I have had the pleasure of meeting a dozen or more members. All have been awesome, genuine, and fun!

I do think you can judge a person on their thoughts and opinions...much better than judging them on their appearance.

I lead a sheltered life and have not met any SigForum members. However, I'm willing to bet that most are real, honest people that I'd be honored to meet.
Although I reserve any judgement on a person until I meet them and interact, as it was mentioned, any like-minded, gun nut would probably be OK in my book!

I've met several members here and have found them all genuine and interesting.

I used to work directly with jaaron11 for a number of years and hated that he moved down range but it was for his dream job.

Stopped by HayesGreener's place a number of years ago for a site replacement on my 226. Good conversation and a place I'm eternally jealous of.

This is one of the last forums where conversation, knowledge, and a willingness to check your ego at the door for the better good is appreciated.

Godspeed to you all.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by SW_Sig:
I always pictured him like in a post here from long ago of him as a camera man/correspondent.

One of my "dead selves" as Tennyson might say.

I don't want to judge anyone by typed words ... I have learned never know what is really going on behind the keyboard. Good. Bad. Indifferent.

BUT ... I have always wondered why we chose the avatars we have whether stock or non-stock versions.

When reading this thread, and thinking about the avatars, I started to chuckle looking at this photo of Para. Here is this strapping young man with dark hair ... then I look at Para's avatar of a majestic eagle ... with white hair.

I have never seen a current pic of Para but I envision this man today with hair like the eagle.

Okay, hope I did not step on my little dick too hard today. But hey, being small, that is a feat in itself.

I do believe that SF posts are solid indicators of the person. There are members who I think we could all agree are genuine, giving, helpful, devoted, selfless, and reliable. Likewise, there are some that might be characterized in other words. Many I would like to meet in person. Some, I would like to understand a bit more, by meeting them.

As I have started yet another hobby, I frequent a large forum with thousands of aficionados. There, unlike here, the partipants are most fond of criticizing, condemning, and complaining. (Dale Carnegie suggested we avoid this.) On any topic. Attacks on a person's intellect, rationality, politics, preferences, and the size and color of the font chosen by the poster are common. Page after page of meaningless diatribe are available, with members bashing members over utterly pointless opinions. As an example, a person was appointed to the board overseeing a commission. Thirteen pages later, I can only surmise that person A despises person B, who disagrees with person C, who is sure that person D is a complete idiot. Page after page, and for what?

In another forum, for another hobby, continuing nonsense is evident. In general, pedantic posturing predominates. I know more than you. My information is better than yours. Again, for what?

So, here, we have an unusual cadre. In general, respect for each other. For the most part, civil discourse. In matters of honor (the classifieds), trustworthiness. Can we judge one another here? Sure. But, of all the forums, this remains the best, and I would counsel that we should judge not ourselves, but celebrate our members.

quote:

Do you think you can judge a person based of their Sigforum participation?

So far, yes.

All of the guys I met intentionally were great. Truly glad I met them and enjoyed doing so.

Two I met accidentally:

met waiting my turn at a gun counter, and heard him mention Sigforum to customer before me. When it was my turn, I introduced myself and Sigforum handle and he proceeded to reply that he wasn’t here for the community but instead only in “Sig Pistols” subforum to obtain knowledge. Became apparent real quick he only acquired knowledge to act like a bigger ass at the gun counter.

one of the very few people on my ignore list showed up to a class. Same in person as in forum. The rest of the people in the class were great.

I think you can get a good feel for a person based on their posts, but you never really know a person unless you meet them in person and spend time with them. I have met several forum members and very much enjoyed my time with them. I have also once flown halfway across the US to stay with a forum member at his house for a group shoot and I never met him previously. He was/is an awesome person and I had a great time.

I guess all I had to go on with anyone I met was their participation on this forum and if I had seen anything negative from any of them then I would not have met with them.

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
I do believe that SF posts are solid indicators of the person. There are members who I think we could all agree are genuine, giving, helpful, devoted, selfless, and reliable. Likewise, there are some that might be characterized in other words.

Reminds me of my Boy Scout law :

“A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent,”

That I still believe in today.

