The angry thread

[thebrighton]

It's a rant explicitly about the forum - specifically members apparent lack of valuation of the other folks time.

I know exactly where you're coming from Al. I have no issue helping people but it's when people think it is their right that you help them or are using you as the easy option.
I, too, receive plenty of pm's most of which just need a quick reply but others would end up needing a reply of article proportions. Yes, I build a lot from scratch but it takes a lot of research and working out what I can cannibalise chassis wise etc. I get numerous requests as to how to build something, often locos I'd have to look up first as I've no idea what they are. If it's something I've already built details are already in my build thread so that's probably the first place to look rather than me having to repeat it in a pm.
I've actually had someone pm me concerning converting a Terrier into a tender drive with the following: "I know you wrote an article in the NGS Journal showing how to do it but to save me time looking for it can you pm me with the info...."
Of course that just accounts for people wanting info, you then have those that say "I want you to build me a...." where "could you build me a ...." may be a better starting point. I think I've mentioned it before but shortly after I built my Aeolus class from scratch in brass with a scratch built chassis a member on here asked me to build them one. When I mentioned it took approx 50 hours to build and if I only charge £10/hour labour all I got was accused of daylight robbery.
Test builds are a grey area depending on who has asked you. I was asked by a well known N gauge retailer to test build a laser cut coach kit which I agreed to so put my own builds to one side and it jumped the queue. The initial kit was riddled with errors and basically became unbuildable so after many hours were spent I fed back things that needed changing and redesigned parts arrived but for some reason other amendments were made which just caused more issues and more feedback. Anyhow after hours of free gratis work helping a business develop a new product for them to sell they suddenly went silent on me and emails were ignored. I still have a half built coach sitting here and the kit still hasn't been released.
This may sound like sour grapes but, like I said, I have no problem answering questions but not when I'm asked because it's the easy option rather than looking for themselves. "Why put in the effort myself when I can get someone else to do it for me?"
And when someone has spent a fair bit of time collecting info etc and responded to you it's not hard to pm back a quick "cheers" but it obviously is for some

[Dr Al]

Further.....this morning I've been told on another thread....

" I'm not going to tell you how to feel, but you're saying you don't get sufficient recognition for the support you provide. The answer is to stop providing it. As you say, it's meant to be fun. You don't need to reply to PMs, or reply with "sorry, I don't have time for that". I don't get the sudden outpouring on this. "

See my point?...this is nearing the end.

[zwilnik]

Worse, recently I've consented to repairing some models, but then had my address given out to others without my consent resulting in arbitrary unsolicited mail of locos for repair with me left wondering what the hell they are and why I'm getting them.

Time for a variant of Stock Aitken & Waterman's copyright statement maybe? They had a public policy that if you sent them any unsolicited material, you were deemed to be assigning copyright to them (we use it on our website too). It stopped any problems with people claiming they'd copied them. In your case, any unsolicited locos being sent to you are automatically deemed to be a gift and may be used as spare parts for your own models

I'm lucky enough to have bought a couple of your models over the years and the effort you've put into them is definitely appreciated.

[Newportnobby]

Quite frankly I'm appalled at what Alan has said and, if I knew the people concerned, would throw them off the forum just for a starter. It seems a course in courtesy and manners might also benefit them. As someone physically incapable of kit building and fixing ailing locos, I've had several dealings with Alan and hope in all that time he has no poor impression (at least, I have no adverse comments on my ratings).
Sadly we do live in a time when being pleasant and polite are not considered de rigeur, but should Alan withdraw his help I, for one, would mourn the loss of his services.

[REGP]

It's the willingness of people like Alan to help the less skilled like me that has helped to make this Forum the success it is.

Frankly I'm disgusted by the nature of some of the comments Alan has received and agree with NPN that their authors should be banned from the Forum.

I've had the benefit of Alan's advice on a number of occasions as well as having bought a couple of Locos from him and hopefully our correspondence has always been cordial even when he couldn't help me.

Ray

[NScaleNotes]

I do sympathise with you Dr Al. It does take a lot of work helping and posting online and I salute you.

For every bad or unacknowledged posting/message there are probably hundreds of lurkers on forums that have benefited from your postings and advice.

