Quality of posts
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Norfolk
Quality of posts
On a different thread, Fuji Abound wrote
I find myself whole heartedly agreeing, post far less than I used to and have noticed far fewer posts these days from folk whose opinions I respected.
Are FA and I alone and if not what is to be done about the malaise?
In fact (and forgive me if I sound pompous) but I find myself posting less on PPRuNe because of the "quality" of so many more of the threads these days. Is it a worrying indication of the training new pilots are receiving or is it the increased tendency to post wind ups - which are fine only if they are amusing or helpfully provactive rather than just daft.
Are FA and I alone and if not what is to be done about the malaise?
Joined: Dec 2001
Aviation Qualifications: Military
Posts: 1,286
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From: I have no idea but the view's great.
Stik
Afraid that you might be right; two or three years ago I'd spend a good deal of time reading, learning, vicariously soaking up the experience of others.
Recently I've found that I look at the topics, maybe click on one or two - like this one - then wander off elsewhere.
To be honest, I'd thought that it was me but maybe not.
Afraid that you might be right; two or three years ago I'd spend a good deal of time reading, learning, vicariously soaking up the experience of others.
Recently I've found that I look at the topics, maybe click on one or two - like this one - then wander off elsewhere.
To be honest, I'd thought that it was me but maybe not.
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 13,787
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From: EuroGA.org
I haven't been on here for long enough (believe it or not!) but I do vaguely recall this place being (a) a lot busier, and (b) a lot more full of aggressive idiots. Both seem to have largely departed.
Where have they gone?
They haven't gone to Usenet, which (on aviation) has suffered the same fate in terms of traffic; in fact much worse.
A lot of them have probably gone to the Flyer forum, where they have great volumes but the average quality of posts is as dreadful as ever, and most of the top posters write drivel.
Maybe this is a wider problem?
I've been "online" since c. 1995 and back then Usenet ruled the roost. It remains the #1 technical resource for software and hardware development. However, "discussion" has moved to the WWW (presumably because nobody knows how to set up Outlook Express for usenet) and now there are thousands of WWW-based forums. Everything seems to have a forum these days. Even an obscure brand of a tablet computer has its own forum - even though it is largely ignored by the manufacturer and is thus next to useless.
However, I am not aware of any UK oriented aviation forums where the ex pruners might have gone. There are a few others but they are quite obscure.
Where have they gone?
They haven't gone to Usenet, which (on aviation) has suffered the same fate in terms of traffic; in fact much worse.
A lot of them have probably gone to the Flyer forum, where they have great volumes but the average quality of posts is as dreadful as ever, and most of the top posters write drivel.
Maybe this is a wider problem?
I've been "online" since c. 1995 and back then Usenet ruled the roost. It remains the #1 technical resource for software and hardware development. However, "discussion" has moved to the WWW (presumably because nobody knows how to set up Outlook Express for usenet) and now there are thousands of WWW-based forums. Everything seems to have a forum these days. Even an obscure brand of a tablet computer has its own forum - even though it is largely ignored by the manufacturer and is thus next to useless.
However, I am not aware of any UK oriented aviation forums where the ex pruners might have gone. There are a few others but they are quite obscure.
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,068
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From: Brighton. UK. (Via Liverpool).
I think the very same thing every now and again. I find the forum moves forward and is a great place to read then it will die down and take a step back for a while, then it will pick up again and so on.
The forum (Private Flying) is far busier than it has been for some time now. We regularly get over 100 users at any one time, except of course the middle of the night when it is quiet in the UK but it is still growing as we speak. I have been impressed with the amount of traffic we have been seeing recently.
As for quality of posts, there is very little I can do about that! Can't wade in and delete the crap just on a whim in case it is a genuine question, these tend to get the right answer then go off on one shortly after. I would be here all day deleting posts if that was the case so I will leave them, unless of course the thread really has gone down hill then I will close it.
Very good question. I just think it will pick up again soon. Watch when the summer flying really kicks in when everyone is out and about, the forum will be busy then, good spells of flying weather tend to have that effect. 
