Forums Restructuring

Discussion in 'Forum Announcements and Feedback' started by Daniel Mosquin, Feb 1, 2010.

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  1. joclyn

    joclyn Rising Contributor

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    that's absolutely incorrect.

    it's a matter of how it's presented...when in rome, do as the romans do, as the old saying goes.

    here, the lightheartedness is a bit more subdued than on other sites...as is appropriate since this site is a scholarly venture first and foremost.

    i have done more than my fair share at little smilies and made some jokes in a friendly, lighthearted manner. as have many others. and i have also had ongoing banter - continuing on through to more than one thread with a few people also.

    first and foremost is providing the info that is being asked, though.

    there's a time and place and manner for the fun stuff. it's been injected by many here - as per what is fitting for that particular posting/thread and the general over-all feel of this site. in other words: it's been done within the accepted norm for this particular site. when it's fitting and/or appropriate it's included; when not, it isn't.

    that there is an excepted and accepted norm here with regard to levity is a concept you just don't seem to be able to grasp. or, more likely, you refuse to simply because you don't like it.

    which put you at a disadvantage because many people put you on block so as to avoid your inappropriate overly enthusiastic comments that were nothing more than fluff and i'm sure some of them missed some valuable bit of information you had to share. although, i can only think of less than a handful of postings from you that actually had any kind of growing information...which only means that you must have been posting in some area i wasn't going to...at least i do hope that is the case :)

    to see 20-30 posts a day with nothing more than 'hello' or 'welcome' with nothing in regard to what question the person was asking???? really! that is not what this site is about. actually, that's far overboard even for sites where posts 'just to say hi & welcome you' are acceptable!!

    people come here looking for assistance with a problem - id's or sick plants, etc. others come specifically doing research on a particular species.

    yes, be welcoming - we all should be. yes, be helpful - we all should be. there's a way to be helpful and welcoming at the same time - and still stay within what is the accepted and expected atmosphere of the site.

    you have chosen to ignore it and do whatever you want - regardless of the fact that you were asked to curtail the overly rambunctious postings...and it's been to the detriment of all of us.
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2010
  2. Frog

    Frog Generous Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Thank you so much Daniel, thank you for your hard work, and for this having been such a usable, user friendly space. I'm so sorry to hear that most of this will be gone soon, this has been a uniquely valuable and globally involved site. Unlike many forums out there that require wading through infinite babble and spam, here it has been possible to learn and exchange information.

    I hope you are disregarding the uncivil comments posted in this thread from a few, and appreciating the comments of the majority of supportive and grateful forum participants.

    I also hope that in the future UBCBG will find room to expand these forums again.

    large hugs,
    frog
     
  3. janetdoyle

    janetdoyle Active Member 10 Years

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    It is well said, joclyn. However, one thing we could all do to contribute towards solving this is just to by-pass a posting we find irritating and leave it alone, don't respond to it. At least until this little flurry is over! Almost anyone hates having their words thrown back in their face, it is shocking despite the thickness of one's skin, and one's skin is always thinner than one expects. "Pax" to all.
     
  4. LPN

    LPN Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Without sounding boring ... yes, the UBC forum has become a world wide forum.
    We move on ... speaking of which, is there any main stay forum that can somewhat replicate this?
    Where's the regular folks here, going to converse?

    Palms & exotics folks (citrus too - thanks Millet and all) know me elsewhere and are welcome.

    Cheers, LPN ... Barrie (Las Palmas Norte)
     
  5. janetdoyle

    janetdoyle Active Member 10 Years

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    LPN, note the list of online forums under the heading on the top row, "Links/Downloads" -- there's a Citrus one there... We can still talk regarding Pacific Northwest matters in the Gardening in the Pacific Northwest forum which is being retained, and we can each establish a Thread on our main favourite topic and discussions can be clustered that way. That would save Daniel some work. He is thinking of setting up a Prefix system there, too. As for just conversing, that is a problem, isn't it. Not that we did much of that which was non-plant related, though. I don't see why a person from another country couldn't weigh in on a plant they grow there, when we are discussing the features of a particular plant in the Pacific Northwest... at least I hope they can do that. There are forums at Canadian Gardening magazine, but wow, what a messy website with so much advertising and chitchat, not suitable for our people, probably.
     
