I dont know about you guys, but last years cyclone threads were way out of hand. We had 100's and potentially thousands of people signing up for the weatherzone forums during the busy peroid this year which was of course Cyclone Anthony Severe tropical cyclone Yasi.

As i understand, 99% of the users that have been on here for years can definatly say it was a joke. The forums went from being a place to discuss meterology as a pretty close knit group, to becoming pretty much a online chat room.

Just some points to raise after reading through the Yasi thread.
1. Most of the users that came onto the Yasi thread could have gotten there information from the Bureaus Cyclone warnings and advices !!!
2. Most of the people posting that night have not posted since???? So they have absolutly no contribution to the forums what so ever.
3. new people that were signing up had the balls to attack other users that have been on here alot longer than they have.

I just am wanting to know, ( mods ) has anything been done this year to kind of prevent what happend last season??? Has the issue been brought up, im sure the admins must have a fair idea about what happend...

I know i cant be calling shots, but just some ideas that may actuaslly help the forums.
1. Can weatherzone limit the amount of posts someone makes a day as a new user?
2. Can weatherzone have a system where new users cannot post but can only hover over the forums and read during very busy times.
3. Can there be a new in the Cyclone threads that a USER can only submitt a post if they make there posts more than 100 words long??? This would add to the discussion and cut out the Facebook type chat.

Im not by any way trying to be a hero and put the blame on other people, im just worried that the old days off coming onto weatherzone, having a laugh, while also getting very useful information during cyclonic peroids may have passed?

I think i talk for a few people on here that if this years threads are as terrible as last seasons, im not going to be contributing.

Good points Trav. The mods/admin have been discussing what can/should be done since the 'Yasi debacle' but due to the technical limitations of the forum, there is not much (if any) that can be done to alter the framework of the forum to limit new users from posting etc.

Stronger moderating during these events will happen. Instant bannings will happen. Less leeway will be given. These steps alone will hopefully keep things flowing more smoothly than last season.

I'm hoping (although I know a lot of people aren't) that we won't see another Yasi type event for some time and I also hope that people have learnt from the Yasi thread(s) just how horrible and unpleasant things can become if people don't show some basic self control.

The fun in posting on Weatherzone is still there - it's what you guys make of the forum that gives it it's 'personality' - it's still very much a place to relax and talk about the weather.

is it possible to have a thread just for paying users? Or just permission's given in advance by Mods based on past contribution? New users can still read but cant post. i.e read only.

Good point Poncho- but dont we have to be a PAID MEMBER to actually post in the forums?
I- for once- didnt post much during the Yasi buildup- I just knew that my comments were not being heard. Once i put a genuine comment ( and not some trash that was being said by over excited noobs)- it was lost- because a dozen other pages of nonsence was immediately added.
All i can think of for now- is have2 threads for such an event- a "General Banter Thread" and a " Technical Discussion Thread". Perhaps if Weatherzone monitors the "technical" thread like a hawk- and delete/ ban any new member who ihnores, say, 2 or 3 warnings?
I too was gobsmacked at how many new "experts" appeared during yasi- and stuff like " oh- look at the last frame- its moving to the SW"- and because some stupid person who just had no idea what he/ she was talking about- all the other new/ inexperienced people thought it was "the end of the world" and panicked.
Still- as others have mentioned ( think it was Trav) - where are all the THOUSANDS of people who joined during Yasi? Perhaps if someone doesnt contribute in the forums for say- 6 months- delete their account?
Anyway- just my 2 cents worth!

But it has to be taken into account that not all new members are inexperienced. Some are knowledgeable and shouldn't be grouped with the ones spilling crap and making uneducated guesses.

I think most of the time it works well the general discussion and technical threads, but Yasi was an exception and alot of people were in panic mode.

Hi guys,
I'm one of those members who doesn't contribute a whole lot to discussion but reads with genuine interest and a desire to learn. Don't some of the suggestions being made actually act to remove the opportunity for people like myself to ask questions and to feel included on the odd occasion where I feel confident enough to offer a comment?
Just sayin'
Lea

I agree Ree. Just because someone is 'new' to WZ does not mean they are new to weather. Can't punish everyone for a few idiots with no manners or self control.

I think the mods have the best solution with tougher monitoring and less leeway etc. Make a few examples and the rest get the message pretty quick. There's a collectors forum where the mod posts a very succinct message whenever he bans someone explaining exactly what rules they broke. He doesn't tolerate trolls and rudeness and the forum is a nice place to be.

I also have to say that even the best moderation in the world will come to nothing if the rest of us just sit back and let people get away with bullying. There is no reason to be frightened to speak up ourselves if we see someone being a jerk. I've done it and I always try to support anyone else by adding my comments when I see them trying to pull a bully into line.

In addition, i think that part of the problem last year was when Yasi was bearing down on us in Tsv and EVERYONE had to batten down and take of their families, including the mods. In circumstances like that no-one can expect a forum to be monitored. The choice then is to leave it go and hope for the best or shut it down for a few hours.

One suggestion I have is, again, taken from the collectors forum where there is a counter next to your avitar to say X thanked X times in X posts. So people get acknowledged for helping someone out and being friendly.

as far as Im aware, you only need to be registered to post but not a paid rego. Im simply suggesting paid priveledges to post in certain topics, OR, you need to apply to the mods to gain access. Apllication takes into account user history, background knowledge of general weather by yourself and submit reason why you think you should have priveldges to post in certain topics.

This way, everyone has a fair chance of being able to join in... if its proven your not going to post silly questions or add unuseful comments.

