[ARCHIVED THREAD] - We are wrong... (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 8/10/2004 12:53:59 PM EDT
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...in our initial acceptance of new posters. New posters are often ridiculed and worse, while new posters suggesting they are female generate many pages of responses. Smacks of hipocracy. I could name several female (reportedly) posters, new to the site, that blathered on endlessly heaping inanity atop stupidity and were still blindly accepted....to a point. Whereas it seems that every new poster's initial topic has a troll response somewhere in the replies, and the topic or it's content is no more trollish or inflammatory than many of the drivel spewed by accepted and even liked established members here. I will admit that some of the DU infiltrators and others are only here to do harm, but does that allow us to convict otherwise normal newbies of trolling IN THEIR FIRST POST? Come on guys, maybe a huge cup of 'way back' juice is in order to help some of you remember your first few posts here? Did all of you spend several years lurking before you even posted, or did you (like me) spend a couple of days getting a feel for the site and what the rules were before you dove in? I believe that the continued growth and strength of this site is not in the existing membership, but rather in the new members that find a home here. Would it make more sense to create a place and a mindset that fostered new membership instead of running them all off? Understand, the DU'ers are still open game....let's just not turn away fellow gun aficianados simply because we do not intially agree with their political views, typing skills, grammar, spelling, internet ability, computer knowledge, or any one of other 'offenses'. Question; how many of you have held a particular belief, only to have it slightly altered or completely revamped due to a dissenting view here on the board? I have, but I enjoy a bit of dissent/disagreement. Oh, what the fuck....nevermind. Y'all just miss the point anyway so back to your regularly scheduled drivel, with all of the annoying different sides removed. |
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(In response to G-mans request, the following reply dose not have a quote. It is in response to Sgtar15's post above.) Who the fuck gets to make that decision? Is there some sort of SUPER MODERATOR position here that the Avilas have designated, is there a second set of CoC that I do not know about? Why are you (individually) making the decision that someone is good for the site and another one is not? |
Aye Aye Captain. |
I appointed myself for the job. Even had a special T-shirt made that say AR15.com Troll Patrol. Someone has to do it and it might as well be me.....right? After all, am I not fair? SGtar15 |
(Screw G-man!)  Your response seems to be the exception rather than the rule. |
I agree, I am a female in my mid-twenties, but I did not come here for flirtation or online compliments, I came here to learn more about firearms, and because I had been reading this site for awhile (hub is a member). I found some like minded souls. I do think that complaining about new members is not the best idea though. Sure there have been a few problems, but if you do not like someone, ignore them. |
(Double screw G-man!)  J/k G You are a truly cantankerous individual and a essential part of our family, BUT.... put yourself in the place of some of these newbies and see if you would have lasted in the current environment! We may never have experienced your special brand of .....well we'll call it wit...for now.
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When you are a new member in a church, or new member to a sports team, or whatever do you just barge in and start trying to take control? Do you just start slamming the "old timers" views? Do you start telling the "old timers" how to do things? I know I am a new member of a gun club in my area, all the guys who established the club are in their 60's, maybe 70's, I guarantee they don't know who I am, nor do they likely know my name....but I have been to a work party and a meeting. I guess I should have burst in on the suggestion time with my "allow Class III" rant and "you guys are too old fashioned to allow .50's tirade"......  Some people post in the equivalent manner...... |
( sorry G!) So maybe some of these 'kids' need to be corrected in order to bring them into line. Kinda like training a colt or a new puppy. Hell, I'll do it...give me a branch site where the newbies can post, but they can only lurk on the main site for a specific term, say 30 days or 100 posts. Me and a Sarge and a few others can lead them along to the path of right and keep them from pissing off some of the 'elderly' types here. |
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Wiggy, you say that newb's are getting smacked down for their newb posts? Nah, I've only been here for a few months. I've been in a few "battles" over "topic" but never been bashed over being a newb. In that short time, I've watched some newbs troll and essentially get gang virtual wedgied, however, it's great entertainment. |
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Don't ask questions in the AK forum. Apparently if you ask a question over there, you're an idiot. You should've done about 100 things to avoid asking a question.(I thought forums were for discussion, but...) They'd rather rag on you than answer you're question. Even if it's your first visit to the AK forum, they'll tell you that the question has been asked many times go search. Hmmm, 0 search results. I don't bother reading it anymore. J |
(never mind, G) While you are describing a symptom of what I am talking about, the underlying problem is much bigger. What you call entertaining may actually be running off the next John M Browning, or Eugene Stoner, or another wealth of AR-specific knowledge and abilities. This next new guy that gets shit for posting his beliefs may have something to offer the site as a whole. Come on, do you really think that Sarge is universally liked? But we still tolerate him, some of us consider him a friend. But he is abrasive and comes across like a bull in a china shop most of the time...BUT he is a big part of the equation that is AR15.com! Moral of the story.....today's dumbass newbie with all of the repetitive questions and general rabble rousing may develope into the next Senior Staff member and have something to contribute. |
(yep, G) Is this the reputation we want? Thank goodness this happened over at the AK side of the house where they are all a little touched. 
