This is a shame!

[darkenfast]

When I joined this forum last month, I thought it was something different. I thought it was a place where people like me, who have followed the space program since its infancy could talk with the scientists and engineers who actually do the real work of making it happen. Instead, this forum has degenerated into ego gratification for teen-anal space wannabees and one-note crackpots who don't know when to just shut up and move on. It's not worth wading through the garbage anymore. My condolences to the real-world people who put time and effort into trying to educate the rest of us.

 

[najab]

I am very, very sorry that you feel this way. Give it a chance, things will improve - every forum I have ever been involved with has had periods of reduced service quality. <br /><br />They pass.

 

[mattblack]

Thank you, darkenfast for speaking out. That's what some have us have sure been saying; That a few years ago when we joined, this forum was truly special. Now, its just maybe that too many good apples have dropped off our tree, and bad ones are now growing here.<br /><br />Doesn't mean it can't be put right, however. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[SpaceKiwi]

darkenfast, I would only echo the sentiments of naja and matt. The majority of folks here are well-informed contributors who give generously of their time and expertise in order to help the rest of us indulge our passion for space exploration.<br /><br />I would not be so quick to dismiss the overall value of this forum. Although we are going through a rough patch here at the moment, and there is probably a bit of an unintentional 'lull' happening as Shuttle remains out-of-service and the CEV/SDHL systems are still taking concrete shape, I can assure you this is a great place to learn about and discuss space-related matters generally.<br /><br />The 'idiot element' is definitely in the minority around here, and I have no doubt normal service will be resumed sooner rather than later. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>there is probably a bit of an unintentional 'lull' happening as Shuttle remains out-of-service and the CEV/SDHL systems are still taking concrete shape, I can assure you this is a great place to learn about and discuss space-related matters generally.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />That's pretty much how I summed it up too. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[grooble]

Well for these forums to go anywhere, Freespace / SETI needs to be scrapped. This will free up time for the moderators to deal with trolls and flamers more accutely on the only boards that count.

 

[henryhallam]

My personal opinion is that moderators should be a LOT stricter about banning trolls and other users who are "reducing the quality" of the forums. This can work well if we have responsible moderators with good judgement who can just decide when someone is having only a negative effect, and can ban them without needing to find some specifc rule that has been broken and issue repeated innefectual warnings etc.<br /><br />However: space.com seem to have a policy of allowing "free speech", regardless of whether it's relevant or useful. And as these are space.com's forums, it is up to them what to allow! So if a few trolls and useless posters are an inevitable side-effect of such a lenient free-speech policy then we will just have to put up with it.

 

[snafu]

Your post is most reassuring. I was at the point of giving up but I think I will just stick around a little longer.<br />

 

[dobbins]

There are several factors at work here.<br /><br />One is space has always been a real nut magnet, a topic that attracts some pretty far out people. I've seen a lot worse than anything I've seen on this forum. When I was in the Navy I lived in El Cajon California where a UFO cult is located and these people were really way out on the fringe.<br /><br />Another factor is the nature of the Internet. It makes it possible for people with far out ideas to reach a larger audience than they ever had before. The web has a lot of good points but it's also responsible for spreading nonsense and pure BS on a scale that was impossible 20 years ago resulting in more people getting taken in by some crap.<br /><br />Last of all there is a lot of frustration in the space community right now. After 3 decades of being confined to LEO we are finally about to break out of it. That has resulted in some people who are happy with the status quo being upset, and others who have had grand dreams for years being unhappy that the VSE isn't tailored to fit their agenda.<br /><br />

 

[vogon13]

Spaceport?<br /><br />We have a choice?<br /><br />Yoiks!<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[najab]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>That is probably a case of 'post count=ad revenue'. <br /><br />What they overlooked is that the trolls have run off 90% of the serious posters.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />To be fair, they have more overheads to cover than, let's say, the spaceport.

 

[spacefire]

Darkenfast, are you implying we should all be space cadets and follow Dr Griffin and the President of the US of A to whatever new/old frontiers they decide to take us? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[spacester]

No spacefire, that's not what he's saying. What part of his post leads you to believe he's saying that? Quote it. Connect the dots for us.<br /><br />You just made a thinly veiled and baseless accusation and I'm not gonna give you a free pass anymore. After I show you to be the fool you are, you will have a choice: grow up or go away or be ignored.<br /><br />Capiche?<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[spacefire]

In that case, his post doesn't make any sense!<br />M&L seems to me like a decent forum, and if the discussions get a bit heated at times, well, it shows people put spirit into the BBS and that's good! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[spacester]

His post makes perfect sense to me.<br /><br />It's a matter of perspective. Your perspective does not allow you see it.<br /><br />Now, don't take this wrong, but the irony here is just too much to resist. I've been wanting to post this movie title for a while. Remember, the link below is just the title of a movie, OK?<br /><br />What the bleep do you know, spacefire?<br /><br />The movie explains the whole perspective thing, why his post makes no sense to you. It's pretty out-there stuff, but I think you'd like it. I did. Lots of good out-there stuff. Invoking science in a new-age philosophy, stevehw33 would blow a gasket at the psuedo-science but it could be just the thing you would benefit from seeing. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[najab]

><i>Darkenfast, are you implying...</i><p>No, (s)he is not. What Drakenfast said was that Uplink <i>used</i> to have a high quality of debate and discussion from <b>all</b> sides. Of late, however, there have been a lot of immature jerks walking around saying things like "scrap the Shuttle before it murders again" and similar such nonsense. It's hard to have an intelligent debate when your opposite number demonstrates an intellectual level that is associated with people who play with their own poo.</p>

 

[barrykirk]

I've been watching this for a while and I'd like to put my two cents in.<br /><br />Orrey21 and I were having a debate for a while about the relative value of the ISS and whether or not we should finish it or just scrap it.<br /><br />Now, I'm not going to go into who was right or who was wrong... What I did do was to keep asking questions such as what is the roster of science experiments that are scheduled for future ISS missions.<br /><br />When Orrey21 finally posted the list of experiments, I was completly surprised. It changed the whole character of the debate.<br /><br />So, for those people who are being labeled as negative, I would like to make a suggestion. Try asking questions. And I mean that in a genuine fashion. Not just flippant questions, but real questions. You might be pleasantly surprised by the answers you get. It might shift the whole nature of the various subjects being debated on this board.

 

[wvbraun]

"In that case, his post doesn't make any sense!"<br /><br />Just take a look at your sigline, spacefire. The problem is that people like you apparently get a kick out of being a pest and annoying the other members. Grow up.

 

[spacefire]

I allways attempted to defend my arguments without debasing myself by using ad-hominems like some of the most respected members here. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[spaceiscool]

spacefire should not be viticmized by shuttle cheerleaders.

 

[spacefire]

listen, spaceiscool, while I agree 100% with your views on the Space Shuttle I think you should tone it down a little bit and provide arguments for every point you are trying to make. see my reply in your other post!<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[henryhallam]

You know things are bad when spacefire is acting as the voice of moderation...

 

[grooble]

Well the mods arn't moderating.

 

[CalliArcale]

Y'know, if you think there aren't enough worthwhile threads, a good solution is to start some. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[spacefire]

after Darkenfast's thread got started, I did see a lot of trollbies pop up here and in Free Space.<br />my apologies.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>