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Just where did National Railway Museum director Steve Davies go?

Discussion in 'Heritage Railway' started by Robin Jones, Nov 29, 2012.

  1. Robin Jones

    Robin Jones New Member

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    That is the question that everyone has been asking since his sudden departure from the museum a few weeks ago.
    If yow want to know the answer, visit Heritage Railway Magazine | Facebook now!
     
  2. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Robin, are you ever going to take a more active role in this forum than just showing up and trying to get us all to go to another website in order to find anything out. 14 of your last 25 posts have been to start new threads just asking us to go to Facebook to find something out; and 9 of the others have been replies mostly in your own threads asking us to go to FaceBook to find stuff out. You've also started new threads (such as all the various ones you started about the A4s) when there havs already been a thread on that subject you could have contributed to.

    There are only two posts that don't fit that pattern: one in the "Latest Issue" thread where you say "I have taken notes of your comments" and - holy of holies - one in the LMS Crab thread where you actually contribute something useful.

    From any other user, one useful post out of 25 would look like spam.

    Please - either tell us the answer here or don't post.

    Tom
     
  3. class8mikado

    class8mikado Part of the furniture

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    and was your post on this thread because its steam traction related ? or because this is the most looked at thread, or because the mods watch the NRM Section carefully for the Muck rakers and Mud slingers that would otherwise make hay there... just do one.
     
  4. Neil_Scott

    Neil_Scott Part of the furniture

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    Do you think that Robin might quote your post in the next edition of HR?!
     
  5. cct man

    cct man Part of the furniture

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    I get the feeling that Robin does not care one way or another, he has a thick skin IMHO.

    The old adage that, "There is no such thing as bad publicity", springs to mind with this man. You will never get a straight answer out of him so my advice for what it is worth it to ignore him and do not bite when he posts his shameless blogs.

    At one time I though better of him than this.

    Regards
    Chris:
     
  6. Neil_Scott

    Neil_Scott Part of the furniture

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    Like Tom, perhaps like yourself and many others, I've found his approach frustrating and wish it wasn't tolerated. The much reviled Danny Hopkins at least engaged with us on the forum for a while.
     
  7. richards

    richards Part of the furniture

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    Thread moved to "Heritage Railway" area where it belongs ...

    Richard
     
  8. GWR4707

    GWR4707 Nat Pres stalwart

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    I'm disappointed, I thought it was going to be a competition!
     
  9. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    Whilst people may object to Robin's approach , but what is different to all those who post links to Flickr sites, Zenfolio , Youtube ? (I know i'm guilty before anyone says)

    Yes we can argue Robin is in a commercial business but ultimately what Robin does is no different to those items above or for that matter Admin's RSS feeds

    So is your un-happiness anti that method of posting ,and then as a forum we need to be clearer that pictures and video's need to be embedded, not just links, or anti Robin and so its more personal ?

    I would like all the magazines to have more engagement on here and work closer but if as with Danny previously they become subject to personal vitriol who can blame them if they don't
     
  10. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

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    ah the antidote to "Wheres Wally!"
     
  11. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Seeing as I raised the initial question, I'll answer.

    NatPres is a discussion forum and a community of like-minded people sharing a common interest. We may have our little spats and tiffs with each other, but fundamentally we visit because we want to discuss matters around railway preservation (and occasionally beer, apparently).

    Although technically the forum can host photos, it isn't a photo-sharing site by design and I suspect most serious photographers wouldn't use it as such for more than teh occasional photo.

    So when a photographer uploads photos to Flickr and then posts the link here, they are adding to the NatPres community: we can all have a discussion about the photos, their relative artistic merit or an interesting story they tell. That seems to me right and proper, and almost certainly what the person posting the photo intended.

    Whereas with Robin's posts, they are not adding anything to the community: indeed, in some sense they are taking away. He seems not interested in having a discussion about his stories here, but instead trying to get us to go elsewhere. That seems to me to be destructive of the sense of community, and certainly not promoting the discussion which a forum is designed to allow.

