SternWake

[SoulRaven]

Since my early days on this forum, in one persona or another I have counted on reading SternWakes  answers to questions. To be honest, many I got lost in the explanation, but the few times I asked for help I did ask him to "dumb it down" for me and he did. 

I have no clue why he has decided to depart, but there has been a lot of departures lately, I could list at least 10 I know of and these were contributing members. Either scolded like they were a two year old or having entire responses deleted with absolutely no explanation. 

Yep, it's Bob Wells forum and I am trying to abide by his rules and not get stupid again in my response, but I think Mr. Wells and some of the moderators need to take a look at who has left and why. 

I sent a PM to a moderator and got no response, that's fine, I know where I stand with him now. 

Someone in authority needs to reach out to SternWake and work something out.

RW

 

[Scott7022]

I tried to go back a read what the issue was. I don't really know any of the members involved, but I am pretty good at finding middle ground. Even if it is as thin as a razor. Forums always have issues and characters and sometimes mods have bad days. At times a perfect storm happens. Boards are hard to maintain, they generate far more headache than financial rewards. Exceptions are out there like Overland and Pirate 4x4 but for the most part they are a time pit. I had read a few posts by SternWake and his info was good. I too am sorry to see him go. Perhaps heads will cool and things will spin around reverse. Reaching out is always a good plan as the world can always use more positive than negative energy. People can go away, but should never go away mad and angry. We can be better than that. We should be better than that.

 

[Ballenxj]

I can relate. In my men only thread, I knew the ladies would post, and it turned out to be more about airing views and coming together.
It was a lively thread with plenty of posting going on right up until it was assassinated. It was deemed to have run it's course? Did I mention it was pretty lively? To say I was pissed might have been an understatement. Reminds me of the government saying we know what's best for you. Well, just maybe you really don't.
Oh, Bob wasn't accepting either emails or PM's. At least not from me. Yeah, that went a long way to making me feel better.
You know? I've always been supportive of both this forum and Bob's videos. Now? I need to think long and hard about this.
PS, I hope SW comes back, or at least reads this post so he knows he's not being singled out.

 

[TMG51]

This forum, by precedent, and by articulation from the owner, exists only to support those who cannot support themselves; in defense of the defenseless, all capable people are expendable.

I'm being a cynic, of course, but what I mean to say is I'd prefer to live in a world where adults sort out their own issues and people can see that an off-hand four letter abbreviation can be a bit of hyperbole in exaggeration of an opinion rather than a direct personal attack.

But less and less does that seem to be the world we live in. Some people are happier being spoken to nicely and getting the wrong answers with a smile. This forum has been the best resource I've known for the van life, and genuinely that is in no small part due to SternWake. Content lost.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

Bob's contact via this board doesn't work; at least not in recent days.

 

[Ballenxj]

This forum has been the best resource I've known for the van life, and genuinely that is in no small part due to SternWake. Content lost.

And the more people like SW we lose, the more this forums value is diminished.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

Bob's response is hidden in another thread: https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Apartment-fridge-install?pid=319320#pid319320

 

[John61CT]

Since the relevant postings just get deleted wholesale, it's impossible for us to reverse-engineer the details.

I 100% agree that SternWake's posts are a huge part of what makes this site valuable, and really hope Bob can/will to whatever it takes to make him feel welcome, persuade him to reverse that horrifying decision.

Hopefully the heavy-handed mod involved, whoever it is, will be willing to participate in that process.

If anyone knows other forums where SW may continue to participate, please PM me the details.

 

[VanDwellerMod]

The mods will be discussing this issue.  We will get back to you all when we know more.

Edited to add:. Due to my poor Internet connection at this time, I did not see Bob's response here https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Apartment-fridge-install?pid=319320#pid319320

If necessary, and we have more to add, we will add to this thread.

 

[speedhighway46]

The "middle of the road" reality which should be understand by all is that these type of sites are dynamic; people come and go. No matter how valued a contributor may be, and how significant that loss may be, the site will live on and prosper if the philosophy and the way it's run is basically fair to all.

