Seems some folks are not happy with RCG; but is it fair to say that this site is in a state of decine ( http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/show...0&postcount=41 )?

i think it is doing great myself tons of useful info and lots of very nice people. i am happy and not leavin any time soon.

I have no problems with either site. But then again my main reason for visiting them is to talk about model airplanes. If I want hassles or stress I can watch the news....
Ezone is still my 1st choice.

the most talented people are pros and i would think they are worried about competition 'eavesdropping'. from the pritty limited scanning of some posts by the pro's its mostly just nebulous nods + winks and so forth reffering to private conversation that isent known to anyone else anyhow.

i have another view, i think that instead of being a good way to gauge a sites popularity, its a good way to gauge where the pro's know everyone is looking.

do we have some post stats? i think some of the regs could gauge pritty well the rate of posting going on, there are loads of hot threads here.

anyhow, the super talented pros dont draw hobbyists. the hobbyists (us e-flight commoners) are drawn by good info on their field of intrest and exposure to others who are interested in the same segment of this vast hobby, imo.

Decline? I don't see it. RCGroups is easily the best RC web site on the 'Net.

What I do find amusing is the link to the Watt Flyer thread you posted was started by easytiger, who is currently in yet another 5 day ban from RCG. I've lost count of how many times he's been given a time-out from this site.

Just click on the "Recent Warnings" link at the bottom of this page and you can see for yourself why he earned so many warning points this time.

It should be noted that he was permanenetly banned from RCU a few years ago. I don't know if they've ever let him return.

It may well be that Watt Flyer is the only RC site he's currently allowed to post in.

Actually, this is not a bad idea, if few trolls and Gremlins go somewhere else.

Like in life, not all schools accepts all kinds of teachers, and students.
The level of RCGroups is high. If another forum welcomes members which can not pass the standards here, ... good


As for RCGroups, I love it. Still the best, from far away, Electric Forum around.

- Excellent info
- A lot of knowledgeable, nice and fun people

It is a long time ago since I signed up here so I can't remember exactly what I had to "accept" to join Ezone. Whilst this forum can be read by all, the members here have all "joined" and in doing so have agreed to be bound by the rules and etiquette herein.

This summer has seen a rash of people who joined the "recent warnings" club, several went on to boast about their warnings and even advocated collecting the different warning points and wearing them as someting to be proud of. Those club members then went on to challenge the forum as a whole and protest that they were just victims.

I am fairly certain that without the few throwing rocks in the pond, RCG will soon return to the quality forum it was.

I'll join in the sentiments of posts 5-7, and add that I suspect over 95% of the membership has never gotten a single warning. I further suspect that I'm not alone in being unsympathetic to the antics and protestations of most of those who have been warned.

Meanwhile, the warning system is under review. While all warning mistakes cannot be avoided, there likely will be fewer in the future.

- RD

RC Groups is the de-facto standard for electric flight. I've been around here since 2001 and have learned more and recieved more tips from users here than anywhere else that includes all the mags, hobby shops and all the so called experts affiliated with the AMA.

Dave...

I'm in full agreement with RD. The main "problem" at RCG right now is a perception that rule enforcement has not been fair, equitable and consistent. Actually, the problem has always been there, because rule enforcement can never be 100% fair, equitable and consistent. But the situation escalated recently, and everyone is talking about it right now, so it appears to some to be worse than it actually is.

Think in terms of two different types of traffic violations - a speeding ticket and a citation for reckless driving. Speeding is straightforward. The limit is posted on signs next to the road. If you exceed the posted limit and get caught on a laser gun doing so, there's not much room for interpretation.

Reckless driving is a more subjective call. There can be a fine line open to interpretation between "weaving in and out of traffic in a dangerous manner" and legitimately pulling out and around slower traffic blocking the fast lane. The call on reckless driving is much more subjective than the call on speeding.

It's the same on RCG. Some calls on rule violations are more subjective than others, so there is more room for interpretation - from the forum member accused of the offense, from the moderator issuing the warning and from the administrator reviewing the warning.

I don't see where subjectivness can ever be completely removed from website forum rules, so I don't see user complaints ever completely going away. Some of the rules can be made less subjective and moderators can be given better guidance on how to enforce the rules. But there will still be different interpretations in some cases.

The best anyone can do is to try to continuously improve, and that applies to forum members as well as moderators and administrators.

Well said Dave and RD!
I think those who have been bad mouthing rcg would have been better off if they had worked with the mods etc to improve the site. Over all I have no real complaints with the forum. Not perfect and can (and I am sure will) be improved.

RCG is providing a negative customer experience to those valuable contributors that are punished by the warning points system.

Using Dave's analogy, RCG's rules are much like speed limit signs. They are clearly posted, but it is the interpretation of those signs that becomes confusing. For example, the speed limit might be 35, but will I get pulled over for driving 40? If so, will I get a ticket? On RCG is seems that the rules are arbritrarily enforced. Sometimes, some people get tickets for driving 36 while others are overlooked driving 50.

This is an inequity that needs to be corrected. Until it is, users will continue to have negative experiences that they will associate with RCG. This will work to deter people from visiting the site, reducing hit counts and ad revenue.

-Ben

Originally Posted by Ben Diss

For example, the speed limit might be 35, but will I get pulled over for driving 40? If so, will I get a ticket? -Ben

Yes you will, if a mod sees it or a member reports it. Yes, you will get a warning with those same two proviso's. You will never have 100% moderator review of every post, many forum's have new posts numbering in the high hundreds / low thousands in a day.

Funny thing, the posters on this page have a combined post total exceeding 39 thousand. There is only 1 warning among you. At least in the last 90 days, you folks don't seem to be troubled by rampant warning points.

Originally Posted by Chris True

Funny thing, the posters on this page have a combined post total exceeding 39 thousand. There is only 1 warning among you. At least in the last 90 days, you folks don't seem to be troubled by rampant warning points.

Because I refrain from posting in most cases to ensure that I do not get near the line. I have not posted a build thread in well over a year. I love this community, but I will not allow myself to get a speeding ticket.

-Ben

Interesting, thanks.