Well said DB Bill.

I've found that when a post gets really long, it's usually guys from the same part of the country trying to figure out if they know each other or a food fight.


Okie John

I to dish out my share of the "fight" but much of it starts with the inability to communicate with the written word. I'm pretty blunt, and mix that with an awful ability to write and you've got the makings of a fire.

I often unwind here after getting home from the office (and am most likely not the only one). Somedays, probably not a good idea, if civility is in order.

On the brite side, the stuff I've learned and the friends I've made here are invaluable.

Chuck

They say, "You can't argue with logic."

This is especially true in an internet thread. It's sad sometimes if you use logic to support your position. Eventually the illogical will feign victory by decaying a thread into name calling, bashing and personal jabs.

I read far more than I post. The culprits are pretty repetitive.

There is still a great deal of knowledge exchanged on this board. There are quite a few very experienced and knowledgeable individuals who frequent here. I read stuff on this board a full year before I joined. Honestly there was a lot more blatant stupidity going on back then.

One thing that appears to me that contributes to this is when two people get into a disagreement that heats up a bit, there usually are some who feel the need to back up one or the other of them many times almost from a sense of loyalty. This can lead to things getting more ugly from my observation. I have no qualms at all having people state their opinions as well as agreements and disagreements but too often it seems the course of the thread wanders and can then get to be more of a cruel nature. I really enjoy reading these threads and don't post a lot, but when I do I try to remember that what I say will be read a long time by others. I truly appreciate others who feel the same way.

I agree with what most of you have said. If nobody disagreed on anything, this forum would be very boring. Yes the trash talk has been nasty at times but I think we are all smart enough to not let it bother us to the point where we lose sleep over it. It's been about two years since I started looking at this forum. I found it while searching for reloading info for my then new 25-06. For quite awhile, I just looked at the posts and absorbed information. I had no interest in posting anything, until one member's comments finally compelled me to respond. That member's name was RMK. 'nuf said there. Then came a fellow named MORTIE, who pissed us all off, but in the end all he did was make us laugh. I kind of miss him (it?).

We all will disagree on different issues. I'll never be a fan of long range hunting or fenced hunts, or outfitters. But maybe, just maybe someday, I'll go to Texas and shoot a hog at 900 yards on a big ranch, with an outfitter. I might enjoy it. Who knows. What I've learned here is that we are all different, and that what I think is wrong might be perfectly normal in your part of the world, which simply makes me ignorant. Many people back east think hunting lions with dogs is evil. That's the norm here. Some people back east/south hunt deer with dogs. That's weird to me, but normal to them. I guess we are different.

Some of the nasty stuff here is actually just as nasty in the real world. If you think the wolf threads on this forum are nasty, it's just as bad or worse among people in wolf country. Hunters are pissed at the state, the state is pissed at the feds, the feds are pissed at the state (wyoming), the ranchers are pissed at the feds and the state, tree huggers are pissed at the state, but love the feds, and the elk are really pissed at wolves. I would be willing to bet that Mike Jimenez (sp?) has recieved a death threat or two over wolves. How sad is that?

I've told many people here to @*#&$^& @** and many have told me the same. Like Kudu and Madgoat said, even though we disagree on things, I bet we would have a great time together in a bar or elk camp.

That's a lot of typing for me without saying the mother fucking "F" word. Oops.

Life's a bitch. So is the internet.
CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG? No, we can't. This isn't the local bluehaired Canasta party. Its real life. You meet folks here who range from total assholes to great people. If you can't seperate the two, you may need to take up knitting.
How's that for a controversial reply?

One of the things that "burns" me the most occurs when posters land on someone without the facts....seems like they get their exercise "jumping to conclusions".

It's out of hand ok.
we all have our personal feelings about things .Game future and religion aside no body is comfortable about where we are as a nation.
The war and all or is it the price we pay for gasoline??? Or it could be the Reality tv that has sucked us up.It also could be be to many of us express our opinions?Human nature ?
Be glad you can!!!!!

quote:

no body is comfortable about where we are as a nation.

___________--

Wrong. I am.

Is it just me....am I missing something?

First off you touched on an answer yourself..The cloak of their sign on names..Theres lots of folk I've met off forum and their way different..Secondly ,you mentioned it started on the africa forum...Right again..Cause the elite who got their money or jobs from old money think its their God given right to urinate on others,,and unfortunately it spread to the wannabee's.

When new folks get on, I think they sometimes are trying to prove themselves. They can't brook a difference of opinion. The tone of every post they make is sarcastic and biting. But after a few combative threads, sometimes they mellow, don't see every thread as a mortal challenge, and they become an asset.

Sometimes, though, they don't. But then they usually go away.

Steve

As has been said:

It's difficult to communicate accross a faceless/inflectionless/emotionless/heartless screen with words.

Posting when fatigued and irratable has always been a major downfall for me!

Posting over the legal limit is another pitfall!

Some of us have been on these forums too long and are becoming crumudgeons as the original fun has worn thin.

FINALLY... LET"S FACE IT... THERE ARE SOME REAL A-HOLES IN CYBERSPACE AND THE GUN/HUNTING WORLD SEEMS TO HAVE MORE THAN ITS SHARE.

A lot of the people that posted to this thread are some of the biggest offenders. I have had my part in it also. What it is sometimes is, most of us feel very strong about the subject and a battle in sues. Right or wrong, that is the way it has been for ever. We are just more vocal about it here.

As far as saying it to someone's face, I sure would and have. Were all grown men and women here, so just get over it and move on. I just figure some are not worth the paper to wipe my ass with. That is just how reality is.

As the population (posters) has grown here the reteroic has gotten courser. I can loose my temper but try and keep my composure. Sometimes it is good to write your post reread it and then delete it - the steam is gone and you can revert to your good side, eh. Or put in another vanacular F*** YOU and the Horse you rode in on.

Personally, I just don't see the point in getting all worked up arguing with someone I don't know and that may not even be who they say they are. Gets my blood pressure up and wastes a bunch of energy for what?...Nothing. I come here to unwind, not get wound up.

I'll debate facts or philosophy, because usually both sides get something out of it. But if someone wants to turn a constructive discussion/debate into fight, they can have it on their own. I'm not here to impress anyone with my mastery of insults, vulgarity, etc, or anything for that matter.

Cheers,
Canuck

As a new member of questionable standing. It seems to me most of the arguments and subsequent nam ecalling center aroung the question of weather or not you can kill a Cape Buffalo with a 45-70.
But not one person , pro or con has stopped to ask the Buffalo which caliber they prefer to be shot with.

quote:

Originally posted by Redhawk1:
A lot of the people that posted to this thread are some of the biggest offenders. I have had my part in it also. What it is sometimes is, most of us feel very strong about the subject and a battle in sues. Right or wrong, that is the way it has been for ever. We are just more vocal about it here.

As far as saying it to someone's face, I sure would and have. Were all grown men and women here, so just get over it and move on. I just figure some are not worth the paper to wipe my ass with. That is just how reality is.

As most have read from my post on non-resident hunting and also Redhawk1 he doesn't think much of me here but as a Moderator on Graybeardoutdoors.com he doesn't dare voice those same words or he or I would be bounced off that site.

I don't mean to pick on Redhawk1 but just to show you some people like Redhawk1 have two sets of rules to play. On Graybeards site I have a log in name but since my dealing with Redhawk1 I also post my name from here so he does know who I am. The owner of graybeard is aware of me and redhawk1 as to the comments.

See Redhawk1 talks about face to face etc but he won't dare do it on the site he moderates. Here we have no control so anyone can say anything but when under control thats different. Tell you the truth I like the Redhawk1 on graybeard alot better than the one here.

quote:

Originally posted by TheBigGuy:
They say, "You can't argue with logic."

This is especially true in an internet thread. It's sad sometimes if you use logic to support your position. Eventually the illogical will feign victory by decaying a thread into name calling, bashing and personal jabs.

I read far more than I post. The culprits are pretty repetitive.

There is still a great deal of knowledge exchanged on this board. There are quite a few very experienced and knowledgeable individuals who frequent here. I read stuff on this board a full year before I joined. Honestly there was a lot more blatant stupidity going on back then.

Good summary.

I've been on the Internet since it's infancy. The pattern you describe is fairly typical. Most forums deteriorate when the posts become more "conversational" than "informational". I think that pattern becomes obvious in lengthy threads. Rarely does the content stay "on topic" as more posts are added. And the thread usually deteriorates into combative personalities and styles.

There are some high volume posters that regularly contribute valuable, on-topic posts........but they're rare. Many would be better served camping out in chat rooms and other "instant gratification" computer media. As mentioned in a previous post, what you post on a forum is akin to making an entry in a journal that is put on a shelf for posterity to read and evaluate. It isn't idle bar room chatter that disappears the next day.

GV

tom holland, you are correct. GB does not put up with it. But there you don't have people baiting you into arguments as you do here.

Now I have been told about my conduct on GB also, Sometimes you can only eat so much shit before you start feeding it back to the ones serving you it.

Topics like these that cause conflicts are stopped dead in there tracks at GB.

I am usually easy going, but here when someone disagrees with someone, the next thing you know all his buddies jump on. So it causes a fight back reaction.

quote:

So it causes a fight back reaction.

Only if you let it.

If you picture in your mind that some of these guys could be a 14 y.o. zit faced kid that is just trying to get your goat, you soon realize that reacting is only humiliating to one person.

And even if it really is an "adult" on the other end, how do you know they are seriously arguing with you and not just poking you with sharp stick and laughing their ass off behind their monitor because they succeeded in making you mad?

I find that a lot of people just take this internet stuff way too seriously, and end up allowing themselves sink to personal lows for no real good reason.

Canuck

Just ignore it and don't get involved in it I reckon.

kudu56, great emoticons!

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:
Too many assholes have joined the site. Their moronic and combative comments put people on guard, and people become prone to snappishness.

Short of wholesale bannings, AR is going to be stuck with them until they tire of their stupid game.

George

There is another big problem...

A while back, there were very few "moderators", and they did little to interfere. Now we have a bunch of them, and a few with attitudes like this.

As I pointed out in another thread a little while back, there used to be ZERO posts in the Moderator forum, and it was like that for a long time. Now there is a bunch of posts (I bet this will get another one going...). Some of the mods have become cliqueish (sp?), and some are a bit heavy-handed and overbearing in their ways.

When you have moderators calling posters assholes and morons, well, what do you expect the attitude to be like around here?

quote:

Originally posted by charger:
First off you touched on an answer yourself..The cloak of their sign on names..Theres lots of folk I've met off forum and their way different..Secondly ,you mentioned it started on the africa forum...Right again..Cause the elite who got their money or jobs from old money think its their God given right to urinate on others,,and unfortunately it spread to the wannabee's.

Actually, you make a damn good point. Not so much on the wannabes, but the people of priviledge who feel that the world is their toilet and that they are allowed to shit on whom they please.
As to the wannabes? They know who they are and have to look in the mirror and say, "I'm great. I'm not a loser. Everybody loves me, be cause I'm great. I'm not a loser."
Paul B.