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This first insert was supposed to go last. However i though it so important I moved it to the top.
There are some REALLY REALLY great people over on this forum.
I absolutely agree. We have the greatest members on any forum guaranteed. I have seen more compassion, charitable giving, and selfless service here than I have anywhere else on the net. Many of our members here can attest to the truly heartfelt and caring compassion and assistance shown by others on this forum. Actually, the members of this forum have given probably 100x to other members and families than they ever have to the site itself in donations. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Name me once where on that other site you saw the members gather donations for another member in need. For a family that is hurting from a loss. Or members who have never met in person that will drive across the state to attend a funeral for a member who lost a spouse of family member. I've seen it here. I've seen it many times. I've seen Christmas made when it was looking bleak, I've seen members take up donations to hire a photographer to take family portraits for a member with an aging loved one. I've seen members donate to send a husband and wife on a date night after the loss of their son. I've seen members start a scholarship fund in the honor of a members son who passed away unexpectedly. I've seen honor bracelets worn. I've seen members take a picture hunting with them of another members passed loved one. You're damn right we have some REALLY REALLY great members here. One of the reason we're all so great is we know each other like friends and family. Some of that is due to the disagreements. You see, here we can be our true selves. We don't have to worry about a mod deleting posts contrary to his objective. And if someone will stick around and join in enough to get to know TOO, they will quickly become part of the family too.
Now I just have to comment about some of the comments about this site vs OS. Yep, posts get censored over on OS. I have no part in that and have no idea if the censorship is just or not. There sure seems to be anti-DOW's over there posting in the threads that I read. I do see more positive DOW comments over there than I do over here but I think there is a good reason.
I think there is a good reason for that also. I believe it might have something to do with the fact that over there a moderator is allowed to post a thread and say quite blatantly that he will delete any posts not inline with his objective. Like North Korea anytime you have such an iron fist stifling free speech you're going to get a lot of the speech you're looking for. Mrex is BFFs with Tonk so it's no surprise that he's going to go to bat for him.
You guys may not censor those with dissenting opinions but you sure don't make anyone with positive comments about the DOW feel welcome. Just with in the last day, one person posted something positive about Clint McCoy and was asked if he were on crack or meth. Several others applauded those posts.
All we can see is the post and we can't see the posters anterior motives. It however perks the interest when you have someone make their first post ever in such a manner. That doesn't strike you as odd or perhaps at the very least having an anterior motive? We allow disagreements, we allow quite spirited debate, and we don't delete posts contrary to our opinions. However, if someone wants to make such a post they should be ready to defend their position with sound logic or at a minimum spirited debate. Posting "I like barack Obama because he's cool and I met him once" as your first post then quietly slipping away into oblivion without defending such a post will undoubtedly result in ribbing and an expected outcome. We have gone round and round many times on this very topic. Kaiser, Gern, MK111, and Lundy and us have had some VERY spirited debates over the years about the DOW, deer numbers, Tonk and other topics to do with the decline. Yet here they are, still posting, still friends, and I would like to think we're all a little better off and knowledgeable for those debates. I guess what I'm saying is, If you're going to make a point, especially a controversial one, expect to be taken up on it. Hopefully when the dust settles we're all better off for it.
Mike Rex got called an idiot today. Several people commented on Tonk's radio interview as him "spewing shit" or "spewing filth". Someone made a comment about wanting a smiley of Tonk gagging on his own cock. I've seen other posts where people called a fellow hunter a douche bag.
Shit happens. People have opinions, emotions, and expressed feelings. Some of it in jest, some of it serious. If I could go back and write down all the things I've been called Santas list would look like a scrap of paper.
The "f" word is spewed around frequently in its bastardized form but the intent is clear. I find this language very vulgar and offensive. I cringe when I read it because I know there are 9, 10, 11 year olds etc reading these forums. I find calling people names like idiot or douche bag to be juvenile. I find calling people who don't agree with you names or asking if they are taking drugs to be insulting.
No one under the age of 13 is allowed to register on the forum. This doesn't mean they can't read it though as reading is open to the public. But so are other sites on this crazy thing we call the internet. Far, far, far worse sites are out there. As a side tidbit Sapceballs, caddyshack, and bettlejuice all contained the word fuck and were rated PG. I guess what I'm saying is, I'm not going to censor this site because a parent failed to monitor their child's internet usage. Not our responsibility. If a member has issue with another members consistent language they can set that user to ignore and never see their posts again.
You may say that you don't censor dissenting opinions but you don't make it easy for those who don't agree with you to stick around either. You say you don't censor but you don't make those with unpopular views on this forum feel welcome. I have felt the barbs and I've felt the wrath myself. And yet I'm here because 1. I haven't been kicked off yet and 2. I am not bulletproof but have relatively thick skin.
1. Disagreeing with people will never get you kicked off TOO. Arguing with people will never get you kicked off too. Interesting fact. In almost 5 years only two members have ever been banned from TOO. Mountaineer and some guy who out of the blue started posting Anti-Jew posts everyday. The anti-Jew one is a no brainer and the Mountaineer one was, well, if you read his posts or know of him, enough said. If every person here who got in a disagreement didn't stick around, nobody would be here. Sometimes we disagree, sometimes we argue, but nine times out of ten it's for a good cause and we all take some knowledge from the thread in general and continue to be friends.
You say you don't censor but yet I cannot make a direct link to my hunting blog within this forum.
Contributing members are welcome to post links in their signature. Off the top pf my head Curran has a link to his blog in his signature. You are welcome to post a link to your blog on TOO. However, If you're speaking abut your blog on OS that's another story and doesn't have anything to do with you but rather the bad blood between the other site owner and I. This isn't censorship but rather not wanting to help out what was once your competition.
He actually said that in front of probably 15 members of this forum. Feeling like he is not on our team is not just paranoia. He has earned the impression we have of him. And btw, he is smart, articulate and personable. And a likable guy, but he wants to see more deer killed, and I don't share that sentiment. The aggressive approach to reducing our deer herd mirrors Mike Tonkovich's career with the DOW. It started with his employment and continues today. I can only hope things will change in the near future, but I'm not seeing any signals to indicate it will.
