Opinion poll that might stop some arguing

[Oleg]

I'm fed up with reading about whether James M is right or wrong to change every thread to a political outburst and so many have suggested a poll so here it is.

[Javelin Sam]

Talk about drop a hint....

[WALDORF]

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM both the above names are administrators for the javelin club..listen guys when you grow up you will realise political threads run through everything we do in life.

If you not like politics stay off that section of it , otherwise you will get 20 new members on your little patch pulling everything apart which you spout about.

If you both used all your intelligence and thought carefully about what James post, you will learn a great deal?

This new forum style has suddenly attracted a host of new posters , who suddenly turn on James HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM./

Another witch hunt me thinks..we have already lost two esteemed coaches Brian Parkes and Frank Plunkett who have been banned for their honest opinions.

[Jon Mulkeen]

If you not like politics stay off that section of it

Methinks you should listen to your own advice - if you do not like to post anything other than political ramblings, then don't hi-jack other non-political threads. It's not that difficult a concept.

This new forum style has suddenly attracted a host of new posters, who suddenly turn on James

From what I can see, it's not that they don't like James. It's just that they don't want their discussions to be interrupted with things like this and this.

Both of you are on very thin ice. Posting on here is a privilege, not a right, and we can take that away from you before you can say 'modernisation'. If either of you had any sense, you'll stop with the hi-jacking, stop kicking up a fuss and act like good little boys. Now, run along...

[WALDORF]

Both of you are on very thin ice. Posting on here is a privilege, not a right, and we can take that away from you before you can say 'modernisation'. If either of you had any sense, you'll stop with the hi-jacking, stop kicking up a fuss and act like good little boys. Now, run along...

This sort of response is very unproffesional Jon...coming from a moderator of such a supposed to be most respected magazine, are you simply trying to get us to respond through your patronising statement, so you can ban us ?

Which creates a new question of who moderates the moderator!

I will stick to the political section as long as others stick to their section and never the twain shall meet..

This is so much like being back at school

[Jon Mulkeen]

Jon... do not know his real name

That is my real name. I'm not the one hiding behind an alias, unlike some people without any cojones...

are you simply trying to get us to respond through your patronising statement, so you can ban us ?

No, we are simply VERY near the end of our tether with some of you.

I will stick to the political section as long as others stick to their section and never the twain shall meet..

That's all we ask...

[Oleg]

Once again Broadsword, this is a thread about something completely different to what you start ranting on about.

I have made it no secret as to who I am, I've even provided my email address so if you want to have a go at me do so through that and not in a forum relating to something completely different. I asked a simple question because people had suggested to run a poll of this nature. Me being from thejavelinclub has no relevance whatsoever. If you are so right then results will show that to be.

I don't need to grow up, you don't know me and have no right to say that. I have asked for an opinion here, not stated one way or the other what is right or wrong. Jon has tried to help you by giving you a section to write political messages in the relevant threads but has it helped? Broadsword who?

[chucker]

I thought this was a forum so that people can post opions and write comments,if people can't take the replys and get upset then don't post on the site.This is a free world and everyone has different opions.To me it seems that the site and some of the members what everyone on here to think like them.Well in a million years thats not going to happen.Going around saying you will ban people seem very silly to me.All you will be doing by banning people is stopping there freedom of speach.Come on peolpe we are all adults at the end on the day.

[XCrunner]

Both of you are on very thin ice. Posting on here is a privilege, not a right, and we can take that away from you before you can say 'modernisation'. If either of you had any sense, you'll stop with the hi-jacking, stop kicking up a fuss and act like good little boys. Now, run along...

This may be one of the reasons why this forum is dying.

Why should I use this forum when I am concerned that my posting will be censured or deleted?

[Chris]

I look on this forum after the FRA forum. I can't understand why this one hasn't developed to a level of maturity that the FRA one has. Especially as I make far more innane posts on the other and especially as this one is not plagued by the drivel my wife puts on the FRA one.

Come to think of it I think I have answered the question.

[sleady]

I think this forum hasn't matured for a number of reasons, firstly the political battles early on put a lot of people off, and secondly I think it's too big a subject for one forum.

Go to google and search for running forum, or athletics forum. What comes up? Not this forum! Runners World put the work in with the events listings, linked to a discussion thread, race ratings, and on line entries. They put the effort (and cash in) and are getting the results. But it's aimed at a very specific market.

Same with the fellrunner one, it's a specific discipline within the sport so people know that by and large they aren't going to have to wade through posts about sprinting. I've got nothing against sprinting - but I'm not going to spend time reading a forum about it!

http://thecoach-online.co.uk/forum/index.php

Is another example of a forum that just isn't promoted. You have to work it to build it, but on the coach forum why would anyone bother to go back after one visit and how would you find it in the first place?

[XCrunner]

It is also a very difficult forum to use.

The style and layout makes finding information hard.
This is a fault of the application software rather than the administrator.

[Jon Mulkeen]

Both of you are on very thin ice. Posting on here is a privilege, not a right, and we can take that away from you before you can say 'modernisation'. If either of you had any sense, you'll stop with the hi-jacking, stop kicking up a fuss and act like good little boys. Now, run along...

This may be one of the reasons why this forum is dying.

Why should I use this forum when I am concerned that my posting will be censured or deleted?

When, as an admin, you receive emails of complaint about other users' forum posts on a daily basis and get phone calls from outsiders threatening legal action for something that has been posted on a forum (all of this while trying to get a normal weeks' work done), then you know it's time to put a foot down.

I moderate several other forums, including Paula Radcliffe's and you would struggle to find a more friendly forum than that one. As an admin, I'm here to try and make this a better place to visit for EVERYONE - which is why I went to such lengths to split the forum up better so that the political posters wouldn't interfere with those who want to talk about performances and vice versa. If it means that I have to get stern with a few people, then so be it (I've actually received emails saying that I'm not strict enough!).

With that said, the forum seems to have been much calmer over the past week or so and is gradually expanding. As I've been saying all along - just give it a chance (by not ruining things for new posters) and it will grow.

It is also a very difficult forum to use. The style and layout makes finding information hard.

The PHPBB forum software is one of the most common (if not, THEE most common) style formats across the internet. It shouldn't take long to get used to and in time you'll see that most of the features are there to help, not hinder. It's not all that different to most other types of forums.

[kima]

I think this forum hasn't matured for a number of reasons, firstly the political battles early on put a lot of people off, and secondly I think it's too big a subject for one forum.

I agree that the political battles really slowed down any momentum this forum was building in its early days. Jon has rightly and with alot of thought and effort improved the layout of the forum so that the politics can be kept away from other topics . Have at it in there ( within reason as I have a feeling the lawsuit threats must be coming from that forum and not the Off topic one).
As far as the subject being too broad I completely disagree. There are specific forums for javelin, pole vault , fell runners LD running fans and no doubt many other events.
I know there are many of us who find discussion and info on all aspects of the sport interesting and prefer a place where a wide range of topics are presented.

Now please behave yourselves. I don't get to see the WIC and the CWG so I am counting on the fine journalists at AW to come up with top notch issues on these events, with special attention paid to Canadian athletes.

That will keep them plenty busy enough.

[Moebius]

I totally disagree with you. At the conception of this forum the Foster Report was on the front page and its implications which are far reaching into our sport are crucial to its future development be it right or wrong, so the debate, sometimes heated, was necessary and did nothing to stop the growth of this forum, in fact it played a large part in getting it off the ground.

Politics are part and parcel of everyday life and affect all organisations albeit they be for business or pleasure so to stick ones head in the ground and ignore them is folly. The lawsuit/ threats is a misnomer as AW states publically that the views of the posters on here do not represent their own. People in the public arena who have their heads above the parapet should expect some shots aimed at them so no surprises there.

If you want to see lively debate take a look at the Five Live (BBC) site where it attracts all sorts of contoreversial views and is never short of posters who are left to get on with it. That is what forums are about, a place to have your say, but if it is not in agreement with your personal view and you dont like it then hard luck, move on to a post that is.
The polictics section was a good move and should avoid problems but I see that a lot of the dissenters of political arguments now frequent that topic just as much, weird eh? there is plenty of scope for banter now if you prefer to stick to other topics.

[Jon Mulkeen]

so the debate, sometimes heated, was necessary and did nothing to stop the growth of this forum, in fact it played a large part in getting it off the ground.

Yes, the discussion was definitely lively and did attract a small number of politically-minded posters, but it was the way in which they posted that scared potential new members away. They'd litter every section of the forum with political threads and were far from welcoming to the new users.

