Do You Stop Participating? Reading and/or Writing?

[xpcdoojk]

[quote name='HeatherInFlorida']At the risk of a poof, this gentleman has informed us in no uncertain terms that he has no word problems. He is, in fact, according to his profile a member of Mensa.

So there you have it:) .[/quote]

I have noticed that a lot of posters who claim Mensa status rarely display those traits in these forums. In fact they tend to show traits of another group far more often. No opinion about this current poseur!:D

jc

[xpcdoojk]

[quote name='Sea King']I'm relatively "new" at this so my comments might not be taken quite as seriously as others who have been posting for months or years

like to read certain threads especially cruise reviews to get a "flavor" for what is going on fleet-wide on HAL

of course, each of us has his/her personal favorite for itinerary and ship

what is sometimes "aggravating" is the person whom it seems wants to lecture: he/she knows more about everything from cruising to solid geometry, has been to more places, has tasted more food, drank more wine, and in summary is the absolute judge of what is right, wrong, middle of the road and of course what needs to changed:rolleyes:

in the process, that "commentator" gets right up the "flame line" but does't quite go over

have I ever been on a "bad cruise" (in more than 30)?

answer is "no" BUT some have obviously been better than others .. by the by, my definition of a bad cruise is one where you can absolutely nothing redeeming about your trip and wish you back home at work .. it's one where you pack your bags and head for the nearest airport at the earliest stop (provided of course there is an airport:D)

have I ever had a bad bottle of wine? of course

have I ever had a tough piece of meat? big surprise, yes:eek:

so what?

think the focus should be more on what's happening (rather than personalties of authors) with criticisms where warranted and with praise when deserved

is HAL perfect?

don't think so

is it better than some .. IMO it's head and shoulders above most

can it improve?

obviously .. maybe that's why a "9" is the highest number

do the crews try their hardest to please?

without question IMHO

I firmly believe certain threads get started merely to "zing" ..

smoking vs. non-smoking; jeans vs. casual wear; how to bring liquor aboard without being caught .. how to get around tipping .. and the list goes on:mad:

why not focus on getting information and having some fun in the process

there are enough hours of the day to watch CNN:eek:[/quote]

Tremendous post!

jc

[HeatherInFlorida]

[quote name='Sea King']....................what is sometimes "aggravating" is the person whom it seems wants to lecture: he/she knows more about everything from cruising to solid geometry, has been to more places, has tasted more food, drank more wine, and in summary is the absolute judge of what is right, wrong, middle of the road and of course what needs to changed:rolleyes:.................[/quote]

Is it just me or does the above describe at least 90% of the regular posters here????:D And I mean this with the ulmost respect toward all my buddies, but never have I seen a more knowledgeable, yet also opinionated, group of people all together under one "roof" (so to speak):) .

I attribute it to the anononymity of a message board. How many of us sitting with a group of people in a public place would be quite so direct and full of ourselves as we sometimes are here?

I have to add that much of what some call sniping and nasty, I find to be terribly funny. I like to call myself witty (a bit sarcastic?;) ) with a very dry sense of humor. So I often read levity into posts that might offend others.

It takes a while to settle in comfortably here and understand the different personalities, but I agree with EKerr (great to see you, Laura:) ) that it can be a really fun place to be once you stop taking everything so seriously and everyone's opinions so personally.

[kakalina]

It can be like watching a soap opera.

[I]Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to another episode of . . ." Let's Make Waves! As you all know, Let's Make Waves is a show dedicated to the serious cruiser. During our last episode Susie couldn't find a lounge chair, Joe was caught smuggling liquor aboard. Will Jane and Bob be allowed in the dining room dressed as they are???? Stay tuned and find out here on this channel. . .[/I]

Sorry just a little tongue in cheek here. I love these boards. They can add drama, laughter and sometimes a little tragedy to my days. I have met quite a few folks who post here, some have become dear, and special friends. I love the give and take. And yes, sometimes the backbiting and in-fighting get to be a little much. It is an addicition I would not choose to give up. Thanks to all the posters who help make the day a little more interesting.

[Atomica]

I do actually find myself posting and even reading less, particularily as of late - I think the closer I get to a cruise, the less I want to hear negativity, because I don't want it to dampen my excitement!

