Interesting, plus a poll

ban-all-sheds · 26 Nov 2015

So "You have insufficient privileges to reply here" doesn't always mean that the topic is locked - it means that a specific person has been blocked from participating in it.

A very insidious forum feature, and one which I am sure will be misused.

Anyway, a "question of morality" poll is here. I've allowed 'change votes' because I do want this to be a genuine discussion, so people may change their opinions, and there might well be a desire for different answers which I've not provided for, and which therefore might appear later.

For the avoidance of any doubt amongst the more hard-of-thinking, I have not created this in order to cause trouble, I have done it because I, at least, am a real person, and I do not regard interactions on internet fora as nothing more than thought experiments.

JohnW2 · 26 Nov 2015

ban-all-sheds said:
So "You have insufficient privileges to reply here" doesn't always mean that the topic is locked - it means that a specific person has been blocked from participating in it.

As you say, how interesting - not something I've encountered, but you presumably have.

It sounds like quite a good/useful idea (for people who see the message) for such a facility to exist - since the alternative might well be to block/ban the individual concerned from participating in any topics in the forum, or even in the whole site.

You may well not agree with the reasons this has happened to you, but even you must presumably acknowledge that it is better for you to be prevented from participating in one topic than in the entire forum.

Kind Regards, John

ericmark · 27 Nov 2015

I considered some of the questions asked. For example how many down lighters to light a 8 x 10 room. I think we should point out down lighters have a limited angle of light so are often not suitable for general lighting.

JohnW2 · 27 Nov 2015

ericmark said:
I considered some of the questions asked. For example how many down lighters to light a 8 x 10 room. I think we should point out down lighters have a limited angle of light so are often not suitable for general lighting.

I think you'll find that BAS is talking about comments far, far further 'off-topic' (off the electrical topic) than that.

I think that, before they vote, people should consider the fact that BAS is probably talking primarily about 'concerns' which have absolutely nothing to do with electricity or electrical work.

Kind Regards, John

bernardgreen · 27 Nov 2015

and I do not regard interactions on internet fora as nothing more than thought experiments.

True for many forums. but DIYnot postings contain a lot of genuine and accurate experience that is of great help to those struggling with a DIY project.

There are however a lot of "thought experiments" mixed in with the useful postings. People trying to prove their thoughts are better than the thoughts of others and thus ending the run of informative and constructive posts.

ericmark · 27 Nov 2015

I would agree that "thought experiments" can differ from actual experimental results. Just in last few months I have been trying to automate part of my beer brewing and I went through the thought process as to where the sensor should be, on the fermentor or in the air of the fridge. The actual results were not as my thought process had expected mainly due to limitations of the STC-1000 controller.

But as long as the answer given also gives reasons then there is no problem. Where the problem lies is where some one says for example you should not fit a socket within a meter of a sink without any reason why that should be the case. I have a socket within 300mm of sink if not closer however there is no way water can get under the sink and having the waste disposal unit plugged in is better for maintenance.

Again if one says a socket 300mm from sink we tend to assume this is above the sink, not below the sink as in my case. Be it the regs number or even which set of regs it comes from we really do need to say why we think the regulation is true or false.

ban-all-sheds · 27 Nov 2015

JohnW2 said:
even you must presumably acknowledge that it is better for you to be prevented from participating in one topic than in the entire forum.

What would be better would be for the people who run the site to recognise that (so far) 100% of those who voted in the poll have voted Yes.

JohnW2 said:
I think you'll find that BAS is talking about comments far, far further 'off-topic' (off the electrical topic) than that.

I think that, before they vote, people should consider the fact that BAS is probably talking primarily about 'concerns' which have absolutely nothing to do with electricity or electrical work.

I am. I'm talking about the real-life implications and contexts of questions asked here.

bernardgreen · 27 Nov 2015

ban-all-sheds said:
I am. I'm talking about the real-life implications and contexts of questions asked here.

