So, primarily, you had a problem of transparency of actions and decisions.
I think we do pretty good on that sector around here.

I think largely in a way yes. I think that by far most mature people want to have a fair and open discussion about what they are being accused of when they themselves can not see the validity of the actuation matching any defined rule or agreement and "Because I said so." is not a valid answer for most.

"Because I said so." is not a reason that most technical minded people will settle for and blindly accept. It may be a valid reason for bureaucrats politicians and the like but for the technical how and why crowd it's little more than a insult.

The fact you have let me and others go this far with a topic like this is already and impressive enough show of openness and willing to listen.

Tell you what. Hang around here for a couple of months and see how things work. You may find that some of the problems you worry about may be already solved here. Or not. But give it some time.

I would love both of you to revive this thread in two months' time and give us a review.

Sure! I will be flying off to Turkey next week to be there for a month so I will have a good deal of time away from everyone online more than likely. My wife and I are flying over to get her daughter and bring her home.

 

Have a nice flight. And in case you happen to do a stop by Athens let me know. We might be able to arrange something.

 

The moderators also have a private forum, but I can't remember every seeing an argument, even when I read the posts long before I became one. Generally it is to reach consensus about rules away from distractions, that or to discuss current issues. It never fails, new folks pop in and bring their own issues. The general tactic is to feed them rope to see if they self correct or self destruct. Real trolls exist, but for the most part they leave us along. We did have a swarm about a year ago that was pretty aggravating. We dealt with them one by one, as they crossed the line into flaming. Flaming is not allowed, but that is not the same as a mature discussion, where people can and do disagree.

It is rare, but we have had open discussions about rule changes. Most of the rules nowadays are to protect beginners from themselves or this site from liability.

 

Have a nice flight. And in case you happen to do a stop by Athens let me know. We might be able to arrange something.

Seriously? My wife has plans to take me all over around there! Athens may be one of them!

This will also be my first trip off the North AMerican Continent too!

Contrary to internet rumors I am actually a pretty nice and fun guy to talk with!

 

Seriously? My wife has plans to take me all over around there! Athens may be one of them!

This will also be my first trip off the North AMerican Continent too!

Contrary to internet rumors I am actually a pretty nice and fun guy to talk with!

Best wishes tcm. Stop off and grab a beer for me in England, eat some real Fish and Chips too!

Let me know if you like 'em.

kv

 

Seriously? My wife has plans to take me all over around there! Athens may be one of them!

This will also be my first trip off the North AMerican Continent too!

Contrary to internet rumors I am actually a pretty nice and fun guy to talk with!

I'll be the judge of that.

Seriously, I'd love to show you around Athens, if you feel like taking a long walk. There are some very scenic routes to take. Or even buy you a cup of coffee if you are in a hurry.

I could invoke Greek hospitality and yadda yadda, but in fact I'm eager to meet a few US citizens who will prove that the average American isn't a dumb fat guy. Of course, I'm doing an extreme generalization, but it is a fact that despite all of the cultural invasion, USA is a mystery country to me.

 

Best wishes tcm. Stop off and grab a beer for me in England, eat some real Fish and Chips too!

Let me know if you like 'em.

kv

I had fish 'n' chips 12 years ago in Inverness. It was a food that would fill you up all right, but not too tasty.
But my taste buds weren't very developed back then as well...

 

My wife is from Turkey so I am some what getting accustomed to the mediterranean foods to a point. I grew up in rural middle America on largely German and scandinavian heritage foods so there are a number of things that are common over there that just don't sit well with me. Just way too far out of my taste zone.

Some of what she makes and loves, well lets just say I would rather eat the cats food sometimes.

No I am not much like what the world media portrays the stereotypical American to be like. I am big and well built 6' 3" ~255# but not really fat. I am also not so dumb either. (Yes I do shop at Walmart though.)

Those of us from rural America are generally very far from what the media tends to show of America.

 

Those of us from rural America are generally very far from what the media tends to show of America.

You can say that again. I live in the middle of the woods in VT. I am average height, average weight (well, probably a little less, actually--some actually call me "skinny") but contrary to popular beliefs, I do not hunt, ski, or drive a snowmobile. I do however fish, stack wood, plant vegetables in my gardens, and eat Cabot sharp cheddar cheese--that's the best darn cheese you'll ever eat, trust me!

 

My wife says most partially developed third world countries are better off than where we are here in ND.

I keep telling her we want it that way so that the lazy clueless city people will stay away!

 

We are experiencing a high influx of immigrants from Greece right now due to the economic situation there.
The closest I got to Greece, unfortunately, was a trip to the ancient Greek ruins of the ancient city of Cyrene (now Cyrenaica) founded in 630 BC in Libya.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cyrene8.jpg
Looking back I think that one of the kids bumming smokes off me looked alot like a young Ghadaffi!!
Max.

 

My wife says most partially developed third world countries are better off than where we are here in ND.

I keep telling her we want it that way so that the lazy clueless city people will stay away!

