06-07-2009, 05:08 PM
Along the Line: By Don Day < for Aug 07>”Training” the Internet.
The Internet is an amazing place for the exchange of information and meeting people. It’s a scary place as well since, with its anonymity, you never know whom you are really talking to or if the information you’re getting is indeed accurate. Search engines can find hundreds and sometimes thousands of websites that have something to say on the subject you are interested in. There are chat rooms on every subject and level you can conjure up, and forums galore, dozens of them on any topic of interest. I’m in awe that every time that you go searching for something obscure, Google will find a bunch of sites dedicated to whatever it is you’re looking for, some include pictures. It seems like the places where I spend the most time though are the train forums. This can be a daunting task however since there are a lot of them to choose from. You can quickly be immersed in conversations or find yourself bouncing around to the point you forget what your primary responsibility is. Therein lies the danger, that’s why so many employers restrict Internet access on the job. I have to admit, I probably spend more time than I should on train forums, but on the other hand, I’m retired and folks like me are suppose to be free to do the things we enjoy. After all, our age forces us to do a lot of things we don’t like or want to do, so when we’re given a choice, we just go ahead and do what pleases us… if we are able that is.
Forums are just a place where people can gather and speak up on whatever the main topic the forum is there for. When someone has a new item to talk about, they can open up what is known as a “thread.” Others interested in participating can add “posts” to that thread, and so a conversation ensues. People all over the word participate, but the common language is English. One major pastime for me is model trains, so I tend to hang around those types of forums. Several model train manufacturers have forums, some of these tend to be a bit busy and if you skip a day or two, you can be inundated with hundreds of unread posts and new threads. Some forums have very little traffic; just a few posts a week. I guess it doesn’t take much to get a forum started, it’s attracting people and keeping their interest that takes some effort; sometimes a lot of effort. I know since I’m an administrator on one of the more active train forums on the Net. My job is to make sure that everything is running smoothly, that people act responsibly and that those “spammers” that show up to sell trashy goods are dealt with swiftly. Some forums deal with model railroading only, others with prototypical, or full-scale trains. Ours deals with both. The most exciting aspects of these forums are the ones that allow you to post pictures so others can see what you’re talking about. You can follow the progress of someone’s train layout as it is being built, you get to see what an actual train of a certain model looks like and you may even get to see a picture of the person you are talking to.
I have to say that I’m impressed. I get much more out of these forums than I give back. Got a problem with something not working or something that is broke? Not a big deal, post a question and you’re likely to get an answer within the hour. Can’t identify an engine or a freight car? Someone surely knows. Need advice on how to build your mountain or what’s the best technique to make a scale junkyard? You can count on a bunch of answers, all of them different but with enough information to formulate some great ideas of your own. Some people go to extremes though, to them accuracy is paramount. We call them “rivet counters.” Show them a picture of your scale engine that doesn’t have the right number of rivets on the side, a door in the wrong place or even the wrong shade of color and you’ll hear about it. These types aren’t much fun and have way too much time on their hands; after all, it is just a hobby.
The Internet is an amazing place for the exchange of information and meeting people. It’s a scary place as well since, with its anonymity, you never know whom you are really talking to or if the information you’re getting is indeed accurate. Search engines can find hundreds and sometimes thousands of websites that have something to say on the subject you are interested in. There are chat rooms on every subject and level you can conjure up, and forums galore, dozens of them on any topic of interest. I’m in awe that every time that you go searching for something obscure, Google will find a bunch of sites dedicated to whatever it is you’re looking for, some include pictures. It seems like the places where I spend the most time though are the train forums. This can be a daunting task however since there are a lot of them to choose from. You can quickly be immersed in conversations or find yourself bouncing around to the point you forget what your primary responsibility is. Therein lies the danger, that’s why so many employers restrict Internet access on the job. I have to admit, I probably spend more time than I should on train forums, but on the other hand, I’m retired and folks like me are suppose to be free to do the things we enjoy. After all, our age forces us to do a lot of things we don’t like or want to do, so when we’re given a choice, we just go ahead and do what pleases us… if we are able that is.
Forums are just a place where people can gather and speak up on whatever the main topic the forum is there for. When someone has a new item to talk about, they can open up what is known as a “thread.” Others interested in participating can add “posts” to that thread, and so a conversation ensues. People all over the word participate, but the common language is English. One major pastime for me is model trains, so I tend to hang around those types of forums. Several model train manufacturers have forums, some of these tend to be a bit busy and if you skip a day or two, you can be inundated with hundreds of unread posts and new threads. Some forums have very little traffic; just a few posts a week. I guess it doesn’t take much to get a forum started, it’s attracting people and keeping their interest that takes some effort; sometimes a lot of effort. I know since I’m an administrator on one of the more active train forums on the Net. My job is to make sure that everything is running smoothly, that people act responsibly and that those “spammers” that show up to sell trashy goods are dealt with swiftly. Some forums deal with model railroading only, others with prototypical, or full-scale trains. Ours deals with both. The most exciting aspects of these forums are the ones that allow you to post pictures so others can see what you’re talking about. You can follow the progress of someone’s train layout as it is being built, you get to see what an actual train of a certain model looks like and you may even get to see a picture of the person you are talking to.
I have to say that I’m impressed. I get much more out of these forums than I give back. Got a problem with something not working or something that is broke? Not a big deal, post a question and you’re likely to get an answer within the hour. Can’t identify an engine or a freight car? Someone surely knows. Need advice on how to build your mountain or what’s the best technique to make a scale junkyard? You can count on a bunch of answers, all of them different but with enough information to formulate some great ideas of your own. Some people go to extremes though, to them accuracy is paramount. We call them “rivet counters.” Show them a picture of your scale engine that doesn’t have the right number of rivets on the side, a door in the wrong place or even the wrong shade of color and you’ll hear about it. These types aren’t much fun and have way too much time on their hands; after all, it is just a hobby.
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD