Same poll, new message board...Déjà vu’, all over again

[ThisSpaceForRent]

Same poll, new message board...Déjà vu’, all over again

As some of you remember I was lobbying at our beloved Cabela's forum for a separate, "Off Topic" kind of forum for posting threads about Non-Mushing/musher/SledDog/Race related topics.

I've taken some time and read through LOTS of threads...we as a group, dare I say "family", tend to digress....Threads start out "On Topic" then we to start getting personal and stray from the posted subject. I for one enjoy the "personal" aspect, BUT (remember there is always a BUT in life) sometimes when a thread strays from the topic it makes it difficult to follow along and it also means the risk of loosing what someone might consider "valuable information".

I propose that we have a "members only" section dedicated to our ramblings, musings and off topic questions...I have seen this type of "water cooler" forum work well in a Real Estate Appraisers forum of which I was a charter member. The general public could "See and Read" all Appraisal related topics but could not "See" the water cooler area without becoming a member and knowing the password...heck it doesn't even really need to be hidden. Just separate.

Please feel free to discuss and even throw out other Board/Forum ideas...I heard JohnCN doesn't have enough on his plate right now... (did I mention I kid sometimes?)

You may change your vote if something in the thread sways you in a direction different than your original vote.

Thats just my 2 cents...

ThisSpaceForRent

[DustMusher]

I voted YES.....I am on one of the major Internet forums for discussion of world events and personal disaster preparation and the members only part of the board has worked very well for further fostering a sense of community and family.

Sometinmes there are things I would wish to share with the Board members which might not be appropriate to have in open boards for all the internet to read. Call me paranoid, I guess it just drifts over from the other boards I am on. The rest of the groups I am a regular poster on are members only Yahoo groups.

The arguement is this may be elitest - I think it is just prudent. Google my handle and you will see how easy posts are to trace. (What is funny is that the main board I am on shows very few of my posts I have made - they have some sort of bot stopper)

The subject of this board could make us a target of certain anti-mushing/animal rights nut jobs (I work a lot with legislative watch groups and boy are the nuts-sos out there) With a Members Only area, we could be somewhat protected and I do not think it would affect the tone of this board epecially if we kept any posts in this area OFF TOPIC and made sure the mushing info and fun conversations continue to be open access.

DM
putting on my tinfoil hat, crawling in my bunker and hugging dogs

[ThisSpaceForRent]

DM,

We have been VERY lucky in respect to the "anti-mushing" crowd...I know a couple posts got squashed but so far that is all.

I think we all remember what happened on the Cabela's board. The main difference here is the number of Moderators we have, Poor Frankie had to do it all by himself, here we have a solid, dedicated team watching over pretty much 24/7.

Thanks for your input,

tsfr

[SiberianRose]

I also voted yes. DustMusher made some very good points. I am VERY new to this whole posting to a board scene, and most of DM's points had not occurred to me. Well, after thinking about it a moment, maybe I have been aware of some of those things, because it has taken me a long time to get the nerve to post. I visited often on a site related to my former profession, and I followed the Cabellas site regularly, but never posted on either. I enjoy reading, but very rarely post on a Siberian related site. I believe the work of our excellent moderators (and John, of course) here at BSSD have made this site so welcoming and "safe."

[mira]

Sometinmes there are things I would wish to share with the Board members which might not be appropriate to have in open boards for all the internet to read. Call me paranoid, I guess it just drifts over from the other boards I am on. The rest of the groups I am a regular poster on are members only Yahoo groups.

The arguement is this may be elitest - I think it is just prudent. Google my handle and you will see how easy posts are to trace. (What is funny is that the main board I am on shows very few of my posts I have made - they have some sort of bot stopper)

I think it's good to be paranoid in the sense of being aware of what we present and write on the internet. Many of the discussions here reminds me of some I'm involved in using IRC, with friends. Although I know that several people log the conversations, they aren't accessible for everyone to google.

That's why I'm pleased with my name here, you can't google that (of course it has a meaning to me, and those who know me wouldn't be surprised )

The subject of this board could make us a target of certain anti-mushing/animal rights nut jobs (I work a lot with legislative watch groups and boy are the nuts-sos out there) With a Members Only area, we could be somewhat protected and I do not think it would affect the tone of this board epecially if we kept any posts in this area OFF TOPIC and made sure the mushing info and fun conversations continue to be open access.

I voted maybe mainly because of this issue. One of the really great things about this forum is all the fun postings and kindliness. It's important that this continue. There are so many people who admitted that they de-lurked this year (and yup, me too ), and there is a reason for that

So, I'm mainly yes.. but I keep to my maybe for the time being

[MotorWerk]

I voted maybe. I'm not saying that the people already here will ruin an off-topic forum, but that kind of forum has a tendency to drag in all sorts of mean people. I've seen 1000s of OT threads turn into train-wrecks... so I dunno, maybe perhaps kanskje vielleicht.

[emwcee]

I voted yes. I think one example of something that may be for members only would be arranging get-togethers. I know DustMusher has invited people to San Antonio in June. Something like this may be better for members only, just for our own protection.

[Breeze]

I voted maybe. I'm not saying that the people already here will ruin an off-topic forum, but that kind of forum has a tendency to drag in all sorts of mean people. I've seen 1000s of OT threads turn into train-wrecks... so I dunno, maybe perhaps kanskje vielleicht.

MW, thank you for a small clue to seeking understanding some little bit of your language! Derivatives are so helpful. I am, as always, so impressed with foreign speakers command of US idiom. Thank YOU~ < smooch> I am so linguistically lame

In a literal translation "kanskje vielleicht" would be "I cannot know " ? Am I close? If I am close, I sure hope you'll tell me. I need a new way to respond to some questions.

Daniel, as a Moderator, you know we have WAYYYYYY more registered members here than actually post to threads. If ALL those registered members already have log-in access to BSSD, how would an OT area protect anyone?

Are you proposing a different level of access to an OT area.. and how would you restrict any lurkers from accessing the code?

I think when you go to that extent you just create a challenge for the determined mal-adroits and make more work for mods.

Need more moderators? I think there would be some hands up for that. I''d be in.


Put me down as a <maybe> . kanskje vielleicht. kansts m'ich versehen.

I wouldn't want to give up the close and warm family relationship we've developed here to another security measure, unless absolutely necessary.

There are and will be lurkers here who will use this forum to further their knowledge and get "scoops". We share and we play fair and square, thats how it is here. Abuse the forum and bubbye.

breeze

[MotorWerk]

kanskje = perhaps in Norwegian.
vielleicht = perhaps in German.

[deafcat]

I'm voting maybe only because I'm probably one of the worst "ramblers" here. It is very difficult to wade through conversations to find information sometimes, but I get a lot of subtle information from some of the tangets.

So moderators will have to decide when we're just babbling "off-topic", yes? How will that work? Will I get personal e-mails from some poor, overworked mod. saying "DC, please shut up and pay attention" ???? Will Tangles have to say "hey i have af funny story ooops wait go to the off-topic thread quick quick!!HOOOOWWWLL!!!" ???