"I'm Rightism" and Forum Courtesy

[Tammany Tiger]

I have noticed a real deterioration in some of the threads here almost always related to the insistence by some posters about "being right," getting the last word, or trying to overwhelm people with their knowledge about Taylor Guitars. I am not calling out anyone in particular but a few people seem to feel a need to contribute lengthy posts to almost every thread, frequently taking over the conversation. Others tend to turn disagreements into ad hominum attacks and the mods don't seem to do much about complaints.

If you look at the statistics a relatively few people are responsible for the majority of posts on UTGF and recently this place has seemed somewhat like an echo chamber for those few people talking to each other. It has been a huge interest killer for me in this forum and my own participation has waned because of it.

I  respectfully suggest that everyone simply remember that UTGF is a fun place where everyone should feel comfortable participating without fear of replies that make them feel stupid or attack them for having an opinion of their own. Everyone is better off if we don't take ourselves too seriously. Before you post, please think about how your post sounds, whether it is contributing to our mutual interst and how you would feel if similar comments were directed to you. Remember that there is no need to be "right" all the time.

In a recent post someone likened UTGF to a bar where people hang out and participate in the conversation. That's true, but let's not forget what it is like to have a Cliff Claven from the old Cheers show always sitting on the stool next to you whenever you make a statement and irrespective of how many times you change stools. I enjoy coming to Josh's version of Cheers but I don't like being forced to sit next to Cliffie.

[Gutch]

Actually, if you sat at the right of Cliff, you'd be blocking the waitress station and would then get beat up by Carla or bored to death by Diane.  If you sat on Cliff's left, you'd be Norm.

"N-O-O-O-R-R-M-M!!!"

Here's your beer...

[Satsuki]

Wow! there for a moment I was having flashbacks of the other forum that will be nameless.

[Scriptor]

Gosh ... I thought we were all being respectful and behaving pretty nicely ...   

[bo1142]

Gosh ... I thought we were all being respectful and behaving pretty nicely ...   

Me too   I don't think the mods should be deleting any posts that one person finds offensive.  If it gets several complaints, or is in blatant violation of the rules, then it's dealt with, but usually not until then.  I don't see someone being opionated as the breaking of any rules.

[DennisG]

Gosh ... I thought we were all being respectful and behaving pretty nicely ...   

Scriptor, I agree.  This is one of the most polite forums I've ever been a part of.  Still, every now and then someone comes along and takes 200 words to say what could be said in 20 or makes an insulting comment about another poster.  In fact, the latter happened earlier today, and the comment got deleted.  But 99 percent of the time, this is a really well-behaved forum.

[mgap]

That's true, but let's not forget what it is like to have a Cliff Claven from the old Cheers show always sitting on the stool next to you whenever you make a statement and irrespective of how many times you change stools. I enjoy coming to Josh's version of Cheers but I don't like being forced to sit next to Cliffie.

Now that is funny.  Norm was great.

[BigSkyTaylorPlayer]

Gosh ... I thought we were all being respectful and behaving pretty nicely ...   

I like sitting next to Cliff.....

[tnfiddler]

I know of one car-related forum that is so nasty, you were advised to put your "flame-suit" on anytime you posted anything.  People always said that if you wanted opinions, you better get ready for all of them and just get over it.  I hated that forum so bad, I left and never went back.

[Satsuki]

Yes, I have quit posting on my car forum miata.net because of the flaming. People are very polite on this forum. I found out one thing on the nameless forum: Don't say anything negative about Martin guitars.

[Scriptor]

Scriptor, I agree.  This is one of the most polite forums I've ever been a part of. 

Yep ... I tried being a part of a few other music related forums and departed after a few weeks.  On one in particular, if someone ever asked a question that a few others already knew (or even just thought was silly), watch out.  They were like piranhas.  They'd chew folks up and spit them out.  Rude and downright mean.  (I know because I got chewed and spit a few times myself).     I don't need to willingly subject myself to that garbage.

In contrast, I have seen this forum and our previous "hangout" as 2 of the most courteous and respectful forums in the www-universe.  Breath of fresh air really.

Of course it's not perfect 'cause people are involved; but more than pretty decent IMO.

[Tammany Tiger]

Scriptor, I agree.  This is one of the most polite forums I've ever been a part of. 