There's certain threads that I won't even open - not worth the frustration.

Instead, I find myself jaunting over to the Celebrity or Princess boards, just for a change of pace. And then I come back a few days later and the negativity has dissapated, and all is well :)

We have a group of extrememely experienced, knowledgeable people here who are able to answer any question that people can throw at them, which I think is something to be very proud of. I still think the HAL board has one of the nicest groups of people on here.

[Catnip]

[quote name='xpcdoojk']
[B]My biggest complaint is the poofing of threads[/B].

I think one reason that we keep refighting the same ground is because as soon as some people notice that they are not winning the fight they click the triangle and get the mods to remove "offending" posts and usually this means the entire thread.

I don't understand why people are so easily offended by anonymous posters in an open internet forum.

jc[/quote]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4][B]AMEN!!!!!! [/B][/SIZE] I don't get it, either :confused:.
It's really easy to ignore a certain topic, if it annoys you......but please, don't triangle it and get it pulled....let others enjoy it.
And it's also easy to put other posters on ignore, if they annoy you.
Not everyone is offended by open discussions. I love to see the differing opinions...........it would make for a totally BORING site if everyone agreed on everything![/FONT] :cool:

[MrPete]

Yes, I just don't understand why SOME PEOPLE just don't agree with MY OPINIONS. :eek:

[seniormiss]

Can someone help out a newcomer to the board. What does it mean when someone mentions "poofing"? Who monitors this board? Does a thread get closed down when it is full?
Also one more question....what do the little red triangles in the corner mean?
I really enjoy this board and I have learned so much. I am taking my first HAL cruise next March and I wish it was tomorrow. My daughter and her family are taking the same cruise (Mexico) in January, they have a 3 year old and I just hope they have picked the right cruise line.
Thanking you all in advance.

[RuthC]

[quote name='seniormiss']What does it mean when someone mentions "poofing"?[/quote]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=royalblue]They mean that the entire thread has been removed from the board. Or that an individual reply has been removed.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[quote]Who monitors this board?[/quote]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=royalblue]There are two hosts---Walt and Doug. Usually Walt is the one who makes the decision about a questionable post/thread. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[quote]Does a thread get closed down when it is full?[/quote]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=royalblue]No such thing as a "full" thread. They can (and have) be resurrected after years have passed. A thread gets "closed" when it has gone irrevocably off track, gotten too hostile, has gone outside the bounds of the board rules.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[quote]Also one more question....what do the little red triangles in the corner mean?[/quote]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=royalblue]That's how to report a post that is outside the rules. One that is rude, makes a personal attack, uses foul language. That kind of thing. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[seniormiss]

Ruth...thank you so much for the answers. I still don't get the red triangle thing, most of the posts on this thread have the red triangle and they certainly are not rude or out of line.

One more question...how do I start a new thread, I think my question should have probobly been a new thread.
thanks again

[jhannah]

The red triangle doesn't mean that post is bad. It's just what you would click if you feel the post in inappropriate (as RuthC pointed out.)

To post a new thread, go back to the main page that lists all the threads. Up at the top left of the listing is the button you click to start a new one.

[Catnip]

The red triangle is a sore subject with some of us.....The reason it is here, from what I understand is that if you think a post is "objectionable", you click on the red triangle and it alerts the Mods. They usually will come and either remove (poof) the post, or close the entire thread......:mad:

To some of us, it represents censorship at it's worst. To me, if you find a post offensive, simply ignore it! Easy to do. You can choose to ignore the whole thread, too. That way, it leaves the rest of the thread available for those that do not find it objectionable.

Welcome to the boards!!! :)

[Old As Dirt Mom]

[quote name='Catnip']The red triangle is a sore subject with some of us.....The reason it is here, from what I understand is that if you think a post is "objectionable", you click on the red triangle and it alerts the Mods. They usually will come and either remove (poof) the post, or close the entire thread......:mad:

To some of us, it represents censorship at it's worst. To me, if you find a post offensive, simply ignore it! Easy to do. You can choose to ignore the whole thread, too. That way, it leaves the rest of the thread available for those that do not find it objectionable.

