John P
Active member
This is for all forum members and Moderators:
And especially for all of us who are industry professionals who post on these forums.
I strongly believe the lack of professionalism and professional accountability on these forums needs to be addressed.
1) Everyone should have a signature that includes their real name. No need to change your forum name. Your company should be clearly stated if you have one. A link to your website, or Facebook should be included. This is of utmost importance for everyone who is or claims to be a professional in the industry. For the general populace, I would highly recommend it, at least if you post anything. If you just care to read and lurk, that's fine. This is not an invitation to spam or for nonsense for the small number of people who try to do that.
Why is this important?
* First, by making it clear who you are and what you do it shows that you stand behind every post, every response, every statement you make not just as a person, but as a professional who represents your company and/or business.
* It gives the reader the opportunity to understand the credentials of the person making the comment and whether or not to give it any weight. It's quite clear in any forum, especially one where professionals come together, that those who hide, obfuscate, or make it difficult to know who they are or what they do that their comments have little, if any, value.
* We have a responsibility to those who are learning about coffee and about the coffee industry to be transparent about what we do (as smartly noted by other professionals on the forum).
2) Professional and substantive discussions can only be made if the above is adhered to AND
3) There is a lot of non-professional conduct and response within the "professional" posts here. There are responses that amount to nothing more than whining, which should be downright embarrassing as no adult professional in the real business world would behave in such a manner.
4) If you have nothing of relevance or value to contribute, maybe hang back and think about it first. Read... wait... wait... THINK... and then post.
5) The moderators have a difficult job and in most every instance do a great job. I would like to thank the Moderators for recently removing a non-professional response in pretty quick time from a particular forum member. This was (in my mind) for two important reasons, the first being #4 (nothing of relevance or value) and the other being #3 (non-professional, whining, embarrassing, no adult would respond this way..). Based on overall behavior within the forum, it's probably not the first time this has happened.
If you want to be taken seriously, if you want people on this forum or any forum to value what you say then make it clear what your credentials are so everyone knows that what you say has weight and merit.
I think this is something that Moderators should strongly consider implementing (no anonymous posting). And if not as a "mandated protocol", let's all be clear in our understanding that the transparency by which forum members conduct themselves shows everything you need to know about the value of their words.
And especially for all of us who are industry professionals who post on these forums.
I strongly believe the lack of professionalism and professional accountability on these forums needs to be addressed.
1) Everyone should have a signature that includes their real name. No need to change your forum name. Your company should be clearly stated if you have one. A link to your website, or Facebook should be included. This is of utmost importance for everyone who is or claims to be a professional in the industry. For the general populace, I would highly recommend it, at least if you post anything. If you just care to read and lurk, that's fine. This is not an invitation to spam or for nonsense for the small number of people who try to do that.
Why is this important?
* First, by making it clear who you are and what you do it shows that you stand behind every post, every response, every statement you make not just as a person, but as a professional who represents your company and/or business.
* It gives the reader the opportunity to understand the credentials of the person making the comment and whether or not to give it any weight. It's quite clear in any forum, especially one where professionals come together, that those who hide, obfuscate, or make it difficult to know who they are or what they do that their comments have little, if any, value.
* We have a responsibility to those who are learning about coffee and about the coffee industry to be transparent about what we do (as smartly noted by other professionals on the forum).
2) Professional and substantive discussions can only be made if the above is adhered to AND
3) There is a lot of non-professional conduct and response within the "professional" posts here. There are responses that amount to nothing more than whining, which should be downright embarrassing as no adult professional in the real business world would behave in such a manner.
4) If you have nothing of relevance or value to contribute, maybe hang back and think about it first. Read... wait... wait... THINK... and then post.
5) The moderators have a difficult job and in most every instance do a great job. I would like to thank the Moderators for recently removing a non-professional response in pretty quick time from a particular forum member. This was (in my mind) for two important reasons, the first being #4 (nothing of relevance or value) and the other being #3 (non-professional, whining, embarrassing, no adult would respond this way..). Based on overall behavior within the forum, it's probably not the first time this has happened.
If you want to be taken seriously, if you want people on this forum or any forum to value what you say then make it clear what your credentials are so everyone knows that what you say has weight and merit.
I think this is something that Moderators should strongly consider implementing (no anonymous posting). And if not as a "mandated protocol", let's all be clear in our understanding that the transparency by which forum members conduct themselves shows everything you need to know about the value of their words.
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