The good, the bad, and the ugly on TGS; about forum conduct

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Over the years the members and staff here on TGS have worked very hard to maintain these forums and to keep them as professional as possible. The Grime Scene was designed to be a tool, an archive, an online research repository, a networking venue, and a place to come together as professionals to help one another in the spirit of goodwill and growth. To this end we have accomplished much. The forums have grown, we have added new areas, we have added new features, all of our members who have come and gone over the years have shared and learned along side one another in the positive and professional spirit of cooperative learning and growth. These forums have been crawled by many search engines and will continue to rank well as they have for some time. Many contractors on here have gotten work from lurkers who are looking for a company to service their property.

Rod and I have been to many round tables and have been blown away by people who come up to us and thank us for having TGS, they tell us stories about how it has helped and in some cases made a significant difference in their business. Our response is always the same, we thank each and every one of them for the valuable contributions they share online, for it is the members and their acts of professionalism and kindness, of brotherhood and generosity that have made the forums successful, it's not one person, but all of us.

It is for this reason that I feel so very very deeply and strongly about being a BBS that is tough and takes a stand on rule breaking, on bashing, and on unprofessional behavior. It makes every single one of us look bad when a thread goes south and gets ugly. It reflects poorly and is disrespectful not only to the person being slighted, but to all of us that read it, to the visitors and lurkers who may be reading, afraid to post for fear of ridicule or retribution, to the TGS Staff who spend time back and forth voluntarily in PM's, on phone calls, in emails, taking the heat and sniping remarks on the chin when the offender turns away from their victim and turn the venom on them instead.

We are all busy people. The economy is down. We should all be spending more time looking for work or working or helping one another and less time spewing negativity and bile and distaste. And it is in this spirit and for this reason that I want to remind you all to use the report post button, and for the moderators to use infractions. The leash is at an end. TGS Staff and professional rule abiding members are in charge of this BBS, and the rule breakers will be banned for unprofessional conduct.

Thank you.

Beth

[Jeff 232]

I support your efforts Beth & Rod, I am not the best mod in the world but I agreee with what you are saying TCN and then TGS helped me basically do my business these two BB's were instrumental in JL Pressure Washing learning how to wash and grow my biz. Its always been a good/great BB

Enough bull cr*p has gone on and you all have done a great job, through the good & bad

Rock on

[Russ Spence 76]

I for one could not agree more

[newlook 265]

This is where 'Los got his start...back in the days when bell bottom jeans and carboard skoal cans were hip...I aint' going anywhere.

I am here!!

[FullBlast 14]

HaHa funny!!!

I stand behind you on this Beth, it should not be tolerated!!!!

[Camelot 68]

I started on this BB too...back then I spent HOURS reading everything I could. After all, I was working very little. Now, I'm trying to type as fast as I can because I need to run out and get started because there aren't enough hours in the day. This board is a tremendous tool, particularly if you're new...Beth, Rod, stay true to your philosophies about running the board...they work.

[John Orr 206]

The lack of back-stabbing and cooperation is what attracted myself and others to this bbs and in spite of whatever rule-breakers are out there, its what keeps us here. Invaluable information with a proven track record. Quality participants that even led to the re-formation of *****. The only thing I wish that TGS would add is a notification to those of us that like to contribute to offset the costs. (I can never remember my anniversary!)

[Russ Spence 76]

Beth and Rod have a thankless job, no one except someone that has taken this type of responsibility will ever understand how much this takes from you to keep it going.

My hats off to you both for doing it this long.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Thanks Russ, we appreciate the support and understanding.

Beth :)

[Adrian 155]

"I love my xjet!!!!!!!!!"

