Bev~ Good post, and it not only echo's concern others have raised, but those that I have directly raised myself. In my opinion, this site's forum participation is far less than that which I recall some time ago. Granted, I appreciate the slippery slope that comes with allowing a venue for expression and opinion. On one hand, promoting open thought, expression and opinion will often permit a great deal of sharing of information, scientific education, and different perspectives. On the other, this very open ended expression can lead to issues such as "flame wars", outright inaccurate information, false reporting of data, and potentially undue panic, not to mention potential legal liability issues for the sites owners/administrators.
.....and then one touches upon the subject of "wishcasting". This one is not only funny, but what I would define as a stuffy persons definition of one who either wishes to see certain weather events or one who subjectively might forecast based on their own possible impact of such a a weather event. One previous post somewhat accurately paints a picture of those who wishcast, suddently dissappear when a given weather event no longer pertains to them or their immediate area. Well.........? Sure! This in fact makes sense, nor should one be ashamed of one's greater focused interest based upon their knowledge of local geography, weather conditions impact on and in relation to familiar economy and socialogy. This does not make one less knowledgeable about tropical cyclones, but does perhaps make one less familier with potential impact on other regions. This is not unlike comparing an opinion that someone such as Joe Bastardi of Accuweather may share for a storm impact for any region within the U.S., verses a local weatherman who will issue their forecast or chime in when a storm might impact their immediate region. Welcome to the "human perspecitve". It is of our nature to tend to communicate in perspective of relationship to "us" or "ourselves". If proded ( and supplied a thesaurus and dictionary ), I could be paid a fee to provide my own commentary, opinion, scientific analysis, and forecast on severe weather for New England, Southeast U.S., Northern Plains, etc. Except, such an offer has not been made to me; that and I have a "day job", so i'll chime in perhaps when a weather topic is in my "wheelhouse", or area of greater perspective, or yes....., perhaps even my neighborhood.
I perceive that among several different Administrators and especially several different moderators, a unintentiional contradiction of post appropriate discussion has occured. On one hand, chat oriented, or model discussion, or unsupported opnion by others, not of "the A Team", has been chastised and in often cases simply redeposited into other forums. While appropriate in some cases, other very similar submissions will be posted by another "team member", and such postings are permited to remain. Then there is the appearant lack of technical submissions, whether by other MET's, MET students, or related industry professionals. Why have they chosen to not provide their analysis or forecast? Beyond the "rule enforcing" Moderators and Administrators, we now have left a few nodding heads - those who feel a need to type, if even to most often basically state the obvious such as "...we really need to heed the NHC advisories..", or "....remember that now is the time to check your family plan and supplies...". I guess at minimum, such posts are at least non inflammatory and non controversial, if not altogether lacking in original thought or insight.
Perhaps that is the very element that is being slowly eroded from this particular site forum. The openly permissive exchange of data, satellite, recon, model, climotology, or even intuitive offerings of perspective, science, and opinion. All because as very clearly streesed, this site's primary purpose and function is to offer accurate and non hyped information regarding tropical cyclones. The lines and perameters regarding discussion have become so strict and defined ( at least by some ), that it is my personal feeling that most knowledgable weather enthusiasts, on air weatherman, MET professors, students, and retirees, storm chasers, etc, have simply lost interest in the restrictive nature of conversation and "hand slapping", that they just lurk like the greater many that view this site. That, and log in and actually participate in one of at least 2 or 3 other progressive and very active Tropical Weather Forum web sites. As I see it, this site currently offers a very well designed format to easily locate any form of data, satellite, NHC forecasts and discussions, and viable links to model guidance. A nice neat "one stop shop" for most items I might wish to see in relationship to varying Tropical Cyclones. Beyond that, the forums have been diluted to something less organized and reliable than most good blog sites, yet a nicely designed and navigatable site offering discussion and conversation, which I might compare to the condradiction of free speech in Communist China.
I think that until the owners and/or administrators of this site choose to embrace and encourage real communication ( ie. opinion, humor, dissagreement, unapologetic severe weather enthusiasts, etc. ), than you will see less and less insight and perspecitve from scientists, weather enthusiasts, media, emergency personel than what you might have been accustomed to in the past.
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