As I've said before, I have nothing against people talking politics, but there is a place for it. The forum sections have now been shuffled and sorted out, and I think you'll agree that there have been several new members and things have been a lot calmer as a result (the complaints sent to the office are now few and far between!)

[DMulvee]

New poential members may have been scared away by the politics, but the feeling that the editorial content was biased has also led to some people feeling uneasy about posting messages. I have only replied once before to a message in which I criticised the editorial approach on the modernisation issue and I received later a reply, not on the forum but via e-mail from Matthew Fraser Moat. Surely a response via the message board would be more suitable so the chance of replying is available, as well as allowing the board to grow?
As for this board being negative and Paula Radcliffes being positive one has to wonder if this is only because important issues are being raised that people have opinions on. One assumes that most people who leave messages at her website are fans of hers, and so arguments and differences of opinion are far less frequent

[Word Warrior]

GIVEN THE SKILL AND QUALITY AND ACCURATELY SOURCED INFORMATION, AND HIS QUALITY INTERESTING POSTS, SHOULD JAMES BE GIVEN HIS OWN SECTION.

I SUGGEST THIS BECAUSE THE STANDARD, QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF POSTS HAVE BEEN DECLINING SINCE THE UNFAIR AND UNWARRENTED ASSUALT ON HIM!

THIS IS WHAT JAMES WAS CAPABLE OF DOING

[SQUACKEE]

Should someone be able to post on a athletics current events message board, a question about a runner without getting a political rant in response, when that same message board has a entire section for political rants?

If you believe the answer is NO than im not interested in posting here. Jon couldnt be more fair and you talk about free speech?

I personal want you to post nite and day, no sleep, on political messageboards and threads. Maybe build a bloody robot so it can post while you sleep.

But can there be a site for people who want to talk about athletics and only athletics? How would you feel if i spent hours a day invading your damn political threads with my cookie recipes, huh! Hey man its free speech, you really should try my oatmeal raisin!


Ok here is a test for the posters who want to force their political views into every single thread. Ok are you ready... answer the above question without a stupid insult. I would love to read a coherent statement which clearly outlines why i am wrong. You may change my view with your beautiful lodgic or you can simply post a nasty attack. The choice is yours. I will check back later to see how you did. Good day to you sir!

[WALDORF]

This is the off topic site..not current issues!

[sleady]

This is the off topic site..not current issues!
_________________
Amateur Athletics Association. What an accurate representative title?

Like the new sig broadsword! Is that where the phrase "Bunch of amateurs" comes from.

[SQUACKEE]

I re-read my post and i dont believe i said this was the current events thread. If you guys can post politics on the current events thread can i discuss the currents events thread on the off topic. What about freedom of speech dude?

[Javelin Sam]

and like a phoenix from the ashes this poll has risen once more to fuel extra debate...

[Word Warrior]

No Sleady!

Bunches relate to bananas, the only monkeys I know of are all at the UKA

[kima]

damn political threads with my cookie recipes, huh! Hey man its free speech, you really should try my oatmeal raisin!

I'd like the recipe.

[SQUACKEE]

damn political threads with my cookie recipes, huh! Hey man its free speech, you really should try my oatmeal raisin!

I'd like the recipe.

They are devishly good.

[kima]

damn political threads with my cookie recipes, huh! Hey man its free speech, you really should try my oatmeal raisin!

I'd like the recipe.

They are devishly good.

I bet I know the secret ingredient.

(better stop now or we we will be accused of posting inferior posts.

[eldrick]

mojo, dear

i hope you don't currently weigh 300 pounds after testing all those recipes

ps

did someone say something about you or squax posting "inferior" posts ???

sure as hell woud like to know their name !

[SQUACKEE]

damn political threads with my cookie recipes, huh! Hey man its free speech, you really should try my oatmeal raisin!

I'd like the recipe.

They are devishly good.

I bet I know the secret ingredient.

(better stop now or we we will be accused of posting inferior posts.

OK,OK! i will tell you the secret ingredients.... a dollop or 2 or 3...alright a crap load of mashed potatos and a pinch of acid (LSD).

Is crap load 2 words?

[kima]

mojo, dear

i hope you don't currently weigh 300 pounds after testing all those recipes

]

Careful there Eldy- you could be close to the truth there.

Boards just naturally do downhill when the Squackster and I show up.