    If he considers that Facebook is the best online location for his magazine to engage with readers - great. But if so, his posts here, and his wilful refusal to engage in conversation here, can't be seen as anything other than advertising spam. If all he is interested in doing is posting links to another site, and not engaging in a conversation here, than at the very least he should have the courtesy only to post in the "Links" sub forum. As it is, I feel he is abusing the forum by the way he posts.

    Tom
     
  12. Neil_Scott

    Neil_Scott Part of the furniture

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    I post plenty of links to my Flickr site but I'm not trying to sell anyone anything. Neither do I duplicate threads to publicise my own efforts (outside of the Photography subsection either) nor do I try to manipulate the flow of information by trying to get people to read 'news' on my facebook page or website instead of just posting the details on the forum. I join in on other threads. But perhaps most of all, I don't try and aim all my posts at one particular object like Robin does - every post is themed around Heritage Railway magazine by getting people to look at it!

    I think people also want to see notable figures in the heritage railway movement, such as Robin, actually interact and participate in forums like this rather than just trying to up their hit count on their websites. The best figures from within the movement that post here are the ones who actually interact with others! If Robin were to step a bit further out of the Heritage Railway bubble he's created for himself then perhaps people would respect his input.
     
  13. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    Surely that is part of his job to direct attention to his publication and its web pages? I can't see what the problem is.
     
  14. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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    Look at it another way - currently Robin posts on here to attract you to his Facebook page/website in the hope that you will then buy his magazine. Why should he be treated differently from the advertisers on the site who are paying for the privilege?

    Keith
     
  15. class8mikado

    class8mikado Part of the furniture

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    As it turns out the article is well worth a read so thanks Robin for bringing it to our attention, and apologies for being rude, but theres a time and a place for everything
     
  16. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Realised I hadn't answered all your points. This is not anti-Robin: I have never met him and don't suppose I would know him from Adam if I did.

    Nor am I against linking, as I outlined above, when - for example - a photographer posts photos elsewhere and then the discussion takes place here.

    Rather, what I am concerned about is posting a link when the objective is simply to draw readers away. NatPres is a commercial entity: it is in the site owners interest to increase readership and members. That in turn means making this site a valuable resource, the "go to" destination for railway preservation enthusiasts. But Robin's posts go against that aim : they decrease the signal to noise ratio, not improve it.

    If that style of posting is what collectively we want for the forum - fine. But I see Robin taking and not giving anything back. If that continues, it does nothing to attract new members and everything to drive existing ones away. Is that what we want?

    So what is the collected viewpoint of the mods? Is that style of parasitical post OK or not?

    Tom
     
  17. hughesfowler

    hughesfowler Member

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    Or then again how can he reply to criticism when the posts in media section are deleted by the mods, unless of course he does not want to answer valid comments about the magazine or unless they are removed at his request ? . Thankfully freedom of speech reigns on other forums.
     
  18. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    For the same reason that those who have a link to their railway or loco group in their status are not.
     
  19. Fred Kerr

    Fred Kerr Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    The problem is that if you follow Robin's link, it takes you to Facebook but only allows access if you "sign in" - i.e. have a Facebook Account. For reasons of security I choose not to have a Facebook Account and - therefore - am denied the privilege of access to something which is becoming increasingly common as a source of communication.

    Question : Is the fault Facebook for having a poor security for the data it holds or me for refusing to give secure information to a site which fails to protect it. ?
     
  20. GWR4707

    GWR4707 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Nail - head!

    People who post photo links are not after commercial gain and whatever one thinks their photo's are a record of what is happening in the steam scene.

    But these constant postings provide nothing to the forum and instead are using in in an underhand way to sell a product for free, why should other advertisers pay if another person or organisation which provides nothing gets a freebie, whats to stop us all advertising our businesses on here?

    At least the much attacked Danny Hopkins was prepared to engage with the forum and through that I felt he bought much insight, this approach is merely commercial and doesnt even give the courtesy of engagement.

    I am sorry but to me its just morally wrong.
     

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