Posted By Renny Thomson
What has happened to the Moderators on this forum? Have they all gone off on holiday together?

In particular
"Users must not antagonise other users of this service or post any information that could be considered defamatory, obscene, abusive or unlawful. You may be held liable for the content you post. "
Seems to have been ignored blatently over the last few weeks.

This used to be a worthwile, professional forum where you could share genuine Occupational Health and Safety information and concerns. If it is allowed to continue in the current slide it will fall into disrepute.

Posted By Tony Brunskill
These are intersting points of view given the background of other postings suggesting the moderators are being too harsh. does the fact that there are opposing views reinforce the ascertion that the AUGs require revision?

Renny I would be interested if you have particular threads in mind. I have complained that the moderators have been heavy handed but in the interest of fairness I should examine those that have not been taken down that you feel should have been.

Posted By Is Kismet
It's well known that humour can unintentionally turn itself upside down on these sorts of forums, and that people can be very sensitive about perceived slights - a bit like road rage when driving.

Now Ray, about what you just said.................................

Posted By Tony Brunskill
Ooops forgot to check the responses box.

Posted By gham
I find it funny how the digs at people (even if it's a joking type style dont always read like it sounds at the time you sent it) get left on. It's very dissapointing when internationals post who may not have the best of engilsh have the Michael extracted like in this post as just one example

http://www.iosh.co.uk/in...um=1&thread=20809&page=1

go unchecked, this sort of thing is a pure and utter disgrace and it is public and could really bring the profession into disrepute. But when you touch on a contravertial topic like, IOSH mempership etc it gets removed in the blinking of an eye.

Rant over

How long before this thread gets locked

Posted By Tony Brunskill
Ray,

I knew you were gonna say that!

Posted By Jeffrey Watt
make that "too" instead of "to" for the two times I said to.

Toodle loo

Posted By Jeffrey Watt
G'

Did you have to mate, I'm on a diet....bacon roll...mmmm.

Now as an example, the above chit chat, I find it useful in building rapport(not Kenco) with fellow posters. I think we are becoming an online community as the virtual branch thread indicates and we require a bit of social interaction further than WEL of X is Ymgm3.

Do others find that type of "chat" post on the chat forum annoying?
And if so why?

Jeff

Posted By gham
GT

That was my bacon roll and im a very young 21 year old +/- 8 years with 3.5 cholesterol +/- 3.5 maybe more + than -, with low blood pressure (Lower than 200/120)

It was good!

Posted By Descarte
I think the problem is when someone gives advice they belive is correct and are shot down by other posters in a blaze of competance and qualifications fire.

As most regs are open to interpretation and everyone has fidderent expereinces on different sites in different industries not all answers will be the same.

This leaves some posters with a bruised ego and a harsh slap in the face which leads to people getting defensive and even if they are wrong trying to justify their posts to save their reputation. This then often leads to personnal insults or sarcasm etc...

At least we have got past the stupid "my post means more coz I post 12 letters after my name" posts.

Des

Bsc Ssc MIOSH IIRSM MIEnvSci Phd NSPCA

Posted By Tony Brunskill
Descarte, I appear to be missing the point. In what way does your attack on those that debate what constitutes competence relate to whether the moderators are doing a good job? Coincidently your comments do touch on another issue that was discussed in the same private conversation. I do hope there has not been a "canvassing of support". That would be most unprofesional. Regardless of anybody's pre or post nominals.

Posted By Catman
Hi All

I am a long time reader and some time poster to this forum. I have never been personnaly jumped on for any of my posts, however I know other practitioners who dont come on here, as they feel the slightest slip will bring shouts along the lines of

'what you mean you dont know the regs, have you considered a career change?'

There is absolutely a case for the more experienced,/salty/educated amongst practitioners to steer the less experienced, as sometimes a slap on the nose is a quick way to remember, however in a career heavily based on personal competence, it can be awfully easy to stifle enthusiasm and remove confidence.

I would bet there is not one person on this forum who is an expert across the board. We all know our own weak spots, and lean on colleagues as necessary.

My message, simply is we should to an extent, self moderate, if someone comes on here asking about forklift safety, with MIOSH after their name, we should not laugh behind our hands or thump the keyboard. Simply consider the fact that they might know everything about dermatitis or legionnella.

We were all new once, and we all still make the occasional gaff, so I for one would think before picking up that rotten tomato to throw at the newbie.

TW

Posted By J Knight
Catman,

Hear, hear! Agree entirely,

John

Posted By Roger Uncles
Renny
Well said as I have been thinking the same over the past few weeks , You beat me to it lets keep it professional and to the point.

Posted By Is Kismet
This has got to be about perception. Consider the following message by a contributor to this forum(it is for illustration only and not an attempt to pick on anybody).


"If you bite the ends of a kit kat and use it as a straw you get an even better taste sensation!"

So its not just me!? Ps. try it with a penguin or similar


That message antagonises me, because it is childish, it is supposed to be on an adult and supposedly professional forum. And, I feel it brings us all down.

But where do we draw the line. Is it sarcasm, correction of items, confrontation, childishness or what?

In the end the moderators have a standard to work to, they need to be prepared to be called to account, and perhaps more importantly they and us as contributors should accept mistakes are made.

And that tolerance for all views is an asset we, as people and as safety professionals, should cultivate.

