[phantom]

Banning members is OK. In fact it is the only solution sometimes but telling others why u did it helps even more, so that everybody else can learn from their mistakes.
Closing the threads is also ok sometimes.. but deleting posts is not, IMHO, for the same reasons stated above.

[edwardseco]

Haven't noticed any increase in animosity, just some letting go in the form of "silly". I don't find that bad and such can easily be avoided by skipping a particular thread. Its worse when we take ourselves too seriously that a mindset develops, a sort of PC mentality that leaves assumptions inviolate. I think Yoga etal. has it well put when he suggests much offense is unintentional due to the anonymity of this form of communication..

[Paagla Dashu]

Originally Posted by Karma Queen

As I mentioned in another thread (the one about the photo scandal), I have felt in the past few weeks that IndiaMike has changed, and I don't know why.

I do love IndiaMike (I've been here quite a long time now),
KQ x

I think I am not qualified to participate in this discussion - I joined this forum only in March of this year. To know if something has changed, one needs to know if it used to be any different.

But then, I noticed the profile of OP and I am intrigued. KQ is a member since Sptember 2004 - not too long ago - has the forum changed really in last seven months? I would not know.

What I can comment about is the interesting phenomenon I have observed in how some of the the oldtimers in this forum seem to react at times to new members. I wonder if new members do get a feeling at times if they have unintentionally stepped inside a private house .

I have also noticed an intensification of that reaction in recent weeks - there are many posts from oldtimers that either shows "I am offended by the new upstarts (Kaal ka chhokra - as they say in Hindi)" or " this was such a nice place before and why are these new people coming in to spoil the party" attitude.

Reminds me of my grandmother and her friends talking about "good old days when this town was not so crowded and you could walk on the streets to the cinema and everyone knew everyone else" after Sunday lunches. Its only natural - "cliques" are the first byproduct of any internet discussion forum. Its a phase in the evolution process of most Internet discussion forums.

It is also natural on an internet forum where there is a commercial interest in getting more people to the site - that new members will keep joining in. How the forum reacts to the influx of new members shows how matured (or not) the forum is.

Some "clique"ish forums adopt a "conform or you are against us" attitude to new members whereas more matured forums embrace the "unity in diversity" approach.

I am not sure in which category to put this thread or to what extent it demonstrates the maturity of "IndiaMike.com".

Namaste.

PS - On a related issue, I think a recent tendency of a few selected members to post messages with heavy political undertones - either to promote a specific political ideology or to provoke a reaction, is, to say the least, disturbing. Indiamike should not be a forum for political debates, Indian or International. Some references to politics are natural. Sadly, some people seem to join only to find a forum to give vent to their own political thoughts or frustrations. They should be discouraged if not censured.

[ddutta]

Originally Posted by SHIMLA

indiamike the forum has not changed;. Its still very much an India travel forum.

Its the posters' attitude and approach which have changed. The accent now seems to be on quantity; and in the process of making up those numbers to prove goodness knows what and to whom; quality and sensitivity to other posters is being sacrificed.

I agree with shimla that the forum has not changed but the posters' attitude and approach which have changed . The quantity has increased but I doubt about the quality. Most of the old IM ers post are not seen nowadays. It doesnt mean that they have stopped visiting the site .(they are seen only in shout box) . There must be a definate reason behind it. May be they are fed up . answering the same question again & again. Most of the new members start the same thread without searching. Again some members are using this forum as "chatting tone threads " (rightly pobserved by radz at post#28).

[koopamanduka]

TO liten things a bit...

Its all because of the seasonal changes you see..... Everything will cool down with thw arrival of monsoon

I hope i could bring up at least one smile.

[manojb]

The quality of posting here has taken a turn for the worse, with more frivolous postings these days, sometimes over such trivial matters such as spelling and grammar (reminds me of Usenet). If I have any qualms about the moderation here, it is that there is not enough moderation.
I left LP TT because of the acrimony there, and while we are not there yet, I fear we have stepped on to the slippery slope. Hopefully I am wrong.

[Nick-H]

Yes, Manojb, I think you are wrong. I certainly hope so!

True acrimony breaks out sometimes but does get stamped on pretty quickly.

