A little contest

[TommyTree]

Jive Turkey, I appreciate your thoughts, but I respectfully disagree. If it takes a year and a half for people not to take your words out of context and then continue to argue with you about it even though they're wrong, then they aren't putting the person above the topic, they're elevating themselves. And, again, I never said there was anything wrong with that. Forgive me for seeing through the pretense, but it takes a year and a half to indoctrinate the new people, not to see what is actually going on here. I have no doubt that the members here care dearly about each other and have turned this into a brotherhood rather than a forum for those who have been here long enough to "get it." And that's fine. But there is clearly a fear of new people here that is driving this need to put them in their place. So was their someone who seemingly took over the forum with a dominating personality that makes you worried about it happening again? Just a guess, but this wouldn't be the first place I've seen that happen. And again, I don't put a negative connotation on any of this. I just believe in being honest about what's really going on. Because if the members here were really secure, they wouldn't need to get people to do things the "right way," because they would realize the forum is going to be what it's going to be. And maybe there would still be some hazing, which is what I suggested at the start, but it would be in good fun rather than out of the insecurity of the members. And you're going to try to say that I'm insecure and that I'm defensive and that I don't "get it," but we're grown men, and can't we be honest with each other? Even if the actions don't change — and I never said that I wanted to change anything — I think you would have a lot more fun if you went about this with honesty about your motives here.

[ashauler]

Jive Turkey, I appreciate your thoughts, but I respectfully disagree. If it takes a year and a half for people not to take your words out of context and then continue to argue with you about it even though they're wrong, then they aren't putting the person above the topic, they're elevating themselves. And, again, I never said there was anything wrong with that. Forgive me for seeing through the pretense, but it takes a year and a half to indoctrinate the new people, not to see what is actually going on here. I have no doubt that the members here care dearly about each other and have turned this into a brotherhood rather than a forum for those who have been here long enough to "get it." And that's fine. But there is clearly a fear of new people here that is driving this need to put them in their place. So was their someone who seemingly took over the forum with a dominating personality that makes you worried about it happening again? Just a guess, but this wouldn't be the first place I've seen that happen. And again, I don't put a negative connotation on any of this. I just believe in being honest about what's really going on. Because if the members here were really secure, they wouldn't need to get people to do things the "right way," because they would realize the forum is going to be what it's going to be. And maybe there would still be some hazing, which is what I suggested at the start, but it would be in good fun rather than out of the insecurity of the members. And you're going to try to say that I'm insecure and that I'm defensive and that I don't "get it," but we're grown men, and can't we be honest with each other? Even if the actions don't change — and I never said that I wanted to change anything — I think you would have a lot more fun if you went about this with honesty about your motives here.

And again, you choose to ignore questions put directly to you, and instead opt to promote your view of the nature of this forum. No one here has taken your words out of context.

What has happened here is very simple:
You were asked a direct, simple question.
You chose to answer it with a direct and personal attack.
Then you compounded your initial error by expanding your erroneous conclusions with this, expanding your attack to the general membership of the board:
"But maybe it's not that you didn't understand the thread. Maybe it's just my turn for the hazing that everyone seems to get. If that's the case, you'll find it hard to harass me. I roll with it pretty well. But please, keep trying."
Now you are continuing your attacks, concealed as righteous indignation, and touting yourself as the light-bearer for mistreated newblets.

The absurdity of your position is obvious to most, will soon dawn on others, but, sadly, I think it will be lost on you.