Posted By PRH
Whilst I agree with the sentiments in this thread, it is a "chat forum". As a silver surfer, I have come to terms with the fact that modern written "chat" is just the same as old fashioned "chatting". We all have preferences, prejudices of one sort or another and often cannot stay on the subject for more than a few moments before someone "bumps" the chat to where they want it to go. The "devils advocate" of old has become the "troll" of e-forums and so the world moves on.
Having said that, I would, none the less, like us to have a place where reasoned, professional debate, advice, experience and requests for help can be made in a more defined arena. Maybe it is time for a seperate forum or a renaming of one of the internal forums. This might not only make it easier for both contributors and moderators but also ensure that those of us who do not always want to "chat" do have a place on the IOSH forums?

Posted By Merv Newman
Perhaps "chat forum" is the wrong name. Even though we have the AUG we do, sometimes, just chat. And as colleagues chat to each other in the bar we do occasionally go off the subject and fall into friendly (I hope) banter and maybe a bit of cussing and swearing.

However, as this is a "public" forum the various moderators do try to remind us now and again to keep it polite and reasonably professional. I do think that most of them try to exercise a fairly light hand but we have to accept that there are limits on what is fair criticism/polite/professional comment.

This said, it was NOT me who introduced food into this thread. Since the minotaurs wound the thread around my neck and threatened to cut off my supplies of young maidens I have been quite reticent on such matters. (fried egg sandwich for lunsh)(and a glass of bordeaux)

All I said was that Theseus just had to follow the safety procedure laid down by Ariadne.

And I still think Theseus's dad went over the top on the housekeeping issue ; "Look at them sails. They're just black !"

Sorry, should have been a colon there, not a semi-colon.

Merv

Posted By Jeffery Watt
I've been using this forum since 1997 or 8 I think when it used to be an orange colour. I honestly can say that I didn't think it was much different then than now i.e. incredibly helpful.

If it wasn't for Merv and others coming from the leftfield with a bit of Greek Mythology now and again I wouldn't bother logging on every day because generally folks I feel conciously competent in most of the basics of OSH now. So the "chat" element is a loss leader that brings some of us into the supermarket where we spend on other more serious items, if you get my drift. And hopefully pay back to the newbies what we got from our elders and betters who helped us.

If "chat" equates to unprofessional conduct then we live in a strange world. A world where we attend meetings at work but do not ask about each others kids:unprofessional, or ask how was your weekend:unprofessional. When you take it in context of the real world there is very little frivolity here but there is just enough to keep things interesting. Bit like salt.

Swearing has almost completely disappeared including asterisks, that is an improvement I have seen over the past months. So we can self regulate. Homeostasis of asterisk???

I was greatly helped and brought on by folks on here in the past so I feel a duty to comment on subjects I feel strong on. If I am corrected/criticised for my advice by others well so what, I might learn something new from anothers point of view.

We do not need a tighter regime ring fenced for discussion. It already exists and is called the members forums. Guaranteed kiss of death for any meaty debate in my experience.

Recent attacks on women by someone called MAT were just not funny and did hang around for a long time before being stricken. They were so blatant I couldn't believe they were missed. Didn't inform the webteam myself although I thought about it, so I can't complain about the mods missing it. We all have a duty on here to keep it light and friendly and mob predatory posters like crows on a buzzard.

We are being judged by the outside world. Emmmm...so what. I pay me dues. IOSH does not pay me for anything , I pay it. I don't see there being a lot of lost revenue to me or IOSH because by some mad stretch of the imagination Bill Gates or other Captain of industry looks at this forum and says " Hmm those guys are a bit whacky 3% of the time..new memo..only use American safety guys in our global operations from now on". Do we seriously think that decades of IOSH kudos will be flushed because of a few Kit Kat v penguin posts. Do we seriously think anyone other than safety people surf here? Who are we being uber professional too, who are we trying to impress, what audience of note is there apart from ourselves? Can I go to bed now?

Anyone wants to edit that lot till it makes sense or segways better feel free.

Shazbot, Nanoo-Nanoo.

Posted By gham
With regards to the Kit Kat Scandal.

I would like to thank Dave for that, excellent experience. The penguin was a bit tricky.

It nice to know that I've tried something different and lived a little!

Posted By Descarte
IMO I think that even though moderator moderation may have declined ever so slightly, self moderation seems to have increased.

£+ months ago we were having friday fun threads every week, sometimes even more than once a week! And this was sanctioned if only slightly (as long as it was safety related friday thread / rant) by the moderators. Even this has been stiffled, not by the mods but by other members who think a brief personnal sentiment after answering someones questions reduces the professionalism of the forums.

What happened to that thread about the stuffyness and poor image of safety professionals, how many people posted on their of ways to increase the image and that of IOSH, how many people were all in favour only a month ago to remove the stigma of the safety advisor?

Seems with the variety of ages, industry's, back grounds and personalities that use these boards you will never get everyone happy. Sure the forums need to be professional, but if there was nothing slightly personnal about these forums then none of the more lerned members who contribute here who have anything to stay for if all the friendly baner and communication was lost.

In an profession where networking, communication and building up of useful profesional relationships within safety circles is of paramount importance, seems to be a lot of people trying to stiffle that on here

Des