What is happening to this site ?

[PackmuleParticipant @packmule]

As a complete novice to engineering this site with all its members is a fantastic resource of knowledge. If a subject has not been posted or you don't know, a simple post and the replies follow. not just one liners but comprehensive answers. Yet within the last few weeks some of the vastly experienced members are either leaving or have left, others haven't posted for some time. Is this to do with MTM ?.

This forum is only as good as the members who support it through their contributions. It is their content Not MTM that provide the many article's and input, they are merely the vehicle to promote the projects from which they make money out of the magazine, its always a two way street one needs the other.

So who is doing what to alienate and irritate people so much that they no longer wish to be associated to the site ?

Bob

[PackmuleParticipant @packmule]

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Been online since the late 1990s

All sites have their up and down periods

The net lets people do their own thing, if they want to

In this life the only constant is that things change

edit

Sometimes a place like this even opens up a forum where newer webbies can plug their site because a place like this is also a higher level conduit for the industry/hobby

Edited By Ady1 on 07/10/2013 10:27:27

Edited By Ady1 on 07/10/2013 10:28:06

[PackmuleParticipant @packmule]

Hi Ady,

while I can well appreciate the fact that people's priorities may change due to health, age or even loss of interest. There appears to be the beginning of a exodus from long standing members whose expertise and knowledge will both be sorely missed and hard to replace.

A case in mention to which I assume you are referring to is Harold Hall. Yes his website is excellent but it is better to have such a site as additional not instead of.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

A lot of people who do this engineering stuff are not following the herd in the first place

Most folk watch TV nowadays, while the ME brigade are beavering away in their caves making stuff and fretting over new ideas and tecchy stuff

Another group are the computer programmers

If you want to see a REAL moaning minnies site join a computer programmers forum

Vast threads dedicated to chewing over irrelevant minutiae and pointless pi**ing matches between gigantic egos the size of continents

[Diane CarneyModerator @dianecarney30678]

Bob

You are right – this site does have a phenomenal knowledge base amongst its member but take heart – not everyone with knowledge has disappeared. One or two have wandered recently but I doubt their absence wil be noticed. It has come about, I think, due to some recent changes made at MTM – and you know what changing anything can do…. God forbid…!
This website is not the most slick, coolest or most user-freindly in the world but it is perfectly functional and has recently undergone a subtle change to its appearance – for the better. Things are now clearer, IMHO. Some don't like it, however. Not necessarily because it is any worse than it used to be (I think the general concensus is that it is rather better) but because it hasn't changed completely. It is a commercial website and has to 'earn its keep'. It is what it is and it is very well patronised.
The other thing that some members reacted to in recent times was the suggestion that the use of Social Media might have a place in this community. (It seemed to be overlooked by some that taking part was purely optional.) This suggestion led to an uproar from a small percentage of the members. The vast majority, of course, took no notice and were not fazed in the least.

Please don't get things out of proprotion. A quick glance at all the live topics just now should reassure you that there is a still a very large number of helpful, keen and generous members, willing to help anyone and everyone. Unsung heroes, the lot of 'em. I am very proud of them all.

[ASFParticipant @asf]

Posted by Diane Carney on 07/10/2013 11:08:46:<snip>One or two have wandered recently but I doubt their absence wil be noticed.of the members.

</snip>

The OP has noticed this very thing! I also find this dismissing of members knowledge rather ignorant.

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

…and things seem to go in cycles..the forum is driven by the “questions” posed by the readership. .posts of “look how shiny my last build is” are fewer…
And often generate less traffic.
The recent set of threads relating to percived withdrawal of access to the archives , the general price rise for subs, “oh the colour of the header bar on the websites changed”,”oh aren’t there a lot of threads complaining about stuff” …well these things pass. .if there were more threads of technical question’s then the whinging wouldn’t show up so much. ..just wait next month all will be forgotten.

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

THIS SPACE INTENTIONALY LEFT BLANK

Edited By jason udall on 07/10/2013 12:13:48

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

What I want to know is how the photographer is recovering after Ady1 hit him with that baseball bat!

Neil

[Peter Jackson 9Participant @peterjackson9]

Short term lurker here, just starting to set a workshop up after taking early retirement from the advertising industry.

The advertising industry is hard, both in terms of work and morals. You get plenty of the former and none of the latter which makes you quite cynical but you see a different world.

After following the recent threads it's very plain to me that it's all about money.

Post on here you get nothing, only your fellow man get anything out of it.

OTOH throw the toys out the pram to quote a recent term, plug your own web site and books and that's how you earn money.

It's not about becoming disenchanted it's all about ego and money.

Cynical in Surrey

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Peter –

Spot on.

Regards,

Tony

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

What I want to know is how the photographer is recovering after Ady1 hit him with that baseball bat!

That's Robert Shaw as Quint in Jaws

 

web

Edited By Ady1 on 07/10/2013 14:04:29

Edited By Ady1 on 07/10/2013 14:15:15

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

There are many people on here who have published books on our hobby, or own companies that supply equipment, they have shown themselves willing to offer advice freely and frequently, if after that they get some orders then I say good for them!

Sometimes they might give advice and somebody else gets an order, or indeed something gets made up instead.

I do not see how that equates to "it's all about ego and money".