..... This place is the reason why

" I love my Deckster"

.....This place is the reason why

[PressurePros 248]

Beth, you do what you have to do to keep this place professional. I got my real start here and have always been in your corner when it came down to people bashing heavy handed moderation. Its always the same people causing problems believing rules do not apply to them and then bad mouthing when they get spanked. In a perfect world professionals would govern their own activities and no mods would even be needed except maybe to eliminate a spam post or two. Unfortunately maturity levels vary and ego steps in so being "liberal" and allowing people to hash out their difficulties in public doesn't work well.

There are many more of us that appreciate your efforts than condemn you for them.

[Paul Kassander 26]

Here Here, there are better things to do with our time...Support who you want to support but a public forum is not a place to bash anyone.

[PWNC 64]

As usual, Beth, well thought out - very well spoken. We appreciate this forum, it's standards and what it provides.

Thank you for the opportunity to use it.

[Apple Roof Cleaning 202]

Beth and Rod have a thankless job, no one except someone that has taken this type of responsibility will ever understand how much this takes from you to keep it going.

My hats off to you both for doing it this long.

Yes Big Guy - It IS a Thankless Job :(

And I think Beth does a great job when you consider she also runs a BUSY Company.

These past few Months have been a VERY stressful time for me.

I want to apologize to any one my posts lately may have offended.

I offer this apology not as an excuse for my behavior lately - but as a reason.

I have been under a LOT of Stress lately - lets just leave it at that ?

I take full resposibility for my actions - and apologize to everyone for them.

This Includes Mel - Beth - Scott Millen - Scott Karvonen - Russ - and anyone else.

Chris

[MMI Enterprises 289]

A loving/professional effort will always be appreciated and inspire the same from those that experience it. Keep up the good works!!..

Hey what I miss?.. somethin inspire this thread? :)

ps- umm err..Chris just posted.. what ya go and do Chris?. inspired some mushy forum feelings didn't ya?.. haha

Edited April 9, 2009 by MMI Enterprises

[HotShot 34]

Over the years the members and staff here on TGS have worked very hard to maintain these forums and to keep them as professional as possible. The Grime Scene was designed to be a tool, an archive, an online research repository, a networking venue, and a place to come together as professionals to help one another in the spirit of goodwill and growth. To this end we have accomplished much. The forums have grown, we have added new areas, we have added new features, all of our members who have come and gone over the years have shared and learned along side one another in the positive and professional spirit of cooperative learning and growth. These forums have been crawled by many search engines and will continue to rank well as they have for some time. Many contractors on here have gotten work from lurkers who are looking for a company to service their property.

Rod and I have been to many round tables and have been blown away by people who come up to us and thank us for having TGS, they tell us stories about how it has helped and in some cases made a significant difference in their business. Our response is always the same, we thank each and every one of them for the valuable contributions they share online, for it is the members and their acts of professionalism and kindness, of brotherhood and generosity that have made the forums successful, it's not one person, but all of us.

It is for this reason that I feel so very very deeply and strongly about being a BBS that is tough and takes a stand on rule breaking, on bashing, and on unprofessional behavior. It makes every single one of us look bad when a thread goes south and gets ugly. It reflects poorly and is disrespectful not only to the person being slighted, but to all of us that read it, to the visitors and lurkers who may be reading, afraid to post for fear of ridicule or retribution, to the TGS Staff who spend time back and forth voluntarily in PM's, on phone calls, in emails, taking the heat and sniping remarks on the chin when the offender turns away from their victim and turn the venom on them instead.

We are all busy people. The economy is down. We should all be spending more time looking for work or working or helping one another and less time spewing negativity and bile and distaste. And it is in this spirit and for this reason that I want to remind you all to use the report post button, and for the moderators to use infractions. The leash is at an end. TGS Staff and professional rule abiding members are in charge of this BBS, and the rule breakers will be banned for unprofessional conduct.

Thank you.

Beth

:D

[Mathew Johnson 123]

The only thing I wish that TGS would add is a notification to those of us that like to contribute to offset the costs. (I can never remember my anniversary!)

Beth and Rod,

Do what you need to do. It is a great forum. In reference to John's post above, will you let us know when it is time for us to pony up some $$$ for the forum again?