And one of the real life implications of questions asked here is that the poster may need urgent help in resolving a real life crisis that has an immediate adverse affect on the poster's property and / or family. Giving practical help to solve the problem can be followed by advice on how to learn the basics for the next time there is a problem.

ban-all-sheds · 27 Nov 2015

Well - apologies to all for not explaining that when I wrote "real-life implications and contexts of questions asked here" I meant all of them.

Let me try an example - someone posts this:

I am plagued by my neighbours cat crapping on my lawn - I'd like to put some kind of an electrified grid down, which I will bait, and use it to kill the animal. Can someone please tell me how to do it?

Should we only concern ourselves with the electrical question asked, or lift our heads and consider the real-life implication and context of the OP electrocuting his neighbour's cat?

Or what if someone posted asking for how to install and wire up a pinhole camera in his bathroom so that he could secretly film his sister's young children when they came to stay, should we simply advise him, and say nothing else, on the grounds that real life is off topic?

JohnW2 · 27 Nov 2015

ban-all-sheds said:
What would be better would be for the people who run the site to recognise that (so far) 100% of those who voted in the poll have voted Yes.

Well, just one 'No', now, but still 6 Yes's (and I haven't voted, because I do not think the question is specific enough to enable me to give a fair answer). However ....

ban-all-sheds said:
JohnW2 said:

I think you'll find that BAS is talking about comments far, far further 'off-topic' (off the electrical topic) than that. I think that, before they vote, people should consider the fact that BAS is probably talking primarily about 'concerns' which have absolutely nothing to do with electricity or electrical work.

Click to expand...

I am. I'm talking about the real-life implications and contexts of questions asked here.

As I wrote last night, although I obviously may be wrong, I suspect that some, maybe all, of those who have voted (other than yourself) may not fully understand what they were 'voting for'. Those who have commented here have certainly talked about electrical matters.

Although I may again be wrong, it seems probable that this thread and poll relate to your serious concerns (posted and subsequently removed by mods) in a recent thread about a matter of 'animal welfare', and that this is an example of the "real life implications and contexts of questions" referred to in the poll question. Is that the case?

If so, I wonder if those who have voted actually realised that?

Kind Regards, John

AndyPRK · 27 Nov 2015

what sort of animal welfare? Cats? Cows ?

JohnW2 · 27 Nov 2015

AndyPRK said:
what sort of animal welfare? Cats? Cows ?

Keeping 'wild animals' (reptiles) in captivity 'for amusement'. BAS had some very strong things to say to/of the OP for doing this.

Kind Regards, John

ban-all-sheds · 27 Nov 2015

JohnW2 said:
Although I may again be wrong, it seems probable that this thread and poll relate to your serious concerns (posted and subsequently removed by mods) in a recent thread about a matter of 'animal welfare', and that this is an example of the "real life implications and contexts of questions" referred to in the poll question. Is that the case?

It was that which prompted this thread and poll, but the underlying issue is, of course, a generic one.

If so, I wonder if those who have voted actually realised that?

I wonder if the 4 people who have said that real-life concerns are nothing to do with us actually realise that they are saying "yes - I would of course help a paedophile to spy on children using the bathroom because real-life concerns are nothing to do with us, and are off-topic".

ban-all-sheds · 27 Nov 2015

AndyPRK said:
what sort of animal welfare? Cats? Cows ?

Why is that relevant?

bernardgreen · 27 Nov 2015

ban-all-sheds said:
Or what if someone posted asking for how to install and wire up a pinhole camera in his bathroom

if he made it clear that it was for an anti-social activity then the simple answer is to not reply at all and report it as un-acceptable content to the admin / mods.

Same with any other question where the intent is not in the public good.

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Interesting, plus a poll

Should the real-life implications and contexts of questions asked here be any of our concern?

No, we should anwer based solely on technical scope, as if they were purely theoretical.

Yes, because there comes a point where what someone wants to do deserves more than a simple "how to"

ban-all-sheds

JohnW2

ericmark

JohnW2

bernardgreen

ericmark

ban-all-sheds

bernardgreen

ban-all-sheds

JohnW2

AndyPRK

JohnW2

ban-all-sheds

ban-all-sheds

bernardgreen

DIYnot Local

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