Welcome to the boards!!! :)[/quote]

Hi Catnip:

The moderators do not necessarily pull a thread just because someone has clicked on the red triangle. It simply alerts them to a potential "problem" thread. They make the final decision as to whether a post has violated the CC rules. When we join CC, we agree to abide by those rules. It's like a cruise contract.;) I agree with you about ignoring threads. I ignore a LOT of them. And, like you, I don't get too excited over posts with which I disagree. [B]I'm[/B] certainly not going to change anyone's mind!:)

I think this is a good thread which has generated many thoughtful and articulate answers.

Karin

[djallar]

I am one of those who's been away for a while. For quite some time after joining, I read and participated in the forum but, after a while, I tired of seeing all the "am I too old for HAL?" threads.

I also got tired of what I perceived to be an increasing level of smugness. It seemed like a caste system was becoming well defined. There were too many "oh...I would NEVER shop there!" comments and snide remarks concerning "buckets of beer" and "go ahead and charge someone else more because I don't do that."

Last but not least, there are a few who need to turn off the humor filter. Let the hilarity shine through and have some fun.

[djallar]

Double post...Sorry

[Catnip]

[quote name='middle-aged mom']Hi Catnip:

The moderators do not necessarily pull a thread just because someone has clicked on the red triangle.
I agree with you about ignoring threads.[/quote]

Oh, I know all that. But, most of the time, I would guess, a post is poofed or a thread is locked. It's easier to ignore something you might find offensive and let others continue to enjoy the thread...

JMHO :)

[RevNeal]

[quote name='Catnip']The red triangle is a sore subject with some of us.....The reason it is here, from what I understand is that if you think a post is "objectionable", you click on the red triangle and it alerts the Mods. They usually will come and either remove (poof) the post, or close the entire thread......:mad:

To some of us, it represents censorship at it's worst. To me, if you find a post offensive, simply ignore it! Easy to do. You can choose to ignore the whole thread, too. That way, it leaves the rest of the thread available for those that do not find it objectionable.

Welcome to the boards!!! :)[/QUOTE]

I hear you Catnip, and do not necessarily disagree. In general, I have no problem with "objectionable" posts and believe strongly in freedom of speech.

HOWEVER ... there are, sometimes, things that are posted which should NOT be allowed to remain on the board no matter who says them. For instance: about a year ago someone posted a bunch of spam post on threads where I was active accusing me of molesting children. The person didn't know who I was, where I was, what denomination I was a minister within, or ANYTHING else about me other than that I was a "Reverend" and THAT made me automatically guilty. Clearly, this person had been hurt somewhere in the past and was taking out their anger and pain on the first available person wearing a collar. I understand that. But my pastoral concern for this person should not, in any way, blind me to the horrific danger in the defamation of character that this constituted, or the criminal jeopardy it could put me in if anyone were of a mind to take the charges seriously. The moderators, properly, removed those posts within 25 minutes of them going up. Please tell me you don't think such posts should be allowed to stay on a board.

When dealing with a board like Cruise Critic we should all remember that it is [b]not[/b] public property. CC is, by definition, the property of someone else and they get to say what constitutes acceptable speech. We have only the "freedom of speech" here that we would have if we were in someone else's' house.

[HeatherInFlorida]

[quote name='Catnip']The red triangle is a sore subject with some of us.....The reason it is here, from what I understand is that if you think a post is "objectionable", you click on the red triangle and it alerts the Mods. They usually will come and either remove (poof) the post, or close the entire thread......:mad:

To some of us, it represents censorship at it's worst. To me, if you find a post offensive, simply ignore it! Easy to do. You can choose to ignore the whole thread, too. That way, it leaves the rest of the thread available for those that do not find it objectionable.

Welcome to the boards!!! :)[/quote]

Seems a lot of us have a comment about Catnip's post. I've never seen the triangle this way and it's been very rare I have used it. However, the Hosts encourage us to use that rather than try to "duke it out" ourselves.

However, clicking on it and expressing your concern about the post in no way has it "usually" removed and it certainly doesn't shut down the thread unless there's a whole lot more objectionable stuff on it.

There was a horrendous post on here the other day that I was just itching to report, but I chose not to for only one reason .... I hoped that everyone would see what this person had said. It gave some insight into the poster that might make people think twice about listening to them next time.

Catnip, it's not so much about a post that one person sees as offensive from a personal viewpoint ... it's more about a post that is offensive to a large number of people. Abusive language has been used ... biased comments about certain groups have been made ... political points of view are expressed (and have no place on a cruise board) ... many other horrendous things are said sometimes (as Revneal pointed out) that really need to be removed. Often they are and the thread remains. Sometimes the Hosts decide that the entire thread has gone too far.

I rarely agree with them when they close or "poof" threads, but it is their right to make that decision. This board does not belong to us ... we use it at no charge. If you don't like any censorship at all I know there are several boards that have none.

[Catnip]

[quote name='revneal']I hear you Catnip, and do not necessarily disagree. [/quote]

That's OK, Rev......it's ok to disagree! ;) We obviously have a difference of opinion on this matter..........no harm done.

[Catnip]

[quote name='HeatherInFlorida']. This board does not belong to us ... we use it at no charge. If you don't like any censorship at all I know there are several boards that have none.[/quote]

Agreed. I know that I while I am here, I play by their rules. I was simply giving my opinion! :rolleyes:
And yes, I do frequent another board that is refreshing in there is no censorship. When given the chance, most adults can play nice. :)

[xpcdoojk]

[quote name='revneal']I hear you Catnip, and do not necessarily disagree. In general, I have no problem with "objectionable" posts and believe strongly in freedom of speech.

HOWEVER ... there are, sometimes, things that are posted which should NOT be allowed to remain on the board no matter who says them. For instance: about a year ago someone posted a bunch of spam post on threads where I was active accusing me of molesting children. The person didn't know who I was, where I was, what denomination I was a minister within, or ANYTHING else about me other than that I was a "Reverend" and THAT made me automatically guilty. Clearly, this person had been hurt somewhere in the past and was taking out their anger and pain on the first available person wearing a collar. I understand that. But my pastoral concern for this person should not, in any way, blind me to the horrific danger in the defamation of character that this constituted, or the criminal jeopardy it could put me in if anyone were of a mind to take the charges seriously. The moderators, properly, removed those posts within 25 minutes of them going up. Please tell me you don't think such posts should be allowed to stay on a board.

When dealing with a board like Cruise Critic we should all remember that it is [B]not[/B] public property. CC is, by definition, the property of someone else and they get to say what constitutes acceptable speech. We have only the "freedom of speech" here that we would have if we were in someone else's' house.[/quote]

Rev, that is really not anyones arguement. We all agree that hateful harmful stuff should be removed. However, most of what gets removed doesn't meet that standard. Usually, it is something like ... "What a dumb comment you made, are you terminally stupid?" I mean if we can't say something is wrong, ie dumb, then we are fooling ourselves that we are helping each other here. Rev, I hope that the moderators of that forum banned the person slandering you! In other words some things are true and some things are dumb. We seem to be losing grasp of the language and of open discussion due to the concern of offending someone when we are no longer able to discern the difference between ideas and concepts that have value and those which don't. That is a sad state. In fact, in this forum if I decide I am offended because you don't agree with my dumb ideas, I can remove your ideas from the forum by clicking the triangle and getting my friends to do the same. It becomes mob rule and very frustrating for us all!

jc

[Scrumpy]

Great topic S7S!
Although I do read pretty much every day, I definitely limit my comments a great deal depending on the mood of the board - but also depending on topic. It's true that some folks aren't aware that they come across as waspish or smug (or both), so I tend to try to avoid their posts unless the urge to respond is too strong to resist and no one else is questioning them. What someone expects onboard may not be up to someone else's standards, but when it comes to the actual rules themselves, someone else's opinion of those rules is usually irrelevant. Some comments I find outrageous are obviously acceptable to others and vice versa, I'm sure. Also, there are times that someone has some negative comments and people respond as if they've said they had a horrible cruise and totally slammed HAL, when that is very, very rarely the case. A few negative experiences doesn't mean that someone didn't have a good time. And, then there are the times when someone insists on arguing about what another person did or did not see - when they weren't on the ship in question. I just don't know why someone would be motivated to come here and lie about their experience, especially when many of these comments are made in the context of a review that is very complimentary in other respects. We all have opinions about our experiences and we should be free to express them, including the bad ones, without having someone decide that we are generally unhappy or dissatisfied people who would never be pleased with anything.

