With utmost respect

[Annie]

I know I do not post as often as I did but do look in at times. Some people got butt hurt, some like me got bored with some of the stuff going on. I know a few I thought of as friends left. Personally I am just watching to see if this place lives or dies.

Hey YOU!! I've been looking all over the place for you!! Check your PMs ...

Yep it's changed. Some of that change is good, some not so good. Every time one of these forums fractures it lessens them all. I go to 4 different forums to keep up with friends I made here.

Learned one very valuable lesson in my time on these things -- I prefer to do most of my visiting through PMs now. I'm sure there are lots of guys out there who are glad because they don't really like it when a woman turns out to be strong, independent and not in needing of saving by a big, strong fella like them. Lol

I used to post mostly in the competition forums because I competed and that's where my buddies were. Then I stopped competing and though my buddies still posted there and I enjoyed their successes (and laughed at their goof-ups with them) I didn't feel comfortable commenting on gun set-ups, ammo and stage development because I hadn't been there at the matches to see what was going on.

Kinda gravitated to General Discussion and hung out there. Now, like I said, because my buddies are scattered over 4 different forums, I just check my PMs, post if I think I have something helpful (like in the dog threads), log off and go on about my life. I'm MUCH better off for it. There are too many ******* in the world. Some folks would tell you I am one of them. And, because I know how I burn bridges once I've decided I've put up with enough of the stupid, I can proudly say they are right.

 

[okierider]

Nemesis I would argue that the target audience is gun enthusiasts. Not conservatives, that would be a political forum.
Having said that, if someone is ridiculing you for your religious views, that all goes back to respect for others beliefs. Unfortunately most people are unable to live and let live, they spend way too much time trying to shove their beliefs down someone else's throat.

 

[donner]

Nemesis I would argue that the target audience is gun enthusiasts. Not conservatives, that would be a political forum.
Having said that, if someone is ridiculing you for your religious views, that all goes back to respect for others beliefs. Unfortunately most people are unable to live and let live, they spend way too much time trying to shove their beliefs down someone else's throat.

The early years were never about the politics of the members, or even their religion. There were discussions, and disagreements, but it was about a community brought together around shooting. In many ways it was a far more respectful place because people knew each other and could separate how they felt about the person from how they felt about an issue. Doesn't seem to be the case any more, sadly.

Shooting should, and does, draw from many different demographics. Having a place where everyone has the same views, faith, etc would be terribly boring, in my opinion. For many years this was a place where a person's political views didn't mean much if they were part of the community. Now there is an attempt to run off people who don't march in lockstep.

A lot of this all started to change when Obama got elected. In many ways it mirrored the polarization of society.

I've seen many people come and go. Some lost interest, others were driving off, some banned (and banned, and banned again). Many good people are still here, and as was said, it will continue to be the place that we make it. But gone are the days of threads about local news anchors floating the river, coffee tables vs vacuum cleaners, Godzilla gun mods and members who CCed a ball and cap revolver.

 

[rawhide]

I came here after reviving my interest in shooting about a decade ago. This forum was a great resource and has been a source of great pleasure that cost me a lot of money. Unfortunately many of the great sources of firearms information are gone and left behind a lot of experts on "other" things that spend a lot of time trying to one up each other in intellectual pissing contests.

I still frequently check in I think mostly out of habit, but spend more time on other forums.

 

[mightymouse]

There are plenty of good people on here, and for the rest I make liberal use of the "Ignore" function.

 

[Shootin 4 Fun]

you should consider breaking that down into two separate sentences.

Crap. Can you mark it up with a red pen and PM it back to me.

 

[Shootin 4 Fun]

For those complaining that there are members who have different political views, I find it sad that we cannot tolerate one another. It's almost as if we're ALL unreasonable and unforgiving. I'm not sure that the Big Guy and J.C. wanted us to behave this way toward one another.

 

[mightymouse]

I'm not "unreasonable and unforgiving". Just opinionated and vindictive. Doesn't make me bad....

 

[mouthpiece]

For those complaining that there are members who have different political views, I find it sad that we cannot tolerate one another. It's almost as if we're ALL unreasonable and unforgiving. I'm not sure that the Big Guy and J.C. wanted us to behave this way toward one another.

WWJD?
Would he ban someone for quoting another poster or ban someone for posting a helpful idea?
Hard to Tolerate one that only allows conversation if it only agrees with their viewpoint.
Not you s4f, but when the owners allow mods to be so myopic and dismissive of differing viewpoints,
It tends to pare down posters pretty quick.

 

[Annie]

I'm not "unreasonable and unforgiving". Just opinionated and vindictive. Doesn't make me bad....

Ha!! Sounds vaguely familiar.