This thread is really grating.
I don't post here a whole lot, and it's because of posts exactly like the posts in this thread. I do chase (This was my group's first season, and we had little success.), and I do know what's going on when we're chasing (We don't just drive a car to a storm and not know the structure of the storm and what's happening.). However, I am far from all-knowing when it comes to forecasting severe weather, and I do not know as much as many of you all do. I am continuing to study the weather (I received Tim's Red Book for my birthday a couple days ago, and I'm going to get the Storm Chasing Handbook and the Weather Forecasting Handbook for Christmas.) with hopes of going to OU in a couple years. I do not post a lot in forecast or NOW threads because of what's being displayed here; a highly elitist angle that many members here share. There's been many a time where I have started to post something but stopped for fear that a certain poster or two would demeaningly correct me because I make mistakes. That's right, I'm human and I make mistakes. Stop the presses!
Now, as for the essay, I have a biased view against it. Back when I joined Stormtrack (I registered back in January.), the essay was still a requirement. I had followed the rules in my registration, which included filling out the essay. I waited over four long weeks before asking another member here, who shall remain anonymous, about where I should go to find out whether or not I had been accepted or if I was still being considered. He told me to address my concerns to a certain moderator, and I promptly did that. The response I received was along the lines of, "Well, we didn't accept you at first, but now that you emailed, we'll let you in." I found the fact that I had been rejected without any response whatsoever from any staff here at the board to be incredibly rude. At the very least, a short response explaining why I had not been accepted should have been in order.
With regards to grammatical mistakes, they happen. We all make them; yes, that includes those of you all who think you have perfect grammar skills. When in a more informal setting, I occasionally correct posters in public, especially if we are in the middle of a dispute. However, if you all truly want this board to be held to a high quality, then you need to inform people behind the scenes that they need to correct a mistake or work on their grammar skills instead of calling them out in public, which is both embarrassing and is a waste of space in threads.
I guess that my thoughts can best be summed up by repeating what many have said; take it private. If you have an issue with someone regarding the quality of their posts, have the guts to inform them of your issues in a one-on-one message first instead of taking the easy way out and correcting them in public. If that does not solve the issue, then report their posts or take your problem to a staff member. However, if you really want to keep a high quality of posts on this board, then you all would be wise to keep this private rather than sullying the board with threads like this that reek of elitism and discourage others from participating, including those who might have something substantial to add from time to time and those trying to learn the ropes.
