Ed Dunham
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| (Former Meteorologist & CFHC Forum Moderator (Ed Passed Away on May 14, 2017)) |
| Sat Aug 21 2010 12:56 AM |
Where Should I Put My Post?
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Because the site has many Forums, each designed for specific topics, I thought that I’d take a break in the inaction to attempt a quick summary of what type of post goes in which Forum. Most of the misplaced posts occur when Users don’t read the Forum Descriptions and just put their post on the Main Page News Talkbacks. This is the lead Forum where you can’t start a new thread but a member can respond to a post from someone else. The Description of the News Talkback is as follows: “You cannot start new Threads here - you can only reply to the topics that are covered in the News Talkback main page leadoff article.†The leadoff article for a thread in the News Talkback is posted by an Administrator or a Moderator. Within that lead article, the topics for discussion are presented by the individual writing the post. The lead article in the thread may get updated with newer information about a topic already under discussion or it may present a new topic. If you make a post in this thread that covers a feature, system, event, probability, etc., that is not a topic that was presented in the lead article (or any updates to the lead article), your post will normally get moved to a more appropriate Forum. If you make sort of an ‘apples and oranges’ post that contains some info that is ‘on-topic’ and some that is not, the off-topic material usually is stripped from the post if the person moderating the site feels like the off-topic material was really not suited to the Main Page Forum (News Talkbacks).
The Storm Forum, which is also a more strictly moderated Forum, is the place for: “General Discussion About Tropical Cyclones and Potential Development Areas (Invests). Predictions for the season. Tropical Cyclone track/intensity forecasts. Storm oriented data links and weather reports. Atlantic Basin only.†Posts that deal with existing systems or Invest areas are included in technical discussions about these systems. If a system is not yet at least an Invest, i.e., its an unassigned wave or just a cloud mass, it is not discussed in the Storm Forum. Although I will usually start a thread on an Invest area that seems to be developing a system that has the potential for additional development as an ‘Area of Interest’ or an ‘Area of Concern’ if it’s a strong system that threatens a land area, any member can start a thread in the Storm Forum to elaborate on short-term movement and system intensity of an existing storm, or data links and weather reports for an existing storm. Normally we will start a thread - usually in the Forecast Lounge (where anyone can post) for weather conditions/reports from site Users and Visitors that are being affected by a specific storm as it moves into their area. The Storm Forum is also the place for the pre-season Forecast Outlook for anticipated storm totals for the upcoming year, and you can input your own forecast for the season totals until the thread is ‘locked’ when the season begins on June 1st.
The Forecast Lounge is for posts where you: “Have a forecast for a storm, Invest or disturbance, but not too much beyond a "gut feeling". Unofficial best guesses as well as forecasting contests can go here. Not as strictly moderated.†Long -term model discussion on a particular system belong here – most of the posts that get moved here are those that centered on model discussions in excess of 120hours or long range outlooks for systems that haven’t even formed yet - that were posted in the News Talkback. Sometimes as a fun-oriented test of analytical skill a forecasting contest is placed here. Anyone can start a new thread and/or post in the Forecast Lounge, however, before you do, check first to make sure that another thread on the same topic hasn’t already been initiated by somebody else.
The Tropics Today is the place for: “General day-to-day Summaries and Discussions about tropical features in the Atlantic Basin. This forum less strictly moderated.†This is a great place to talk about tropical waves, suspect cloud masses, influences of Upper Level Lows or extensions of high pressure ridges, etc. If a feature that interests you is not already a topic in the Main Page leadoff article in the News Talkback, you can start a thread and discuss it here.
The Other Storm Basins is pretty straightforward. Its for: “Discussions for Typhoons, Hurricanes, and Tropical Cyclones (no Invests) not in the Atlantic basin (ie East, Central and West Pacific, Indian, and Oceania systems).†If it’s a storm that is not in the Atlantic, talk about it here. If a Central Pacific system threatens the Hawaiian Islands we will usually open up a thread either in the News Talkback or the Storm Forum to discuss it. Anyone can start a new thread and/or post in this Forum.
The remaining Forum Descriptions are also straightforward, but if you have any questions about them, send a PM to an Administrator or a Moderator and they should be able to help you. If you are new to the site or if you have not yet reviewed the site Rules – you should do so before you post. The Rules and Hints will allow you to become familiar with what is permitted, what is not permitted and posting style on CFHC.
Cheers,
ED