BAIT BOX

Since the introduction of Baitbox ,in my opinion, the quality of this site has deteriorated to such a degree that any posting elsewhere on the site is subjected, by a few,to inane posts. Totaly unsuitable for a fishing site.
It is encouraging people with nothing to say, to stay with this site, rather than going off to some chatroom or nonsense site.
If I'm wrong let me know ,if I'm right let the spoilers know.
I say, withdraw Baitbox and return to a FISHING site.

Fred do you remember about a year or 18 months ago when I had the temerity to suggest Fishingmagic was deteriorating because of the abuse, backbiting and silly threads. I was made to feel that I was the only one who thought like this and to try and ignore it. I do, but I still think that to be the case, nice to know I'm not alone now.

This used to be a place where sensible people discussed fishing matters, a place where advice was sought and given freely. Alright there was some mickey taking but it was never the sort of vitriol we see on here on a regular basis these days. I suspect I shall be ridiculed again but it won't alter the fact that this is not the friendly and informative site it used to be 2 or 3 years ago, which I reckon is why a lot of the former regulars rarely if ever come on here now.

Fred - I agree there has been a little too much rubbish posted of late, but unfortunately it has normally come from threads which started off with well meaning intentions......the ones on the barbel forum specifically, so I do not think moving bait box would make any difference really.

My gripe is that there is too much stuff on "General" which should be in bait box.

Fred/Graham, I'm taking on board very seriously what you're saying, and with great respect, and in many ways I can't disagree with you. But look at it from my point of view, or at least this is how I see it:

If we didn't have a Bait Box the silly and abusive threads would simply get posted on the other, more sensible threads, and therefore lead to more destroying of sensible and interesting debates. That was why the Bait Box section was made in the first place.

The site has got tougher to moderate as it's got bigger and inevitably attracted more of the 'spoilers' along with the genuine, sensible members.

You surely have to admit that if the 'spoilers' restricted their activities to the Bait Box section then the other threads would not be hijacked to anywhere near the same degree.

This is what I'm fighting all the time. I just can't seem to get through to some that the good sport they think everyone is enjoying when they hijack a thread is only restricted to fun for a few, and that the majority of members find it tedious that yet another thread has been reduced to providing 'sport' for a minority.

You would think that providing a section (Bait Box) where continuous and unlimited banter, p*** taking, jokes and fun can be enjoyed would keep everybody happy, but no, some think it's a free for all on all the sections. Which is selfish and self-centred.

That, of course, doesn't mean that we can't have some fun and some banter on the other sections, just as we do in any conversation we have with fishing pals. But what we don't want are those members who prowl through the threads on all sections looking for something or someone to bait next.

It's impossible to keep every thread on track, whatever the topic, and maybe to a small degree we shouldn't want to. But what we don't want is the deliberate pollution of threads for no other reason than that the poster thinks it's good fun.

If I thought that doing away with the Bait Box section would cure all that then it would be gone in the next five minutes. But I don't believe that is the case. As I said, the pollution would just move even more to the other sections.

As always I'm open to suggestions about what can be done about it, or even if something needs to be done. Maybe the majority think it's fine as it is. Me, I'm just wondering how the hell I can get through the rest of this week without spending most of it fire fighting on the forum.

Thanks for the very quick and very reasoned response.
I can recall the start of Baitbox and the reasons why it was introduced,very commendable at that time.

There is, and should be room for banter on this site.We have too many other things going in around us,not to accept that.

I'll leave any further comment until later,other than to say,I agree with all your above points, totally.

Graham W.I can't recall if I saw your previous thread on this subject.I think, if I had, I would have agreed with you.

There is room for Baitbox,if it's intended
content/responses, stay within Baitbox.

Fred,With respect mate I think that you should chill out a bit ,the Bait Box is there to have a bit of a laugh and has Graham has said ,without it you would get the banter on other threads .
There are a lot of respected angler`s who use the bait box ,Ron ,Ed,The Monk ,just to name a few and to be fair Fred ,you don`t have click on to it if you don`t wish to .

Les,with all due respect to you too,I was refering to the leakage that occurs from Baitbox.
If the rest of the site was used correctly for fishing, then Baitbox is a great idea, and was what it was set up for.

Fight, fight, fight, fight.....

By the way Les,you can ask anybody who knows, or has met me,you couldn't get more chilled out than me.

Nice to hear Fred .

I'll hold your coat, Bully ;0)

No fight Bully , just a gentlemanly debate .

(For a change ).

what really has spoiled the site is the pollution by babel society members when they could quite easily keep their innane rubbish to the barbel society forums. NOT HERE

Be fair Jason, whether we agree with what they wrote or not, they were responding to something that was published on here.

Les I'm in your corner
Baitbox should be for having a laugh and the rest of the site for fishing

Fred your're right I only posted my thread to show how far we've got from fishing when we use this site to have a dig at each other.

I've never met anyone from here (would love to fish with some of them for the experience) but I feel part of a community here.

Seroius bit over please feel free to take the piss but no calling me fatty. That too personal

Some good points made.

I guess I tend to find the bait box funny if I'm in the mood and if not I avoid it. I was and am amazed at the percentage of posts related to barbel politics rather than barbel fishing per se but I guess its each to their own.

The sniping of late which has bordered on character assassination hasn't been to my taste but I don't know the parties concerned nor the background to it so I've tended to keep out of most such posts.

My suggestions/remedies would be looking at increasing the amount of moderators (perhaps at least one for each section) and/or having an "ignore poster X" function built into the interface.

Well said Bam
I find these typeof personal attack well out of order thats why I try to move the thread away from this if only by being stupid.

Fred your right this site back to fishing and leave baitbox for the jokes and not personal attacks - you fat B@@@@tard Fred

Ive said this before on a thread ,the fact is that we all are sitting behind a computer at home /work "talking " to people that we know but don`t really know ,if we where to meet these people in the street or the pub , we would engage in a debate but would be polite and listen to the other person`s point of veiw and respect it ,but on a open forum we tend to take liberties and take the micky (sorry micky ),human nature , I mean ,I have just called Mort a fat git on the bait box ,I would`nt have done that if I had just met him in a pub , or would I ?

"If the rest of the site was used correctly for fishing" - and not for slagging other anglers off, whoever they are?

Then I agree, but to talk "sense"?

Well, I'm speechless.

Threads like this one are in danger of putting more people off posting on this site, incase they are jumped on by the forumatsi.