Decline of this forum!!!!

[Hostage_Negotiator]

Its official******
This now must be the absolute f*ckin worst mil site going!

Sorry Jay' this place used to be gleaming but of late its become a haven for B*llshitters, Bluffers and Walts! and then there's the alleged experts who seem to post on every subject with an air of authority.. sorry guys but you're full of sh*t!!! You've got everything from long retired Para Reg telling serving Rocks what their role is to kids asking if they are at risk of being killed when driving!
It's no wonder the old and bold have bugged out, this place is embarrassing! Mods this should have been gripped long ago but some people are too comfortable having hot air blown up their asses!

This forum is a shadow of it's former self and I for one will not be back until it returns to its former glory as the premier mil site!

[Hostage_Negotiator]

25 views and no reply!

Truth hurts!
I wash my hands of this place & won't be back until somebody grips it and puts it back to its former glory!
There are some top blokes & lasses on here but the W*nkers are running amok!

[rockapegooch]

I'm about to join the RAF Regiment and have been looking around this site for a couple of months now. Although your entilted to your views I'v found these forums very helpfull and answered loads of my questions. Good job

[anglo-saxon]

I'm with HN on this one. This place has taken a serious nose dive in the last while. I joined in 04 and it was outstanding. I've met some excellent guys on here and it has been a chuckle to say the least. In the last 18 months to 2 years, though, I have seen one key character aftre another drop off the radar as more and more nobbers infiltrate and are tolerated just a bit too much.

I have very lttle time to be on here, but I have always dropped by as there was always somehting decent going on or worth reading. Now, though, it's just getting plain boring and silly. I think perhaps the "Top Gun 2" post was the last straw!

When we humour such 'tards, we do a singular disservice to this forum.

So then, as with HN, I think I shall thin out mostly, dropping by only very occasionally to see if someone eventually gets a grip on the place.

Ta-ta!

[mutter1]

That bring's up a question, where's Harry Hackedoff?...he has not posted in 2 months....I hope he's well

[Paddysprat]

I'm sorry to hear that HN and AS are unhappy with the way this forum has gone. I can't comment on this as I have only joined the forum recently.

However, I have seen people come onto the forums asking questions only ex and current serving personnel could answer. Some of this advice has no doubt given these future recruits and parents something to seriously think about.

I have seen a woman, claiming to run a charity for service personnel with PTSD, be royaly slated by members of this forum and shown to be a potential con artist (www.bafos.co.uk is no longer up and running).

I have also seen some incredibly duff posts (this includes 1 from myself) but I choose to ignore these and concentrate on those where I believe I can offer some inteligent input. Some posts I can't read because they are blocked and only certain memebers can read them.

What exactley used to be posted on this forum?. On occasion I have seen people asking for advice and there are no replies or very few. Unless it is from a 19 year old female with a link to her myspace profile pictures.

I personnely joined this forum because I have an interest in and a love for the forces, in particular the Army. I wanted to give what advice I could to people wanting to join, who have sons and daughters joining and those with children wanting to join. I wanted to join in discussions about the rights and wrongs of past military acts (i.e. the Belgrano.......yes it was the right thing to do at that time!)

A.S. I have read many of your posts and have found them to be usefull. On occasion taking the P***. However, taking the P*** is part and parcel of hanging around with military types and again is something I enjoy about this forum. A bit of banter can do wonders in brightening my day up.

I'm sorry you both feel this way and would be interested in hearing about what this forum "used to be like". Saying you are leaving and not giving examples of what used to make this forum interesting to the old members, does not help the likes of us new members. How can we help when we have no examples of "what it used to be like". Maybe you would sooner see the new members just f*** off? I don't know but new blood always brings new problems. Constructive advice may help!

For my part the only thing that bothers me at the moment is reading threads from teenagers who have a less than basic understanding of the English language...........but hey, they're teenagers! Like the rest of us they grow up in time.



As for Top Gun 2 I've posted my view on this in that thread.

[Wholley]

I'm not biting.........Period.

[Hyperlithe]

Personally I find there's quite often a bit of 'topic snobbery' going on from some of the older members. I've been visiting this site for over 4 years, both as someone who was interested in joining the Armed Forces, and as a serving member of the RAF, and there hasn't been a time when we hadn't got the odd nobber or walt causing problems. It certainly isn't any worse now than it was when we were getting regular pillocks from arrse deliberately trying to start fights.

