I have been a member here for a bit over ten years. I have seen many disagreements, I have been one of the disagreeing parties more than once, but I do not recall the name calling, cursing, and lack of respect for other members, that I have been seeing recently.

What’s going on, people? Can we not disagree, using a bit of old-fashioned courtesy?

Anonymity. People say things they might not say or at least tone down in person. We are all guilty to some degree but the Internet makes the range mighty big.

On the flip side, because of my job, you never hear me go too political or religious on the Internet. In person, I judge my audience and go from there.

My tolerance from asshattery on this forum is perhaps wider than yours. I try to not say anything that would make a lifelong enemy. However if someone says something stupid calling it out is reasonable. I’ve said stupid stuff and got called out and rightfully so. I just started a thread today where that happened. My first position was indefensible and stupid. I was told so. I had to agree and redefine my angst to what really bothered me. Scamming me out of money I didn’t need to spend. Most guys still disagree, some with harsher words than others. Who cares? I asked for opinions. Maybe I should have asked for nicer opinions. Lol

Anonymity, I'm not so sure that is the case. Bravado maybe?

How else can you explain when somebody you know personally goes off the deep end over a post you made on FB with remarks you know would never be said to your face?

I think anonymity is part of it, but I do know in talking face to face with friends that a lot of people are stressed over the upcoming election. The stakes are as high as ever. And obviously here we are 2A supporters so there’s always the tension knowing it is always being attacked from traitors.

As for people acting douchey on forums, I’ve recently realized what an effective tool the ignore list is. I’m not going to waste my time reading posts from people who’s M.O. is to be mostly douchey and/or negative or quick to attack other people. People have differing opinions. If we were all the same life would be boring.

AW...your mother wears army boots!

It's the violent video games and loud rock n roll music.

Yowsa. Just came across one like that. Tiptoeing away...

You're one to talk. I asked you a question about whether you could park your car inside your airplane hangar and you've been shitting all over my posts ever since.

quote:

Originally posted by TomS:
AW...your mother wears army boots!

Wrong. It's yo mama wears combat boots. Get it right next time heah?

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:

You're one to talk. I asked you a question about whether you could park your car inside your airplane hangar and you've been shitting all over my posts ever since.

Really? All your posts? Please show me.

quote:

Originally posted by Ryanp225:
It's the violent video games and loud rock n roll music.

And that satanic Dungeons and Dragons too!

quote:

Originally posted by RogB:

quote:

Originally posted by TomS:
AW...your mother wears army boots!

Wrong. It's yo mama wears combat boots.

And swims out to meet the troop ships.

In a similar thread I commented that it seems to go through phases around here and at the moment we’re in a fighting/arguing phase. *shrug*

This thread about rancor has rancor. I think we should caucus about rancor.

quote:

Originally posted by RogB:

quote:

Originally posted by TomS:
AW...your mother wears army boots!

Wrong. It's yo mama wears combat boots. Get it right next time heah?

And your father smells of elderberries!

OK, enough with blowing things out of proportion. For some reason, this seems to be the prevailing opinion in this forum these days. Very popular to start these kinds of topics, assessing what ails SIGforum.

I want you guys to quit behaving as if there's suddenly something wrong in this forum and I want you you to refrain from starting threads like this. Quit jumping on the bandwagon and behaving as if this forum never had members argue in the past, never had longterm feuds between members in the past. This forum was never a peaceful, harmonious commune, where members were perfectly respectful of one another. Nostalgia is all that is. Nothing but nostalgia. There have always been and shall always be conflicts in internet discussion forums.

Time and again, members comment that we're a cut above the rest, and when I turn around, someone is lamenting how far we've fallen. Which is it? Are we exceptional, or do we suck as badly as everyone else? If the former, hoorah, and if the latter, well, we're only human, aren't we?

You guys really don't want an admin that's going to jump on anything that anyone says out of line. Usually, I give members a chance to work out their differences, and often, this works fine. Usually, I jump in only when it's apparent that there will be no resolution in a given instance. Do you want to be treated s adults? Or do you want to be treated as kindergartners, whose every move is observed and policed? Who wants go have the boss in their shit all of the time? I can do that, y'know. You wouldn't want it. Neither would I.

I treat you guys like adults. The rest is up to you.

There will be conflicts in this forum and that's all there is to it.

If you want to do something to improve the tenor of the forum, then don't participate in any squabbles, and that includes jumping in to comment on the squabbling. If you see a problem, report it to me, using the report-this-post feature which is displayed in the lower right hand corner of each post.

Whether you take these suggestions or not is up to you, but I don't want to see any more threads like this.

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