Hi all

Thanks for all your feedback regarding the way that tropical cyclone threads have run in previous seasons. The team of moderators and admins have taken all this on board, digested it all, and had extensive discussions about the path forward that we believe the tropical forum should take.

The main rationale behind making these changes is to ensure that we keep a clear balance between ensuring new members feel welcome and able to post, and not "annoying" existing members unnecessarily, with spammed posts.

Initially, these guidelines will only apply to the tropical forums (the existing Tropical and Central Australia forum and the new Tropical Lows and Cyclones forum). However, if they work successfully, they will be rolled out across the whole Weatherzone forum.

The changes that will be implemented (effective immediately) are as follows:

* All forum members will be limited to one post per sub-forum in any 10 minute period. This is to limit spamming, and ensure that threads do not degenerate into "chat". This will also encourage the use of the edit post facility. Unfortunately, the forum software precludes us from making this thread-based. Hopefully the addition of the Tropical Lows and Cyclones sub-forum will go some way to alleviate this. Users will be able to post concurrently in the general chat thread in the Tropical and Central Australia sub-forum and in any cyclone-specific thread in the Tropical Lows and Cyclones sub-forum.

* To allow for this, the editing time for posts will be extended to 20 minutes.

* Localised threads will be created during major events, and moderated to show local content only. All forum members will be allowed to post in these threads (regardless of their physical location), but the content of the posts in these threads must relate to the specified geographical area.

* Threads will be split when they reach a certain post count, at the sole discretion of the moderators.

It is also worth reinforcing at this time that all forum members should be familiar with our forum guidelines , particularly regarding attacks on other members. To this end, attacks on new forum members will be treated with a zero tolerance policy, and bans will apply.

Finally, just a reminder on when TC threads will be created:

Each Area of Responsibility will have its own seasonal cyclone discussion thread to talk about developing systems.
Specific cyclone threads can not be created until a system directly threatens the coast or a watch/warning is issued on the system. Finally, it is up to mods/admin to decide if tech threads are created.

Please also note that any cyclone-specific thread should now be created in the Tropical Lows and Cyclones sub-forum rather than in the Tropical and Central Australia sub-forum.

If anyone has any questions about these new guidelines, feel free to post in here or PM me directly.

Thanks

Matt Pearce
Weatherzone Forums Admin

Sounds good.
I'm unsure what is behind threads being split when they reach a certain amount of posts, I don't mean that in a rude way, I am just confused as to why that has to happen?

So when you want to look for a certain post in the past, you don't have to search through hundreds of pages to find it.

OK, just a few of my thoughts on what’s been proposed. Although can I just say this only applies at times of significant weather events, not everyday weather.

Posting Limit:
1 Post per 10 minutes? Seriously, I think that is pathetic. How about no more than 2 posts per hour? This will encourage people to create more constructive posts. And anyway, what other useful information could one add every 10 minutes otherwise?? Obviously if someone is posting useful information this rule would not be enforced.

20 Minute Edit:
Yes good move, however it’s only effective if people actually do use the edit button. Also, is it possible to implement an automatic ‘spell check’ into the reply section? Even on a good day I have enough trouble trying to spell words with more than 2 letters.

Localised Threads:
I agree with posting relevant information in localised threads. However, no need to create new threads for each event, as these already exist (i.e North Qld Wet Season, Central Coast & Whitsundays Wet Season etc). Although a couple years ago when the forum became heavily crowded during Cyclone Hamish I tried posting what I though was relevant information in the localised thread ( such as this) and was heavily criticised.

Split Threads:
I realise split threads reduce server load at times of high traffic, although I’m not overly keen on the idea and believe should be avoided where possible. Cyclone Larry was split over 3 threads, though see if you can go back now and find them all in less than one minute. Also, perhaps I’m blind and can’t see it, but as well as having a way to sort threads by the most recent post, is it possible to sort threads by the date they were actually created? If not, could this be set up? Would make it a lot easier to find past information.

