Descending to AR15.com status

[LittleLebowski]

When the forum started it was mostly people posting under their real name and you were usually "2nd cousins" at a minimum. If you werent actual friends you were at least classmates or a classmate of a classmate. The fact that there was a really good chance that paths would cross and you would be face to face someday was pretty good derp repellent.
The forum has grown beyond that and it'll just have to adapt.

Agreed very strongly.

[JV_]

JV- not sure I could even dig anything up, it's more of a subtle thing- just a feeling that "Damn, I'd get banned for that." Probably comes from there being a core group here that actually knows each other in real life so you can read each others intentions better. And that's fine.
I only mentioned it to point out that I can see where someone would get that idea.
Carry on :-)

I understand. Having personal friendships with folks outside of the forum can yield different interactions online.

[jetfire]

When the forum started it was mostly people posting under their real name and you were usually "2nd cousins" at a minimum. If you werent actual friends you were at least classmates or a classmate of a classmate. The fact that there was a really good chance that paths would cross and you would be face to face someday was pretty good derp repellent.
The forum has grown beyond that and it'll just have to adapt.
Requiring some version of your real name as your username (PERSEC respected where justified) might be a good start.

Actually, this is a pretty good point. I don't know Jody personally, but I know he can probably shoot to a decent level because he's taken a class from Todd and his name's on the FAST wall. That sort of connection in the early days of the forum meant that knowledge was shared on a pretty equitable level, because most of the posters were able to pretty easily figure out from hard numbers if someone knew their poop on the actual shooting side of things.

[DocGKR]

FWIW, Pat Rogers has never said anything to me or other folks at his classes regarding our muzzle-up loading.

About Sean M

Biography:
22+ years LE and Mil SOF experience.

10 Combat deployments to:

Somalia (2)
Afghanistan (3)
Iraq (4)
Libya

Other assignments during my extensive "down time" have been:

Hand picked by two MAJCOM (Major Command) Commanders to be the current "Close Quarters Combat & Urban Combat Intructor" for an East Coast Special Operations Command.

Previously the "Tactical Shooting Instructor" for same organization.

Led 25 SOF Snipers during Counter-Sniper/Counter IED operations in Sadr City, Iraq 2008. (Yeah, the same one so eloquently put into print in "American Sniper")

Two years as the primary Combat Systems Officer for RDT&E (Research, Development, Testing, & Evaluation) during procurement of the SCAR weapons system, the NSW Precision Sniper Rifle System, and 3 new suppressors for current isse SOPMOD weapons (Navy SEALs & SWCC, USA SF & Rangers, USAF CCT & PJs, and even MARSOC). Still sought out by the Weapons Signature Reduction and SCAR program offices at US SOCOM and NSWC-Crane for Subject Matter Expert advice on modifications, additions, or replacement equipment; still actively participating in all testing events.If want to or not.

Location:
VA/MS/KY/IN

Interests:
Not giving any fucks

Occupation:
Mil

[Erik]

Look as much as I want to argue about this, I think it is a losing proposition and I am not going to get heard. Clearly, I am in the wrong.

Personally, I agree with you on this one. I appreciate the effort to vet SME's. I don't automatically assume it's been done well. And even though someone is an honest to G-d SME, I don't automatically assume they are expert in everything they have an opinion on. Nothing personal with respect to either the mods or the SME's.

[orionz06]

When the forum started it was mostly people posting under their real name and you were usually "2nd cousins" at a minimum. If you werent actual friends you were at least classmates or a classmate of a classmate. The fact that there was a really good chance that paths would cross and you would be face to face someday was pretty good derp repellent.
The forum has grown beyond that and it'll just have to adapt.
Requiring some version of your real name as your username (PERSEC respected where justified) might be a good start.

I would have done that but then it would mean in one place I am one name and somewhere else another. I chose consistency. I am searchable across all forums without name games happening.

[BWT]

FWIW, Pat Rogers has never said anything to me or other folks at his classes regarding our muzzle-up loading.

His interests explain so much about the guy. I felt like I had a deeper understanding after the collage he posted. (Good natured humor intended)

ETA: I try to pay respect to SME's words. Just my opinion.

I think if Nyeti was given SME, you'd see a different shade of nyeti. Instead of a scalded dog, you might see someone that feels included.

Despite his desires, I think he deserves it. I've found dealing with the harshest personalities, kindness promotes kindness. Their good nature will surface eventually.

I also got a Customer Facing award in my company last year and bonus for it last year; not by my boss either.

That approach has worked well for me, it invites people to be able to improve there behavior.

As a Christian though there is a balance. Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 3:3.

I heard a pastor sum it up best. Absolute truth is barbarity and absolute love is hypocracy.

You need both when dealing with people.

[PPGMD]

Requiring some version of your real name as your username (PERSEC respected where justified) might be a good start.

I disagree.

For some of us shooting isn't our life, and in our career paths our names get Googled quite often. Competition shooting I can write off very easily as a sport, but when we are talking about carry techniques and such it can turn people off pretty quickly.

Granted I do treat my posts being the fact that I often see people offline like at matches or classes. So even if I think someone is a douche-o-potamus I typically keep that to myself.

[Savage Hands]

IMO, I don't think P-F is going downhill but rather dealing with the typical growing pains of a forum. Derpy stuff is going to happen on any forum, and reinforcing a particular member or SME’s post via rating system or "likes" is a way for people that are "not in the know" to understand the post is a recommend view on this site. Moderation is fair on this site IMO, replacing curse words with kitten annoys the shit out of me but whatever, a vetted LE/mil forum for those who provide credentials and are allowed to post with a read only option for everyone else may be a solution and like Doc's area I think great information needs to be archived somewhere for reference.

One problem I have with Mr. Riehl is when he points out something that 99% of us wouldn't know and doesn't give even a brief explanation of what, why or how. I understand that he's a potential wealth of knowledge, but leaves more questions than answers at times with no place for me to find the potential answers. I wish PM's were even an option but they are typically full for him.

H&K fanyboyism on this site has been getting slightly out of hand, but I just ignore those posts now.

Just my derpy opinions with run on sentences...

[JHC]

I will say that Pat is totally different in person as opposed to his online persona. I like being around positive people like that.

He snatched me up once a few years ago on LF with the "stay in your lane" warning. My next reply was "WILCO". It never bothered me a bit. I've had my heels locked by pro's. People should NWF warning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unkIVvjZc9Y