I still consider myself a Newbie but I would like to see a 3rd gen Tech section - Only technical questions no BS allowed

 

I know that I have been literally embarrassed for some people, thinking "My God, how could he post THAT?" and waiting for the flames to come, but all too often a whole herd of similarly minded folks would jump on the thread with equal abandon!

Perhaps I am just getting stodgy in my old age, but pointless, inane posts littered with improper grammar and spelling that all too often dwindle into meaningless one-upmanship accomplish nothing but taking up bandwith.

Unfortunately it is hard to have an open forum and not have this sort of stuff.

 

I think that's why they dont make me a super mod. I use to be REALLY ruthless

 

Oh yeah that's all we need - another mod who doesn't even DRIVE an rx-7

-pete

 

Maybe a prerequisite of being a mod is having a Rotary powered Mazda vehicle

 

I can't believe I read this whole thread! To seperate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, why not have members answer a relatively simple technical question to gain more access / rights on the forum every month? Like what is on page F-7 of the workshop manual to gain thread starting rights in the 3rd gen. section? Anyone who puts in a little effort can find this. What is the 5th digit of your VIN number? Things like that. Have your membership level below your name. It would be complicated to set up, I think, but with the right questions from member suggestions it might be a little fun even. Leave the regional forums and the lounge alone, cause people can go there to chat with their friends.

 

i dont know about a question test... i know of a few handfulls of people that could keep a section like this interesting. and some of the newbies can learn a lot.

newbies to the board but not in real life as flybye said, and i touched on earlier can prove themselfs in the general sections just like the ones who would be "invited" in.

and YES the process for "picking" must be FAIR

the section would not limit the users allowed in to ONLY post in this section, they would reply to a general section just as they would if there were no "special" section. they just may be able to see a thread with some legitimate help needed, not a thread about "damn.... the oil filter is in a bad spot" . they would not respond anyway.

i like the idea of people being able to view the section but not post until they are ready. training wheels work great, and maybe can help out here. they can see and read and maybe even retain the info they have read. and maybe even be able to help someone else out.

and i agree that there needs to be some moderating in this section. the current mods are never doing anything on here. (no offence guys)

i know nothing will come of this, i dont even know why i brought it up. ( the other section)

 

I agree. I don't know about a question test either. It would be hard to setup/grade and I'm not sure how much it would prove other than you can use the search function, you know how to search a mazda manual or you can search the net.

I know there are alot of people who don't post in the 3rd gen sections and stay more in the other sections of the forum that do come to the 3rd gen forum every so often and help someone out or post some good info. For instance I've seen a couple of the guys that hang out mainly in the single turbo forum browsing this forum every so often. So I'd hate to see someone who doesn't neccasarily have a FD but none the less has good knowledge not answer a question in this "special" section because they don't know what page F-7 of the Mazda manual reads.

Also as you said I think the requirements for being allowed to post in this "special" forum if there ever is one should be as clean cut evenly across the board as you can get. Meaning no blurry lines.

 

Jim Lab I am dying to see this list you have.\

I get frustrated with the boards in most forums because simply you get alot of chat and not much info.

Damn sorry I just contributed to the problem .. SHOCKING!

 

Aint that the truth!

 

We do need to solve some of this BS on the forum. Take a look at the 3rd Gen Archive. The last thread was back in Feb. That is not good!
If we would keep on top of moving the more informative threads in there, that would be a great place for newbies.

Jason

 

some of us mods who would like to frequent this section and help are not able and get tired of asking the men in tights to move the BS so we just pretend we dont see it

Jason, maybe the archive section is not the answer. maybe this idea is not either. but if the place is "not allowed" to users, it is my belief that they WILL WANT TO LOOK IN THERE. i could be totaly wrong though.

tinfan is not going to be invited anytime soon if there ever is another section. guarentee there are at least 50 threads with the exact same title, and the same answers.

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...hreadid=126691

 

Interesting.

We will discuss some various options, but unfortunatly, I do not believe "locking" the forum down to specific users is the answer.

As it stands now, any time our moderation staff moves a thread or closes it down, 800 people scream "Moderator ****". And if you look back at it all, these threads which were being moved/closed (most anyways) were these issues in which you are speaking of.

There is an old saying (which everyone knows) "you cant have your cake, and eat it too".. But what if you only eat part of it?

Thats where we will be looking for various options. Just remember, "Moderator ****" or "Stupid Posts". You will get either if the userbase does not change. Moderation can only handle things so far.

Let us ponder.

Mike

 

mike i'm glad you saw this too....

 

I hope i'm not on your list of idiots.

 

This happens when an insufficient explanation of the action is given.

You want people not to bitch? We have to tell them WHY we did it and for WHAT purpose. If it was a violation of some sort which is clearly written in the rules, then an easy paste of the link is always enough to shut anyone up. If it's a thread with content usefull for entertainment purposes only, then off to the lounge it goes with "This thread holds no important information sutable for repairing and/or moding a vehicle. It is an "entertainment only" thread.

You have to understand... a lot of people are like children. You need to explain to them WHY something was done and for what purpose. If someone closes a thread with no explanation, of COURSE someone is going to bitch.

Now how do we solve the problem of commonsense....

 

Why bother the moderators? If you see an obviously inappropriate thread, just reply to it and let them know. They don't exactly have to be flamed, just prodded. If that happens enough, they should eventually get the picture.
I don't contribute much, but I do lurk and absorb...and it is getting harder to wade.....

 

wow teddy, i though i would be the first to write that

 

Requiring ownership of a rotary powered vehicle in order to post is a bad idea. There are individuals who have previously owned a rotary powered vehicle that have a wealth of information to share. There are individuals who have never owned a RX-7, but are also a wealth of information.

This also applies to the "quiz" that was mentioned. If a member of this forum sold his RX-7 (and gave the new owner his FSM), then what is to happen now? That forum member can not post anymore (because they don't have the VIN nor FSM any longer)? Also, you're requiring a RX-7 to have a FSM.

I think the moderators should just step in and move threads when necessary. I know that when Mr. Belvi moves a thread, he normally leaves a one lined sentence stating why it was moved. I have absolutely no problem w/ moderators moving threads.

I still think my "chassis indicator" idea is a good one. If people are forced to pick one, then it will also help when searching.

Dividing the 3rd gen area into multiple sections (lounge, tech, etc.) is not a solution. There is a lounge on this forum for a reason. And to create a seperate lounge area just adds another garbage area to this large forum.

A variation of a "chassis indicator" idea is this. We can seperate the 3rd gen area to multiple areas. Like this:

3rd gen Area
- Wheels
- Suspension section
- Turbo
- Exterior
- Interior
- Engine related
- Electrical
- Maintenance

Repeat w/ 2nd gen area, etc.

A post would be made under a specific category. A problem w/ this setup would be the fact that it would lengthen the current page setup. It will eliminate the current Wheels, Interior/Exterior, etc...sort of forums, but at least it will be chassis specific. It would in a sense, force members to classify their problem or question.

Quite honestly, we have to force members to classify their problem. That is the ONLY way to limit the garbage and it will also help w/ the search feature in the process.

I just hate the cosmetic opinionated questions. Those are the ones that bug me the most. It is not the ones in regards to fitment, but rather what you think about how it will look on an RX-7 (Mazdaspeed vs. C-West for example...which there is a post in the Interior/Exterior section right now).

Also, be specific about the problem in the "Subject" area. I can't stand seeing the "Help me..." type of subject headings w/ no indication to what the problem is.

I think we should ALL refuse to reply to a "Help me..." type of subject heading. Only reply to a post where the subject contains an indication to what the problem is. Again, this comes down to forcing a member to classify their post.

BTW, there is a post in the Suggestions area entitled "sss". WTF does "sss" indicate? This is a huge waste of bandwidth because more people have to click on the post then what may be necessary to resolve the problem. A warning should be given for crappy subject headings which are not indicative of the problem.

 

TTT has observed that over time the quality of the posts and threads on the FD Forum has gone "down hill".

I believe that the quality of the threads and posts has a direct correlation to the people attracted to the FD at any point in time. Each person's posts gives others a glimpse of their priorities, level of expertise, knowledge, abilities, maturity, communication skills, etc. I believe that it's just that simple, and this is not a criticism of anyone.

I believe that the problem comes when the "majority" of the posts and threads are of the low quality type and that is what has been happening with the FD forum for some time.

However, I cannot endorse "censorship", or "must be qualified to participate" of any kind! My hope is that we are going through a "cycle" with the FD and that things will improve as this cycle ends and we move into the next cycle.