I don't know If I have access to a Usenet news source (via BSNL broadband?) just now, I haven't bothered to try, but the obsessive extremists that spam everything to do with India there would not last two posts here (Thanks, moderators...).

Spolling and Grimace stuff I haven't really noticed: when there it is it is in a sense of fun. There is very little personal put-down of any kind here. When a tiff breaks out it usually dies away pretty quickly.

I don't think it is a good environment for people who take themselves too seriously.

There is a, perhaps sometimes robust, humour pervading the site. Given that it is contributed to by people from such diverse cultures it is remarkable that this is largely understood and shared. Perhaps that is one of the great IM.com phenomena. As with all these things there will be people who don't like it and won't stay: I hope we don't accidentally offend, though.

[docgirl2005]

I have been on Indiamike for a year now but I havent always had time to post threads, my hospital work, my husband and family keep me so occupied. But when I was going to India and when I got back from India, the twing of anticipation (before leaving) and the sadness of leaving India made me come back to Indiamike. I love it here. I used to post on Thorn Tree. I hated that place, just vile. So I must be the only one member who is here for a YEAR but has about 900 threads less than some other members who are here for 6 months!!! LOL... coolz...

Well I try to ONLY post where I can contribute to the topic. If its about Himachal Pradesh or Chandigarh, chances are you wont see my post there. I stick to areas and topics of India that I am familiar with only. I also love flight travel deals, so I always try to post those as well. This is a great site...but sometimes I feel one or two of the older gang (no mention of names plz) will comment about how the "quality" has gone down or something to that effect and then it makes me realize how much of a clique develops here. Sometimes when I read such posts it makes me feel unwelcome, but then I see members who joined after me seemlessly join in so I forget about it and enjoy this wonderful site.

Indiamike in one word?-----Decency.... Yes this is the most decent forum I have ever come across..thanks to moderators and to the members too! The negative comments or rude I dont see it, here it is like child's play compared to other sites I have visited and for that I love coming here! Ciao everyone!

[Paagla Dashu]

Originally Posted by Nick-H

I don't think it is a good environment for people who take themselves too seriously.

There is a, perhaps sometimes robust, humour pervading the site. Given that it is contributed to by people from such diverse cultures it is remarkable that this is largely understood and shared. Perhaps that is one of the great IM.com phenomena. As with all these things there will be people who don't like it and won't stay: I hope we don't accidentally offend, though.

I knew (in my subconscious) there was a reason why I love this site and am almost addicted to it. Could not quite figure out what it was.

You said it. Dead right!

Seriously, is there anything better anybody can do than mocking oneself? How else does iron become steel, if not by exposing itself to its own fire?

Now, where did I keep my "10 Ways to be famous" guide?

Seriously (I mean just a little seriously), Very Well Said!!!

[Vasko]

A few observations from someone who has been here for a while, sometimes actively, usually a bit more passively.

1. First of all, I believe Indiamike has changed, which is inevitable as things grow. For better or worse, I don't know. Just different. One thing is for sure: it is much more difficult to keep track of all the threads because they move so quickly.

2. Quantity vs. quality. This has been brought up in the earlier posts and yes, there is a definite increase in the amount of posts. It is harder to pick out posts with "true" information value as they get flooded under chit chat. I don't mind so much, because I hardly ever come searching for specific info on a specific topic.

3. There have been annoying things going on here recently. Mainly the hypocrisy; people saying: "I don't want to participate in this conversation, BUT..." then blahblahblah they go on to participate anyway. And after they say what they have wanted to say, they ask for the moderators to close the thread! It's like a playground fight: you through sand at someone and then call for mommy to step in! What also annoys me is members who have a compulsion to participate in almost every single thread. Are you really adding something interesting/valuable? I think the Off Topic forum is more suitable for all kinds of non-India -related topics where we can chat away all we like. I'm all for people communicating with each other!

4. I also agree with the posters above who think the moderators have been a bit too hasty in closing down threads. I feel Indiamike is a bit more censored nowadays, getting a bit paranoid. On the other hand, moderating a forum is probably quite difficult, so you mods have my respect for taking up the task. Like others have noted, in the end this is a very well-mannered forum.