The admin on this or any other forum has the ability to set up any number of user permissions including access to a thread/forum based on post count vs date/time of becoming a member. i.e. some troll joins at 11.00am and starts posting rubbish 3 minutes later can be counteracted by making him/her post a minimum number of times in threads BEFORE they are allowed to post in the Breaking Cyclone of the Century Thread or whatever. It is standard practices in a lot of forums (Whirlpool for example - you can't post in the Lounge until you have 100 posts or whatever it is this week)and if i wanted to it would take me less than 3 minutes to enact this on my own forum.

There has to be a balance made between making it difficult for the trolls vs enabling legitimate users and I whole heartedly agree that more mods is part of the answer as well as enacting a seperate forum for general information about cyclones that covers the whole of Australia that will keep the same question being asked every 3rd bloody post. I almost gave up in frustration and in the end sent members PM's or emails with answers to their questions which where being swamped with the nonsense which ended up being the Yasi general thread.

If people had a seperate resource such as the forum I suggested yesterday they could access and a link at the top of the thread title to point them there it would reduce the amount of drivel that was being asked.

I will have an example of what I am talking about available for anyone to see in the next 24 to 48 hours on my forum and will provide a link when I have finsihed creating it.

I am not sure how much the forums can be played around with but a system that may work would include a MODS post every 20 posts that is programmed in to appear in heavy usage. Something saying along the lines of:

"Due to the serious nature of this weather event, the moderators at Weatherzone wish to inform everyone that discussions on this topic need to remain on topic and relevant to the system being monitored. All posts will be moderated heavily and removed if necessary. All other talk can be continued in ....... thread. We hope you understand this request as this forum is a primary resource of information for those in risk areas."

If its popping up every 20 posts it must get across to people soon enough and the mods would not have to police it too much. If peope decide to read the oneliners in the linked thread its up to them. But I know from past events its near impossible to keep up with once it starts flowing. There could even be a link to Weatherzones Facebook page to direct alot of the people who love facebook there. All 3 avenues though would split the information, direct the people to the places they are familiar with and ease the pressures on everyones angryness in the heat of the moment cause they can be directed to an area which suits them better. Additional to these 3 avenues would also be the technical thread aswell. So even more levels of information transfer to people. Anyway my thoughts. I love a good QLD cyclone on these forums but as everyone says its a bit chaotic trying to sift through everything whens its 'game on'

Maybe also Weatherzone might need to upgrade and get a few more MODS during peak season or atleast have some as part time MODS in high usage events. Probably based in QLD and know the ins and outs of the forums. I guess the current MODS would know who would be suitable and others who would be deleting every second post. lol.

Theres an idea!!
Perhaps during severe weather events some of the more experienced users such as Nitso, Inclement Weather, TravDog ( yeah mate- youre famous- you were on TV!! ) can step up as a " Subbie Mod" or whatever you wish to call it. As far as I am aware- theres only a handful of MODS on weatherzone- and during an event such as another YASI or Brisbane Flood- they would probably be out doing more important stuff ( especially if they were in the immediate danger area).
Also I guess MODS cant watch over general banter in the forums 24/7- they DO need to eat, sleep, watch "Days of our lives", catch up on their cross- stitching ( or whatever hobbies they may have! )

during large events we do put other mods from other parts on the forum on to cover the tropics. that already happens, infact some of the volunteers are still tropical mods now.
one problem we did face was that i was working my normal job all through the week and night of Yasi, and other tropical mods lost power and were unable to do anything.
putting part timers that are local into modding causes the same issue, trav and nitso are likely to be chasing and locals are likely to lose power.

We (mods/admin) are throwing a few more ideas around at the moment, so hopefully we will have something in place soon...

Some of the ideas you mention SBT are being looked into..

What about the new users that join that have there posts banned by mods. But the. In the thread started arguing with the mods as to why there bad posts were banned? Were these people permanently banned?

I would say that 70 percent off people in panic mode were not even in the danger zone? People in north Queensland who actually were comin into the thread for information were getting lost in other peoples panic who were not even going to be affected by the cyclone!!!! That makes me Angry

I'm not sure Trav but from my understanding a lot were permanently banned.

This is exactly why I do not post anymore in any of the threads. Even though I am not all that knowledgable in weather. I joined early last wet season so i could learn some more (even went out and bought a rain gauge). Now I don't even bother, as I found that even though i didn't contribute much and only read what was going on, I couldn't stand that utter garbage that was rolling around in there. It has put me off from posting and find that with the up coming wet season I might miss out on talking and chatting with others who also enjoy the rain and storms that the season brings.

There are currently 79 guests online. I was wondering if they are thinking what l am thinking but are just to shy or polite to say what they are thinking about this discussion.
Is this a forum for the 'experts' or the general public?
If someone says its 20 deg c and windy at their place during the quiet times but can't say it in the busy times?
Sounds a bit 'toffee nosed' to me.

There was a technical thread during YASI , so why not just use it ( experienced members). The general thread is for all members . Is it not?
It was a forum like weatherzone that got me interested in studying the weather. From beginner to more knowledgeable. It takes time to learn and you have to start somewhere.
As for word limits. I have read many posts by the experts well over 500words.
If you want an expert and general public thread then make one!
They will all get read anyway.

EDIT: Actually make that 73 guests. 6 have just left.
Point made!

This thread is becoming more and more interesting.

I hope you do contribute during the coming wet season mcjody and enjoy being part of the forum.

Even though I have only been part of this forum for this year, i have been a member of Weatherzone for about 10 years and a constant user of BoM since it first published on the web. As Ree said, grouping all new users into the "asking dumb questions" group would be a shame.

When I was reading the Yasi thread, i skimmed over the bullshit and read the interesting stuff - it is quite easy to do that and the crap didn’t affect me at all. The Yasi event was extraordinary and it did generate extraordinary behaviour.

Most regular people who contribute to the forum are attracted to the power of Mother Nature and enjoy sharing the experiences of weather events. If some silly comments are posted, don’t let it affect you. You can just choose to ignore it. Be cool.