I suppose I do want to offer a slight counter though and suggest that perhaps it's not personal or even intended in some cases. Just from visiting shows I can see that this hobby does tend to attract a number of people with how can I put this, not the best social skills, yes sometimes this will be just because they are not very nice people with bad manners but it can often be because of a condition such as autism/aspergers. I'm definitely not trying to excuse the more blatant examples you've revealed or suggesting that everyone on the spectrum is socially inept but having recently discovered I might be somewhere on 'the scale' I'm horrified when I look back at my own communications and realise I have probably made my own terrible faux pars and sent messages that could have been taken the wrong way in the past.

[dannyboy]

I have probably made my own terrible faux pars and sent messages that could have been taken the wrong way in the past.

One disadvantage of sending the written word is that the recipient has, normally, no idea of the spirit in which the written word was sent. Facial expressions and little 'nuances' in the spoken word are absent. I sent a message yesterday to a member and following the reply, I asked Louisa to read my message and the reply. She said that my message could possibly have been taken the wrong way and not received in the spirit in which it was sent. We all have to be careful in what we write - and think before hitting 'send'. 

[guest311]

while I have not had the sort of problems Al has had, I have when offering stock etc for sale on here often had the ..

I'm interested in ...
can you send photos of ...
I'd like xxx but can you hold it for me till I can pay ...

all of which then disappear into the ether, no further contact, BUT I may have said to another interested member...
sorry, someone else has asked for this

so a genuine member has lost out at my price, maybe finding another but more expensive,
I've lost out on a sale,
the forum has lost out on a donation,

all it takes is a quick

'sorry, changed my mind / too expensive for me / not quite what I was after' PM.

but then some people are just plain ignorant 

[guest311]

SWMBO had a call from a very nice lady this afternoon, asking if she would prefer a telephone consult, or a face-to-face consult with the consultant.

she chose a telephone one, having noted that the two times she had gone up for x-rays there were no sanitisers etc at the entrance she used !

so, monday afternoon she will be called ....

but

shortly after her GP phoned to see how she was, and explained that there is the chance that what showed on the CT scan MIGHT be lung cancer.

no explanation as to why this did not show 8 - 10 weeks ago when she had her last x-ray, so I'm guessing/ hoping it's the shadow on the lung from her TB.

so, we are in for a great weekend, but hopefully all will be allayed monday.

call just after 15:00, or for civvies 3pm 

long chat with her and me [on speaker phone] and the result is she is now heading for

Bloods - at surgery but more than usual
Lung function - at PRH
then PET CT scan at Falmer
followed possibly by a CT Biopsy, also at Falmer

she is to continue with her meds for now, though one may need to be suspended for one of the tests, but that will be in the relevant letter,

so SWMBO a bit calmer, and I've phoned the surgery with an update for her GP who is on holiday this week.

am I any calmer  where is the fingers crossed emojie ?

still, the main thing is that after her panicking all weekend about lung cancer, she is at least a bit calmer.

what more can I hope for ?

so, once again, NHS front line staff 10+/10

if only the pen pushers were a bit more efficient.

[guest311]

PET CT scan at Falmer

why do they want to scan HB, and good luck with getting him to stay still 

[paulbeckwith]

  well  said  dr  al

these  idiots  need  banning

  paul

[dannyboy]

@class37025
I am glad that SWMBO is a bit calmer with things now Alan, but it must still be a trying time. I hope it turns out to be summat and nowt. Give her a hug from me. 

[daffy]

Good that your wife has a comprehensive set of tests to come, Alan.  May the results be all that you both wish them to be.

[guest311]

@class37025
I am glad that SWMBO is a bit calmer with things now Alan, but it must still be a trying time. I hope it turns out to be summat and nowt. Give her a hug from me. 

I'll give her a hug from ME, you hug your own SWMBO 

[guest311]

thank you all for your kind wishes and comments,
apart of course from Dannyboy,
who seems to want to hug SWMBO,

advice, don't try it while HB is around, he can be quite protective !

only Joking dannyboy, honest 

at least SWMBO is much calmer after listening to the call today, so perhaps things can get back to more normal till she gets the letters.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS