Let's clean up this board.

[MediaHound]

OK so I am not entirely crazy. That post I was intending to post earlier I found in another browser instance behind the one I was working in, thats why I could not locate the tab with what I had typed out. So I will merge my thoughts from this morning with the ideas that have been derived from this thread into the current list of things that need attention to clean this place up (and gollie, will it be squeaky clean...)

1. The image rotator on the Bananas.org homepage needs attention as far as what goes in and what stays out, that I will handle programatically.

2. Automatic User Titles need attention, they are misleading, that I want to determine a new set of titles with you guys. Perhaps totally remove the automatic titles - and encourage members to put something custom instead.

3. A "Banana Expert" plaque can be setup to assign a special rank, as deserved, and assigned on an individual basis.

4. The Hall of Fame direction is being revisited. Perhaps we will remove it altogether as some members feel they should be in it, other members feel it should be a voting procedure, and other members may not even want to be in it. It was fun when it was more intimate perhaps, but I can see how this may hurt feelings, and may not be needed. Especially with the Plaque system that will go up, perhaps we can add different merits.. we shall see how cluttered things get.. (many reading this may not even know about the Hall of Fame, its in the wiki...)

5. Add sticky threads and advise people to search before posting, and mention other tidbits of netiquette perhaps. It's always wise to check for a sticky thread before posting in any forum, to learn the rules of the land. If we put a few strategic sticky posts around, perhaps we can change the tone of things and keep certain types of (new) threads from surfacing as often. And perhaps stick other useful threads that contain answers to common problems, maybe even create a page with links to useful threads or otherwise top rated threads (you guys know you can rate threads, yes? It's right up there by where you click to go to page 2 of any thread)


6. Be a bit stricter with OT (off topic) posts, if they're posted in existing threads, perhaps split them into new threads if they get noticed by a moderator or admin. And encourage people to use the "Report Post" feature more often. This way, if a thread or a post is about to throw the train off the tracks, you guys can help the moderators and I to catch them and act accordingly, perhaps delete the post or hide the thread. <-- thats what that button does next to each post, click it to report a post. You stay moderately anonymous, just the moderators (Ron, Gabe, and I) can see the report and that you made it, the other members cannot. We get an email notice of the report instantly, and the moderators can discuss the report in a special forum that only they can see. You guys are encouraged to report posts if you feel it's in the best interest of our mission.

7. We will be reviewing the smileys and removing some of the more "questionable" ones. This will make the forum a tad bit more serious. May of the questionable ones are not even being utilized, so they will not be sorely missed.



So, as you can see, I rewrote some of those and brought it current with the train of thought. Please make some suggestions if you think of anything else, I think this is a good thread and I'm glad that we're having the discussion.

[CookieCows]

Changing this post as it was mostly hypocrisy.

[Zac in NC]

Originally Posted by MediaHound

I could have sworn I replied to Frank's post this morning, perhaps I did not click submit.
What I wanted to say was that lets then add #5 and #6:

1. The image rotator on the bananas.org homepage needs attention on what goes in and what stays out, that I will handle programatically.
2. automatic User Titles need attention, they are misleading, that I want to determine a new set of titles with you guys, so lets talk about them as suggested three posts up
3. "Banana Expert" plaque can be setup to assign a special rank, as deserved on an individual basis.
4. Hall of Fame direction is being revisited
5. Add sticky threads and advise people to search before posting, and mention other tidbits of netiquette perhaps. It's always wise to check for a sticky thread before posting in any forum, to learn the rules of the land. If we put a few strategic sticky posts around, perhaps we can change the tone of things and keep certain types of (new) threads from surfacing as often.
6. Encourage people to use the "Report Post" feature more often. This way, if a thread or a post is about to throw the train off the tracks, you guys can help the moderators and I to catch them and act accordingly, perhaps delete the post or hide the thread. <-- thats what that button does next to each post, click it to report a post. You stay moderately anonymous, just the moderators (Ron or Gabe, and I) can see the report and that you made it, the other members cannot. We get an email notice of the report instantly, and the moderators can discuss the report in a special forum that only they can see. You guys are encouraged to report posts if you feel it's in the best interest of our mission.



http://www.bananas.org/downloads/ForumOrganizerFull.msi
^ Zac, that's for you (and everyone else)
This handy software to keep track of all your forum memberships, and it also makes it very easy to log into all your messageboards, and even post the same message to each, quickly, if you want to make an announcement in a few places... It will even keep track of posts, it's pretty self explanatory. It stores usernames and passwords, they are stored only on your computer, so only you have access to them. That makes it very easy to log into each forum you are a member of and just go down the list when you want to make some posts to all your boards. Let me know if you have any questions about it or how to work it if it's confusing at first.
It should help you not forget about your favorite sites anymore. It's for Windows, btw...

Thanks for that. When I get my own personal computer, I could use that, unless I get a mac, which is a possibility. At the moment, I use library computers and I have to remember lots of site addresses.

Zac

[MediaHound]

Might want to look into Foxmarks as well or some of the other bookmark storage sites like del.icio.us Maybe they could be of use? Regards

[natedogg1026]

O.K scratch my idea.

[tlturbo]

YEAH - 100 posts.

So what is my new title?

At least I worked everyone up and it appears we have made some constructive steps forward.