Well that reassures me that since I am still here the few questions I did ask or any comments made by me can't have been too off the wall at the beginning of the year.

I found the rudeness of some people in those threads astounding. Unfortunately a lot of people don't have the sense they were born with.

Perhaps a post at the start of such threads with a list of the relevant weather pages, eg BOM, GFS and such could perhaps stop some of the silly questions that if people would only look would answer their question? I do know they are in their own thread but to some people in a panic they won't bother to rummage that little to find them or understand them and the usefulness to themselves.

the whole problem crikey was too many people posting repeated rubbish onelines and questions during busy periods. with so many posters, many of them being new, asking so many questions, people werent going back to see that the same question had been asked and answered 3 pages earlier. also, pages were being added faster than you can read them.
so its not the 'experience' of the poster, but mostly the sheer numbers.
also, locals, many of whom were in danger were unable to get their questions across or even post their experiences because of sheer number of posts.
this in turn of course led to the forum crashing, we dont want to happen again.

So the problem is the the sheer numbers accessing the site, not the content and type of discussion.
Would it help to have a queenslanders only thread response during critical periods.
Who has priority in these extreme weather events. The experts or the people directly affected and in need?
Can you cap the number of posts to prevent overload and link people to the BOM update or some such site?
EDIT 62 guests now down by 17 guests in 10 minutes.
A time to focus on who you want this forum to be for?

Thanks for the thought Occo, but as for me I'm out - during severe weather events, I'm planning a chase and analysing all types of models/scenarios etc - no way i would be able to keep up with what goes on in here as well. I like your idea though. SBT would be a great mod during severe weather IMO.

On another note, I thought that's why we created a technical thread for those who had questions and for those who wanted to scientifically analyse/forecast the situation. I was under the impression the general cyclone threads were always for chit chat and one liners with the occasional informative long post. Shows how I would've failed at being a subbie mod already LOL.

As for word limits - bad idea in my view - I often post in technical threads and general threads and some concepts are too damn difficult to explain if pressed with a word limit on a post. A word limit will DEFINITELY stop more experienced users sharing knowledge.

Also most NQ people found that they could post location specific questions in their own threads and they would in turn be answered. That's an option for those locals amongst us. I'd hate it if WZ decided to limit a cyclone thread to Queensland/NT/WA IP address posters only.

The system works - Questions and scientific analysis in Tech threads (Extremely heavily moderated), one liners chit chat and other crazy cyclone related stuff in cyclone threads (easy moderation - just don't let anyone drive someone to commit virtual suicide). Local questions about cyclone impacts in local threads (locally moderated) - everyone's happy. That's my 2 cents for what it's worth.

Although I'm not as knowledgable as the majority of the people on this forum I do know enough about meteorology to post something when I need to.
I also don't post much as I'm only really here to give my point of view when there is a decent weather event and to learn off of you guy's. But I'm definitely not one of those annoying people asking where and when a cyclone is going to hit and if It will destroy their house or if their insurance will cover the alternator on their Prius is a storm surge floods it.

Rant over!

Nitso I never said a a word limit. I meant a minimal word limit. Wouldn't that mKe people sit back and think.... How can I contribute my 100 word to help others on the forum. it would put forward discussion a whole lot better than someone saying( oh no the last frame Shows the eye moving sw. Look out bowen area)

OK, we've pretty much got a plan in place, everyone will find out soon what the changes will be...

Hmm, interesting discussion guys. I think everyone is entitled to post. However, it does come with conditions, and those conditions are clearly laid out. There are two problems here as I see it. Firstly, it is the quality of posts, and secondly the quantity of posts. Insofar as the quality goes, I'm not talking about posters who aren't as weather savvy as others; there are new posters who are genuinely interested in learning and joining our community - they should always be encouraged and nurtured. No, the quality I'm talking about are the inane one or two liners that are not actually contributing to a fluent discussion - it's not called a thread for nothing. These posters should be dealt with according to clause 4 of the forum rules which read:



However, in light of the aforementioned Yasi thread, perhaps this rule can be tightened.

The other problem is the sheer quantity during a busy period. Perhaps a "Cloud Gazer's" thread can be opened for newbies to toss their thoughts around without fear of being judged. More experienced members can go in and 'help them out' if they are so inclined or have the time. After graduating from being a "Cloud Gazer" to a "Weather Freak" they can join the general discussion. Just a thought.

Oh, and thank you Occo for your vote of confidence for a subbie mod position. I'm going back to study after this school year, so, if it were a consideration, I will have the time. Being here on Bribie prevents the temptation to go out and chase. I like watching from a distance.

I don't really think adding more mods will really fix the issue, infact may make it worse (Battles between members and mods over conflicting opinions etc).

I'm saying this from experience, I'm also a mod on quite a large forum on a completely different topic, and whenever a link to the forum is made on one of the social networking sites, or feature article sites etc, it's not unusual to see over 20K members online at the same time.

We went through a similar issue with the invention of a new piece of technology, which led to thousands of new members registering and spamming 1 liners everywhere, picking fights etc.

TBH, I think the best way to handle it is similar to a aforementioned idea,which is limiting the number of posts a (new) user can make within say, an hour. Stricter moderating just gives you less time to prepare yourself for whatever event it may be, and won't really generate the atmosphere you'd want on this forum.

Just my opinion. Interested to hear the "plan".

In the lead up to Cyclone Anthony and Yasi I believe Trav set a new Weatherzone record for the most posts in 2 days – 151. Add to that everyone else posting at a higher than average rate and the pages add up in no time.

Dont tell me you went through the thread and counted man

If it is true though, i was answering alot of questions, talking on weatherzone while chasing, giving updates etc.