Just my opinion . . . Thanks

 

[SoulRaven]

speedhighway, you are correct, things will go on as usual but each time someone with a wealth of knowledge leaves so does a cog in the wheel so to speak.

I'm along for the ride, I have no great knowledge of this van living, I am here to learn more and to socialize some.

Brusqueness or rudeness in deleting a post or a rebuke to a member is not called for in any forum, public or private.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[Putts]

Don't have a horse in this race, but I certainly appreciate and have read many of SW's posts. I'm in the midst of sorting my solar and have actually gone to SW's profile and just started reading all his posts and making notes. Just an awesome resource.

The thought that comes to my mind is that he has taken the time to pass on his wisdom, others will learn, and will step up to pass on things they've learned from SternWake. I also enjoyed his person in his posts. While his knowledge can be passed on, his being will be missed.

The only constant is change.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Just for the record, I too will miss the presence and wealth of knowledge that Mr Sternwake contributed.

I felt like the stfu comment was more of an 'admonishment' to me, since I was the new guy and had much to learn...I absolutely admit this. 

And, there is a HUGE difference in the way something is posted:

"stfu" is one way of saying it..meaning: go away kiddo...you bother me.

But "STFU!!!!" is a whole 'nother' expression entirely....and this was never used.

Shouldn't we, as adults, accept at least a little, 'disageement' now and then between forum members?

Just my thoughts, whatever they are worth...

 

[TrainChaser]

Some websites and some moderators have to learn the hard way. One great dog site that I used for information no longer exists now. Pity.

One stupid thing that I've seen a lot here is that an entire post is deleted when the mod really just had a problem with one or two sentences. Some people apparently don't understand the word 'EDIT'. Oh, well. As they say, 'this too, shall pass'. Maybe sooner than later.

 

[Matlock]

For me, well I remember when being PC was just good manners. Seems it might have been carried on to some extreme or maybe we just had too much of it.... maybe....
And hey, what a boring world we'd live in if everyone agreed on everything. Anyway, a lot of that PC stuff has been kicked aside and not just in our backyard and I miss it along with the high-road debate that different ideas bring. I'm not sure who is a winner anymore or if that was ever something that mattered.
SW's one of the good guys, always gave to anyone that asked. And that matters.

Just my ol 2¢

 

[Queen]

Sternwake is a very helpful fella, hope he finds his way back here.


Going forward, just a suggestion, but I've been on forums where people with specific vetted knowledge, who were understood to be an expert on a given topic, we given/awarded/offered a status that reflected that. I'm not sure if they were a sub-mod category or if was just a title they had under their name from the mods/admins/owner, but it would read something like "CRVL Solar Team" or "CRVL Mechanics Staff" or "CRVL Canadian Travel Whiz", so people asking questions would know they were speaking with someone who is understood to be knowledgeable about the subject.

Probably more work for the mod staff, but might limit some of the arguments about the most discussed subjects?

 

[akrvbob]

This is my response to Sternwake in the post I put in the thread that is under dispute. I don't understand why this is so hard to understand because it is so very simple. If you don't attack or insult any other members, there is little chance a post of yours will ever be deleted (politics is the only other common reason). If you insist on attacking or insulting others, there is a very good chance your posts will be deleted.

If you don't want your posts to be deleted, don't attack or insult others. Can you explain to me why that is so very hard to understand? Is there a simpler way I can say it?

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
There is no one I respect more than Sternwake, and there is no one who I celebrate as a member of this forum more than I appreciate him. His contribution over the years is immense.  It's not hyperbole to say it's incalculable! He has made hundreds (maybe thousands) of peoples lives better by the selfless and generous gift of his time and knowledge. He has spent hundreds of hours pounding away at a keyboard as a loving gift to others. And I will forever be grateful for that.

However, this forum doesn't exist to educate about solar or electrical, or beds or toilets or any other aspect of being a nomad. All of those things are very important, but they only have value here as they contribute to the main, and only goal of this forum:

This forum exists to offer, help, compassion, and community to other human beings. EVERYTHING else is just an aspect of that.

Batteries are very important in this forum, but only because they help improve the life of another human being.

The problem is, if you post a very helpful post on any topic, but it in the post you attack another member, you have taken what should have been a generous gift and turned it into an obnoxious attack. Telling someone else to STFU is an attack that will never be tolerated here by anyone at any time.

In this forum, because human beings are placed at the top of the pyramid and everything else is secondary, the attack on others overrides all the other good things in the post.

We can survive without the information, but we can not survive attacks on each other.

Then the accusation is made that we should have just edited out that line and left the rest in. That's not going to happen for these reasons:

1. None of the moderators have the time to be editing all your posts. 
2. I think it is much more insulting to you to edit your material than to just delete it.

We're all grown ups here, if you don't act like one, your post just simply gets deleted.
 
The solution is very, very simple, don't attack or insult people in your posts!!!!! If you can do that, it's extremely UNLIKELY any of your posts will ever be deleted. 

If you can't stop yourself from attacking or insulting other people, it is very very LIKELY that your posts will be deleted. And no member gets a pass on this rule, no matter how beloved or helpful.

The choice is yours and not mine to make. You will have to live with your choices and I will live with mine.

 

[Charlotte's Web]

I am pretty new to this forum.  Minimalist extended travel is not new to me, but now I am considerably older & ready to part with my vintage Westfalia in exchange for a wee bit more security/comfort, I found this group--hoping to get up to speed on such things as solar panels, 12 volt, etc.

Right off the bat I came across SternWakes' deep trough of knowledge &, on that basis alone, gladly signed on.  I was struck too, by the overall civility of this group, but pleased also it hadn't blunted the life out of individual personalities.  We are all adults here.  Anyone contemplating a life on the road, I would assume, would be gritty.   Let's all keep our sense of humor close at hand, chill out, allow this to blow over. 

Chances are good this admonishment/deletion isn't even about SternWake.  It could have more to do with a passing mood of a moderator.  We are all prone at times to deep feelings of disappointment, or fear, or any other number of demons that plague each & every one of us from time to time. 

CRVL is a marvelous resource for a wide wide variety of people, most of whom are spirited & kind.  Let's  just give all the "participants" a little breathing room & time to lick their wounds. 

Charlotte

 

[IGBT]

At least this forum is better than rv.net.   They were cheap there and would not host pictures.   I had a 59 page thread on our custom RV build using photobucket.  Poof, all pictures gone with photobuckets new plan to charge you $300 a year or something.

I appreciate that cheaprvliving provides you with some image hosting.  I may rebuild my build thread here some day.

SternWake will probably be back.  There are only a few good forums out there.   He might post under a different name but we would probably recognize him from the good info he provides.

I got ticked off the other day when I was corrected over the use of amps per hour (after highdesertranger had also used the same term above my post lol).   I was all indignant until I actually did enough internet researching to realize the term is nonsense even though it has somewhat fallen into regular use.  I admitted I was wrong and moved on.

 

[akrvbob]

Chances are good this admonishment/deletion isn't even about SternWake.  It could have more to do with a passing mood of a moderator.  We are all prone at times to deep feelings of disappointment, or fear, or any other number of demons that plague each & every one of us from time to time. 

Thanks for your kind and thoughtful post Charlotte. I appreciate it!

But I want to clarify this.

It had nothing to do with Sternake because I love him as a member of the forum. And it had nothing to do with being right or wrong because Sternwake is almost always right.

And no, I was not having a bad day and in a bad mood. 

Any post, by any member of the forum where they tell another member to Shut the **** Up because you are right and they are wrong will be deleted. 

It's conceivable that you could communicate that it was a joke and I may allow it--that was not the case here.