16ga.com ~ View topic - Shooting Sportsman BB

Gentlemen,

The SSBB is folding March 1 2022, a once great sports forum undermined to the point where virtually nobody participated any more.

A real shame.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 07 Jun 2020 Posts: 224

Ridiculous feuding and nasty political arguments ruined the site and lead the owners to clean house and expunge. It never came back.

Altogether rather sad.

I am glad this site has worked hard to avoid the food fights.

Joined: 21 Mar 2019 Posts: 523 Location: Texas

Joined: 30 Sep 2019 Posts: 145 Location: Colorado

Not sure I can answer that and haven’t seen where anyone has. The double gun forum was going down this same path until last year when the moderator slammed the door. He’s kept it closed with (apparently) a few bad actors expelled and a few others under pre-approval posting restriction. The site is a delight again.

As for here, I think Dave’s opening word has a lot to do with it i.e. “Gentlemen”. And that 16ga remains on topic, respectful and helpful is made more amazing but the fact that we’re essentially a self moderated site. Some of you could make a good case that that’s just a reflection of the character of those who carry a 16. I’ll just say…

Bravo, Gentlemen.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1841 Location: Central ND

I believe that political discussions are not healthy and really undermine these firearm forums, unless rules of discussion are rigidly enforced.

I am very happy that 16ga.com does not entertain political forums.

If I want politics there are any number of news organizations that I will watch.

Just my 2 cents.

Joined: 28 Aug 2014 Posts: 924 Location: Eastern Tennessee

The worst drama I tend to remember on this site were those god awful Hawaiian shirts a member wore at the 16 ga shoots up in MN.

You know who you are Razz

Joined: 27 Jan 2016 Posts: 490 Location: Oswego, Kansas

Your being gone for a while allowed the comments about the 16ga shoot and wild shirts to be forgotten. But those of us that were there remember it well Shocked

Joined: 14 Apr 2020 Posts: 144 Location: Boise,Idaho

Wow! Must have been a hell a shirt!

Bob

Gentlemen,

It really comes down to how the forums are run, my buddy Dave Meisner told us who worked with him that there are always bad characters trying to under mine a good business, especially on the Net. The moderators set the tone of the forums/Business, and then the members must abide by the discipline the moderators enforce, or be eliminated from the forum. He knew there were low life people who joined sports forums just to undermine them.

Some people do not like anything to do with politics, unfortunately our shooting sports by their very nature are big time politics, anything to due with a gun is now looked at thru a political eye. In a way every sportsman should be aware of the politics surrounding their sport. The moderators must enforce the discipline of the forums no matter the subject, if the forums is to operate correctly.

Unfortunately there is a lot of work keeping a forum running correctly, here our membership has always been respectful of each other, unfortunately other sports forums have drawn some very bad characters and have payed the price for it.
I hated to see the SSBB go down hill, for many years it was a very good forum, especially when Ralph moderated it himself.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 477

Moderators make all the difference. Somebody has to be in charge. If left to just the posters, any site will degenerate. Banning all political discussion is a good start. The two favorite sites of mine allow no politics and jump on the bitter personal attacks quickly.

Joined: 26 Jun 2020 Posts: 140 Location: Spokane, WA

My mother told me that politics and religion were not topics to be discussed in polite company. She was a wise woman.