The community decided over several years that April 1 jokes are not appropriate... With that in mind, I have already moved one to the Railfan board on this site...

Thanks, Randy

Bless you.
I got sick of these years ago.

Hi,

Sorry, I was intending to post it on railfanning. The confusion I get sometimes from the brain tumor removal was with me last night.

Doug vV

For those who have a sense of humor:

https://www.facebook.com/Fireup611/vide ... 324953578/

We did, or you did unilaterally?

Let us not forget that CONRAIL Commenced operations 41 years ago today!

Mr. Starr

As did Michigan Northern Railway and Hillsdale County Railroad, both in Michigan on ex-Penn Central trackage.
Alex Huff

I hate the stupid April first post. I get constantly criticized for my spelling on this board because certain prolific posters here seem to use it as a way to improve their self importance. When April 1 shows up they want to write a totally factious story that will live in the internet world for ever and someone searching latter will not know that the story was a creation of a persons imagination. The name deep throat has a certain meaning for those who study politics or are of a certain age range. Yet without understanding history younger generations would not understand the social meaning of the name.
If we are going to promote getting new people into performing rail preservation we have to treat them with respect. Misleading and criticizing people for stupid in consequential reasons will only, and if you read past post already has caused people to not only leave this site but certain organizations. When they leave we not only loose them but their insight and contributions.
for the record the moderators are responding to complaints of several people who found the April Fools day stupidity to stop. Please look at this thread as an example.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=37867&hilit=April+fools+day

Robby Peartree

We did. If you'd take the time to search, it's been a topic of conversation as long as I've been on this board.

Russell,

I did and I never found a definitive answer. Yes, it's been a topic of discussion. Some love it, others hate it. Perhaps, since you took the time to write the snide comment, you could point me to the exact thread where it was decreed and decided to no longer allow these posts.

Perhaps it's for the best that we no longer allow the jokes on the main page. The readers would get equally comedic and incompetent organizations, like ASR, mixed up with the actual attempts at humor.

Your smug holier-than-though condescension is such a wonderful contribution, even on April 1, to what used to be a really great board to follow, Dave. Congratulations for continuing to find new lows.

Rob Gardner

So you counter a post you claim is smug and "holier than thou" with a smug and holier than thou post?

I figure, given ASR's myriad of legal problems, you all would be quieter online. Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house Rob

To correct a few misapprehensions that seem to be becoming commonplace:

1. This is NOT a "community". It never has been, and probably never will be. The "community model" of forum management fails near universally and quite reliably. The "community model" implies that the people who come here, somehow acquire authority to set policy for the people who provide this service. They don't.

2. Policy isn't set by the "alpha males" or anyone other than those who hold the "keys to the kingdom" (the administrator passwords).

3. No one requires you to come here. RyPN is precisely what it is. If you went to a store and didn't like the customer service, the merchandise, or the prices, you wouldn't come back. You wouldn't harrangue (sp?) the shopkeeper to change his store to suit you. If you don't like the way RyPN is run, perhaps you should consider doing one of two things:

• You could go in search of a forum that better meets your intellectual and emotional needs
• Failing that, you could start your very own phpBB based forum system to compete with RyPN and attract or repel visitors in any way you deem fit.

If you should decide upon the second option please feel free to contact me in a PM and I will joyfully and with great patience lead you through the process of creating your very own forum, step by step. It isn't even particularly expsensive.

Doug,

1. If this isn't a community, then you need to talk to your fellow moderator, it doesn't seem like you are on the same page. He is the one who implied that the community sets norms. Which is it? Then again, that's a lot of the problem.

2. This forum is a lot like the Wal-Mart in my hometown. It's become the only option. There is no longer a local shopkeeper to harass.

3. If you no longer want me to participate here, you can always ban me. You refuse to ban people who threaten to sue you over posts they don't like, so I doubt you will. But I'm willing to be surprised.

4. You telling me to start my own forum is a lot like you telling the people in small town America to start their own big box store to compete with Wal-Mart. It's pretty disengebous.