The forum (Private Flying) is far busier than it has been for some time now. We regularly get over 100 users at any one time, except of course the middle of the night when it is quiet in the UK but it is still growing as we speak. I have been impressed with the amount of traffic we have been seeing recently.
As for quality of posts, there is very little I can do about that! Can't wade in and delete the crap just on a whim in case it is a genuine question, these tend to get the right answer then go off on one shortly after. I would be here all day deleting posts if that was the case so I will leave them, unless of course the thread really has gone down hill then I will close it.
Are FA and I alone and if not what is to be done about the malaise?
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 4,729
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From: 75N 16E
I only occasionally post nowadays - Maybe it is evolution, when I first started posting on here in 2001 I probably posted as much tosh as some of these current posts but just didn't know it 
I post of Flyer too, but that has started to become really crap recently. Maybe I'll give up and just start doing something productive instead!
I post of Flyer too, but that has started to become really crap recently. Maybe I'll give up and just start doing something productive instead!
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,598
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From: Amsterdam
Slashdot.org (geek/IT related forum) uses a moderation system where all registered users can mod other users and posts up or down based on the quality of their posts. Slashdot even uses this to hide posts by default unless you select "show all" but a less agressive variant would be to just list the mod points of the poster next to his/her name.
I am not registered on slashdot, only post there anonymously every now and then. Does anybody have more experience than me with such a system, or another system where, somehow, the readers can rate the quality of a post or poster? Would it be an idea for here?
I know that pprune has the ability to rate whole threads, but other than the occasional sticky, nobody seems to be using that system.
I am not registered on slashdot, only post there anonymously every now and then. Does anybody have more experience than me with such a system, or another system where, somehow, the readers can rate the quality of a post or poster? Would it be an idea for here?
I know that pprune has the ability to rate whole threads, but other than the occasional sticky, nobody seems to be using that system.
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 476
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From: Massachusetts Bay Colony
In a stroke of bizarre irony, I find myself agreeing with Stik on this one. I've found the posts pretty boring and samey. There seems to be a lot of stuff about which GPS to buy, stuff about IFR flying, and always someone asking the same question about how to fly in the US. All valid topics, just none that particularly interest me. Most of the stuff lately seems to be about information exchange rather than sharing experiences, which I consider much more interesting.
In fact, I've pretty much given up posting and read the site far less frequently than I used to.
For what it's worth, the Flyer forum has become even worse, populated mostly by a few notables who seem to not have jobs so have all day to post really inane rubbish to the point where I don't even go into one of their sub-forums any more and I don't read anything posted by these particular idiots.
Have we all done all the interesting topics to death and have nothing interesting left to say to, or ask of, each other?
Pitts2112
In fact, I've pretty much given up posting and read the site far less frequently than I used to.
For what it's worth, the Flyer forum has become even worse, populated mostly by a few notables who seem to not have jobs so have all day to post really inane rubbish to the point where I don't even go into one of their sub-forums any more and I don't read anything posted by these particular idiots.
Have we all done all the interesting topics to death and have nothing interesting left to say to, or ask of, each other?
Pitts2112
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 13,787
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From: EuroGA.org
Have we all done all the interesting topics to death and have nothing interesting left to say to, or ask of, each other?
That's the question.
I suppose, if you are looking for quality postings (however that is defined) then you are looking for an intersection between several populations:
a) pilots who do some real flying;
b) pilots who like to write about it;
c) pilots who have the time to write about it;
d) pilots (incl. newbies) who have a question to ask
I know for a fact that most pilots who fly really high hours (200+/year) do not participate on any pilot forum. They have relatively normal busy lives. They have read some forums, waded through the drivel, and never touched them again. Some remain on aircraft type specific forums but TBH those suffer from the same problem of a small group of twats posting drivel.
The best way to deal with twats is to pointedly ignore them or, if they make a particularly misleading statement, ask for a reference.
What destroys a forum fastest is aggression and personal attacks. There is a lot less of this here now.
That's the question.