However, I have seen on a number of occasions a mod locking a thread which is in no way offensive, purely because they themselves have no interest in the topic discussed. This is not supported by the terms and conditions as posted on the entrance to the forums. Where does it say that as this is a military forum you can only write about military subjects? If it's not something you want to join in on, then just don't! If noone else is interested either, then it won't get any replies and that'll be the end of that thread.

It is starting to seem like noone is allowed to post on pointless subjects unless they have been a member for a certain length of time or made a certain number of posts.

Fair enough, some of the noobs ask ridiculously stupid questions, but isn't it our responsibility as current and ex-serving military bods to help them out and give them a steer in the right direction?

I'm not about to throw my toys out of the pram and threaten to leave, but I will probably just restrict my posting to helping out anyone asking for advice in the RAF side of the business from now on.

[Doc]

Well what an interesting thread. I had pulled the pin as I have similar feelings to H_N when it comes to how this place has felt over the last few months.

Whatever our individual feelings are, we have lost many a long time member of the forums of late, for their own reasons, but I would hazard a guess that those feelings in part share a common thread.

Now already in this thread some nails have been hit on the head, some against the standard of posting and some against the standard of moderating. I for one find moderating a hard job, you are dammed if you do and dammed if you don't most of the time. Moderators by default are also members, who by definition are allowed to post their own feelings and remarks to others posts and subjects. They are not however allowed to use their moderating keys to be influenced by their personal feelings. If I, and I know I have, been guilty of this on times I apologise now. Endex.

I did, not that anyone noticed, leave the site a few days back due to the frustrations of not only moderating but being part of a military forums that has tended to slip into the realms of non-military related issues. I asked myself should I be moderating on posts of a non-military nature when it doesn't say anywhere that you cannot post non military related posts, on what is a military focused forums? This subject has been raised before and the "NAAFI" was created. Now it is neither the moderators fault or constant responsibility to point out to members of how ever long their standing here to post in appropriate sections of the forums. We have enough battles with spelling and spamming.

However speaking about military forums and it not actually stating anywhere one cannot post on other subjects is sort of irrelevant, I wouldn't join a gardening forums to post about the nocturnal sexual activities of the African Elephant? I would join the african elephantsex. com forums (not many members and they are all slightly odd)

Just as I am someone who observed not only the rules but the character of the forums before my first post way back when, and am not posting TA questions in general discussions, but in the TA section....chances are I'd get a better and more accurate response.

Why does all this bother me? Well when I joined up and served, standards were trained into me and they remain, in every walk of my life and this is what attracted me to this place and kept me posting.

I also felt it was like the NAAFI one minute, full of banter and fun, that unique squaddie humour, and I must admit I enjoyed the odd slagging match. It was how it would have happened if I was sat with oppos at the bar and some twonk asked another question about press ups or can I join the SAS (but I'm a disable 16 year old female who is oppossed to war)

I also liked to learn about other arms of the forces and members from overseas. Members currently serving and those who served before my time. I've made friends and caught up with old ones.

I as a moderator also tried to direct members who were looking for pre-joining up advice to MFAT and visa versa.

But I am back because this once used to be a place for the military minded to post on military minded topics or non military topics with a military frame of mind. Now we are faced with twats like FUBAR etc asking about ex boyfriends and commentating on every subject under the sun without any experience or valid input.

Its this type of input that has driven the good guys out who when seeing militaryforums may have for a brief second considered joining thinking it was military related. Unlike most new posters who seem to have ignored the character of the place, stormed in and posted what they want where they want.

To these members.....standby, membership can go down as well as up, as can post counts.

Please if you want to stay, post in character to the forums, in the appropriate section in the Queens English. If you can't or won't then fark off and go somewhere where you can be a knob. Why would you continue somewhere you weren't welcome? Why oppose the character of an established forums, when there are enough forums out there that one would suit you better.

I welcome new blood, but not at the expense of the old blood, but I fear any actions now would be to little too late.

I also ask the moderators to honour their badge and crack the whip, we have our own area for discussion and maintaining standards but we hardly communicate anymore.

Maybe just maybe if we turn this place around, we can get back those who have left and no doubt view the place without logging in, and can attract those type of people we have always helped. Remember Paratrooper1? He joined us, joined up and continued posting, top banana.

