Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Network nitwits (or, Pareto, probability and p**kerheads)

When I found 24 Hour Campfire, I was shickled titless to find a place where I could read the give and take of the likes of Mule Deer, Ken Howell, Phil Shoemaker and Steve Timm.
However, I am afraid 24 Hour Campfire is starting to deteriorate.
Itseems the forum is being taken over by a few "jackals" for lack of a better word, that lurk in one or more forums, and feel honor bound to post their opinions on every post, regardless of their level of expertise. If anyone dares to differ from their opinion by one iota, a most scathing personal rebuke is sure to follow. It seems as though as days go by, 24 Hour Campfire is dominated more by them, and less by the real deals.
Pareto, an old scholar, has been credited with the 80/20 rule that says something to the effect that 80% of any problem is caused by 20% of the people involved. That seems to apply here, I think 80% of us are here to be entertained and informed. The onanists that comprise the other 20% are here for no good.
My question to everyone, is, is it possible to create a forum like this, and somehow have it moderated well enough to exclude this 20% long before they p*** off all the gunwriters and everyone else? I would be willing to pay a modest amount to have access to a forum like that.
Also, if there are any gunwriters that haven't left in disgust, I'd like to know what three changes could be made so their experience here would be at least as pleasant as a root canal.
Thanks, all.

Royce

It's not just the 24 hour campfire. There are all sorts of arm-chair experts, on every forum on the internet.

Forums can be either tightly moderated, or just free-fire. Haven't seen much that would fall in between those two extremes.

Seems to be human nature.....

Great idea. Although I find the posts humerous at times, I'm finding a couple of posters very, very irritating. I too would like to see them banned in some manner and would pay a small fee to do so.

The gunwriters part of this forum is the ultimate portion of it that separates it from all the others.

Clearly, this "experts" abillity to assert himself has already diminished the flow of real information.

I am disappointed that progressive efforts to stiffle an obvious disturbance have not been taken, in lieu of losing the open-participation of true experts. As well as fine gentlemen.

Where's the principle???

How would you define what's allowed and what's not? Something that bugs the hell out of me may be entertaining to you and vice versa. I vote to leave it as is. Most can tell pretty quickly who the idiots are anyway.

I think that you bring up some good points. I have limited my reading and participation in many places for this very reason.

I would respectfully suggest that it's not the �Trolls� that are the problem it�s the ones who have to keep responding to them. They then get the attention they crave and keep at it, if you ignore them they go away.

Ding ding ding! We have a winner! (I read that in another post <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ).

Just don't respond. Walk away. Ignore it. Change the subject. If you want to keep a troll or self proclaimed expert going, keep talking to them.

Some folks here are as much a problem as the original "problem poster". I can see them sitting at their keyboards fuming and sputtering, they just HAVE to respond to a post they disagree with like a junkie needs a fix. Well, just say no. Don't respond. It takes a lot of will power, I've had to force myself away from the keyboard many times, but it's the ONLY way.

ANY response - saying that ***You are ignoring this user*** is still a response, feeds them. NO response is the only way to handle it.

So just DFTFT and they will go away.

On banning:

1] This forum was founded and populated by a group of folks with very definite opinions on that. I have not forgotten the mistakes of others. The red button is to be used very, very judiciously.

2] I could never ban all the trolls in cyberspace. There's always another.

3] You'd be surprised at how regularly posters considered trolls by some are highly regarded by others. Put another way, almost everyone is a troll to someone. That said, yeah, some trolls are trolls no matter who thinks they're not.

4] DFTFT.

5] For those moving into expert status, the fishing seems to be good year-round, everywhere. If you're unsure, consult an expert.

6] DFTFT.

Rick

oh yea. I resemble that remark. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Beyond "trolls", there are some pretty large self inflated egos sitting around the Campfire. My observation is that the Campfire is a bit "clique" prone and a welcome isn't always extended to new or inexperienced posters.

+1.

Something we need to work on, for sure.

Rick

No way. Everyone gets their say.

If you consider it BS, just click your mouse.

I vote with Elk. The easiest way to turn off nitwits is to not listne to them, and for God's sake don't respond.

I tried to reason with a recent one here, but it was like reasoning with a 12-year-old meth addict. So I quit.

MD

I regularly read a variety of online forums: hunting/shooting, environmental/conservation issues, politics, antique tractors and assorted other topics that interest me.

Have always been more of a reader than a poster on most of them, 'cause my Pappy told me you'll learn more with your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut, than the other way around. He was seldom wrong about such things.

Every site I've ever participated in has its share of self-proclaimed experts and/or attention-seeking trolls, that like to make a commotion whenever the opportunity presents itself. I actually feel sympathy for some of them and the miserable lives they must lead.

Some ignore them, others like to bait' em on and enjoy the predictable tussles. It's a matter of personal choice, although if there ain't nuffin much good to read or entertaining on TV, some that normally ignore such idjuts, might decide to have some fun themselves.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

People are funny, seldom matters where they are or what they're doing. Some are just funnier than others.

Have to agree wth you and Elk. That's why my posting has become less frequent. I've run out of stuff to say and experience to back it up, and responding to trolls is self-defeating. I remember the one you were responding to, and thought you exhibited admirable restraint in the face of ignorance. Glad you guys are with us.
Mike

I don't see the problem. Unlike some other forums, 24-H has an "Ignore this user" capability; click on the guy's handle, press the button, and all you see of their posts is, "*** You are ignoring this user ***." The problem is solved, and your stress level drops.

There are several folks in 24-H - not necessarily the ones most recently mentioned - that I've banished because they add nothing to any discussion but irritation or pointless wisecracks. My life is improved by a small but measurable amount...

Jaywalker

Anytime a large herd moves through a civilized area there is generaly a lot of s**t to clean up... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I'm not sure how this would work, but I'd love it if the "ignore" feature didn't even change the message body to ***** YOU ARE IGNORING THIS USE ***** .... I'd rather see NOTHING ... meaning, on MY computer, I'd not even know they existed on the forum, other than possibly seeing someone else's post that is responding to theirs ... I want ignore to mean ignore, and allow me the most opportunity to forget that they are even a member here ... and the reason is, I have a morbid curiosity about things, and seeing that the user has posted a message aggravates me because I can't see it ... Like I said, I'd rather not even know they posted ... Seeing that message under their name saying thate you're ignoring them is like a big blinking light reminding me of them ...

but all that is just wishful thinking, and it's probably not even possible to do ... just thought I'd throw it out though, .... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I really wish I knew what the rest of you are writing.

All I see are my own posts and page after page after page of *** You are ignoring this user ***.

See, I just put EVERYONE on ignore. With that and my recently increased dosage of lithium, life is good. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />