wow , im a nemesis , is that good or bad ? fret not westers , it will take more than a few over zealous milk monitors to get rid of me . unless of course im banned , which is always a present possability !!!!! what with my lack of political correctness , postings in the wrong threads , lack of grammer and punctuation , spelling mistakes , no , safe on that one , i mean gits still here ah . need i continue ?? never been one for throwing my teddy out of the pram either , probably because as a baby i used to dream of having a teddy and a pram to throw it from , and when my parents could afford both , i needed neither . yes , life was tough back then , but i always looked on the bright side , and found great comfort that i was not born in liverpool !!!!!!!!

Well, I'm happy to see everything's back to "slag-normal" as usual. BUT, the grammar
police will be monitoring the situation. Deliberately flaunting rules could result in discipline.

beer monkey wrote:WBU He has been Called Rico in posts...and has never denied it (to my knowledge) unlike someone else who reinvented themselves...and denied it..although they were rumbled from very early on in the new guise.
Oh what fun.

ricohoc is WBU,but since I know him,I will speak up for him!

WBU is not the use of a double name to confuse anyone as to the poster,WBU represents the interests that developed around his WBU label that he developed and has been used by many here!He is a very forthright individual,that makes no bones about his beliefs and opinions!Not one to duck and slink around under the guise of different online names.So you should remove him from that role if it is in your mind!

Stan, the Mods have been aware for a long time that Rico and WBU were one and the same and have had no problems with that. I don't believe that anyone else has either. I hope not.

damn conservative republicans always stick together............can we get them both banned

Stan/MrNicey...........................let the rumors begin


I AM THE MIGHTY CHANG.....................

Having only 2 identities seems old-fashioned... I think there are some that have 3, 4, 5 or more...

Westerby wrote:This is the crux of it all. The original Moderators and Admin started this Forum so that Farangs could obtain information on living in Udon. I suspect they saw it as a knowledge base of sorts.

What has happened is that people see it as a Forum for chat because we've all got Udon in common. Subsequently posts get chopped and PMs get sent, the Users feel like they're being treated like schoolboys while the Moderators are still trying to focus on the original raison d'etre of the site. That will inevitably lead to teddies being thrown and people leaving - that's life.

Whatever happens, you need Moderators, especially in today's political climate. I think the secret is how you moderate.

Very aptly put.

Yes, the Forum was started to provide a "knowledge base" or medium for researching and sharing information .

The membership was small and the need for moderation minimal. Since then many more members have joined, some with different objectives and styles of communication/posting.

Whilst the scope of the forum has been widened with the addition of jokes threads and a chat room, the underlying objectives remain the same.

Everyone appreciates some humour in their lives, but what the Management and moderators have been trying to avoid is sensible and serious subjects being drawn off topic, by a series of bawdy quips, jokes or one-liners. If a member deems it appropriate to ask a serious question or post some sensible information, then he should be given the courtesy and respect of receiving polite sensible replies, and not a stream of bawdy or vulgar quips. It's as simple as that.

There is a time and a place for humour and all that is asked is that members keep that in mind.

If a member wants to trade bar room humour with a friend from the same town, or fellow football team supporter, then the chat room is ideal for that purpose, or possibly the jokes forum - not for example, the thread asking where can I buy bed sheets, or a sponsors thread which he has paid for.

There's a time and a place for everything, as they say.

It's worth keeping in mind also, that if someone posts a one-off light-hearted remark, that doesn't become an invitation for everyone else to follow that new direction. Please keep in mind the Original Post/Question.

If I may take this opportunity to also add that moderator's are human too and thus are not perfect. We make mistakes, we misjudge things, we do have to contend with a variety of posting styles and variations of the English language, but we do our best, and sometimes against a background of sarcasm occasionally verging on hostility. We don't get paid for what we do. We do it with the best of intentions.

What we do not like however is people having pot shots at us in open forum and such posts will be deleted, in accordance with the forum rules. The forum rules (which all members are required to read) are there to be observed, by all, and will be applied by the moderators. It is not the mods wish that people throw their toys out of the pram, get banned, or leave, - that choice is down to the individual members concerned.

