A CAP Administered Forum Is A Bad Idea Because...

MIKE · August 10, 2007, 05:51:59 PM

Do I need to cite specific examples... I mean, look at CAP Talk.

According to the live stream of the National Boards, CAP is considering creating an online forum/discussion board for the membership. If it does ever go live, I have serious doubts about it sticking around very long... I will start taking bets on how long before they pull the plug at launch day... Seriously.

I'd be willing to accept a paid Moderator/Administrator position however.

mikeylikey · August 10, 2007, 05:53:51 PM

^ Agreed! I would rather see a portal type webservice thingy like the AF protal. Perhpas we can get AF to let the membership on AF portal, and have a CAP Spefic section. Sorry, off topic!

mikeylikey · August 10, 2007, 05:56:10 PM

I should have cited how the Army's Platoon Leader and Company Command forums started back in 2002 as forums like CAPTALK. Then the Army took them over while keeping the moderators in control. I would think that may work better than CAP inventing a new forum. Perhaps......CAPTALK.CAP.GOV

JC004 · August 10, 2007, 05:57:22 PM

It could be a mess. Unofficial forums are good. We could use a portal-like thing, though. I will discuss this with them when I arrive at Maxwell with the stuff for my new office.

RiverAux · August 10, 2007, 05:57:42 PM

The CG Aux had an official forum for a while. It was before my time, but if I recall the stories I heard (Skyray, please chime in), it was discontinued because it started getting a little too wild.

A moderated forum where each post had to be approved would probably work and keep things sensible.

pixelwonk · August 10, 2007, 05:58:05 PM

Um. Yeah.
I giggled when I heard that on the stream.
a LOT.

Skyray · August 10, 2007, 05:58:58 PM

QuoteI will start taking bets on how long before they pull the plug at launch day... Seriously.

It worked for years in Florida and was an excellent source for information about Wing Activity. I don't exactly know what happened to it and I had rather not speculate; reference my remarks in another, now locked thread about "piling on."

MIKE · August 10, 2007, 06:02:12 PM

Quote from: RiverAux on August 10, 2007, 05:57:42 PMA moderated forum where each post had to be approved would probably work and keep things sensible.

That is basically what they have now with the Knowledgebase.

JC004 · August 10, 2007, 06:03:21 PM

Quote from: MIKE on August 10, 2007, 06:02:12 PM
Quote from: RiverAux on August 10, 2007, 05:57:42 PMA moderated forum where each post had to be approved would probably work and keep things sensible.

That is basically what they have now with the Knowledgebase.

Major Carrales · August 10, 2007, 06:14:18 PM

Quote from: MIKE on August 10, 2007, 05:51:59 PM
Do I need to cite specific examples... I mean, look at CAP Talk.

According to the live stream of the National Boards, CAP is considering creating an online forum/discussion board for the membership. If it does ever go live, I have serious doubts about it sticking around very long... I will start taking bets on how long before they pull the plug at launch day... Seriously.

I'd be willing to accept a paid Moderator/Administrator position however.

These would be working forums. The one for Public Affairs would, for example, be a firewalled place where PAOs would bring their works and the "community of PAOs" from across the nation would supply help, editing and other journalism tips to its members. Opertaions information could be shared there with input from those across the nation. The adpatation of the IOWA model could be handled from there.

Sort of a "living" workshop.

A forum like this one would not be effected by such a thing. It would be "a different animal." Here rumors are confirmed, made or debunked...the NATIONAL FORUMS are not to be designed for that.

Me thinks many doth protest to much...could it be this is unpopular because then one would have to be responsible for their works in a CAP environment. Could it be one would have actually had to a CAP member to participate. Would it likely be a forum where one has to be respectful and professional? I don't know, you tell me.

MIKE · August 10, 2007, 06:17:03 PM

Kind of like the CAP IT forums then?

Skyray · August 10, 2007, 06:19:25 PM

Quote from: RiverAux on August 10, 2007, 05:57:42 PM
The CG Aux had an official forum for a while. It was before my time, but if I recall the stories I heard (Skyray, please chime in), it was discontinued because it started getting a little too wild.

A moderated forum where each post had to be approved would probably work and keep things sensible.

The CG Aux Forum was a lot more like this than the Knowledge Base. For my money, the Knowledge Base is useless. The old Forum was moderated, and while it got unruly at times, it never got to the point that it was "wild." My information as to what killed it came directly from the moderator. It seems that mid-level managers were complaining to upper-level managers about posts that exposed their warts, and they demanded that the Forum be shut down. I know for a fact that Coast Guard officers with responsibility for the Auxiliary regularly read the forum. I was contacted twice by one Director of Auxiliary (a Coast Guard position) about exactly what my posts meant; and within a very short time the issues that I was talking about got corrected.

docspur · August 10, 2007, 06:20:20 PM

There are CAP IT Forums? Would really appreciate it if you would give me the url(s) for them.

pixelwonk · August 10, 2007, 06:23:12 PM

Quote from: docspur on August 10, 2007, 06:20:20 PM
There are CAP IT Forums? Would really appreciate it if you would give me the url(s) for them.

site: http://www.cap-it.us/
forum: http://cap-it.us/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,19/

Pumbaa · August 10, 2007, 06:29:25 PM

Also, I have been working on a PAO forum...

http://www.paospeak.com/

You have to register in order to view and post.

RiverAux · August 10, 2007, 06:32:05 PM

the knowledgebase just lets you ask questions. It doesn't allow you to propose ideas or discuss them. Not really equivalent.