When do we find out the changes Raindammit.

the thing that pissed me off was that genuine new people's question's, who were freaking out and asking either for help or genuine help related questions were being lost through the crap. I did my best to PM people that I was concerned about their safety, as by the time I had finished my PM and switched back to the main forum, 3-5+ pages had been filled. Makes it dam hard to find new question's etc from these types of people and help them.

Good to see some planing before the season, Things did get out of hand ,and the abuse of experienced members . Be good to see some changes . Some good ideas here .You are doing a exellent job guys . Doug.

I know a general plan is already in place. But may i suggest a few things? When there is a threatening cyclone present we could open a FAQ thread, and open a thread for people to ask questions if they are in danger. Have a general thread for people to comment on the cyclone and how it is affecting them. And have a technical thread. I know thats more threads but hopefully it would keep things organised and people would be able to find the information they want without having to ask a million questions- hence lowering the overall posts-HENCE stopping the site freezing and crashing.

I happened to have a quick squizzy at Raindammit and Micks notes whilst they were busy perving at the ladies at the gym...
* Everyone who posts a GENUINE question, or answers a GENUINE question shall receive a slab of XXXX on behalf of "Weatherzone"!
* The person who wins WWW's tropical competition shall receive 2 first class tickets, 2 nights accommodation and the use of the "Weatherzone VIP Corporate Box" at this years NRL Grand Final- ( which will be played between the Cowboys and the Tigers)
* First person to be banned this season for posting nonsence shall receive a pack of steak knives.

I THINK thats that they are " planning"...

All good ideas guys. I guess we have a few years to come up with a plan. Doesn't Qld only get a cyclone every few years.

Popeye, I concede I was totally remiss in not including WA and western NT in the original Cyclone Lounge concept (thought it would be too much.... wrong). As pointed out by the mods... you guys are in and always should have been.... apologies.
Re the lounge, whatever RD (good to see him back in the mods chair) and Mick come up with, it should be a place where people can be directed back to re generic questions when things get hot.
Thanks to all who participated in allowing it to get up (I include those who were against it... that's what forums like the lounge are about... intelligent, if on occasion heated, discussion).
Trav Dog, Nitso... I thought the Tech thread worked really well during last year's events. A little more explanation rather than just dropping in graphics might have however been appropriate in some cases (problem with that however is that it can open up discussion lines that may overrun the ideal).
Occo, I've been told I'm already in line for the steak knives

You say the newbies are flooding your forums...well one page you have a forcast comp. Yet you don't like it when people try but there learnings into practise. I think you so called weather gurus should be flattered that people actually take what you say in and try and give you questions to answer. Theres no such thing as a stupid question beacause weather is unpredictable and you relie on your charts and models and there not spot on all the time. Its a chat I can't see the harm on asking questions is all if knowone was watching your posts then why bother posting... You had to start somewhere. Yasi had nothing to do with it for me. the 2011 flood in qld i read some stuff up about 1974 was coz of Tc Wanda. What if there was a cyclone in 2011 after those floods how bad it could of been

Stevo... your complaint (excluding the rant directed at a lot of us who are not gurus but were as pi**** off as those who have greater knowledge over what happened during Yasi were... bear in mind a lot of the angst about postings stem directly from that event) has some validity. It's a problem the mods are working on. Meanwhile, the Cyclone Lounge at least provides a forum that will not clutter hot threads when an event is happening and is a place for those wishing to put their learnings (or learn) into prac at any time.

ok no worries. Can someone please give me a link to EC beacuse I lost it and its dam hard to find the only reason I found it was through the 2010/2011 cyclone thread. Yes I'm new to meteorology I find it very fasinating I'm not very book smart or in general. haha but my friends laugh at me when I quote things that I have read at weatherzone. Keep up the good work is all I can say, Bom don't say anoth and I'm glad your cyclone lounge is not just based on the CS this time...Alot I read was off topic even though it was still very interesting. Thanks

if possible, make registration invite only during these periods. I think that since we get our little categories ie, weather freak, cloud gazer, make only weather freaks and above aloud to post or something similar

it is a tough task

MODs can only do so much

probably our best defense at this stage is using SBT's forum for our discussions and letting this site be a dummy or decoy

La Stevo.... ask the question in the TC Lounge

No worries Boomer. I could understand where you were coming from though QLD would have several hundred regular posters and more in busier times and WA, well maybe 5 regular posters. Its a pity we have so few considering some of the most intense TC's cross over here.

2011 was a year for some extreme events for Qld with the floods and then Yasi. I think the massive scale of the media coverage dominating every channnel create the huge hype surrounding these events and considering the huge upscaling of people's online accessibility it only makes sense that everyone goes looking for online reports for the event. Weatherzone is the logical place that people end up and hence creates the issues that weatherzone are faced with.

Lets just hope for some middle of the range weather events this year that dont go off the Richter scale in severity and with the 24/7 nationwide media coverage sending people into an information seeking overload. That sounds a bit boring though !!!

Hi I have never posted on this forum but I have been a member for over 12 months now and I really appreciate being able to read the comments of the knowledgeable ones here.

I have not posted because I am not a weather expert at all, and never believe that I have anything worthwhile to contribute, but that does not mean that coming to this forum and reading the contributions of others does not mean a lot to me.

I rely on Weatherzone Forums for information during cyclone season. Sad as it is to admit, I live alone now that the kids have grown up and moved out, and when the cyclones are about it is really reassuring for me to be able to come to this forum and feel in a remote way connected to other folk in Townsville who are going through the same weather experience. Especially at night time. I work in the day and have lots of company, but night time when there is a cyclone about is an anxious time for me as I have no family in Townsville.

I was fairly horrified to read that I might not be able to come onto the forums when a cyclone is upon us because I don't post. So much so that I am posting now and fessing up that I rely on this forum for my sanity during the cyclone season.

