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Thoughts on Forum Rules

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Grapeshot

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I'm not saying moderator(s) are doing a bad job or a good job. I'm saying I don't think THEY get to decide whether they are doing a good job or not. Gets close to beating your own drum.....

It seems to me that the number of regular posters here (not a lot) for the only public forum of its type, and importance, is kind of a shame. Whether that is due to over or under moderation, or something else entirely is a question unanswered. I've strongly considered not coming here anymore, but there are really no other options for this topic. The level of moderation plays into that decision. I'm not big on ignoring people. I do get sick of what I see as the constant oneupsmanship and how nearly every thread gets drug off topic with personal vendettas. If I ignored the five people that I would really like to, content would drop by 70 percent. New posters seem to be greeted with a less than welcoming attitude, firmly put in their place immediately, and I suspect many don't ever return. Not a good recipe for growth and sustained existence.
Operating according to the wishes of the owners.

New posters are completely wecomed.
 

deepdiver

Campaign Veteran
Joined
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Messages
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Location
Southeast, Missouri, USA
Even while gun-rights liberalization was struggling the elite gunmen one-upped and swaggered here. I believe that we are suffering from our success, working ourselves out of a job so-to-speak..

I have considered that this very well may be the case in several state forums if not the broader forum. While other obligations of life keep me from being as active as I was here for many years, when I do visit, I find that I can pretty much catchup from months of absence in a few days.

As to moderation, in my not inconsiderable time here, I don't recall having ever had a post moderated. I have seen some thread moderation I have found excessive IMO, but then we are not privy to the off-line moderator comments to members. But if we are going to unblock or reinvite previously punished members, I think mods are going to have to be a little more willing to let disagreements or arguments roll a bit further before thread closing or hard thread/member moderation. Just a thought. I would like to see the forum revitalized a bit and some new, involved blood to post and a few of us who wandered to come back more.
 

Urban Youth

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So this is more of a question that an opinion on the rules. So I understand that the discussion of open carrying long guns is not permitted on this forum, but is the discussion of long guns themselves not permitted or can I discuss or seek opinions on the new rifle I bought/may buy from XYZ Generic Gun Shop?
 

Grapeshot

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So this is more of a question that an opinion on the rules. So I understand that the discussion of open carrying long guns is not permitted on this forum, but is the discussion of long guns themselves not permitted or can I discuss or seek opinions on the new rifle I bought/may buy from XYZ Generic Gun Shop?
The discussion of long guns may be permitted. Conversation about particular rifles is generally not.
 

Urban Youth

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Okay, so I'm an avid MilSurp collector. I love WWI and WWII era firearms, if I started a thread for instance, about Swiss rifles and the different models and changes made throughout the years of production, that would or would not be acceptable?
 

JamesCanby

Activist Member
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Alexandria, VA at www.NoVA-MDSelfDefense.com
That should tell you something about the decline in quality of the posts here on OCDO. Only 30% of the posts are worth reading and an even lower number are worth a response. Some topics here are of interest to me, but the members that have taken control of that topic are not ones that I wish to engage with, due to their unpleasant nature. That was not always the case here. It used to be that we could have a civil and polite disagreement, exchange ideas and opinions and, maybe, a consensus formed without all the sneering and vitriol that now is the norm.

I agree that the members that post the most often are the ones that I prefer to ignore, if not by the ignore button then just by refusing to engage with them. I assume that this is the reason for the departure of so many of our members. Several have told me that they still check in here from time to time, but will no longer post for those same reasons. I am sure that there will a few members along shortly to say that those people had better "toughen up", because this is the internet and that's just the way it is. Many people chose not to "toughen up", but to withdraw. It appears that many have done so here at OCDO.

The owners of OCDO may be very satisfied with the current post count, but the number of individuals that make up that number appears to be declining rapidly. At some point, there will only be a few left, each posting huge numbers of threads back and forth between one another, and bickering in every one of them.


Yes. This ^^^^. This board has become dominated by those whose ego overwhelms their usefulness, dropping snide remarks and disdain for those mere plebes who only want to understand and pursue respect for their 2nd Amendment rights among those government agencies at every level that want to curtail those rights. The "Social" and other non-firearms oriented sections are simply a vast wasteland where these pompous egos dwell and pontificate... IMHO.
 
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solus

Regular Member
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i am again amazed, unless members hear the same concepts or their posted concepts are challenged, off they go into a tirade.

you speak about pompous egos...yet here you all are without even a suggestion to the problem except to state owners should moderate away those who exhibit behaviour(s) you feel goes against your perception(s) of appropriateness.

you folk have a breath of education, experience and so forth, but it doesn't mean you are unconditionally, absolutely, unequivocally always got it right.

with minor exception, i have gone out of my way to not personally negate your's or other members background, nor ask anybody what are your creds which allow you to articulate on the subject at hand!

yet, you folks are constantly engaging in the worst kinda of censorship & thuggery....someone has put up bs, called out on said bs commentary and the first comment you offer to the conversation whatsoever is to publicly state ~ 'see why i put them on ignore' or 'oh i don't put them on ignore, i just don't read their posts,' etc.

so what is it you folk are specifically objecting to?

the gruffness or straightforward candor towards your's and other's commentary?

the breadth of mine or every other member's pedigree to see if it meets your expectations before accepting them as worthy?

but a personally extended kudos to deepdiver...positive exchange on the way conversations should transpire.

ipse
 

deepdiver

Campaign Veteran
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but a personally extended kudos to deepdiver...positive exchange on the way conversations should transpire.

ipse
Thank you again, Solus. I try. I cannot say that over the last decade here that my conversations have always been above reproach, but I do try to keep it civil.

There are places on the internet where I am more pointed and more argumentative. But I have always seen OCDO as a place for common cause, common purpose and shared experience. That doesn't mean we can't have spirited or even pointed disagreement, but we should always be mindful that at the end of the day we all have a common purpose - expanded 2A rights generally and open carry sidearm rights specifically. That is the point and purpose of this forum. And we, the members, have accomplished many good things across the nation, often through small individual battles one at a time. But the knowledge and advice of fellow members have proved invaluable in many of those situations. I am almost embarrassed at the limited significance of my contributions compared to many here. I have learned more here and had more reason to rethink my assumptions because of posters here than probably any other single web site (Wikipedia included - LOL

I think that some have lost sight of the fact that we are all on the same team here, or at least should be. It is when the more cantankerous are outside the tent peeing in rather than inside the tent peeing out that we have issues. I think we can all deal with an ally who tends towards the salty, or at least, being gun owners, we should have some self-control even then, but it is the attacking our own that becomes troubling and disruptive.

I guess I'm rambling a bit here. OCDO has been a great place to learn and discuss for years. I wouldn't mind seeing a new sub forum for long gun discussion and maybe another for gunsmith type questions. I actually have been spending most of my forum time on these 2 things elsewhere. Sometimes an expanded menu can breathe new life into a beloved local diner, so to speak.
 

solus

Regular Member
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Messages
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here nc
Thank you again, Solus. I try. I cannot say that over the last decade here that my conversations have always been above reproach, but I do try to keep it civil.

There are places on the internet where I am more pointed and more argumentative. But I have always seen OCDO as a place for common cause, common purpose and shared experience. That doesn't mean we can't have spirited or even pointed disagreement, but we should always be mindful that at the end of the day we all have a common purpose - expanded 2A rights generally and open carry sidearm rights specifically. That is the point and purpose of this forum. And we, the members, have accomplished many good things across the nation, often through small individual battles one at a time. But the knowledge and advice of fellow members have proved invaluable in many of those situations. I am almost embarrassed at the limited significance of my contributions compared to many here. I have learned more here and had more reason to rethink my assumptions because of posters here than probably any other single web site (Wikipedia included - LOL

I think that some have lost sight of the fact that we are all on the same team here, or at least should be. It is when the more cantankerous are outside the tent peeing in rather than inside the tent peeing out that we have issues. I think we can all deal with an ally who tends towards the salty, or at least, being gun owners, we should have some self-control even then, but it is the attacking our own that becomes troubling and disruptive.

