A Modest Proposal

[+hal-an-tow]

A Modest Proposal

It has become apparent that some* dicussions here devolve into something less than civil , due to contributions which are agressive, derogatory or just plain distasteful in tone an intent. The majority of normal polite cachers are driven away by this, the culprits know how to stay just the right side of the Moderators line.

 

My modest proposal is this: cachers should have an initial tranche of 25 posts they can make as part of their membership. This should suffice for getting beginners started with any practical queries.

 

Thereafter, posts are to be earnt, at a rate of 1 post per 2 caches found.

 

This will have the following effect: once the initial allotment has been used, anyone getting into a heated arguement here will be obliged to actually go outside and find a cache before posting, which might give them time to develop a sunny disposition, a sense of community, or even a sense of proportion.

 

Cholesterol will be lowered, blood sugar reduced, BMIs shrunk, and unicorns and rainbows will pervade the land.

Guaranteed.

 

hal-an-tow , finds 7000ish. posts under 200.

 

*Who am I kidding ? That should read, "all"

[+Touchstone]

Or maybe we need a "Health Score" for Forum posts

[+cerberus1]

I love this idea.

 

Though with the nondescript roadside pill bottle carp local to me, I'd probably return snide, derogatory, judgemental and borderline offensive.

[+Manville Possum]

A Modest Proposal

It has become apparent that some* dicussions here devolve into something less than civil , due to contributions which are agressive, derogatory or just plain distasteful in tone an intent. The majority of normal polite cachers are driven away by this, the culprits know how to stay just the right side of the Moderators line.

 

My modest proposal is this: cachers should have an initial tranche of 25 posts they can make as part of their membership. This should suffice for getting beginners started with any practical queries.

 

Thereafter, posts are to be earnt, at a rate of 1 post per 2 caches found.

 

This will have the following effect: once the initial allotment has been used, anyone getting into a heated arguement here will be obliged to actually go outside and find a cache before posting, which might give them time to develop a sunny disposition, a sense of community, or even a sense of proportion.

 

Cholesterol will be lowered, blood sugar reduced, BMIs shrunk, and unicorns and rainbows will pervade the land.

Guaranteed.

 

hal-an-tow , finds 7000ish. posts under 200.

 

*Who am I kidding ? That should read, "all"

 

I recall Garmin's OpenCaching forums got so bad that they killed them off. I'll pass on your rainbows and unicorns idea and stick with our fourms, the moderating team here does a fine job as it is.

[+Ambrosia]

Hm, there aren't enough caches near me left to find to be able to make a lot of posts.

 

Also, my health doesn't permit me to cache a lot.

 

How many caches would I have to find to be able to keep moderating?

[+The Leprechauns]

Hm, there aren't enough caches near me left to find to be able to make a lot of posts.

 

Also, my health doesn't permit me to cache a lot.

 

How many caches would I have to find to be able to keep moderating?

Don't worry about it. To keep on posting, just log multiple finds on the caches near your home, and on ones that you own.

 

Oh... wait a minute...

[+niraD]

Hm, there aren't enough caches near me left to find to be able to make a lot of posts.

 

Also, my health doesn't permit me to cache a lot.

 

How many caches would I have to find to be able to keep moderating?

You could just log the ET Highway caches. It isn't like the owners try to verify any of the signatures on the logs. That will buy you more than a thousand posts here on the unicorn- and rainbow-infested forums.

[+Ambrosia]

Hm, there aren't enough caches near me left to find to be able to make a lot of posts.

 

Also, my health doesn't permit me to cache a lot.

 

How many caches would I have to find to be able to keep moderating?

Don't worry about it. To keep on posting, just log multiple finds on the caches near your home, and on ones that you own.

 

Oh... wait a minute...

 

[+Ambrosia]

Hm, there aren't enough caches near me left to find to be able to make a lot of posts.

 

Also, my health doesn't permit me to cache a lot.

 

How many caches would I have to find to be able to keep moderating?

You could just log the ET Highway caches. It isn't like the owners try to verify any of the signatures on the logs. That will buy you more than a thousand posts here on the unicorn- and rainbow-infested forums.

 

Shhh...don't talk about rainbows - Lep's listening.

[+hal-an-tow]

Hm, there aren't enough caches near me left to find to be able to make a lot of posts.

 

Also, my health doesn't permit me to cache a lot.

 

How many caches would I have to find to be able to keep moderating?

 

Hmm, moderators, I'd not factored you in ...

 

OK, I'd say either:

a) We negotiate a special tarif, how about you get

20 posts for every "Whoa there, calm down people keep it civil!" one you have to make,

40 posts for each deletion of an inappropriate word/link/ whatever,

50 for closing a thread if you have been requested to do so by the O.P.

and 50 for whatever it is you do when a cacher gets sent to the naughty step.

or

Don't you have enough grief with your moderation role ? Go ahead, post all you like

[+narcissa]

It's funny when people reference Jonathan Swift when making an earnest suggestion.