Remember Harry? Well he's gone too. Remember Loz, flo, H_N, Artist, El Prez, Sticky, Mike?????? All gone, and now we have the likes of FUBAR in their place. FFS!!!!!!!

Some commentated on the attention a 19 year old pretty girl got on joining, firstly I directed her to MFAT as it was more appropriate, then had a laugh. Now no-one can say if she had walked into a NAAFI bar anywhere the same response would not have happened??? This is a military forums for the military minded.

Also if you haven't yet served then shut up and take it all in, it will stand you in good stead as will the actual process of mouth shut ears open. Until you have something to talk about, you can chat on MFAT, its why it was created and serves the purpose of advising young ones well. Some of us even post over there.

If you don't like it then either fark off, or keep stum when the place becomes military in name, but very un-military in nature, and that would be a huge dis-service to members old and new, the guys who set the place up, the advertisers and the online public image of HM forces.

I have been told I will be made a moderator again soonest, when that happens take this as a warning order that no longer will I correct spelling or posting areas, or even PM or highlight errors, I will just delete, so please think before you type. If you respond in a prong manner you will be binned, endex. And it won't be personal it will be maintaining standards, so if this is done against you, consider those standards and how you breached them before you gob off and call a mod a twat.

If now on reading this you are about to reply in txtspk about the whys and why nots, then don't, just fark off.

Doc

[sportbilly42]

........I welcome new blood, but not at the expense of the old blood, but I fear any actions now would be to little too late.

It's 'TOO little, too late'....I dunno........ Standards...

[English Rose]

Well what an interesting thread. I had pulled the pin as I have similar feelings to H_N when it comes to how this place has felt over the last few months.

Whatever our individual feelings are, we have lost many a long time member of the forums of late, for their own reasons, but I would hazard a guess that those feelings in part share a common thread.

Now already in this thread some nails have been hit on the head, some against the standard of posting and some against the standard of moderating. I for one find moderating a hard job, you are dammed if you do and dammed if you don't most of the time. Moderators by default are also members, who by definition are allowed to post their own feelings and remarks to others posts and subjects. They are not however allowed to use their moderating keys to be influenced by their personal feelings. If I, and I know I have, been guilty of this on times I apologise now. Endex.

I did, not that anyone noticed, leave the site a few days back due to the frustrations of not only moderating but being part of a military forums that has tended to slip into the realms of non-military related issues. I asked myself should I be moderating on posts of a non-military nature when it doesn't say anywhere that you cannot post non military related posts, on what is a military focused forums? This subject has been raised before and the "NAAFI" was created. Now it is neither the moderators fault or constant responsibility to point out to members of how ever long their standing here to post in appropriate sections of the forums. We have enough battles with spelling and spamming.

However speaking about military forums and it not actually stating anywhere one cannot post on other subjects is sort of irrelevant, I wouldn't join a gardening forums to post about the nocturnal sexual activities of the African Elephant? I would join the african elephantsex. com forums (not many members and they are all slightly odd)

Just as I am someone who observed not only the rules but the character of the forums before my first post way back when, and am not posting TA questions in general discussions, but in the TA section....chances are I'd get a better and more accurate response.

Why does all this bother me? Well when I joined up and served, standards were trained into me and they remain, in every walk of my life and this is what attracted me to this place and kept me posting.

I also felt it was like the NAAFI one minute, full of banter and fun, that unique squaddie humour, and I must admit I enjoyed the odd slagging match. It was how it would have happened if I was sat with oppos at the bar and some twonk asked another question about press ups or can I join the SAS (but I'm a disable 16 year old female who is oppossed to war)

I also liked to learn about other arms of the forces and members from overseas. Members currently serving and those who served before my time. I've made friends and caught up with old ones.

I as a moderator also tried to direct members who were looking for pre-joining up advice to MFAT and visa versa.

But I am back because this once used to be a place for the military minded to post on military minded topics or non military topics with a military frame of mind. Now we are faced with twats like FUBAR etc asking about ex boyfriends and commentating on every subject under the sun without any experience or valid input.

Its this type of input that has driven the good guys out who when seeing militaryforums may have for a brief second considered joining thinking it was military related. Unlike most new posters who seem to have ignored the character of the place, stormed in and posted what they want where they want.

To these members.....standby, membership can go down as well as up, as can post counts.

Please if you want to stay, post in character to the forums, in the appropriate section in the Queens English. If you can't or won't then fark off and go somewhere where you can be a knob. Why would you continue somewhere you weren't welcome? Why oppose the character of an established forums, when there are enough forums out there that one would suit you better.

I welcome new blood, but not at the expense of the old blood, but I fear any actions now would be to little too late.

I also ask the moderators to honour their badge and crack the whip, we have our own area for discussion and maintaining standards but we hardly communicate anymore.

Maybe just maybe if we turn this place around, we can get back those who have left and no doubt view the place without logging in, and can attract those type of people we have always helped. Remember Paratrooper1? He joined us, joined up and continued posting, top banana.

Remember Harry? Well he's gone too. Remember Loz, flo, H_N, Artist, El Prez, Sticky, Mike?????? All gone, and now we have the likes of FUBAR in their place. FFS!!!!!!!

Some commentated on the attention a 19 year old pretty girl got on joining, firstly I directed her to MFAT as it was more appropriate, then had a laugh. Now no-one can say if she had walked into a NAAFI bar anywhere the same response would not have happened??? This is a military forums for the military minded.

Also if you haven't yet served then shut up and take it all in, it will stand you in good stead as will the actual process of mouth shut ears open. Until you have something to talk about, you can chat on MFAT, its why it was created and serves the purpose of advising young ones well. Some of us even post over there.

If you don't like it then either fark off, or keep stum when the place becomes military in name, but very un-military in nature, and that would be a huge dis-service to members old and new, the guys who set the place up, the advertisers and the online public image of HM forces.

I have been told I will be made a moderator again soonest, when that happens take this as a warning order that no longer will I correct spelling or posting areas, or even PM or highlight errors, I will just delete, so please think before you type. If you respond in a prong manner you will be binned, endex. And it won't be personal it will be maintaining standards, so if this is done against you, consider those standards and how you breached them before you gob off and call a mod a twat.

If now on reading this you are about to reply in txtspk about the whys and why nots, then don't, just fark off.

Doc

Doc, I hope I'm not included in that rant

I hate to see what has happened her which is why I PM'ed Jay recently but got no reply...

I love this site, and many of us do. I don't know what has happened here but feel gutted to see this. Doc, you're one of the most trusted, influential, knowledgable members (who did I ask for advice last re: training?) I hate to see you without your well deserved Mod status.

Wholley, you know how much I adore you and how 'beyond the line of duty' you were for me recently, you helped me immensely.

Harry, you fecker, get your arse back here NOW, pronto Even if only to give me a call and say 'how's BFG for you'


HN, I agree for the most part, sincerely hope you weren't having a pop at me as well.

[davidemmerson]

Now and then a post comes up like this, why don't you post a list of the poeple you don't think should be on here/knobbers/time wasters/poor posters etc and do some naming and shaming instead of just ranting.

Edit: Just been on the general discussion thread and someone has posted about joining the TA. Ok, wrong place to post fair enough but to answer his replies with stupid answers is just unhelpful. He's not in the military yet he won't get your 'military humour/jokes'. Don't you think this whole shit posting thing works both ways?

I don't care if you think I'm out of place, I'm speaking my mind.

[jabcrosshook]

This has been a long time coming. I've stopped posting here as much and just reading, this is because I've seen the direction the forum has been heading and the last thing I want is for it to decline and for it be partly my fault and for me to get booted out of it.
I hope the forum picks up and gets sorted, it's got brilliant people on it with vast quantities of information, it's got serious posts/topics and some very funny posts.

[Hyperlithe]

Truth is, every single one of us is in some part responsible for the way the forums are at the moment, and that includes the people who have left.

We all need to work together, not to keep it the same as it has been for the last x years, but to find a way of moving it forward with society in general, in a way that we all find acceptable. Culture in our country as a whole has changed massively in the last decade or so, as has the role of the military and the way we work.
(We don't have to accept text-speak or bad spelling though - those are the 2 things that will wind me up every time!)


David - the proper walts and nobbers do actually get binned from the site. You can't really do that with people who are just a bit annoying...

[davidemmerson]

Maybe not, but the Retreat on MFAT has a thread called Wan*er of the week and Mong of the Month. Could you have a thread like put as view only, ie only the Mods can post on there? That way some people can see exactly what the mods think of them.