyota forum. It's a dedication of time with no real reward. But it has it's own appeal.
Forums are a place to go and find comoradery with others that share your interest.
It should not be treated like a data based site.
I'm a member of several oher forums. And the ones that are sucessful are the ones that people are free to discuss anything they want, as long as it remotely deals with the topic. Like a group of friends getting together and hanging out!
IMHO! This forum isn't very group friendly. I come here for information and if I can try to help the other people that come here.
But I'm not a fan with how it is over Policed IMHO. Almost to the point of a dictatorship.
Sorry no offense just expressing my opinion.
The Forum is gauged by its traffic, advertisers pay more if there is more activity.
This forum has way more potential then is currently being used. But due to the unwelcoming atmosphere here limits it sucess.
...but is this forum better for serving as income or as a community that shares information about a specific vehicle (and more exactly a specific generation of a specific vehicle)? I like to think the reason [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] was tapped for a moderator of the 5th Gen forum is because he cares about the community and sharing the information and opinions that we have here.
This thread is more in relation to the 5th Gen subforum. Granted, most of us lurk here only, but that doesn't mean it is the only subforum on this site. [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] does a fantastic job of keeping us all on subjects that relate to 5th Gen 4Runners. I will gladly admit that he is a much better moderator than I ever was.
Being a moderator is not a hard job, it is a thankless job. So I commend him for volunteering and doing his best.
It is a much harder job (when done correctly) than anyone on here is admitting to (including [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION]). I don't envy his position or his title, but I do respect his authority and enjoy his involvement with our community. I think he is doing a fantastic job of making this an informative forum while keeping it friendly and fun - all of this while "cutting down the noise" (@lawndart)
I made a multi-page thread about OrangeBoxx sending me a poorly made rack that didn't fit to share the experience. It was informative and the vendor, much to their detriment, joined the thread and made things worse. The thread was locked because two random guys started arguing about Gobi and Trump.
Seems like the more sensible thing to do would have been to delete their posts, but instead someone decided to lock the entire thread. The issue has still not been resolved and I was planning on updating the thread, but now if I want to do that I have to create a new thread and link to the old thread. Given what I've seen on this forum, I wouldn't be surprised if my new thread was merged with the old locked thread.
...your thread was closed at the request of several members by a different moderator. If you PM either of the moderators to help you trim the fat out of that thread and reopen it with "the facts", it is a ton of work on their part (remember they are still moderating the rest of this site). However, these are all good guys - they may be able to help you out in short order.
All that being said, I think you have a valid point. However, from an outside perspective and when you are moderating an entire site, an out-of-control thread (not your fault at all) is quickest to deal with by closing it.
The problem is no moderation or hands off moderation ends up leading to the lunatics running the asylum.
If we have a lot of draconian moderation, that's not good either.
What people need to do is use the REPORT button more often, and realize that we need to police the threads ourselves. I'm all for joking here and there, but at the end of the day this forum is a technical, anecdotal, and experience, based resource for new and experienced 4Runner owners.
I know I get tired of seeing people, new forum people, get yelled at with the "dude, use the goddamn search button" line. But lets be honest, search doesn't help if threads are duplicated, cluttered, and way off topic.
I wish forums like this had an Editor (as in a job role) who could take stickied treads, and go through and prune them down to the most essential and thoughtful information.
I'm not disagreeing with you wfo9, but I don't think the "don't like a thread? ignore it" sounds great, when it just gives free license for people to just post dumb stuff ad nauseum. One piece of trash on the ground isn't a big deal, until everyone does it and we have a landfill full of litter on our streets.
I like that we're having this discussion of the forum on a bigger scale. I know not everyone gets along, or likes eachother, but the very fact that we're all talking about how to improve things, is a very good thing.
Agreed on every point. This site is owned by someone. They are making money off of it, but they are also supporting a community by having this website. That community needs direction. Otherwise, it isn't helpful to anyone.
It has been my experience with forums that 'most' users have a problem search the internet, find a forum, sign up, get the information they need, and never come back. I am guilty of this! I have accounts on VW Vortex, VW TDI, VW Caddy, IH Scout, Tundra Talk, Jeep forum(s), and even a "small Toyota truck" forum.
Then there are the users that come in, get the information or feedback they need, and then squat on the forum... Without moderation, these users can get so far off subject that a thread or threads are no longer useful. They will bad mouth everyone. They will use the forum as their own podium for spouting... well... anything. Honestly, I got tired of trying to herd the sheep and the wolves together while protecting the sheep from the wolves at the same time.
Finally, you have the members that care. They care about the community. They care about the subject matter. They care about the discussions, the information, and the other members. I truly believe that is why [MENTION=106176]wfo9[/MENTION] started this thread!
...granted. This is the internet. This is all opinion sprinkled with facts, but there are my unsolicited 2 cents.