  6. joclyn

    joclyn Rising Contributor

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    janet, you're absolutely correct! and that is what i usually do...or i may do something that's fairly generalized (not wanting to be direct because that can be hurtful and i do try to avoid that pretty much all the time).

    and i completely went against that generalize comment i'd made earlier - i've just had enough of it and let my thoughts go out.

    please, everyone, accept my heartfelt apology for losing my cool.
     
  7. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    None needed, joclyn.
    What surprises me most about this thread is that Daniel has left it unedited!
     
  8. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    I'm letting people show their quality, to paraphrase LotR.
     
  9. kevind76

    kevind76 Active Member

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    First, thank you Daniel for a great job! I will miss a lot of what I joined this forum for.

    I'm sure this has been covered already, and I know I will find out eventually, but just to be clear, can I, as a non-PNW gardener, post in the Pacific North West forum? I found this site while searching for info on the Wollemi Pine. I checked it out, and was so impressed, I joined! I love the PNW, and would like to learn more about it, what can grow there, etc. I want to learn, but if I can't start a thread, then do I ask my questions in someone else's thread? That may be off-topic, and it could be deleted! Perhaps for these questions, I should join a dedicated PNW forum. Maybe I am misunderstanding, but I hope I will not be shut out here.

    And, am I right in understanding that new threads for plant ID will be open to new members only?

    What exactly is the 'Hortboard'?

    I hope these aren't stupid questions.
     
  10. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    So I noticed.
    Chill science cools not the emotion of the heart.

    To paraphrase the great cartoonist B. Kliban:
    'Humans...Mysterious little creatures, aren't they?'
     
  11. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    I will miss much of my favourite sections, too. Plant ID, for one. And reading about Citrus, though I rarely participated.

    Of course non-PNW gardeners can participate, but threads in that area have to be of significance to gardeners in the PNW.


    Yes, because I anticipate -- well, I know -- that there will be people who sign up for the forum to ask 1 question and move on once it is answered, even if they are from somewhere else other than the PNW. So, there will still be ID challenges, but without a dedicated forum to it, I imagine there will be fewer, and it will be less well-organized.

    The Hortboard was the general Q&A area on the forums that took the brunt of questions asked by people who didn't know where to post. I tried my best to move those topics to the relevant subject areas so that people who were most expert on a subject would see the questions (and didn't have to wade through non-subject posts to get at the questions they enjoyed). It was a way of being considerate to both the newcomers to the forum and the long-time members, given how complex the forums were (and still are, from a usability standpoint).

    ******

    Anyway, with that, I'll have to bid adieu for a few days. I worked 12 days straight in early January, and I'm making up those 2 weekend days in lieu with a 4-day weekend now.

    Sorry I didn't get a chance to answer the questions that were asked, but it'll probably be easier to adequately address some of these things when emotions are set aside anyway. Some of the ideas are intriguing, some I'd need to be heavily convinced to discuss with my managers. But, I'll have to leave addressing those questions for next week.

    I might've addressed them today, but I had to set up the BPotDs for Thurs / Fri / Mon, and the budget reconciliation for the CFI took far longer than I expected.

    Anyway, Eric is going to keep an eye on things in my absence.
     
  12. Vdunne1952

    Vdunne1952 Active Member

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    I have no idea of the politics or otherwise of this forum, as I have just joined. I am in awe of people who administer this site and post 1000+ times on it, answering questions and being nice to rookies like me.
    Unfortunately, sites do not run themselves and cutbacks etc. put a heavy load on those who administer sites like this. I think is it silly to expect ubc to continue just because to close it is to inconvenience members who are using the site for free.
    I, for one, would be happy to pay a subscription for the vast knowledge and experience available here for ALL members.
    If an additional/new site is set up that concentrates on plants, taxonomy, identification and information, then I would love to contribute in any way I can.
    Real pity, I feel for you regular guys.
     
  13. prairiestyle

    prairiestyle Active Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    This is easily one of my favorite places to browse online. It is unfortunate that many of the forums will be shut down (but not lost) - there is a wealth of botanical knowledge to be found there - but it is quite understandable considering the circumstances.

    A sincerest thank you to Daniel and everyone else who had anything to do with the running and maintenance of this site - for all of the effort that was put into this forum. Through the largely unrecognized work, so much has been provided for so many.

