Custom Intamin seat belt belt (+ how to)

GayCoasterGuy said:

Like any forum, if you don't like it, there are plenty of others.

Great advice for any newb who has a problem with the way we do things around here.

10 simple rules. We seem to have a lot of #7's around here lately that don't seem to understand how easy it is to suddenly not be able to log on one day. (professional friendly smile)

I've noticed the crappy conversation here lately too, Gonch. I'll even admit that I might have even participated in it a lot at one time. I realized maybe a few weeks ago what was going on when I began skimming over the threads instead of participating in the conversation. It's just not as fun anymore. I could go on countless other websites and converse about IHOP chocolate pancakes or robots.

I kind of like the initial post about the belt though. I though that it was unique and interesting.

Travis, you've been here long enough to know the difference between good noise and bad noise. Not everyone has. The worst noise of all is noise by people who don't know the difference, nor have earned the right to make good noise.

Point taken on the belt thing, but come on, no one was talking about it.

We've had this conversation a million times. The core group, the tone, the social circle has existed for over a decade. Everyone is welcome. However, the same social rules exist here that do in real life.

People like others who add value. We need a reason to give a crap about you - you're not a special snowflake by default. You need to show respect for the established social code. Hang back, observe, fit in, earn respect and a spot at the grown-up table.

I agree with Gonch. And I might add that suggesting to a veteran here (and moderator) that if he doesn't like it he can find another forum, is almost as ballsy as it is laughable. (No emoticon added.)

It's perfectly understandable to be concerned about people's feelings and wanting to be as accepting as possible. Everyone truly is welcome at CoasterBuzz.

But being welcome is not a license to post whatever you want, as often as you want. There are standards here and a social norm that has existed since the beginning. If you don't like them, then perhaps this isn't the forum for you.

I have seen the advice offered time and time again to sit back, observe, catch the vibe and culture before beginning to chime in. It's probably time to start following that excellent advice.

Gonch, I normally respect your posts and feel they add such interesting perspectives to the conversation; you often take the words right out of my mouth. However, seeing you post, "Can you go away?" to a new member was disappointing. Honestly, it annoyed me more than the #7 posts.

I will agree that there have been a bit more of the "ugh" posts to read through lately, but I've still found plenty of good ones. I think the best route for anyone wanting "noise" to go away is to just ignore it. If the noisemakers continue, a kind PM or reminder of terms seems ideal.

As for the original post here, I found it fresh and sincere. Someone put a lot of effort into something, and they were excited to show the enthusiast community how they could make their own. I wish it wouldn't have been derailed so quickly.

If someone wants a clasp that Intamin uses, the OP has made available the rare source that took a bit of effort to find. I could totally see an enthusiast wanting to incorporate one in their life as a connection to coasters during the long off season.

Jeph said:

Someone put a lot of effort into something, and they were excited to show the enthusiast community how they could make their own. I wish it wouldn't have been derailed so quickly.

Agreed 100%.

But then suddenly everyone (including the OP) was more interested in ponies and trying to make it about themselves or trying to make the 'funny' comment.

Then by the OP's 7th post (in less than 4 hours, mind you) we're told this is an introduction thread that has turned into an AMA.

Ummm...sorry, no it isn't.

Half of the blame goes to the rest of the rookies who encouraged the thread to go that route.

This is the one that broke the camel's back. Time to reel it in.

If anyone actually chooses to be caught dead in an Intamin seat belt belt and wants to discuss the intricacies of their fine fashion sense, then great. If the thread had gone down that road we wouldn't be here right now - we'd be there. But we're not and I'm calling out the stupidity.

If you want to talk ponies and about the original poster that we've known for all of a couple hours, I'd rather you left.

If you wanted to talk about seat belt belts, I'd roll my eyes and poke fun, but I wouldn't lash out in a million years.

It's really as simple as that.

I think the best route for anyone wanting "noise" to go away is to just ignore it. If the noisemakers continue, a kind PM or reminder of terms seems ideal.

That's great. I don't. It's been ignored for too long and only gotten worse...and I don't pussyfoot around. If you're being stupid, I'm going to say, "You're being stupid."

This thread has finally reached the terminal velocity of stupid.

It's not a democracy as far as my understanding goes. I'm moderating and directing the tone as I see fit. If Jeff objects, he shares my directness and will surely let me know.

CoasterBuzz can be a tough room. It's not for everyone. If you want hugs and bunnies and lollipops, you're probably at the wrong place. If you want challenged or to think beyond, "rollie coasters is fun" or to share ideas with bright people with a lot to say, then hang in there, stick it out and it can be quite rewarding.

