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The Modern Antiquarian Forum » TMA Members |
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Rivington Pike 153 posts |
Aug 17, 2003, 12:44
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I have been a member since June 2003 and in the top 10% of contributors, so I think I have the right to air my feelings regarding the events over the past week resulting in established members feeling that they had to leaving. I am in charge of a ‘simple’ web page for a local Archaeological Society in Lancashire. When I first came across the TMA site, I was so impressed that I instantly added it to our Link List and recommend it to our membership. On Thursday night I was contacted by one of our ‘elder’ members who had accidentally stumbled onto the Forum during the slanging match between two of our members. She is no prude but was disgusted at what she read and demanded that I take the link off our Site. She pointed out that as it was an open Forum, anyone could stumble onto it even young children and with the growing interest in archaeology and the links from numerous search engines to our site they probably had. I had to agree and have now removed it. I am not aware of any organisations out there policing what appears on web pages, and if so, how close the site came to being shut down. There was no excuse for what appeared and no one member views or way that they express themselves is worth risking the future of the site for. As soon as the particular thread became personal the whole topic should have been terminated on the Forum. I feel that the site urgently needs a ‘list of guidelines’ as to what is permissible behaviour for members. Rivington Pike
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Rivington Pike 153 posts |
Aug 17, 2003, 12:50
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Over the past few weeks I’ve been adding suggestions on the Forum which I think would enhance the workings of the site namely :- 1 – The addition of a F.A.Q. sections to the forum, so that answers to simple questions that new members to the site find so frustrating can be found in one place without trawling through 1000’s of threads. 2 – A section where ‘possible’ sites could be added until they have been checked out, this point has been hinted at by a few members but no definite answer as yet. 3 – Asking members to indicate which region of the country they lived in so that contacts could be made so that joint investigations for local site could be made. I’ve have also tried to contact a local member on numerous occasions to try and pass on information that may be relevent to his research , but I have had no reply. I have no way of knowing if I’m being purposely ignored or that the questions are being lost in the general ‘dross’ on the Forum. If it’s the former that fine, if people would tell me I would stop posting, but if it’s the latter then there is a serious flaw with the site that needs addressing. The Forum seems to be used by 10% of the membership and most of the posting have nothing what so ever to do with the main function of the site namely the archaeological study of prehistoric sites. I’m not here to rip this site to pieces, on the contrary, this innovative site contains a wealth of information, and it would be a pity to lose what we have. Holy, don’t take his personally, you’re doing a superb job maintaining such a huge database behind a great site, I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job but PHP type web page design has moved on over the past year and the site is looking a bit tired around the edges and I believe needs a revamp. I have been trawling around the Internet looking for examples of what new features the site needs and I think I’ve found them. I see from the credits of the TMA that Andy Burnham is mention. Andy has a similar site to this at http://www.megalithic.co.uk/ and this was rehashed earlier this year and contains elements that we now need. Firstly, each member has there own area where they can add as much information as they wish about themselves. They also have the ability to pick up and leave personal messages to other members. No more messages lost in the background chatter of the Forum THE FORUM is structured. With certain sections open to members and visitors, others open to members only We need a structured forum to prevent vital information being lost in long threads. THE FAQ PAGE is the one stop page to find the answer to the questions that members feel daft about asking. No more being ignored by the ‘established’ members ‘because they don’t want to repeat that answer again!!’ Best of all, THE CHAT ROOM. This could be a members only area where we could go a talk non related rubbish till the cows come home use what ever Anglo Saxon language you like and not offend a visitor to our site. The site also contains an overriding caveat IMPORTANT NOTES: Please do not use this web site if you do not agree to our TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE . Unfortunately this page is at present empty, but you can’t have everything. This revamp may cost a little bit of money, but I’m sure that Mr. Cope could spare a bob or two to invest in his flagship site !!! The site is the membership, and is nothing without the dedicated volunteers who have invested so much time and energy into it. If you feel the same way as I do let your feelings be known through the Forum. THESE ARE MY PERSONAL VIEWS, IF I AM IN A MINORITY AND ‘NOT WITH THE ‘VIBE’ OR THE ETHICS OF THE SITE NO DOUBT YOU WILL ALL LET ME KNOW IN THE NORMAL WAY IF SO I WILL PICK UP MY MAP AND CAMERA AND GO AND PLAY SOMEWHERE ELSE. Rivington Pike
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TomBo 1629 posts |
Aug 17, 2003, 13:00
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"Best of all A CHAT ROOM. This could be a members only area where we could go a talk non related rubbish till the cows come home use what ever Anglo Saxon language you like and not offend a visitor to our site." There is a chat room. And another forum (Head Heritage) where people can talk about whatever they want. Its just that people from this forum tend not to use them, I don't know why. Perhaps if they did then this forum would be more on-topic.
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Jane 3024 posts |
Aug 17, 2003, 13:04
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No, TomBo. A 'chatroom' happens in *real time* as far as I'm aware. The HH forums require - like this - a permanent post. J x
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TomBo 1629 posts |
Aug 17, 2003, 13:14
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http://www.braindonor.org/?section=chatroom
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Jane 3024 posts |
Aug 17, 2003, 13:31
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Cheers! I wasn't aware of this. I can't get in it, either :-(
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davidtic 36 posts |
Aug 17, 2003, 13:38
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thanks for that, I wasn't aware of it either. Does anybody use it? I got straight in no problem - but it's just me in there......
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TomBo 1629 posts |
Aug 17, 2003, 13:42
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That is what always seems to be the problem - hanging around on your own! Perhaps people should set a time when everyone agrees to go in there for a blether...
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pixie46 72 posts |
Aug 17, 2003, 22:18
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usually late on after the pubs shut and long into the night, gets a bit lonley in there but is great when it gets going! had some great times in there and met many many lovely funny people, even tho for the most part am usually quite drunk! peace pixie x
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suave harv 704 posts |
Aug 17, 2003, 22:39
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Rivington Pike raises some interesting points, but I think TMA site is fine as it is- if a youngster has internet access, the last thing I would be worried about is a regular antiquatrian poster's f*** you to a baiting troll. I've been away for the weekend, and my mailbox is about 5000X as sickly as the TMA forun ever was.
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