Club Member Ratios - Using the Web

[J-Elsy]

Hi all,

Whilst talking to some Club Members we got into the discussion of the internet and Forums on the internet and it came as a bit of surprise to me that out of the 15 or so Club Members standing around the 'coffee table' there were only three of us actually used the facility of any Model Boat Forums. I wonder if this is the case around the world and all the other Clubs.

The excuses for not using the facility of the web varied from not having a personal computer in the home, to they find it difficult enough to use a radio control - so how can they use a computer, but the one that really surprised me came from a 16 year old kid - he had been on a few car sites previously and found them very aggressive and one or two of the model boat sites he was made to feel unwelcome. I pointed him towards this site and several others and we will just have to wait and see if he turns up.

I just wonder if any other forum members find the same with their clubs/friends they sail with?

aye
john

[Shaun Hendricks]

What's a Model Boat Club? :D

[J-Elsy]

So, I take it that is a plus to living in the UK Not only do we drive on the opposite side of the road, but, we have this strange thing - we call Model Boat Club - where all the 'would be' sailors meet to try and be sociable to one another.

[Umi_Ryuzuki]

Locally, I found the opposite to be true.
The model boat club was agressive... Not really. :p

On the internet a lot of the early bulleting boards centered around online gaming.
People in those arenas tended to be agressive, and very condecending.
All you would have to do is wander into a Chat room, say,
"Hi, I am new, and was wondering how to level up to a big ogre?". or What is the big ogre's best weapon?"

At which point any number of people would tell you to F- off you newb go sk yr mmy @ss, followed by "I did your mmy........." and a whole tirade of crap from one or any number of members.

Despite how fun a game might be, the pregame and game set up rooms were nothing but unbridled aggression toward other members. This whole attitude carrys over to many bulletin boards, and is why bulleting boards have Moderators. Moderators exist to stop these tirades and attacks, not organize the board and messages.

Part of the problem is that it is easy to read mirth, sarcasm, and a poke in the ribs as
an all out personal attack. People quickly get on the defensive, recall their experience on or in those gaming chat rooms and someones feelings get hurt. A good example was the post were I suggested someone start a new thread to show off their model boat outing with the kids. It was taken badly by two members, and "assumed" that I was telling someong to NOT post about the outing... All misreadings of the original post and its intention. Aplogies all around, and everything went back to busness as usual.


The first members to RCgroups and all the subsequent members here have created and set the best tone I have seen, and I see it carrying over to other boards.

Keep up the great work, and the positve attitude.

:cool:

[tim slocum]

I would guess that less than 20 percent of the members of the St Louis Admirals are watching model boat forums. This is a shame because I think their missing out on some things that they would really enjoy. Why do I think this is the case? Most of the club members are between the ages of 55 and 85 years old. People in this age group are less likely to be online.

[Norway2112]

Tim, I was suprised how few people from the admirals were on here, but it sure was fun to get to meet the forum guys when I got there and put some faces to the names! I met Greenboat, Longbike, and TimSlocum I know for sure, and from what I can tell there were a couple others there that I met but dont know what their names are on here. This is without a doubt one of the best forums I've ever been on, I have been on other very welcoming modeling forums, but none were this active AND welcoming!

[steveciambrone]

This is a pretty good forum and is well behaved, not many people have complained about the conduct. People complain about the monitoring, but it seems to keep things civil. I have looked at the offshoots that have gone free willy, but the language is so poor I would not want my wife or children looking over my shoulder. I get quickly bored with the other forums and frequent less and eventually forget about them.
I am an ex-sailor so not shy about a bit of language, but not in the presence of mixed company or children.