That hurt I wonder if they have room for me in any of the 3 worlds out there

 

The lack of 'old stuff' is one of my wifes regular comments about living here. It bewilders her that where we live there were no cities here 150 years ago.

When she first got here she wanted to see the oldest structures and the like that we had around the area.

I took her back beyond my back yard into the hill and told her this is it! This area was one of our areas first open pit strip mines for the local town. Which to be honest does not look like anything but a hill that slumped along with some well overgrown spoil and overburden piles.

After that it was a short walk over to one of the old homesteaders dugout house pits which really don't look like much to be honest. But hey that's all we have as old ruins here. That and a few prairie indian tribes TeePee circles.

 

That hurt I wonder if they have room for me in any of the 3 worlds out there

Hey by most of our local rural farmer standards my wife is one of those lazy clueless city people. (Most days I tend to agree.)

Getting her out of the house and doing something helpful for me is like trying to get the kitties to help me. What I will get for my efforts generally is not worth the effort in the end so I just do things myself.

 

The lack of 'old stuff' is one of my wifes regular comments about living here. It bewilders her that where we live there were no cities here 150 years ago.

When she first got here she wanted to see the oldest structures and the like that we had around the area.

I took her back beyond my back yard into the hill and told her this is it! This area was one of our areas first open pit strip mines for the local town. Which to be honest does not look like anything but a hill that slumped along with some well overgrown spoil and overburden piles.

After that it was a short walk over to one of the old homesteaders dugout house pits which really don't look like much to be honest. But hey that's all we have as old ruins here. That and a few prairie indian tribes TeePee circles.

Take her to the four corners area, lots of structures there. I found the trip worth while. As far as our culture, yeah she's got a point.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Pueblo_Peoples

 

"internet immigrants" LOL, Catchy title. When I saw it, my first thought was "how on earth did a discussion about immigrants stay open for 6 pages?"

Good to see you TCMTech and TVTech. I have an account on ETO. I was active there for period a few years ago, racked up maybe 100-something posts. I log in every few months and lurk a little. I'm familiar with you guys a little; TVTech, you're in South Africa or Australia, right?

Well, you guys will like it here, but here's a few pointers:
1. There's no automotive or mains discussions allowed; my only real gripe, but I don't gripe about it any more.
2. You don't get any posts counted for off-topic. If you did, I'd probably have 10,000+. I'm sure I've got 3 OT posts for every one technical post. Also there's no "rep" or "rating" unlike most other forums. I kinda like this; it keeps elitist cliques from forming.
3. Don't waste your time suggesting forum enhancements or modifications. The admins are on a permanent vacation since I can remember. I also kinda like this; I don't ever have to worry about logging in and finding the layout radically different. I am pretty sure this forum will retain the 10 y/o VBulletin format for the next 100 years.
4. Politics are taboo.

 

. There's no automotive or mains discussions allowed; my only real gripe, but I don't gripe about it any more.

Unfortunately those are two of my strongest areas. Especially relating to basic AE and RE DIY Grid Tie Inverter design stuff and modifying/disabling vehicle emissions control systems.

 

"internet immigrants" LOL, Catchy title. When I saw it, my first thought was "how on earth did a discussion about immigrants stay open for 6 pages?"

Good to see you TCMTech and TVTech. I have an account on ETO. I was active there for period a few years ago, racked up maybe 100-something posts. I log in every few months and lurk a little. I'm familiar with you guys a little; TVTech, you're in South Africa or Australia, right?

Well, you guys will like it here, but here's a few pointers:
1. There's no automotive or mains discussions allowed; my only real gripe, but I don't gripe about it any more.
2. You don't get any posts counted for off-topic. If you did, I'd probably have 10,000+. I'm sure I've got 3 OT posts for every one technical post. Also there's no "rep" or "rating" unlike most other forums. I kinda like this; it keeps elitist cliques from forming.
3. Don't waste your time suggesting forum enhancements or modifications. The admins are on a permanent vacation since I can remember. I also kinda like this; I don't ever have to worry about logging in and finding the layout radically different. I am pretty sure this forum will retain the 10 y/o VBulletin format for the next 100 years.
4. Politics are taboo.

I haven't read the rule book yet I'm winging it, but what about religion?

I guess that's pretty simple most likely, especially when we had trouble with a Halloween Ghost Thread!

 

Unfortunately those are two of my strongest areas. Especially relating to basic AE and RE DIY Grid Tie Inverter design stuff and modifying/disabling vehicle emissions control systems.

Just don't talk about Ghost, it's bad taboo! Wait you can disable a vehicle emission control system, people in Utah would pay good money for that.

 

Wait you can disable a vehicle emission control system, people in Utah would pay good money for that.

Yea it's not really that hard. You just have to know what the computer wants to see and how to make it think it is seeing it despite the engines tuning having been modified to run closer to its peak power and fuel efficiency tune Vs the factory emissions tune.

Basically EPA engine tuning settings for 'clean burning' are no where near those that give the best fuel efficiency.

Nothing like saving the world from emissions by burning more fuel while getting from point a to point B! Government at its best!