Forum staffing updates

[Mojo]

We are thrilled to announce that, effective from 1st April, the forum staff team have appointed a brand new Moderator. Please meet Semaphore Sam, our AI virtual agent.

This cutting-edge addition to the team will help keep discussions on track, signal out rule breaches with precision, and ensure every thread runs as smoothly as a well-maintained mainline.

As one of the busiest web forums in the UK, the staff team have always found it a challenge to keep on top of every post. Now, thanks to Semaphore Sam, who will read every post and issue warnings as necessary, this is no longer a problem!

Even better, Semaphore Sam will be answering emails from members meaning no more waits for a reply from the volunteer staff member team. Not happy with a warning you’ve been issued? Our new AI virtual agent will respond right away!

Please join me in welcoming this new innovation.

 

[Iskra]

April Fools Nice one!

 

[D365]

The real acid test is how many of my ”wrong subforum” reports it can close out per hour

 

[Iskra]

The real acid test is how many of my ”wrong subforum” reports it can close out per hour

They’ve obviously not clocked-on yet

 

[Harpo]

AprIl FOol?

 

[GusB]

Very good.

 

[Snow1964]

Talking of April Fools

Dutch seem to have come in with Standing compartments for busy commuter trains as their idea (great mock up pictures). Although with our luck DfT probably treat no seat trains as a serious idea

NS announces new “standing” train compartments

Ahead of expected increase in travellers due to rising energy prices and high tourism, NS has announced standing train compartments.

dutchreview.com

Dutch rail company NS has announced that, due to increased public transport usage and crowded trains, new “standing compartments” will be introduced across all major NS-run train networks.

 

[THC]

I read the whole thing before the penny dropped...!

THC

 

[bleeder4]

It's a very plausible sounding April Fool. There is another forum I'm a member of that already has an AI moderator that does everything mentioned in this post. I think it will become more common over time.

 

[ainsworth74]

I must admit I wasn't completely sure about Semaphore Sam when @Mojo suggested it but now that it's been rolled out I really do think this is a massive improvement in how the Forum operates. I'm sure you'll all find the benefits quickly outweigh any negatives.

 

[McRhu]

Is this meant to integrate with the electric shock collars that you're sending out to all forum members?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

How does it deal with moderators who start threads in the wrong section?

( That this was not in the official announcements part of the forum was an immediate clue before reading it that it was an April Fool, I should add... )

 

[frankmoh]

Semaphore Sam please take me off of moderation, I yearn to play Mornington Crescent again!

 

[edwin_m]

No doubt specially trained in spotting speculative suggestions in non-speculative forums, and in looking for statements without citations.

 

[Bantamzen]

AI you say? Let's test it....

Hey Sam! What are the likely winning EuroMillions numbers for this coming Friday 3rd April please....??

 

[Cowley]

AI you say? Let's test it....

Hey Sam! What are the likely winning EuroMillions numbers for this coming Friday 3rd April please....??

We’ll have to get back to you on that. We need to find some more water to cool his server after the amount of time we’ve spent getting him up to speed on datum plates, DOO and IC 70 seats this morning…

 

[Purple Train]

Has he been trained in the correct and proper use of "folks" in every single moderatorial posting?

Joking aside, I am delighted at this new innovation and hope to have as few conversations as possible with him.

 

[Hbbz9392]

will this affect the trout population negatively?

 

[Red Onion]

This sent out some terrible signals…

 

[brad465]

You joke, but if Elon Musk or Zuckerberg announced this on their respective platforms, it means they're actually doing it.

On a side note thanks to social media, the "it's all over by midday" rule doesn't really apply anymore; someone can post something in the morning, within the rules, but if you don't see it till the afternoon it's easy to be fooled if you're brain has clocked off. Even worse when it's posted in the morning US time but is of course afternoon here.

 

[Mojo]

On a side note thanks to social media, the "it's all over by midday" rule doesn't really apply anymore; someone can post something in the morning, within the rules, but if you don't see it till the afternoon it's easy to be fooled if you're brain has clocked off. Even worse when it's posted in the morning US time but is of course afternoon here.

Could have been really edgy and done what Ryanair did and post it on the 31st (given they operate in a relatively geographically constrained area there would have been nowhere that they operate in that it would have been seen in on the 1st), yet still claim it’s an April fool joke.

 

[Tramfan]

We’ll have to get back to you on that. We need to find some more water to cool his server after the amount of time we’ve spent getting him up to speed on datum plates, DOO and IC 70 seats this morning…

You're forgetting 22 coach Pendolinos

I read the OP at about half 4 in the morning and it certainly had me going at first!

 

[GusB]

We’ll have to get back to you on that. We need to find some more water to cool his server after the amount of time we’ve spent getting him up to speed on datum plates, DOO and IC 70 seats this morning…

The seat wibble alone is enough to cause a processor to overheat!

 

[Trackman]

Is that a signal box on the track on a bogie in the background?
Cool.