    Personally I am grateful that the maple forum is still up and running - for an acer-aholic like myself it is a site that is incomparable to anywhere else on the net. The information, knowledge, pictures and cultivar information is second to none. Though I read more often than I post, it is a place where I have spent and enjoyed a good deal of time.

    Again, thank you Daniel for making this such a first-rate website, it is truly and quietly appreciated by many! Enjoy your well-deserved long weekend!
     
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2010
  14. nic

    nic Active Member 10 Years

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    This is sad news. Thank you, Daniel and Eric, and all the knowledgeable and generous members, who have provided such a wonderful resource.

    We'll just have to see how it goes.
     
  15. Nath

    Nath Active Member

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    12 straight days Daniel, you deserve your break. I hope you enjoy it. I think of the big problem is that most of us hate changes to what we have become used to, me included but I'm happy to adapt and see how things go in the future. This forum has been hugely educational and it has been great to make friends with like minded people all over the world too.

    As we can still keep in touch via PM's that shouldnt be too much of a problem and I look forward to seeing what new information on gardening and techniques comes up in future threads.

    Have a good weekend!

    Nath
     
  16. janetdoyle

    janetdoyle Active Member 10 Years

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    Thanks to Eric, too, for working on this forum. I have not explored who does what here at the management end too much, but I was aware that he was a supervisor of it as well, and he answers questions for people too as does Daniel, when he is able to, timewise... I am so pleased to hear that those who live outside the region can discuss plants which are used here in the Pacific Northwest, along with us, per today's or last night's posts from Daniel... it will be interesting to see how that specific forum clusters the questions and threads -- I hope we can all keep things together so that topics do cluster in same threads in order to minimize the trouble of finding things, say, on rhododendrons or azaleas, Japanese Maples, etc., etc...
     
  17. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    I think Eric is more than a supervisor,

    I never saw a supervisor yet and I have signed up for a lot of forums. They are usually moderators and admin...supermods (not here)

    Daniel Mosquin
    UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research

    Eric La Fountaine
    UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research

    Both admins I would think.

    Yes of course thanking Eric goes without saying, he and Daniel are extremely important to the smooth running of the forums.
     
  18. janetdoyle

    janetdoyle Active Member 10 Years

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    Thanks, Katalina25 -- I was too foggy with early morning lack of coffee to think of the right word. Whatever, they are both great and we have benefited so, with their attention to this forum. Hope it will be kept up to some degree, and I certainly along with you, wish them well and hope we continue to exchange interesting information about gardening...
     
  19. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    I'm quite sure the gratitude expressed here is inclusive of all team members that operate these forums. It is in my case.
     
  20. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    Yes of course JK,

    You can't mention all members, maybe Ron B who must now have more than 15,000 posting by now, all helpful.

    So I answered only about the role of Eric and Daniel, the main players. If they were not here then I as well as you would be elsewhere..

    See another point in question JK. You say 'team members' there are none, or I never saw any. I know team members on other forums that are given that title for their hard work and knowledge.

    Normally a membergroup named team member is created specially by administrators.
     
  21. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    There are others who are not as visible as Daniel and Eric. For example. Raakel, who helped out for awhile; the IT staff who work behind the scenes to maintain the computer infrastructure. They all do their share to make this possible.
     
  22. chimera

    chimera Well-Known Member 10 Years

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  23. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    Ah, thanks JK,

    Not spotted them. I looked, plenty of staff then.
     
  24. janetdoyle

    janetdoyle Active Member 10 Years

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    Thanks for the list of Administrators and Moderators, I should have explored that area more... and thanks to them all, for a very well-run Forum. We must now all cheer up and participate in the Pacific Northwest Gardening one and make that a total success through the quality of posts re plants used in this area, our soil issues, and so on -- leavened with humour and wit per usual!
     
  25. bertoli55

    bertoli55 Active Member 10 Years

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    Thanks Daniel and Eric. I have enjoyed belonging to this forum -mostly as a silent reader. I've learned much about cold weather gardening -something totally alien to me - and am full of admiration for those who have shared their immense knowledge and experience with us all. It is sad that the forums as we know them are ending but appreciate your position. Good luck with your work at UBC.
    cheers bertoli
     
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