RSPB communities - life after year one

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE RSPB FORUM from me.   (A little late but I've been away.)

The forum was a wonderful place once upon a time, but many of us are becoming disillusioned with the way it is going. I am very sad to see so many regulars either leaving or simply popping in occasionally, reluctant to post  ... and we all know why, but nothing is done.

One of the problems of late appears to be the lack of time the moderators have to actually moderate. Maybe this problem could be addressed by appointing a dedicated moderator, who has fewer other jobs to do and therefore more time to concentrate on the job of moderating.

We could also do with the Terms and Conditions being less vague and more specific as to what constitutes abuse.

I agree the edit facility needs serious changes and can add nothing to the suggestions already made. I also believe some form of Ignore Button could be tested out.

Having said all that, I sincerely hope the forum returns to how it used to be - an enjoyable and friendly place for us all to share our experiences and photos with humour, generosity, respect and kindness.

EDITED 13th September 10-34am

I am now using the edit facility to add what I should have said in my original post.

I wish to thank all the forum members and staff who have helped me over the past 11 months or so - I have learned so much from this forum, far more than I could ever have learned from anywhere else, and will always be grateful for the willingness of others to help a complete newbie to bird watching and garden bird feeding, not to mention photographing these lovely creatures for my own personal records, and I sincerely hope this will continue in the future. THANK YOU. xx

I am still a newbie here, so possibly not qualified to comment, other than to say how much I am enjoying my membership here, in awe and admiration of so many of the photographer members and the knowledge of birds possessed by many here. It's wonderful!

However, to throw a wee spanner in the works, Besides having worked with many victims of abuse, I'm an admin on another forum with some 1,500 + members and we do not have ANY moderators now.

That forum has been going for over five and a half years, during which time there have been but three occasions when egos have clashed. About the same number of threads have had to be deleted during that time, too.

That group has one primary purpose and some simple aims, but there is an area where chat of any sort that is suitable for family readership is permitted. When a member's post has been deleted, a simple message has been left stating that the post was inappropriate for the forum or the spirit of it.  We have never felt it necessary to ban any member, with the exception of one who joined and posted graphic pornographic images overnight. (They got no explantions as none deemed necessary!)

Only a couple of members have chosen to delete their memberships over the years, and because their feathers were ruffled and pride pricked. However, we have NO boss or bosses on that forum, and all staff members are simply considered as trusted servants with specific jobs to to, and are considered to be on an equal footing with every other member. It takes a bit of getting used to for some, but it sure cuts out any sense of rivalry for prestige or position, and fosters a greater degree of responsibility for one's own actions.

It has been my experience, that many forums have elements of human power-struggles within their membership and, regardless of the ages of members, many members have emotional issues they are unaware of that creep into their activities and posts. Whereas others may well recognise this, those members affected may well not do so. That is just as true in life, and it achieves nothing useful for others to attempt to change any but their own reactions to those members or their posts. Sometimes that means stepping back, biting one's tongue, and recognising that, to react, is simply to hand over power over our own emotions to that  person.

It's a bit like my five years old grandson complaining to me that his older half-brother made him feel a certain way because of something said, whereas the reality is that the little one's emotional reaction, hurt pride or whatever, was actually what made him feel that way. Once he is able to see that for himself, he can also grasp that he has the choice as to whether to react or not - and is thus empowered and able to deal with his older brother's effect on him without resorting to fisticuffs or tears. He can see for himself that, whatever has been said, says a lot more about his older brother's shortcomings than ever it does about his own. (And peace between the kids is again restored, even if they refuse to speak to each other for a bit! LOL )

That is the main reason why, where I'm on the forum admin team, we have no moderators - when present, they have no control over any individual's emotional reactions, and it is very time consuming, as well is an impossible and thankless task attempting to exert any! There is a little prayer I find myself uttering when the temptation to intervene threatens to get the better of me, and that is...

'God, Grant me the Serenity to Accept the people I cannot change,

And Wisdom to know that is me.'

Sometimes I have to repeat that a few times to myself, but it's always answered if I allow it to be. ;) That is my choice and up to me. My job to discipline myself and my own emotions, not that of a moderator to feel forced to take action. They are often kept so busy with the regular admin tasks needed to run a forum, that they have little choice but to resort to the delete button if things get out of hand, and no time to become involved in controversy or take sides.

Sorry, I'll get off the soapbox now and creep away back under a rock, before I get further carried away. ;)

Well happy birthday RSPB communities!

It has been great to be part of something that has grown so much recently and has the potential to be the one-stop birds and wildlife community online.  Granted, there are creases to be ironed out and this last year should be treated like a learning curve.

I look forward to seeing what changed come with the updates at The Lodge, as personally I feel the operating systems for the community are what lets it down.

Thank you to both staff and members, I've enjoyed being a part of it.  My one regret being I can't spend more time here lately.

Well expressed OD could not put it better myself.

What you have said is true that there are a lot of personalities on Forums.  Forums to me are place to talk about an interest ie birds/Photography/Gardens/Cookery and not for any other reason than what the Forum is about.  Life is far too short, so why let anything change the fact that this is a Bird/Wildlife Forum.  That is my prime aim to enjoy the hobbies that I have with likeminded interested 'bird' people.  So let it be that way for all people here.

Hi Paul it is great to see you when you say hello, and I love the stories about your mice they are so cute. 

Yes, There are going to be a lot of changes happening at the Lodge Reserve, and I for one and going to embrace what wildlife will be there in the next year or so. Love to see the Dartford Warbler if one decides to pop in for a visit. Of course the Crossbills sightings go without saying.  They are the stars of the show over a good period of time now.

Anyway enough said now with answering the ongoing posts

Regards

Kathy and Dave

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!!!

Would be great if the page numbers for each thread were at the top as well as the bottom of the page, to save endless scrolling down. Maybe i'm just being lazy though.

Hi

A very happy first birthday to the RSPB forums.  I can't believe it's gone a year already but I suppose time flies when you're having fun.  I've learned a lot in the time I've been posting here and for that I'm very greatful.  Many thanks to all the RSPB web people and all the posters for making this a great site.

Here's to many more years!


Paul.

i have read what od has said with great interest. i agree with the great paulo freire.

Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.

I suppose I should say  a belated "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" to the forum and it is a bit late. As far as I am aware this forum began around 24th July 2009. This is confirmed on the Loch Garten blog of that day by them enjoying the new forum on 24th July 2009. See http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/blogs/lochgartenospreys/archive/2009/07/24/woooo-all-new-posh-web-page.aspx

I did not manage to say anything for a few days as the changes meant I found difficulty in logging in! So people were spared my comments for a few days until I got around the problem.

Yes this is a great forum and has grown a lot in its first year. It is great that the RSPB took this initive as it was sorely needed.

I think that the ability to edit posts is one of the great features of forums. I appreciate that it can be open to abuse but then most things in life are.

The news of the software upgrade is most welcome. Still at the end of the day it is a learning experience and that is never ending.

I am always amazing that people are now doing things routinely that were almost unimaginable even five years ago.

Best wishes for the year ahead.

What a brilliant idea, Izzy!