5. Indiamike as a site has definitely become more self-reflexive. This is only natural as it develops and evolves. More and more threads are focused on the site itself and not on India or travel (I noted this in another thread). As it grows, there is pressure to keep things manageable and somewhat controlled. Hence all the discussion that revolves around the basic question: What is this site all about?

6. I like this site.

A good weekend to all you IM'ers!

Vasko

[dumb_bacchus]

Well i would like Mike to say some-thing. Does he feel that the mood has changed [for bad] or does it feel that this is just another step in the evolution of the forum!

[AnnieG]

I agree - compared with other similar forums, IM is very polite, overall.
I also understand that it is growing fast (I am now promoting it on our Purple Valley Noticeboard for yoga students coming to Goa who have never been to India before - apart from giving them a great service, it saves me having to answer lots of the same questions again and again!)
so if there are lots of newbies it is hardly surprising if the establishment feathers get a little ruffled sometimes.
It is a really great place, and a bit of flaming now and then never hurt anyone!
AnnieG
PS I hear the rains have started in Goa ... although that comment is probably off message and I apologise!

[kaushiks]

I have visited other forums of various topics. Most of them have the same phases I see here too. May be one could write a book about "The rise and fall of messageboards."

1) First, when the site(or forum) starts, everybody and the owner is so hospitable and welcome strangers warmly. I guess it would have been like that when this site started.

2) Then the ones who have been around right from the start feel like they have in some sense a greater 'ownership' or sense of belonging to the site than the newbies. It is at this point, the place generally becomes less warm to outsiders. They want new people but, act as though the newbies need to struggle a little to be accepted. They become overcritical of new comers and try to act as knights in armour protecting the virgin identity of the forum. This is the "Kaal ka chhokra " mindset Paagla mentioned. No one individual is to be blamed though but the general collective consciousness seems like that to the newbies.

3) As the forum increases in 'size' and reaches critical mass, it changes and becomes more argumentative. There form 2 or 3 different groups. One, which always suck up to the site owner. Another, which is against this group and another which is neutral and 'try' (or pretend) to be objective. All the groups sincerely believe they are in group 3.

4) Then one of the guys in 'group two' will get thrown out and found a messageboard of his own and invite all these members to come there. There will be a bit of war initially between a small minority. The new site will go through the same cycles. The old site will already be too big to handle and will either disintegrate or over time become a paid site where registration will not be free.

And which phase are we in?. tough call but I guess we are still a long way away from Phase 3.

[ddevadatta]

Even this thread about changes/or no changes about India Mike illustrates the healthy debate, people's own perceptions about the topic, their own preferences to which topics are off/on limits, and what people should or shouldn't do? Now help me understand a few items because I am unsure genuinely.

1. Why would one NEED to use the search engine on a topic before posting a question. This just about favors the more knowledgable over against a genuine question any person has. The fact that people would pose their questions here indicates first of all that they have found IM and second that they are seeking answers & directions from this site. In fact the other helpful types just reply in their post with links to previous threads or other websites etc. In fact when I was new I found that helpful response from others to be extremely helpful.

2. On this discussion about closing a thread, just a few days ago the moderator (I think) blasted in his resposne about how right he was and how wrong others was and with language that indicated he (not that someone had asked him/her) was fed-up closed the thread completly, without a chance for others to respond. Again the person and thread is not as important as the issue at hand. Some kind of higher standard IM should set and also periodic evaluation when it comes to moderators. If people perceive this is not a true forum, IM will suffer.

3. One last question/observation. IM has various topics listed and what I have found that people do take the time to best list their question based on thread topics provided. Things like cricket and politics (just to name a couple of hot button) are listed as topics. Though this forum is about travel, I think it is a broader forum, at least when I review the listed IM topics. Am I not getting it when another poster (again a moderator I think) berates another for addressing a legitimate topic/question/opinion under such an IM topic list. That indicates personal preferences rather than a legitimate forum of topics.

IM is a great forum on the verge of getting even better as it seeks to embrace its own sucess and growth. Keep it up moderators, newbies, wannabees, ought to bees, and all people of various strips, colors, backgrounds, old timers and whatever category one is in.

[rab]

As a forum leader I have to say I have noticed that the posts are getting longer.

There seem to be more people who perhaps do not want to argue but merely build up a case with excess words!

I think I skipped the last ten posts, my brain was turning to mush...