Why we post?

[Hunkydory]

More mountains out of molehills. It seems so simple to me. If you don't like particular threads or posters views don't view them. There are many threads and topics here that leave me with zilch and I avoid them. Now Dave's and Dan's I never miss and though I don't always agree with what they say, I always either learn something from them or are humored by them and of all the people on this site they are on the top of the list of fellow C-Brats I would go out of my way to actually meet and share some boating adventures or just sit and shoot the bull with. The thought of being confined with some I've heard share opinions here would have me jumping overboard. From some of these discussions and debates I've learned who it might be best to avoid if we ever do make another one of those gatherings, because from the one gathering we did make we sure discussed a whole lot more than just boats and boating.

I joined this site in early 2005. Bought our CD in 2003 and made our first two adventures with no previous boating experience and accomplished it with no knowledge of or help from this site. When I found this site I was under the impression it was a site for people who owned and adventured with there boats just like we had and wanted to in the future and this was the site for sharing the information to do just that. Boy was I delusional. The interest here is mainly social and technical with a few interested in actually going and doing. I've had to make the adjustment to site reality and accept the fact that most boaters here did not leave mountain exploring and cruising on horseback and foot due to there aging bodies to enter a boating world where the same type of adventures could be done only now in comfort. This would be a most boring site if all we discussed or shared was boating and its technical aspects. The diversity and yes sometimes even the conflict among us is what keeps me coming back for more. With out Dan or Dave I'll find more useful things to do else where too.

Jay

 

[dogon dory]

...As I advance in my years, I find that ideas different than my own, challenge me to think a bit deeper about what is going on around me...

Ditto. Some time ago, it finally occurred to me that I was smartest that I was ever going to be when I was 18 years old. Ever since then all I've done is to discover more and more the depth of my ignorance.

Frankly what I've gotten out of "the pub" has been some of the insight gleaned from discussing the more controversial subjects. To understand how/why others think the way they do. For me the payback is to try to share my knowledge and experience with those seeking help. But frankly there are plenty of other experienced boaters around here and enough information in old posts that can be searched that the cost/benefit equation probably doesn't make sense to many any more.

Everyone has their point of view. I'm constantly amazed how some people get self righteous defending an environmental issue and feel like they are under personal attack if someone dissagrees with them. Then the same people will turn around and make disparaging comments about all the big bad industies that many members on here work for and feel perfectly justified regardless how it makes others feel. It's all a matter of perspective isn't it? Presupposing what others should or shouldn't do or say is a slippery slope. We can make ourselves feel better by calling it political correctness. When I went to school they called it something else.

There is nothing that dies so hard and rallies so often as intolerance. The vices and passions which it summons to its support are the most ruthless and the most persistent harbored in the human breast. They sometimes sleep but they never seem to die. Anything, any extraordinary situation, any unnecessary controversy, may light those fires again and plant in our republic that which has destroyed every republic which undertook to nurse it.

I look upon those who would deny others the right to urge and argue their position, however irksome and pernicious they may seem, as intellectual and moral cowards.
William E. Borah

 

[colobear]

I'm not a particularly "old-timer" on the site, just about three years, but I really value the site and the denizens thereon. I almost always learn something new when I venture onto a boating thread that has an interesting title. I have shamelessly pirated good ideas from people who know a whole lot more than I do about boating in general and C-Dorys in particular. I know I am a safer and more knowledgeable boater because of this site. I bought my C-dory because of the boat but also because of the people, community support and knowledge on the site. When a topic appears with an unclear title I'll usually check it and if it isn't interesting to me or is a rant I'll usually just avoid it in the future. There are certain topics that I'll always steer clear of, they just seem pointless to me. I focus on boating, technical stuff, great stories, i.e., Bill and El, Wild Blue, Hunkydory, and stories about the other coast. There are people on the site with whom I certainly would have real differences. I'm quite happy to interact with them when the topic is boating but I really try to avoid getting sucked into what seems to me to be pointless gotcha or chest thumping games. In a way our very linkage and common interests are a kind of trap, after all this site is full of people whose opinions I value and whom, therefore, I want to convince more than some stranger on the street. So..I might be tempted to just make sure they know my thoughts on the world in general. Personally I hope the site will continue to be a great reference library and "pub" for boating discussions. As Dave S. said, when there's a conversation in the pub I don't like, I just don't go there. I guess being a fairly old fart I've gotten over the need to be right or best or to beat others over the head with my ideas and to attack them personally when they disagree. I wish we could avoid the hot button issues that get people steamed up and threaten the viability of the site but there are always going to be those who just have to get things off their chest. And when they do so, I really wish we could avoid attacking the person because of the ideas they hold.

 

[DaveS]

I pride myself in having four families. My family at home, my church family, my work family (we eat, sleep, work, laugh, and irritate each other on a 24 hour basis) and my C-Brat family.

In any of the above mentioned families, if tragedy strikes, or joyous occasions present themselves, we all know from past actions demonstrated by this group that differences fall by the wayside and we pull together to try to make the lives of each other better.

Now is certainly an opportune time to thank my C-Brat family for being a part of my life.... :smile .

Thanks!
Dave S.

 

[oldgrowth]

Bill – before I go into this post, I want to say, I have a lot of respect for you and Mike for starting this group and putting up with what I know is a difficult task of monitoring and maintaining this site.

Thank you.

Now the hard part for me.

There is a real good chance this will be my last post, so I won't hold anything back.

For everyone that does not want this type of post there is one that does want it.

You are so wrong...the sh*t disturbers in society, always have an exaggerated opinion of their popularity. This is no different.

You grossly overestimate the interest in these contentious and divisive posts. Every single time I lock one of these threads, I get TONS of PM's thanking me.

I can count on one hand, and have fingers to spare, the number of times I've received objections.

I keep trying to read context in your post where you did not mean to call those that participated in controversial post as “sh*t disturbers”. But when you said “This is no different.”, it sure appears you meant it. If you did mean it, it hurts, but I will get over it. For the others that posted on this thread and participated in controversial post (Dan, Tom, Larry, Jay, DaveS) and most others, I would not classify them as sh*t disturbers and you owe them an apology.

Now a quote from you on the 29th of February from another thread.

And if you choose to not buy one, you should move on to another pub?? :sad

I've never got that impression from most posters within this site.

Your observation is correct. Everyone is welcome here, regardless of what boat they own, or wish to own.

We routinely get into detailed discussions related to boats other than C-Dory. The current thread on the Seaway, and previous threads on the Caledon are great examples that many of us find interesting. Some people seem to have a bug up their butt about it, but so what? It's just another minor distraction. People grumble about all sorts of things around here.

While this site is targeted at C-Dory owners, there are numerous brands of boats that appeal to the same general audience, and discussions of them are inevitable. Folks came into the C-Dory family having owned other brands, and folks move on from C-Dorys that have different needs.

So, as we've said many times - have at it. Folks can talk about virtually anything they want around here...as it should be.

I added bold type to your last sentence for emphases.

It is yours and Mike's site, so you make up the rules, but I think the members should know what they are. If you decide to go by your statement above, then those that don't like controversial issues should not read them. If they do, they should not complain about them. Like Mike said some time ago, if they don't like them, he could fix it so they can't see them.

Some of us can discuss these subjects and vehemently disagree and still remain friends. I consider Roger (SeaDNA) as one of my best friends on this site, but he and I have had some pretty heated discussions.

Fred – you do not owe me an apology for anything. I based my statement to you on a PM you sent to me and the timing of this thread. If I was wrong, I am sorry. I wish you the best.

Good luck to everybody here and have some great boating adventures. I will still be with many of you through these threads, as I will continue monitoring them from time to time, but will not do any posting.

For those that believe in God “May He always be with you in your adventures”
For those that don't “May your faith in whatever you believe, not let you down.”
________
Dave

 

[jhwilson]

Even though I check into the C-Brats site almost everyday, I only clicked on this thread a few minutes ago. It sadly reminds me of another website I belong to consisting of those of us interested in a certain brand of travel trailer. These types of concerns pop up there much more often than here and I've often attributed it to the fact that the RV site has many more rules than the simple one here.

Over the years my best friends have tended to be people who disagreed with my general approaches to basic things in life. I have often thought that those people were much more interesting than those who believe, more or less, much the same as myself. After all I already know what I think, how interesting can it be to hear it repeated over and over? Based on these relationships of mutual respect, I have honed and even changed some of my beliefs and I think my friends would say the same.

Although I am not yet a C-Dory owner I hope to be. A big part of that ownership would be to continue to be a part of this great site. I have appreciated most all of the topics discussed here, boat related or not. If and when I don't want to read a certain thread I can allways simply skip it. I think the one rule works very well.

Harper

 

[Da Nag]

For the others that posted on this thread and participated in controversial post (Dan, Tom, Larry, Jay, DaveS) and most others, I would not classify them as sh*t disturbers and you owe them an apology.

