well I have been out for a few days - had to get over a cold and then I was very busy with my husband on the internet. It's good to hear form him so often but it's getting better now since he got the use of camera and microphone.
So after sometimes several hours on the internet I am just worn out from sitting on the computer.
So but now I am back and hopefully in full capacity. LOL
Thats the general sentiment I have gathered myself from others. Myself included. Though, I miss my friends here and the laughs I had. I see a shrinking number of people on here. Sadly enough its the more interesting ones(no offense to anyone) that are leaving. Maybe there should be an exit poll to discover the specifics of the exodus.
Urian,
Contrary to your assessment, there is hardly an exodus happening and if anything our servers are being loaded with people coming and going including our web broadcast. Everything is up up up! In fact, we had 95 new registrations in 1 week!! I spent 2 hours last night answering about 50 emails.
While the community forums are popular, the majority of our users simply browse the boards and do not post. Most people just listen to our broadcast and occasionally look at our frontpage.
There are many hidden members that have never posted on this site that both financially and morally support us.
I think people know my feelings that I run a tight but fair ship here. I would rather lose 50 members than to be politically correct. People have not been happy with some of the guidelines that have been enforced, but if we did not have guidelines than there would be no order to the messages and such.
Before you make such strong statements, you should really be in a position to have access to the stats and not judge the entire site on handful of vocal people that no longer frequent the site!
And for the record, there have been 955 messages in the past week. I don't know about you, but I don't think anyone could read that many messages in one week!
how many thousands of members are active? how many have posted 0 times? how many have only posted 1 or 2 times? Mac, registering as a user doesnt mean squat if those people arent active. they're placebos
and you very well what and of whom I am speaking of, mac. I said the people that make things interesting meaning posters and yo know that.
Part of the reason why some of "us" have dropped of is because their seems to be a doubel standard in regards to certain things. take mdf's comments earlier about women and gays and cowboy boots. peckery made comments that were off colored and he was reprimanded. If I had been the one to say what mdf said, I would have an email telling me my warning level had been increased...so... yeah there is a growing "distrubance" here and some fo the regualr memebers arent as active as they used to be..and there are reasons..if you'd ask
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'Dying for being different is still better than living as a Sheep'-anon
Just read through this whole thread and Paul, I would say that you missed the point of why everyone got PO'd. The issue here wasn't a numbers game. In my opinion, it seems to have stemmed from a comment from MDF (Mike):
"I don't know where Maisky is .
He didn't do anything wrong, so he isn't being punished by the moderators."
Do we really need this from Mods? This is why Urian (Mike) is saying there are double standards. This isn't something new. We have complained about this since the early days. This is the real reason Peckery went after certain Mods that abused their position. He got canned because he stood up for those that wouldn't or were scared to protect themselves. Only a handful of folks on here know the truth.
Paul, if your going to make a public claim to be fair, then you need to include ALL Mods in that to. Fortunately, in my eyes, the current group, with a couple of exceptions, you have a solid and worthy staff.
I'm really not sure what all the flack here is about, if you are unhappy with the forum then move on.
Contrary to comments here we have over 1000 messages posted a week, I frankly do not see what your concern is about.
If you have an issue with the forum, contract me directly and I will address it. Creating negative comments and a sense of a mass exodus will certainly end up in a TOS violation.
If you have an issue with a moderator, contact me with a copy of the issue. Sometimes it seems that there are complaints, but when we look into the issues there is little substance to support those complaints.
I've been hitting Message Boards since the time when they were BBS's and accessed only by 300 bps modems.
There is a natural come-and-go to message boards. For some, just like in dating, the novelty wears off and the person moves on. For some the demands of work and family change over time leaving you with less online time. For some emotions and feelings get stepped on.
I do want to make a public acknowledgement to EVERYONE here that my visits here have all been pleasant and worthwhile. While some of those neo-Socialists on the Politics Online forum have raised my blood pressure on more than one occasion, I have enjoyed every post.
I, personally, have seen no bitterness or cat-fighting. I have had no issues with either moderators or posters. Moderator abuse of power is nothing new - I've seen it on almost every board I've visited. When I ran a message board I was harder on the Mods than I was on the regular posters, because it is the Mods that set the standard. Fortunately I haven't seen it here at CelticRadio.
MDF's comment earlier about women and gays and cowboy boots was a tempest in a teapot.
I've communicated with Brother Maisky via personal email in the recent past, and I know that job issues were taking up a great deal of his time. I sincerely hope, whether he returns here or not, that those job issues resolve and he can find himself employed with a decent salary. If his employment is in Ireland then I'll be green with envy.
I fully support Macfive's comment: "I would rather lose 50 members than to be politically correct."
And while I don't care about it being a TOS violation, "creating negative comments and a sense of a mass exodus" is certainly not anything anyone of us should be doing. Why would we want to scare new people off with our comments about gloom and doom? Shouldn't that be taken somewhere other than The Jester's Court, a place of merriment?
Again, just my 2¢. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited.
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Clan Mac Cullaich: - Brewed in Scotland - Bottled in Ulster - Uncorked in America
Ya' know, I am a member of only one other forum and the difference I find between it and celticradio.net is that the members here are simply pleasant, kind, caring, civil, courteous and generally seem to be nice folks. The other board? Wow! One mistyped statement or off-hand expression of your two cents and pow! You get nailed to the wall! People there are flat out mean!!!!
So...
I am kind of surprised at the "grumbling" (my pardon if that description offends). Things here are pretty nice if you ask me.
I have been one those that has been around for awhile with minimal participaition. I've been invlovled with BBS's and chat rooms ever since Prodigy was the premier ISP (a year or so before AOL was something to take notice of). Celtic Radio has been the one that I have hung my hat on, taken off my shoes and just enjoyed. Sometimes it's better to watch people, their interaction and the results.
This site has always been known as a decent place, sure there have been others who felt otherwise. Here, there have been some problems but I believe that they have been dealt with in a respectful manner to those invloved. One of the primary concerns that always has been in background but a guiding force was (and still is) the interaction of kids with the site. Mac wanted a family oriented place that promoted Celtic music, history, traditions and to a certain extent, values. Highlander Radio (as is was in the beginning) grew just for those reasons. A common comment has always been about the spirit of the Celtic Radio Family.
A good example of this is currently unfolding. A 15 year-old young man is going through a tough time right now. Questioning life and his place in it. He posts and participates in the site. He has recieved support and well wishes from this family. Is it appropriate to recieve the same garbage that he can get anywhere else, here? There have been others who have come to this surrogate family and have left. They come and they go. Such is life.
People grow, learn and move on. That is life. Maisky was very prolific here. I for one noticed his "disappearence" as well. Peckery is the another, Urian another, and there are others. Some leave without a trace and others return. Does this mean the end of Celtic Radio? I don't believe so, I look at it as the evolution of the site and nothing more. I have probably have irritated a few that I have had interaction with to one degree or another and they have irritated me in turn. Do I have to agree 100% percent with everyhing that is posted? I don't think so. Do I agree with eveything that is posted? No. We are all human beings (at least I think so) with our own experiences. I allow for that and don't get bent out of shape at posts.
Macfive is correct. As the creator of Celtic Radio and the final arbitor of all that goes on here. If you have a problem discuss it with him. Isn't that the point of the forums?
Dear Lord, lest I continue in my complacent ways, help me to remember that someone died for me today. And if there be war, help me to remember to ask and to answer "am I worth dying for?" - Eleanor Roosevelt
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -- Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)
Group: Super Moderator
Posts: 4,789
Joined: 20-Jun-2003 Zodiac: Holly
Realm: The frontier of Penn's Woods
Do you know how many PM's and emails Macfive gets in a day... if you did it would make your head swim... he eventually gets back to everyone... I have has stuff I sent to him wait 3 weeks before I get a reply... but it does come and often with an appology for the delay.
Mac has much to do to keep this place running, new software to evaluate, code to write to make things work better and then the emails and PM's to answer; not to mention the programing of new music ( that don't happen by it'self you know! I think he is doing an extrardinary job at keeping it running... there are only 2 , count them 2, other people he lets help with all this and one is his wife! All this and he has a family too!
The Guides are here to help him keep tabs on things in the very diverse and interesting forums... if it were just him you might not have many options on topics.
So be patient he will answer; you are not being ignored!
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I support the separation of church and hate!
IMAGINATION - the freest and largest nation in the world!
One can not profess to be of "GOD" and show intolerence and prejudice towards the beliefs of others.
Am fear nach gleidh na h–airm san t–sith, cha bhi iad aige ’n am a’ chogaidh. He that keeps not his arms in time of peace will have none in time of war.
"We're all in this together , in the parking lot between faith and fear" ... O.C.M.S.
“Beasts feed; man eats; only the man of intellect knows how to eat well.”
"Without food we are nothing, without history we are lost." - SHADOWS
Is iomadh duine laghach a mhill an Creideamh. Religion has spoiled many a good man.
Group: Super Moderator
Posts: 3,069
Joined: 09-Oct-2003 Zodiac: Holly
Realm: Kentucky
I tend to agree with some of the others here. I've seen a huge turnover in this site since I joined, but actually I don't see it as being as complete as some other places I've seen. To be sure, I've not spent time on a lot of other forums. However, I've never been in any group that held together in its original form like this. The largest online group I've been in like this has been my Everquest guilds, and in there, there were only 4-5 who were actually veterans of the guild in many cases. This out of a group of up to a couple hundred characters. Things change. People come and people go. CRN is nothing like it was when I joined. Of those who helped introduce me to the CelticRadio forums, Annabelle is the only one I still see around much.
Just because people are leaving doesn't mean the site is dieing. People come too. I remember twice having the feeling everyone was leaving. And both times, I've noticed a wave of new faces once the dust settled. The listener graphs are showing increased traffic, and I can hope that as those numbers grow, more people will discover this wonderful community that is present behind the music.