Thanks
Steve

[785boats]

The only other members of our club that I know of that frequent forums are the purebred fasties. They visit sites to do only with speed & racing, I think.
I'll have to ask. Deestingray visits this site. He's nearly a club member. Aren't
you Dee ? :D
Just touching on your comments Umi. It is easy to see how some comments made in jest can be taken the wrong way by some people. Things can loose something in translation to "type" on a forum. You just can't hear the tone of the voice in the type. Me ? I love it . It's a way of life here to take the piss out of your mates every chance you get and expect the same. All with a smile.
Some of the things I like about this site are the witticisms, comical banter, and cutting repartee. I'm sure it makes more people than just me laugh.
Regards Paul.

[ropanach]

I am the only member of our club of 18 that go on line, granted I am the yungest of the group at 58, but I have been on boards from about the 80's, and this is the best one I have come into in all that time, yes they had computer boards then, but no pictures, I agree with Umi and 785boats as well, the comarodery(spelling) here is Fantastic!!! AND if I have ofended some one PLEASE forgive, for I am just a boat builder.

[Prins Willem]

I learned about this forum from another member in our club. Out of 56 members 33 are online. I know of 3 beside myself registered for this forum. I recently told a member who owns a Lumba Lumba to check out a thread on a Lumba Lumba. He was reluctant to register even though I told him it was free, and that the secret internet police wouldn't come in the night and spirit him away. i told him he could read the posts without registering. I don't know whether he checked the thread or not. it would be a shame if he didn't because I think he would have found it interesting.

In some cases I believe it is the stories of identity theft and terrible things caused by the internet which intimidates them.

When time permits I try to tell the members at our meetings about some of the things going on here. I hope it will generate some interest. What bothers me is there are some really smart guys in our group who could bring a lot of experience to the forum.

[Stu :)]

Far as I'm aware the SMM isn't aware of this site and the other online gems like http://www.shipmodels.info/mwphpBB2/index.php.
The few times I've seen other Kiwis online they have been here (RCG Boats) and are in the 'Sailboats' forums. In fact the only hostility I've been on the receiving end of in the RC community has come in person from the Flyboys moaning about me using 72MHz.

Stu :)

[keith S]

I am one of the active members of the NW R/C Ship Modelers at this page and at warshipmodelsunderway sites. There are about 100 in the club and I know of about 10 that visit here and participate. I personally look at this place as an online club. There are always new things to see, learn, and teach to others as well as myself. ;) The amount of history/experience in modeling here is quite impressive. :eek: :) Others don't visit for what ever reasons beknown to them ( no computer, no time, afraid of getting hooked, ect...). :rolleyes:

[Hoghappy]

I can't really talk about club members due to only having 3 in the new club...but I can, and have included a link to the site on the club web page and talk about it as well. I have visited and registered with a number of RC sites, mostly sail related, and I have to say this is the best natured and most frequented of the bunch. This site has helped me in too many ways to count. This is my RC boat board home. I hope I can give as much back to it as it has given me! :p

Capt. Slick

[mfr02]

Out of about 20 members I have a mailing list of about 10, but some are just on "pretend" e-mail via cable TV. They've all been told of the wonders of these boards which I regard as a big club, but I think maybe 4 out of twenty actually go on line.
In the UK, members of modelboatmayhem are being encouraged to wear badges when going to shows. This is great as it helps put faces to names, and you get some extra real life friends.

[Deestingray]

This was the first forum for me to join, I was actually looking for info on my Riviera when I bought it and found some in the Australian sector of this board, it has since been consumed by the plane guys. As Umi and a few others have pointed out, this one overall is probably the best out of the lot of them as far as content, manner and grammar are concerned. Other than Fleetmaster and 785boats whom I have met on this site, I don't know many other people in RC that read forums at all despite all having PC's and a lot of time to spare. It amazes me in a way at how much you learn from these forums, I find myself talking to boat and car people about things to do with boats with them looking at me like I have 2 heads because they have absolutely no idea what I am saying to them.....

And yes Paul, I should be down Saturday.......

[Bikerider]

Like my southern counterpart, Hoghappy, I am also a new club here in Nebraska, 4 of us. All are computer users but I believe only two of us visit the forums sections. The other two are in their mid 70s not much into computer forums but do know how to use a computer pretty well.