You people realize this thread is going to get locked simply because the content has nothing to do with the topic?

I've created an additional forum (in addition to Interchange and Classifieds) and hope to have it added to the menu at the top right shortly. It is tentatively entitled "Railfanning" and is intended to be a mostly unmoderated home for discussions that range away from preservation topics.

I do believe that there should be moderators for the additional forum, to at the least, maintain a modicum of civility. To that end, I am asking David Wilkins and Robert MacDowall if they would be willing to moderate this new forum.

David and Robert, what say you? You'll be able to set policy, direction and content for the new forum?

It's really stupid to visit the same old subjects over and over! After all, nothing ever changes, nothing new is said, and nothing is ever done. They just keep getting beat to death.

Fix the K4!
Save B&LE 643
Find the Quarry Loco
Steam Excursions on the NS
Restore a Big Boy
Restore the 611


They've all been beat to death numerous times around here. Over and over again, enough already! None of that stuff is ever going to happen, so get over it and get on with your serious discussions. There is no need to talk about any of those subjects ever again.

Scratch the last one on your list. Visit http://fireup611.org

Scratch several of them, then Google "Sarcasm". ;)

You forgot to include those futuristic trains in New York State that we're not supposed to mention.

I guess this is what I get for sticking my foot in my mouth. I'll give a go at moderating the new forum.

Interesting....we now have one of the guys who are most inclined to be good gatekeepers on the serious business of railroad preservation and technical matters moderating the foam forum!

What could go wrong with that?

dave

Hmmm. How about if I make him a moderator of this forum as well. Would that create the necessary balance?

If we listen to Robert Heinlein:
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly, moderate /b/*, moderate ElitistJerks.com**, moderate RyPN. Specialization is for insects."
I may have added to it slightly.

The upshot is, a person can wear more than one hat. As long as they are Heinlein-compliant, I don't see any problem with a serious preservationist moderating a railfan forum.

I would say there is considerable value to be found in having a forum for off-topic discussion, because it permits junkposting to be moved rather than deleted, which is less heavy-handed.




* The most permissive forum on the 'net.
** the least permissive forum on the 'net.

Sandy and Superheater need something to do. If I had web chops I'd share in the job.

dave

How 'bout this... Just make EVERYBODY a moderator. Then we can all just lock each others threads, and the foam factor will drop to zero.

So will the posts. Every time someone disagrees or gets bored with any thread, bam, it dies right there...

If we all moderated ourselves, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

dave

Good God, now he's brought prayer into it!!!