| Railway Preservation News http://www.rypn.org/forums/ |
|
| Sayanara http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42191 |
Page 1 of 1 |
| Author: | superheater [ Thu Jul 05, 2018 11:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Sayanara |
A Message from Counselor Wilkins: Back in 1999, as a freshman in college I joined RYPN and was amazed at the resources available. It was a place where people in the railway preservation industry who mattered, were able to share information. Several years later, after a user threatened to personally sue RYPN’s moderators, the form essentially died. Since then, it’s been like a loved relative on life support. One can’t stand to pull the plug, but has really good memories of the past, and occasional flashes of brilliance. Today, RYPN is a far cry of what it used to be. The threats about ITM are a prime example. Today, the people who matter in this industry have found other ways to share information. After years of uneven moderation, full of double standards, I have finally been banned, because people apparently cannot handle my clarity. I would like to wish all my interlocutors over the years a fond farewell, as I have been informed I am personal non grata. I wish all of you the best with all of your projects. I also look forward to establishing a more robust forum of discussion for those who still matter in the industry, an alt-RYPN if you will. |
|
| Author: | Alexander D. Mitchell IV [ Fri Jul 06, 2018 1:01 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Sayanara |
I'm not stepping into the dispute here.............. ............. except The Editor in me points out the word is spelled "sayonara" . . . |
|
| Author: | softwerkslex [ Fri Jul 06, 2018 3:03 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Sayanara |
“Alt-RYPN” maybe was not the best choice of words and does not have a positive connotation. |
|
| Author: | Jack Powell [ Fri Jul 06, 2018 6:09 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Sayanara |
[quote="softwerkslex"]“Alt-RYPN” maybe was not the best choice of words and does not have a positive connotation.[/quote] Neither does "snowflake" or (likewise depending on your politics) "Me Too", but such adjectives/qualifiers come to mind when reading that "a RYPN user has reported you to me" on "two seperate days", "and then a Facebook message from a third person complaining about your comments." This is very bad, because "RYPN has become a good place to discuss rail preservation again." The full text of Moderator Rowlands' message to (departed) Brother Wilkins may be read at https://www.facebook.com/rypndeleted/ , the RYPN Deleted Posts Facebook page, on which a screenshot of it is posted. (Presumably by having done so, David waives any expectation of privacy, before anyone complains about that also.) In that screen-shot message, said Moderator laments "So you tell me. What should I do? And what can you do to help solve this problem?" Unfortunately, the only "problem" here seems to be a couple of complaining thin-skinned RYPN users who would rather persist in incorrect yet comfortable versions of reality, than to be confronted with the truth of a matter (be it a legal truth, or some other flavor). Apaprently, there are those among us who must be coddled and catered to, lest RYPN not be perceived as a "safe space." (Next step, trophies for all ?) How sad that while no rational reader takes offence when, for example, a leading steam tourist railroad mechanical officer makes statements of metaphysical certitude concerning, say, PRR Belpaire crown thickness requirements, and self-evident charlatans of steam mistruth are banned from RYPN (see a certain 2-8-0 in New Hampshire), the legal analysis of a bar-admitted professional is deemed offensive, while the wishful-thinking anti-legal prognostications of a non-attorney are defended. Perhaps the RYPN takeaway on this is that whenever your own organization is in legal jeopardy, feel free to ignore the competent legal knowledge of someone qualified to dispense it, and stick up for the right of a nonprofessional to spew his own imagined versions of law, because sugarcoated incompetence (i.e., "without legal qualification to act") tastes better. Or, defending the right of a purveyor of such nonsense to offer false hope (and false blame upon a municipal landowner) is what makes RYPN "a good place to discuss rail preservation again." |
|
| Author: | softwerkslex [ Fri Jul 06, 2018 6:57 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Sayanara |
It saddens me to learn of various persons leaving RYPN and related unhappiness. The events seem unnecessary to me. It is my opinion that some writing (posts) could be rephrased or better written to as to not offend without removing the valuable content. It is not fair to the moderators and others that they are made to feel unappreciated or criticized for trying to maintain a fair, polite, and welcoming environment. I think the current ITM thread is the "hot topic" of the week. I am thankful for RYPN because I learned about this event here first, and in more detail, than any other source that is convenient to me. I feel quite informed from so far away. I do think some posts could have been rephrased to express the same content and opinions without being mean spirited, but many posts did in fact contain interesting facts or expressions of opinion, including some that I think could have been written better. I also try to keep my writing fair without holding back my opinion. |
|
| Author: | Rick Rowlands [ Fri Jul 06, 2018 8:21 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Sayanara |
I had hoped to be able to resolve this matter with Mr. Wilkins without taking this action, but instead of receiving a reply acknowledging the problem and offering suggestions as to how to resolve it, I was instead treated to a barrage of attacks. Over the past few months, several individual users have contacted me either via RYPN, private message, Facebook or in person, all with similar complaints against Mr. Wilkins. It shows a pattern of behavior that is not healthy to this forum. So in the interests of fostering greater civility and nurturing a professional atmosphere, I had to take action. I would rather have not had to do this. I would rather come home in the evenings and not find reported posts and private messages about something going awry on RYPN. I would rather not meet people in person who say that they won't participate here because of the drama. Now lets get back to the topic of this forum. |
|
| Page 1 of 1 | All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ] |
| Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/ |
|