No Club Car

[ScaleCraft]

7.3 Aleutians, 1230 local. Tsunami warnings in effect.

[sarge]

Here's when we start sorting that.

It's a modelling forum. Myself, I'm not here to discuss politics, world news, disasters, social commentary, I'm here to escape all that with friends, the reason we have hobbies in the first place.

If that can't be done, this attempt at helping perhaps revive MTJ by participating with new modelling stuff, hoping others might join us to do likewise, will be proven to be hopelessly optimistic. Perhaps it can't be done, and the internet proves itself a place where such things are impossible because we just can't help ourselves (and there is a place for magazines and books in this brave new world.)

The pessimist in me says humans can't; they'll always descend to the most vicious. The optimist in me says give it an honest effort.

"No Club Car"; may it be forever thus, if we intend this to be a modelling forum. If this really is to be just another general social-media platform in the mould of X/Twitter, Instagram, &c, put it back in, wind it up and let 'er go, accept MTJ ain't what it says on the tin and doesn't need or want revived. It ain't up to me, but up to everyone collectively. If we really want the latter, you won't see modellers joining, though (if you care, of course).

[up148]

I see no Tsunami warning needed Dave. I believe we really don't need the club car and it's absence will be forgotten and go the way of the Dodo bird. Hopefully, we can concentrate on modeling and not bring world politics into our posts, which caused so much animosity in the club car section in the past. There are plenty of places on the internet to show your backside, fortunately, MTJ will not longer be among them.

[webenda]

Here's when we start sorting that.

It's a modelling forum. Myself, I'm not here to discuss politics, world news, disasters, social commentary, I'm here to escape all that with friends, the reason we have hobbies in the first place.

It's amazing how often history does not reflect the experiences of the participants.

Does that apply to our signature line also? Mine is a quote from country music icon Merle Haggard. Nothing at all to do with model trains. But it is an expression of what we (yeah, I am in on removing Club Car Lounge) are doing with Model Train Journal, starting a change.

[sarge]

Wayne, I rather think that might be a truly minor point and a matter of personal expression much like an avatar, and I never really got NK's regulation of them, myself.

If that's our consensus, though, it doesn't bother me. It ain't about me, it's about us.

[up148]

I agree with Sarge. IMHO, this closure has to do with a forum that during election times and Covid just seemed to lose it's mind and just became vicious and nasty due to a difference in opinion.

I don't want censorship anywhere close to NK, but the behavior that used to be found (key words "used to") in the club car would have got you thrown out of a bar/lounge/restaurant and maybe even waylaid in the parking lot. We are all guilty of hiding behind our keyboards from time to time.

PS: I love the Merle Haggard tag line Wayne. Reminds me of the 60's and where I grew up. But people had thicker skin back then and didn't bruise as easy either. I'm always reminded that we live in a different time.

The past is a foreign country: They do things differently there. L.P. Hartley 1953

[ScaleCraft]

Actually, title was a reason. Normally that posting would have gone in Club Car.
There was a tsunami alert, no big deal for those on east coast or midwest.
Funny how an opportunity like that to discuss, oh, gee, where were you in 1964 when the 9.3 hit? Fun to see how this was hijacked into more forum/political discussion.
Even brought in NK! That was great!
Don't want posts like that? Fine.
I always thought the lack of participation stemmed from the various "great deletions" of photos, the crashing of the forums with no way to contact "moderator", and select personages who did seem to revel in pot stirring on TCF (The Closed Forum).
Personally, I hate having to host photos elsewhere in order to publish here. I gave up.
I belonged to a forum for years and years. Owner wanted more server storage space (before The Cloud) and upgraded software.
Big fundraiser. Folks pitched in. Got it all upgraded (and the new software was written by a friend of the owner, first time, and never worked right) and the owner sold the site to Vertical Scope.
So I ain't ever gonna help out with "upgrades" again.
I'd like to be able to do that, post photos of projects, just not interested any more.

[sarge]

Well, you brought it up with the title.

Before this goes too much further and folks invest much more time and effort, we have to address the elephant in the room.

Is this you and three other guys' private chat-room or is it to be a modelling forum?

[ScaleCraft]

Well, you brought it up with the title.

Before this goes too much further and folks invest much more time and effort, we have to address the elephant in the room.

Is this you and three other guys' private chat-room or is it to be a modelling forum?

Your choice.

[up148]

I see no problem posting off topic items in this forum. I see it all the time on car forums I frequent. It is the content of the off topic post that could be a problem and we're all adults here.....aren't we?

On other forums, they generally put OT (off topic) on the front of their subject line which lets members know it's not modeling related. I think anything that brings more posting activity to MTJ is good, as long as the topic is not controversial and we all know what is acceptable and what is not. It's the same stuff we were taught or heard as a child. Good manners and decency never goes out of style.

[sarge]

Well, you brought it up with the title.

Before this goes too much further and folks invest much more time and effort, we have to address the elephant in the room.

Is this you and three other guys' private chat-room or is it to be a modelling forum?

Your choice.

No it isn't. That's the whole point.

Why don't you say what mean.

By "complainers" (now in many threads here) you mean me, which is fine. I got shoulders.

But complainers? You've been bitching about eBay, the HO and N forum not working yet, the guy who owns the forum, anyone who wants to make something positive out of this, posting photos using a host, yet you say you're just not interested anymore.

I'd like to be able to do that, post photos of projects, just not interested any more.

I could ask why you're even here if you aren't interested, but it isn't my place. Where this goes is not up to me, for I really don't need to be here. I made a promise to a few folks to try, and I'll fulfil my promises. If you and the other four or five don't really want participation, say so, I can move on and my promise has been kept. This isn't difficult at all.

[ScaleCraft]

Looks like an invitation to me.
Have fun.

[gregj410]

Unless this forum as a whole becomes heavily moderated you will still have train threads devolving into the abyss over who knows what. Even with the CCL gone I suspect you’ll still be able to tell someone to go take a hike on any given thread.

I always tried to limit the drama to the CCL and the truth be told I loved trolling Neil because it was so easy to do.

That being said you’ll have Bob lamenting over membership and decrying the ‘hate’ in the CCL, yet I’ve seen on several occasions, and very specifically here, where he’ll take the occasion to mention some little political thing that’s completely unnecessary and it hasn’t been limited to politics I’ve seen the occasional religious dig as well.

More recently in the fodder thread he mentions he’s the ‘token liberal around here’. Sorry but it’s completely irrelevant to anything related to 2 rail trains or any trains for that matter and it doesn’t need to be said.
I(we) know from mostly reading over here that Bob’s a liberal and atheist, nuf said.

I respect what you guys have going over here. I have limited interest and mostly read. I would never start a political or religious war here no matter what gets said out of respect for most of the guys here. However you never know who will.

I don’t know what I think about the CCL being locked. Love it or hate it, I think it may still have its usefulness unless people can keep their topics and comments very specific to trains. I guess time will tell.

[sarge]

Looks like an invitation to me.
Have fun.

No idea what you mean.

[sarge]

I really am ending the day feeling like this is a fool's errand; clear to me Bob and Dave really aren't interested in new content and (perhaps more to the point) new people posting content, if the last couple posts in Bob's Challenger thread are any indication.

Bob, you don't even acknowledge the "working on the railroad" thread as new or modelling. Too bad, for there could be a lot more unless by "modelling" you mean limited to eighty-year-old Espee and UP doorstops. The bit about the PA's was new too, from Dave no less, and I would have thought interesting to you as it was me, knowing your love for a good PA.

I hope Lee isn't going to waste any more time and money on it, given it will remain as it is. I rather expected it, really.