The Forum Phenomenon

spudley112 · **on:** October 28, 2019, 07:09:40 PM

I just wanted to take a moment to say how much I appreciate the folks in this forum. It is always a nice respite from a lot of the other forums I visit. The way people conduct themselves in this forum is a much needed relief from the current forum phenomenon. Allow me to explain.

There is a very popular knife forum that I no longer participate in, or even visit. It is sad really, because I have always felt that a sense of community is the connection we can all use to get past the hostility that we see every day in life. My main problem with the forum is they way people conducted themselves there. It seems like there was not a discussion to be had that did not end in an online battle of some sort. There were threads getting locked and manufacturers that were closing their forums because the community is becoming more abrasive and downright rude. Were I one of those manufacturers, I would not want my employee on the site to take the daily abuse. Legitimate complaints and concerns are one thing, but abuse is another.

I have watched threads digress into verbal battles over things as simple as someone saying they prefer one steel type over another. I have watched arguments turn into personal insults and it was sickening. There is an open forum there that I won't even get into...it is...shameful. I know, the whole trope about thicker skin...but I wonder how a person new to the world of knives might perceive enthusiasts if they see that kind of nonsense. It is not just that forum. Pick any subject, and if there is a forum out there dedicated to it, there is a lot of activity going on that just makes you want to shake your head.

Speaking of new people, I must also wag my finger at the internet forum world for their treatment of those "venturing in off the streets." To this day, I cannot understand the level of righteous indignation that is present on some forums. The thing that burns my butt more than anything is when someone new asks a simple question, and "Mr Knowitall" on forum XYZ launches into a two paragraph lambasting on how they should have conducted a search and looked up other threads before daring to ask such a question. What is truly sad is that I have seen these long winded gripe sessions take place when they answer to the new person's question could have been answered in one sentence. Dude, get over yourself and help someone out once in awhile.

On MTO I have experienced a whole different community. We LOVE talking about our hobby and welcome new and old alike. We welcome questions and see them as an opportunity to create new enthusiasts. We enjoy talking about our knives and tools and want to share that enthusiasm. I just wanted to tip my hat to the true ladies and gentlemen that I have found here and to say, "keep up the good work."

SteveC · **Reply #1 on:** October 28, 2019, 08:42:27 PM

Mechanickal · **Reply #2 on:** October 28, 2019, 08:50:30 PM

Well

to you too, spud!
You're a fine member of this community too and I enjoyed your posts and help so far.

You're just as important as any other member here, so not all credit goes to others

SirVicaLot · **Reply #3 on:** October 31, 2019, 02:33:05 PM

This is the only forum i frequent because of the community and the way people behave here. The rest of the internet can go to the smurfs

Aloha · **Reply #4 on:** October 31, 2019, 03:27:44 PM

with you Spuds. MTo is the only forum I frequent. Glad that MTo continues to be community for all who come and participate. Our members make this place what it is.

derekmac · **Reply #5 on:** October 31, 2019, 03:34:20 PM

There are only two forums that I visit that have any sort of civility to them. This one, and one dedicated to the Jeep TJ. This is the only one that feels like one big happy family though. Sure we get the odd asshat, but they don't tend to stick around long.

BadMechanic · **Reply #6 on:** October 31, 2019, 05:18:33 PM

I couldnt agree more.

Ive asked my fair share of newbie questions and havent been told how ridiculous of a question it was. This is the only forum Im active on.

pomsbz · **Reply #7 on:** October 31, 2019, 05:24:36 PM

It's why I come here and not the others, been there, done that, gave up.

derekmac · **Reply #8 on:** October 31, 2019, 06:04:56 PM

The only real issue here can be that people just sometimes don't listen. I mean, just look at the "Test, Please Ignore" thread!!!

SirVicaLot · **Reply #9 on:** October 31, 2019, 06:31:04 PM

That might be a result of the advanced age and the associated hearing loss of some folks around here

Gotta go...

WoodsDuck · **Reply #10 on:** October 31, 2019, 06:36:05 PM

Quote from: SirVicaLot on October 31, 2019, 06:31:04 PM

That might be a result of the advanced age and the associated hearing loss of some folks around here

Gotta go...

Eh? What's that?

Top-Gear-24 · **Reply #11 on:** October 31, 2019, 08:23:12 PM

@spudley112:

If you had conducted a search and looked up other threads before just starting a new one, you would've seen there are plenty of topics about how great this forum is, and how people are willing to answer any questions.

In my days we always did a search before just asking a random new question. Most of the time this search started in the local library, since we didn't have the internet back then like you youngsters have these days.

So you entered the library and started looking for what you needed info on. You could do a search by topic, or go alphabetical. The alphabet traditionally started with the letter A those days, but some typewriters started with the letter Q, which made things a lot more complicated all the sudden.

When the internet thingy made its entrance, you could always spot the rich kid of the group, he would always suggest to go to his home instead of the library, to do the search on their computer.

Once there he would start up the big grey box, and start switching cables from the phone to the grey box, because phones those days had a couple of cables or wires going in or out of them, some straight, some curly, some straight after being curly at first, phones didn't have melodies or music tunes to let you know someone was trying to call you, they had a ring, "give me a ring" we'd say... Anyway, the cable from the phone went into the grey box and you heard a weird noise, which ended with a ping most of the time, which was also a way to see how fast your internet was, "how many pings do you have?" we'd ask...

Anyway, better one bird in the hand than no hands at all, I always say...

SirVicaLot · **Reply #12 on:** November 01, 2019, 12:17:47 AM

gerleatherberman · **Reply #13 on:** November 01, 2019, 05:42:02 AM

Great thread, spudley112!

I always make it a point to answer each thread someone starts that asks questions or needs photos/information. Telling someone to "go do a search" is pointless, because then a search just turns up hundreds of threads saying to use the search, with only one true thread with relevant info. MT.o is amazing. Thousands of threads addressing similar questions, but each with nuance and views that only add to the richness of the site's depth of knowledge. I too shake my head at "go do a search" tirades. Answering each threads, as redundant as it may seem, adds to the wealth of accumulated threads.
I also love MT.o's policies regarding thread closures. Only after many options to remedy a problem have been exhausted, a thread gets closed. This site is so amazing in how few of us ever get truly out of hand. I admit to an occasional rant or two, but always do what I can to make things right. A trait very many MT.o members share. We have our disagreements, but cordially addressing eachother is so much more effective than letting hostilities mount up.

What originally attracted me to the site is that I perceived no flaming or obvious feuds. Disagreements are seemingly handled more objectively here, and a lot of us grow from trying to see other's perspectives on things.

Luckily, I like any brand that offers reasonably useful and reasonably well made tools, regardless of steel type.

Anyway, you're so right in your assessment of this site and its' members, and it is an honor for me to be part of the MT.o family.

Edit:
I'd like to note one negative aspect of MT.o. Since there is no brewed/brewing hatred from most members of other brands they don't care for, a lot of us end up spending lots of money trying different brands(though it is really more positive than anything in truth).

comis · **Reply #14 on:** November 01, 2019, 07:19:23 AM

Can't say it any better, and can't agree with you more!

This should be a sticky for the welcome forum...

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #15 on:** November 13, 2019, 01:07:28 AM

Spudman, you know this is how we operate, and how we always operated, from the moment I was given the keys to the old SOSAK forum over at KF. We brought all the cool old forum members over here when things started to change at KF, and, with that kind of atmosphere, new folks started to fill in the gaps and make it better.

However, there is a drawback to that- with no haters, no easy targets, no inter-fanboy rivalry (hatred), we have not got the huge post count that you get on the other forums. This meme, old as the internet itself, is the absolute truth:

When people are convinced that they are right and the other person is wrong, they will post back and forth for hours to prove their points to other people that have become so defensive over their opinion that no amount of "logic" will change it. they drag in other people and BOOM... busy forum.

Then that huge post count attracts Google spiders, which rank the site higher, which drags in more people, most of whom entrench themselves in one camp or the other, and they join in the fracas, posting feverishly about how much better their opinion is than any other, and the cycle repeats, one order of magnitude higher than the previous cycle.

KF was, in it's heyday, cranking out about 1,000 posts per day, and was a relatively tame forum compared to some others I could (but won't) mention. We have been averaging just over 400/day, but I guarantee we could exceed 1,000 posts per day if we removed the No politics, no religion rules, and started pushing one brand over the other.

And it would be good for MTO, at least on paper, because our ad revenues would skyrocket along with the post counts.

But it wouldn't be MTO, and that's just not a sacrifice I'm willing to make. I like what we have here. It's not the biggest, it's not the busiest, but, whatever it is, it is all ours.

Def

Mechanickal · **Reply #16 on:** November 13, 2019, 08:52:25 AM

Yeah well...
We could do with more coffee machines around here though

VICMAN · **Reply #17 on:** November 13, 2019, 02:06:26 PM

Quote from: spudley112 on October 28, 2019, 07:09:40 PM

I just wanted to take a moment to say how much I appreciate the folks in this forum. It is always a nice respite from a lot of the other forums I visit. The way people conduct themselves in this forum is a much needed relief from the current forum phenomenon.