It is said the only constant in the universe is change. The site changing does not mean it is dieing. I feel sad seeing people leave too. But even I have been known to leave the site for a couple months before. Most forums I might sign up with I have a tendancy to forget about after a week. This one I didn't. Got to stand for something.
As the apparent opener of this can of worms, I want to throw my two cents in. All I intended to do with this thread was, in what I thought was a comical way, ask if anybody had seen Maisky (and Annabelle). Obviously that was a mistake. There are still some wounds left raw from some past issues that we all need to get by if this is going to be a fun place for all. As with any group of people there are going to be those you like, those you couldn't care less about, and those whom you hate their guts, but if you're going to be in a group you've got to live with them all. Macfive and the moderators are all doing their best and we all have to give them the benefit of the doubt (I know Macfive isn't getting rich doing this and the moderators are all volunteers). If you have a problem with things then a PM to Macfive or the moderator of a forum (please be courteous) is the place to start. I know on the one issue that seems to be grating on a number of us Macfive heard from me on more than one occasion (and I think he may have got tired of me after awhile) and we had to agree to disagree (all our communications were of a courteous and civil manner). There is nothing we do on this website worth getting an ulcer over.
End of MacE's two cents.
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MacE AKA Steve Ewing
I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. Job 19:25
"Non sibi sed patriae!"
Reviresco (I grow strong again) Clan MacEwen motto
Audaciter (Audacity) My Ewing Family Motto (descendants of Baron William Ewing of Glasgow, born about 1630)
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Abraham Lincoln
"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum." from "Epitoma Rei Militaris," by Vegetius
And for the record, there have been 955 messages in the past week. I don't know about you, but I don't think anyone could read that many messages in one week! how many thousands of members are active? how many have posted 0 times? how many have only posted 1 or 2 times? Mac, registering as a user doesnt mean squat if those people arent active. they're placebos
Well I just want to say a big thankyou for the kind comments in this thread!!
You know, everything in my forum moderator guidebook 101 says I should delete this thread because the last thing members want to be part of is a declining forum community. But it is just such a foolish statement to make that I have to let it be!!!
What struck me was the fact that certain members are judging the success of this forum on the fact that some vocal members are no longer here. People have lives and people move from community to community. It almost is freaky because it immitates life this online internet!
We get a constant influx of new people and old people alike. Not everyone will be happy with the guidelines, but so far these guidelines have worked very well. We are not going to allow insults and negative posts to prevail and we are certainly not going to allow bullys to run rampent. Yes, this is a family oriented site and we will try our best to accomodate and make everyone feel as welcomed as possible.
In the end I whole heartedly believe that there is good in us all and while I have been known to slap around the warnings, it is more of a fudiciary responsibility that I share with the moderators for the best interest of CelticRadio.net. I don't want people to take taps on the shoulders personal, we are just trying to create a little structure and organization so just sit back and enjoy the site and interaction with people.
I really enjoy running this site and to be honest with you it does not matter if there were 50 people, 500 people or 5000 people - I would still keep building it because it is something I love to do. We all get stuck in jobs, careers and roles that we don't want to be in - well, perhaps for little while we can listen to the music and get wrapped up in something other than the 4 walls surrounding our cubes or residences!
Thanks again for everyone turning a negative into a positive!
OOOOOOOooooooooooo (she rubs her hands together and grins) This has been such an interesting thread to read this morning -- instead of working. Almost has gotten to the point of the "ModTroll" thread of old. We whined and complained about the "Mod Squad," The "Mod Trolls," "The Mod Meanies," etc. No one lost their heads over it. I too miss my big brother on here but then I miss myself. I believe we should be able to speak out on the correct forums. I thought we were allowed to do that here. Maybe not? CR is a grand place but I too have had my feelers bent but eventually come limping back. Mac has always seemed fair, especially when he didn't order those of us making fun of the moderators to have our heads removed. I agree with both sides of the issue here. hmmmm... Maybe being an old blonde broad has its disadvantages after all.
In the immortal words of GracieLou Freebush: "I reallly do want world peace!"
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JaneyMae
Tangle Goblinwitch: She is only seen in the enchanted moment between sleep and waking
"Never miss a chance to shut up." Will Rogers
Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter. Lullabies, dreams and love ever after. A thousand welcomes when anyone comes... That's the Irish for You!
I just would like to add a little bit to this post, I am relatively new here and have found that I really like it here. Several members have helped me with problems that I have had and when I couldn't log on to the site I was able to let MacFive know in another manner and he let me know when everything was fixed. When I asked for the password, so that I could post in these forums, he politely gave it to me and gently teased me about my age, making sure that I was over 18 (I am 2x that), I hae not met anyone here I did not like from the first time to now. I am no old crown ( ) poster on this board, but one day, I hope to achieve the levels of some of the others. I have truly found a place that I like to frequent and even if I don't post every day, I always come and read.
Thanks, Mac and Mace and all who have made me feel welcome and part of a greater community.