Internet Discussion Life Cycle

[waksupi]

Well, I sure hope you all enjoy wherever you are headed. The board isn't going anywhere. The gloom and doom people won't be missed if they leave.

[white eagle]

Well, I sure hope you all enjoy wherever you are headed. The board isn't going anywhere. The gloom and doom people won't be missed if they leave.

hopefully the clowns and jokers go rite along with them

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Well I have only been around here for a few months, and I don't really see what all the hub bub is. But, I don't visit every forum all the time, so I may miss a lot. My experience is that this has been a great place to visit, and to learn from. Thank you to all who make this happen.
As far as the rest of this, maybe a forum for Argument Central?

[smoked turkey]

Hummmm..Lots of room for thought here. I say "thought" because we don't always have to turn our first thoughts into written words, and probably shouldn't. Most of the time I see patient thoughtful answers to questions. Not always but most of the time. The old adage is true that a bad apple can ruin the whole bunch if not dealt with early on. Obviously most of us feel deeply connected to this site and want it to continue to thrive and continue to fill the nitch that each of us need to enjoy our hobby to the fullest. I say hobby because for most on here it is just that, a hobby. We take outselves too seriously sometimes.

[Smoke-um if you got-um]

Well, I sure hope you all enjoy wherever you are headed. The board isn't going anywhere. The gloom and doom people won't be missed if they leave.

Mike

[Jim]

..... we don't always have to turn our first thoughts into written words, and probably shouldn't......

You got that right! I can't count the times I've started a response and voided it before I posted it. There's been times I went back and deleted a response later because I realized after the fact that I shouldn't have said what I did. I did that at late as this very thread.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I am too hopeful to do anymore than read this thread.
and comment that I am hopeful.
Jon

[Char-Gar]

No gloom and doom here. Just an attempt to help folks think about how things in this world cycle and with that understanding cycles can be broken.

It is also important that folks be able to express their thoughts and feelings without being judged, criticized or shown the door. Such behavior is very negative and makes the problem worse and not better. Rejection does not a community build! Rejection destroys a community!

Those who wish positive thoughts and behavior of others, must be willing the model the same. Heat begets heat and light begets light!

[MT Gianni]

The model described is not a certainty. It can happen if we chose to let it but we need not do so, nor are we IMO.

[462]

44man said, "Most sites fail because there is a "leader" and followers."

Chargar said, "It is also important that folks be able to express their thoughts and feelings without being judged, criticized or shown the door."

I've only ever belonged to one other forum, but left because of an egotistical, I'm-always-right "leader". If a member didn't agree with the "leader" they were pubicly ridiculed and/or excommunicated. The forum was definitely in the fifth stage, when I left, and have no idea as to its current status.

We will not always agree, but as long as members obeys the forum's rules, there is no cause to 86 them.

[Stick_man]

This is interesting. I happen to believe (if we have to use the scale that was presented) that this site is VERY stuck at about a 3.2 or 3.3 There are some moments when the forum tests the waters at a 4 or even at a 5, but I believe we are pretty well rooted at the low 3's. This is still the greatest site I have found, with the best members, and the best and deepest knowledge available anywhere. We are a family here. When one of us is in a bad way, we pitch in and help make things better. Siblings squabble from time to time, but they get over it. The neighbors change from time to time, some great ones move in, some great ones move out. Some "not so great" ones come and go as well.

I believe this family of ours has great leadership. Note I said "leadership" and not "dictatorship". As parents, we set down rules to keep order in our homes. The rules here are good, although you can't always please everybody. Some people balk at any rules. Others thrive.

Yep, I think we have made it into the 3's, but hope that is where we stay for a long while. This is a great place and we appear to have a boon in new membership. There have been a few troublemakers come and go, but they have been very few and don't last too long if they can't see their actions getting the desired rise out of others.

Thanks all my brothers and sisters for being who you are and for making this family what it is today.

[Lloyd Smale]

This is still a good board. Do i wish it was back a couple years ago when it was just good old boys and questions like can you shoot a gas checked bullet without a gas check or do bullets bump up didnt come up weekly by new members. You bet but it aint going to happen and i except that because i know that this is still the best dammed internet fourm ive ever found.

[Andy_P]

How do you define "success"? If it's longevity, then there are many, but if it's growth and longevity, then there are few. What seems to kill most boards are the trolls and internet bullies who ruin it, and the exhaustion, frustration and financial burden borne by the few who do all the work.

If you look at the very few successful boards, e.g. here, and Gunboards, you'll notice a common theme: consistent moderators; a strong focus (little time devoted to "Off Topic" stuff); and either sponsors and/or a method to financially support the operations. This will tick off those who think they have the "right" to speak their mind unfettered; are expert in all things (and need to have the last word); and can't spare five bucks to support the operations. That ilk tends to be culled in short order or leave in a huff (sometimes only to return with a new name).

This site has it right.

[Bret4207]

I'm with Lloyd. Things have changed, not that things are bad, but the family atmosphere we used to have is long gone, at least IMO. It used to be friends here and friends can argue and disagree and hash it out and then everything is fine. So now, for myself anyway, I visit 3-4 areas and read and shake my head and leave mostly.

Someone mentioned some people not being able to express their thoughts without coming off as rude or something, Buck I think. Lotta truth in that. We've had a lot of blood let over peoples inability to state something in terms that aren't simply offensive. It takes time to learn that some folks just aren't handy with words. One gone member was famous for this, the old timers will know you I mean- " You don't know squat and you're doing it all wrong. I get ragged one hole groups at 5000 yards using my method at 4000 fps you bonehead. Best wishes, your pal XXX". It took years to figure out he really didn't mean to come across like he did. He really did want to be your pal, he just had the worst way of stating things. Gotta cut folks some slack sometimes.

Chargar brought up another issue- "It is also important that folks be able to express their thoughts and feelings without being judged, criticized or shown the door." There is a member here who gets his nose bent and leaves every so often. He's a Democrat, an old style Truman Dem. He get's offended when challenged. While I agree with Charles that people should be able to say what they think without fear, it's unreasonable to think that when a grown man expresses an opinion that goes contrary to someone elses that it will go unchallenged. When you add emotional issues like abortion, spending, Obamacare, the looming collapse of our nation, well, things are going to get lively. And lets face it, most of the posters here are pretty much in lock step in that they lean to the right. We are all gun owners, gun rights are important and a political issue. You simply cannot separate politics from shooting anymore. So if someone is vocal in their support of the other side, isn't it logical that someone may disagree? I guess I'm saying sometimes people brings it on themselves. Myself, I'm too stubborn to leave, others may feel differently.

I've only come across maybe a half dozens people here since the days of Shooters that I had no use for. One was simply a thief that took a lot of people for funds on a GB. Another was....well, if you can't say anything nice, etc. While this place may not be like "in the good old days" it's still the best. I don't think it's dying. I just think it's different. I can live with that.

[para45lda]

I agree with mpbarry1. I've been lurking for a long time then joined and I have learned as much in these short months as the last 30years of reloading. I've seen a few threads go sideways lately (diehard's example is above).

I really wish every member would read this thread and take it to heart. WE ARE ALL FRIENDS

I nominate this thread for a sticky.

[Jim]

Well said, Bret.

[Char-Gar]

I like the positive stuff I am hearing. It should encourage us all.

[curiousgeorge]

I want to echo Jim, "Well said Bret".

Things change, not always for the better or for the worse, just different. I found this site about 2 years ago. This is the only place that I know of that has the in-depth knowledge on casting and loading for lead boolits. The knowledge is freely shared, and for the most part is stated that what worked for that person might not work for you, not that their way is the ONLY way.

I see this place continuing to grow and like every community, as the numbers increase everyone isn't going to be "pals" with everyone else. But I bet that we have all met someone or several someones that we eventually can call our friends and would have never known them at all if not for this site.

It still amazes me to see a new reloader successfully doing something the "wrong" way and forcing me to re-think the "right" way that I thought was the "only" way. We can still learn something from everyone regardless of their level of experience, even if only to reinforce the right ways by helping to teach them to a newbie.

Again, Bret, glad to have you back and posting.

Steve

[Dean D.]

There are some good ideas and points here in this thread. That list Chargar posted can serve as a warning or guideline on what NOT to do in order to keep our little community from changing in a bad way.

What attracted me to this website and made me want to stay was the strong sense of community, willingness to help others and civility. Those are rare qualities on most forums now days. I still see that here every day. Faces change, lots of them new, but the core group that keeps this site going still have the same values and attitudes about this community as they did when I first came here. Right on!

We all just need to do our own little part to keep this community the great place it has always been. I honestly do not see our staff doing any major censoring except for profanity or personal attacks/name calling, etc... Everyone deserves the right to be able to express opposing views, heck, that's how we learn! As long as it is done in a civil manner I see no problem.

Just my .02 as the Jr. Mod. here.

[Johnk454]

I've visited off and on for a long time. Joined at one point, yet forgot my sign-on and password over time. Signed up again recently to get in on a group buy for a Miha 4-cav. Very few posts, obviously, and claim no knowledge of this board's workings and/or social structure.

However, that list does accurately represent the fate of quite a few boards that I have been a part of for many years - but hopefully it is not a guaranteed fate; perhaps it best serves as a cautionary tale.