Notice for all members - everyone please read!

[Recurve]

Amen. Storm2K is a model for web discussion boards. The mods are great. I want to be one when I grow up.

[bevgo]

Love you guys!!!!

[vbhoutex]

Amen. Storm2K is a model for web discussion boards. The mods are great. I want to be one when I grow up.

A mod or a web discussion board?hehehe

OOPS!!!!! Just realized I am hijacking this thread. Sorry!!!!!

Back to the real discussion!! And thanks for the kudos!!!

[LSU2001]

love the ideas SG, I for one left the boards for awhile for two reasons, One the flaming, etc and too I am still worn out from last year. I am trying to get geared up now for this coming year. I hope the respect thing works.
Tim

[Rainband]

Thanks Guys and Gals, we do it all for you

[Stephanie]

Thanks for the support everyone! We, the Mods and Admin REALLY APPRECIATE IT!

[weatherlover427]

Great post. At first I was a bit against it (sorry guys) but I thought long and hard; and I now realize that it is needed. Way too many polls lately IMHO.

[dhweather]

Kelly, you've pretty much hit the nail on the head, and I thank you and the
other mods for not only recognizing the problem but taking corrective actions.


I encourage you to put this thread at the VERY TOP of the topics.


David

[TexasSam]

I have been around here for a few years, and after making a few posts last year, and getting attacted for every word. I totaly quit making post, and or answering any. So I look forward to this year. It gets tough around here when a strong storm nears the coast. I know people get stressed then, and the posts hit here about 5 per second. you have to be a speed reader.
from "Bill & Ted" "Be excelent to each other"

[Janice]

Thanks, great post as usual.

[Jim Cantore]

And it looks like it's had an effect too

[mikey mike]

Thanks for the great post.The lack of respect is the reason I quit reading and posting to Storm2K.If things do get better,I'll be back.

[Dustin]

SouthernGale,

Very nice post indeed. I have posted at easternwx, over the winter season, and the bashing there is something I do not like to see at all. It does not make for a good posting experience for anyone. This site, has some great disussion wonderful people, and great staff, thanks for this post and keep up the good work.

[MBismyPlayground]

Thank You for posting this. Very much needed based on last season...hope all pay attention.

[WXBUFFJIM]

Hi Kelly.

This post was certainly needed and neccessary and I'm glad you posted this, especially what we dealt with last hurricane season on here. Thanks a bunch.

Going back to 2003, there are still lingering affects from Isabel. So really this string of disasters started with Isabel in 2003, then there was '04 and '05. We can only hope that 2006 does not rival any of those years I described above, especially in terms of landfalling tropical cyclones. We can prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.

Jim

[gatorcane]

Flashback: August 2004
Those of you who were participating members can probably remember the outpouring of concern for our fellow members before and after Hurricane Charley made landfall in Florida. And then again in September when Ivan made landfall, as well as the other hurricanes that affected many of our members. I remember the genuine concern, the prayers, the offers of support. We saw much of this during the 2005 season as well. One huge thing we didn't see very often during and after the devastating Hurricane Season of 2004 was the lack of respect running rampant among the board. I wish I could say the same after this past season. In fact, the total lack of respect for fellow members is so prevalent among the board that if we suspended everyone involved, the board wouldn't have much participation. That is sad.

This announcement is to let everyone know that things are going to change around here. The staff as well as many of our members remember what this board was like a few years ago, what separated us from all of the other weather boards. In one word: RESPECT.
We've had debates on Storm2k since the beginning, but we have always demanded that everyone show everyone else respect. You can disagree with someone without being rude and putting them down. There have been so many inconsiderate, insensitive, and downright rude posts lately that it has almost become the norm, and somewhat accepting. This will stop! We realize that with the enormous growth of Storm2k over the past few years, we're not going to remain the tight-knit little family we used to be, but we can just become a bigger, extended family. We have allowed the founding principles of the site to become compromised and we're going to get things back to where they used to be, where they should be. If anyone has a problem abiding by the rules here, feel free to discuss the weather elsewhere. We want everyone to feel comfortable here, and we want everyone to be able to ask questions without the fear of being ridiculed. This should be a place for people to learn, and have fun. Lately, it hasn't been that much fun to participate. It seems nearly every thread turns into an argument of some sort, or there's someone popping off with rude comments to another. It has become difficult to monitor because it is so widespread and we can't possibly read every thread. Of course that won't change, which is why we ask every member to please PM a mod or admin if you see a post that needs attention. Don't be shy. Only staff will know who reports a post.

Storm2k was originally created to have a friendly environment to discuss the tropics, a place where everyone could feel comfortable. Many of the members who have been here since the beginning posted on another board where rude comments, arguing and trolling were commonplace. What a welcomed change Storm2k was and has remained for most of its life. We will not become like all of the other boards. This is a privately owned board and we will be dropping the hammer on those who refuse to keep their attitudes in check. Unfortunately, this isn't just black and white. There has to be some common sense used here. If you think what you're typing could be seen as rude, then it probably is rude. Re-think what you want to say and use tact when posting. Many members of Storm2k have been affected by devastating storms and are going through a rough time. I don't think anyone here can really understand what someone else has (is) gone through. Some of it is emotional, financial, physical, or all of it. You just don't know unless you're that person, so please show some respect. For many people who have been affected, they may just want to share their problems or their story with other weather enthusiasts. This should be the one place they CAN feel comfortable doing that. I'm not getting that from most of them. Sadly, many of them have refrained from posting because of the very problems this post is addressing.


Another thing...we don't have posting contests here. When the tropics heat up, Storm2k gets very, very busy. While we would never control how many posts you make, think about what you want to say and try to minimize the nonsense posts. Again, this isn't black and white either, but just think about what you want to say in a reply, and just use common sense when posting. Remember: Quality over Quantity!


I know this is long-winded and I hope I wasn't too repetitive, but I wanted to get the point across. If you don't agree with what I'm saying here, then this may not be the weather community for you. I know that many of the founding members remember how it used to be, and want that back. Storm2k is and will always be the best weather site on the net!

This post can be summed-up in one sentence: "respect others and don't post rude comments." I agree with this point 100%, thanks for explaining the reasons/background behind it which we all should already know.

[Bluefrog]

Great post. Just a personal note: When I evacuated about 3 miles inland during Katrina ..I checked in regularly on this board until of course the electricity and internet connection went out. This was a wonderful source of information. However, when I was able to check back in about 2.5 - 3 months AFTER Katrina .. I had to stop reading alot of the discussions. I am one of MANY people on this board who got wiped out by Katrina as far east as Pascagoula, Mississippi. Everyone has got to remember that these hurricanes change and alter lives FOREVER. Mine will NEVER be the same. I will never get back what I lost that day. Please be sensitive even today and especially this upcoming hurricane season (which is already beginning to make people's anxiety levels soar). I know of 2 people total who are back in their remodeled/flooded out houses. Everyone else lost their homes or are still displaced in rentals and/or RV/FEMA trailers. Just be extremely thankful if you weren't one of us along the Gulf Coast.

[Tommedic]

Though, I haven't posted as much as some, I want include my wholehearted concurrence. Please keep up the great work.

[timNms]

I stopped reading and posting on S2k a few months ago because I got tired of seeing threads such as "Katrina was a weak cat 2 when she made landfall". Or seeing threads started by both pro mets and amateurs alike that seemed to try to bait posters into making a personal attack.

But you know what? It really doesn't matter what catagory she was when she made landfall. What matters is what she did. She wiped out the Mississippi gulf coast, did unimaginable damage to New Orleans, took the life of my uncle, and inadvertently, took my mother's life. Mom died on Jan 12, 2006. She never got well after Katrina. So, while some will continue to bicker and argue over just how strong or weak Katrina might have been, I've discovered that there are much more important things in life than spending my time arguing about a storm on a message board.

I'll continue to visit from time to time, but my world won't revolve around S2K or any other board again. I've got a family that I intend to spend a LOT of time with because we never know what may happen

And just for the record, IF there is a storm in the gulf this year, you can find me in Chattanooga at my wife's sister's house

[Camille_2_Katrina]

I stopped reading and posting on S2k a few months ago because I got tired of seeing threads such as "Katrina was a weak cat 2 when she made landfall". Or seeing threads started by both pro mets and amateurs alike that seemed to try to bait posters into making a personal attack.

But you know what? It really doesn't matter what catagory she was when she made landfall. What matters is what she did. She wiped out the Mississippi gulf coast, did unimaginable damage to New Orleans, took the life of my uncle, and inadvertently, took my mother's life. Mom died on Jan 12, 2006. She never got well after Katrina. So, while some will continue to bicker and argue over just how strong or weak Katrina might have been, I've discovered that there are much more important things in life than spending my time arguing about a storm on a message board.

I'll continue to visit from time to time, but my world won't revolve around S2K or any other board again. I've got a family that I intend to spend a LOT of time with because we never know what may happen

And just for the record, IF there is a storm in the gulf this year, you can find me in Chattanooga at my wife's sister's house

Very well said. Very well said.