at least 145!

[Kev]

I SECOND THAT, well said Paul, im not the best of explaining things and putting things into words but i do try. as you said Paul i love the site as well and love detecting Neil Geoff Taff are the main hard workers and the likes of most members appreciate what they do and the rest of us try to make the site tick as well .my rant over as well. 

[Neil]

Hi Paul and Kev

I certainly can see easily what peoples posts consist of. Suprisingly some people literally consist of the "i'm coming" content and don't even bother with the welcome to the site messages even. Some have done this for the pst 3 rallies. I agree that the Rallies are meant to be for proactive members as a bit of a thank you and to achieve our aims as well.

I have no problem with mentioning it to the "sleeping members" at the next rally and seeing if their contribution improves. As you say I have already had "The I haven't got a computer comments" from some. In that case why do you want to come on a rally for web users? Its a poor excuse as all libraries offer internet access. It stinks of using our site for your own ends and is indeed frustrating. Also you seemed to manage to get on one to express your interest in coming on the rally!

Not the best day for me to join in this debate perhaps! I'm still furious about the debacle at Ninian Park yesterday, and the embaressing send off that looked like it had been arranged on the back of a beer mat! The fans and more importantly Ninian Park itself deserved more than that, but don't get me started on that matter!

the Rally attendance issue does need addressing and probably will be in the near future.

Interesting comments gents.

Neil

[waltonbasinman]

Neil , I am not going to mention Ninian Park. We have had a season long debacle at Ashton Gate. So i can,t talk. Just glad you understand. I really do appreciate the teams work on this website

[coleggwent(phil)]

hi there neil may i just say that its about time something was done about it me and my bud was only talking about it the other day but wat do you do they are only here for the rallies ban the lot of them       ps one more thing i think £5 is not enough buy the time you pay the farmer and run around theres not a lot left . wat about your fuel when you and rob and jeff gos and visits the site to check it out so i think a pound or two more will not hurt this is my opinion regards (phil)

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

Geoff , Neil. I think the answer may lie in the sign up . Maybe all new forum members should have it explained to them, what this forum requires of them. They should agee to these guidelines before being accepted onto the forum.

For example.

Regular contribution to the forum.
Regular sign in.
Inactive accounts will be deleted. (God I sound like a Cyberman)

Additional to this maybe an open pm to all existing members explaining these guidelines.

[bymatt666 (byron)]

this is a thorny problem and we have discussed it in the past.....if there was a ceiling on the amount of spaces at a rally.... enough to pay the farmer and some for the site....and a deadline to enter.....then the regular posters would be first in the queue ! we need members of this site to help admin get sponsorship.... expulsion through non-participation is not good at the moment.....as much as we feel used by the "silent members".......byron

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

very good point Milsy , I'm sure that this problem is going to be addressed sooner than later.

[PHIL YNYSBOETH]

It seems we have two problems here ......

The non posters not contributing to the forum and Members who just use the forum for Rallys and not contribute in any way.

Firstly i feel theres enough non Detecting posts on here without encourageing People to post just anything to get there quota in.

I believe in quality not quantity ? do we really want 303 forum members posting daily anyway?

As mentioned by my good friend Byron if there a ceiling to the numbers that attend the rallies the regulars will be 1st in the queue anyway.
Like it or not we are going to get more land if the Farmers palms are well greased and that means more the merrier !

As much as many feel used by forum members that just use the forum for the rallys, at the moment it only shows they are using the site By logging on and reading the posts.

If this encourages some to be more active in the forum (maybe encouraged by the WARM AND FRIENDLY WELCOME ! they received at a Detecting wales Rally) than thats a good thing Isnt it




 

[hedgehog]

I think the last time this was discussed the site was relatively new and membership was building up, now that it is established then anybody posting to go to a rally when it is advertised ( and only posted to go to the rally) should go to the back of the queue and expect to pay say £15 for the day.
Altinkum (Mike) it's a pity that you feel you don't want to post your thoughts, I for one enjoyed what you were posting and it promoted discussion, isn't that what it's all about?
Hope you post more because everything that you say is valid and no one is knocking you, it helps get the balance right.
It hasn't been forgotten that you were the first to get permission for a rally and helped make this site what it is.
Steve

[ancientpat]

It looks as if I may be one of the members to get kicked off the site for lack of posts ? I believe I have only posted about 30/40 altogether and this is because I only post when I have something to say!
I use a computer and I am retired but I don't understand how the people with hundreds of entries have the amount of time to sit at a machine for hours on end.
I register my pal for the rallies  who is over 80 and who does not use a computer and even doesn't use a mobile phone, so we don't all have the capacity of you young folks to absorb new technology.
                                                                 Pat.

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

The point is Ancientpat you have made 40 posts, which is 36 more than some forum members.

[Debbie]

Don't worry Pat -  my 'post count' is lower than yours, so my lily-white will be kicked off long before yours if Geoff goes with the opinion of "no posts, no membership, no rallies"!!  I am with the 'quality, not quantity' like-mindedness of Phil, Ynysboeth.  Do you want baked beans or a hand-sewn ball gown? I am happy enough if a group of guys (and gals) want to hold debates in the General area, or whichever part of the site, and have a to-ing and fro-ing of comments with each other - I don't think it makes any difference if they have 6 posts or 60 posts each from what in essence is a kind of open conversation.  I like to chime in with my two-penneth (showing my age..........), when I have something to say or think that I could help someone, but otherwise I read nearly all of the comments without logging in.  It doesn't mean I am not interested, it is just that I don't always feel I have anything of value to add.  I don't like the idea of pushing people into a corner and making them post or chucking them off the site.  On the other hand, I don't like people turning up to rallies - the likes that Millsy has described - who have had someone else sign them up.  However, the main culprit there it the bona fide member who signed them up in the first place!  No easy answer to this one, but I think we need to try and hit a balance, and be a little tolerant of those who enjoy being a member of the DW forum, but are just a bit quiet on the postings.

[waltonbasinman]

You hit the nail on the head there Debbie with my rant.  If this site has 303 members and we all just sat and read the posts of others there would be no posts for all to read. When you become a member of a forum the idea of a forum is to post and discuss matters that affect you or of which you have an opinion. At the moment Detecting Wales has a core of people who put the effort in while others seek the benefits.

[Neil]

Good to see a healthy debate on hear covering all angles.

Pat & Debbie - you both regularly contribute - this whole thing is not aimed at yourselves or posters like you at all, in anyway shape or form. I think the problem is with the few who literally post that they are coming to the rally and then we dont see or hear off them at all until the next rally. I've left the stats at work - it only takes a few minutes to see who the non posters, but also rally attendees are. Believe it or not the number actually is not really that high I didn't count any newbies from the last month into the figures as everyone needs a chance to bed in and come on their first rally. We are talking less than ten people who clearly use the site just to gain access for rallies {they have under 5 posts as a rule} and thats where the issue lies. Two chaps in particular have literally attended 3 rallies and made three I'm coming posts in five months! They are not contributing at all in my mind, and I think thats what we need to address.

cheers
Neil

[Jeffc]

Agree entirely with Pat and Debbie and in between on age! I try and check the site every day or two but have other interests and sites to look at so even though I'm retired it means very often a quick scan. Therefore I normally only post if I feel I can add something useful to a discussion.