Clearing the air on John Stillwagon

[Bill Cross]

I don't know that's very good scholarship, but it's the way things get settled sometimes around here when John Stillwagon doesn't feel like scolding us for our lack of scholarship when we don't go looking for answers to our questions.

Apparently this comment by me, meant tongue-in-cheek in another thread (http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?p=14327#post14327), has angered and upset some of the current moderators here, and I am most sorry if that is the case. I consider John Stillwagon among the great assets of this forum, not only for his learning, but because he IS hard on us. And well he should be, since all too often we (and I include myself) are willing to talk our way through a difficult question instead of hitting the books and finding the historical answers that, all too often, are right under our noses. He reminds me of a professor who marks us down on our papers because we think witty prose is a substitute for hard facts. Bully for you, John. :)

Thank goodness for crusty Yellowhammer, we need to be hammered when we speculate on things instead of doing research. Thank goodness for my freind, Curt-Heinrich Schmidt, and all the moderators who donate their time for this place. Perhaps it's a good thing this happened, since we take their work for granted and grumble too much. My bad. :(

And the moderators should feel free to move this post to another folder if I have erred in choosing this one, but wanted to find the one John is most likely to hang out in.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

"Thank goodness for crusty Yellowhammer, we need to be hammered when we speculate on things instead of doing research. Thank goodness for my freind, Curt-Heinrich Schmidt, and all the moderators who donate their time for this place. Perhaps it's a good thing this happened, since we take their work for granted and grumble too much. My bad."

I feel the mods do a great job keeping this forum on track and above par. If people do not feel the need to reach the higher bar that is set here, and toe the line of scholarly research, then they can find other fora to suit their needs. Allot of really wonderful disscussions as of late have been pushed into the nether reaches by some pretty dimwitted posts, and it souldnt be that way. The mods are working overtime policing people that should be policing themselves.

Sorry about the rant, just my $0.02

[Charles Heath]

On any given forum or listserver, a good rule of thumb is 10 percent of the participants answer 90 percent of the questions. The revolving door that is the hobby of reenacting guarantees the same basic questions will be asked time and time again whether FAQs are created, individuals post the same cribbed notes each time, or a handy reference such as the CRRC exists in print.

Thank God the people exist who are willing and able to answer those basic questions time and time again because at different points in our lifecycle we are apprentice, journeyman, and master for various and sundry vocations and avocations. That's the benefit, but it has a cost, as the same people answering the same questions can and does lead to burnout on the part of the answer providers, especially when the answer is obviously a few posts down, and the question is asked week after week after week. For example, how many of us no longer bother to open posts relating to "who makes the best haversack," or "how do I cook bacon?" Surely if I took up golf my new cohorts would roll their eyes at the very basic questions I'd ask.

When I look at these same exact questions and answers that have appeared again and again on a variety of online venues ad nauseum, I wonder what happened to the teaching and mentoring role of the sergeants and corporals in units? If that responsibility and considerable company and mess level work load has been abdicated in favor of the cyber-answer, then that paradigm shift could go a long ways towards explaining some of the larger issues facing the hobby today.

Much more goes on behind the scenes than the average "user" realizes, and not a lot of that activity is merriment and frolic, either. Sometimes it helps if other users besides the moderators provide the answers to the basic questions, as there is a certain point where the burn-out begins to show. I'm not saying an obligation exists to encourage the rank and file answer the basic questions in order to allow the scholarly types and research bugs to cover the more advance questions, but it does make sense to do so, otherwise the best and the brightest get burned out on the same 20 questions per day.

Food for thought.

Charles Heath

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Mr Heath

I dont think anybody really has any problems answering the same question a few times if it is legitimate. I like your example of apprentice journeyman and master, as I have gone through that process in my professional life. In that process I have answered same new guy questions countless times. It is part of the job. That said,there have been some down right ludicris posts and questions as of late. It is this sort of thing that will burn good people out really quickly.

[markmason]

Mr. Heath, you sir make some very valid points. Nothing will substitute doing ones own research and can only benifit the hobby in a positive way bringing additional information to the front. This is how new information is uncovered of which may have remained unoticed. There will never be a dumb question, nor a question asked to many times from those willing and wanting to learn. I also feel like this website, both Paul, and the Mods work with is outstanding, and continues to grow with the changes in our hobby. Thanks guys.

Mr. Heath, your referral to this hobby as a "revolving door" is a very fine analogy sir.

As an individuals knowledge base grows, sometimes so does his/hers ego. Maybe it is human nature, I don't know.

[TeamsterPhil]

I'd like to say that I find the Moderators on the AC vastly superior to those on most other boards with this level of traffic. They give the impression of being quite cultured and give the appearance of being sufficiently credentialled.

Keep up the good work,

Phil Campbell

[Jersey Devil]

They give the impression of being quite cultured and give the appearance of being sufficiently credentialled.


Phil,

NOW that can finally be said.

Funny s***...

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

This thread has been closed for "Mod Baiting" and replies that do not contribute to the mission, goals, and objectives of this Forum.

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt
Moderator