Actually- one more post before Cougar gets upset that I dare take the same tone with him as he did with me - BEFORE trying to be courteous.
Enough of you know me to know that I have been on boards off and on since 1996 and before that on the newsgroups - and before that on BBSs in California.
For years I've seen people interact with each other in ways that are completely unlike they would if they were having a face to face. If Cougar had seen me at a knife show asking what I might get for a blade or asking a dressing question like this thread (see original post paraphrased below), he would have just asked if I was trying to sell it. Because it's so much easier to push the SPAM button as he calls it instead of asking questions, it's become the exception rather than the rule to find courtesy online. People simply find it easier to be rude - not everyone, and I appreciate the honest answers I got to my question and it really helped. In general, however, one finds that those who have some measure of control online (some mods, bloggers, Matt Drudge) feel that they can and should use it to push people that they don't like. This is not a way to build a community and it's what makes the internet such an unfriendly place for some people. My wife, for instance, showed me a thread where a mod had banned a user on a motherhood board for suggesting that breastfeeding in public might upset other people. Ick.
As my account will likely be gone before I even wake up, I'll just say thanks to those who helped me out on this board before this idiocy. Sorry to those who are reading this drivel instead of learning more about the knives we love. Finally - Too bad. Honestly too bad to the community that has gotten to the point where being given "the benefit of the doubt" includes a free helping of personal insult. There was no need to tell me you're doing me a favor yet call me a complete idiot. Bad form there.
Original post was explaining in detail the nicks on my nkonka knife and asking if I should send it back to CRK to have the lanyards replaced - I had cut them off when I got the knife. I was asking so as to determine if the lack of the lanyards would seriously impact the value of the knife.
Four members decided I wasn't spamming and offered help - people that subsequently did NOT get PMs from me offering a quick sale. Obviously other people, likely tired of seeing so much real spam and mis-evaluating mine reflexively, decided I was spamming.
(edit to fix spelling)
