Comment was pretty negative....

however, I seem to recall some of this man's earlier posts, there may be a language barrier,  for what its worth, I loved the Kelly's Heroes reference!  Oh, well.  

Peace Bill

Contact Us

@jimfitch, use the Contact Us link on the right webpage menu items, just above the recent blog posts. Either Website Feedback or the Other category under All other types of messages. I have done that in the past, but don't recall which one I used, but I did get a response.

As for the overall tone of Joey's lightweight helix post, I think the problem really stems from no one can read the written word and not put their own tone into it. Also I think some didn't get the point of the small lightweight helix. I feel sorry for Joey for sharing a neat idea and being berated (in my feeling) about the size, especially when the point of the post was how to make a small lightweight helix for transportation to a show. At least that was my take on the video.

And there was the comment about Joey's style of presenting the video, that was the worse in my opinion, used to be if you didn't have anything good to say you don't say anything, not the case anymore.

Abuse

To report abuse of any sort on MRH you can use the address abuse@mrhmag.com

Bill, Kelly's Hero's has some

Bill, Kelly's Hero's has some good and appropriate memes.  

JIm B, thanks for pointing out the contact link.  As far as reading the written word or tone, so true, and a reason emoticons are useful as they assist people to the tone of a post and hopefully void misunderstandings.  I've been on forums since I freshman in college in the mid-70's and seen responses get heated endless times and mostly unnecessarily. 

And occasionally we run afoul of narcissistic people who have the inability to see things from an others perspective.  A manufacturer I spoke with once described a co-worker, who no longer works for them, as having an extraordinary ability to experience life only in the first person.  The only way I can take that statement is inability to empathize or try to see a thing from another's point of view.

I do understand the point of Joey's topic, portability.  The problem for many, myself included, is we come to discussions with bias or baggage that can often cause us to focus on related but secondary things.  Myself and others saw the sharpness of the curves and it set off alarm bells or red flags, but those were of little or no concern to the OP.

I didn't take the time to watch the video so didn't get the style thing, just scanned through it quickly to see some key things.  As for people critiquing style.  I suppose that comes naturally because people have been doing that for many many years with other media presentations like movies, TV shows, documentaries. etc.  Now everyone with a smart phone or video camera can make video's and post them on YouTube and they run the gambit.  I mostly watch stuff for the "how-to" knowledge so I tend to fast forward through intro's, talking heads, and stuff like that so I can get to the meat as soon as possible.  I think a lot of people are like that these days with limited time, and wanting to get to the point quickly.  Dunno if that was a strength or weakness here having not sat down and patiently watch it.  When it comes time to build a helix, I'll do what I usually do, find some material or videos and glean what I can and get'er done.

I would think that if you do

I would think that if you do many YouTube video's as Joey apparently has, that you would be used to critiques of your "style" and if those sort of things bugged you then you would change it. Personally, I don't like his style either but that's just my opinion which, last I checked, I'm entitled to. I still don't get how other people are "offended" because someone made a comment about his style. The only person who should or should not be worrying about that is Joey.

As for the radius question, I believe I was the first to mention it and I think my concern for inexperienced model rails was and is valid. I tire of having to constantly explain myself.

Thoughts

A couple other thoughts, since we are a worldwide community, and the forum is in English we can be confused or get the wrong tone by what one writes that is normal for their heritage/country or where English is their second language.

I know for Vasilis (vggrek) English is a second language.

Then there are word/phrase translations, you change knickers in a twist to panties in a twist, which probably is the same amount of offense, but I see knickers as less offensive than panties, but that may be my ignorance of the phrase knickers in a twist.

I know there are words in different countries that have totally different meanings, i.e. a thong in the U.S. is a type of underwear or swimsuit bottom worn by women, in some other counties a thong is a slip on shoe that has one piece coming between your big toe and the next one, known in the U.S. as a flip-flop.

I can't remember the word now, but I know there is a very common U.S. word that has a very derogatory slang meaning in Australia.

One thing we all should remember is to treat others how we want to be treated.

As a final note I always think people should take the time to read their post over slowly before posting in case things can be said better and/or withiout offense. My favorite Lincoln quote:

@Michael T. - Clarification

I was not offended on Joey's behalf for the comment about style, merely trying to point out that comment in my *opinion* was worse than all the discussion about radius.

You admit to not watching the video, but you still comment on the size of the radius, maybe if you had watched the video you would have tailored your comment and more clearly explained yourself in the first post then there wouldn't have been so much discussion. Just my opinion.

Well said Jim.

Well said Jim.

Yeah, I have to admit that "I

Yeah, I have to admit that "I didn't watch it, but here's my opinion" rubs me the wrong way EVEN when the opinion is astute and adds value. It's just not courteous. If you chose not to watch it, because you didn't like the style of presentation. You should probably choose not to comment on any other aspects either.

 I mean, yeah, you're entitled to your opinion for sure and I won't stop you, but courtesy is certainly a skill we all need more practice at I think...especially online.

And Michael, I've said it a few times, but I'll reiterate. I don't think your comments were the problem. You were the first to respond. You made your point which was quite valid. You followed up with some clarification and then you were out.

