Descending to AR15.com status

[orionz06]

Some more thoughts,

The LE forum: I've learned a good deal there thanks in large part to Chuck Haggard taking the time to educate people like myself who simply didn't know. I'm grateful for that. I like Nyeti's vision for the sub-forum though, and agree that maybe it needs to be more thoroughly kept in check if it's to reach it's full potential. We do have the Romper Room for threads where folks want to vent frustrations with LE, and maybe those threads should be immediately moved to the Romper Room where they can be discussed without distracting from the LE forum's mission. I'd hate to see it just die, as I think a private citizen like myself could learn deal from a forum like Nyeti envisions.

Thread drift: This has been somewhat of an issue for me. I'd appreciate it if the staff would more often politely ask people to stay "on-point" in the technical forums. A simple "please get back on topic" would often suffice, as well a encouraging folks to start another thread to handle some of the extraneous chatter that gets generated from time to time. I started a thread a while back on better marketing USPSA for the masses in the competition forum, and it quickly turned into another USPSA vs IDPA pissing match. A portion of that was due to the wording of my original post, and I personally posted that it was partially my fault, but maybe if someone had stepped in and asked for it to be brought back to topic, it would have helped a bit.

Moderation in general: I'd personally politely ask the mods to not try to be sarcastic. I try to keep in mind that it isn't meant the way it sounds, but some mods can't pull it off well, and they end up looking like assholes or trolls. I read a lot of Doodie Project, but I come to P-F for a different tone and a different atmosphere. I'd personally support Tam as a moderator, but not rob_s.

SME's: I don't have a huge problem with the SME title, but I don't think it should mean "bow to me." Not saying it does here, but if it ever came to that, I'll have a very hard time staying. I do feel that there needs to be a "recognition" for some of the premier posters around here that know their stuff but for whatever reason don't have an SME tag. I'm specifically thinking Nyeti, OrigamiAK, and GJM. There's probably a few more I've left out accidentally. Those posters, they need to be able to call out someone who has minimal skill or expertise that's posting regurgitated bull shit that he read on another forum without just telling them to contact the mods. If the mods slap someone, it's very easy for them to run around crying that the mods are being unfair. In my mind, it's more shameful to be called an idiot by people that aren't staff but do know their stuff than it is to be smacked by the mods.

One minor suggestion: An Article section of some sort. Basically, locked threads like DocGKR's stuff in the Ammo forum, but a place where, say Nyeti could submit an article on use of force, or LE tactics or something like that. Leave it as a locked thread so it doesn't get cluttered, allow discussion of the article in the appropriate sub-forum. I'd love to see and article like that from Nyeti, or an article by OrigamiAK on how to shoot this or that drill better. Specifically, OrigamiAK, via PM, shared some extremely helpful insights with me on improving my shooting in general and shot calling in particular. If he'd be willing to share stuff like that as an article, I think it'd go a long way toward helping Pistol-Forum get back to the software-centric forum that it was. Maybe members could submit articles to staff in some way, and they could get vetted in some way or another before being put up, to make sure they have value.

Thread drift... I am as much to blame as anyone but I think if CCLaxton could shut his god damned mouth about IDPA for once it wouldn't be the joke it has become.


SME: what are you suggesting, SME Lite, SME in Training, Gold Star Poster? The more people try to differentiate posters the more of a joke it becomes. Let the content do the talking. OrigamiAK will get his due, as will anyone else who feels slighted for some reason or another.

[TR675]

Posting something ignorant or ill-informed hasn't been against the rules. Being obtuse hasn't traditionally been deemed as being against the rules. Even being borderline annoying hasn't been deemed as being against the rules.

I'd like to hear people specifically define "derpy shit" because I'm going to guess that what looks "derpy" to one guy might not look so "derpy" to another guy. I certainly have my own understanding of what it is...but does everybody really want me wielding the big stick to crush anyone/anything I deem as "derp"?

I'd kind of like some clarification on what people mean by "derpy shit" myself.

To me, it's:

(1) when people (a) make confident statements of fact with great conviction on matters they obviously know nothing about and (b) resist efforts to re-educate them (I try hard not to do (1)(a) and really hard not to do (1)(b)). Ignorance is forgivable but blind, dumb, insistent ignorance is derp.

(2) when people post irrelevant garbage, either in new or existing threads. This is mitigated if they are at least trying to be funny; I do this a lot and don't mind it a bit from others.

(3) when people are being annoying for some other reason, like continuing some of our circular arguments ad infinitum when it's clear nothing will get resolved (best example: IDPA). I try not to get involved in that crap at all. "Being annoying" covers a lot of ground and obviously depends on the personalities of the derp-er and derp-ee...

I'm sure there are more and better examples but that's all I've got time to think up.

[Erik]

Hey staff? I love most of you guys, but things like that don't reflect a super healthy mindset toward your members. I've moderated an active forum before, and I know that you're never going to be perfect. That said, I don't feel like it's ever appropriate to be condescending to one of the members. There will be idiots. There will be people that shit all over threads. Throwing snark at them does nothing other than make you feel good. And, for the love of all that is holy, can someone tell me who came up with the "you might call that A CLUE" meme? I need to hit them with a bat. Educate them without the bullshit or ban them. If you don't have the patience or the professionalism to do that in every single case, maybe you shouldn't be a moderator? It's a shit job, anyway, and no one appreciates it.