I'm totally with you that these aren't AMA threads and that the thread direction needed to be cleaned up. Good call.

But, I think being asked to leave would be confusing to a rookie poster and not be direct enough about the issue for other rookie posters. In other words, if you're going for a direct approach, something like, "If you want to talk ponies, etc., please do so elsewhere." would get to the point without being hurtful.

Then, something that might help is if Jeff bolded all the moderators and pointed them out:

Lord Gonchar - Forum Moderator

So, now a rookie poster would know that they're doing something wrong, and it was said by a moderator.

Lord Gonchar said:

Then by the OP's 7th post (in less than 4 hours, mind you) we're told this is an introduction thread that has turned into an AMA.

I said saying what it turned into hoping to try and nudge it back, (Pretty effective). So, I'm not going to be a #7 from this point on, but I am keeping my avatar.

SO, Anyone have questions on the belt?

I used to be a number 7 and I think sometimes I was also a number 4.

The beautiful thing about CoasterBuzz has always been the limited need for official moderation. The community has always moderated itself. Until recently.

And now not only is the community not moderating itself, some members have decided to question who and how even the mildest of moderation is conducted. That's really not ok.

New members or even some of the ones who have been around for a while need to remember that CoasterBuzz has never been a place for a lot of the noise you might find accepted at other sites. If the noise is occurring in the public forums, then the correction will be, too. That's how everyone learns.

To be honest Carrie, I was not aware that Gonch was a moderator, and I've been posting regularly for almost 2 years. I thought there were 3 moderators: Jeff, Walt, and you (which I discovered recently). Gonch has done a wonderful job disguising himself as an enthusiastic poster. :)

So, I'm sorry for questioning you, Gonch. But, with no official designation, wouldn't it be expected that posters would mistakenly view themselves as equals? Isn't that the point of no official status?

Anyway, are there any other moderators that I'm missing? While no official designation is fine, it would have been nice to know from the start somewhere.

I didn't know Carrie was a moderator.

I didn't know either, Jeph. It would have been nice to know so that if we had questions we had even more people to ask, but I usually ask Gonch first anyway, so...guess it all worked out after all.

Carrie J. said:

The beautiful thing about CoasterBuzz has always been the limited need for official moderation. The community has always moderated itself.

This. I've never needed to know who moderates the forums because I typically try not to break the rules. However, it's not hard to learn who the moderators are just by being here and following the discussion over time.

And really, if you have a question and don't know who the moderators are, ask Jeff. Or PM someone you think might know the answer. As Gonch has mentioned, this is very much like a social community in real life. Ask around as you would anywhere else.

The fact that it's not micro-moderated (and more importantly, doesn't have to be) is one of the most enjoyable aspects of CoasterBuzz.

Oh dear. I apologize for making a pony joke. As a subscriber and frequent (ok, too frequent?) poster here the last thing I want is to be perceived as a 7 or someone who intentionally derails conversations or chimes in because he likes to hear himself.

Truthfully, I was a lot less interested in this first poster's belt than I was the pony. I couldn't imagine what he meant by that and took a light hearted stab at a stupid guess. Maybe everyone got the pony reference but me, and I think I still dont get it. Sorry.

Perhaps the acceptable joke should have been about the belt, and how if I made my own at least I could be assured that I'd finally have one that would fit around my fat ass, without the straining, nail-breaking assistance of a platform load attendant. I'd also sew one of those bright orange pull loops to it and mark two inches on the belt so everyone could see at a glance that it was tight enough to keep me from flying out of my pants.

I've never been a fan of hands-on moderation, which of course the haters of ten years ago would disagree, but whatever. For the most part, this community has self-moderated, and I'd prefer to keep it that way.

Side note: None of the moderators asked to be one. They're just people I trusted enough to dispense with noise and spam.

Vater said:

This. I've never needed to know who moderates the forums because I typically try not to break the rules.

And I've tried not to break any rules either. But, Carrie called me out that it's "not ok" to question the moderators' moderating actions. So, that's the only reason why I wanted to make sure I knew who they were...

Tomtortoise, About the belt... It's similar to the fashion of the seat belt buckle belts that I have seen in some stores like Spenser's and Hot Topic over the last decade. While I have never worn one of those, they are interesting.

And I like the buckle on Intamin rides. I like how you have to squeeze the two parts together to get it to unfasten. I wasn't aware that they could hold so much weight. I didn't know that they would be THAT expensive either. Fifty bucks? Wow!

Blessed are the noisemakers, for they shall invoke the moderation.

Wait, wrong guidebook...nevermind.

I could see myself writing a guidebook called "Strategies for Theme Parks, Getting Good Grades, and Coasterbuzzing"