Terry

[CookieCows]

I think the owner and moderators are doing a great job and trying to make this board a good place to gather and learn. I’m not saying the change is bad. I don’t have any respect for some members that are involved in this change. I believe they could have posted their feelings privately to the moderators instead of the veiled comments about other members behavior. We all know who you’re talking about. To go so far as to make snide remarks about someone’s spelling and sentence structure was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. You’re publicly bashing. Some comments make me think that you wish this was a forum for just the elite group you consider yourselves to be in. It’s priceless the way ‘your little group’ can banter back and forth in the thread and it’s ok… but if anyone else does it .. it’s irritating to you. I agree that we probably carried it too far but an announcement to rein it in might have been all that was needed. In my opinion this isn’t a forum for newbies… at the level that I’m at right now I can get the information I need elsewhere. I’ll probably come back in a year or so when I’m at a more advanced level. I think most of you are awesome but the snobby attitude that I’m picking up has just gone too far for me to be comfortable anymore and I will gain no benefit from this forum.

Looking forward to spring … have a great year.

[the flying dutchman]

Originally Posted by tlturbo

YEAH - 100 posts.

So what is my new title?

At least I worked everyone up and it appears we have made some constructive steps forward.

Terry

There you are its changed : Lol

Ron

[magicgreen]

I dont know.........maybe i shouldnt say this....but going to.....Terry you hurt some feelings......then your turn around and do what you advocated against!

[Richard]

Originally Posted by magicgreen

I dont know.........maybe i shouldnt say this....but going to.....Terry you hurt some feelings......then your turn around and do what you advocated against!

Lynn, those of us who have had a lot of contact with people over the years will tell you that some persons would rather change their story than apologize. There is really nothing we can do to change their behavior.

[bencelest]

"NOW the big question - do I get in the Hall of Fame when a thread I started gets over a 100 replies??? JUST KIDDING. Maybe my title should be "Aggitator"."

I think it was done in jest to lighten things up. And Fried Banana changed it. And again the signature was changed for some of us funny but I am sure some people won't get it.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by tlturbo

... lately I have seen this site change from being a bunch of semi serious (pretty much) banana people who talked about mainly bananas with an occasional off topic question, to a general playground for people that just happen to have a banana plant.

We now have people posting pet pictures, cartoons, tractors, lawn equipment, etc. I could care less that you have a cute dog, cute kid, new car, new tractor, have a pretty rose, etc. This is a BANANA board.

I don't think this was said in jest. Nor do I understand how a picture of equipment in an Album called Equipment in a Banana thread discussing equipment is somehow ruining a person's experience at this web site.

[momoese]

I'm very late seeing this post and honestly don't want to read the whole thing, so I have to ask, what's the point of the "Tiki Hut" if not for sharing jokes, stories, pictures of lawnmowers, tiki huts, dogs, cars, etc?

I think it's all in good fun and providing there is a specific place for it then why not? It's just people getting to know one another on another level!

[the flying dutchman]

Mitchel, thats not the point, the point is they show all up on the homepage
so it looks a bit strange when someone goes to bananas.org and see all
kind of pics of dogs, equipment and other none plant/banana pics.
But Jarred is working on that.
I have an album and when I upload pics there they don't show up on the home-page, but I can
insert them in my posts.

And indeed, the tiki hut is there to discuss other things, but we will ask
members to leave politics and religions and so out of the discussions.

Ron

[Randy4ut]

Alright, this is my last post to this thread but I just have to get my opinion in on the non-nanner post in a thread. I don't have a single problem with folks talking about whatever the heck they want to in the "Tiki Hut", but my frustration is when I am reading a particular thread about some type of plant, whether it be a nanner, ee, or whatever and someone sees a friend makes a post in a thread and they jump into the thread to talk about something else. Sometimes the particular topic is totally dropped and something that has nothing to do with the topic takes over. Its very frustating to be reading about something and then trying to relocate where the topic picks back up on down into the thread. Would be nice to stay on a specific topic that is started. If someone else wants to talk about something else, lets just start a new thread... What 'cha think about that? Just my little pet peeve... I'm done ... sorry

[Richard]

Originally Posted by the flying dutchman

...
I have an album and when I upload pics there they don't show up on the home-page, but I can
insert them in my posts.

How would I configure my albums that way? When I upload to an album, they always show in "latest pictures".

[the flying dutchman]

Originally Posted by Richard

How would I configure my albums that way? When I upload to an album, they always show in "latest pictures".

its something Jarred have to assign to your album Richard, i can't do it. It's in the code

Ron

[momoese]

Originally Posted by the flying dutchman

Mitchel, thats not the point, the point is they show all up on the homepage
so it looks a bit strange when someone goes to bananas.org and see all
kind of pics of dogs, equipment and other none plant/banana pics.
But Jarred is working on that.
I have an album and when I upload pics there they don't show up on the home-page, but I can
insert them in my posts.

And indeed, the tiki hut is there to discuss other things, but we will ask
members to leave politics and religions and so out of the discussions.

Ron

Wow, who would have ever imagined that some members of a website for backyard banana growers would be so concerned about someone seeing one of our dogs!

The internet never ceases to amaze me!

[Richard]

I believe that Jarred, Ron, and several others have done a great job of turning the original post into a discussion of positive site improvements. From the computer science point of view, a little more meta-data would go a long way.

But it is also clear that the original poster was frustrated by the following assumptions:
* a stock photo from the Barreto company was a picture of a lawn mower in my yard (neither is true)
* a stock photo from the Bobcat company was a picture of a new tractor I'd purchased (nope)
* that true lovers of Bananas only grow bananas (a good counter-example is pitangadiego)
* that there should be independent web sites for each of the over 1 million known plant taxa in the world (absurd)

Expressing opinions is a good thing. I hope also that by now some reality has set in.

[momoese]

Ok so I decided to spend some time reading this thread and one thing really stood out to me. The "Said Thanks Button" has become political. I really don't like that.