Okay, that was pretty sad, so I will say no more, but please, don't ban me!

I watched the Yasi mess from down here on the the south coast.

I have to say I also saw quite a few 'experienced' memeber losing the plot at the noobs and in doing so, they added to the general mayhem.

I understand people get frustrated, but is a scroll button really so hard to use? In the time it takes to tell someone to 'stay on topic' or 'stop making moronic remarks' you could have easily scrolled through three or four pages of other similarly worthless comments.

The only way I see to manage events such as Yasi is more intense moderation, and more tolerance from the more experienced members. Face it, unless you're a qualified meterologist, we are all mainly weather amatuers, albeit quite savvy ones.

Honestly, it sounds like some people would like to turn weatherzone into a private chatroom or exclusive club. That's not why I originally joined WZ (during cyclone Larry) and I'd hate to see it head down that path.

I also understand the moderators can't be everywhere and some things are going to slip through. The FAQ idea is a good one, and new people could be requested to peruse that thread before posting, with the understanding that questions covered by the FAQ thread will be deleted.

You guys need a quieter year, so here's hoping you don't have any need for chaotic weather threads this season.

would it be good if every mod can moderate any thread? instead of a select few for each section?

at the moment there are 7 mods able to moderate the tropic threads, 3 of them live in the tropics so if there are cyclones barely down then that only leaves 4 and i would think that out of those 4 not all would moderate 24/7....there are at least another 10 mods from around the country that could then step in if necessary and it would be good to have all mods that can moderate the TC thread, just a thought....

I respect what Trav Dog is pointing at, but I don't think a minimum word count would be the way to go. For example I found just some of the short post stating fast hard facts were great, for example say

"Willis Island station registered 205KM/H winds at 11:15am before it sustained damage and is no longer operating." (not the real post here, just making an example)

or ex.

"The Townsville wave bouys have registered a Hmax of 8.8M at 4:15am."

It is accurate and to the point. I also enjoy the full on tech reports of what is happening.

There is so much happening during these events that sometimes you don't have time to gather all that info and when it presented by others its great. We have a variety of people that have their specialties in these events and are able to produce usable data, short and long. You can break a storm system down into so many areas from rain rates, hydraulics & storm surge, eye, eyewall, eyewall replacement, tropic/subtropic formation etc etc etc etc


I did find with some of the threads, especially Yasi, I would hop off for an hour to do something and have 20-30 pages of utter chit chat from scared people that deviated from the original thread.

But I feel somewhere WZ needs to try a cater for the beginner enthusiast as well. Some of the cloud gazers I have noticed are just new to WZ forum but are not new to weather its terminology and understanding . I like some of the ideas that have been thrown around.

I have to agree also that it is a public forum and we should not ban users during an event who are honestly here for the love of weather and education, if they are trolling or causing strife then a ban should be in place.

Cheers

Col

hi guys, great to see so much interest in making the forum a better and easier place.
even better to see some of you from outside the tropics contributing. and people like spacecadet making their first posts. thank you.

everyone, your comments are being read, and ideas are being passed on. as mentioned earlier we are continuing to chat with admin regarding what we can do. we did start some progress many months ago, but as usual time gets away doesnt it?

we dont want anyone to think they should be to shy to post, like spacecadet. we want to ensure everyone can come on here and learn and read about experiences during severe weather. sadly as we all know, things got out of hand during Yasi where the shear volume of posters made it near impossible for anyone to keep up.
thats what we want to tackle first. how to control and moderate during large scale events.

as you know us mods are volunteers, we have our normal work and family commitments, admin staff have their weatherzone and weather company duties to take care of aswell. so please give us a few days, maybe another week to sort some details out, let admin work through what capabilities the forum program has before we get back to you.
but always remember, what ever happens it will be trail and error once again. but hopefully better for everyone.

cheers,
Mick

Hi, I've been sitting on the heater all winter. I LOVE the cyclone lounge btw. (have been lurking each night just to keep an eye on what you're all up to.) Seems to me you actually need a chat room for chatters (such as myself) the technical thread during cyclones is awesome reading during times of cyclones...keep it..I think not a lot of people harass the knowledgeable ones in there, the usual cyclone thread (the one that anyone can post in) will always be a crazy place during cyclones no matter what you do..so I think that it may be a help if you have a chatters room during these times?? Anyway just a thought. What I really really dislike about this forum is the degree in which you get abused if you make a dumb statement..I coped it once last year and very nearly didnt come back..and that was from a long time member who 'says' he's here to help and no questions are dumb..I will remember not to put my original thoughts in writing ever again, that's why I mainly lurk now.

Anyway its damn damn cold here...we have had a few very light frosts believe it or not..and that's by the sea!!

Windblown's comments encapsulate the issues the tropical part of WZ has been hit by.
She's spot on re Tech threads. Spot on re TC threads.
Other faults have been recognised.
Hopefully, changes will occur and we can welcome Windblown back to further posting.

I am another one who has never contributed but watch eagerly and follow any links given.

What i found frustrating during Yasi was the 'my gut feeling is' which I dont really want and it ends up with heated debates and newbies panicking and therefore asking silly questions.

What i would like is maybe a slight lessening of the rules in the technical thread whereby only a select few people that do actually know how to interpret the data can then comment specifically on what the data means.

I also do not post alot on these forums but i do read them everyday and rely heavily on them in cyclone season.To not be able to see or post if needed in the cyclone thread,would not be fair to the long time lurkers like myself(not that i post alot).I do however understand that something does need to be done so that the threads dont get out of hand like in the yasi thread.

Would just like to say i enjoy the opinions of all the regulars on this forum and relay infomation from here to my family.

As other Mods have noted there have been some great comments here...and there is some great discussion going on right now to finalise changes before this season kicks in...taking into account all the comments here (and in the post Yasi suggestion thread from some time back). Expect to see changes in the next week or so

Top stuff mods. Thanks for listening.

