Your help is needed

L

littleknife

Joined
Nov 29, 2000
Messages
1,926
First of all Happy New Year to you all!

I would like to ask your help regarding keeping this Forum the friendly, interesting and vibrant place it has been most of the time.
I don’t frequent many forums, but regularly check this forum, not only because of the subject but also its laid back, friendly and civil nature (I also enjoy the Himalayan Import Forum and the Traditional Knife Forum on BF for the same reason).

Time to time our community is joined by trolls or people with huge egos who seek instant online recognition (“fame”). So far the community here has managed to deal with these people more or less efficiently and prevented the Forum turning into a nasty playground for unsavory characters. Even so, in the process we lost a few valuable members, like Ernest DuBois, who were stung deeply by some comments and left our forum, to the loss of us all. :(
We are lucky that Old Axeman decided to stay, despite some unsavory posts he was exposed to.

I also value this Forum, because of the great variety of perspectives and the vast and sometimes contradictory knowledge and experience members bring to it.
I also like, that the opinions, knowledge and experiences are frequently questioned, as it should be, if we want a true discussion going on from which we can learn new things.
I myself don’t agree with some things posted here. But it could be, that I am wrong, and the person with the opposing views is right, as it frequently happens in life.
I have learnt a lot from debates between members with opposing views, and that would have not happened if one of the members would have left early in the debate because of feeling personally attacked. I have not only learnt new facts, but have re-evaluated or given up some of my previous convictions as a result of such debates.
I like true, and even passionate debates.
What I definitely don’t like is rudeness and personal attacks.
Views and opinions can be questioned without being rude, while valuable insights can be learned by many of us while following a debate between members who disagree with each other.

Please, help keep this Forum the civil yet vibrant place it has been most of the time so far.
Happy New Year!
 
Thanks laddy and Happy New Year to you too! When you attend to or sit in a room full of real living breathing people it's much easier to appraise and acknowledge (or dismiss) flakes, attention getters and pretend know-it- alls. Online everyone (unfortunately) is an equal and consequently it's much harder to separate the wheat from the chaff. Flared tempers and simmering emotions are not easy to read/interpret within electronic printed words. Internet forums are a relatively new medium and most on here are, and have been, accommodating of this. But yes, we have to be vigilant and try our best to accommodate everyone.
 
I don't mean any disrespect to anyone, but if it is me you are referring to in regards to Old Axeman, you need to reread his posts to see just who attacked who...
 
quinton said:
I don't mean any disrespect to anyone, but if it is me you are referring to in regards to Old Axeman, you need to reread his posts to see just who attacked who...
Click to expand...

I've been flamed on here often enough too. It requires patience and practice to learn how to 'bite your tongue'. The situation of which you speak, luckily enough, was defused and the both of you are still on here, and valuable contributors. So I count my blessings. Happy New Year quinton.
 
I will comment since I am being discussed. I am slowly learning about this internet forum thing. And there are what you called trolls on here who attack without cause. Quinton is not one of them in my opinion. My bigest problem, as I see it, is that you know about me and who I am. And yet, I dont know a thing about any of you.
For the trolls--I never got the hang of that turn the other cheek thing!

Happy New Year to serious axemen and the new axemen just starting out with mans first, and still most important tool.
 
That is a good point Old Axeman. We're all glad you're around because of who you are though, too.

I don't believe I've been in any sort of e-conflicts on here, but I do think I can speak from the perspective of one of the (probably) youngest member in this area of the forum. I grew up using the Internet, and for myself and many other young folks who were kids playing games and chatting with strangers in a competitive way, there was never a default of respect for others as there would be in person, add to that the fact that there's no way to see age and most of the people I've interacted with were probably around my age. I try to be respectful on here, but I know I still don't come across as respectful as I would in person, especially when speaking to those more than twice my age (I'm only 24), where normally in the real world I'd just shut my damn mouth and listen. There could be a benefit in some sense to this. Maybe where decorum has been a bit lacking, new ideas and questions have more easily been shared. I myself will strive to be more respectful and receptive. We don't need to lose any more contributors. I have a hard time imagining where my knowledge would be without this forum and so many of the knowledgable members who have taken their precious time to write lengthy, detailed posts on topics I'd have a tough time finding information on, let alone even realizing I needed to know about.
 
A roomful of men and a urinating competition breaks out, nothing new there!! LOL!

I grew up in an old style gunshop- a teenager surrounded by Korean and Vietnam vets. Raised on a 4th generation farm by my grandparents. I have had my ears boxed by seniors for touting my new found opinions enough I feel like Dinozzo- my day ain't complete without at least one head slap.

About the time our nievity and testosterone begin to drop, our hearing dulls and our heads harden so we are not much into new discoveries. I a 49- full of fond memories(likley gilded by time), a little useful knowledge, alot of opinion and few hopes.

One thing I have learned if you read my sig., no one wins an internet dispute and it really does no one any good.

Keep is civil but above all else, keep it in perspective.

Bill
 
quinton said:
I don't mean any disrespect to anyone, but if it is me you are referring to in regards to Old Axeman, you need to reread his posts to see just who attacked who...
Click to expand...

Quinton, When I talked about unsavory characters and trolls, I definitely did not refer or even think about you.
As for unsavory posts, in retrospect and according to my subjective judgement, I am guilty of quite a few of those too. Hopefully, this does not automatically make me a troll or an unsavory character.
As a great irony of the situation, I might have come across rude myself. I did not mean to, but I might have. If I did, please forgive me.
I greatly value your contribution to this forum too.
 
There is always going to be a bit of contention on forums of any venue. This sub forum is pretty calm compared to other sub forums. I haven't noticed anything untoward here but I may have missed it.
 
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