Time for some to go elsewhere

[dirtclod Az.]

I really don't see a problem with a healthy debate. Although some can get heated, I enjoy reading both sides and I get some good information on subjects that I may not understand all that well. Things I did not think of before. Both sides are worthy of consideration and I support folks freedom to state their opinions, even if I don't agree with them.

The thing I find bothersome is when some people feels they are losing the debate, they will result to bullying or personal attacks. That is not free opinion. I'm not sure what system you use to let people know they are being considered for removal but I think "Bullying" should be added to your list of automatic tossing. It is harder to determine, but should definitely be unacceptable.

You may have already considered a flagging system where your first "offense" you send a "yellow flag" stating "That's one". Next is orange, then red, and your out. That gives people an opportunity to adjust behavior. I know you get tons of suggestions, so you probably already considered this one, but makes sense to me.

Also, no matter what we do in life, our wives always seem to find out...

How do the women always know? Maybe the children know.

 

[Big Fin]

I really don't see a problem with a healthy debate. Although some can get heated, I enjoy reading both sides and I get some good information on subjects that I may not understand all that well. Things I did not think of before. Both sides are worthy of consideration and I support folks freedom to state their opinions, even if I don't agree with them.

The thing I find bothersome is when some people feels they are losing the debate, they will result to bullying or personal attacks. That is not free opinion. I'm not sure what system you use to let people know they are being considered for removal but I think "Bullying" should be added to your list of automatic tossing. It is harder to determine, but should definitely be unacceptable.

You may have already considered a flagging system where your first "offense" you send a "yellow flag" stating "That's one". Next is orange, then red, and your out. That gives people an opportunity to adjust behavior. I know you get tons of suggestions, so you probably already considered this one, but makes sense to me.

Also, no matter what we do in life, our wives always seem to find out...

You are correct. Healthy debate, as heated as it is at times, is a worthwhile process. I encourage debate on this forum and I get a lot of reported violations when those debated topics get to the point of forcing us to think outside our biases created by our life experiences.

Our perspectives are formed by our life experiences. We all have different life experiences. That lead us to differing perspectives. Those differing perspectives result in differing opinions expressed when we communicate.

The rub usually comes due to narrow mindedness on certain topics when a few folks refuse to realize the person they are hacking on is a good person; probably someone they would enjoy visiting with around a campfire, just a person with a different life experience that leads to a different perspective/opinion. When the narrow mindedness results in someone hanging tags, labels, and other adolescent name calling, I intervene, which might be a warning or change of PW, or completely tossing the person.

The software has a flagging/violations system on the back end. I don't really use it. Once I've had my fill, the person is gone, regardless of what the flagging system says.

Yes, wives always know. And when I'm on the road, like I seem to be more than I ever expected, my wife knows everything that goes on here. She handles my PMs, the reported violations, and a host of other things needed to keep the operation going while I am gone. When she is already busy with so many tasks and then she has to deal with grade school behavior here, my tolerance is even lower than when I am home and I am the one dealing with it.

Some of the old guard who has been here for a long time have given me some ideas that would get them back to posting more often. I am hoping that some of those ideas work. I'm hoping that when we get back to actual hunting season we can quit the bickering and snide manners that would provide a "tooth inventory" if such behavior was expressed face-to-face rather than via the anonymity of a keyboard.

I've went through our financial statements since I took over Hunt Talk from Moosie. That was January 2009; more than ten years ago. Since then, it has cost over $1,200 per month to keep this platform afloat; costs incurred for database management, servers and hosting, tech services, software upgrades, etc. We've had very small income from an Amazon ad. The other ads you see are a part of the package we provide to our video and podcast sponsors.

Suffice to say, this has not been a profit endeavor when measured as a stand alone business segment. Yet, Hunt Talk has served a valuable purpose in fulfilling our WHY; "To promote self-guided public land hunting and create advocates for that cause." Our investment in Hunt Talk has been worth every penny, given the power the platform has grown to provide. The number silent lurkers on Hunt Talk who are in the trenches on policy making, agency and congressional staffers, and others influential in public land and hunting policy, is astounding. That was part of the goal we had for Hunt Talk when we took it over from Moosie. So, mission accomplished.

I give that background so people know that Hunt Talk has become immensely useful to our "WHY." And, with the costs it entails, I've finally reached curmudgeon status when it comes to unnecessary BS that happens here at times.

We have even bigger plans for Hunt Talk and in the next months will start opening it up to ads from other companies to help offset the costs. The niche Hunt Talk has grown to provide for our WHY is not something I intend to let be degraded as the result of those who struggle to communicate in an adult manner.

 

[RobG]

If someone is pissing you off a lot of times a PM to that person can turn an obnoxious person into a friend, which is not to say you have to stop disagreeing. For the truly insufferable ones the ignore feature on this newest revision works pretty well.

[edit: whew, every time this thread comes up I like to make sure I can still post ]

 

[Irrelevant]

Hunt Talk has changed my life in a lot of extremely positive ways beyond simply encouraging DIY public land hunting. Thank you for keeping the lights on.

 

[mtmuley]

Randy, do you look at the posts/people that are reported? I don't expect any single report to be sufficient motivation for a ban, but if 10-20 people report the same guy for multiple posts, then auto-ban seems reasonable. If you don't look at them, I will stop bothering to report. Thanks

Most stuff can be worked out in pm's. No reason to tattletale. Just my experience. mtmuley

 

[JohnCushman]

Most stuff can be worked out in pm's. No reason to tattletale. Just my experience. mtmuley

I've gotten into several beefs with guys over the years and when it starts to get out of hand on the board, I shoot a PM and we talk and work it out. A lot of times it's a simple misunderstanding or an offense from my sense of humor coming across wrong.

 

[pojoaque40]

Is there some specific part of the site that gets hit hard by these jokers? In my short time here i've not seen any of it, at least in the 'big game' and 'archery' sections where i hang out. I see more arseholery in two minutes on disqus than i've seen here in months.

Edit- Also, Randy do you get paid when someone clicks on an ad or simply to display the ad. I've got an adblocker i'm happy to turn off if it would do you some good.

 

[mtmuley]

I've gotten into several beefs with guys over the years and when it starts to get out of hand on the board, I shoot a PM and we talk and work it out. A lot of times it's a simple misunderstanding or an offense from my sense of humor coming across wrong.

Interpreting posts on an Internet forum sometimes goes sideways. I've always dealt with it privately with the other member whether I was at fault, or I figured the other guy was. Randy has bigger things to deal with than the fact sombody hurt my feelings. mtmuley

 

[Benn74]

I really enjoy your stuff! Got me a little excited called the elk foundation signed up for volunteering! This is great!

 

[LuketheDog]

A lot of times Person A will send me a notice about Person B. Then a half hour later, Person B will send me a notice about Person A.

This is what my daughters do all day, none of them are older than 7, and it absolutely drives me UP THE WALL...I guess it means some grown dudes never really get past the "little girl" on the maturity scale though?

 

[COEngineer]

Most stuff can be worked out in pm's. No reason to tattletale. Just my experience. mtmuley

To be clear, I'm generally not reporting people that call me names. I am reporting people that repeatedly side-track a thread that I am interested in (engaging with them on the thread is just more BS that everyone has to read). If there's a system to report bad behavior, why not use it and get rid of the bad actors?

 

[mtmuley]

If Randy got rid of every member that ever side-tracked a thread, this place would be empty. mtmuley

 

[COEngineer]

"repeatedly side-track" vs "every member that ever side-tracked a thread"

It's hyperbole, I get it.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

If Randy got rid of every member that ever side-tracked a thread, this place would be empty. mtmuley

 

[elkduds]

Lotta HTers (me) didn't quite see the lines until we straddled or got past them. If you get tuned up by Big Fin, there's the line.

WARNING: Unseeing this video may be difficult, if not impossible.


We public land nuts have to use common ground like HT to hash out a hunters' version of public land values and policy. Or else more organized interests w deeper pockets will take it away.

That discussion will inevitably get political. Eyes on the prize, brothers and sisters. The fight to keep and preserve public lands will not end.

 

[WyoDoug]

Thanks. My feeling has always been if it ain’t respectful and on-topic, don’t type it. Though I caught myself wandering off topic several times.

 

[shoots-straight]

Political is no place for this forum.

This site has always tackled Politics, especially where it connects with Hunting, /Shooting, recreation.

 

[Ajax2744]

I do appreciate this because if I wanted all the bickering and name-calling and high horsing I would went back to archerytalk. This sight is 100x better than that sight and it actually makes coming on here enjoyable. It also helps most HT'ers seem to be good people.

 

[geetar]

Thanks @Big Fin for all you do on this forum and in your daily life. I appreciate it.

 

[MooseCaboose]

Been fun watching and contributing to this mission that is Hunt Talk. Thanks @Big Fin for all you and your family have done for hunting. Hope the new guys get in line. HT has long been my favorite website visit.