User Panel
Posted: 5/9/2003 11:49:41 PM EDT
I hate to say it, but boards like this - thriving online communities - does anyone think there's something inherently creepy about it? I mean, you get to "know" someone without really knowing them, as in you don't know who's at the other side of the monitor, or what he/she looks like. And also, some people's ENTIRE or PRIMARY social life is based on boards like this. That's the worst part, is the time-consuming nature of these internet boards. It's like junk food - it satisfies something inside you temprarily, but in the end it leaves you empty.
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Quoted: I see you are in Texas. Wanna go shooting next week? View Quote Sure, but do I know you? |
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But this is the only plac where I can talk about guns, the military, and politics without being regarded as a total weirdo. I have lots of real friends, but few that are into that sort of stuff.
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Quoted: But this is the only plac where I can talk about guns, the military, and politics without being regarded as a total weirdo. I have lots of real friends, but few that are into that sort of stuff. View Quote So, instead of being just a gun-crazy weirdo, you're an internet-junkie gun-crazy weirdo. [;)] |
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Quoted: Quoted: But this is the only plac where I can talk about guns, the military, and politics without being regarded as a total weirdo. I have lots of real friends, but few that are into that sort of stuff. View Quote So, instead of being just a gun-crazy weirdo, you're an internet-junkie gun-crazy weirdo. [;)] View Quote |
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Yeah, especially with that omni present, big brother like, figure Doublefeed always here [;)]
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I think having an internet community is a good thing.
Friend that will do almost anything to help you out from all over the country isnt a bad thing at all. Just my .02 cents. |
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Quoted: I think having an internet community is a good thing. Friend that will do almost anything to help you out from all over the country isnt a bad thing at all. Just my .02 cents. View Quote Wow, and all it takes is a membership in ar15 to get that kind of friendship, instantly. That's really quite amazing. |
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Actually I have met many of the people here. This is the only online board I participate in, though I do read some others when on a fact-finding mission.
Raven is close by, but I haven't met him yet. He might think that I was a total weirdo... hehe... |
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most chat rooms are a little 'off' when you think about the amount of time some people spend on them. this board seems cool as far as people go--I've met several and even went to a local shoot organized by Shadowblade--good people.
other than that---I'd rather post to here than be in a chat room discussing the social ramifications of pink vs yellow marshmallow peeps. look at this site [url] www.geocities.com/lightertack[/url]and you'll see just how bored I get sometimes |
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Quoted: Quoted: I think having an internet community is a good thing. Friend that will do almost anything to help you out from all over the country isnt a bad thing at all. Just my .02 cents. View Quote Wow, and all it takes is a membership in ar15 to get that kind of friendship, instantly. That's really quite amazing. View Quote WTF is your problem? I was speaking from my experience here, and no it isn't instant. You acquire friendships here just like in the real world through respect, having something in common and helping others. |
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Quoted: I hate to say it, but boards like this - thriving online communities - does anyone think there's something inherently creepy about it? I mean, you get to "know" someone without really knowing them, as in you don't know who's at the other side of the monitor, or what he/she looks like. View Quote I'm here to get differing opinions on varied subjects, but primarily AR-15's. Are you saying that I have to meet people face-to-face to achieve this? Well, "NO", I don't. My "real" life is my priority, so this internet discussion board is an excellent way to "hear" those opinions is a time-effective manner. Nothing more, nothing less. And also, some people's ENTIRE or PRIMARY social life is based on boards like this. That's the worst part, is the time-consuming nature of these internet boards. It's like junk food - it satisfies something inside you temprarily, but in the end it leaves you empty. View Quote I could care less what someone else's social life consists of. If this website is the core of someone else's social life, then so be it. Doesn't affect MY LIFE one bit. Chris |
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It's particularly creepy when you consider that...
...everything you say here can and will be used against you. cynic |
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tomorrow, i may chalk this post up to booze, but for tonight...
the internet is mind-to-mind. the internet is truth. the web takes away that which we use to judge others superficially, and leaves only that which matters. the chinese say "alcohol does not create faults, it discovers them." the same can be said about anonymity. the web shows us, and shows everyone else, exactly who we are in the dark. any persona one uses online, that same facet is resident in he who uses it. in text, we are who we are, (even in fragments) for the written word reduces our vocabulary of lies. in life, we lie with movement, and stillness, and sound. we lie, not only with our mouths, but with our eyes, and with our hands, and with our tone. a woman lied to me tonight. she said nothing to me, but a curve told me that she was beautiful, and a glance told me that she was profound. a smile told me that she was actual, but six words told me that she was a chimera. in the world of the rest of our senses, she would be thought of as something to claim. but in our world of twenty-six letters, we wouldn't remember her name. what we read here, my friends, is truth. not the lines we type, but the wholeness of what we say, and how we say it. the name that you choose here is far closer to your secret self than the name you use in life. how you are here is how you are, and i am proud to be among you. yours truly, E |
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Don't worry, you will get used to all of the feds, state doj, mjtf and agent provocateurs trying to get you into their entrapment schemes.
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Quoted: But this is the only plac where I can talk about guns, the military, and politics without being regarded as a total weirdo. I have lots of real friends, but few that are into that sort of stuff. View Quote Yup. My friends regard me as something of a right wing wacko, despite me decidedly centrist/libertarian approach to things. |
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Quoted: tomorrow, i may chalk this post up to booze, but for tonight... the internet is mind-to-mind. the internet is truth. the web takes away that which we use to judge others superficially, and leaves only that which matters. the chinese say "alcohol does not create faults, it discovers them." the same can be said about anonymity. the web shows us, and shows everyone else, exactly who we are in the dark. any persona one uses online, that same facet is resident in he who uses it. in text, we are who we are, (even in fragments) for the written word reduces our vocabulary of lies. in life, we lie with movement, and stillness, and sound. we lie, not only with our mouths, but with our eyes, and with our hands, and with our tone. a woman lied to me tonight. she said nothing to me, but a curve told me that she was beautiful, and a glance told me that she was profound. a smile told me that she was actual, but six words told me that she was a chimera. in the world of the rest of our senses, she would be thought of as something to claim. but in our world of twenty-six letters, we wouldn't remember her name. what we read here, my friends, is truth. not the lines we type, but the wholeness of what we say, and how we say it. the name that you choose here is far closer to your secret self than the name you use in life. how you are here is how you are, and i am proud to be among you. yours truly, E View Quote |
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I will say I have garnered tons of valuable info about AR15s, shotguns, precision shooting and so on from the collective wisdom on this board. And less than two years ago I was totally new to firearms. Now, thanks to this board, I can talk with my gun nut friends and think, "No, that's not right" or they will ask ME for information instead of the other way around.
Don't get me wrong, I am not an "expert" marksman or anything thanks to this board. That is something that I will have to continue to develop with practise, but overall, this board has been quite an asset to me. And as far as having "instant" friends, yes, this board does stick together and I really respect that. I remember one guy posted on here like only once or twice and then he got killed in a robbery and someone here took up a collection for the guy even though he had only posted less than 10 times. And the collection was really successful because he had a young son that still needed taken care of. So that went really well, but then some details of his personal life surfaced that made people hinky about contributing, but that is irrelevant for this post. The point is that people here stick together and I think that's great. Even though I've only met a few people off this board, I was reading a thread on glocktalk the other day about some guys tried to jump a member of the glocktalk board and he wasted two of them, and he posted his story about going to court and all that crap, and I know from what I've seen here that if someday I, or some other member of the board had to waste somebody in righteous self defense, if that person posted their story here, the donations to the legal defense fund would pour in and damn...if it happened to someone else, I would donate money to them myself. Because this is a great little community here and if you stick around for a while, you will learn that for yourself. Anyways, this is sort of a post to educate the new guy, and also sort of a post to say to the rest of you people that I think it's great to have "friends" like you and that you have "friends" like me. Here here!! [beer] -Nick Viejo. |
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I've met several people from this site at local shoots. One of which is becoming a very good friend. Friendships are made when people share similar interests and hobbies. There are also several people I correspond with that I wish didn't live 600 miles away!!!!!!
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I lurked here for a while before joining to get more info on the HBar I owned.
