I think there are two issues here. The first is whether informed comments from those not in the field, or nowcasting for particular teams in the field, should be allowed in the Forecast & Nowcast area. The second is whether or to what degree chaser location and movement information should be allowed.
Since a particular post has been put forward as an example, I must defend it, though this post should not be judged as any more perfect and to the point than many I read all the time in the F & N area. Leaving aside the location and movement chatter for a moment, the meteorological content of this post was absolutely current and I think rather inciteful. I believe it holds its own among most of the other posts from so-called "nowcasters".
As far as "virtual chasing" or "nowcasting" is concerned, I think these are the substantive, as opposed to stylistic points:
Posts should clearly identify whether they are being made by someone in the field or in an office. This is I believe a legitimate safety issue, lest field chasers misconstrue a virtual observation as ground-truth. There are all too many posts like, "Good cell going up near X", without further clarification.
Members not in the field should minimize their posting to F & N once field teams are onto and pursuing storms.
Chasing and the forecasting/nowcasting that facilitates it are a combination of a thought process applied to data, subject to the realities of time and distance management.
A number of members, including me, enjoy the "chase cases" that have been put up now and then, and have expressed the desire to have more. I personally suggested awhile back that real-time supplies the best chase case scenarios without needing the hands-on formatting and management that go along with archived chase cases. I put out the idea of adding a CASE: mm/dd/yy thread with separate, perhaps somewhat looser rules, for all posts that do not represent contributions from field chasers and bona fide nowcasters for teams currently in the field. This should take care of the virtual chase controversy, damp the noise in the F & N area, and provide a worthwhile source of continuing education and information.
That said, if there is too much "non-informative" content as the mods define it, it should be dealt with, and I would support that wholeheartedly.
