Personnel Greetings

[wowzz]

First of all, can I say that I think that this is a very friendly and supportive forum, and I feel that I have made lots of virtual friends here.

So, if  you think that I am wrong, insensitive or worse,  please say.

It is just that various threads seem to have  become  submerged  with Happy Birthday Posts, Get Well Posts,  Sorry About Your Friend/Relative Posts etc. Don't get me wrong, I think that these posts are fantastic,  and show how much as a community we care about each other. But, would it not be better if  these "social" (for want of a better word) had a seperate thread of their own?

Sometimes the original objectives of the threads have become lost in the socialisation. 

Right- I'm a big boy, so I will not be upset if you tell me I am wrong. I'm just saying that we should, perhaps at the least, have a seperate Happy Birthday thread. 

   

 

 

[wowzz]

Thanks Tring for your support.

[wowzz]

Can I just say that before the grammar police arrive, the correct thread title should of course be "Personal Greetings"

[terrierjohn]

Wowzz, You can always follow my system and speed read through the posts, just in case there is something there you want to comment about.

For my part, since I use the little star thingies and next unread feature to take you to your first unread post, does anyone know a way to skip a whole thread and not have it keep popping up?

Edited February 27, 2021 by terrierjohn

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, terrierjohn said:

Wowzz, You can always follow my system and speed read through the posts, just in case there is something there you want to comment about.

For my part, since I use the little star thingies and next unread feature to take you to your first unread post, does anyone know a way to skip a whole thread and not have it keep popping up?

Fair point John, but when you get tens of Happy Birthday Greetings, with the consequent replies, you end up speed reading through 100 posts. Same thing with best wishes for operations,  vaccinations etc. Every good wish leads to a thank you. 

It's all very nice, but really, could not the greetings just be confined to a "social" thread. 

Sorry, I'm probably coming over as a  grumpy old curmudgeon,  but the threads are becoming entangled with social niceties. 

[tring]

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Can I just say that before the grammar police arrive, the correct thread title should of course be "Personal Greetings"

 

Yes, you did make a bit of a blunder there, not that I had noticed.  I can see your point about greetings, but in other ways a different thread would be a bit remote.  Personally, I tend to just add a like to other people's good wishes etc. unless I  am looking at a thread when a certain comment is made which I feel requires a friendly or supportive comment.

 

Your thread being posted so late in the day will be why there are a lack of comments - not many of us are still around at this time.

 

[Ardennais]

I don’t think you’re wrong or insensitive, and I understand where you’re coming from. Some people are more touchy feely and ‘huggy’ than others in real life and that seems to spill over to social media and forums too. However, I don’t think it’s a big deal - most of us have enough time on our hands to spend some time here and it’s just a matter of whizzing through if you’re not particularly interested. And at the moment, if it helps people to share and exchange pleasantries, then I can’t see the harm in that. 
 

So Wowzz, give Whizzing a go!

Edited February 27, 2021 by Ardennais

[AndyMichelle]

I get your point Wowzz, I will remember to not wish you Happy Birthday when the time arises... 

I think the social side is already covered on the 'what are things like where you are' thread,so suits a quick 'happy birthday'. 

I use that only to check you are all OK really. 

If we start breaking it down, we would need separate threads for Stoke, Yorkshire, Sunderland, Devon, Book club, films, cooking, wine, pictures of Pauline, cats in the garden and numerous others. 😊

I don't want to make this 'personnel,' so  will end it there😊

Lighten up grumpy... 

Andy 

[mrbluesea]

8 hours ago, wowzz said:

First of all, can I say that I think that this is a very friendly and supportive forum, and I feel that I have made lots of virtual friends here.

So, if  you think that I am wrong, insensitive or worse,  please say.

It is just that various threads seem to have  become  submerged  with Happy Birthday Posts, Get Well Posts,  Sorry About Your Friend/Relative Posts etc. Don't get me wrong, I think that these posts are fantastic,  and show how much as a community we care about each other. But, would it not be better if  these "social" (for want of a better word) had a seperate thread of their own?

Sometimes the original objectives of the threads have become lost in the socialisation. 

Right- I'm a big boy, so I will not be upset if you tell me I am wrong. I'm just saying that we should, perhaps at the least, have a seperate Happy Birthday thread. 