That seems reasonable. The problem was that we just then spent 30+ posts after your succinct and valid critique rehashing that topic and adding at best very little to the topic while burying any other aspects to be discussed. that's just not needed. The discussion just wasn't advanced. I'm at the point where I'm going to add 22" radius Helixs to my next layout just to spite those who will have a knee jerk reaction to them. 

Seriously...

Randy 

We don't censor posts

Funny thing is I might one

Funny thing is I might one day use a smaller helix if I ever build a mushroom, I really don't like other double deck designs. Short trains are the norm on my pike and one thing that came of that thread was the very helpful chart. As far as not watching the whole video and commenting, guilty! Sorry for that, but I do feel I skimmed enough to get the gist.

I never had the time to visit

I never had the time to visit that posting, but I was anticipating something interesting,...sounds like I didn't miss anything of value.

Shame as I thought maybe it was going to be some variation on constructing a good size helix with foam, which I seem to recall a member talking about having done so very successfully, but I can't remember where. (I think it was on his blog??)

Foam helix

Brian, the video in that

Brian, the video in that thread is worth a look I think.

Usual Suspects

Interesting that is it normally the same 4-5 people causing all the fuss 

I am totally bummed the

I am totally bummed the lightweight helix tread got locked before I could post a comment, but I totally get it. The video was great (my opinion) but not so much the comments...We just all need to play nice it really isn't that tough...like I read earlier....read your comment a couple of times and make sure how the words may be taken before pressing submit. That is a tough lesson for some.....it was for me as I learned the hard way by emails at work years ago how important it is to look at what is typed and make sure that is what you wanted to say before pressing send.....once that button is pressed there is no taking it back...lessons learned....And for what it is worth.....I really don't think the negative stuff was really meant to be taken like that, just how we interprete the words others have typed.

Yep

Kind of their own ‘hobby within a hobby’.

Must of been a bad hair day

Several of the posters just seemed to be having a bad day and they took it out on poor Joey.

I attended a class one time back when I had a day job before MRH about dealing with upset customers.

They talked about what's likely going on when the reaction seems all out of proportion to the trigger.

The example was a customer who got a bank statement that printed funny like the ink was smudged or something. This person went to the bank and totally blasted a poor teller.

Turns out, when they had gotten up in the morning, they found a stain on their pants when getting dressed, and then had to go find a different pair of pants, making them late for work. They grabbed the mail but just threw it on the car seat.

Then while rushing to work, they got a speeding ticket. While the policeman went back to his patrol car to finish the ticket paperwork, they opened the mail -- and found the screwed up bank statement.

Totally incensed (and late anyway) they detoured to the bank and went in to tell off the teller and wave the bank statement in their face.

Point is, they were having a bad day, and finally had to unload on somebody. The poor teller did nothing wrong, but the person was "up to here" with things going wrong so the little glitch on the bank statement got all blown out of proportion.

That's generally what's happening when the response seems overly super negative. The poster didn't do anything wrong, but the one commenting is dealing with a lot of crap and just had to unload on somebody.

The internet makes it easy to unload because you don't have to face consequences like you do if you unload on someone in person. You're "insulated" on the web.

Wisdom

MRH User Bessemer Bob’s signature has truly excellent and sage advice:

“Think before you post, try to be positive, and you do not always have to give your opinion.....”

Something for all of us to keep in mind.  The forum would be far better if we all followed this thinking.

jeff

"if a flame war starts between two posters"

Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"

Yep, some days

we come to the forum as an escape, some days we come to the forum to contribute.  No doubt, the mental mindset in the two conditions is markedly different, resulting in different responses to any given post.  I doubt there are any robots on this list, so we're all doing this, whether we're conscious of it, willing to admit it, or whatever. I think Joe's recent post, which he has locked, touches a similar vein, while focusing on a bigger trend - the elephant in the room.  Whether you're American or not, Democrat or not, white or otherwise, etc. etc.(and those are just a few examples, I'm not throwing stones), it seems to me that in the last 2-3 years all public discourse has become far more adversarial.  There's far less middle ground, far less agreement to disagree, and far more "US & THEM".  I'm no sociologist, but it seems to me that any major trend in the macrocosm will eventually infect our microcosm here on the forum, as well as other forae; and I believe it has.  

Note, I'm not judging anyone or anything, just remarking on what I think is a fair generalization - and if we all want this forum to continue to be our refuge, as well as our hobby home, we'd be best to try and leave whatever drives that outer angst at the door - and yes, before a couple of you comment, I'm including myself in that.  I've had my share of lousy days recently, and I brought some of them here.  That's on me.

Blair

Well

Years ago, my job periodically involved calling selected points in our news coverage area for anecdotal weather reports. This was years before the Internet.

It took me a while to realize that every time I called a certain happy laid-back up-country resort, they always had great weather, even when everyone around them was dealing with sleet and ice and thunderstorms.

It works both ways.  Some people get off on sharing their (often self-inflicted) misery.

"“Think before you post, try

That has to assume that working toward a better future is viewed as positive . Otherwise no one will ever criticize something for fear of being negative towards the status quo.....DaveB