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I think this link will get you to the page you need.

http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/payments.php

It doesn't renew automatically. I had it set that way once and it was more problem than it was worth, so anyone who wants to donate...the link is above for it.

Thanks for thinking of TGS!

Beth :)

[StainlessDeal 16]

Discussions get heated here, as at other places where people discuss issues close to home.

I have been guilty of allowing emotion to carry me away. It usually isn't pretty when it happens, and it wasn't in the specific instance to which I refer now.

Kory and the TGS community deserve better treatment than I allowed when I participated in a thread with Chris Tucker that went far beyond its expiration date.

Chris, I apologize specifically to you for not restraining myself in that thread. I made a choice in language there that lead to repercussions greater than intended, and I had no knowledge that you were involved in another thread full of bile elsewhere on this forum simultaneously. I'm sure you felt ganged up on. Please rest assured that I don't believe any of the TGS moderators involved were aware of the actions of the others. We did not collude to "get" you. I can only speak for myself to say that I regret the timing of our disagreement especially.

Kory, I continued posting in a thread where you were being praised, when it was obviously degenerating. I'm sure Chuck, the original poster, and others reading and posting useful content there were less than pleased to see Chis and I rolling in the muck in the midst of a positive thread. I offer my unreserved apologies for that. My actions were immature, especially for a leader.

To the TGS community I also apologize for not using other means to accomplish my goal in that thread, which was intended to be correction of what I perceived as a faulty line of reasoning. It should have been handled offline from the start.

What Chris and I did in that thread amounts to vandalism of this forum, and for that I am very sorry to you all.

I am personally irked at myself for coming to this pass. I have striven to remain above such useless shenanigans for years, but apparently lacked the conviction to handle myself as an adult in the last few days. I don't even have a stressful period to ameliorate my bruised ego. Things are going swimmingly for myself and my company, as well as my family. I have to own that I acted as a child, nobody else is responsible. Even when I thought I was being as nice as possible, I was answering bad behaviour with worse. With but a days perspective, I see the situation differently now.

I shan't make this mistake again.

[RMedbery 26]

Lord, what a bunch of yes men.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

We all make mistakes. (I know I do...) The important thing is working through them, and to that end trying to be a better person. Thank you for your apology. It is appreciated. :)

Beth

[Apple Roof Cleaning 202]

Discussions get heated here, as at other places where people discuss issues close to home.

What Chris and I did in that thread amounts to vandalism of this forum, and for that I am very sorry to you all.

TWO things I should have done long ago.

1 - Apologize to EVERYONE for MY actions

2 - Become a TGS Site Supporter

So - I APOLOGIZE to you Scott Beth Scott K Mel Russ Bob And ANYONE else my posts offended.

I HAVE got work from TGS - easily paying for the mere 100.00 a year to support this site.

I ASK that ANY threads I was responsible for depicting Anyone personally - or what they sell in a negative light be PULLED.

Chris

[HotShot 34]

I frankly don't want to apologize to anyone. I have typed some things that may have been read wrong by people and I didn't intend for that to happen, but I think they should apologize to me for reading my posts wrong :D

I like TGS, it's the first pressure washing forum that I ever visited. I can't believe that I haven't been kicked off of here yet.

[RMedbery 26]

I can't believe that I haven't been kicked off of here yet.

Need some pointers?

[Apple Roof Cleaning 202]

I frankly don't want to apologize to anyone. I have typed some things that may have been read wrong by people and I didn't intend for that to happen, but I think they should apologize to me for reading my posts wrong :D

I like TGS, it's the first pressure washing forum that I ever visited. I can't believe that I haven't been kicked off of here yet.

Ok Ant - since I have apologized to everyone else - Here goes - " I apologize for reading your posts WRONG " [ATTACH]11868[/ATTACH]

[newlook 265]

Need some pointers?

Now...that was funny!