Sheilaz Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Have just read this whole topic & frankly I'm surprised at the tone of 2 or 3 people in questioning Kate's decision to raise this issue. If you haven't seen these posts why make the comment, are you undermining the fact that we've seen them? Some have since been edited by the posters. Kate was addressing the sudden, recent spate of posts in textspeak. She wasn't criticising anyone, just making a reasonable request. The Mods have all come across, and been alerted to by other members, several examples. Having between us probably read every post on the rapidly growing forum, do we really have to justify how we reached the decision to pass comment and hopefully nip the use of textspeak in the bud? We're taking about in all the sections, not just Nesting Box. This thread then became a discussion/rant about grammar & punctuation, but that wasn't the point Kate made, just the text speak. It was a simple enough request to abide by, and members who have been individually asked to revert to plain English have been polite & understanding, no problem. Then, more posts appeared so it seemed better to address the whole forum. The suggestions that we have too many rules or may be heavy handed in modding is insulting. Especially when posted as a criticism but with absolutely no thanks for the hours of thought & care that Mods put in to getting the editing balance just right. I have no problem with anyone politely raising a point if you think we are getting something wrong, we welcome ideas, we're not authoritarian thought police, nor are we perfect. We're human beings with feelings. Most Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I really appreciate all the hard work you and the other mods do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairy&cake Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I appriciate the levels of commitment the mods put in, and the fact they they do it unpaid by Omlet. I think its the friendliest forum i've been on. And i think sometimes, whether you like it or not we need to all respect the mods decidion when it comes to issues such as this. Its not personal, its just basic stuff. I can understand in some ways, if you interupt it in the wrong manner how it might sound bossy, but i know it wasn't meant in this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I really appreciate all the hard work you and the other mods do! if we're going to have rules about SHOUTING, can we please have rules about whispering. I'm hard of herring! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairy&cake Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 On a serious note, i have to put my glasses on to read those small print ones, but i don't mind that much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheilaz Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 (edited) Rule 28b. Do not use small font. Or were you whispering in case I ranted again. Thanks anyway. Really, I wasn't looking for any thanks or appreciation, we have a great forum with lovely members, and modding just to keep it like that is generally a happy task and no thanks needed for something we've offered to do. Was just fed up at yet another unhelpful challenge. Last straw & all that, we get quite a lot and the negativity is wearing. Anyway, had a cuppa now, and thanks ANH. PS...slow typist here, thanks others too! I think ANH was teasing there with the small font. Edited April 24, 2008 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 On a serious note, i have to put my glasses on to read those small print ones, but i don't mind that much. I have to do "quote" so i can read them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I have to do "quote" so i can read them. It's those hard herrings Poet, play havoc with your eyesight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I really appreciate all the hard work you and the other mods do! if we're going to have rules about SHOUTING, can we please have rules about whispering. I'm hard of herring! An interesting choice of fish Poet! I'm as deaf as a kipper! As always, well said Sheila. You have such an eloquent way of putting things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheilaz Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Thanks, but I'm a bit embarrased....... ....because there's a random word at the end of my original post. I found it when I went back to check the grammar & punctuation. Why did I type "most" on it's own? Weird. I wanted to delete it but then it would look as if I'd edited my post Still, at least it was "most" not mackeral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 who's for sardines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 ... Why did I type "most" on it's own? Weird. i thought it was your new name Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I just assumed you were too tired to put the 'ly' on the end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Like Egluntine, I thought it was my age. Sorry Egluntine, I meant Claret That's OK Chickweed, although Egluntine will find it funny as I'm younger than her Thank you for pointing that out Claret!!!!!!!!!! I absolutely agree with all that has been said about text speak and scruffy posting. I always like to respond to an Omleteers query if I can.....and often my heart sinks when I see a post that looks as if it has been translated badly from Serbo-Croat. Trying to make sense of these posts is such a waste of my time thb....and occasionally I find myself feeling guilty for not having responded as I can't face trying to decipher what has been said. As for this typing solely in capitals or just capitalising the first letter of every word......very irritating and affected....and some effort has to be put into it. Why do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Apparently, there is a font which capitalises each word - although why anyone would actually choose to use it is beyond me. Those complaining that they don't mind the text speak should bear in mind that they only read the offending post - they do not then receive a number of PMs complaining about them, have to go and see each post that has been referred to, decide what to do about it, contact other Mods. etc. Moderators come on here for the same reasons as most other members - to post about a problem, to find a recipe, to have fun...... we also have limited time, the same as most.....I've lost count of the times recently where I've had an allocated period of time which has been taken up solely by moderating Not much fun ...and this is happening to all the moderators, especially Kate as Site Admin We don't mind doing the job, and it is not compulsory, but a lot of the recent problems are unnecessary. Some forums ban the use of textspeak amongst other rules.... others don't appear to care how members behave. We do.... and if people don't like it then there are hundreds of other forums where any sort of behaviour seems acceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted April 25, 2008 Author Share Posted April 25, 2008 Also this is a polite request NOT a rule to those who think we've become dictatorial lately. We aren't. There are very few rules in place on this forum. One is the advertising policy and that is on Omlet's instructions. The other is the no cockerels for rehoming rule which we've brought in ourselves to stop irresponsible hatching. All others are requests after complaints from forum members. We are trying to keep the majority happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I'm hard of herring! Sounds nasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I'm often just approached for BHWT stuff but I do work as part of the mod team and we all do our best Smile Sometimes if you see text speak the seriousness of a question can get lost so it does make sense and I agree we all have limited time so single out the quickest or most urgent etc. We're here for all of the forum users and to make it fun and smooth running. Let's enjoy it, understand we make decisions for the majority, PM a problem if you need to and have fun it's friday. happy days BBx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 hmmm.... I have to confess some bemusement over where this has gone. When I noticed the thread there were about four pages of general discussion about grammar and proper speaking (not just text speak) - most of it by moderators. Hence I thought it was a place to express an opinion. My opinion was an honest one and not expressed in the least bit offensively - certainly not as offensively as Shelia's response seems to suggest. Claret (moderator) suggested there is a section of the Forum that she can't go to because it is so infected with text speak - I have no idea which section that is - and so I asked for a quick example.. (Sheila then said it is the whole Forum - not a single section - so i am still intrigued as to which this no-go text-speak section is..) Christian (moderator) told me to stick around - and I'd see it... I've been here 3 and a half years - and I still haven't seen it - maybe I'm more hip and trendy than I thought and I simply read text speak without noticing it - though this is unlikely as i am quite anal about grammar, punctuation and spelling. Claret and Kate both accused those who use text speak on the Forum as being "simply lazy". I don't think this is true for a moment. It is no more lazy than typing OH instead of Other Half, or DD instead of "my daughter" - and I would more charitably suggest that it is simply habit - when people type fast who are used to typing text speak - then it very easily comes out in a post - it is a bit harsh to say it is simply laziness. I have every support for the moderators decisions - I will try my best not to slip into text speak - but if it was simply an announcement and not an item for discussion - then why did so many moderators enter into general discussion? If the rest of us are not supposed to join in with the discussion and express an opinion - then just set up a locked announcement. I wonder if there is a confusion here between expressing an opinion in ongoing discussion which differs slightly from the majority - and unacceptable questioning of a moderators' decision? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted April 25, 2008 Author Share Posted April 25, 2008 I wonder if there is a confusion here between expressing an opinion in ongoing discussion which differs slightly from the majority - and unacceptable questioning of a moderators' decision? No one is suggesting that, Phil. However, if you look back through the topic, you'll see that the majority of people (forum members, NOT moderators) have posted that they are relieved that the suggestion that text speak should be avoided. It's hard to please everyone all the time. This is merely an attempt to try and please most members. If it was a rule to be enforced, the topic would have been locked. As I have tried to explain, it is just a polite request. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I wonder if there is a confusion here between expressing an opinion in ongoing discussion which differs slightly from the majority - and unacceptable questioning of a moderators' decision? No one is suggesting that, Phil. On the contrary - Sheila's post was suggesting exactly that. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooner.girl Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Maybe i'm in a minority here but i agree with Phil. To me its seems a bit pedantic to tell people how they should type on a forum. I understand that some people might have trouble reading a post if it was littered with text speak but i have never seen anything like that on this forum (and it took me a good while to de-code the DD, OH's etc that everyone - includiong the moderators use) The expression 'mountain out of a molehill' springs to mind... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Sorry I whispered, I felt like a small child in class who was putting their hand up to say something to the teacher . Also I didn't want to wake the dog . Apologies to those of you who are auditorally (?) challenged - I'm one of them so should have known better . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 This thread now feels very unpleasant and I hesitate to post at all here. I too said that I hadn't noticed any text speak here. That was not meant in any way to challenge the decisions and requests of the Moderators, just saying I hadn't seen any. Clearly I am not the only person who hasn't noticed any either. I don't recall anyone saying that we should be allowed to use texting language, just one member who felt too many rules were being imposed. Personally I would have just ignored that comment. This is - usually - a lovely place to be and on the whole we seem to have common outlooks and interests (including the use of good language, spelling and grammar). Therefore I wouldn't think that too many 'rules' need to be enforced, everyone follows the same principles anyway. Maybe comments deemed to be on the unacceptable side could be dealt with in a PM so that a thread doesn't end up with an unpleasant taste? And maybe the moderating team could remember that we are all similar and pleasant people and on the whole a post which is challenging or disagreeing is not meant offensively. I have thought long and hard about posting this, a bit nervous that I might be banned all together really, but please believe that I am not criticising anyone, just trying to make sense of how and why these threads descend into something unpleasant. I don't think they need to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Sorry I whispered, I felt like a small child in class who was putting their hand up to say something to the teacher . .. . now that speaks volumes! A forum should be all about its members and members should be allowed to question decisions and state opinions without fear of reprimand. I have to say, I feel on dodgy ground just saying this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
