The Royal Marines Band Service On-line Community

admin · Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 4:11 pm Post subject: Changes for the better...

OK Guys and Gals,
I have been looking at the various debates about people not being happy with the way things are at the moment. I have been pondering various ideas and don't want a 'Them and us' situation or forum.

When I first started this foum my sole intention was to have an area for my troop to discuss our reunions and our times in the mob. From there, I though "Oh, I could add this bit and that bit" and so it went on. My aims changed as the forum developed and my last aim was (as stated at the top of the page) "Bringing the serving and ex serving communities together".

I then added the volunteer band sections to bolster the membership of the forum and so the forum doubled in size. Administering the forum (for myself and the moderators) became twice the work. Sometimes, for the moderators, it takes the fun out of the forum when it becomes work. I know this because I recently left another forum where I moderated when it became tedious for me to 'have' to look at all the posts and clean up some of the dross that the idots were posting there (not that this happens here) and I lost interest. That forum was started, like this one, as a specialist forum for a specialist group of people... it grew, as this one has, and began to become too diverse, attracting new people as it grew who wanted different things from it. You'll notice that AARSE has recently split into AARSE and RuM Ration and a couple of other splinters. I have been closely monitoring the split and to be honest, it was the best thing they did. They have now returned to what they set up to do in EACH of the new forums. AARSE is for the Army, RuM Ration for the RM and each of the other splinters for each of the seperate services. The quality of posting has gone up and the members are much happier.

My decision is this:
I am going to lock the forum for a while so nobody can post. I will then have the forum exported to another domain as a clone. I will then remove the Volunteer Band sections from this forum (NOT the members!) and on the new Volunteer Band forum remove all of the RM Band sections (NOT the members). I will then add links from one forum to the other and advertise the new Volunteer Band Forum on all the parts of the website. Moderators, from the Volunteer Band members, will be appointed and I will remain as overall Administrator of BOTH forums.

A new rank structure for the Volunteer Band forum will be discussed and decided by the members of that forum and a new masthead created reflecting the purpose of the new forum. People who are members of THIS forum, as it currently stands and at the time of it going offline for a few hours, will be members of BOTH foums with the same usernames and passwords and be able to post in both forums as full members, retaining the posts that they have made in either of the forums. Any new members will be able to register on each of the two forums as new members.

Please, do NOT see this as Us and Them and me spliting you up from the RM Band side of things... that is not my intention at all! I want to give the volunteer bands their own space and to have them identified as an entity in their own right. There will be duplicate posting in both forums. Any official announcements to one forum will be made to the other. They will be run in tandem... not as seperates.

Had I have realised how big this forum would have become in the start, I would have probably created two seperate forums in the begining and with hindsight (what a wonderful thing that is) perhaps I should have done that.
The NEW forum will be situated here: http://rnvolunteerbands.myfreeforum.org/
Please add this to your bookmarks

The forums will be locked from 7PM tonight (22 july 2007) until the main part of the work is carried out. I envisige that they will both be on line within a couple of hours with development to the new Volunteer band forum taking place over the rest of the week.
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http://www.royalmarinesbands.co.uk
The online home of the Royal Marines Band Service
RM Band Forum
Volunteer Bands Forum

2nd Clarinet · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:02 am Post subject:

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Admin,

A sad day!!!!!

I have read your post and I would like to make some comments related to it.

I do not agree with some of the remarks made by some members on this site that has made you come to the conclusion you have.

They seemed to be singling out one specific group and that group is; Volly Dollies.

They were not even talking about ALL the Volunteer Bands site members, but only 'Female' members of this site.

This was and is, WRONG!!!!!!

These people should be advised accordingly.

What next!

1. Stop the people who never served in HM Royal Marines Band Serevice, from joining??
2. Stop the ex serviing 'Female' members of the Band Service from joining?

These individuals may have made thousands of posts and been here almost from inception, but that does NOT give them the right to single out, offensively, any section of the membership in either a sexist or racial manner.
Nor are they, hopefully, the views of the majority of this membership.

I thought we were beyond that on this site........

Also, as a member of this site I would have liked to have had a debate with other members before the current decision was made.

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Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy marshmallows, which are kinda the same thing...!
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Caretaker · Guest

Bob,there was a debate. There was a certain amount of concern and disharmony and Admin (being the owner of this site) made the decision with the other administrators, to rectify the problem. The administrators have final say regarding the site and we all agreed that it was time for the site to EXPAND. This is not an eviction, as if you have read Deli's explanation, you will see that both sites are still open to all. We all felt that the volunteer contingent had grown to such an extent that they deserved their own site. This is what we have done and the majority of members are accepting of this decision.

None of us want upset and discord so we made a change to accomodate that.

Aaron Aardvark · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:04 am Post subject:

townsergeant · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:52 am Post subject:

Personally, I don't give a tuppenny toss either way!

What I do though is respect that the the Forum Administrator/Moderators have to make difficult decisions at times and this is one of those such occasions.

Get over it!

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Nill Illigitimi Carborundum

Mr Bass Trombone · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 1:41 pm Post subject:

I agree with the TS, it works for me, it ain't broke don't fix it

, as the TS said someone always has to make decisions tough or otherwise, perhaps if there are some who do not like what is occuring they might like to offer there support

to do things that need sorting out, I can safely say that all would take a backward step,any volunteers

???
I say keep up the great work Deli and helpers that you all do, if others dont like it then ADIOS find amusement elsewhere.
Time for San Miguel. Adios mi Amigos

Hasta Octubre.
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Mr bass trombone

Pusser · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 2:31 pm Post subject:

What have we got here? I see an Internet based forum – free of membership charges – with a specialist interest. Although I pay nothing to ‘subscribe’ to this forum I am aware there is no such thing as free web space. Thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to provide me with this excellent means of education, comradeship, and laughter and – above all for me – a continued sense of belonging.

The specialist interest is very important to me. My take on our Band Service shows me it is unique, always has been. Like all things evolved over time it has developed its own language, skills, humour. Indeed a way of life. It is a kind of sub-species somewhere between musicians, Commandos and Matelots with signs that all three exist in it somewhere yet do not confuse the singularity of it. (Yeah, yeah – OK!)

Personally I would rather have a private place and enjoy, from time to time, a few visitors of like minded humour and interests. I would not be best pleased, though, if the visitor cadre grew such that it might influence the way of forum things for me and diverted it from its primary purpose.

When I point the finger of criticism I must remain aware there are ten more pointing back at me so I am not going to criticise this forum. I am going to remember I signed up to a free site and agreed to leave the running of it to the Admin. I agreed to all sorts of things I suspect but one of them was not to tell him how to do his, probably voluntary and certainly time consuming, job.
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Pusser!

Dan A · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:02 pm Post subject:

Pat as ever you write so well, sensible and concise. YOU, my friend are a delight to have posting on here and on OAM.
Dan
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I do not suffer from stress but I am a carrier!!

RAB · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:13 pm Post subject:

I concur with what has been said by DAN regarding PAT's post. I also stumbled upon this site just after its conception, and it has found me some old and new freinds I would never have had the pleasure of acquainting or reuniting with. I, like many others, have been guilty of posting some uninteresting and sometimes aggressive posts. I would like to think I have always acted in the best interests of the Forum in general, and on numerous occasions have found myself forced to protect the integrity of what is beyond any doubt the greatest 'gang' I've ever had the pleasure of being part of. If the recent developments, decided by the people who have the SOLE right to make such decisions, help to improve the quality AND quantity of post in here, then I for one would take even more enjoyment from the Forum. It can be quite labourious for active members, let alone occasional visitors, to trudge through all the posts (relevant and not so) to all things RMB, and I look forward to the new regime.

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'Never moon a werewolf'.

Dusty Miller · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 2:16 am Post subject:

Well said Pat, I totally agree, maybe we lose sight of things each in our own ways. It's admins call and I think we should support him in that.

Len · Term 5s Passed Joined: 24 Dec 2005 Posts: 66

I have always been in awe of Deli's patience and knowlege. I have not managed many posts in the past due to me being a dinosaur on these things...No complaints from me, and keep up the excellent work.

Merci beaucoup, ferme le garage and au revoir.
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Well & truly Lanimered!

Dom Demolder · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:30 pm Post subject: Debate

Top marks to Deli and his colleagues for taking the time to keep the forum in good shape.

Decision made, simple.

Pompey Rich · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 12:30 am Post subject:

I for one would like to thank the bands, musicians, bulgers etc for the many performances I have witnessed over the years. Yes I am a spotter and I hope I joined the forum for the right reasons. I've also made a kn@b of myself in public on more than one occasion but at least I've had the bottle to publicly apologise on here. I sincerely hope that I have made more friends than enemies on this site and that includes you Rab. Please keep up the good work, Deli & co and just remember that there was ever only one perfect bugger and they crucified him.
PLAY UP POMPEY.

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Play up Pumpy...

bootybandy · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:06 am Post subject:

There is no individual to blame Skip. You came to the forum asking pertinent and valid questions, which I hope were answered fully, and perhaps with a little tongue in cheek on more than one occassion.

The forum is essentially a focus point that helps people stay in touch after they have either served some time in, are thinking of joining or indeed are still in the RMB.

We are one special family that have lived and worked together over many years and have formed a strong bond that the RMB alone can give.

You just keep asking the questions and we will continue to avoid answering them in our own inimitable way.

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Wine is meant to be drunk............I am drunk.............Therefore am I wine??

RAB · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:11 pm Post subject: