Luftwaffe Location

[musec04]

Hello,

Motivated by the fate of Steve Coates recent post I would like to open up a discussion on the location of threads concerning Luftwaffe aircraft in the period 1933–1939. At present if a post covering this period is placed on the Luftwaffe board, the moderation team will move it to the Pre-World War Two board. I have previously discussed this with Nick Beale via PM. The response I received was as follows:


“Occasionally I also get people reminding me that pre-September 1939 is not the Second World War and that the Condor Legion was not the Luftwaffe any more than the Flying Tigers were the USAAF. I appreciate your point and of course the inter-war conflicts in (e.g.) Abyssinia, Spain and China did affect the "main event" in 1939. In the end you have to draw a line somewhere if the forum is to have any structure at all (I don't find ones that put everything in together, whatever the topic, easy to use) and if you don't do it by date then what do you pick?

I'm just trying to keep things consistent and one thing moderators can do is leave the redirect notices up longer. I tend to use three days or a week before they expire but that's not sacrosanct.”

Naturally, this is a considered and well thought out response. However, I would respond that the Luftwaffe differs significantly from other air forces in this regard. Firstly, unlike other air forces covered on the main boards of TOCH, there is no organisational continuity between the Luftwaffe and its Imperial German predecessors or indeed, either of its post war successors. The period 1933-1945, on the other hand does form a continuation, with a clear starting point and a clear end point.

I would also argue that moving Luftwaffe posts of the period 1933-39 is not the best option for the posters, as indeed is shown by the fact that posters do usually post to the main Luftwaffe board in the first instance rather than post directly to the pre-war board. It might be possible to comprehend the existing policy if posts in error to other boards were also moved automatically to the location in which they belong. However, we can see that this does not happen consistently as shown by the presence of a thread on the pre-war board in which the aircraft shown are not even military machines. Yet they have not been moved to the general board.Nor is this an isolated example.Could we please have some consistency at least.


Do other users have a view on this topic?

Regards,

Clint

[Steve Coates]

Clint

As the poster in question, I'm inclined to agree with your post. My post was more in hope than actual expectation as in fact most of my posts are but that's a secondary issue. I certainly do feel it had more chance of more people reading it and perhaps that one person picking up on it. As far as I'm concerned the pre-war build up of the Luftwaffe is inextricably linked with what followed and I'd certainly second a call for the main forum to cover 1933 - 1945 but do appreciate the pre-war stuff doesn't do it for everyone.

Steve

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Steve Coates

Clint

I'd certainly second a call for the main forum to cover 1933 - 1945

Steve

If you want it given a new name, you’ll need to appeal Ruy Horta as site administrator. Moderators’ permissions don’t include renaming parts of the forum or creating new ones (or if they do, I’ve no idea how to go about it and I don’t think John knows either).

[musec04]

Hi Nick,


I don't think Steve was calling for the forum to be renamed,and I certainly wasn't. I was simply suggesting that Luftwaffe, and only Luftwaffe threads not be automatically transferred by the moderation team to the prewar forum if they fall in the period 1933-1939 as unlike other air forces for the reasons listed in my initial post in this thread, the Luftwaffe forms a seperate aand cohesive whole for the 1933-1945.But no forum renaming is necessary in my view.


Regards,


Clint

[Steve Coates]

Agreed. My point was also one of visibility. Just prior to typing this, I checked the viewing stats for the two different sub-boards - 227 for Luftwaffe as opposed to 6 for pre-war aviation. I think it's pretty clear that a number of those interested in the Luftwaffe don't frequent the pre-war sub-board. There might be an argument as to whether that's by choice or design but the potential exists in my view for people to miss 'relevant' (in my eyes) content.

[Nick Beale]

So where would you put the Condor Legion or the Italian participants in the Spanish Civil War?

[musec04]

Hi Nick,


Being consistent, the Italian part of your question is the easier to answer.Given organisational continuity of the RA from from 1923-1943 and even arguably from the founding of the Corpo Aeronautico Militare ,there is no case for stating that the period 1936-1939 forms a coherent whole for the RA in the same way that 1933-45 did for the Luftwaffe.


Given however,that the Condor Legion served in the same SCW as the Aviazione Legionaria and the twospanish airforces,this in itself would appear to present problems with regard to consistency.


However,two comments occur to me. Firstly,the number of posts concerning either the Aaviazione Legionaria and the Spanish air forces on TOCH is limited.Secondly as per my last post in this thread,all that is required is for the moderator is to take no action when a Legion Condor,or other Luftwaffe 1933-1939 post is placed on the Luftwaffe board. Over time this will result in posts being made by the poster on the board regarded as most beneficial by the poster.Customer satisfaction! and as a bonus it involves less need for the moderation team to become involved, which as volunteers I would imagine you'd welcome.



Best Regards,


Clint