Seadog Posted 20 June , 2013 Author Share Posted 20 June , 2013 Announcement by the Forum Trustees today: Link http://1914-1918.inv...opic=196005&hl= Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeClarke Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 How about 'locking' this thread, now. Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 20 June , 2013 Author Share Posted 20 June , 2013 I think not, for whilst the Trustees have acted with commendable speed in restating the situation regarding "Pay Sites" and the use of data from those sites in my view the problem still remains of those new members who apparently ignore for whatever reason the very good advice contained in the link to the LLT website referred to in the “Soldiers” topic and just assume that members will respond to requests for information without them (the poster) having to expend any effort whatsoever. The question also remains as to just how many of these posts are from commercial sources such as medal dealers who are then using the information given freely here to enhance the value and interest of any medals etc that they are offering for sale. I refer members to my post 52 which attempts to address this situation. Regards Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 Norman, I don't think Perhaps in addition a minimum number of posts should be required before research requests are accepted would help. Dealers would easily be able to think of some random pieces of information they could use to fill up the required number of posts to get started and genuine new posters who were at a loss as to where to start would, in my opinion, give up when trying to think of enough posts to get them far enough to be able to ask a question. Just my thoughts, of course. CGM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 And how many of these heartless commercial sneak-thieves do we think there might be, compared to ordinary folk trying to find some family information? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 20 June , 2013 Author Share Posted 20 June , 2013 That would seem to be a very valid comment CGM....thanks. My suggestion is just a possible way of filtering those posts which ask basic information available elsewhere and I would like to think that members responding to such requests would consider this aspect before replying. Regards Norman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 Sadly, I don't think it is quite so simple Steve. What is being suggested is that the Forum's future is imperilled by injudicous use of copyright material. Not sure that was the OP's direction. I thought it was more of a comment on people getting access to research free and without having to do anything themselves. My reading is that the issue of copyright came in later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanCurragh Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 I would say there are two issues here - the copyright one - and I'd suggest discussion of that should continue on the new thread in About This Website - plus Norman's original point re "the free lunch" - I'm not sure there is much else to say on that, but there's also no reason to lock the thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 20 June , 2013 Author Share Posted 20 June , 2013 Correct Steven (Post 82) the question of Copyright was not mentioned in my original post neither was it my intention to refer to such a issue. I take it that OP means "original poster" if not ignore the above! Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 I agree that the important issue is the copyright concerns, and belong to the camp that suggests the free lunch issue is becoming exhausting. It's right that people here can let off steam about issues that get their goats, but i think that we have banged on enough about this particular subject. No offence meant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 I've been following this thread with great interest - partly because I run my own forum. It's quite a common occurrence on internet forums where members who are of a helpful nature and have subscriptions to paid sites such as Ancestry and Find My Past will use their subscriptions to research their own interests and help anyone else who might need an answer to a query. Often the person asking a query might not even realise that there is information to be found on any particular paid site and a reply may or may not lead them into taking out a subscription to the said paid site themselves, or they may already have one. Obviously it is against forum rules to ask specifically for a look up from a paid site. I do understand what Norman means by those seeking a 'free lunch'. There are those who will join various forums and take full advantage of the generosity of others but having been a member here for some time, I can honestly say that I haven't noticed it happening on here on any large scale and if it were it would be very hard to implement any method of preventing it. Herding kittens would be easier. There is more of a mutual sharing of information happening here than anything else. With regards to asking something which could easily be found by a search of Google (or here or the Long Long Trail) as in the case mentioned of a member looking for Australian records - well hands up who has never asked a 'daft' question, or searched thoroughly first before asking a query here! Yep thought so (Edited for bad grammar ) Caryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeClarke Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 Caryl Other than a thread some time ago which went totally 'off the rails' trying to remember members who were no longer with us, this thread has caused me some discomfort. I just want to thank Caryl for the views expressed and say 'hear, hear'. Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 Me too. 100% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 ............As for asking something which could easily be found by a search of Google (or here or the Long Long Trail) as in the case mentioned of finding Australian records - well hands up who has never asked a 'daft' question, or searched thoroughly first before asking a query here! Yep thought so Caryl Hi, I think I wrote the post about Australian records and I think I didn't explain myself well. To find Australian records on the National Archives website or via Mapping our Anzacs is quite complicated and hard to describe without listing the steps. Also links to the NA time out so posting a link often fails to be helpful. Therefore going via the link which Google produced (unexpected though it may be) is a quick and simple way to find the service records, so I recommended it. I'm sorry this came over as suggesting a daft question had been asked. That was not my intention, at all. I was pleased to be able to offer a neat and easy suggestion to a problem. CGM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeClarke Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 CGM It was not you Regards, Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 Oh, sorry. (Please pop my apology in your piggy bank and hang on to it for a time when you really need it!) CGM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tn.drummond Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 I rather hoped I'd put to bed my own small input to this thread but it has struck me that the proponents of the 'Free Lunch' (well actually you Norman, if I'm not to be justly accused of pusillanimity) have still not countered the 'if you wish to help then help, if you don't then don't' argument which to me seems pretty incontrovertible - indeed the silence has been deafening. That said it has been a good point raised. Beneath the superficial veneer of the free lunch debate actually lies a matter of philosophical importance i.e. what exactly is the purpose of the GWF and perhaps equally pertinently has it evolved since the days of Chris Baker's stewardship ? If, as with me, you see the purpose of the GWF to be the dissemination ,furtherance and promotion of knowledge of WW1,in all it's manifestations and media, then it becomes almost a given that one must seek to help others; It then also becomes axiomatic that the 'free lunch' argument is void. If the philosophy is that it promotes such issues to the benefit of a defined membership defined by whatever criteria - including the expulsion of those seeking a 'Free Lunch' - then it becomes less a forum and more of an association or club; equipped with criteria that protect and promote the exclusivity of it's membership. The third philosophical base would appear to me that of a resource facility or hub with defined rules of access. Forum or Association then ? Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanCurragh Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 Forum or Association then ? I'd say there was a clue in the name "Great War Forum"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tn.drummond Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 I'd say there was a clue in the name "Great War Forum"! Very droll Alan. My rhetorical and heartfelt point is that if the GWF starts to be proscriptive about who contributes then it ceases to be a forum and becomes a club; at which point I shall be delighted to be blackballed. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanCurragh Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 And it won't happen, Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tn.drummond Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 And pleased I am to hear it. This forum should not stipulate who can and cannot ask questions. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 Or who should answer them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tn.drummond Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 Or who should answer them. Quite right Steven- which opens a can of worms about the suspension criteria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 Can we put all this stuff to bed please? Now? Unless the vast majority of members can put all this stuff out of their minds while maintaining common sense as we go on, the character of this Forum could be changed irrevocably and i for one would be upset. Hazel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger H Posted 20 June , 2013 Share Posted 20 June , 2013 Quite right Steven- which opens a can of worms about the suspension criteria. For God's sake, shut that bl**dy can now. It's the last thing we need. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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