Creating Cyclone Threads:
I’m honestly not in favour of the current rules for creating threads. Personally I believe the earlier a specific thread is created the better – even prior to formation of the system, especially if there are strong indications of its development. That way all the relevant information for each system is captured right from the start. Earlier this year I created the technical threads for both Cyclone Yasi and Anthony for this reason. Now if you go back HERE and read through it, you can follow Yasi’s progress from the beginning. Otherwise, if it had of been created when the first cyclone advice was released it would be like opening a book on page 80 and wondering what happened in the first few chapters. Just my thoughts anyway.

Finally, just a suggestion, we’ve got different forums for Marine, Climate Change, States, etc. well maybe it would be worthwhile setting up a forum for just Tropical Lows and Cyclones. During peak season the Tropical and Central Australia section does become very busy, especially with so many other active threads on the go at once. So a separate forum is warranted, definitely something worth looking into.

I think during major events, we still want people to post up to date information/observations as an event unfolds. Limiting users to 1 or 2 posts an hour would mean we could miss out on a lot of information.

Why not put limitations on the the Cyclone threads as they occur to stop the problems that we had last wet season,and not in our local threads. Because really that is what your trying to achieve isn't it, to stop all the abuse and frequent, irrelavent posts that were made and to stop clogging up those cyclone threads and turning them into a 600 plus page event. Why not just put the restiction on the Tropical lows and cyclone forum. Don't know if this is possible. I know for our thread, it is a chance to be social on some nights and talk about the weather and what is happening, no one is going to have this opportunity to do this if they can only post every 10 mins, how can you sit around at the computer and wait for 10 mins just to answer someone's question or discuss an event. Gosh if our thread gets to 30 pages we are on fire. We are not serial nuts in our thread. I know I have posted this in my local thread, but I am not happy, and I just wonder if you going to kill it for us more committed weather addicts and not the dim wits who only get on here and post when something serious is going down. Sometimes I only have a short time to sit at the computer and to message on this forum, as I don't have all day to sit around and wait. Sorry but I am not happy.

That's just it isn't it. I'm one of those "dimwits", who will never ever presume again to post on one of the addicts' forums, after I got completely trashed on last season. I was one of those who registered during Yasi - my first ever cyclone.

It think it was a few weeks after Yasi, I asked something I thought pertinent, but in the wrong language. I don't remember now if it was in a completely wrong thread or not - but the polite thing would be to just tell the poster to go to such and such a thread (giving a link if they have the time), instead of getting bogged down in bitching about newbies stupidities. All it takes is ONE PERSON to redirect the newbie in a polite manner, and reading some of these polite redirections might bring to the new poster's mind that they might be in the wrong place.

I can't see any measures you could take to stop the annoying questions from us newbie dimwits as we arrive on the scene, so isn't it best to simply inform them each time which might be the most suitable thread to ask in. Maybe use a standard response, so you don't have to waste time thinking of what to say.

When I started visiting here I found the site so immense that it was overwhelming, so it's easy to make mistakes. One of the problems at the time was trying to read thru all 45-150 (or whatever number) pages when pages were getting added faster than I could read them.

I've kept a look in for most of the year. I rarely post. I do have questions from time to time - BUT I've realised I don't have the correct language to google it, and especially nor do I have the unlimited download capacity that it seems a majority of the population has these days.

What bothers me is the hostility to those with less knowledge on this site. I know I'm never going to have even a smidgen of the knowledge of some of your average members, but how do I get that knowledge without asking questions?

That said - I agree with the rest of what you've said Maclaw.

This is a great site and a great forum, and I will keep hanging around, even tho I went as far as asking for my account to be deleted during last season's hostilities.

Edit: just discovered the same new guidelines posting in the other thread, and having read it I think it's worth trying the new rules and seeing how they go - except for the edit idea, I think any changes to a post will not get read if a lot of people are posting.