Member input wanted! New WS&S Rules Thread

I agree that this forum is one of the most "tame" areas of BF. I started off in this area and still consider it "home." Everyone here is always friendly (98% of the time), courteous and accepting of new members. I've seen a few newbies get tossed to the dogs because their first post was in the wrong section (ex. general) and at least two or three members bashed them for it before someone lended a helping hand. However, over here in the W&SS forum, there's always a lending hand. I've seen you guys take care of your own quite a few times in the year and a half that I've been here.

I don't think adding a subforum would help, if anything it would complicate things for a while. People wouldn't know whether or not to post in the subforum or the main area. I wouldn't have a problem with it, but my vote would be for not having it added on. I do agree with having a few prefixes added on, along with thread titles that actually have to do with the topic.

I like having the knife makers participate. It gives for some great eye candy and shows a few designs that would be great to have in the outdoors.

Re-posting pics can be a PITA, especially on weekends when my only means of participating is by using my blackberry. Now one or two pics being quoted seems fine to me, but someone quoting 5+ pics gets to be a pain.

The guys/gals here seem very reasonable to me, but there are the few that bash others for their opinions when it comes to "best knife, best sleeping bag, best stove, best tent, best anti-bear gun, best survival gun, pellet gun or .22, ........." The list goes on. If the OP asks for something, give your .02 and move on, learn from others and don't bash somebody for preferring one thing over the other.

Maybe we could add a "lingo" thread? Sounds dumb I know, but it took me about 3-5 months to figure out what the heck everything was and meant that you guys were talking about. For a solid 4 months I wondered, "what the hell is a mora?" and then I was wondering what, "TEOTWAWKI" meant, and what "TSHTF" was. Make it a sticky for crying out loud.

That's all I can think of for now, I look forward to hearing more responses, J.
 
How about this for our logo?

bear_grylls_in_jungle.jpg


I kid, I kid
(covers head and runs away)
 
jlouis976 said:
How about this for our logo?

removed image so as to try and conform to new input from members although this is a lot of extra typing but I want to try and set a good example and...wait...what? This is taking up even MORE bandwidth than quoting the picture? Dern...oops, more words - crap. When does it end? :D

I kid, I kid
(covers head and runs away)
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Ok, after removing the image, I forgot how was originally gonna respond. :eek:

Seriously, first two rules:

1) Relax
2) Take a deep breath
3) Don't worry
 
I have DSL now but i used to have dial-up.
A heads up in a Thread title to tell member its "pic heavy" is a good idea.
 
I think the forum is going fine now.

The only thing that sort of bugs me, and Estela mentioned it, is the number of knifemakers who never post much except to pimp their knives.

Now that's not saying that I don't enjoy seeing pics of knives people make. I do.:thumbup:

But it seems to me like this is one of the most busy forums on BF. And there are a lot of knife buyers on this forum. Now there are so many knives being sold that are called "woodsman" or "bushcraft" and half the time I think it's just to appeal to the people on this forum buying knives.;)

Nothing wrong with that mind you, I'm all for free enterprise, but I think it sort of spams up the forum in a way when you have too much of that. Now if some of the knife makers actually posted pics of a single camping trip or a hike or anything woods wise they have done I don't mind so bad, but sometimes it gets downright irritating for me:eek: Especially when there is sort of a "hard sell" going on, and the only time the makers see fit to post is when they are trying to troll up some buyers..
 
Esav Benyamin said:
We just don't want people who aren't part of the conversation to be popping in here with Gallery-style photos and then leaving until the next time they have eye candy for us.
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Right. That's what bugs me. People who don't post any outdoorsy threads or pics other than their blades they are selling.
 
Brian Jones said:
Seriously, first two rules:

1) Relax
2) Take a deep breath
3) Don't worry
Click to expand...

There are three kinds of people in this world; Those who can count, and those who can't. That is all, carry on.

P.S. Oh, and I think the forum is in good shape, but some of these suggestions do strike a chord with me. The product placement and excessive picture quoting to name a few. Other than that, like some bugs once said, "Let it be, let it be..."


Gautier
 
Gautier said:
There are three kinds of people in this world; Those who can count, and those who can't. That is all, carry on.

P.S. Oh, and I think the forum is in good shape, but some of these suggestions do strike a chord with me. The product placement and excessive picture quoting to name a few. Other than that, like some bugs once said, "Let it be, let it be..."


Gautier
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LOL - crap...I edited in the last one and forgot to change the number of rules. :D

Okay, I'll have to leave it now, because I know how much you guys love to play, "Abuse the moderator til he cries.,"....:eek: :D
 
Man, my shoulders are slumped and this thread saddens me. When I started selling my knives I was asked to buy a knifemakers membership or stop posting pics. (I already had thousands of posts at this point.) Then, I was asked to stop posting pics of them with my beloved HI family in the Cantina, which is where I was tought to make knives by Sylvrfalcn, and Steve Ferguson, and Yvsa, and HD. Now I feel like its not appropriate to post pics of my stuff here. I've asked Spark for my own forum, and from now on I'll post my eye candy there. I hope some of you will join me there, and continue to enjoy my knives.

I've never tried to hock any of my wares here, but I apologize if it ever came off this way. I get excited about my knives. I post them here, because I design them for this crowd. I named them Bushcrafter, and Woodsman, because I don't want to use aggressive, or dangerous names for my knives. I asked Brian if it was OK before I ever posted my stuff here. And I had paid for a knifemaker membership long before even asking.

I am an Eagle Scout, and an outdoorsman, but I am also a worker, a knifemaker, a father and a husband. It is very hard for me to fit in outdoors time nowadays. I log on and live vicariously through you guys. I spend what used to be fishing time, and woods time in the shop making knives. Trying to get better at a craft I have passion for. If I have knowledge, or experience, I share it. Man, cut a guy some slack, huh?
 
matthewdanger said:
I agree with all off the suggestions so far.

The one about owning a knife before you recommend it would be nice but I am not sure how it would be enforced. I am also not sure that not owning a knife should preclude you from recommending it if it fits the criteria that someone sets forth.
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I agree with this, I can't own every knife, for every use in the world. For instance, if someone wanted to go collecting mushrooms, and was looking for a knife to do this I would reccomend the Lapin Mushroom Knife. Even though I don't own it, this is a specailty knife the above individual might be unaware of. Also, a friend might own the knife, and you are very familiar with it. You could therefore recommend the knife to others. I would hope people wouldn't give someone a bum steer, just beacause they don't actually own the knife.
 
Fiddleback said:
I've asked Spark for my own forum, and from now on I'll post my eye candy there. I hope some of you will join me there, and continue to enjoy my knives.

I've never tried to hock any of my wares here, but I apologize if it ever came off this way.
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Andy Man, I highly Doubt any of this is implying you. I have seen you post tons of useful things in here that have nothing to do with knives. When you do post your blades, I have never felt you were trying to sell them here, plus its like once a month when you do post your knives.

However, if you do get your own forum, you bet your ass I and a bunch of others will be hanging with you over there as well.
 
Fiddleback said:
Man, my shoulders are slumped and this thread saddens me. When I started selling my knives I was asked to buy a knifemakers membership or stop posting pics. (I already had thousands of posts at this point.) Then, I was asked to stop posting pics of them with my beloved HI family in the Cantina, which is where I was tought to make knives by Sylvrfalcn, and Steve Ferguson, and Yvsa, and HD. Now I feel like its not appropriate to post pics of my stuff here. I've asked Spark for my own forum, and from now on I'll post my eye candy there. I hope some of you will join me there, and continue to enjoy my knives.

