Sorry But You Have Really Messed Up This Forum !!

[marctrees]

 

[pops6927]

I am the one responsible for attempting to clean up the forum.  Previously, the last several years, I have been in charge of maintaining the forum's threads, moving them to where they should go, answering questions, guiding members and guests.

One of the greatest benefits of maintaining the entire forum in an orderly manner is that people interested in certain subjects are there to help and guide others.  For example, someone wanting knowledge on how to cook pork spareribs.  If the question is asked in the General Discussion, pork rib smokers would not necessarily respond.  But, when placed in the Pork forum, then many members quickly offer their advice and help.  It is just that simple.  We have specific places for specific things.  Just like we added a Sous Vide forum for that style of cooking, vs. random posts in various forums.  Or for posts where they don't belong, such as asking about smoking beef roasts in the Fish forum.

It is my fault for neglecting the forum for so long; my twin brother died of many cancers, my sister had lung cancer, and i've had 5 strokes and my wife has had 2 very deadly cancers but so far has survived, just since spring.  You don't need to hear my reasons, just that I sincerely apologize for neglecting my duties to this site.  But, as we all do, I decided one of my top priorities was to re-commit to SMF like I used to do for many years.  

Why your post ended up in the Beef Forum, I re-checked on Google the site you mentioned, discovered it was a Steakhouse, relating it to Beef.  Actually, you really should have joined the Texas Group and posted it there, just as i did a review of Angelo's in Fort Worth on there (http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/118202/since-1958-angelos-great-texas-bbq).  I could not move your post to that section.

So, I have jumped in and have started moving things where they should be.  In General Discussion, if it is a post of two or more different classifications of MEATS (not side items), then it gets to stay in General Discussion.  Otherwise, I move it to the section it is supposed to be in - pork in pork, beef in beef, and so on.  And, there are different sub-sections, such as in Pork - Pork Grilling, Meat Selection and Processing, Pork Sticky.  If you are grilling pork (direct heat at high temp), then it should be posted in Grilling Pork.  But, if you are using a grill to indirectly SMOKE pork at a lower temp, then it should be posted in the Pork section.  If it is about the selection, cutting, processing or grading of pork, then it should be in the Meat Selection and Processing sub section of pork.  And Pork Sticky's are for something you would repeatedly reference for your own, or other's, knowledge.  

Also, in the Articles section of the forum are for Recipes, Articles of knowledge, Informational Articles, and FAQ's.  These are not for random posts on your latest smoke or purchase; if put there, I cannot move them out of there as it is a manual and very difficult process to do and can only be done by an Administrator.  Please only post appropriate items there.  However, these Articles are of great reference and knowledge value!  I have written many and I have reposted many on other forums, fb forums, etc. to help others in their quest for answers.  Everyone is more than welcome to look through these, and should you see a question on a fb forum and you know we provide an Article answer, you are more than welcome to post that on there so we all benefit (plus, this brings more people to SMF!)  A Win-Win situation!  Just copy and paste the URL in the fb or other forum.

We are not here to provide discomfort, we are here to provide fun, answers and knowledge for all our members and guests, over 30,000 of them, and maintaining everything in an orderly fashion is the best way to do it and it provides the 'best bang for your buck' by doing it that way (oh, and the site is free, and so are we).  You may want to get a Premium membership with associated benefits, but it is not required.

Thank you for being on SMF and I sincerely apologize for any disruptions, but I am sure you will agree that, if we have all these areas, then things should be put in their proper areas and not just jumbled all together.  And yes, I may not put something where it should be.  Please, just send me a note and why it should be in a different place and I will try to accommodate all requests, or take it up with the other moderators, super moderators and administrators.  BTW, there is a complete list of all of them in For New Member Sticky - topic of Site Staff.  Who you can contact.

Again, I apologize if I have upset some of the newer members and guests.  The seasoned members and guests have gotten used to my shenanigans :)

Thank you!

Pops6927

 

[tardissmoker]

Well said, Pops. I use the new posts fearure to keep up to date. I skip the titles that don't inerest me . Then I mark all forums read. If I want to know something, the best, absolultely, is the search function. Has never let me down.

My feeling is we should have multiple forums for multiple interests or one single WTF forum. I like your and the admins. choice. Keep up the good work. If you err, we can always PM you to get it corrected.

This forum is the best moderated and organized forum I have ever been on and i've been on too many to count. ADHD I guess.. Smoking, woodworking, metal working, carpentry, electronics, fishing, hunting, cooking, exercising (well not so much now), computer programming, mechanical engineering.......etc.

Thanks to you and all the other mods, super or not!!!

Bruce

 

[smokin monkey]

I shall try a tread carefully on this one.

Wade and myself have had numerous discussions with the Moderators about this. We felt what was posted in the group, be it a q'view which smoker to buy etc, was specific to the UK. Since the change we have been informed that all q'view so be posted in the relevant section etc. The UK Group has been reduced to about 10% of the post that used to be posted because of this.

We will endeavor to try and keep the UK members interested, but it is proving a tough job. Summer time will tell the truth on how many members are still actively posting.

This is not meant to be any form of criticism on how the forum is run or the people who moderate the forum.

 

[ironhorse07]

Do you have just one folder for everything on your computer or in your file cabinet?

 

[gmc2003]

Why are there two bacon and two cheese forums listed? Doesn't bother me just curious.

chris

 

[cmayna]

Having been a moderator (of a non meat smoking forum),  I clearly understand why this forum's General discussion forum could end up being a dumping ground for those who don't know or who are too lazy to properly locate their newly created thread.  An issue that is a problem for all internet forums.  Someone's got to grab the broom and clean up the mess.  Thank you mods for all the behind the scene work that is not recognized.

 

[wimpy69]

Thank you mods for all the behind the scene work that is not recognized.
2nd that

 

[pops6927]

I shall try a tread carefully on this one.

Wade and myself have had numerous discussions with the Moderators about this. We felt what was posted in the group, be it a q'view which smoker to buy etc, was specific to the UK. Since the change we have been informed that all q'view so be posted in the relevant section etc. The UK Group has been reduced to about 10% of the post that used to be posted because of this.

We will endeavor to try and keep the UK members interested, but it is proving a tough job. Summer time will tell the truth on how many members are still actively posting.

This is not meant to be any form of criticism on how the forum is run or the people who moderate the forum.

What change?

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Moderators cant make new or sub forums. Admins do that. The addition of the new SV posting area is looking good and most have not had any problems. The SV sub posting was passed on by me to Brian and it was his decision. If he did not think it was good i'm sure he would have said no on it. As far as sticky or duplicate (?) sub forums i dont know what to say about that.

We cant make someone participate in groups or even on the SMF. If groups dwindle in members.....well i guess its their call as to not be active.

We all learn new things, pass on tips and tricks, suggestions and info no matter where we are in the world. I'm pretty set in my sausage making ways but amazed at all the new techniques coming out in the art. BBQ is advancing, cheese and many many other food making ways.

Well i guess thats my peso worth...... HA

 

[dirtsailor2003]

 
Why are there two bacon and two cheese forums listed? Doesn't bother me just curious.

chris

I've wondered about this too.  I understand the bacon being in both the cold, and hot smoked fourms. But the cheese? Not sure. One would think that all the cheese could be combined into the Cold smoke section. Maybe the cheese sub section in the hot smoking section should really be called Fondue

 

[gr0uch0]

First, Pops, you're incorrect about my post that I'd referenced:  Killen's Steakhouse had nothing to do with my questions regarding Killen's Barbecue, thus no need to move to "Beef" as you'd tried to explain.  Killen's Steakhouse doesn't even have barbecue on their menu, but in your haste to "clean up the mess" (your words), you created one by solely looking at the first link when "Killen's" was Googled, when the second link was the one for their barbecue restaurant.  Second, you yourself had stated on another thread that if a post had two or more different aspects, then it should be housed in "General Discussion":  I had asked for any feedback on the restaurant (one), and secondly, asked what experience anyone had with their rubs that they sell, thus the placement in "General Discussion"--again, why was this moved to "Beef"?.  Third, I had no need to "join the Texas group", as you had suggested:  folks from outside Texas may very well have eaten there or had experience with their rubs, and to pigeon hole it into something that specific may likely yield nothing.  In fact, there hasn't been activity on that forum for 2 months--there's been one "roll call" type post made since 11/16/16.  Fourth, when Al, Brian, and others were monitoring, if something was moved to a different forum (which were very few and far between), they very politely explained why it was being moved and that the OP might gather more and better replies in the area to which it was being moved.  The current snowplow, road grader approach of cleaning this particular forum is less than welcoming, no mention made as to why something is being moved, and quite frankly, largely unnecessary.  There are only a handful of posts made since the first of the year--out of the hundred plus made--that remain in "General Discussion", and for what?  This whole approach is mindful of a librarian who's been away for a while, decided he or she no longer likes the Dewey Decimal System, begins to reshelve all the books by subject matter based upon his or her interpretation of the title, and leaves the patrons and other librarians in wonder where things have gone.

In summation, Pops, I've read many of your posts, and appreciate your insight with many of them.  However, what's happening with the reshuffling of posts is annoying and ticking folks off, some to the point that they're leaving.  If you find something that egregious and outside the scope of "General Discussion" (in your estimation), then yes, move it.  But move it with an explanation as to why and where it's headed (as other moderators do), not just to leave the OP scratching his or her head and muttering "WTF?" to him or herself.  Otherwise, do away with the "General Discussion" forum entirely.  The old adage of "...if it ain't broke, don't fix it" certainly holds true here--and it seems as though that 99% of the posts in that category don't need fixin'. 

PS:  I stand corrected:  my original post about Killen's is now no longer found in "Beef".  It is currently located in "Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades"--a subheading of "Recipes Only".    

  Could someone please move this back to "General Discussion", and leave it there?

 

[jp61]

 Keep up the good work Pops!

 

[bmudd14474]

Here is the deal. We have done this for years. Normally we don't leave the redirect up like was done this time. We can't allow general discussion to become a catch all box. Now are we perfect? No. So if we move it to a section you don't think is correct then let us know.

If you want to see all post from every forum from newest to oldest then just click "New Post" Under the Forum header and this is what it will show you.

If you have any other problems with this you can PM me or the other mods directly.