Regards to all and have a good day.

arjay , ive read your post and would just like to point out without appearing critical , that whatever the forum started out as , and its objectives in its infancy are all well and good . the thing is over time it has evolved into what it is today . you cannot put something in the public domain and not expect it to evolve and change , its the nature of the beast . did we not have a recent poll about what members thought of the forum and i believe the majority was happy with it at the time . the forum cannot be all things to all men , but to most of the present users i beleive that the format works , informative , supportive and helpful at times , individual members flexing thier keyboard muscle at times , and humerous quips and one liners at times . i may be completely wrong , but i believe the forums popularity is because of these things . it appears to me and others that just recently a few mods , but certainly not all , have been a little trigger happy on certain issues . i think most active members would agree that the forum as it is today , is a winning formula , and enjoyed by all . a great cross section of opinions , values , nationalities and humour .

Westers wrote:Edit: One final thought, does it mean that the site suffers if more people opt out? The more people that stay away (e.g. the NM Mafia) then the more ex-pat experience lost. My old Nemesis, the Saint, has experience of building in Thailand. He may have come across issues that he can impart on the site and benefit others. If he goes because of excessive moderation, the members will suffer and the Forum no longer serves its purpose as well as it should.

Possibly it would or does aleady....some that don't post much anymore will have the answer/soloution or will be able to add something constructive to some questions even add their style of banter we all got banter....everyone has their niche, everyone has experiance in something or many things, some have over 20 years experience, some 6 months, everyone has something to share, everyone has their own style, many differant styles which makes it interesting, cutting off the flow kills some things off...bad feeling arises on the forum, this is a friendly localized forum for Udon and surrounding areas, for all with a connection with Udon...lets face it i am not a member of the "Wigan Pigeon Fanciers Forum" why..? because i am not into pigeons from Wigan.....it only goes the other way if someone is on a wind up(which is also enjoyable to me) and upsets the apple cart for some,I like to see posts from all, and to the ones that have ceased over the last few months come back on and post...you know who you are.. yes you do...

It has been mentioned that some stay away because of too many jokes and banter which takes things off course...it ruins threads, and some members won't post anymore.....true or not...if true only the members that don't post because of that can tell us,...it only takes one post to get it back, yeah we can get carried away and get caught in the fast moving tide maybe look for a branch to grab onto to save yourself..
The banter,the laughs,the one liners the info, the friendships that have been made be it face to face or just On-line friends it is a great mix...it makes a dull day bright and everyone must get a dull day once in a while,it makes a busy forum, the more topics/posts the better on allsorts of stuff,Be it bed sheets, Bacon, Or LA's hemorrhoids.. surely that brings in traffic as when the world is googling for something Udonmap will come up in a search then more clicks, better for advertisers better for us.

Just getting the balance right, it is down to us as posters really as we are the forum..we are the world..we are the children...we are the ones who make a better day...so lets start living...there are people crying....... whoops just getting carried away doing an LA....whos Ross..? and why did he stop posting..

and has anyone really opted out...i mean never even look at the forum anymore...

Khop Khun Krup.

Also some mention that they are over looked by the innercircle....that can happen, but not sure who is actually in that circle,.. but i know what you mean, and good first post would be an introduction...a welcoming thread, most other boards have them,,acts as an ice breaker.

BKKSTAN wrote:

beer monkey wrote:WBU He has been Called Rico in posts...and has never denied it (to my knowledge) unlike someone else who reinvented themselves...and denied it..although they were rumbled from very early on in the new guise.
Oh what fun.

ricohoc is WBU,but since I know him,I will speak up for him!

WBU is not the use of a double name to confuse anyone as to the poster,WBU represents the interests that developed around his WBU label that he developed and has been used by many here!He is a very forthright individual,that makes no bones about his beliefs and opinions!Not one to duck and slink around under the guise of different online names.So you should remove him from that role if it is in your mind!

