Vandwellers and Social Media, Forums, etc.

[karl]

Followed several different forums over the years- most I tired of and moved on, either because of the flaming and BS, or just boredom and new interests.<br />This is the ONE that I continue to follow daily. I don't post a lot, or chat, but I'm around.<br />Most forums are just people posting, but this one has a more "friends who haven't met yet" feel.<br />Yup, there are some posters who I would have booted from my "house" in a heartbeat....but most of the real PITA's disappear to find fresh prey after a while. The Mod's deserve a lot of credit for that, and I am grateful for their diligence and caring.<br />Salute!

 

[Stillwater]

There are half a dozen forums I'm somewhat actively involved in - each of them involving a "special interest" of mine. I'm moderator on three of them. I find I need to take time off from one or the other every 6-8 weeks for a bit of time just to readjust - put everything into perspective and try not to see things with a cynical eye. While I enjoy both the information and people, there is so much more to do outside! <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br /><br />I will offer this observation that I've made privately to some of the other mods:<br /><br /><span id="post_message_1275489024">This group attracts folks who desperately look for independence, freedom and to be out from under the yoke of "the man." I get that, really I do. I'm much the same way and the reason why I consider myself moderate when my views are actually some of the extremes of both political parties: Wanna gun? Act responsibly and it is nobody else's business. Want to marry another guy (or girl/girl?) This effects others how? Go for it. Grow some weed for personal consumption? Couldn't care less. Want an abortion? Not a decision I would make anymore but I wouldn't remove that decision from others. There is more than one path to happiness and enlightenment.<br /><br />I'm strongly independent. Willing to help those who try to help themselves, unwilling to just carry those along who won't help themselves. Want a hand to get back on your feet? Done. Want to be taken care of by others for life when you are capable of taking care of yourself? Not gonna happen. I feel like what others do is their own business as long as it doesn't effect others and all participants are adults and of sound mind.<br /><br />Unfortunately, this same personality type bristles at any perceived suppression of their freedom.</span><br /><br />What many folks forget is that a forum is like a dinner party to which you've been invited in someones home. Someone has invited you to camp individually as a group in their yard. Nobody wants to "stifle" you but your freedom ends where the other persons nose begins. It's not a democracy but we're all guests. Some of us were asked to be campground hosts. We're supposed to gently remind everyone of the rules of the campground owner. Asking that, while he has extended his place to you as an invited guest, that you behave as a good guest and not cause everyone to be uncomfortable or not enjoy their visit. If you're the loud drunk, shooting fireworks off at 2am, yelling, getting into fights with others, etc., you will be asked to leave. <br /><br />I check in every day or two for 15-30 minutes. Steve puts in a lot more time and has had some great, thoughtful responses. Katie spends an inordinate amount of time and loses sleep over not hurting folks feelings and doing the right thing.&nbsp; <br /><br />If you disagree with a mod over their own personal feelings, that's just a forum. Everyone can disagree but be polite. If you want to insult and belittle them personally when they're just trying to do their job - and I speak of Katie specifically right now - then somewhere on the internet there is a place calling your name but it's just not here. Once is an error. Twice is a troll. <br /><br />At least one forum I'm on, there is an infraction for "Mod Sass." Not when you personally disagree but when you want to argue about their decisions as a mod. Once is an infraction, twice is banned. This forum has about 25,000 members and the act is codified. Here, much smaller and things are played by ear though seldom is a major decision made without group involvement.

 

[Guest]

Thanks PM, I like how you put it and am in complete agreement...thanks for your service to the group and thanks to the other mods...you are who&nbsp; makes this a pleasant place to be,...<br />Peace,<br />Bri

 

[Stillwater]

Thank you, sir. I've come to value your opinion, maturity and insight greatly.

 

[karl]

"Thanks PM, I like how you put it and am in complete agreement..."<br /><br />x2

 

[Seraphim]

VT

A forum is a constantly changing creature, with components coming and going as their needs change. I spent ten years on a literary forum. After it filled my educational needs I became a mentor, but after awhile it paled as new people came in requiring the same attention. I was helping fulfill the needs of others, but it was no longer any aid to myself. Eventually, I had to look to my own needs and slowly wound down my participation. It served a purpose for me, and I made many professional contacts, and there were people who helped me develop and promote my art.

Eventually, though, it was time to get out of the forum. I think it's the nature of the beast.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

This place is super laid back from a moderation standpoint.&nbsp; Its commendable they are so understanding and amazing that it runs as smoothly here as it does (a credit to the nature of most vandweller's generally respectful attitude i think <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />).<br /><br />The other forums i frequent have specific rules (sticky at the top of the individual forums) and if you violate them you can be infractioned (leading to), temp banned or banned.&nbsp; You aren't allowed to argue, complain or post about any mod action, even indirectly, or its a banning (pm a senior mod once is ok if you are respectful).&nbsp; I don't mind it at all, and i have gotten infractions.&nbsp; I understand that a forum is not a government building or public forum, and is completely under the private control of the owners who pay to run it.&nbsp; There is no majority rule, no freedom of anything or from censorship etc, there is only the rules of the private owner.&nbsp; They can set the topics to be posted about in both broad and specific terms, and cut out anything they determine is unacceptable in whole or part.&nbsp; If I didn't like said rules than they wouldn't mind a bit if I left.&nbsp; They run their forums for a specific reason usually, and their goals are the important part.&nbsp; I don't pay to post, they pay so I can post here.<br /><br />People are going to be sarcastic and snarky on the internet, its the nature of the beast.&nbsp; A certain level of thick skin is gonna have to be adopted by the members.&nbsp; People get under my skin online sometimes, and I just have to remember that none of it really matters in the end, and just remove myself from argument/topic/whatever and go onto other topics.&nbsp; <br /><br />However, mods can basically have a rule, no flaming (posting incendiary remarks, get it?) or attacking other members, at the sole discretion of the moderators (of course), that keeps it from going too far.&nbsp;&nbsp; What is too far?&nbsp; Anything that doesn't contribute to the topic and/or focuses on the other poster themselves is a violation.&nbsp; This is handled in pm by the mod.&nbsp; The offending posts are deleted, maybe replaced with a professional mod note why it was deleted.&nbsp; Infractions are just warnings to say "Hey, you are flaming and too abrasive, please remain respectful and on topic."&nbsp; If they argue or continue, than just temp ban them.&nbsp; If they want to come back, they can come back with a cool head or get a perm ban.&nbsp; <br /><br />Im not trying to say this is how you should run it here, you are doing a fine job and this is a great place.&nbsp; Im just worried people think this is a tough mod staff or the rules are too strict, which is quite frankly not the case.

 

[VanTrekker]

<p>Let me add to the&nbsp; *** THANK YOU's *** to the moderators.&nbsp; They do a great job of guiding the forum along.&nbsp; We are a bunch of characters - most of them pretty nice, fortunately.<br /><br />I just checked out this thread and it grew a lot recently.&nbsp; I suppose forums are like the Gordon Ramsay TV shows.&nbsp;&nbsp; For a while they are fun and captivate us and then we pull back and do something else for a while...<br /><br />And then we return...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br /><br /><br />I agree with the comments that were recently&nbsp;made about some silly, distracting, unproductive, or snide&nbsp;comments.&nbsp; One of the most helpful tools is to look at everything a person posts.&nbsp; You can see patterns and if someone posts something (in humor?) that might offend, he/she probably does it in other posts.&nbsp; That way I know that it's nothing personal about me...&nbsp;<br /><br />Have a good one!</p><p>V.T.</p>

 

[yesican]

I agree..the mods have done great with all us independent thinkers.&nbsp; And, as long as you all realize that I'm always right and you're always wrong...we'll all get along!!!<img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br /><br />P.S.&nbsp; I truly do admire Katie and Steve...thanks for trying to keep this place livable.<br /><br />Rae

 

[josephusminimus]

The mods do what someone probably has to do.&nbsp; Sometimes they do it heavy-handed, sometimes they do it else-wise.&nbsp; However they might do it, without them the forum would be a a war zone I personally wouldn't choose to visit.<br /><br />I mainly come here for information, for reading what others are thinking about, to get ideas for various tech or mechanical issues related to my lifestyle, and to add earmarks inside my head for things to think further on.&nbsp; Sometimes I find myself moved to get involved in discussions and my nature's to be a wiseass.&nbsp; Sometimes this offends.<br /><br />I don't mind, when someone finds my wiseassedness offensive, having my immortal prose deleted.&nbsp; I don't much care when someone else has his immortal prose deleted.&nbsp; I wouldn't care if I were banned, if someone found me so offensive they believed I needed banning.&nbsp; I'd probably consider re-registering under another name, lurk on the tech and mechanical forums for ideas, and ignore the rest of what goes on here.<br /><br />I'm not looking for any new best friends.<br /><br />But I'm glad the mods are here and glad someone's willing to do it.&nbsp; I'd never do it myself, and someone has to.&nbsp; In that sense I appreciate the hell out of the mods.&nbsp; But I couldn't care less how they do their jobs.

 

[josephusminimus]

katie you can never please them all<br /><br />if they keep posting their drivel.. boot the poopoo heads out<br />I have not been here for 2 months, and reading through the comments today I already am fed up with two of them!

<br /><br />It ain't as though the forum's a needle in your vein you can't remove.&nbsp; For that matter, there's a way a person can scroll down so's to not read whatever he/she's 'fed up with'.&nbsp; Or you might just report what you find offensive drivel to one of the mods and try to have it expunged from the universe, try to get the poopoo heads out.<br /><br />Words on an internet forum are just electrons on a screen arranged to communicate ideas.&nbsp; They're put there by strangers, mostly.&nbsp; Can electrons really be such a cause for concern as to find yourself 'fed up' and no means of escape?

 

[josephusminimus]

Some people on another thread are making fun of a guy who's trying to inform and warn everyone about the devil taking over, though.&nbsp; Sure pisses me off to see all that tongue-in-cheek about something earth-shaking and serious.

 

[sl1966]

This is not his first visit here, nor is it his first devil alert. He once brought up using Ayahuasca which is something the shaman use in a part of the world my mother is from. It's a very powerful psychoactive drug. I figured he must be alright and a well traveled person with lots of stories to tell so I sent him a PM. I figured wrong since he admitted using it and was not ok any more. Instead of a rational response of he'd never been there, or yes I have been there, or I don't want to talk about it, I got the reply of ... "<em><strong>I have a feeling this web site is an information gathering black op program.&nbsp; I take the 5th.</strong></em>" ... and he stopped posting or visiting the forum with his account. Personally I think he downed another 5th of the ayahuasca is what he meant.<br /><br />Hence I am now half lizard people.<br /><br />

 

[Guest]

So lizard man....have you seen the documentary called "DMT- the spirit molecule" ?&nbsp;<h3 class="r"><a class="l" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;...w&amp;sig2=D_ceO_eio9wubT8N4q3ZoA&amp;cad=rja">Dimethyltryptamine</a><br /><br />http://www.thespiritmolecule.com/</h3>Apparently Ayahuasca has a lot of it in it....interesting drug and apparently nothing at all like LSD or some other hallucinogens. Psychoactive as hell but it is now thought of as what is active in our brains during spiritual or meditative states...also during the "after death" episodes that folks talk about if they return to life....<br /><br />My last VA doctor went to Peru to take the drug under a shamans guidance. She now has a alternative practice in town here practicing wholistic medicine....unfortunately the VA doesn't much recognize that so I am with another VA doc...lol. She is still a good friend though...<br /><br />Bri

 

[josephusminimus]

This is not his first visit here, nor is it his first devil alert. He once brought up using Ayahuasca which is something the shaman use in a part of the world my mother is from. It's a very powerful psychoactive drug. I figured he must be alright and a well traveled person with lots of stories to tell so I sent him a PM. I figured wrong since he admitted using it and was not ok any more. Instead of a rational response of he'd never been there, or yes I have been there, or I don't want to talk about it, I got the reply of ... "<em><strong>I have a feeling this web site is an information gathering black op program.&nbsp; I take the 5th.</strong></em>" ... and he stopped posting or visiting the forum with his account. Personally I think he downed another 5th of the ayahuasca is what he meant.<br /><br />Hence I am now half lizard people.<br /><br />

<br /><br />Likely as not black ops information gatherers just enjoy reading about people using the john into buckets and covering it with cat litter.&nbsp; Not much in that not to like.<br /><br />I dunno about you being half-lizard, though.&nbsp; Seems to me you might be a regular person trying to use one-upsmanship on himself to pretend lizardhood where you ain't earned the badge.&nbsp;

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

<span style="color: #0000ff;">re:Hence I am now half lizard people.</span><br /><br />I'm pretty sure Steve meant the person he referrerd to implied Steve is 1/2 lizard people, not Steve implying he is half lizard people. Or I'm confused and will step out of this thread.&nbsp;

 

[LeeRevell]

After checking the Net for van living related forums, I have come to like this one. I have many different interests and am on at least one good forum for each. Sometimes it takes awhile to find that one particular forum with the kind of folks I can jell with.
Each forum is different. Most follow the idea that they need to be 'family friendly', so no cussing, no hot political views, no religious arguments, no sniping in personal attacks. Others have a special 'mine field' type area for members to engage in such antics, "enter at your own risk". Gives some a place to blow off steam without hurting the greater forum membership.
As to 'social media'...... I have utterly no use for it. I tried 'farcebook' once, as two real life friends said we could use it to communicate. I had my doubts, as we already met personally, had each other's phone numbers and traded e-mail. I was proved right. I could never get them to 'talk' to me on FB, but got a lot of other flack, folks I didn't know trying to 'friend' me, trying to get me into weird role playing games..... I finally bailed out and shut it down. I have no use for Tweeter or the others either. I understand a lot of folks like to keep in touch with family and friends on them - it's just not for me.
Since I work as a Programmer all day, sometimes I do need to take a break from the online world. Fortunately, there's a whole wide Real World out there!