[bluesman]

Hi Andrew,  you have presented the most respectful response I've heard in this thread.

It is my hope that regardless of what the outcome to this serious issue may be that you keep in mind that we here at the AHA Forum will be here for you and for all to address your concerns ans issues in regards to homebrewing as a craft.

I truly believe that this forum has set the standard for homebrewing and will continue to do so.

Hope to see you posting.

Cheers!

[majorvices]

 It is unfortunate, however, that the conversation has diminished to the point of hurling insults, profanity, all cap screaming, and emoticons at each other.

In my best dean Martin. "Just trying to have a little fun folks."   Seriously though, I used to think emoticons were 7th grade high school girl stuff. But then I realized they can be the difference between someone being insulted by a comment and someone realizing that a comment was made in a light hearted jest. And, in all honesty, we can get very serious when talking about beer and brewing here. But we also like to have fun with each other. Never in a hostile way. Never in a mean spirited way. Certainly sometimes in a goofy way. I am sorry if anyone finds this offensive, it is certainly not meant to be. OTOH if someone finds an emoticon offensive it may be time to HAHB.  

[brushvalleybrewer]

I curse like a sailor in person, but realize there are others who do not and it is super simple to type and convey a point without the use of words you would not say under ALL circumstances.

That’s funny. I do the same thing. I don’t think I’m so bad, but my comparison is my wife, who curses like a drunken sailor, but I did get a private chat about my language at work, so it must be true.

When you type out a post, you get a chance to see what you’ve said before anybody else does. The preview button is easy enough to use. 

[thcbrew]

From my experience here at the forum, if Tech Talk is scrubbed I will not renew my membership; and seek out other mebers to do the same. I could be myslf and allow my full spectrum of emotion (Which is me!) to shine through in Tech Talk, however, here with hypocritical moderators deleting certain posts that are in violation of the rules; but letting others go unchecked. Deleting posts even if they don't violate any rules, and being such a censored medium. I cannot trust a medium that is censored; it is not 100% of what is ogoing on or how people feel, and choose to convey themselves. I said one obscenity and was attacked by mulitple people. Was my obscenity any less or more offending than being attacked? Even a moderator/administrator was being rude regarding my spelling errors; isn't that flaming; and against the rules?

Keep tech talk, because this forum is just like all the others out there, nothing new, nothing different. TEch talk was something different; and without it; AHA is going to feel a fiscal pinch.

Never have I been so disenfranchised from the AHA; I have donated plenty of time and money to many events and it is unsettling to know that my money and time has gone into this type of censored totally un free forum. Just rediculous to think the techtalkers would transition from a free-medium to a complettely closed loop censored controlled medium. The AHA Committe is going to get verbaly attacked at GABF; so be ready for a bunch of pissed of people who pay for your association to exist!

Good day to this closed minded, freedom hating forum.

Are we so childish and closeminded that we cannot look past a few four letter words; being used to convey emotions; not being hurled as insults? Really? So pathetic...

I think 64% of members saying it is a majority of the reason for membership speaks for itself; and you will either choose to listen, or ignore us.

[chumley]

Typical TechTalk post:

"Hello.  I am new to brewing, and I am trying to clone Grand Island Brewing Company's Kiwi Lime Rye Ale.  When in the boil do I add the yeast?

Also, does anyone know of good brewpubs in Frostbite Falls, Minnesota?"

[rabid_dingo]

... and it is unsettling to know that my money and time has gone into this type of censored totally un free forum. Just rediculous to think the techtalkers would transition from a free-medium to a complettely closed loop censored controlled medium. ...

Wow. From what I understand there was(is) a moderator for Tech Talk that edits and post everything in
the email before it goes out. There probably wasn't anything that needed to be censored (edited)but I am
sure it was. This forum is run by the same set of folks as Tech Talk, what makes you think they chose to
moderate the AHA forum and not edit (censor) Tech Talk.  They are not mutually exclusive groups. The
forum participants includes AHA members that could post to tech talk. And what may be the point of
contention for thcbrew is that the public is invited to participate in the Forum and it is not an exclusive group.

The involvement of the public, in anything, calls for some guidance. In this forum particularly there
is a set of rule that all must follow. I don't miss anything by following them. And neither will anyone else. Bottom
line, it think the forum is self censoring for the most part, but thankfully there are moderators to make sure
nothing superfluous gets through.

thcbrew, please don't feel unwelcome here. You will find that many AHA members participate here and at TT and
the information is just as good. Not delivered the same way, but the info remains top notch.

[Michael Thompson]

You will find that many AHA members participate here and at TT and
the information is just as good. Not delivered the same way, but the info remains top notch.

You may be right Ruben, but the information is harder to find in an online forum, partly because of the volume, and partly because of the noise. With TechTalk, I get one message a day, I scan the Table of Contents, and read any messages I find interesting, and I'm done. It comes to me, I don't have to go looking for it or remember to check it.

On the Forum, I go to a web site and I'm presented with twenty-five different boards and four additional child boards. There's no Table of Contents, I have to click on each board name to see what messages have arrived since I last checked. Somebody starts a thread, and lots of good information is presented, then it starts to degenerate into off-topic stuff, or answers that say the same thing that's already been said. No way to tell without drilling down several levels into the discussion, then you have to come back out to the main menu for the next thread.

A lot of people like forums, but some of us prefer the push of an e-mail list over the pull of a forum, and the more manageable format of one simple message over hundreds of disparate messages in two dozen different categories. I didn't join the Forum until I was forced by the demise of TechTalk, just for these reasons. I'm not a Troglodyte or a technophobe, I just happen to prefer push instead of pull. Same reason I don't bother with many RSS feeds, you have to go looking for it.

It's not that big a deal, I won't resign my membership over it, but AHA really ought to keep in mind how many people will, and why some of us would just rather have an e-mail list than a forum. Discussion on the Forum seems to favor the Forum, and that's no surprise, since it's coming from those who chose to be on the Forum, but there are others of us out here too.

[blatz]

I have to click on each board name to see what messages have arrived since I last checked.

not true - use the "unread" button in the upper right hand corner.

oh and welcome to the forum - stay a while - it might grow on ya 

[Michael Thompson]

I do not see an "unread" button. Am I looking in the wrong place? Here's a screenshot of what I see when I log in.

[Michael Thompson]

Oh, and thanks for the welcome Paul. I will stay around, though I still prefer an e-mail forum to a web based one.

[Thirsty_Monk]

When you click on those yellow mailboxes you will see only unread posts.

Then you can click on blue "new" button to read from where you left off.

[tygo]

Yeah, but there should be the "Unread" link blatz was referring to.  It should be right under "Welcome back, Michael Thompson".  That's where it is for me as I sit here looking at my screen.  We'll need the admins to weigh in on this one.

[Thirsty_Monk]

Yeah, but there should be the "Unread" link blatz was referring to.

I learn everyday something new.
Thank you

[bonjour]

It should be right under "Welcome back, Michael Thompson". but it is not there

what browser are you using (version number too, and what OS

need to figure this out.

[bonjour]

OK
it looks like you are browsing with IE5.5.  Later versions of IE work fine, or try Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or a later version of IE all work fine

That should fix it.