Absolutely, Dave - I apologize for my sh*t disturber comment. First, to you and startcrafttom, who were the targets of my indirect insult. Second, to anyone else participating in the thread, who may have assumed my comment was directed at them. And lastly - for my making the inappropriate comments in public. Not only should I have used different language, but I should have taken any issues/concerns I had to you two privately.

As to the rest of your post - sorry, I'm not going to get roped in to this. I'm not going to pick apart, analyze and/or defend comments contained within my numerous posts at this site. Each of them was made within their own context, and many contain simple thoughts off the top of my head. It doesn't take much effort to find a few choice phrases or posts, and frame anyone here as being inconsistent. But taken as a whole, I think it's pretty clear where I stand. If not, I'll direct folks back to this thread, where in several posts I voiced things as best I could.

 

[Anita Marie]

We have all been in the position were we wish we could take back things we have said or done. I am in this position now. I want to apologize to everyone for my post, it was over the top, aggressive and inappropriate.
The saying goes "you can never go home again". In life and this site I guess this is true.
I do truly apologize to anyone I have offended.

Fred

 

[Captains Cat]

I want to apologize too, don't know why though. It just seems like everyone's doing it and I don't want to be left out.

I'm sorry. Now can we get on with boating?? :wink:

It's 74 degrees here near the Chesapeake Bay. Hooray, summer is coming... :smile

Charlie

 

[Anonymous]

Well, this has to be some kind of record, from where I sit it looks like you got two in two days! :?
Mike

 

[TyBoo]

All I got to say is anymore posts that get edited to "..." get deleted. The whole thread goes if "..." is the opening post. I got the latest zapped this morning and will get to the others tonight. If someone feels the need to delete the body of the message, they should please use the little "x" in the corner if it's available and delete the entire post.

 

[ryder]

Sheesh,

What's the matter with you guys? Everyone is taking stuff so personal. Lighten up. I am not even a qualified member although I do own a 2008 22 cruiser. But I am new and havent posted that much. Although when I did I got into a few heated discussions. Many of you seem to go back a lot of years and you have met in person at various get togethers. It seems a shame to stop posting or get upset just because you disagree on a few things. Anyone can be friends during the agreeable times. True friendship endures in spite of controversy, diagreement and differing opinions. Life would be pretty boring if we all thought the same. Now I will use Old Growth as an example although I could pick others. I disagree 100% with his political view, However when I finally get to a C-brat get together I will gladly shake his hand and offer him a drink. You folks really need to stop being so thin skinned.

One last thing...words are not always indicative of their meaning when you can't look into a person's eyes or hear the tone of their voice.

If this post pisses anyone off then I'll buy you a drink as well.

Ryder

 

[james]

question....

what is worse a "shit disturber" or a "sheeple"? or as some call them "jellyfish".


just asking.


James

 

[Sea Wolf]

question....

what is worse a "shit disturber" or a "sheeple"? or as some call them "jellyfish".


just asking.


James

HI James-

Funny you should ask!

You must have missed the point, so I'll fill you in.

This is a BOATING DISCUSSION GROUP not an open forum for rants on political, economic, social, religious, or other controversial issues.

It was created around the community of owners of C-Dory boats to discuss boating topics like boat modifications, repairs, accessory choices, cruising, C-Brat community get-togethers, etc.

The problem we're having (over and over) is that a few members bring up controversial issues and often leave the "Just be Nice" rule and consideration behind as they give their opinion on an issue. These discussions sometimes spoil the tranquility and fun atmosphere that most of us enjoy here in our C-Dory and (recently expanded to) Ranger Tug community.

Now I know you probably didn't know or understand this, so I hope it answers some of your questions. As to whether we prefer a "shit disturber" or a "sheepie" for a member, I don't think we want either one, just a person with come common sense, decency, and courteous manners who's interested in boats and boating. I will tell you this: it takes some balloons (edit three letters of your own choosing) to stand up to these folks and try to keep this site on track for the purpose for which it was created.

Sorry to be so straightforward and adamant, but that's the mode of operation I'm working in right now!

Joe. :teeth :thup

 

[Sea Wolf]

Just another passing thought:

One of the aspects of this problem is that folks have become accustomed to writing anything they want on the massive flood of "blogs" that are everywhere on the web. We have one on each article in our local newspaper, and almost anything and everything goes and is permitted. No boundaries, no rules.

Little wonder some folks here, especially new ones, expect to find here another free-for-all mudslinging match!

Joe.

 

[Larry H]

Joe,

Thanks for your input to this site, congratulations on 4000 posts now!

