This may seem like it would be better placed in the Forum Information section as it is about the operation of this section of the forum as a whole rather than being an individual problem question.
But I think it's best here - as a discussion item that should involve members in this section to reach a conclusion (shame this forum doesn't have the facility to do votes on threads) which would then result in a suggestion for the change!
I'm a keen DIYer when it comes to plumbing and have had some great advice from the members here over the years that has not only furthered my knowledge and ability and saved me a fortune but most importantly - raised my awareness that I don't know what I don't know and more importantly again the potential danger of not knowing what I don't know.
It's been interesting following this forum over the last year, watching the changes - rules about postings related to gas safety, the appearance of the "Combustion Chamber" and how that has impacted on how threads progress (or are locked) and the repeated descendence into long debates on what advice should and shouldn't be allowed to be given in an open forum.
As a mere DIYer (the claimed target for this site as a whole) and ineligible for the CC so not privy to what I am sure are the endless debates going on there I find the whole thing really frustrating - start reading an interesting thread only to find after 3 or 4 posts it ends up with pages of the same people debating the same point over and over - resulting in no clear answer for the OP - more left with a feeling of "should I, shouldn't I - oh b*ll*x to it, the experts can't make up their minds I'll just have a go anyway".
Sorry - didn't mean to ramble
The point of this is to try to gather opinion from forum users - CC members and non CC members alike.
So:
1. Would members like to see a public, definitive declaration of exactly what can and cannot be discussed? i.e. something more than just "gas related"
2. Would members find it useful if Combustion Chamber members (authenticated by this site as CORGI registered I believe) are tagged as such when posting in this forum?
3. Given an OP who posts a question, the answer to which would involve gas safety (see the recent tightness test and 'ptfe then solder' hob threads as examples) - and that it is reasonably predictable that with no advice at all the OP will carry on regardless - should advice be allowed to be given?
3a. If so should that advice be limited to
i. Get an RGI
ii. Wider advice on how to proceed more safely and why what they are doing is entirely unsafe.
iii. If yes to giving advice on ii. should this only be allowed to be done by direct communication rather than on the thread?
Please, please answer the questions before allowing this to descend into yet another soap box debate
Hopefully we should be able to make this forum the useful and informative place it used to be rather than the endless cage fight it has now become.
Thanks
Graham
But I think it's best here - as a discussion item that should involve members in this section to reach a conclusion (shame this forum doesn't have the facility to do votes on threads) which would then result in a suggestion for the change!
I'm a keen DIYer when it comes to plumbing and have had some great advice from the members here over the years that has not only furthered my knowledge and ability and saved me a fortune but most importantly - raised my awareness that I don't know what I don't know and more importantly again the potential danger of not knowing what I don't know.
It's been interesting following this forum over the last year, watching the changes - rules about postings related to gas safety, the appearance of the "Combustion Chamber" and how that has impacted on how threads progress (or are locked) and the repeated descendence into long debates on what advice should and shouldn't be allowed to be given in an open forum.
As a mere DIYer (the claimed target for this site as a whole) and ineligible for the CC so not privy to what I am sure are the endless debates going on there I find the whole thing really frustrating - start reading an interesting thread only to find after 3 or 4 posts it ends up with pages of the same people debating the same point over and over - resulting in no clear answer for the OP - more left with a feeling of "should I, shouldn't I - oh b*ll*x to it, the experts can't make up their minds I'll just have a go anyway".
Sorry - didn't mean to ramble
The point of this is to try to gather opinion from forum users - CC members and non CC members alike.
So:
1. Would members like to see a public, definitive declaration of exactly what can and cannot be discussed? i.e. something more than just "gas related"
2. Would members find it useful if Combustion Chamber members (authenticated by this site as CORGI registered I believe) are tagged as such when posting in this forum?
3. Given an OP who posts a question, the answer to which would involve gas safety (see the recent tightness test and 'ptfe then solder' hob threads as examples) - and that it is reasonably predictable that with no advice at all the OP will carry on regardless - should advice be allowed to be given?
3a. If so should that advice be limited to
i. Get an RGI
ii. Wider advice on how to proceed more safely and why what they are doing is entirely unsafe.
iii. If yes to giving advice on ii. should this only be allowed to be done by direct communication rather than on the thread?
Please, please answer the questions before allowing this to descend into yet another soap box debate
Hopefully we should be able to make this forum the useful and informative place it used to be rather than the endless cage fight it has now become.
Thanks
Graham