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Post by bradmacmt on Mar 25, 2017 13:44:20 GMT -8
Sorry to be a newbie or possibly a dunce. What is the TPA? It's like an IPA, but doesn't give you a buzz, and leaves a worse taste in your mouth...
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ChefG
Trail Ready!
Posts: 10
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Post by ChefG on Mar 25, 2017 13:47:24 GMT -8
It's like an IPA, but doesn't give you a buzz, and leaves a worse taste in your mouth... I understand now. It makes you want to drink IPA. Lot's of them! Thx.
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davesenesac
Trail Wise!
Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
Posts: 1,710
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Post by davesenesac on Mar 25, 2017 14:45:47 GMT -8
As someone that only takes a token look over in TPA once every month or three, I don't understand the current situation, history since it was created, or recent threads. However whenever I do make that visit, what I do read makes me easily understand why any pleasant, considerate, thoughtful person that was thanklessly tasked with moderator duties would over time get puking sick of having to regularly read through some of the postings therein.
That is not to say there are many well crafted, considerate, objective, well argued and harmless inputs but rather enough unpleasant inputs to weigh down whatever else. And to be clear it is not just personal attacks of which I would expect are few blatant ones lest the attacker have a short career but rather the nature of subjects discussed that are often set up with strong bias and long on rantings by whatever OP with little balance. Sort of like reading news stories presented by Rush Limbaugh on radio or The Huffington Post on their web site.
Thus the decision to either not moderate at all or remove the forum. Although some may think the former is a reasonable choice, it could also be a naive to think so as there are some very dark places in packet space where mention of another un-moderated sandbox is only likely to attract some of the worst. Once that happens removal will occur unless actual members that want to play in that sand box figure out how to group moderate amongst themselves.
David
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2017 13:05:51 GMT -8
TPA is the backpacker bouncy house.
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Post by Lamebeaver on Mar 27, 2017 12:06:43 GMT -8
For the record, someone pointed out that some of the posters in TPA did not post anywhere else on the forums. The sentiment expressed was that TPA was a place for backpackers to agree to disagree, not for non-backpackers to come in and instigate arguments.
Did it justify taking down TPA? Not IMHO, but it was a legitimate gripe.
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driftwoody
Trail Wise!
Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
Posts: 14,997
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Post by driftwoody on Mar 27, 2017 17:38:42 GMT -8
TPA was restored reluctantly, with what amounts to an angry diatribe. It's right there in the description of the forum: It sounds pretty demeaning for those who post there, so I went looking for that mysterious poster and finally found him ...
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Post by Coolkat on Mar 28, 2017 4:47:43 GMT -8
It sounds pretty demeaning for those who post there I suppose I can see how it could come across that way. However, I agree with sentiment behind it. 95% of it is people preaching to the choir. The other 5% is people telling people with another point of view how they lack reasoning skills and questioning their intelligence and cognitive capabilities. Especially if the other person refuses to see things "their way" after a well thought out response. I fail to see how it adds anything worthwhile to this forum as a whole. Especially when a large majority of the TPA posters never post anywhere else.
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Post by Lamebeaver on Mar 28, 2017 6:33:59 GMT -8
As far as preaching to the choir, I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. I have a hard time keeping up with all of the stupid irresponsible decisions that are being made by the current administration, and TPA serves as a running commentary of how far towards hell the hand basket has traveled.
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desert dweller
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Power to the Peaceful...Hate does not create.
Posts: 6,291
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Post by desert dweller on Mar 28, 2017 7:48:26 GMT -8
I fail to see how it adds anything worthwhile to this forum as a whole. What the TPA adds to the Forums is keeping those topics and the extreme responses they can elicit from taking over the more apropos subjects. Keeps the sheep corralled, so to speak.
ETA. Funny how cattle are corralled and sheep are pinned.
