Open letter to the Luger Forum

John D. · 06-19-2001, 04:40 PM

What a shame.

Frank - I said it a moment ago in a private e-mail to you, and I know that I am not alone in this - you are a huge asset to this site. You, along with the combined wisdom, knowledge and friendship - help set the tenor of what this site and what this Forum have evolved into. I tried to say much the same to Luke yesterday, in the thread about his grips - and how this place on the Internet is a haven for sharing that same friendship and enthusiasm. We all have a common point of interest and we all share that same camaraderie around that common interest. It's all about Lugers.

For that - there are a few things that this Forum is not, IMNSHO. It is not "real life". For example, people "read" posts - and it is difficult to accurately gauge what the original senders "tone" was or was not. For example - you may "read" this post thinking I'm typing it at a sarcastic level - but in fact, that could not be farther from the truth. Others may "read" this post - and feel it is a sanctimonious ramble that was written for no other reason then to try to patch the apparent rift between you and other members. That - in fact, still is far from the truth.

What my view is - is somewhat simpler.

This place we all appreciate so much - exists because we all conform to the "norms" of the forum. DOK got "volunteered" to help us all keep that decorum intact. Frankly - it is not an enviable position. In fact - it's a damned difficult position. As you know - I have the same task on nearly 100 e-mail lists and Web Forums that attract over 75,000 people each and every day. And sometimes - I find I'm in a similar situation as DOK was - where I have to ask a friend or someone I know to stop a thread or a comment. And yes - I've had to ban a "friend" from posting. And yes - when that happens - it sucks. And no - I don't enjoy that aspect of moderating a list, and I don't think anyone would Ã¢?? including DOK. These "relationships" are fragile enough given they are held together simply with words on an Internet Board. And as I mentioned above - in many cases, those same words are misinterpreted, misrepresented or misconstrued.

To the point of censorship - I understand your view, and I respect it. But at the same time, I'll ask you to respect DOK's role as described above - as it is NOT an envious position to be put in. He jeopardizes "friendships" each and every time he posts and asks to flames/threads to cease. BUT - without his ability to ask for a conversation to stop - then we lose EXACTLY what we came for here originally - which is "that open forum where folks can feel free to express thoughts without retribution".

So in either case - both yours and DOK's position has "no winner". Such is the Internet.

But in a larger sense - each time this happens - we all lose. We all lose your thoughts, your comments, your wisdom - and the friendship that is publicly offered each time you post. And that is the real shame. And for that - I, too, ask you to reconsider - both as a friend and as person who respects each and every time you expose that friendship by posting here at all.

My Best Always,

John D.

06-19-2001, 04:40 PM	#8
John D. Administrator & Site Owner LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: A Little NE of Somewhere... Posts: 2,651 Thanks: 477 Thanked 515 Times in 128 Posts	Ahhh - now I understand the background.... What a shame. Frank - I said it a moment ago in a private e-mail to you, and I know that I am not alone in this - you are a huge asset to this site. You, along with the combined wisdom, knowledge and friendship - help set the tenor of what this site and what this Forum have evolved into. I tried to say much the same to Luke yesterday, in the thread about his grips - and how this place on the Internet is a haven for sharing that same friendship and enthusiasm. We all have a common point of interest and we all share that same camaraderie around that common interest. It's all about Lugers. For that - there are a few things that this Forum is not, IMNSHO. It is not "real life". For example, people "read" posts - and it is difficult to accurately gauge what the original senders "tone" was or was not. For example - you may "read" this post thinking I'm typing it at a sarcastic level - but in fact, that could not be farther from the truth. Others may "read" this post - and feel it is a sanctimonious ramble that was written for no other reason then to try to patch the apparent rift between you and other members. That - in fact, still is far from the truth. What my view is - is somewhat simpler. This place we all appreciate so much - exists because we all conform to the "norms" of the forum. DOK got "volunteered" to help us all keep that decorum intact. Frankly - it is not an enviable position. In fact - it's a damned difficult position. As you know - I have the same task on nearly 100 e-mail lists and Web Forums that attract over 75,000 people each and every day. And sometimes - I find I'm in a similar situation as DOK was - where I have to ask a friend or someone I know to stop a thread or a comment. And yes - I've had to ban a "friend" from posting. And yes - when that happens - it sucks. And no - I don't enjoy that aspect of moderating a list, and I don't think anyone would Ã¢?? including DOK. These "relationships" are fragile enough given they are held together simply with words on an Internet Board. And as I mentioned above - in many cases, those same words are misinterpreted, misrepresented or misconstrued. To the point of censorship - I understand your view, and I respect it. But at the same time, I'll ask you to respect DOK's role as described above - as it is NOT an envious position to be put in. He jeopardizes "friendships" each and every time he posts and asks to flames/threads to cease. BUT - without his ability to ask for a conversation to stop - then we lose EXACTLY what we came for here originally - which is "that open forum where folks can feel free to express thoughts without retribution". So in either case - both yours and DOK's position has "no winner". Such is the Internet. But in a larger sense - each time this happens - we all lose. We all lose your thoughts, your comments, your wisdom - and the friendship that is publicly offered each time you post. And that is the real shame. And for that - I, too, ask you to reconsider - both as a friend and as person who respects each and every time you expose that friendship by posting here at all. My Best Always, John D.