I've never tried to hock any of my wares here, but I apologize if it ever came off this way. I get excited about my knives. I post them here, because I design them for this crowd. I named them Bushcrafter, and Woodsman, because I don't want to use aggressive, or dangerous names for my knives. I asked Brian if it was OK before I ever posted my stuff here. And I had paid for a knifemaker membership long before even asking.

I am an Eagle Scout, and an outdoorsman, but I am also a worker, a knifemaker, a father and a husband. It is very hard for me to fit in outdoors time nowadays. I log on and live vicariously through you guys. I spend what used to be fishing time, and woods time in the shop making knives. Trying to get better at a craft I have passion for. If I have knowledge, or experience, I share it. Man, cut a guy some slack, huh?
Click to expand...


Andy, it bummed me out too. The only time I posted knives here is when I was asked to do so by Brian, I never felt like I was trying to sell a bunch of my knives to WS&S. Several of my customers have posted knives here, though. Heck, I even chipped one in for a pass-around..
 
When I first read the remarks about makers hawking their wares here, I was worried that we might end up alienating valued pic-posting, knife-making members of the forum. Looks like my concerns were pretty accurate.

From my perspective, one of the best attributes of this forum is the close connection and communication between makers and users. Sure, it probably translates into some increased sales for the makers - but I don't find this to be the result of underhanded viral marketing so much as it is the result of customers choosing to support makers that share their interests.

Anyway, I hope this gets resolved in such a way that we don't lose this connection and the regular eye candy that it provides us.

And I'm sure that the mods did not intend to alienate our knifemaking regulars.

All the best,

- Mike
 
Hmm, I'm not sure who the maker type pics offended, but it seems the majority here don't mind them at all. The regular makers who post here seem to have a grasp of what is wanted or needed in a field knife and want to show the people who will appreciate them the most. The only offense I take is the pinch the pics may put on my wallet because I want all the blades. I hope there isn't a hard and fast rule applied that stops makers from posting pics here.
 
Ya know for a long time after I joined BF we didn't even have a moderator for this forum. Things went fine. If a thread got out of hand it was resolved by members and rarely would a supermod have to chime in.

I guess I just don't see the reason all of the sudden for more rules.

What is the impetus for this?

If you post a sticky with "rules" it won't get read. Interpretation and enforcement of the "rules" will be hard to do. You cannot deny that paying members and those with long tenure will be able to skirt around the rules more than others.

I say rules = :jerkit:

Guidelines = :thumbup:
 
Mark and Andy - you guys are part of the W&SS family, and you're both good to go no-holds-barred, so post away! You both actively participate here. The idea was just to keep new makers from coming in just to purely try to sell stuff, without participation in other ways.

I actively encouraged both of you to post pix of your knives, and that still holds true. This goes for John/Stomper, too, Scott Gossman, and the others here. You guys all know who you are, and just just keep 'em coming.

An example of what we don't want to repeat is RedScorpion6, who wasn't even a maker, but used every post as an opprtunity to spam us -- the self-serving nature of his participation was obvious. He turned out to be a reseller of knives made cheaply in China.

Does this help explain things a little better?
 
Nostalgia is all very well, but holding a one-sided conversation goes nowhere. Many of the complaints here have been answered more than once already.

Rules, a sticky: so when newbies do show up, we can point them to the guidelines that have made this a great forum. Not to change the rules or make you memorize complex procedures. We're asking YOU what should be included to bring new guys up to speed.

They won't be staked out on a fire ant hill for missing it the first time around.

Some of the "rules" we're subject to aren't W&SS-specific. They are needed to keep Bladeforums operating as well as it does. Knifemakers showing off new designs and current offerings help us see the potential of different knife styles. No one is banning this!

Spammers on the other hand were never welcome.

The forum itself: by the nature of the subject matter is going to be friendlier than many other forums here. That has always worked. To say it worked so well without moderators is nice, but be honest: since Brian returned, business has picked up tremendously.

Which is why we want to organize some of the way we do things for those not yet familiar with the routine.
 
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