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Post by Coolkat on Mar 28, 2017 7:58:46 GMT -8
What the TPA adds to the Forums is keeping those topics and the extreme responses they can elicit from taking over the more apropos subjects. Keeps the sheep corralled, so to speak. I can see that. It makes sense I must admit if it has to be here. However, the content itself and all bickering doesn't add anything to the theme of backpacking. If talking about backpacking related topics bores you then why are you here? If all I wanted to do was talk about politics why go to a backpacking forum? Why not go to a political forum where I'm sure the mud is flung higher, faster, and harder. This really applies to those who rarely post outside the TPA. The TPA generates just a ton of posts but trip reports rarely get commented on. Hmmmmm...
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desert dweller
Trail Wise!
Power to the Peaceful...Hate does not create.
Posts: 6,291
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Post by desert dweller on Mar 28, 2017 8:08:23 GMT -8
If all I wanted to do was talk about politics why go to a backpacking forum? Look at it as the bastard son of the Trailhead Register. The TR is a place where topics other than backpacking can be brought up and discussed. It's like when sitting around the campfire folks can talk about anything, i.e. cars, movies, family, etc. The TPA is a place reserved for the "adult" campfire discussions. A place where loud talking, cussing, risqué subjects are allowed. We don't always want that around the campfire along with the smores and burnt dogs on a stick.
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davesenesac
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Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
Posts: 1,710
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Post by davesenesac on Mar 28, 2017 8:54:21 GMT -8
...The TPA generates just a ton of posts but trip reports rarely get commented on. Hmmmmm... As I've long noted, that is a forum structural issue and one that tended to plague many Internet forums. Of course with social media dominant now, web forums are much less used. Years ago 2 generations of forum software removed here, trip reports were regularly posted in TR and well responded to. Well except during election periods when the board was overrun by those only interested in continuously releasing political diarrhea that would quickly scroll off front pages other threads that is a kiss of death black hole.
From earliest Internet days those creating web discussion boards at the start of forums usually created way too many sub forums, a bucket for every variety of discussion that members might want to talk about. That has been an excellent cause of diffusing discussions resulting in inadequate numbers of responses. An out of sight out of mind issue. Lack of responses to threads results in gradually lack of interest with members going into sub forums less to the point they are relatively ignored. Who wants to create threads that are ignored not because they don't have value and interest but rather because there are too few people looking at them? The smart web sites understood that and just created a few forums at first where there was considerable interest and critical mass. Then as membership and activity picked up they would add other sub forums if necessary so types of more popular discussions did not overwhelm those that were less frequent. For this Backpacker board, only the Gear and Trailhead Register, and TPA consistently get notice. The rest have and will continue to be backwaters out of sight, out of mind, with inadequate critical mass to be healthy. But as I've noted, there is a simple solution not only for Trip Reports but also some other types of sub forum discussions.
Our trip reports would work here much better if they were first posted in TR and then say after a week or two admins then automatically moved them over to whatever sub-forums where they would not be otherwise scrolled off front pages.
David
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desert dweller
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Power to the Peaceful...Hate does not create.
Posts: 6,291
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Post by desert dweller on Mar 28, 2017 9:12:47 GMT -8
Our trip reports would work here much better if they were first posted in TR and then say after a week or two admins then automatically moved them over to whatever sub-forums where they would not be otherwise scrolled off front pages. That is a good suggestion. The on-topic forums could be used like a reference pool after the trip report or gear review made their initial appearance on the more visited Trailhead Register.
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kenv
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Post by kenv on Mar 28, 2017 10:35:45 GMT -8
For the record, someone pointed out that some of the posters in TPA did not post anywhere else on the forums I've been accused of that multiple times (posting exclusively in TPA and ignoring all the "true" backpacking forums.) It's utterly false and very easily proven false, but nevertheless appears to be another convenient lie propagated by the Leftists. It sounds pretty demeaning for those who post there, (TPA).... I agree, it is demeaning and very appropriately so.
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on Mar 28, 2017 15:12:34 GMT -8
Our trip reports would work here much better if they were first posted in TR and then say after a week or two admins then automatically moved them over to whatever sub-forums where they would not be otherwise scrolled off front pages. That is a good suggestion. The on-topic forums could be used like a reference pool after the trip report or gear review made their initial appearance on the more visited Trailhead Register. I agree it's an interesting idea, and I'll bring it up with the Mods. Makes a little extra work, but not that much.
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