[+hal-an-tow]

It's funny when people reference Jonathan Swift when making an earnest suggestion.

What on earth made you think it was an earnest suggestion ?

I mean, rainbows and unicorns ?

The Swift reference was entirely intentional.

As was the date.

[+noncentric]

Cholesterol will be lowered, blood sugar reduced, BMIs shrunk, and unicorns and rainbows will pervade the land.

Guaranteed.

Only if they're double rainbows.

[elfre]

A Modest Proposal

My modest proposal is this: cachers should have an initial tranche of 25 posts they can make as part of their membership. This should suffice for getting beginners started with any practical queries.

 

Thereafter, posts are to be earnt, at a rate of 1 post per 2 caches found.

 

 

I made a different modest proposal for forum posting (a swift resolution for all your ranting needs) back in 2012 but not on April 1st so you get extra points for style.

[+narcissa]

It's funny when people reference Jonathan Swift when making an earnest suggestion.

What on earth made you think it was an earnest suggestion ?

I mean, rainbows and unicorns ?

The Swift reference was entirely intentional.

As was the date.

 

In a forum where there are constant threads detailing ever crueller schemes for punishing people who commit minor trangressions in the game, it honestly didn't sound that outlandish! You got me!

[+niraD]

In a forum where there are constant threads detailing ever crueller schemes for punishing people who commit minor trangressions in the game, it honestly didn't sound that outlandish!

My thoughts exactly. It really didn't seem out of place among all the other solutions looking for problems here in the forums.

[+Harry Dolphin]

In a forum where there are constant threads detailing ever crueller schemes for punishing people who commit minor trangressions in the game, it honestly didn't sound that outlandish! You got me!

 

I like French Cruellers!

[+hal-an-tow]

In a forum where there are constant threads detailing ever crueller schemes for punishing people who commit minor trangressions in the game, it honestly didn't sound that outlandish!

My thoughts exactly. It really didn't seem out of place among all the other solutions looking for problems here in the forums.

 

It's a first for me to feel I should apologise for being too subtle !

[+narcissa]

In a forum where there are constant threads detailing ever crueller schemes for punishing people who commit minor trangressions in the game, it honestly didn't sound that outlandish!

My thoughts exactly. It really didn't seem out of place among all the other solutions looking for problems here in the forums.

 

It's a first for me to feel I should apologise for being too subtle !

 

Anything short of hamsters is too subtle around here. 😂

[+niraD]

Anything short of hamsters is too subtle around here. 😂

And if you mention hamsters, then you have to be very clear that you're referring to the imaginary humorous ones, and not the actual live hamsters that power the geocaching.com servers.

[+Furrhan]

I know this original proposal is made jokingly but I have seen other posters getting rather aggressive at times and as a new member this can be off-putting.

My suggestion? If there are people who are known to be constantly toeing the line, let them know that they need to stand behind it instead and if they refuse to do that then don't let them post. Simple as that.

[+Team Microdot]

I know this original proposal is made jokingly but I have seen other posters getting rather aggressive at times and as a new member this can be off-putting.

My suggestion? If there are people who are known to be constantly toeing the line, let them know that they need to stand behind it instead and if they refuse to do that then don't let them post. Simple as that.

 

You may have misunderstood the concept of toeing the line

[+hal-an-tow]

I know this original proposal is made jokingly but I have seen other posters getting rather aggressive at times and as a new member this can be off-putting.

My suggestion? If there are people who are known to be constantly toeing the line, let them know that they need to stand behind it instead and if they refuse to do that then don't let them post. Simple as that.

 

You may have misunderstood the concept of toeing the line

 

As Furrhan is not based in the UK you could perhaps be more thoughtful about correcting him or her: idioms take on local shades of meaning easily. I am certainly aware of 'toeing the line' being used in the sense of fighters coming up to an imaginary start line at the commencement of a bout, ready for the signal to begin (in fact I've occasionally heard it used in a semi-jocular way in the dojo) . It may well be that this is a common sense of the phrase as used in Furrhans part of the world. And that interpretation describes the keyboard warriors attitude to a tee in my opinion.

 

Microdots interjection helpfully provides a perfect illustration of precisely what I was getting at with my initial post.

 

Furrhan, please don't think the posters here are a true sample of cachers. Try to get to an event, where I'm sure you will meet some lovely, friendly, helpful folk who are only too keen to discuss caching in a positive way.

[+Team Microdot]

I know this original proposal is made jokingly but I have seen other posters getting rather aggressive at times and as a new member this can be off-putting.