I have met 2 members - that I know of. Both were solid conservative members. If you’ve been on this forum for any length of time, you’ll see many of the dedicated membership apply their vast knowledge. Quite impressive.

I will say this. I believe that if I met anyone from SIGforum that I would get a long with them fairly well.

Now let me say this. I'm kind of an introvert, and I don't care to socialize much. But I open up and can be the life of the party, if the people I'm around are "cool". Well, everyone here seems to fit that description.

There ARE certain people whom I REALLY WANT to meet, that, by their post, and/or actions especially appeal to me, as people that I would like to have a more personal relationship with.

But, I say SIG forum is family. And sometimes, they might get under your skin, but you still care for them, feel their heartache or joy, just like family.

IARman

If I ever have a chance to meet Sigmonkey and he isn't hanging from a tire swing in the yard I'm going to be disappointed....

quote:

Originally posted by Rightwire:
Sigmonkey hanging from a tire swing in the yard ....

Well that's gruesome!

I do believe you can judge a person by their posts. What you say or write is a reflection of your thoughts.

I haven’t met any Sigforum members that I know of, even though I know there are members here in AZ. I now feel a little guilty for not reaching out.

I would like to sit down in a safe place, where I don’t have to drive after, with air soft guy and drink until one of us passes out. I have a feeling I’d shit myself laughing. Funniest mother fucker around these parts

On the extremes... yes.

The folks that come around here and make an ass of themselves right off the start.... sure.

Those that come in and take a hardline position about one "side" or viewpoint and never seem to deviate... probably.

But each of us here are human, and are a collective of our own personal experiences.

I find many of the long term members to be a very different sort in the sense that I may "pigeonhole" them but find myself surprised from time to time about what they say.

Even in a place where everyone SHOULD have similar opinions about some of the most important, or most discussed, topics, there are always surprises. That makes life interesting.

I've met probably more than 10 members in person. Each time, there was absolutely no dead time in the conversation. We found item after item in common. And each and every single one of them had the grace and manners to not dwell on anything we happened to have a difference of opinion about, or in the case of one of them, have a very good, professional, reasonable, and polite academic discussion which we both walked away with more thoughts and ideas than we had going into the night. We agreed to disagree, but I have never had a more enlightening and professional discussion of disagreement with someone than that time.

I’ve hosted many members from all over and every last one I would always welcome into my home.

Hmmm. I do know that I've met one guy many times and didn't even know he was a gun guy. He just collected my toll at the flea market on the weekday they were open.

From that I would venture many more of us have met at gun shows over the years. And had no clue they posted here. One of the best was a member over on the s&w forum, Charlie Sherill. He was a sheriff down in Hattiesburg. And he knew my brother the FBI agent from their time working some cases (had to do with some yankees gettin' killed and planted in earthen dams)

I add that last in because gun guys are all pretty good. Unlike non-gun guys that kill off camera people.

I've not met Para, but would like to. And from the photo, I wonder if that was his Blazer, and where he took it with the decent tires.

quote:

Originally posted by Rightwire:

If I ever have a chance to meet Sigmonkey and he isn't hanging from a tire swing in the yard I'm going to be disappointed....

I have met him, broken bread with him, flown with him. Biggest disappointments are that he keeps his tail concealed inside his pants, and his diet is more diverse than just bananas.

If you think I am an ass here, I'm not much different in person.

Now some contrarian wanker (teasing) is going to say I am not an ass here. Let's meet and I'll prove you wrong.

I have met a number of sig forum guys, I've liked every one of them. I've also introduced a number of people to sigforum.

Some stay some don't. We are not a typical online forum. A lot of people get rubbed the wrong way here.

I put that on them getting away with candy-ass behavior across the net. It doesn't fly here and I can't stand it elsewhere. No matter what forum, internet venue I visit sigforum is the standard I weigh my time against.

Over the last 7 years here in VA I have withdrawn from large groups of people. I don't have the mental patience to put up with boot lickers and yes men.

At the last big gathering, I went to, I met Jesse and a few other forum blokes at. That was the Jan 20th rally in Richmond.