BF members too touchy

Personally I think this Grandpa Troll did a great job of turning a simple question into a something blown way out of context. That was obviously his intent in the first place. Watch out for this guy, it looks like he is here for one purpose, and that is to be a troll. The question looked to me as if it were being asked out of interest and nothing else. It ended up going were it went because of that first brainless answer. Just when is seemed that people were answering the question with what I think were the hoped for responses, along comes mgeoffriau and drags it back in the wrong direction again.

The original question was not one that should have been brought up in the Political Forum. It was only made that way by some of the responses that followed. Asking him to continue this in the Political Forum was pretty inane IMO since the original post was not politically motivated. It was a good question that lead to answers that gave me information I did not have before. Getting information like that is why I am a member of this forum, and I appreciate when they are asked.

I think closing that thread was the right thing to do since it had wandered far from it's original intent. Why some poeple seem to always have to enter a thread to start an argument, and do nothing constuctive, I don't know.
 
mgeoffriau,
I must apologize.
I disagree with your viewpoint, but that is no reason to resort to name-calling.
A quick temper and quick tongue (check, check) are not a good combination when a hasty response is just a few keystrokes and a click away.
 
A simple question was asked.
A simple question was twisted.
Isn't it amazing how stupid some people are?

Paul
 
Originally posted by glockman99
So.........How many Black knife-makers are there? Or White knife-makers? Or Purple knife makers? Or Orange and Green striped knife makers? I want to know!.:D.:D.


1) 291

2) 4,757

3) 1 (Barney has just released some prototype tactical "nerf" blade tanto folders).

4)
alien2.gif

Unknown.


Oh yeah, it's time to close this thread......... ;)
 
Originally posted by KWM
Personally I think this Grandpa Troll did a great job of turning a simple question into a something blown way out of context. That was obviously his intent in the first place. Watch out for this guy, it looks like he is here for one purpose, and that is to be a troll.

Wow, Keith I think you're on to something.
What gave it away for you?

Could it be his NAME?

Duh! :rolleyes:
 
Actually, now that you mention it Phil, that name is a little suspicious. Thanks for pointing it out to me. I didn't realize that you were so sharp.

The name clued me in, the post made it a sure thing. The reason I mentioned it is that a lot of people seemed to be getting on mgeoffriau about his comments, and had not brought up who had started the whole thing going in the wrong direction in the first place. Guess I was stating the obvious though.
 
King Grinch:

I think you were meaning Al Green! :D


I, for one, was interested in the original question, and do not think that there is any reason to think that there was a 'racism' slant to it.

Even if Quiet Priest had started the thread with the secret intent of starting a racial argument, I don't think it was reasonable to infer this from his original post, yet this is what some people did.

e.g. mgeoffriau:

What were you expecting? Some industry-wide bigotry that hinders minority knifemakers? Grow up.

I've been hanging around the forums for a while now, and I usually stay out of these mudslinging matches, usually because I can't be bothered to read EVERY bit of whingeing that goes on. I think that there are some people who deliberately see the worst possible implication in an otherwise innocuous statment.

The reason I've chosen to chime in this time, though, is that I have been disappointed by a couple of people that I otherwise hold in very high regard.

marion david poff wrote:

You see, the most interesting part is this, never, not once, have I ever read a post in this Forum, or any Forum, where someone asked for a racial roll-call. Until your post. Interesting.

With the greatest of respect, I fundamentally disagree with your implication here and I am surprised (having read the reasoning behind your psuedonym 'Eye') that you of all people would have said this. Just because a question has not been asked before doesn't make it irrelevant, impertinent or uninteresting. Remember, some of the greatest advances in science and philosophy have been made by those with the courage to "ask an impertinent question". Not that I think that the original question was impertinent.

The other person is Spark, who shut down the thread and wrote:

I'm going to lock this one down. If someone wants to know about minority knifemakers, they can open another thread. Next time, please phrase it more clearly so that true intent can be easily discerned, without any mistaken assumptions.

I think that you do a great (and sometimes difficult) job and I generally agree with the way that you handle these sorts of matters but, while I don't presume to tell you how to run these forums, I think that closing the thread in this case was the wrong thing to do. Quiet Priest cited heritage and cultural curiosity as the motivation for his question and there are other valid angles of interest for this topic as well, mine being ethinic artistic and design influences. I think that these are both valid reasons for QP to ask his question.

Having read and re-read his original post several times, I think that for you to blame QP's phrasing is unfair. As I said at the beginning of this post, I don't think that inferences relating to racism in the industry can be drawn by any reasonable interpretation of his original words. In any case, even if QP had blatantly stated "I DO NOT THINK THE CUTLERY INDUSTRY IS RACIST, I JUST WANT TO KNOW BECAUSE ...xxx..." in his original question, someone would still think "...he doth protest too much". And to have to deflect such accusations in your opening post would just be plain awkward, particularly if you don't happen to know whether a question will be taboo since it has never been asked before, as MDP pointed out:)

I take my hat off to Anthony Cheeseboro, who patently recognised the intent and validity of QP's question and was articulate in expressing so.

Finally (and sorry for the v.long post - not quite 10,000 words, Ken :D ) in answer to the subject of this thread:

With the exception of a few volatile people, I have found that BF people are generally very friendly, patient, helpful and informative and that BladeForums is a good place to be. If we all try to behave a little more like Anthony Cheeseboro and a little less like mgeoffriau when these issues arise, then BF will always be so.

Thanks to those of you who read this far...:D

Dom

p.s. KWM:

I think closing that thread was the right thing to do since it had wandered far from it's original intent. Why some poeple seem to always have to enter a thread to start an argument, and do nothing constuctive, I don't know.