All that said, the vast majority of you do a fantastic job basically 100% of the time. That's incredibly difficult to do. Thanks to you as well.

I would add "hint" to "clue." I agree with the entire quoted text, though (and much of the rest of this post).

[gtmtnbiker98]

Thread drift... I am as much to blame as anyone but I think if CCLaxton could shut his god damned mouth about IDPA for once it wouldn't be the joke it has become.


SME: what are you suggesting, SME Lite, SME in Training, Gold Star Poster? The more people try to differentiate posters the more of a joke it becomes. Let the content do the talking. OrigamiAK will get his due, as will anyone else who feels slighted for some reason or another.

Tell us how you really feel, LOl.

[PPGMD]

Thread drift... I am as much to blame as anyone but I think if CCLaxton could shut his god damned mouth about IDPA for once it wouldn't be the joke it has become.

To be fair he has been rather silent about IDPA as of late. It has been a couple of months since he has posted in the competition section.

[Odin Bravo One]

Sean,

You are one person who was allowed more leeway to curse, but not the only.

Craig, a dear friend and mentor is just one more example.

I also think you may misunderstand my complaint. I don't care about cursing. In fact, I'd simply like to feel like I'm in an adult environment where I am also allowed to curse.

I don't wish you to clean up your language, nor do I want you punished or banned. I want to talk like an adult because I am among adults, discussing adult topics.

As for being a pussy and not saying what I mean, I quite clearly called out a staff member here with open and honest words, knowing full well that it may have all sorts of repercussions down the line.

I have no beef with you or your language. I appreciate the fact that you started this topic, and for whatever it's worth, I think the way Jeep spoke to you in the Act of Valor thread was fucking despicable. In fact, I started to compose a reply in that thread to say as much. Ironically enough, I deleted the draft before responding because I believed that I would receive an infraction from staff for the language I was using.


Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

Thank you for calling a spade a spade............that was the entire intent behind initiating this thread........ air it out......if it needs said, say it.



I don't know if I agree because I don't follow enough topics (i.e., those I have A) no interest in, and B) no experience in). But I have been warned privately about cursing on numerous occassions. A courtesy being admonished privately, and my comment(s) allowed to stand when others are not? Again, I don't know.

I do know my email (tied to my PM's) blows up any time I drop an F-Bomb (or B-1 strike of F-Bombs) here.


I also did not mean to imply YOU were being a pussy.......but in the course of the hours since I started the topic, I watched people tip toe around things instead of just saying it.........at the time of day it was, coming off another long working weekend, I was simply tired of it............unfortunately..........your post was the one I chose to quote, versus the multiple posts I had originally intended to highlight as part of my response. My brevity lead to an un-necessary misunderstanding which was my doing.

My apologies.......I'll work on things like that in the future.

When you only use two fingers to type, repeated multi-quoting grates on the nerves.

[Chance]

Please be specific.

This is exactly what I see. For what it's worth, RevolverRob has struck me as nothing other than a good guy, and, as he said himself, I think the comments he made were stated without sufficient context, due not to his willful ignorance, but due to a technical malfunction.

Rob: I don't know you, but please don't make me look like a co-conspirator.

[ToddG]

SME's: I don't have a huge problem with the SME title, but I don't think it should mean "bow to me." Not saying it does here, but if it ever came to that, I'll have a very hard time staying.

Disagreeing with an SME is fine. Arguing back and forth over the same thing repeatedly is not. SMEs are SMEs for a reason. Every time a member is allowed to have a pissing match with an SME, we tend to lose that SME at least temporarily. That's a loss for the forum overall.

I do feel that there needs to be a "recognition" for some of the premier posters around here that know their stuff but for whatever reason don't have an SME tag.

It's just a very slippery slope. Where do you draw the line? SMEs have specific qualifications regarding background, industry influence, and forum behavior. Also, there is a formal process by which potential SMEs are identified and asked to join the group (or not).

There are plenty of knowledgable guys who don't have all those qualifications. "I shoot good" isn't what the SME title is meant to encompass. I think the cream of the members tend to rise to the top regardless of the SME title or not. Trying to identify those guys without hurt feelings for those who aren't chosen isn't worth the damage, IMO.

One minor suggestion: An Article section of some sort.

Already exists. It's the Reference Section. Very few threads have been added because frankly, no one ever asks. We'd be more than happy to populate that section more heavily.

As for the main thread itself, I'll be honest I haven't read 99% of this thread. Derp comes and goes. There is no way to have a popular forum without attracting derp from time to time. It's the Staff's job to locate it and minimize it when possible. Also remember that the Romper Room section in particular is "lightly moderated."

As far as the cussing rule, that is 100% on my shoulders and if enough people hate it, the Staff can decide to get rid of it. But I've managed 44 years of writing business emails and school papers without dropping F-bombs every third word. In my experience, too many people on the internet equate creative swearing with intelligence or experience. Also in my opinion, most professionals don't swear like sailors (nothing personal, sailors) when they're in a professional atmosphere. And that's the atmosphere we're trying to maintain around here.

[TR675]

Well, welcome back.

[Odin Bravo One]

Right. Some folks are jerks in person too.

For those who don't know........JV has met me in person........