Yep ... I tried being a part of a few other music related forums and departed after a few weeks.  On one in particular, if someone ever asked a question that a few others already knew (or even just thought was silly), watch out.  They were like piranhas.  They'd chew folks up and spit them out.  Rude and downright mean.  (I know because I got chewed and spit a few times myself).     I don't need to willingly subject myself to that garbage.

In contrast, I have seen this forum and our previous "hangout" as 2 of the most courteous and respectful forums in the www-universe.  Breath of fresh air really.

Of course it's not perfect 'cause people are involved; but more than pretty decent IMO.

This is really the greater point in my post. In general, the forum is polite. I'm only talking about a few folks.

[Tammany Tiger]

Gosh ... I thought we were all being respectful and behaving pretty nicely ...   

Scriptor, I agree.  This is one of the most polite forums I've ever been a part of.  Still, every now and then someone comes along and takes 200 words to say what could be said in 20 or makes an insulting comment about another poster.  In fact, the latter happened earlier today, and the comment got deleted.  But 99 percent of the time, this is a really well-behaved forum.

There are members here who will quote someone else's post and then dissect it a sentence at a time putting their own spin on what the first poster has said and then supplying condescending opposing opinions. Several times one poster in particular has done this to one of my posts and told me what I was really saying and why I was wrong. Usually folks who do this sort of thing have not read the original post very carefully or have read things into the post that were not intended. It comes off as looking for an excuse to argue. That's Clavenism at its worst.

My first rule in any community activity is inclusion. I just see "I'm Rightism" as behavior that alienates folks who would otherwise be inclined to participate more and therefore hurtful to healthy growth of the forum.

I also say the following with the greatest of respect. There is an occasional tendency for some of the mods here to referee threads, sometimes to the extent of picking winners and losers. Not long ago a mod "corrected" something I had said (he was factually wrong, by the way), agreed with someone who took a contrary view and then announced in the thread that with his corrections, the thread was "back on track." I found that demeaning and sharply curtailed my own participation in the forum afterwards. A note I sent to the mods expressing this view was never even acknowledged so I suppose that the forum has a view of moderation different from my own.

 As I read many of these heavily opinionated threads I feel my interest in UTGF flagging. Once I see certain posters camped out in a thread, I usually just move on to something else rather than contributing myself. More and more I simply log off.

[beachbum205]

I too have left another guitar forum because of the arrogant tone and lack of basic civility in some posts.  I'm thankful the person who flamed me would never be caught dead owning a Taylor, so I doubt if he will ever show up here.  But enough about me.

I have found the atmosphere here very enjoyable, but would echo the OP's concern- if people are being obnoxious- knock it off.

My guess is that someone who runs roughshod over other participants here won't change because of a request like this thread- but it doesn't hurt to bring it up.

[not darth]

I dunno, I think this is a case of the 5-90-5 rule. 

Five percent of the participants in any forum make up a great proportion of the content by commenting on everything and 'being right', pointing it out at every opportunity. 
Ninety percent post sparingly mainly reading content by others only chipping in when they have a unique perspective, they don't start fights and they get along. 
The last five percent doesn't like to see echo-posts (me too's, +1's, quotes, rehashes), and also feels that they're right, or rather, that that first five percent is particularly wrong. 

Guess what?  They're all in the right. 

As long as you are not specifically breaking the AUP you can 'act' however you want here. 
To some extent, TT, I can see your point, but as devil's advocate I also see that some could see the first post of this topic in the same light as the posts you are complaining about.  I'm really not trying to stir the pot, just saying that in every forum I've ever posted to there are the same kinds of folks you see in day to day life, like it or not. 
Which also means we're all variable, myself included; most of the time I feel like I'm in the middle 90% of the posters, but certainly there are times I'm in one or the other of the 5% zones.  We're human. 
 
-K

(p.s. - One other thing, is that this is a young forum and some of us do like to post a lot and are trying to help Josh in order to increase the traffic and wealth of content.  As long as these posts are substantive, it's all good.  By the nature of hobby interests, we'll certainly see repeats of stuff that has been discussed ad infinitum on other popular forums.  (tonewood comparisons, string comparisons, humidity issues, cutaway/no-cutaway, etc)  That's okay, it builds the knowledge base here.)