 

Edited By V8Eng on 07/10/2013 14:10:41

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

We're all different with different egos and motivations

Darwinism. The variation of the species

Without these huge differences we'd follow the dodo into genetic oblivion

 

It's not about becoming disenchanted it's all about ego and money.

You've just left the corporate mincer and spent years with a certain subset of people

Took me 10 years to get over 4 years in a Corporate environment

The only advice I can give you is that now you're out, don't let them mess up any more of your existence.

Life is waaay too short !

Edited By Ady1 on 07/10/2013 14:22:37

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Edited By V8Eng 

Edited By V8Eng on 07/10/2013 14:37:23

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by Diane Carney on 07/10/2013 11:08:46:

The other thing that some members reacted to in recent times was the suggestion that the use of Social Media might have a place in this community. (It seemed to be overlooked by some that taking part was purely optional.)

Diane, the impression I got was that MTM would be taking selections from these forums and posting them on social media. I didn't get any impression that permission would be asked.

I would be extremely happy if you can assure me that I was wrong.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Diane Carney on 07/10/2013 11:08:46:

The other thing that some members reacted to in recent times was the suggestion that the use of Social Media might have a place in this community. (It seemed to be overlooked by some that taking part was purely optional.)

.

Diane,

Others have already responded to the "… doubt their absence will be noticed" remark, so [along with OMG] please let me add my comment of the Social Media aspect.

When Patrick posted: "We are planning exclusive competitions and give-aways on facebook, twitter and pinterest that you won’t find anywhere else …" I saw this as being the thin end of the wedge, and wondered how long it would be before we were expected to log-in via FaceBook.

If we have your assurance that this will never happen, then that's O.K.

​MichaelG.

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Re facebook.
If it remains as it is to date..”oh look at the pretty pictures. And isn’t the magazine wonderful” then the exclusive content I won’t miss.
If there is a move to deliver this forum via f.b. then good luck.
I wonder how advertising works on fb…

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

> That's Robert Shaw as Quint in Jaws

Even if my eyes weren't so dodgy I'm not sure I would have spotted that!

> plug your own web site and books and that's how you earn money.

Knowing more than some of two recent departees, I am more than confident that this wasn't any part of their motivation. They will be missed though.

> the suggestion that the use of Social Media might have a place in this community

I hate to upset everyone, but just because Twitter & Facebook are the best known forms of social media, this forum falls squarely within the definition of 'social media' so you're all in that stew already…

"Social media refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks."

Neil

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by Peter Jackson 9 on 07/10/2013 13:05:30:

OTOH throw the toys out the pram to quote a recent term, plug your own web site and books and that's how you earn money.

This apparently refers to the website of HH and the books of GM.

How HH is supposed to be making money from his website is beyond me. There is no advertising just a lot of free information. Rather than suggesting that you buy a book he tells you (for free) what's in the book instead.

Similarly with GM. If he's even mentioned his books around here it was only in passing comments. (Nor is it likely he'd get away with it since the books are from a rival publisher). He has given freely of his knowledge and given free copies of project plans for anyone who cares to ask.

This must be one of the most cynical, small-minded comments we've seen here. That it comes from someone with one posting to his credit beggars belief and suggests that a regular member is hiding behind a new identity.

…. and the "toys and prams" reference is used by a small group of people here who like to parade their moral superiority over others' behaviour, while hypocritically, and frequently, behaving in the same or worse fashion when it suits them. Those I could live without. The loss of HH and GM will take some getting used to.

[PackmuleParticipant @packmule]

" plug your own web site and books and that's how you earn money,

Knowing more than some of two recent departees, I am more than confident that this wasn't any part of their motivation. They will be missed though."

I couldn't agree more

As for " Vast threads dedicated to chewing over irrelevant minutiae and pointless pi**ing matches between gigantic egos the size of continents"

This will always occur . Its called free speech, albeit if its totally irrelevant to the current thread.

But The initial post was about loosing engineers of quality and knowledge .

No disrespect to other members as, as Diane says the knowledge is still there, Just not as much as there was.

I know for a fact in at least one case it is down to common courtesy. Nothing whatsoever to do with personnel websites or money. Just ask prior to publishing.

No doubt Jason and others will argue the toss about you make a posting and it becomes public domain but courtesy cost nothing and goes a very long way.

[Patrick AstillParticipant @patrickastill74203]

Hi Michael,

No one here has ever said that forum members would be expected to log in via facebook.

OMG, I am not sure where you got that impression. You are wrong. Having said that, these forums can be browsed around the world without logging in, so if you have any sensitive content or anything confidential, this isn't the place to post it.

Jason, our facebook page is for sharing news from around the clubs, articles from this website and for marketing purposes. If it offends, please avoid!

Patrick

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Patrick,

I think perhaps that it was references such as "articles from this website" that gave me that impression.

I couldn't offhand think of any articles that originate on this website (as opposed to articles copied here from the magazine or somewhere else) other than postings in the forums (which might be loosely termed articles).

At any rate I'm relieved to hear that our musings won't be spread over facebook, twitter et al.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Stub Mandrel on 07/10/2013 15:16:54:

I hate to upset everyone, but just because Twitter & Facebook are the best known forms of social media, this forum falls squarely within the definition of 'social media' so you're all in that stew already…

"Social media refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks."

Neil

.

Neil,

I accept your chosen definition of "Social Media" … but the fact remains that Patrick mentioned three sites in particular.

MichaelG.

[Author]

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