On the days when it seems like people are being argumentative and judgmental, I usually stay out of the fray. I will sometimes jump in when I think someone is being too hard on or too skeptical of a newer member. At some point, everyone was new and I don't like to see new people driven away. There are plenty of suspicious people here already. I think there's room for those of us who aren't. It hurts no one if I'm wrong about someone's motives, so I'll continue to try to think the best of people, even if others think they are simply stirring the pot.

It irritates me when threads and posts go "poof" - or when threads are locked, seemingly without a clear reason (maybe due to already deleted posts). There are times it is justifiable, of course, but I think it's pretty rare. The thing to remember is that sometimes it is an error. One of my posts disappeared and I emailled asking why. It was simply a mistake and the post was restored. Perhaps that happens more than we realize, so people shouldn't be afraid to email and make sure their post was removed on purpose. Sometimes, people know they are close to the line, but sometimes they don't. I think some are very quick to hit that red triangle when they disagree. That's not going to change. At the end of the day, it's a message board on the Internet and the information-sharing aspect is the most important element. IMHO, of course.:)

[Scrumpy]

[quote name='xpcdoojk']Rev, that is really not anyones arguement. We all agree that hateful harmful stuff should be removed. However, most of what gets removed doesn't meet that standard. Usually, it is something like ... "What a dumb comment you made, are you terminally stupid?" I mean if we can't say something is wrong, ie dumb, then we are fooling ourselves that we are helping each other here...
jc[/quote]

Where I come from, it is considered hateful to say someone is stupid, especially in public. It's one thing to point out misinformation and another thing to attack someone. I wouldn't try to get someone's post removed, but I'd probably have some harsh thoughts about the name-caller privately. Although I may not always be as tactful as I'd like, I think we should attempt to avoid saying things in a way that can be interpreted as cruel or mean-spirited. I can't see how it helps anyone to be called stupid; it only makes them angry and/or hurts their feelings.

[kryos]

[quote name='Catnip']Agreed. I know that I while I am here, I play by their rules. I was simply giving my opinion! :rolleyes:
And yes, I do frequent another board that is refreshing in there is no censorship. When given the chance, most adults can play nice. :)[/QUOTE]
The only problem I have with unmoderated boards is that while, yes, there is no censorship and that is a refreshing thing, there is also no control over what is posted. People post vulgarities ... attack each other personally ... and spam posts abound. At least with moderators that sort of thing is controlled. Here on cruisecritic you don't find that, and it keeps the discussion quality high.

I used to be an active poster on an internet discussion board ... rec.skydiving. When I first discovered the board and started reading/posting to it (probably around 1996), the board was a great place. People were helpful and you could post a question or a concern and others very well versed in the sport would respond and really try to help you out. You met friends on the board and actually made arrangements to jump with them ... when you could get to a drop zone in their state or they came to your's. It was wonderful and I spent hours on that board each day, despite being a full-time student (and holding down a full-time job) at the time. But, that board disintegrated over time ... and many of the posts started veering off topic thanks to a small group of people. Eventually, all the quality posters left and all that was left was a bunch of idiots who rarely posted about anything more significant than beer call and parties. Eventually skydiving got their own moderated board ... dropzone.com ... and that's where everybody hangs out now. They have separate boards for separate topics, including one for the nonsense that took over the rec.skydiving board ... the "bonfire" board. All of those posts unrelated to the sport have to go on that particular board now. They are removed from the others.

So, yes ... with moderated boards you do lose some freedom, but you do get a whole lot more in return ... like a place where you can come to share your passion with others of like mind. The quality of the discussions is high, so the board is a popular place to be.

Guess it's a tradeoff, and we each have to decide where the greater benefits lie.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[kryos]

[quote name='twinkletoes4445']I don't have a problem when people are discussing things..even if they don't agree, but I do hate to see people being nasty to posters because they've had a bad experience (or whatever).[/QUOTE]
That is exactly when a thread should be "poofed," when someone attacks another poster personally, rather than just taking exception with their opinion on a subject. But, I didn't notice any of that in the Jeans thread. Of course, just as a moderator pointed out to me in the past ... with another thread that disappeared ... maybe I didn't notice the attacking post because the thread had been removed. Maybe that's what happened with our jeans thread. Maybe someone got on there and posted something offensive?

Blue skies ...

--rita