Do you reckon that this is a welcoming forum?

[savage]

OK, I voted definitely a welcoming forum and also a newbie, I look to the more gifted of the group for help and to the other members who are very clever in thier own right. I think that if you can not take a bit of flack, maybe you should be expected to be a target for a bit of fun, I have been a target myself, and hope I have been seen to take it in my stride. In the same respect, I have my own opinions and stand by them, even though others may see them as wrong and I attract a bit of ridicule, I hold no malice toward those that have the guts to speak against me, it is thier right.

This is a great place to spend a bit of time, learn, make friends and have a laugh, also to show-off your work and admit you make mistakes and how you overcome them.

Good on ya fellas!.... Al, Grunt, Christopha and Gumby to name a few of many I have had the pleasure to get to know a little, thanks!...

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Been ignoring this poll while I made up my mind. So many choices!

But I finally settled on "Newbie: Yep, I'm here ain't I?" haven't been here a year, it feels much longer. Been ignored when appropriate, been slapped down when appropriate too...although I mightn't have thought so at the time.
Looking back... yeah, the forums treated me well. Even got the occasional pat on the head!

[BobL]

I voted Newbie: Yep, I'm here ain't I?

I assume you mean all the woodworkforums - if not you can discard the following

I am a member of 5 forums (Computers [10 years], Coffee [2 years], Beer [4 years], Photography [3 years] and this one [3 months] ). Apart from this one I only really still post regularly on the Coffee forum, the others I lurk in on about a weekly basis. Apart from the computing forum (I joined that when it was a listserve and can't remember what it was like) all the other forums were welcoming in one way or another. Maybe the photography forum was the least welcoming and the Ratebeer.com forum was the most welcoming. These guys are amazing. I arrived in Ottawa and the local members held an international beer party!! I arrive in Washington and they hold another! I guess its an excuse to drink but otherwise phenomenal hospitality.

Nevertheless I would say I have learned more from this forum than from all the others. Some of this may be due to my relative lack of knowledge of the fine art of woodworking. Everyone has been very helpful- thanks. I'd like to think that eventually I can help others as much as I have been helped.

[Carry Pine]

I have learned soooo much from this forum and enjoy being able to refer others to articles in magazines etc.
My only regret (gripe) is that I cannot refer my school students to the forum because of the (or light ) that exists on accessible threads.
Carry Pine

[Gumby]

My only regret (gripe) is that I cannot refer my school students to the forum because of the (or light ) that exists on accessible threads.
Carry Pine

I agree, things like hand cut dovetails shouldn't be accessible to under age kids.

[silentC]

My only regret (gripe) is that I cannot refer my school students to the forum because of the (or light ) that exists on accessible threads.

Come again? That sort of stuff is not allowed anywhere on the site, even in the Open Slather forum, which requires a password. I'm pretty sure that if there's anything here that's not suitable for general viewing, and co. would like to know about it.

[echnidna]

I have learned soooo much from this forum and enjoy being able to refer others to articles in magazines etc.
My only regret (gripe) is that I cannot refer my school students to the forum because of the (or light ) that exists on accessible threads.
Carry Pine

If they're old enough to be doing woodwork they probably know more swearwords and light than you do. So let them choose for themselves.

[scooter]

Interesting point raised by Carry.

Without Carry having to spell it out, what could be seen as soft , or at least questionable content you wouldn't want school age kids seeing?

Booby avatars & "blue" humour would be my guess.

Not judging or sermonising in the least here, I'm one of the contributors of rank humour, just examining what we take for granted.

This then raises the question, does the marginal content form part of the fabric of our forums that we wouldn't want to lose?

I reckon "yes". As much as the forums contain a hell of a lot of useful information, they are also a meeting place and social hub for people that are, in the main, adults, and as such reflect the topics, humour, etc that adults discuss and use.


Cheers.................Sean, provoked into thought :eek:

[silentC]

OK, well I guess that when I think of '' I think of the dictionary definition of pornography, which is:

obscene literature, art, or photography, designed to excite sexual desire.

Now, I'm sorry to say that nothing I have ever read here excites any sexual desire in me, and I feel sorry for anyone in whom it does. I take your point on the avatars, which I suppose could be classified as 'soft ' but it would be a very puritan view of it, given what you see on Video Hits of a Saturday morning.

I agree you want to protect kids from some of the stuff that is out there, but I think that the mods do a good enough job of keeping it clean and I wouldn't have any reservations about having kids around here.

[CameronPotter]

At first I sent Carry Pine a PM suggesting that he clarify his views with the FAQ or Al or or even Neil, but I can see how he wouldn't want to be accused of encouraging kids to come and ogle some of the avatars here. There is a difference between this and Saturday TV - the teacher doesn't expressly encourage the kids to watch that. Also, I would say that most of the videos weren't zoomed in shots.

That being said, I don't find anything offensive here, well... maybe that shot of Al in his foilie suit...

However, teachers have to be very careful about what they recommend in our super-sensitive society.

[silentC]

Also, I would say that most of the videos weren't zoomed in shots.

Never watched it then?

teachers have to be very careful about what they recommend in our super-sensitive society

Therein lies the problem, I think. How did we get so sensitive? Are we going to return to the old days with the 'birds and the bees'?

[CameronPotter]

Never watched it then?

Nope, but by the sounds of things I might start!

We got to be so sensitive because we got to be so litigious and developed a victim mentality. Thus, if something happens that can be construed wrong, it usually is... :mad:

Don't get me started!

[Carry Pine]

Guys, don't get me wrong here. I'm not advocating changing the forum- I responded to a poll!
I enjoy the forum and get a lot from it but I do make the observation that I cannot refer students to the site for the above reasons.
I have noticed a number of high school students asking for advice lately. That's different. They have found the forum and are genuinely in need of help. If they go looking in other threads or get help from someone with a dodgy avatar, that is no reflection on their teacher.

[Waldo]

G'day Carry,

Surely your not suggesting that some of the avitars are pornographic or that because someone has an avitar with boobs that this is a reflection on that person and to the help that they may be able to give through their experience? :eek:

[CameronPotter]

I think he is more saying that he doesn't want to be the teacher to refer the students to a site with bouncing mammaries.

More to do with how it might be perceived than anything is my guess. If the students found it all by themselves, well that would be another matter!