One thing I'd like to add regarding someone's suggestion that Queenslander's should be given posting priority during a coral sea cyclone event.

I live in NSW now, but spent a near decade in Townsville, so consequently have an emotional tie to the area as well as many close friends who remain there.

I'd bet, with Townsville having the transient population it does, that there are many people who feel the same way.

I really hope that idea isn't implemented.

we havent, and never will implement any plans that exclude any members from posting in threads.

To clarify your concerns further windjammer, we are looking at setting up geographic specific threads for locals to post in during major events, but a 'general' thread would still be there as well for all others to post in.

Cool RD.

I didn't tend to make many comments during the Yasi thread anyway because I didn't feel I had anything particually relevent to add, but it's nice to know for future events I still could post somewhere if I chose to.

sorry just a thought...what about a panic room. giggles...seems like we needed it during Yasi and Ului. we could have free virtual valium being served.

Beautiful day here, warm breezy, we even have flies ! Is the weather about to turn? I hope so.

I am with you there on that one %100.

Just want to add my two cents... I joined around the Yasi time because I instantly recognised how useful these weatherzone forums were. Earlier that day I was pleading with some of my family that were (at that time living in Townsville) to get the hell out of there. It didn't help that they were so resolute and calm and accepting of the fact that it was too late to leave. Looking back my fear grew because I imagined the destruction that could occur to be akin to that of Hurricane Katrina.

There is nothing that I could have done to help my family even if the worst had happened so admittedly I was haunting weatherzone and hanging off of every snippet of information, hoping to learn more in case I needed to be their contact/ lifeline or give them vital information at some extreme turn of events. Yasi looked damn fierce on the radar and in hindsight I was getting really worked up by all the posts BUT just couldn't disconnect. There was no phone contact with family as she hit and the last I spoke to my cuz was when he and the fam had barricaded themselves into the bedroom and pulled mattresses over themselves. Looking back I am not sure what I was even worried about, but a little voice in my mind was saying that maybe, just maybe the Government had got it wrong and that they should have evacuated everyone out of Nth QLD?!

This year I will be sitting back and watching -as all my Fam is now safely back in CQ and out of the danger zone- although I can't wait til we see a bit more action down here in Yeppoon so long as it's not extremely destructive (paradox)

so in summary
Yasi was torture for those of us who were thinking of loved ones... but I agree - none of that hysterical type of conversation can be constructive during such times. I don't know what the solution is, maybe there needs to be exclusive threads or maybe some system of ensuring that those wishing to incite fear during such extreme events cannot have the platform.

One thought I actually had during the Yasi fiasco was that people that were posting relatively 'useless' chat should get a quick warning from the mods and if it does not stop then they should be banned from posting for the duration of the 'EVENT'. Not banned from reading and it should be done with as much understanding as possiblr with an explanation as to why it is happening. Maybe give them the link to the Yasi thread and be told to read through it to gain a better understanding of why these sort of posts are a problem. As soon as the main event is over the ban should be lifted and away we go. Unfortunately it is human nature to get caught up in the moment without realising the consequenses of your actions but a gentle nudge in the right direction should do the trick.

Good idea, windblown! Unfortunately the Yasi thread did turn into a panic room. I stopped posting there because of that but did continue to read. My contributions during Yasi & Anthony were mainly to do with wind speeds/gusts in my area. I rarely post outside of TCs but always keep a watch on what everyone is saying in various threads throughout the rest of the year. That might change as my wonderful hubby has given in to my request(nagging)for a proper weather station for my upcoming birthday (only have a hand-held anemometer atm) & I might soon have something relevant to contribute outside of TC season. I'd hate to see those of us who only post once in a while restricted, just because we don't always speak up. I'd be happy to see the "panic predictions" by people who think a Cat 1 is going to blow us off the map in a seperate thread though, as opposed to those who ask reasonable questions. Hard to see the Mods being able to handle that though, with a TC bearing down & a lot of people who don't read the guidelines just sprouting rubbish, willy nilly. I feel very sorry for the Mods, at times like that.

And, yes, it does look like the weather is starting to warm up, finally. Fog early this morning, sunny & still right now. Another beautiful Mackay morning.

I have been a forum member for a while - way before YASI. I have a total fascination of extreme weather I guess, having grown up with earthquakes and cyclonic winds in Wellington NZ and even though I haven't posted on this forum, I don't consider myself a newbie - I have learned a lot - thanks everyone :-). I would hate for any limitation to be put on genuine weather lovers just because they haven't a record of so many posts.
I agree with the need to moderate useless chat as it ruins the thread for everyone, and wastes so many pages with drivel. But there are many not so newbie non posters like me who are really interested in the meaningful and informative information that is put up in these forums, by people who know what they are talking about, and people who desire to learn.

I first joined during hamish. I am very interested in weather and only want to learn from the 'experts'

I don't think you guys can roll back the increasing media attention onto WZ - (and thus the pied piper following of every man and his dog onto it) especially when your (with respect) cyclone chases are becoming increasingly public and televised - combined with your often successful advice. Which means you are going to get everyone - good and bad and in increasing numbers. Perhaps the main WZ guys could have a locked / private area just for themselves that is not publicly advertised - and is put together by them for them. I love WZ and am interested to watch what happens to our weather and our posts in the next season. I just watch though.

I have been a reader here for many, many years. I registered in 2009 because I had something to say. Since I have been registered Ive made 8 posts. This will be my 9th.
I dont ever want to feel that im restricted.
I do agree that during Yasi things got very out of hand.
Its extreemly frustrating to have several new people flood in and not read back to see if they can find the answer to their question. I think many people were getting annoyed because the same questions were asked over and over and interestingly many new people felt that they could come in and tell people that had been here for years how they should and shouldnt act and what they should and shouldnt say in the forum. That to me is extreemly rude.