I suppose, if you are looking for quality postings (however that is defined) then you are looking for an intersection between several populations:
a) pilots who do some real flying;
b) pilots who like to write about it;
c) pilots who have the time to write about it;
d) pilots (incl. newbies) who have a question to ask
I know for a fact that most pilots who fly really high hours (200+/year) do not participate on any pilot forum. They have relatively normal busy lives. They have read some forums, waded through the drivel, and never touched them again. Some remain on aircraft type specific forums but TBH those suffer from the same problem of a small group of twats posting drivel.
The best way to deal with twats is to pointedly ignore them or, if they make a particularly misleading statement, ask for a reference.
What destroys a forum fastest is aggression and personal attacks. There is a lot less of this here now.
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 664
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From: Yorkshire
It seems to me that most of the threads I read nowadays are rehashes of stuff I've seen before : but then again, I've been reading this board for 5 or 6 years now, and since an awful lot of the stuff on here is of the "I'm new - which pencil should I buy?" variety, which many of us have seen dozens of times, it's not particularly surprising that the board is often yawn-inducing. And of course, the longer you stick around ...
The reactions to posts are often equally predictable (and mind-numbingly so, sometimes) : with the "I've been flying 80 years, and in my day ..." camp on one side, and the "100-hours-in-a-Cessna-152-heavy" team on the other. Both keen to impress with their accumulated wisdom, and both equally keen to refuse to acknowledge the extremity of their experience levels whilst dealing with other points of view.
I think the speed with which the personal aggro sometimes starts is quite possibly higher than it used to be : but perhaps that's just the way the world is going (or perhaps I'm just getting older and more crabby - I certainly have less patience with it than I used to !)
It remains a fact that PPRuNe is an awfully useful repository of information for those who fly : a lot of it is crap, but much of it is great. And there are undoubtedly gems from time to time : threads which interest and/or horrify in equal measure (the one based on that poor kid sent out of the circuit on his 2nd solo who then stalled it in will stay with me for a long time) : and at the end of the day, I like aviation and things related to it, and the forum alternatives are meagre to say the least !
I don't really think it's worth getting too precious about this: it's just an internet forum when all said and done - and there's always the "off" button on that monitor !
FF
The reactions to posts are often equally predictable (and mind-numbingly so, sometimes) : with the "I've been flying 80 years, and in my day ..." camp on one side, and the "100-hours-in-a-Cessna-152-heavy" team on the other. Both keen to impress with their accumulated wisdom, and both equally keen to refuse to acknowledge the extremity of their experience levels whilst dealing with other points of view.
I think the speed with which the personal aggro sometimes starts is quite possibly higher than it used to be : but perhaps that's just the way the world is going (or perhaps I'm just getting older and more crabby - I certainly have less patience with it than I used to !)
It remains a fact that PPRuNe is an awfully useful repository of information for those who fly : a lot of it is crap, but much of it is great. And there are undoubtedly gems from time to time : threads which interest and/or horrify in equal measure (the one based on that poor kid sent out of the circuit on his 2nd solo who then stalled it in will stay with me for a long time) : and at the end of the day, I like aviation and things related to it, and the forum alternatives are meagre to say the least !
I don't really think it's worth getting too precious about this: it's just an internet forum when all said and done - and there's always the "off" button on that monitor !
FF
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,966
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From: Norfolk
Well - in a bitter twist of irony, I find myself agreeing with 2112 and with 540! Maybe I need to change my name to a number!
Perhaps I should write about my latest formation trg wheeze - Battle formation, 500m apart at 500', 150mph - it's the 90 degree turns that make it fun!
Perhaps I should write about my latest formation trg wheeze - Battle formation, 500m apart at 500', 150mph - it's the 90 degree turns that make it fun!
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 852
Likes: 3
From: Brum
At the risk of adding to the problem...
How many forum members does it takes to change a light bulb?