   

 

 

I think you are correct. There is a balance to be struck which I think has moved too far to 'social' posts (as you call it) on factual threads.  I was hoping that its just a sign of the times and that things would get back to normality at some time in the future.  But as an infrequent poster the volume of these types of posts on threads seeking advice and comment has made me visit this board less often.  

[Peanut006]

I get what you are saying but I think we all have been very grateful over this last year to have somewhere, some escape if you want to share how we are doing and feeling with other people.  We may have met talking about all things cruising but as there is nothing much to discuss on that subject at the moment the conversation has developed. 
I personally don’t have a problem with it, I feel I have got to know you all. I am sure as soon as we are cruising again we will be talking about that non stop!!

Stay safe everyone 

Michelle

[AndyMichelle]

17 minutes ago, mrbluesea said:

I think you are correct. There is a balance to be struck which I think has moved too far to 'social' posts (as you call it) on factual threads.  I was hoping that its just a sign of the times and that things would get back to normality at some time in the future.  But as an infrequent poster the volume of these types of posts on threads seeking advice and comment has made me visit this board less often.  

Give no credit to the fact that this friendly forum helped a lot of people through difficult times when we didn't have a lot of positives to look forward to. 

We got to know each other when we all needed a bit of escapism. 

Although the social side has taken over, rest assured as our lives get back to normal, cruise related threads will take over again as that is why we all joined in the first place. 

Caring about our fellow posters and looking out for them should not be undermined. I don't get involved as much as I used to, but I still check in to make sure my cruising friends are OK. 

Andy 

 

[pete14]

I know where you are coming from wowzz and I don’t disagree. However, I seem to remember that the ‘how are things where you are’ thread was added by Sharon for just these sorts of social messages to provide support during the pandemic. Obviously at the moment with no cruising happening, there is thread drift on some other threads but most of the posts you highlight are on the ‘how are things’ thread or the vaccine thread (loosely linked to cruising). Personally speaking, it was nice to receive birthday messages yesterday but I do accept that sometimes those offered to others can be a bit tedious. They are usually short and to the point though. Now about the suggestion of a Stoke thread..... 🙂

[Eddie99]

I’ll just say - I enjoy what I enjoy, post when I feel I can add something and try, very hard, to ignore what bores or irritates me.  I don’t always succeed.  Other than trolls and deliberate trolling behaviour, I don’t think I should seek to censor material here - that’s the thankless task which the volunteer moderators take on.

 

Difficult times.  Try to give some slack

[SarahHben]

I think on the whole most of the birthday/get well messages and general chatter tend to be on the ‘what are things like where you are’ thread and also on the ‘vaccine’ thread.
When the off topic posts don’t interest me I just scroll by. I’d rather read or scroll by birthday wishes, weather reports, music tastes, book recommendations etc than posters getting tetchy (or worse) with each other over politics  or differing opinions.

[mercury7289]

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday,happy birthday to you!

 

Sorry, practicing hand washing 😃😎

[kalos]

I think as others have said we have a "what's it like where you are" thread .

Someone wants to put " I'm 90 tomorrow" or someone wishes them happy

birthday that's fine by me. That thread is there for such things and why not?

I agree with you when you have a thread running on "this years coffee prices 

on the Azura "  then umpteen birthday wishes sat in the middle of the posts 

could just as easily been posted on the "what's it like where you are" thread .

Throughout all posts some will veer off time to time but overall, when you 

read the P&O posts they have "life " in them and some posters have said 

"They come on here as through the pandemic ,we have supported/helped

and brightened up their days " But  I take your point they would be better if 

they were kept in one thread such as "what's it like where you are" thread .

What Is Wowzz like ? Do we have to start a new thread ??  Only joking !

Not a bad old chap providing .. He does not run out of wine/can go on holiday/

isn't stuck in the house freezing mashed spud, jet washing the mess he's made/ 

can get a decent pint with fish & chips in Cleethorpes or has to read birthday 

greetings on here then he's a jolly old sport  Have I missed owt wowzz 

 

 

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, kalos said:

Have I missed owt wowzz

Painting the shed floor!

[indiana123]

I love it here.  Its nice to get encouragement and feel part of a lovely group.

