Quote:
Originally Posted by ezman604
When the chat first opened up it WAS a free for all zone. Gene and I were and are still on the same page with the forum and chat. Why else would he and Bob ask me to take it over. Hmmm....
Gene agreed that chat needed to be tweaked and even suggested we might do away with it. But he agreed to a few tweaks instead. Like setting an age requirement and not allowing improper content. After all, it IS an extension of the forum and our principles. It represents the forum and it's members.
Management anywhere will always be looked upon as "power mongers" by disruptive folks. Or those that just do not agree with policy.
That's fine, like I said, everyone is welcome to an opinion. Even the uninformed.
GTA has a foundation built by Gene Curtis and I had his blessing to take his dream and build on it. He agreed with everything we did, we adjusted things together as a team. With almost 14,000 registered members, whatever we do will not please everyone. We do the best we can....but again, most have no clue what that takes. Nor do they care.
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I see you are as arrogant, insulting, hypocritical, and self righteous as usual.
After my experience on GTA, and watching a how few conversations went that I was just reading I wasn't going to join another airgun forum. However, my opinion is you have no business on any airgun forum except GTA. There is a difference between conversation between people about topics they may sometimes get heated about with reasonable rules, and bullying and censorship for the sake of making your own job easier or tilting the truth.
I have run a forum before. Not as big as the one you run, but with a couple thousand members. I do understand how hard it can be. However there is an undercurrent on GTA of towing the line that is not present on many other forums. Forums bigger and more successful than yours. Ones that bring in more money than GTA as well. Forums that do not violate the law. Even many that are biased are atleast honest about it.
FYI: For anybody else reading this. Make no mistake. GTA brings in a few thousand a month. Well it did several years ago. It may bring in more now.
I am not here to debate. I am stating my opinion as somebody who has read GTA for many years. As somebody who has read many forums and operated one. As somebody who has been online since ARPANET. As somebody who ran a multi-line BBS before the net was available to the GP. My opinion is based on observation. I have nothing to gain and nothing to lose by making this post. You however might have something to gain, not by trying to argue with or control a faceless nameless everyman, but by hearing the message and understanding. By realizing that censorship of "offensive" language and censorship of ideas are two different things. By realizing that by refusing to answer or allow others to answer uncomfortable questions you reveal weakness and ignorance. If you bury them quickly only a few will know, but they will know. Every time you do it more know. Everyman will know.
Everyman is always here to see what you say and do. Sometimes everyman takes action and sometimes everyman just watches and learns, but everyman is always there to see unless you live in a cave, never come out, and bar the door behind you. Then everyman will just dismiss you as irrelevant.
Are you going to try to argue with everyman? Pointless. You will never convince everyman that the truth isn't the truth. Are you going to try to censor everyman? Well, then you should have a blog instead of a forum. Are you going to try and bully and threaten and kick out everyman? Everyman has the might of the world.
I joined this forum for the sole purpose of pointing out that you belong only one place. Behind the walls of your citadel at GTA. Gene was not a saint, but he did better understand the position of everyman than you do. He was arrogant sometimes, but nothing like you are. He didn't quit because he thought you were better than him. He quit because he was old and sick and dying and of the evils available he thought there was a chance you might be the least evil. Take a little extra effort to honor him and and try to do a better job of proving him right.
I respect the difficulty of the job. I do not respect you personally. Don't confuse the two. You are not sick and dying (well, no more sick and dying than everyman) ,so you still have a chance to earn the respect of everyman through positive action instead of obedience thru censorship and punishment.
You may think that you have success because you have a level of "personal safety" by refusing to allow everyman to ask questions and discuss ideas, but you lose a lot as well. Not everyman will offer his opinions, and his skills, and his knowledge, and his experience because of it. Not everyman just wants to join to be part of a group. Everyman has something to contribute, but you refuse to allow everyman to do so. Make no mistake. Everyman sees that you do not just censor foul language.
I am Everyman, and I do read what is said on GTA from time to time, but I never contribute on GTA. You are the one to blame. Everyman has something to contribute, and everyman has a lot to contribute and cause growth, not just of your fiefdom but of the sport as a whole.
I am Everyman, but you could choose to be the better man. So far you have not.
Grumpy, Sorry for joining your forum just to raise heat. If you must remove this account I understand, but please atleast do not remove my message. If you leave my account now that I have one I may participate from time to time.