Two new Grotto forums added to Cavechat

Please check this section for any important announcements regarding the NSS discussion board.

Moderator: Moderators

Two new Grotto forums added to Cavechat

Postby Wayne Harrison » Mar 12, 2008 5:01 pm

I'd like to welcome the Central Florida Grotto and the Birmingham Grotto to Cavechat. Both Grottos now have asked for their own forums on Cavechat, for use of members of those organizations.

You'll find them under NSS Organizations Forums > NSS Grotto Forums

Incidentally, those forums are blocked from public view and can only be seen by registered users. Access can be further restricted to password only, if requested.
User avatar
Wayne Harrison
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 2382
Joined: Aug 30, 2005 5:29 pm
Location: Pine, Colorado
NSS #: 18689 FE
Primary Grotto Affiliation: unaffiliated
  

Re: Two new Grotto forums added to Cavechat

Postby tncaver » Mar 13, 2008 8:04 am

I'm not trying to be a spoilsport, but isn't all this restriction just making the NSS more secretive? Why go to the
trouble to put a grotto on the NSS forum if it is going to be restricted? Is it because these grottoes have no other
means of having a website but they still want their privacy? Seems like the NSS is saying one thing but doing
something entirely different. They want to welcome new members but are making their online access more
restrictive. I find this confusing. :shrug:
Last edited by tncaver on Mar 13, 2008 9:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
tncaver
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 2642
Joined: May 17, 2007 7:03 pm
  

Re: Two new Grotto forums added to Cavechat

Postby Evan G » Mar 13, 2008 8:36 am

tncaver wrote:I'm not trying to be a spoilsport, but isn't all this restriction just making the NSS more secretive? Why go to the
trouble to put a grotto on the NSS forum if it is going to be restricted? Is it because these grottoes have no other
means of having a website but they still want their privacy? Seems like the NSS is saying one thing but doing
something entirely different. They want to welcome new members but are making one their online access more
restrictive. I find this confusing. :shrug:



Actually having the Grottos here is tremendously less restrictive because secretive grotto have a tendency to not advertise themselves at all. Also these grottos on here are "people friendly". A secretive grotto such as the Part-time Grotto or Main League Grotto will NEVER be online and are invite only grottos. Both have gone so far as to no longer be a part of the NSS, I nick-name them "Rogue" Grottos. I find TAG and eastern Grottos to be FAR more open and friendly than western mountain Grottos.

To me with the statements you said above it is obvious you never met a real secretive Grotto. Just the fact that I write on cavechat an am a member NSS online cavers my membership to one of the Rogue Grotto was rejected. Which to me is no loss but they are more active than the NSS Grottos here in Wyoming.
Evan G
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 1128
Joined: Mar 12, 2006 2:52 pm
Location: Breckenridge, CO
Name: EEG
NSS #: 28685
Primary Grotto Affiliation: NRMG
  

Re: Two new Grotto forums added to Cavechat

Postby tncaver » Mar 13, 2008 9:41 am

[quote="Evan"]
I find TAG and eastern Grottos to be FAR more open and friendly than western mountain Grottos.
To me with the statements you said above it is obvious you never met a real secretive Grotto.

:laughing: Evan, believe me...there are secretive and cliquish grottoes in TAG. Even the ones that
have forums open to the public tend to be both cliquish and secretive. I find it interesting that one
TAG grotto recently posted on their forum, which is open to the public, about a scheduled grotto
trip that is open only to grotto members. What kind of message do you think that sends to anyone who
might be interested in joining that grotto? To me posting about a closed trip on a public forum is not
sending a friendly message.

I do agree that most TAG grottoes are friendly but they are still secretive and cliquish. I'm not
sure that will ever change.
tncaver
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 2642
Joined: May 17, 2007 7:03 pm
  

Re: Two new Grotto forums added to Cavechat

Postby NZcaver » Mar 13, 2008 10:05 am

I tend to agree with Evan. I don't think it's overly secretive. If anything, the grottos who choose to chat here on the forum might be considered more open than most.

However I do wonder why some grottos choose to use a somewhat-open forum environment for discussing their grotto business and idle chat. Most of the grottos I've been involved with are content to use their own email list through Yahoo or Google groups etc, with a password-protected archive on line. Maybe the grottos here on this forum do that as well? I'm not suggesting more secrecy/discretion for grottos, but to me if a grotto has a nice, informative, up-to-date public website - plus (more importantly) a couple of good contact people who can be reached or respond promptly by phone or email - it's not too secretive in my book.

If a person is interested in caving, it's their responsibility to seek out and contact their local grotto if they choose to do so. After that, how the grotto responds and welcomes the newcomer (or not) is the all-telling thing. Just my opinion, of course.

P.S. Regarding tncaver's comment about "closed trips" listed publicly - I know what you mean but I don't object to it. It shows the grotto is at least active and doing trips, although a better suggestion might be to add why a particular trip is to be members-only. And then possibly balance the situation by having other trips listed as "all welcome" or "beginners welcome" etc.
Last edited by NZcaver on Mar 13, 2008 10:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic moved from Open Talk to Announcements
User avatar
NZcaver
Global Moderator
 
Posts: 6367
Joined: Sep 7, 2005 2:05 am
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Name: Jansen
NSS #: 50665RL
  

Re: Two new Grotto forums added to Cavechat

Postby Wayne Harrison » Mar 13, 2008 7:44 pm

It's not really secretive if ANY registered member can read it and ANY caver can register. It's just not broadcasting Grotto discussions out on the Internet via Google cached pages or RSS feeds. While Grotto meetings are open to the public (anyone who wants to can attend) they don't go publishing the minutes of their meetings in the newspaper. I don't think it's much different from the NSS requiring your NSS # and zip code in order to access the business section of Caves.org.
User avatar
Wayne Harrison
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 2382
Joined: Aug 30, 2005 5:29 pm
Location: Pine, Colorado
NSS #: 18689 FE
Primary Grotto Affiliation: unaffiliated
  

Re: Two new Grotto forums added to Cavechat

Postby tncaver » Mar 13, 2008 8:49 pm

Sounds good to me. Nothing like a simple answer to a simple question.
tncaver
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 2642
Joined: May 17, 2007 7:03 pm
  


Return to Please Read

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users