 

What I would do if I had many many good wishes for an event is just go in once or twice a day and say something like "Thank you all for your good wishes.. they were lovely and much appreciated"   or similar.. I wouldn't go in after every post individually.. it could take ages.☺️  

[kalos]

33 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Painting the shed floor!

 

Well I left that one out because I did not want you feeling  you had been 

Backed into a corner 

[wowzz]

13 minutes ago, indiana123 said:

I love it here.  Its nice to get encouragement and feel part of a lovely group.

 

What I would do if I had many many good wishes for an event is just go in once or twice a day and say something like "Thank you all for your good wishes.. they were lovely and much appreciated"   or similar.. I wouldn't go in after every post individually.. it could take ages.☺️  

That seems to me to be an excellent idea.

[P&O SUE]

3 hours ago, indiana123 said:

I love it here.  Its nice to get encouragement and feel part of a lovely group.

 

What I would do if I had many many good wishes for an event is just go in once or twice a day and say something like "Thank you all for your good wishes.. they were lovely and much appreciated"   or similar.. I wouldn't go in after every post individually.. it could take ages.☺️  

I agree. In the main I just like happy birthday wishes rather than thanking everyone individually adding one post saying ‘thanks everyone’.

[Ardennais]

3 hours ago, indiana123 said:

I love it here.  Its nice to get encouragement and feel part of a lovely group.

 

What I would do if I had many many good wishes for an event is just go in once or twice a day and say something like "Thank you all for your good wishes.. they were lovely and much appreciated"   or similar.. I wouldn't go in after every post individually.. it could take ages.☺️  

Excellent suggestion.

[Selbourne]

On 2/26/2021 at 11:39 PM, wowzz said:

First of all, can I say that I think that this is a very friendly and supportive forum, and I feel that I have made lots of virtual friends here.

So, if  you think that I am wrong, insensitive or worse,  please say.

It is just that various threads seem to have  become  submerged  with Happy Birthday Posts, Get Well Posts,  Sorry About Your Friend/Relative Posts etc. Don't get me wrong, I think that these posts are fantastic,  and show how much as a community we care about each other. But, would it not be better if  these "social" (for want of a better word) had a seperate thread of their own?

Sometimes the original objectives of the threads have become lost in the socialisation. 

Right- I'm a big boy, so I will not be upset if you tell me I am wrong. I'm just saying that we should, perhaps at the least, have a seperate Happy Birthday thread. 

   

 

 

I am inclined to agree (although am guilty myself at times) but I’m also aware that many use forums such as this for different reasons to us. If I want a ‘chat’ I tend to witter to my wife rather than someone online, but not everyone has that opportunity. If I had one request (which I think mirrors the suggestions made above by others) it would be for everyone to use the ‘like’ button more, rather than feeling the need to reply to everything. These ‘posts for posts sake’ (as I call them) cause ‘thread clutter’, whereas hitting the ‘like’ button instead acknowledges that you have read it and appreciate or agree with it, so no need to add yet another post saying so. Post count shouldn’t be seen as a competition. Quality not quantity 😉 

[Adawn47]

On 2/27/2021 at 4:20 PM, P&O SUE said:

I agree. In the main I just like happy birthday wishes rather than thanking everyone individually adding one post saying ‘thanks everyone’.

I use the thankyou button. Simple.

Avril

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I am inclined to agree (although am guilty myself at times) but I’m also aware that many use forums such as this for different reasons to us. If I want a ‘chat’ I tend to witter to my wife rather than someone online, but not everyone has that opportunity. If I had one request (which I think mirrors the suggestions made above by others) it would be for everyone to use the ‘like’ button more, rather than feeling the need to reply to everything. These ‘posts for posts sake’ (as I call them) cause ‘thread clutter’, whereas hitting the ‘like’ button instead acknowledges that you have read it and appreciate or agree with it, so no need to add yet another post saying so. Post count shouldn’t be seen as a competition. Quality not quantity 😉 

You have summed up my opinion more or less in a nutshell. 

There are too many posts just saying thank you ( which is nice) whereas the use of the "like" button  serves exactly the same purpose.  It's probably because all of us here are too polite.

So, as Selbourne  suggests, if all you are going to post is a simple "Thank You", perhaps just use the "like" button in future.