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Why has this board gone stale?

6K views 26 replies 12 participants last post by  SailNet Archive 
#1 ·
I have been on this board for a number of years. The last year has really been dead. I check in every 1-2 weeks and find so little. How do we pump some new life into this board - it used to be a great spot to check on a daily basis. what happened?
 
#5 ·
Religion, politics & sailing mix like oil & water. Sailing & sailing boards, should be reserved as a means of enjoyment.

Perhaps this board has gone stale because people with fresh, sail-specific topics to contribute, can''t be bothered by the BS . . . so spend time elsewhere.
 
#7 ·
No matter what side of "the Truth" a person is on, it is not comfortable to be around people who are bickering and have to have the last word. I rarely visit this site anymore because there have been "happier" places on other boards where I can get sailing help and info.

I think it will take a group effort to put life back into this board...so here is my attempt to help...
My sailing club is having a hard time coming up with some unique and wonderful programs for future meetings....seems like we have covered most every topic we can think of...give me some suggestions...what have your sailing clubs done...do you know of any fun sailing games? Please give me some really unusual ideas that would be interesting or helpful to sailors of varied sailing skills and boats.

Thanks in advance...
bobbi
S/V Kokopelli
 
#8 ·
Here are two activities for light-air summer afternoons that have been entertaining to both participants and observers.

1. PENULTIMATE RACE
Just prior to arrival at a cruise destination, each participant attaches a tow consisting of an empty one gallon milk jug on a 100-foot long piece of thread. The thread must not be strong enough to support the jug when filled with water or submerge it when empty.
When deployed the contestants must follow the Colregs (Rules of the Road), ie., the privilaged vessel must hold course and speed while the burdened boat is free to cut off the other''s tow. (The tow and line is NOT considered part of the privilaged vessel)
The penultimate (next-to-last), or only, boat crossing the finish line with tow intact is the winner.

2. BLIND DINGY RACE
The oarsperson is blindfolded and rows under instructions from a partner around a short course. Since one partner''s ''right'' is the other''s ''left'', confusion reigns, bumps and oar tangles are frequent and it becomes a real hoot. The small kids get to tell Daddy what to do and seem to like it immensely. (In addition to floatation gear be sure to keep little fingers inside the boat).
 
#9 ·
I kinda sorta stay away because of really bogus opinions which are written as the "word". I have to bite my tongue or go away. One small example is a post where the "expert" says anchor lines don''t get caught easier with fin keels (than full keels)when anchoring in current. He never had it happen, therefore it doesn''t in his own mind and challenges those who know better. Go cruising in the Caribbean and it is a daily happening.
 
#11 ·
I was going to write something with a similar subject title a whule ago, but refrained, thinking it was just me or something.

I''ve rather enjoyed listening to the "experts" calmly and rationally explain their views and experiences on this board. Lately though, there have been some new experts that seem to lack the ability to rationally discuss their views, and insist on replying to nearly every thread with either third-party hack quotes or CE regulations or irrational insults.

I almost imagined that with the sale of Sailnet - that''s about when I started to notice a change of "tone"- the new owner hired some out of work call center workers to provide some volume to the board to keep the illusion of community alive. So some guy in India has a stack of old Sail or Good Old Boat magazines, maybe even a computer to google stuff, and every time he sees a post, he flips through them to see if he can find an article to paraphrase, and then flings it back at us as only a non-english speaking non-sailor could. That''s -I hope- a bit extreme, but that is the level of discourse to which it feels the serious questions have been brought. So instead of nuanced, interesting discussions, we get endless drivel as if reprocessed from mass-market mediocre magazines. Or "sailing anarchy" -like stupid insults.

Just barely respectfully,
Chad
 
#13 ·
Geez, com''on people...is that all this board is now...a place to complain, whine and gripe...let''s get off it and start some constructive sailing conversation.

Thanks for the sailing activities...what I also need are some topics for the indoor monthly meeting...the programs usually last about 30 minutes to an hour. We have had videos of Ellen MacArthur''s race, a person to give instruction on navigation, a program on anchoring, etc...any ideas of something new and unique...or any sailing games?

Thanks,
Bobbi

S/V Kokopelli
 
#14 ·
DPboatnut,
Where would you kindly suggest I look for esteemed knowledge to "add to the volume?" We are respectful very but as we do not sail we must find questions! What questions should we be asking of you? We live very far from ocean.

Chandrasakar Hrjalmajah
Sailnet Srinagar Call Center
Kashmir, India
 
#19 ·
The board has gone stale as it has been pirated by religious zealots and/or caustic posters bent on their own egocentric views rather than sailing topics. I rarely visit as a result and fully expect a reply to this from one or the other of these two groups.
 
#21 ·
I have not changed my name or the waters I ply but I''d like to keep that option open!

I believe someone had it right when they noted that the posts from a few religious zealots have dissuaded many from contributing, that IMHO coupled with the philosophical nature lately of some of the questions rather than the "nuts and bolts'' type of queries that once pervaded the boards. If the sarcastic nature of my posts have contributed to the absence of the "past regulars" I sincerely apologize...NOT!

I know the next post will read something like “it’s comment like the above, thanks for making the point”
 
#23 ·
For me, it''s members that claim to have massive experiance but then have to copy out of a book to try and proove their point.
And isn''t there supposed to be a moderater of some sort that is suppossed to delete posts, or entire topics, that have nothing to do with sailing.
If I''m correct in assuming this, I ask you to please do your job.

Dennis
 
#24 ·
Don`t forget about woodenboat.com,great stuff, especially for true displacement boats.There is alot of collective knowledge there and is extremely active.Everyone there is on the same page when it comes to hull design,unlike here with the continual bickering and both sides being entrenched with their own opinions.I am not going to even get into sailing performance because that is another great divider.I think there should be a cruising only section(true displacement hull) and it would help significantly.
 
#25 ·
dman:
I think it is the debate of subjects like cruising designs that makes a forum fun. It is a subject that has no resolution and it can give endless hours of enjoyable debate. What is the point if everyone agrees? Sure, sometimes we overstep and offend, like I did on the "general" board just recently. But when you do, apologize and move on. It is the lack of spirited discussion that prompted me to start this thread. I think the many and varied responses to this subject show that there still at least some spirit left in this board.
 
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