I can say I made some friends and have shot with some local ARFCommers (none in CT, ironically) and found some good deals and helped a few people out on non-AR15-related things. The internet is not a substitute for real life, but a good place to get information, share ideas and get a laugh now and then. You never know who you may meet and become friendly with. -934 |
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Quoted: Don't worry, you will get used to all of the feds, state doj, mjtf and agent provocateurs trying to get you into their entrapment schemes. View Quote |
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Quoted: Actually I have met many of the people here. This is the only online board I participate in, though I do read some others when on a fact-finding mission. Raven is close by, but I haven't met him yet. He might think that I was a total weirdo... hehe... View Quote Hey Shadow, the only thing that went through my mind was "dude needs a haircut" [:D] |
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Quoted: Quoted: I think having an internet community is a good thing. Friend that will do almost anything to help you out from all over the country isnt a bad thing at all. Just my .02 cents. View Quote Wow, and all it takes is a membership in ar15 to get that kind of friendship, instantly. That's really quite amazing. View Quote What it is about is participating, getting to know one another, and helping one another. Myself and others can tell you that this is more than an internet discussion board. We really do care about and help each other. It isn't real life, but it is part of real life. Stick around a while, you will see and experience for yourself. dave |
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Quoted: Quoted: I see you are in Texas. Wanna go shooting next week? View Quote Sure, but do I know you? View Quote Be careful!! There's a lotta strange people on the internet...[:D] |
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This might be a good place to say--
The idea of "cliques" is often mentioned, with Members feeling left out. Just so everyone who is not one of the "cool kids" knows--here's how you join the non-existent cliques--[b]just participate.[/b] With time, you become known, and accepted. No group of elitists exists here--all are welcome and accepted, as soon as you get to be a "regular" and participate. Try not to pick fights, show a little friendliness and keep in mind we are a close bunch. [:)] |
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Addressing the original thread, I'm afraid I will have to totally disagree. For centuries people got to know each other by writing.
I feel I actually get to know most people better through writing than in person and far faster. For when people write, they tend to write how they feel and how they think. While in person, they are inhibited by external stimuli such as eye contact, body language, etc. I have learned after you have met a few people you have corresponded with that there are a few things to remember. First and foremost is that people are more open and yes aggressive in writing than they are in person. This holds true for phone calls as well. So, most of these bad asses aren't quite that bad and some are only bad here on the net. As beekeeeper1 said, after a while you will get to know the people here and they will get to know you. Pictures are often posted with time and you even get to know how they look. Some of these guys, even though we have never met, I could pick out of a busy airport. As for this site, I have met many members and haven't met a one that not only that I didn't like but look forward to seeing again. One exception, Green Furniture didn't try hard enough to sell me something. Of course, if he had had PINK furniture at the time he wouldn't had too! LOL [:D] His pal Juggernaut, looks and acts just like his pictures and personality just like his posts and They are a class act the pair of them. |
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While I haven't met anyone from the site yet I know I will. I plan on attending a Hun Family shoot some time.
I have only been here about 5 1/2 months, & been out of work for the last 4. I have people here that I consider friends, & many more that I hold in high regard as well. I have had members offer a helping hand to me & my family in different ways, even offering me money for food if needed. I have members praying for me, & that means a lot. I moved to Texas about 1 year ago, & only no my family members down here. I don't have a big group of friends here yet, & the people on this site have become my friends. It wasn't an instant thing. It takes time & effort to get to know people. I don't think I could hang with people who I didn't agree with a majority of the time on the issues of life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness. That's why I'm here. I have learned a lot of very interesting, & important things here. Oh & another thing that amazes me is the kindness of the people here. I didn't have the money for membership so I posted I would trade 2 mags for a membership. I had 3 offers in about 3 minutes. Two people just paid it, & told me to keep the mags. A 3rd person said just one mag was enough, & I told him I was already covered, but if I sent him the mag he could choose someone else on the board to give a membership to, & that's what he did. Pretty darn cool huh? I have made trades for parts I didn't need, for those I did. Think a store would do that? I have sold parts for cash to buy parts. This place is the answer to my needs that's for sure. It has increased the quality of my life.[:D] I salute the fine folks at ARFcom |
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Quoted: I feel I actually get to know most people better through writing than in person and far faster. View Quote IS that what you told Sally Hemmings?[:D] Back on topic, I think you guys have demonstrated some of the positives of the 'net. In a lot of circles, especially urban, gun folk are hard to find. To find a place where like minded folk can meet, exchange ideas, tid bits and chit chat is a great medium. But this goes a lot farther. Here you can find no bs legal info, which is extremely important in these days of growing restrictions. You can find troubleshooting and repair info, product research, buying guides. Anything related (or not) to our hobby is available. The EE provides you with a buying resource that is unmatched by any store. Hell Wal-Mart doesnt stock more items than can be found here. This place is a clearinghouse of thought and a wealth of information. Places like this provide a valuable resource for like minded individuals. |
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I view this board as a group of individuals with common interests advancing their knowledge and assisting others while developing contacts. To an extent, we do develop friendships here, but not as one would face to face. This board is not a surrogate for knowing ones neighbors but provides me with entertainment when the weather is bad and nothing is on TV. I spend some time on here every weekend just to see what is going on, but am not dependent on the board, or the internet, to feel fulfilled in life. The only thing scary is that some people become so engrossed in the net that they forget that it is no more or less than a communication tool. How you use it and what you get from it are important.
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Hey clean cut just so you know, it's interesting to see. I was sponsard bt Tom Jefferson who posted just ahead of me, & I've traded with Cav Vet who posted just after me. Lots of really good folks here.
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I enjoy the hell out of visiting with you guys. I learn alot and I get to voice my opinion with people who (for the most part) see things the same way I do. We also have so much in common here. We all love to shoot, and we all love this country. We do not love people who try to take our freedoms away from us. That, I think, in a nutshell describes us all. Bottom line is I have things in common with you, that I don't have with alot of people in "real life".
Take it easy...... |
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I don't have any pants on right now. I'm even creeped out by it.
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Quoted: I don't have any pants on right now. I'm even creeped out by it. View Quote TMI |
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I like the idea of being able to go somewhere to ask technical questions. It's hard to weigh making a purchase based off one or two opinions that may be hardly close to being objective, especially if those you ask never owned one. The same goes with ammo or any other related product. I'd hate to get stuck with a couple of cases of ammo that looked like a good buy at the time, then turned out to be the dirty burning stuff that fails to cycle.
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From my perspective people interact even less in churches and political parties or even Unions.
This board is a choice and a very anonymous one for some good reasons. I'm always amazed at the similarities of gun owners, at least the one's here. This is like the Humane Society for Firearms. |
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It is only anonymous if you want it to be. I have been fortunate enough to meet many people from this board. I feel fortunate that a place like this exists. I hope that you will realize one day what you are truly missing about this place.
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geography resticts this site, if all her members lived within a couple hours of each other, you can bet your ass we'd all know each other
however, even down here in bum fuck, tx, there are ar15.com site members close by, met my first today hell of a guy, much more into ar15s than i am, im sure i'll learn from just knowing him, he's already trying to get me to participate in the next battle rifle competition this is a hell of a group of people and even in this thread wisdom has overflowed, i do believe typing is a better medium than talking in the way that your true thoughts do come out and more of you is revealed......though beer works for that too!!!! p.s. i'm gonna meet a whole bunch more folks on may 24th at my house for a shoot/bbq/beerfest, ought to be fun (south texas group) |
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How exactly do you explain to people "I read it on an internet bulletin board" or "this guy on an internet bulletin board"? I barely bring myself to mention AR15.COM. in conversation. Words like "armchair warrior" and "keyboard commando" can be assiociated with the internet.
Some might be shooters while others could be a 16yr old with his bedroom door locked lest mom catches him looking at firearms. Having said that I have met a quite a few members from the gun boards who get together for shootin fun. There are members here from my own unit on this board. I've learned lot's of info from the boards, lots! |
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Quoted: Quoted: I see you are in Texas. Wanna go shooting next week? View Quote Sure, but do I know you? View Quote And that was the last that anyone ever heard from [b]clean_cut[/b]. [:D] |
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What really creeps me out about this site is that if I would not have found it I might own a Hesse instead of a Bushmaster, using USA magazines instead of USGI, shooting Maine Cartridge Company ammo instead of SA, XM193 and Guat, and buying RRA tactical carry handle's instead of ARMS#38's and such. You get the picture, or do you clean_cut?
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I kinda like that creepy feeling.
I [b]am[/b] the person your mother warned you about |
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Quoted: .....and buying RRA tactical carry handle's instead of ARMS#38's and such. View Quote Hey wait a minute! What's wrong with the tac-handle? I like mine! Still, it will likely be replaced with a SIR one of these days. |
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Man, this is turning into an "I love ar15.com" thread. That's not what I had in mind. This reminds me of the movie "The Fight Club" where they started a chapter in every city. Strangers become brothers instantly once phrases like, "Been to the Hun farm yet" are exchanged.
Ar15.com - it's not just an internet discussion board, it's a movement! Who knows, a thousand years from now, there will be the Church of the AR15.com, and the memories of Eric the Hun, and The Red Goat will be revered among the hallowed halls. Okay, so I'm being facetious. But you guys know what I'm saying. Never before in human history has so many human beings have gotten to know eachother, and NOT known eachother. [:D] I'm as guilty as any of you, but just something to consider. |
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