Re: Is aus.rail bad?

[Michael Kurkowski <mk@netstra.com.au>]

Chris Gordon wrote:

> > * On the subject of an FAQ, I have typed out a possible FAQ and it is 
> > online
> > for anyone who wants to read it and make comments. There is a thread on 
> > this
> > also, called ausrail FAQ. The address is below in my sig file. Comments
> > welcome via email or the NG.
> 
> Yes the FAQ is very good, why can't we make the next step and make it
> the aus.rail FAQ not just a possible one.

In relation to the FAQ, I will be happy to arrange for it to be posted
once a week. Many other newsgroups, not particularly under the aus.*
heirarchy post their FAQ once a week. I planned on doing this a while
back, but time constraints prevented me from writing an FAQ. The
software to post once a week is easy however.
 
> I would like to thank all the people so far in replying to the original
> posting by me, at least you have kept personal attacks out of it, and
> having a real discussion for the first time about cleaning up aus.rail
> so those all those people we have lost over the years doesn't continue
> and we still have a very good group.

This newsgroup has lost many people, but also gained a significant
amount of others. Many who have left have been because of the incessant
noise, and general rubbish within this group. I admit, that I haven't
been the best in relation to keeping noise down, and yes, for at least a
week in this time the whole hijacking game was fun. But as with other
things, you learn to grow out of it, and seemingly some people here
don't understand that concept. Yes, some topics, albeit many do get
hijacked, but not because it's a game, more because the subject of
another city may be of interest to the topic. 

Some subjects seem to carry on. I would love a dollar for each time
someone repeated someone elses sentiments on how Cityrail are performing
poorly. This includes inane lines like "the greatest train in Australia,
btw". It was funny for the first week. Now it's been going on for over a
month. Give it a rest.

For this newsgroup to get back to normal, we all need to work together
on this. For what it's worth, if all the Cityrail complaints from here
were directed to Cityrail or the government, something might actually
get done. To be posted here, repetitively, will see nothing done, but
moreso see more people annoyed at having to see it again. See
constructive criticism versus incessant whinging. The "metoobies" who
post "I agree!" with an exact account of the quoted post, or even worse
"me too" without adding any sufficient input make things worse.

Before anyone starts to criticise me on my Metcard post, it was a one
off, after the topic had been dead for some considerable time. I put
forward some new proposals for discussion. The original message went to
the mailing list of the PTUA for discussion also. I myself, was
interested to see how comments fared between people who do use
Melbourne's public transport system and those who don't. 

I may well stop posting to this newsgroup too, and may even stop reading
it. But, I am hopeful that the noise will quieten down in due course.

Regards

Michael

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http://www.netstra.com.au/~mk