 

This forum has apparently over time become the preferred hang out for teenagers with net connections, poorly developed social skills, and way too much free time on their hands. While the forum should be open to anyone who has an interest, it's unfortunately become a big chat board for several people who don't have an interest, don't particularly care about RX-7s, and are just here to "socialize" and kill time. If it were limited to the lounge, that would be one thing, but it spills over into other forums like 3rd gen. specific, and post quality suffers as a result.

They don't care about the forum, aren't here to make a contribution or help anyone else, and aren't here for information for themselves, so what are they doing? One poses as a self-styled expert on body kit quality, and he'll be more than happy to give you his opinions on which FMIC is best for your FD... even though he's never owned an FD, or an intercooler, for that matter.

Maybe the answer isn't restricting everyone, but restricting the few who demonstrate that they're only here for one purpose. If someone's only purpose for being here is self-amusement and killing time, then they should be "locked out" of anything but the lounge, which is where they belong anyway. Let them post in the lounge, if no one wants to bar them from the forum altogether, and lock them out of posting in areas like 3rd Gen. Specific, or whatever.

Post count doesn't really tell you anything, and I've made the mistake of assuming that someone with a low post count was a true newbie on a couple occasions myself. Some forums have peer voting to rank a member's quality of contribution. Not voting on the threads, but voting on the individuals themselves. Their ranking is dependent on community opinion of them. Of course, something like that could be abused just as easily. Even if we logged the hours they spent on the forum, it wouldn't tell us anything we didn't already know. Some people literally live here, and many of them aren't part of the problem.

The only way to clean up areas like 3rd Gen. Specific, unfortunately, is with more moderator intervention. Take a look at the Advanced Tech forum on CamaroZ28.com (www.camaross.com/forums). They have to constantly "swab out" the lo-tech posts like "which headers are best" because the ratio of answers to posts is much higher in Advanced Tech. People post in LT1 Tech and it scrolls off the front page faster than you can blink because of all the "which are the best headers" posts. But Advanced Tech is policed very well, and it is not uncommon to see multiple threads moved in a single day. They also post WHY they are moving the threads, and looking like a dipshit who can't read the rules usually has the effect of keeping that poster from doing it again.

Basically the post quality is low because we've got a bunch of bored kids who will post anything for a little attention, and not just in the lounge. The recent poll in 3rd Gen. Specific on "What kind of hotties does your FD pull" is a shining example. Maybe the definition of this forum is too broad. Maybe 3rd Gen. Specific meant "anything about an FD" to that person. Maybe it should be 3rd Gen. Tech. Move the wheel and body kit posts to the forums dedicated to them, and toss out anything that isn't 3rd Gen. Tech.

That or give a few people a well-deserved vacation from the forum to serve as a wake up call that being here is a privilege, not a right...

 

a sign of maturity is also not passing judgement on another person...who are you (noone in particular) to do that?
There are something called titles to each of the threads posted..if you dont like the topic dont open it. In addition if you find that memebr "X" posts alot of crap just ignore him...
This is a forum.. a place where many different type of people will come to discuss "stuff". People will have different levels of education and maturity...this is how the world is so get used to it.

The point is i guess to take advice with a grain of salt just like you would at any other place. There maybe some professionals here on a given topic but most arent. I would also like to add that just cause someone paid dave @ kd to built a race car doesnt mean that person knows anything either.

 

While ignoring is an option, ultimately it costs money for the extra bandwidth. Bandwidth that is paid by the owner(s) of this forum. Also, if everyone was ignoring what the other individuals are posting, we will end up w/ more crap on this forum. When searching, we will end up w/ more useless posts than useful ones.

Policing is one useful way to remedy the situation. It is not the only way, but it will help solve some of the problem.

 

i couldnt agree more. as of latelty the moderation in this section has SUCKED. nobody watches it that is supposed to. i have been asking to be able to "man" this section, and even when i ask another super mod or admin. to move a thread, they say to leave it.
i am now a mod for this section so i can move some threads. but i still have to listen to what the big bosses say.
they want it to be basicly a 3rd gen lounge. i dont know if they want it that way because of what it has turned into and may be a little hard to change it back, or if that was the purpose of this section.
the "archives" section was created. maybe the mods are supposed to let this be a lounge, but move the "every once in a while great thread" into this section.
some clarification needs to be made by the administrators.
i am all about moving the BS out of here, but i cant if this is supposed to be a lounge.
today i moved a thread about a 18year old asking about speeding tickets? was he serious? is it 3rd gen related because he was driving a 3rd gen?

 

While i agree that some policing is necessary...it is not going to correct the problem completely. The forum is fine the way it is.