Rapidly Declining Quality on Storm Track

[Robert Dewey]

Has the elusive F5 finally struck ST?

I know this thread will probably end up in a flame war, but here goes. I've noticed the quality of posts on ST have been declining pretty fast. For starters, people are using absolutely horrible grammar. I'm not talking about your random spelling mistake, I'm talking about no caps, no periods, no commas, no paragraphs, and posts that seem to have more mispelled words than correctly spelled words. That's on top of posts that seem to make little sense (bots?).

There also seems to be an influx of people who can't (and won't) follow the rules for the Forecast room. I see alot of people being repeatedly "warned" by mods, but nothing changes - the user(s) continue on. I'm not against "newbies" signing up for ST, but at least make sure you know some good grammar before jumping in. And PLEASE follow the Forecast forum rules. This means; don't ask questions, don't repost NWS bulletins, don't get off topic, etc.. Read the rules as required - it's all right there, nicely organized at the top of each forum.

Has something changed with the registration process? Are users no longer required to complete a short essay describing themselves (and their met background) before being "accepted"? I just feel like we're at the point in quality where we'll start seeing user handles like "MrWxGuy" and "ImTehBest".

I don't feel like the problem is coming from the Bar and Grill, rather it seems to be unfolding in ALL of the forums here on ST. I really hope the quality issue can be resolved...

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

Not sure as I have not been a member enough years to see and determine how the board normally responds to the off season (I have been here long enough that I had to complete the essay when I signed up), however I think the decline in quality posts maybe attributed to the time of year combined with a slow 06 season. Perhaps some (not all as there are still many active) of the true hardcore chasers are dormit this time of year and or careless about the quality of posts here. I am guessing as the chase season nears the quality of post will return to a higer standard. Another theroy is the decline in a quality board is driving away quality members and means ddomsday for the board; not likely.

 

[Scott Olson]

Tim rescinded the essay requirement when we made the switch over to VBulletin.

 

[B Ozanne]

It must be something, because I was thinking the same thing.

It seems like there is a lack of quality new threads....almost like there is nothing to talk about.

I also get the feeling like I want to become way less active here. It's becoming a major time burglar.

 

[Dan Cook]

Tim rescinded the essay requirement when we made the switch over to VBulletin.

Maybe we should bring that back.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

It must be something, because I was thinking the same thing.

It seems like there is a lack of quality new threads....almost like there is nothing to talk about.

I also get the feeling like I want to become way less active here. It's becoming a major time burglar.

A thread similar to this one seems to come up every winter (no offense Rob!). I think the lack of storms means that there are some dubious discussions to "fill the time". In a few months, when the severe convective threat returns to the US, we will see (if past trends hold) a turn-around in the quality and subject of most the threads and posts on the forum.

As far as I know, we're enforcing the Chase Forecast and Chase Reports forums as strictly as we always have. There are a few marginal posts in some DISC threads, but that's partially why we made the DISC thread (as a more relaxed place to discuss the event, post pictures and webpages from media, etc). If you have concerns about particular posts, please use the "Report Post" feature (the icon that looks like a yield roadsign), and the moderators will take action (or discuss the post and not take action) as quickly as possible. The moderators are doing what we can to maintain a high-quality forum, while also helping to keep it friendly and accessible. That said, again, we certainly appreciate feedback, so there is nothing wrong with threads like this!

As Scott noted previously, the essay requirement has been removed, and new members do not need to be approved by the moderating team.

 

[Terrence Cook]

Well, I have to admit that I feel like an idiot for posting in this since I am not a long time member and don't have many posts. But when I do post I make sure that it is worthy of being on here and not going to be a waste of someones time to read it.
An example of "maturity" on this board for me is that I do not post in the Forecasts thread because I cannot forecast anything near the quality that most of the veteran members regularly exhibit. Circumstances and gained knowledge will change that some day, but until then I will probably stick to Reports and casual weather disc.

Then again '07 will be my first year of chasing West of the Mississippi River, perhaps then I will have more confidence in Forecasting for the years to come. Otherwise, I absolutely love this forum and look forward to meeting other members in the field this coming Spring!

PS: I would agree that the short essay is PERFECT for keeping the forum proffesional in appearance and purpose. If possible, perhaps it should be re-instated.

Regardless, I will always want to contribute to this forum when I am chasing ... or discovering unique/interesting information.

 

[Jason Boggs]

What is the reason for removing the essay from the forum anyway? I suppose it took too much time to read them all and get them approved. I believe that it might be in the best interest of this forum to acquire some sort of "credentials" to become a member.

 

[Matthew Havin]

u guys are just a bunch of stupid eltitists !! just because us new people r getting on this board u want to kick us out!! grrr i dont like this at all because I just spent $4000 on storm chaser decals for my car and now you want people like me off just because I am new and one of teh best chasers here I know I have only chased for 6 months but dont condemn me!!! if I keep hereing this crap I am starting my own board with my own chaser posse! yeah I am sick of how the rest of you water down this board if everyne posted like me then we woldnt have thsese problems

Welcome to winter. Yes, a tightening of standards would be nice, but on the other hand I think boredom has kicked in with most of us. We can only post on the same 2 dozen revolving questions such as cell phone coverage post, best ham radio, Jotto desk question, favorite chase restaurants, etc. before our minds melt into butter. My recommendation? Go where all the other bored people are: FARK.COM.

 

[Karen Politte]

alot ...

Rob that's not a word.

As an aside - I feel your pain, agree wholeheartedly, etc. etc. But I've been striving for a grammatically-correct ST population since man invented the wheel......and it's not going to happen. More's the pity.

I am sure that - with the application essay and prove-your-worth mentality having been lifted from ST membership applications - any old jock can and will apply to be a member - and will be approved. Unfortunately for ST - this lowers the signal to noise ratio, lowers the quality of posts - and makes me shake my head when I read every third or fourth post which has no caps, all caps, bad grammar, incorrect spelling......well the list could go on. Personally - it is spoiling ST for me. But I am just one.

KL

 

[PeteMcConnell]

Is there a spellcheck feature that can be implemented? I know this won't solve grammar issues but it's a start.

 

[Scott Taylor]

Rob that's not a word.

You forgot to place a comma after "Rob".

 

[Edward Ballou]

You also have to remember that it is off-season. That does have a lot of implications too. I don't see a drop in quality other than possibly some marketers who just want to get their name in who may not be chasers/weather enthusiasts themselves. We just need to remember it's T-4 months till chase season starts back up.

 

[Scott Taylor]

Is there a spellcheck feature that can be implemented? I know this won't solve grammar issues but it's a start.

I've seen forum software before that has a spell check option. I doubt you will find any that would perform real-time spelling checks, due to a number of reasons, one being unnecessary overhead for the host server. But even if there was a spell-check button here on ST, you would have to hope the guy/gal that was too lazy to spell properly was not too lazy to hit the check button. Not likely, IMO.

Scott

 

[joel ewing]

Hi all!
Well, I can attest to the fact that this subject will get somebody flamed. About two years ago, I brought up the very same subject, and man, the poop hit the fan. I was violently flamed immediately. It was water off a duck's back to me, but I learned really quickly that nobody wanted to be held accountable about their spelling or content. I came away thinking that I was just being a conservative old foggy, and I'd better get used to the sloppy postings.
And regarding the most recent boring posts in S.T., yeah, it's just wintertime. It's like this every year.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all. Joel