A topic that needs good clean debate and insightful thinking

[majicmeow]

I've been holding back my comments on your posts until now just to see what happened

First of all, please don't get me wrong by thinking I "dislike" F1T. By all means, it IS one of the better forums I have ever been a member of. The general atmosphere here is very pleasant and generally pretty low-key.

However, like some have mentioned, that doesn't mean it cannot be improved upon.

When I became a member shortly after the 07' campaign, this forum was RIPE with great information. Not "aerodyanmisyst" type of information, but useful none the less. I don't come here to learn the equations involved in CFD, but some do! I do not come here to discuss Max's love life, but then again, some do!

What I feel has been lost in the year (+/-) that I've been here is the discipline the I perceived was present when I became a member. Forum visits and new members, I feel, have nothing to do with the success of the forum as far as being a pleasant place to be. For example, during the pre-season testing and race weekends, I will frequent this forum up to 10 times a day to catch up on the new and exciting things!

Regardless of what kind of dirt I find between the good pieces of information, I will still come here searching for the TECHNICAL (seen that word before?) information I crave. It doesn't mean that I enjoy my browsing and having to sort out all the junk, but I will come to meet my needs and contribute when I can.

But, regardless of MY browsing habits, in my opinion (like I mentioned in my first post), this forum is still terribly un-moderated. Yes being over moderated can be a pain in the ass, but when we get right down to it, a LOT of useful information is being lost between the cracks of the junk, OT and flaming going on lately. Slowly but surely, this forum HAS lost track of its real intended purpose which is so expressively stated in the name of the site.

I just feel that bringing in some extra order and dropping the "ban-hammer" (literally and figuratively) might just do this place a whole lot of needed good.

Thanks for the over all constructive and insightful posts people You are fulfilling the goal of this thread nicely.

Thanks again,

-Aaron

[donskar]

I have tried other forums, on a range of topics, but this is the only one I visit (almost) every day.

Each of us has something to contribute, even if it is only to share the reason why we come here. I'm one of the older members, someone who began a love affair with F1 in the 1960s. I have a couple years of mechanical engineering courses, several years experience as an auto mechanic, some competitive driving experience, BUT I do NOT have a great deal to share about today's technology, so I come to (try to) learn about that and to share what I DO know (or think I know!)

I work for Toyota, my son is a Porsche-Audi tech, I was a member of the team that got Compaq on board as a Williams sponsor. But I do NOT have anything substantial to contribute on current F1 technology. I DO hope I have added something of value to the forum, and I enjoy reading posts from (nearly) all our members -- even those who do not have highly technical input.

I certainly hope we can share our love FIRST for F1 and SECOND for F1 technology. Each of us has much to contribute, and those who can not appreciate sincere F1 fans might have a bit less to contribute than they think.

Now let's have some RACING!

[Professor]

ps if you are female...17-99 and need a --- give ma a call!!! my name is Quagmire!!!

I am a veteran admin and mod. On my own forum, I would have moderated this post and tried to influence this "newbie" not to post the "f" bomb. But, I'm not really sensitive to that sort of comment, it is just boring and jeuvenile.

I don't post much here, but I did join recently and I find a good level of technical understanding. But, I teach at a technical college, and many of the posts sound like my students trying to discover the truth. Others know the truth. I'm not sure which is more obnoxious.

This forum is much better than many forums, including my own. There are no fatal flaws, but I agree with the original poster that it is a bit undisciplined. The threads wander all around, and that's fine so long as someone pulls things back on topic.

Being an electrical guy, I can only talk "around" aero and engines. But I do understand Kers and I understand the design process.

[xpensive]

Again, whenever a new purely technical thread appeares, not only my own boring ones, the interest seems to be very limited. Unless you pick up something which is difficult to quantify engineering-wise, such as the shape of a diffuser, where everybody has an opinion as you never run the risk of being proven wrong.

Right or wrong, but the above seems to be the preferences of the population on this forum.

[meves]

I agree with the drop in the amount of technical imput into the forums. The general chat area is by for the most popular and you rearely manage to get anything intelligent answered on it. But the beauty of this forum is that it does have the areas for Aero, etc and Engines, etc separated which do usually hold dicussions with a little more substance and a vast amount of technical knowledge.

Postin to them more may help bring up the general intelligence of the forum rather than going to the general chat area and reading another repeat post by someone that hasn't bothered to read the thread .

[Spencifer_Murphy]

I've been a member of F1 technical for very nearly 5 years. I am young, I have a firey passion and yes it can lead me off on a rant or two. However I like to think that I can moderate myself (d'you like what I did there?...no?...I've embarrased myself haven't I? ) to the extent that I can "attack the post and not the poster". Even tho tbh I don't like to think I try to ATTACK a post, I prefer to think that more often than not I offer an alternative argument.

I disagree about the lack of technical discussion, in the testing threads we often have discussions about the new aerodynamic parts, whether a team is running light or with KERS. And yes it may be speculative but we simply don't know enough to comment about testing "facts". In the Technical Forums there are technical discussions and in the General Chat forum there is exactly that. It would be wrong to silence people in such a way in the general chat forum.

My only gripe is that in the 5 years I've been here discussions have gone from Firey and Respectful to Fiery and Personal. Also, 5 years ago when Schumi was the marmite character, while there were anti-schumi posts there were far fewer posts that label schumi as a person than there are now posts that attempt to label Hamilton as a person. I've participated in this because, as a fan you do feel compelled to "stand up for" or "counter" claims that you feel are invalid, regardless of whether they stray from the topic. Unfortunatly by doing so you fuel the fire. Now I do realise that point seems counteractive to my own argument (not posting about drivers as people) but I feel the need to post it, as I feel the problem has arisen to to the recent rise in populaity of this site has attracted people who DO post things like that to this site; whereas five years ago they were posting the same thing about schumi, but in other, less savoury forums, not here.

My point is, F1Technical was and in my opinion still should be an F1 forum not a gossip column. I'm not in charge or anything, and I'm not saying I have the right to tell people what to do but in my mind if you want to slate any driver for reasons not regarding F1 there are more than enough "anti-soandso" sites out there full of morons who cannot string together an argument, why not go and join them there if that's what you want to do. It seems to me some people just like to poke others with a stick to get a response. If on the other hand you want to talk F1, then great.

I like this site, I REALLY DO. I feel I can post here, debate, argue and comment without feeling like I should hide my opinion for fear of getting flamed. But recently some newbies have been flamed for something they probably didn't know...nobody needs that sort of elitist attitude. Even days ago, I found out, to my public humiliation, that "j/k" means JOKE. As a newbie there's lots, about forum ettiquete, F1 and all the other stuff we debate, that you may not know. So posting "Why does the Ferrari this year have a different wing to last year?" does not require a reply allong the lines of "Because of the new regulations, you [insert personal degrading label here], where have you been?! Didn't you read about it twelve pages ago?!..." becaue sometimes I've seen it happen, and the poster simply didn't think that MAYBE the original poster was a young kid, younger than I was when I first joined this site (16 if you're interested) who joined because they have JUST gotten interested in F1.

All I ask is come consideration. Loosing your temper with a heated disscussion is fine(as long as it doesn't get nasty), but loosing your temper at a person because unlike you they don't have the engineering knowledge you do, is just unnacceptable in my view.

I used to be able to quote a post and argue against it, then expect a couner argument. NOW when I quote I feel I have to explain that I'm not aiming an attack at the poster for fear of upsetting them, or even geting attacked myself by some jumped up walking ego that cannot bare the thought that somebody disagreed with them. Why does that need to be the case?

I still feel the majority of people here are wonderfully polite, but sometimes you see the term "fanboy" being posted and you just have to roll your eyes . (It's funny, whenever somebody labels someone a "Fanboy" I always seem to come to the conclusion that it is actually THEY who are the fanboy, as its a typical childish responce from the so-called "fanboy" type.)

Please note I've not quoted, reffered to, or even thought of individuals when posting this (rather long) opinion. I have commented only on a general impression that I, as a fellow user, see. I feel that's only fair and correct.

P.S - My feeling the need to post that disclaimer is an ironic coinscidence about the topic at hand!

[WhiteBlue]

What I feel has been lost in the year (+/-) that I've been here is the discipline the I perceived was present when I became a member. Forum visits and new members, I feel, have nothing to do with the success of the forum as far as being a pleasant place to be. For example, during the pre-season testing and race weekends, I will frequent this forum up to 10 times a day to catch up on the new and exciting things!

Regardless of what kind of dirt I find between the good pieces of information, I will still come here searching for the TECHNICAL (seen that word before?) information I crave. It doesn't mean that I enjoy my browsing and having to sort out all the junk, but I will come to meet my needs and contribute when I can.

But, regardless of MY browsing habits, in my opinion (like I mentioned in my first post), this forum is still terribly un-moderated. Yes being over moderated can be a pain in the ass, but when we get right down to it, a LOT of useful information is being lost between the cracks of the junk, OT and flaming going on lately. Slowly but surely, this forum HAS lost track of its real intended purpose which is so expressively stated in the name of the site.

Nice write up! In my experience F1 forums are different between seasons and the really bad stuff usually happens before the season starts. Patience runs very low and the "regulars" who post always (even when nothing happens) tend to get involved in turf wars.

This is natural and as surely as the moon goes through all his permutations with the start of the season there are a lot more issues and the discussion style is going back to normal within the space of 6 weeks. Good moderation teams know that and do not waste much effort in shooting the "testing season flamers". With the begin of the season and with the influx of many more hits of the web site they tend to shoot a few sinners for the education of the others and presto things normalise to in season levels quickly.