If aimed at me(only as you used my quote)...then no, never thought he was trying to be anyone different, same style of posts..his own style, as i said he has never once denied it either...

Yes he did deny it.

Have a look on The Right to Bear Arms debate, Page 3. Not only denied it but an offensive remark added to his reply.

Galee wrote:Yes he did deny it.

Have a look on The Right to Bear Arms debate, Page 3. Not only denied it but an offensive remark added to his reply.

Whoops..yes you are right Galee never noticed that one,well spotted....

and the term STFU AMMAs...... Mature Chedder Cheese and pickle or Roast beef and salad.

Have to agree with Wazza on this one , this Post has been actually a bit of an ice breaker in its own style.

Some very good comments, gr8 replies, and RJ's explanation of moderation ( im guilty of some one liners ! )

I dont know many people personally on UM, maybe 5-6 , but certainly some of the PM's have been hilarious.

This forum has and i believe will continue to provide a huge information base for those permanent , transiting or settling / retiring soon in Udon and the surrounding areas.

1 poster recently had his hire car issues sorted for Loei, no doubt saved him 1/2 a day somewhere, people switched insurance companies to save money due to referrals on UM. A school got an entire rebulit and paint job a few years ago, books donated to other schools. People found Baxters pickles and red beans found yesterday at Macro, good travel agents around town and some very good food reviews .............. and so on.

A couple of points before we lock this thread

Saint, the forum may have evolved. I'm sure the membership has, but the rules are what we all have to go by.

BM - maybe the chat room is better suited to some of your multitudinous quips!

Saint & BM - the forum rules are what members have to adhere to, and are what the moderators are obliged to apply.

The rules are there for the benefit of ALL members, whether the silent majority, or the not so silent minority, and they are not open to variation or negotiation by a few inconsiderate members.

These are the relevant rules.

1. You will adhere to the User Agreement at all times
2. You will not argue with, comment on or question the actions/authority of the udonmap.com staff (Administrators, Moderators, etc.) in a public forum. Should you wish to do so you are directed to contact the udonmap.com staff via PM (the private messaging system - see “Violations and Penalties” below).
3. You will at all times respect and refrain from harassing and/or personally attacking other users or udonmap.com staff.
4. You will respect the rights of other users to have their own opinions.
5. You will not use expressions that are considered foul, vulgar, sexually harassing, racially offensive or in any way discriminatory. These expressions include, but are not limited to, ethnic slurs, hate speech and religious epithets. Whether an expression fits under this definition will be determined by udonmap.com staff at the time.
6. You will not make posts that are inflammatory with the perceived intent to rile people up (i.e. "trolling" and "flaming" are prohibited).
7. Except for the specially designated "other language" forums all posts are to be in English as that is the common language of the Moderators.
8. You will only post messages that are within the particular forum’s scope or topic.
9. You will use descriptive subject titles when posting new threads.
10. You will not hijack threads for your own purpose but, rather, will begin a new thread with the new subject

If posters follow these rules it would be extremely unlikely that any of their posts would be moderated, by anyone....and if they do break the rules then it is extremely likely that the post will be moderated.

With respect to members, I am locking the thread as the rules are not open to debate.

Apologies for unlocking this post Dave, but I feel that I have the need to put some input in right about now.

Basically what a number of members seem to be over looking, "are the rules", as Dave kindly reminded you all of above.

These rules are not set by moderators, they are merely the instructions that are given to us as guidelines to aid with the smooth running of the forum, all the moderator does is follow them through.

The internet today is a wicked place, and a number of countries (especially Thailand) have various censorship rules regarding highly topical content which could be deemed offensive to someone else that may view it.

Rules are set to ensure the safety and longevity of the forum and all of it's members and viewers, and if you all look closely at them, then you should be able to see the rule that will tell you why you had a post edited or removed.

Obviously, these rules will need to be changed or upgraded from time to time, to suit the growth of the forum and current membership base.

We, as moderators, will continue to follow the above rules and to moderate as and where required until the rules are either changed or abandoned.