I guess I'm rambling a bit here. OCDO has been a great place to learn and discuss for years. I wouldn't mind seeing a new sub forum for long gun discussion and maybe another for gunsmith type questions. I actually have been spending most of my forum time on these 2 things elsewhere. Sometimes an expanded menu can breathe new life into a beloved local diner, so to speak.

adding a staples like meatloaf w/country brown gravy and crispy red potatoes...

ipse
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
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Thank you again, Solus. I try. I cannot say that over the last decade here that my conversations have always been above reproach, but I do try to keep it civil.

There are places on the internet where I am more pointed and more argumentative. But I have always seen OCDO as a place for common cause, common purpose and shared experience. That doesn't mean we can't have spirited or even pointed disagreement, but we should always be mindful that at the end of the day we all have a common purpose - expanded 2A rights generally and open carry sidearm rights specifically. That is the point and purpose of this forum. And we, the members, have accomplished many good things across the nation, often through small individual battles one at a time. But the knowledge and advice of fellow members have proved invaluable in many of those situations. I am almost embarrassed at the limited significance of my contributions compared to many here. I have learned more here and had more reason to rethink my assumptions because of posters here than probably any other single web site (Wikipedia included - LOL

I think that some have lost sight of the fact that we are all on the same team here, or at least should be. It is when the more cantankerous are outside the tent peeing in rather than inside the tent peeing out that we have issues. I think we can all deal with an ally who tends towards the salty, or at least, being gun owners, we should have some self-control even then, but it is the attacking our own that becomes troubling and disruptive.

I guess I'm rambling a bit here. OCDO has been a great place to learn and discuss for years. I wouldn't mind seeing a new sub forum for long gun discussion and maybe another for gunsmith type questions. I actually have been spending most of my forum time on these 2 things elsewhere. Sometimes an expanded menu can breathe new life into a beloved local diner, so to speak.

Is possible at sometime in the future, but I don't think yet.

There have already been specific exceptions pemitted from time to time.
 

JamesCanby

Activist Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2010
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Location
Alexandria, VA at www.NoVA-MDSelfDefense.com

If the basis of your editing of my entry is to create some sort of juxtaposition between my comments regarding ego and my bona fides, I can only repeat what Walter Brennan offered up in "The Guns of Will Sonnett:"

[video]https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-mozilla-002&hsimp=yhs-002&hspart=mozilla&p=%22no+brag%2C+just+fact%22#id=1&vid=395c57b86e53a190bbf856e431b86892&action=click[/video]
 

solus

Regular Member
Joined
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Location
here nc
things to make you say hummm....

why is it individual(s) feel the great need to post their pedigrees in the mistaken belief it will lend some semblance of credence to what they say, post, or deal with others.

quoting Fulghum
We even make ourselves up, fusing what we are with what we wish in what we must become. unquote

therefore, as we make up our persona and projected facade over our lifetimes, why do individuals need a slip of paper to prove their worth verses letting their actions and display of their behaviour(s) speak for themselves?

bottom line, james, et al., is that what you truly believe your persona, chartacter, and worth are all about? all these life experiences ~ regaled to slips of paper listed on an anonymous place on the internet just to prove your word is worth listening to?

then folks, you missed a valuable life lesson while gathering those pieces of paper you hold so dear...

if you know yourself, you will not be harmed by what is said about you so quit lowering yourself to playground taunts which destroys all the pieces of paper you hold dear.

ipse
 

utbagpiper

Banned
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It has been cynically observed that we no longer have a Constitution. We have only the rule of 5 SCOTUS justices who cloak their personal views in Constitutional language to give those views the necessary gravitas for the public to accept their decrees.

Since the first of the year I've been subject to two, 30-day suspensions "For the good of the forum" without any indication of which rules I've broken or what I've done that was harmful to the forum. The last post of mine that was deleted had no more reason than "Forum Rules". Not even any specific rule, just "Forum Rules". Several days later, with no intervening posts being deleted or even censored that I'm aware of, I was suspended without notice or reason beyond the catch-all "For the good of the forum". I've now noticed a couple of posts were deleted without any reason at all. Obviously, I have no way to recall what I might have posted in any specific post once it gets deleted. So deleting the post offers very little indication of what is wrong.

Repeated, private requests to moderators and owners for insights into what I've done wrong or need to avoid in the future have not yielded any material responses.

This forum is private property and the owners and moderator may run it as they see fit. That is their absolute right. They are under no legal obligation to even explain themselves.

What manners would require of someone claiming to be operating even-handedly under publicly declared rules might be slightly higher obligation.

But let's drop all pretenses and be perfectly honest. There is only one rule here these days and that is what the moderator (or the owners, perhaps) want. I think any claims to the contrary start to look too much like too many court rulings where the clear language of the 2nd amendment is ignored...except far more brief. Judges at least make the effort to explain their rational. I've gotten 60 days suspended without any material explanation as to what I've done wrong.

Maybe some kind forum members will PM with what rules they think I've violated. I'm currently left to wonder, with every post whether it contains some forbidden words or phrases that will lead to another suspension or even outright ban.
 
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solus

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hummm, couldn't possibly be your unrelenting insistence of posting an image coupled with other derogatory commentary towards another member?

or...

possibly harshly speaking out against said forum's practices, as you are now?

or...

however, as you just pointed out the forum is like any other private property enterprise, where if you carry a firearm, OC/CC , against their express/perceived wishes, or make a ruckus, or do something, whatever, real/perceived issues which suits their fancy ~ you can be asked to leave or banned!

ipse
 

utbagpiper

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hummm, couldn't possibly be your unrelenting insistence of posting an image coupled with other derogatory commentary towards another member?

or...

possibly harshly speaking out against said forum's practices, as you are now?

or...

Nice to see my pet troll is right on time.

As for reasons for being suspended, as I wrote, I wouldn't know as nobody in the know seems interested in telling. If you hae any insider info, I'd be most interested in knowing. For all I know I'm in trouble for my proper use of capitalization and punctuation when someone in power favors semi-literate, idiotic ramblings. It is impossible for me to know at this point.

I doubt it has anything to do with a little fun response to another member's constant trolling. After all, I'm sure our moderator and owners are far more even handed than to let a troll run loose while punishing a little good-natured response. And I've never spoken out "harshly" against the forum's practices. I've just offered observations and asked questions.

'Tis not I, but another member who feels the need to "challenge" others as opposed to engaging in civil, mature dialogue.
 

solus

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so mate, let's put this into honest perspective that you might understand...

suppose you have an individual who posts something on a lackluster and outdated self-serving grass roots firearm's advocacy website that the private property owner/admin/moderator(s) do not like nor approve of, i am sure the post is censored immediately, aka deleted, off the site without any notification to the individual whatsoever!

now the individual is a persistent citizen who believes in assuring their position is just and valid, and posts their subject matter again, which is of course is censored, er, deleted again by those responsible website individuals.

dog gone it, the individual still believes in their cause and posts again...oh dear those responsible for the private property website temporarily ban the individual.

time is up on the ban and back comes the individual, stepping out posting the same material...after having those responsible private property controllers censor further posts they disagree with, the individual is ban again.

key words are private property and their right to govern their property as they see fit...without seeking the permission of external individuals involved.

ipse
 
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utbagpiper

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With this, the quoted poster has made clear he has no intention of civil dialogue as he knows I consider this form of address unwelcome and insultingly familiar. He chooses this salutation knowing these things.

I will not further pursue this exchange with someone who so conducts himself as can only be fairly called "trolling".
 
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solus

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Nice to see my pet troll is right on time.

snipppp....


I will not further pursue this exchange with someone who so conducts himself as can only be fairly called "trolling".

ah...

ipse
 
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