I just previewed my post and the thread was updated with your post. In relation to locking the other thread I can see your point, and although still don't think it was the right thing to do, I am now less certain that it was the wrong thing... :confused:

p.p.s. I don't think that its right to lock this thread, although moving it may be appropriate.
 
Before the question was asked I never even thought about it.Then the question interested me,because I had never noticed any black makers.I don't think the question was racially motivated and did take an unecessary turn.Unfortunatley this is the "knee jerk response" that has evolved overthe years.Alot to due with the media perhaps,some from people crying wolf for their own reasons or benefit.This is the type of thing that will continue to happen when this country continues to encourage the beleif that everything bad that happens to a minority is due to racism.People are paronoid because they have good reason to be.Ya can't breath wrong without being considered a racist.If a Police Officer pulls over too many black motorists he's "racially profiling"It's getting to the point the cops are going to start turning their heads rather than be accused every time you turn around.Racism exists and always will,it's a cold,hard fact as unfortunate as it may be.AS ridulous as the reaction to the thread may have been,under the present conditions regarding this subject in our country,I'm not too shocked to hear people yell fire when there isn't any.My two cents
 
No I meant AL MAR. He is black like me. Why does the question belong on the POLITICAL forum? Maybe it was not political in nature.
 
With the original post going on a few side trips, we missed an interesting point.

We have a lot of knifemakers of different ethnic backgrounds making knives that fall within the same modern, tactical style. On the other hand, we have many knifemakers doing work within some other traditional style, like Japanese, or Scandinavian, whether or not they may be Japanese or Scandinavian themselves.

Is anyone doing traditional African knives? Many of these have beautiful and useful designs. Outside of a few 'panga' machetes and Cold Steel's Samburu spear, I can't think of any. I have a hand-made African dagger that a friend of mine gave me. It has a 13" blade, 17" overall length. It is lightweight, and very fast. Not a good EDC, though.
 
Time for my 2 cents.

I think the original post contained a good question, as posed by Quiet Priest, and I also did not see any racial overtones in this simple question.

As quoted by Ken Cook:

If you don't LIKE the question, then don't ANSWER it.
If the post is truly offensive, BFC Admin will deal with it.

Just as it did when Spark locked the original thread on this.

Try being NICE to each other, not just courteous. You know damned well that you can chew someone into bloody rags and be "courteous" through every bite.


I couldn't agree more.

This thread belongs in community, or W & C.
 
Guys,

The relative anonymity of the internet sometimes allows us the opportunity to speak, (type), as if there were no repercussions for what we say...but that's not the truth...

Being nice isn't easy for some of us, I'd wager even for most of us....but that's what separates the men from the boys...

When I came home from the USAF at the ripe old age of 21, I wanted to regain my "lost youth"...as such, I started hanging with my old "chums"...and was soon involved with growers, bikers, and smugglers...on a huge scale. They were not "nice" people you could say, and you'd be right...

The "Lost years" I call it... Hell, I even got to dig my own grave at gunpoint under a full moon desert sky..."woohoo"

Years later, before selling off my gun collection, I showed it to a friend. "OMFG! What are you doing with all this stuff?, you're so damn nice!" was the question asked...

"Being 'nice' comes from the peace of mind in knowing that you could cut someones throat just because, and not really giving a damn", said I, as I smiled...and my friend gave me a very strange look...a very strange look indeed...

Being "nice" is a gift, a gift of life, to live and let live, and shouldn't necessarily be looked upon as a sign of weakness. Verily, it should be the standard that we all strive to achieve. Anyone can be a loud, rude, mean-spirited phuck...I know, I was one.

To be "nice" is to be different, to hold yourself to a higher standard, being "nice", just because you can be...

As I alluded to before, many of us type with no repercussions expected, yet the time may come when we actually meet each other, and having been "nice" will make things so much easier for all involved.

I for one, am making a pilgrimage up to Sunnyvale next week, in the hopes of meeting many of you over beer and pizza at "Vito's." I'm hoping that as many people as possible, those reading this, will attend. (5 PM, 09-01).

It's so much easier to respond to a posting if you can place the name with a face, having met the person, and having broken bread. (or in this case, pizza, if you will...lol) ;)

It's nice to be nice, and if you're not nice, you're just a prick. The world has a way of dealing with pricks...lol

If ya really disagree with someone, keep it legit, and sleep on it before you respond. If ya still disagree in the morning, be polite with your arguement...being rude is just plain rude, and it's a big desert...
 
Originally posted by anthony cheeseboro
...I have seen threads where people asked about female members or knife makers and no one was offended...

I asked (a while back) and was told the question wasn't relevant. I asked because I enjoy talking knives and guns with women who are interested in such things. They don't carry the same BS baggage with them that some of my male friends do.
 
sometimes you guys make me laugh. Good Phillip!

Let's try to keep constructive knife talk in these forums.

Thank You!

Grandpa Troll
 
Little Claw- My opinion is that there is a racist component to the question, bore out by the later explanation.

Then again, I hold a fairly large interpretation of racism, and I certainly believe that it can be found in all races, racism goes all ways.

I am partial Cree. But, I do not lament or bemoan or accuse others of excluding my people from anything. I accept the world for what it is, and I strive to add what I can, to contribute my share.

There is a fine line between pride for your heritage and racism/jingoism.

All that being said, I failed to communicate myself clearly.
 
Everybody's gonna be really sorry! I know where you live! It's all his fault! He made me do it! I'm with stupid! Says who? Oh, hello officer. Whoops! Uh-oh. Quick, run! I'm telling! Make me! I know where I live? Takes one to know one! I said it first! Infinety plus one! Everybody's mean to me! And I deserve it! And, I like it! Serves you right!
 
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