"We're being watched"

Victor

Someone posted the above today.

Yes, people do look at boards.ie and Commuting & Transport in particular, including journalists, people working in the industry, politicians, civil servants and others.

Now, I was talking to someone recently, a civil servant, who regularly posts on boards.ie, but doesn't post on Commuting & Transport because of the conflicts of interest thread http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=126578 He is too professional to be (not) seen to break the rules.

Are we perhaps excluding some good people and letting some of the others in, because they won't care about the rules anyway?

Sponge Bob

The risk in diluting the conflicts rule is that those involved in construction and with the bewilderingly large number of interrelated consultancies are simply frantic for contracts.

Of the large and highly capable civils operations we now have at least one will go to the wall (that I know of) within the next year unless they land a major project.

Given the drastic adjustment in capital expenditure this is understandable. However the risk is that these consultancies and contractors will come in here to undermine each other.

The no conflicts rule, at this time, makes life somewhat more straightforward while this inevitable shrinkage takes place. We have already lost 50% or more of our architectural consultancy capacity. The same will inevitably happen to the consultancies and to the civils operations.

It also means you only need to smack the odd fractious trainspotter and taxi driver every now and then Victor

Cookie_Monster

I fail to see why they cannot post anyway, as many do without declaring anything if they are not being overt about things and if its a purely personal interest topic.

They can also freely post what industry they work in without mentioning any names or locations. Posters here would be quick to report them if they were pushing their company on the sly.

A simple "I work in the coach/bus industry" (etc) should be sufficient example of people if this is all they want to give for employer privacy reasons.

BluntGuy

I did enjoy the ominous thread title.

I agree with the above. I don't think the rules are overly-restrictive. It would be nice if these people got involved whether it be in personal or professional capacity (like the M50 traffic guy who I think most people agree has been a very valuable contributor).

Run_to_da_hills

When I saw the thread title I thought that this thread was going to be all about CCTV and smart cards.:p

steamengine

IMO more input by railway professionals of whatever status would create better balance when discussing rail matters.
There has been some valuable contributions recently by at least two, that I recall, concerning operational and safety issues. Don't wish to specify them, but the contributions were both informative and interesting, and I hope we hear more from them.

Sponge Bob

99% of the problems in this forum , AND requiring moderation , can be divided into Fractious Trainspotting and Taxi threads.

There has been the odd bit of agimitating 'for' ?? a specific project , ie this weirdo and Metro North comes to mind.

The password hack lost us a few good 'professional' users too. eg Metrobest who was obviously 'in the business' but who was a very good net contributor....and with a name like that how could anybody claim be conned as to their interests.

There have been several occasions that I can think of that are either coincidences, or someone is taking notes.

One that springs to mind was in Infrastructure when the Athlone - Ballinasloe road was being constructed and the plan for realigning the road meant that traffic would the old galway road while the (Elan) junction was rebuilt, I drew up a plan and posted it here and a few weeks the original idea was changed and the plan I drew up was used instead.

Coincidence, I think but you never know... another one is the M50 - N4 west lane markings.

Sponge Bob

You could nearly sort the M4 westbound by gantrying out the left lane of the three after the westlink traffic merges but more likely with a slip HERE to the Quarryvale road system marked 'local traffic only' Nod Wink

Hungerford

Victor wrote: »

Are we perhaps excluding some good people and letting some of the others in, because they won't care about the rules anyway?

It's a tough one - it could encourage debate but you would also like vested interests to be identified.

I remember one of the reporters from the Tribune posting here a little a while back and that was okay because he cleared IDed himself. Then again, he could probably be more open than a contractor for instance.

celticbest

Realistically you will never really know who a poster is, it is very hard to identify someone online.

Yes someone might have very one sided views of something but that does not mean they have a vested interest in it, they might just think there point is right / makes sense and they will not be turned by anyone.

noelfirl

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

When I saw the thread title I thought that this thread was going to be all about CCTV and smart cards.:p

Best poster ever...


/off topic

dowlingm

I think the C of I thread allows an honesty about our limitations as a group. Anyone looking to an open forum such as boards for professional expertise is probably barking up the wrong tree at the best of times, but at least on C&T you can consult the person's CofI post to assess the probable level of spooferism and charlatanry.

With Garaiste gone bus only, boards is probably the best place to discuss technical matters without going being required to be a paid (RUI) or approved (IRN) member - and that level of technical discussion may make us look to some like we know more than we do. Certainly I have had to eat humble pie a few times.

Victor

Oh, for clarity, the thread was originally created to stop Aer Lingus and Ryanair staff having a go at each other.

Cookie_Monster

Victor wrote: »

Oh, for clarity, the thread was originally created to stop Aer Lingus and Ryanair staff having a go at each other.

sure they're all one big happy family now

foggy_lad

after my recent posts about the wheelchair accessible waiting room and toilet in carlow station that cost thousands to provide being locked/inaccessible to wheelchairs, i noticed on my last trip through carlow that the door into the waiting room and toilet was open, not fully open but more like ajar but it was definitely open!

Victor

foggy_lad wrote: »

after my recent posts about the wheelchair accessible waiting room and toilet in carlow station that cost thousands to provide being locked/inaccessible to wheelchairs, i noticed on my last trip through carlow that the door into the waiting room and toilet was open, not fully open but more like ajar but it was definitely open!

Its also useful to actually tell the service provider also.