Rude or not Meedee it is a fact of life that extreme weather events brings out the best and worst of people. I and a few others, made a suggestion that the admins create this new forum and to increase the amount of time between posts to slow down the obvious trolls and make it impossible for them to constantly spam the thread. This has now been been taken up and the time between postings is now 600 seconds or 10 minutes.

I was extremley frustrated when WZ went down last year and some of the same questions being asked page after page so I have started a new thread about cyclone formations and what causes them.

I have not been sitting idly by and waiting for someone else to get off thier backsides and do something so I have attached my own forum to my website. This is so the sane people who do wish to get information from the Townsville area have somewhere else they can get to if it all becomes pear shaped this year (hopefully not but you never know what sort of attacks some fwits will pull).

Hey it cost me nothing extra to host the forum so I decided to activate one just in case. I am not trying to drag people away from WZ but if you want somewhere else to ask questions then this area is such a place to do so.

You cannot stop people reading a public forum unless you lock it and only allow access via a password so even if people are banned (I know from first hand experience) that they can still read what is happening.

The number of posts doesn't mean much in the scheme of things. It is the quality of the posts that matter. I have rubbed quite a few members up the wrong way with some of my posts during Yasi but if you don't get told in a manner in which it leaves no doubt to the stupidity of your actions then I am failing as a citizen of this country.

More moderators is another matter that needs to be addressed too, maybe some emergency moderators who can be called on during a major event to lend a hand.

All of the above is why I, as a serious contributor, called it quits well before Yasi, during the Brisbane/Rocky floods in fact, and have only been a very peacemeal contributor ever since..

I know exactly how you feel Retired Weather Man !!

"2. Most of the people posting that night have not posted since???? So they have absolutly no contribution to the forums what so ever. "

Trav , I hope there was some "Good" that came out of last season ....

I for one had been using the WZ service for a few years , but really only regularly during last years VIC winter , as I was investing alot of time clearing a lake bed , readying it for the impending SEPT, OCT , - JAN Floods 10/11 .
The Brisbane/Rocky Floods then Yasi was the Straw that Broke my lazyness to actually Join .
From memory, most of my discussion / corrections had to do with the Storm surge " Hysteria " . Considering I pinpointed Cardwell as the major risk it was well founded .

But to my point , Hopefully not every " Blowin " that came to life during that period , has been a disapointment to the older members .

Another thing is a lot of People , and including myself . Don't automatically Log In everytime they are on to read . ( MODS : If this is an Issue feel free to let me know ) ....

And lastly i love the Fact , that is you guys mostly that love to share a laugh , especially when things are little quieter ..

So nearly everything is Good , Diversity is the Key .

Cheers ,
SO . ( First Year Contributor )

The mods and admins have learned from this years melt down and have put in place things that will prevent another incident like teh Yasi one.

RWM, your post are always concise, relevant and timely. I for one appreciate your efforts mate and look forward to your continued contributions.

I first got onto this site about twelve months before Ului, I found it to be fantastic info even a week before Cyclone Ului actually crossed here.I love following the weather, as do one of my daughters.
I am not full of knowledge when it comes to the technical stuff, so unless I have anything that I feel is worth everyone else knowing, I just don't write it. What I have learnt over the last three years is incredible.
All the new members need to do is read back through the forums, work out whose input is actually worth reading, then scroll through and just read theirs. There is about a dozen or so very clever people on here most times.
It's not hard to do, there is nothing worse than some person getting on, repeating over and over what has already been answered fifteen bloody times before. Some new members are racking up 60 to 70 posts in a couple of weeks.
Put it bluntly, if you think that your post is pathetic or if you think it is a stupid question, don't post it. It's only clogging the forum and annoying the more experienced members.
There are a few members that are willing to answer any queries about the weather so just send them a message, I have a few times and the questions have always been answered very promptly.

Having read this thread, I have to read the Yasi thread again, in particular after our power went out, must have been some dreadful trolling from then on, there was some minor stuff before hand but given the backlash, must have been a corker.

(Note: our power went out at 3 in the afternoon, so sadly didn;t get to read much after that)

@trav: didn't stop posting because of lack of interest in the forums, but it's a lot of work being a teacher in a school that is being demolished and rebuilt around you and have been far too busy to lurk post and relurk.

I Agree with this statement i also agree that forums need a lot more mods there should be a 1 more mod per somany Members. Unless many signup at once then focusing on those new users to help weed out the ones that are not going to follow the guidelines or contribute any thing of use.

I think naming the topic Called Yasi or something like that just attracted the noobs to that topic you could say it was like a Big Neon Sign Flashing on and off if we had named it something different the serious ones may have been able to find Maybe if we used a name that would allow people who have knowledge in weather would understand and those who are really just to panic would have just left and go find some other site for information because it was not presented to them immediately.

Naming the forum YASI made it in the top 3 responses in Google.

In the rocky floods i heard a news report that an "online weather forum" knew in advance what the was likely to happen in the Lockyer Valley.

Post Limit before posting in other threads: I have seen this in other forums and it leads to spamming in the intro threads and such.

Maybe a Kudos system like DIC (Dream in Code)......there is only a limited amount of things that the admin team can impliment and not all will have the effects of what you guys think will happen


I beleive the safest option is to have a hidden thread or board and maybe a server upgrade for WZ to stop the outages

First time posting on this forum. Have been a member for almost a year and I really appreciate the wealth of knowledge contributed by some. Like many of you I become frustrated when forums are littered with wild speculation and trivial chat during significant weather events.