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You know, it's more or less a free country. Nobody is forcing anyone to hang out here. I've been mightily pissed at some of the responses I get here, but then I think.... it's the INTERNET, stupid. Who cares? Having said that, the one thing I fail to understand is why post count is considered a measure of anyone's opinion or value to the site or whatever? It's obvious why I say this, look to the left part of the box this appears in. I am NOT impressed with high post count, as a matter of fact I wonder what you do besides read this site. |
Are you kidding? Some people flat out WHORSHIP me!! I even started my own cult just so I can protect my followers. Now you better get your ass in line with goose stepping or I'll make a movie about you.  Sgtar15 |
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Wiggy, you've got a point that sometimes a newbie shows up and gets slammed if they come across too strongly. The fact is that if a peson has spent the time to contribute to a few threads then they are likely legit even if they are an abrasive asshole like so many people already registered here. But if they come in and immediately start spouting off a bunch of drivel and trying to incite arguments, the odds are good that they're a troll. Given the nature of this board and the issues that are discussed this site attracts such people like a moth to a flame. One very good way of evaluating a new member IMO is not so much what they post as -where- they post. If they are over in a board like AR15 or Handguns and asking technical questions (even stupid ones) or they are in Hometown trying to get to know people in their area, then I'll cut them slack in GD no matter how much of a prick they may be. But if they stir up shit in GD and don't seem to be aware that the other areas even exist then I consider them a troll and will treat them accordingly. |
Hey, Buddy!!!! I was in that cult...did not care for the (ahem) mandatory 'inspections', so I bailed. |
Hop, THAT is exactly the way to deal with the newer crowd. I am merely questioning the assumption that all of the noobs are trolls and should be treated accordingly. |
The people I usually see catching flames are people who seem to have a habit of hitting hot button issues and/or seem a little similar to past members who were known to be trolls. Even all they've got to do is back-off a little bit until they've been around for a while and know what buttons not to press unless they want an argument. |
| Airsoft is not a firearm. Just because it looks like an AR-15 doesn't make it an AR-15. Airsoft kids coming here with 14 years of life under their belt spouting political opinions on a President they know nothing they know about get what's coming to them. They should ask questions and learn and if they rarely get a nugget of information to share they need to make sure that it's actually based on facts or experence ... not something they saw in a PS2 or Xbox game. |
It's more or less a free country because when I'm not posting here I'm serving in the military. 
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Thanks for serving! I like being able to speak my mind! |
| Over 7K, & while I have been called a troll, it was in jest only. I try to say hi, & welcome to all new folks, but it seems odd to me a 1st post by someone to say howdy should go to 5,6,7,8,9,10 or more pages, & it is always a girl this happens with. I've never seen this happen with a male poster say hi. Sp if someone thinks they are a troll, I kinda understand. |
As Rush so wisely points out, "They have heads full of mush." Have you ever considered how much a young person can learn on this site. This site has a virtual wealth of information. Sure, some people make sarcastic and funny comments about serious questions, but if you ask, you will usually get good answers to almost any problem. But I see people get angry when they post half-thought-out opinions and are then challenged to present facts and are unable to do so. Everybody is entitled to an opinion. But if your opinion is stupid, expect to be called on it. |
wiggy is right......this site as a whole blindly accepts women posters reguardless of how intelligent or how ignorant their posts/questions...where as a male poster w/ ignorant questions is automatically a troll. do some of you stumble over your tongues in real life when confronted by a woman like you do here on the board?? its pathetically sad how some of you jump through your asses to get attention from the female posters here. 
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