The problem isn't the pure boating discussions, it's the fact that things happen in life that impact our enjoyment of boating. Things like the price of gas, or the potential restrictions due to the Orcas in Puget Sound, or the state of Washington wanting to tax our tow vehicles on engine size and carbon emissions, and so on. California prohibited certain motors on some freshwater lakes in the past.

If we totally ignore these topics, one day we get to the launch ramp to find its 'closed' due to "........."(insert problem of your choice), or we get a new tax bill in the mail for $800 on our truck and that takes away our budget for 200 gallons of gas.

The problem is people's response to this type of information. Some folks attack the messenger, some stick their head in the sand and say "it won't affect me, I don't want to know about it", and some may be in favor of the restriction. I have found as I get older, that I don't want things to change and sometimes resent being told that change is about to occur.

When the factory started having quality control problems, some members did not want to hear it. They thought that just mentioning it would reduce their 'resale value'. Fishtales could have lost his boat offshore if his 'quality control' problem had gone unnoticed. I think that our discussion of the quality control problem woke up the factory as well as other members to the problems and our C-Dorys are better for it now.

This is like a 'pub' in some ways. When you first go into a new 'pub' you sit slightly away from the regulars, and listen to the talk. Then after getting a feel for the place, you might join into some discussions, but on a careful basis. When you get to be friends with the others, you might mention a controversial topic of concern to you. That's when you really find out what people 'believe'! That's why our mammas told us not to discuss politics and religion with strangers.

I think that people are very edgy now due to things we cannot control but that will affect us all, like the price of gas, the economy, the elections, the war and so on.

I have found out that in this life we can learn something from each person that we meet. It is up to us personally to determine what it is that we can learn from others, even if it's just that we disagree or that we don't want to be like them.

The original 20 or so members has now expanded to 3,000! That is a very large 'pub' indeed. I think it is normal for there to be some controversy in a group that large, but if we actually follow the rule, JUST BE NICE, we can discuss topics of interest.

However, the rule, JUST BE NICE', must be 'self enforced', as we don't have any 'nice police'!!

I hope that all members can look at their own behavior and decide if they are in compliance with our one rule,
JUST BE NICE.

Again, Joe, thanks for all your input on this site, it has helped many folks.

Larry H
C-Brats rule!! JUST BE NICE

 

[james]

"This is a BOATING DISCUSSION GROUP not an open forum for rants on political, economic, social, religious, or other controversial issues."


sorry, must of overlooked where that is posted.

"controversial issues".. I am sure my previous post falls under that heading, I apologize.

keep up the good work!


James :beer

 

[Sea Wolf]

No problem, James!

Thanks for your thoughts!

Sorry I was so abrupt and confrontational!

I'm just a bit on edge with this whole issue and hope everyone understands!

Cheers!

Joe. :teeth :thup

 

[Bess-C]

Hey Guys,
Has anybody noticed. It's now March and Spring is just around the corner (except for Alaska). Crawl out of your caves, get out to your boats and regain the attitude we all love about you. History shows that this crap always peaks around February, a few people get mad/insulted and leave. It's a loss to them and the site. Before you leave you should probably attend a C-Brat gathering and drink a few brews. Then those people that you disagree with will magically transform into nice people that just view the world through a different lens than you.

Bill and Mike, may God grant you patience.
Lyle

 

[hardee]

Jt's just my humble opinion, but I think it can be narrowed down to two reasons and they may have some divisions. (Of course there are probably those who might want to differ with my logic.) That's OK.

# 1 reason: Want to get some information. Like where do I go to get a thingamajig?
#2 reason: Want to share some information. Like where I went to get a thingamajig. Or who went to get ...... Or How I felt after I got a .......

So, I want to share some information. This week I have been posting in a thread called "A Serious Health Issue" information about Sleep. Is it about boating? No, not directly, but it is about our health, and if we have that, our boating will be more pleasurable (IMHO) and will last longer (scientific fact). Since it is National Sleep Awareness Week, I took the liberty (and fed off some previous posts on health maintenance, weight loss etc) to share something that I felt is, or should be, important to all of us. We all sleep, and we all suffer the consequences if we deprive ourselves of it, or if our sleep is unhealthy.

If I put this thread in the wrong place, or if I offended anyone by launching off on this tangent, I am truely sorry. I ment to offend no-one. If I get home tonight and the thread is locked, so be it, I will learn my lesson.

So my C-Brat friends, I'll keep reading, and posting some and looking forward to your posts, and learning and hopefully boating, cause that's what we are really here for isn't it?

Harvey
SleepyC :moon