1 to change the light bulb and to post that the light bulb has been changed
14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light bulb could have been changed differently
7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs
1 to move it to the Lighting section
2 to argue then move it to the Electricals section
7 to point out spelling/grammar errors in posts about changing light bulbs
5 to flame the spell checkers
3 to correct spelling/grammar flames
6 to argue over whether it's "lightbulb" or "light bulb" ... another 6 to condemn those 6 as stupid
2 industry professionals to inform the group that the proper term is "lamp"
15 know-it-alls who claim they were in the industry, and that "light bulb" is perfectly correct
19 to post that this forum is not about light bulbs and to please take this discussion to a lightbulb forum
11 to defend the posting to this forum saying that we all use light bulbs and therefore the posts are relevant to this forum
36 to debate which method of changing light bulbs is superior, where to buy the best light bulbs, what brand of light bulbs work best for this technique and what brands are faulty
7 to post URL's where one can see examples of different light bulbs
4 to post that the URL's were posted incorrectly and then post the corrected URL's
3 to post about links they found from the URL's that are relevant to this group which makes light bulbs relevant to this group
13 to link all posts to date, quote them in their entirety including all headers and signatures, and add "Me too"
5 to post to the group that they will no longer post because they cannot handle the light bulb controversy
4 to say "didn't we go through this already a short time ago?"
13 to say "do a Google search on light bulbs before posting questions about light bulbs"
1 forum lurker to respond to the original post 6 months from now and start it all over again.
How many forum members does it takes to change a light bulb?
1 to change the light bulb and to post that the light bulb has been changed
14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light bulb could have been changed differently
7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs
1 to move it to the Lighting section
2 to argue then move it to the Electricals section
7 to point out spelling/grammar errors in posts about changing light bulbs
5 to flame the spell checkers
3 to correct spelling/grammar flames
6 to argue over whether it's "lightbulb" or "light bulb" ... another 6 to condemn those 6 as stupid
2 industry professionals to inform the group that the proper term is "lamp"
15 know-it-alls who claim they were in the industry, and that "light bulb" is perfectly correct
19 to post that this forum is not about light bulbs and to please take this discussion to a lightbulb forum
11 to defend the posting to this forum saying that we all use light bulbs and therefore the posts are relevant to this forum
36 to debate which method of changing light bulbs is superior, where to buy the best light bulbs, what brand of light bulbs work best for this technique and what brands are faulty
7 to post URL's where one can see examples of different light bulbs
4 to post that the URL's were posted incorrectly and then post the corrected URL's
3 to post about links they found from the URL's that are relevant to this group which makes light bulbs relevant to this group
13 to link all posts to date, quote them in their entirety including all headers and signatures, and add "Me too"
5 to post to the group that they will no longer post because they cannot handle the light bulb controversy
4 to say "didn't we go through this already a short time ago?"
13 to say "do a Google search on light bulbs before posting questions about light bulbs"
1 forum lurker to respond to the original post 6 months from now and start it all over again.
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 178
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From: uk
Top, you've forgotten the 15 people that will insist that we shouldn't speculate on why the other lightbulb failed in the first place and instead wait for the official report to come out.
And the 21 that will then state that we can all learn from experience and hopefully save another bulb from being snuffed out early in it's bright (although short) career.......
And the 21 that will then state that we can all learn from experience and hopefully save another bulb from being snuffed out early in it's bright (although short) career.......
Pompey till I die
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 779
Likes: 0
From: Guildford
Maybe the forum could be split
Private Flying - PPL training
Private Flying - Qualified
That way all the relative newbies can post in "PPL Training" and all of the qualified guys that discuss in the in's and out's of aviation can avoid newbies ?
Private Flying - Qualified
That way all the relative newbies can post in "PPL Training" and all of the qualified guys that discuss in the in's and out's of aviation can avoid newbies ?
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 758
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From: Here and there. Here at the moment but soon I'll be there.
I'm finding myself using this forum less and less and as a result doing more and more 'stuff' at work, this is a highly unsatisfactory situation.
How about talking about aircraft taking off from a moving conveyor belt?
How about talking about aircraft taking off from a moving conveyor belt?
Joined: Feb 2001
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 1,222
Likes: 2
From: Worcestershire, UK
That way all the relative newbies can post in "PPL Training" and all of the qualified guys that discuss in the in's and out's of aviation can avoid newbies ?