My suggestion? If there are people who are known to be constantly toeing the line, let them know that they need to stand behind it instead and if they refuse to do that then don't let them post. Simple as that.

 

You may have misunderstood the concept of toeing the line

 

As Furrhan is not based in the UK you could perhaps be more thoughtful about correcting him or her: idioms take on local shades of meaning easily. I am certainly aware of 'toeing the line' being used in the sense of fighters coming up to an imaginary start line at the commencement of a bout, ready for the signal to begin (in fact I've occasionally heard it used in a semi-jocular way in the dojo) . It may well be that this is a common sense of the phrase as used in Furrhans part of the world. And that interpretation describes the keyboard warriors attitude to a tee in my opinion.

 

Microdots interjection helpfully provides a perfect illustration of precisely what I was getting at with my initial post.

 

Furrhan, please don't think the posters here are a true sample of cachers. Try to get to an event, where I'm sure you will meet some lovely, friendly, helpful folk who are only too keen to discuss caching in a positive way.

 

My post was intended to be helpful - hence the smiley face intended to convey friendship

[+Furrhan]

No, I know what toeing the line means. I was trying to continue the metaphor. Apparently I'm not as clever that way as I thought.

 

@hal-an-tow: Don't worry. I've been around the internet for a while. I actually moderate one forum and admin another myself (both unrelated to geocaching) so I know what people can be like online. I haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting any cachers in an off-line setting other than a close friend of mine who I discovered is also a cacher but I'm sure they are for the most part great people!

[+Inmountains]

Just look at how long I have belonged to GC. I have around 6,400 finds. Now look how many posts I have made! That shows how much interest I have in this forum, or generally forums of any kind. What once was a great way to exchange and discuss ideas has turned into a 'pissing contest' with everyone doing it into the wind.

[+narcissa]

Just look at how long I have belonged to GC. I have around 6,400 finds. Now look how many posts I have made! That shows how much interest I have in this forum, or generally forums of any kind. What once was a great way to exchange and discuss ideas has turned into a 'pissing contest' with everyone doing it into the wind.

 

Love these satirical posts. Posting to show how uninterested you are in posting. It's perfect!

[+The Leprechauns]

Just look at how long I have belonged to GC. I have around 6,400 finds. Now look how many posts I have made! That shows how much interest I have in this forum, or generally forums of any kind. What once was a great way to exchange and discuss ideas has turned into a 'pissing contest' with everyone doing it into the wind.

By my calculations, you have 3,023 posts to which you are entitled, but which you have not yet made. We should consider setting up a secondary market exchange where geocachers can sell unused forum posts and favorite points. There are folks who would pay good geocoins for those.

[+Team Microdot]

Just look at how long I have belonged to GC. I have around 6,400 finds. Now look how many posts I have made! That shows how much interest I have in this forum, or generally forums of any kind. What once was a great way to exchange and discuss ideas has turned into a 'pissing contest' with everyone doing it into the wind.

By my calculations, you have 3,023 posts to which you are entitled, but which you have not yet made. We should consider setting up a secondary market exchange where geocachers can sell unused forum posts and favorite points. There are folks who would pay good geocoins for those.

 

What's the going rate for a Favourite Point - I've 160+ gathering dust.

[+niraD]

We should consider setting up a secondary market exchange where geocachers can sell unused forum posts and favorite points. There are folks who would pay good geocoins for those.

What's the going rate for a Favourite Point - I've 160+ gathering dust.

I've got a bunch of unlogged field notes drafts. What's the going rate for them?

[+thebruce0]

You could just log the ET Highway caches. It isn't like the owners try to verify any of the signatures on the logs. That will buy you more than a thousand posts here on the unicorn- and rainbow-infested forums.

Awesome, I'm set! And I hear there are many many more than the 2400 when I was there. A wellspring of posting rights!

 

I actually moderate one forum and admin another myself (both unrelated to geocaching) so I know what people can be like online.

That's actually a good point of interest - how many active posters in these forums are actually (or have had) experience(d) as a forum moderator in other forum(s)? I've helped moderate a number of other site forums in the last couple of decades (in their various evolving forms )

Edited April 6, 2017 by thebruce0

[+Inmountains]

Love these satirical posts. Posting to show how uninterested you are in posting. It's perfect! "

 

Especially by someone who averages around ONE POST PER MONTH! He must be Hyper Interested in the forum!!!!!

[+hzoi]

[+humboldt flier]

It's funny when people reference Jonathan Swift when making an earnest suggestion.

What on earth made you think it was an earnest suggestion ?

I mean, rainbows and unicorns ?

The Swift reference was entirely intentional.

As was the date.

 

Earnest made no such suggestion it was his twin brother "Tongue In Cheek"