I am sorry if this suggestion has been proposed earlier..... How about letting the members decide whose input is unnecessary. If members were allowed to "like" or "dislike" someone's comments (similar to Yahoo and Youtube) the website can monitor who's contributions are not appreciated by the masses. If a member accrues more "dislikes" than "likes" temporary posting restrictions can be placed on that member. I don't know if the system could be that simple but at least the concept is worth considering.

i am just a lurker and find the info on here facinating. If the problem during Yasi was panicked people posting 'inane questions' maybe during extreme events a 'fact sheet or sticky post' could pop up before the thread does with info and links to BOM, SES , eta and area of crossing, emergency numbers and evac info etc. That might help people who are concerned, but not sure where to find info. I like the idea of the other changes, and thank you to all you knowledgeable people - i am learning heaps.

edit - to fix my bad spelling and grammar

Hi Guys,
I was glued to my computer during Yasi last year as I had relies up north in Townsville.
Unfortunatly the amount of useless trolling that was posted was not just annoying and totally uncalled for as there was no meaning behind any of it, I had to log off.
I understand where you guys are coming from and don't envy you trying to work this all out.
I do very much appreciate the information you all share with everyone and look forward to this season's guidance. :-)

I am another one who never contributes much, but watch and check in, and am really keen to try and learn more, and love the info. I very rarely contribute because I’m just not anywhere near the skill levels you lot are! And found most of the time that when i had a question, if I waited a little while, someone would usually ask it anyway! I joined around Yasi time but I found you, when I was following Bianca. I am fascinated with severe weather, and also somewhat concerned by it?

Went through Cyclone Wanda and floods in 1974 and only just started to enjoy storms if I can hide behind the camera lens, skills aren’t quite there yet! But for me it is also a personal lifeline, as my husband works in the Pilbara, he came from Scotland, been here 25 years and most of that was in Victoria except the last 3 in NT and WA, and so far, he has managed to just, miss a few big storms and a cyclone that was a fizzer. But hasn’t really got a clue of just what a real cyclone is like.

And the company he works for would probably think to warn him, if one was coming, a day after, maybe? I actually was for a while there his crews personal ‘could, or would’ rain forecaster, with the help of your links to maps, and more so, invaluable insight, on what could be going on around his area, and half a clue of what may be on the way. And why I was checking in tonite to see, what the potential future may hold, as the season starts as of today (well it is now)!

My husband gets moved around, different sights and places, there is usually no actual forecasts, for a lot of the North WA and North NT areas, but are very prone to flash floods, so when you’re on site, in a massive plastic pit with equipment that may be rain sensitive, apart from the getting out of there in torrential rain hazard, some idea to keep an eye out around mid arvo, can be almost lifesaving, thankfully it hasn’t had to be yet!

So rest assured for me this sight has been amazing! And please note I don’t get payed to try to guesstimate any upcoming bad weather, I am more so fascinated by the process and how amazingly hard it is, and how correct a lot of your discussions and speculations usually are. But also because I have a vested interest for my husband to come home safe and sound, cause his is a nice guy!

As I was about to post this I got a call about a massive storm that just going over, it was forecast by BOM, but not to go his way, and he was off to bed so i didn’t tell him! But he rang me as it was a rip snorter, with flash flooding, so the season has started and i may not be regular, but i do need the help! Thanks x

Welcome Weather Princess.

No one should feel that they are too embarrassed to ask questions about anything princessweather, including the weather. Which is why in I have my signature the bit about PMing me if you don't want to post a public question. I know first hand how hard it is to make the first couple of posts in a new forum so please if you need any help feel free to PM me.

If you need to know it is because you are looking for information not because your silly or as some would say on other forums being an idiot.

One of the biggest things that came out of the whole Yasi debacle was that those people who had legitimate questions where howled down and ignored as the trolls swamped the forum. (On the other hand what got right up my nose was the same question being asked multiple times on that same page because people where too lazy to read the comments as they where being posted).

This is the very reason Boomer, Trav Dog, Adam C, myself and a few others pushed for this new lounge. So that we could have an area where we could answer the most common questions and where people could ask questions away from the breaking weather thread that will be the next cyclone.

So sit back with a coffee, relax and fire away.

Thanks Sir BoabTree, I actually have looked for your posts in the past as you opinions and insights are well worth reading, and including the others you have mentioned! As I said, most of the questions I have, are answered, or can be found in previous posts, which I go and have a look first!

And I am quite hesitant due to I’m not sure that I haven’t, just missed something very obvious! I am fascinated by wether, and have a very vested interest in it too, but I really know so little, and there are so many facets to consider, and find it fascinating how one small factor can make a massive difference in what can be a slight rain depression, or a possible cyclone! But I will ask in future if I am baffled, and will try to not ask any stupid questions!

And thanks to everyone with the information you provide, as BOM can’t speculate, and give the reasoning behind it, which is far more valuable to know, as it can determine what may happen, that isn’t available with just facts alone! xx

I, too joined this forum in the lead up to Yasi, but I have not really had the confidence to contribute very much. But I love reading all of the posts and I must visit the forum at least four or five times a day to find out what is going on with the weather - and my poor husband has to put up with me talking to him about CAPE and shear and dew points (but I think it was when I explained what a donut hole was that he knew he had lost me to the weather geeks forever lol!)

I am so grateful to always know what is coming up weather-wise simply due to the incredible generosity, passion and expertise of the regulars here.

So for what it's worth, there must be many lurkers out there like me who don't feel qualified to say very much but who have learnt so much from you all, and I know I would hate for that to count against me in some way.

So big waves to you all!

Too funny my poor husband lost me too some time ago! He literally just told me to go to bed, asking why was I still up so late! I'm like a child replying.... but there is possible cyclone brewing in the Coral Sea, I want to stay up late! It's my obsession I tell him get you own. He has his own (ironman triathlon) and well I put up with it.

Welcome to WZ Natsta