Deleted thread

[34Hatt]

I do get to NY on occasion and I will look you up on my next trip. There are some good places to eat and I look forward to seeing NY from the waterfront!

Great I will be waiting with my WINGS on

 

[hunshatt]

Pretty amazing, 5 pages of what amounts to a referendum on what the bird added to the site. And we've ended up with a few open invitations to get together and socialize. Seems the bird may have done some good.

 

[dwaynec]

Yeah, I agree that the Bird did a lot more good than he did damage. He added a social aspect to what was at one time a Tech Forum. Prior to the Bird you hardly ever saw much in the way of social interaction around here. Now that has changed and IMHO the change is for the better. As Carl Guzman mentioned, the Bird would sometimes get a ways out there, but he really did try to get us altogether. Many of his posts were well written and interesting to read. Hopefully someday he will return.

 

[Genesis]

There is nothing wrong with the social aspects of things - indeed, I like them.

However, you don't have to be coarse or vulger to have that. This is, at its core, a forum owned and operated by a for-profit business that has a reputation and image to be concerned with. As a consequence there are rules.

Whooping it up is fine, but is it really that hard to do so with some degree of decorum? I have a lot of friends who love to go out and party, and sometimes I join them. But if one of them was a loud, abusive drunk every time we got together, I'd quickly tire of being ejected from the bar by the bouncers along with him. Especially when greater scrutiny got attached to me simply because I was associated with him!

Something to think about.

 

[StratPlan61]

I have to hand it to you Doc - who else could energize 42 replies to a thread which announces you are deleting a thread?? You must be a wonder with your lab coat on - WOW!! I guess with such a midas touch you'll be a super-moderator soon?

Bear'
1984 61' MY Strategic Plan

 

[oldboat]

i have looked through many boat sites and none of them come close to this site. the time, energy, and quality that have gone into this site are far superior to any other site. perhaps for the new year we can all try to live up to the quality and integrity that hatteras and sam's have put into their products and sites.

 

[jim rosenthal]

They made me a super-moderator a while back. I have no idea what that means. I guarantee to you that of the five staff on this forum no one is less computer-literate than me....although I am slowly getting better. I have been dragged kicking and screaming into the computer age. I still don't watch television- too busy. I still have tube audio equipment etc. However, I am about to buy my first iPod.

It is a gift for my godson, who had to tell me which model to buy. The most expensive one, of course.

As far as the deletions go, I have tried very hard not to delete anything that is a legitimate post. I note, to my annoyance, that spammers are getting better at this. We spend a lot of time watching for BS posts/threads and knocking them out. My idea of heaven would be hosting a few spammers on Blue Note- and keel-hauling all of them one by one. At twenty knots.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Too much fuel trying to stay on plane dragging a knucklehead !! Think QUAKER--
a good old dunking chair from the cockpit,while the others watch from the pillory. ws

 

[Boss Lady]

I think a good old Barnacle encrusted shrimp boat would be better! LOL Nothing like open wounds and salt water!

 

[Paul45c]

At the risk of kicking over an anthill that appears to have settled in fairly nicely...I'll do my best to tread lightly but honestly.

Let me start by saying for the record I consider the DirtyBIRD a friend, and I already have some plans to see him in the not-too-distant future. Many others here have talked about having a drink (or more ) with him and had good time doing so. He's just that kind of guy. I dunno -- somewhere he swallowed a 75hp Yamaha or something. I'm sure there are plenty of visitors or new members who have seen cryptic references to "the 'Bird" and wondered what's up. Think "Energizer Bunny" with a good 'ole boy redneck accent.

I followed the BIRD saga from start to finish, and all I can say in the end is that I wish he wasn't gone from his public use of the forum; did he cross the line at times? Sure. PLENTY of times I'd PM him and say, "Oh, are you gonna get it for that, you *(*@#$!" He'd just laugh and go forth and sin some more. Ed G., you're bang on that he was wanting to see the forum change to a more relaxed format. Those colorful posts that crossed the line occasionally in what is now the "tech" forum were evidence of that, as was his going on the record several times about wanting to see something like the sandbar come about. I can think of a good half dozen times he suggested the sandbar, and I think he even came up with the name, of course nominating himself as the "bartender!"

I'll add my voice to the chorus who have said they want their "tech" washed down with a good serving of "sandbar," too. If you have a boat, who wouldn't want both? So when Doug Langley kindly created the Sandbar, I really thought that would be the answer to everybody with a classic win-win situation. It didn't turn out to be a magic solution insofar as keeping everyone happy, but there's no question it was still a nice enhancement to the site, and I think Doug & Sam's should be publicly thanked here again for it and all they do in hosting all of us. I try to be a very good customer of my local Ft. Lauderdale Sam's partly in acknowledgment of all they do online for us. Judging by the crosswise looks I get from my admiral at credit card bill time, I think I am!

I guess my whole reason for writing this windy post is to close out the BIRD chapter my way, because like dwaynec I, too, credit the BIRD with bringing in a lot more of the social and fun aspect IMHO the site was somewhat lacking pre-BIRD. Say what you want, but in retrospect, I don't feel the need to rush back to the computer after just a few hours' absence to see what else was posted. It's almost like a palpable marketing "sizzle" that's missing now. It's a great site still, and there's no way I'd ever want to give it up, but it's missing that little extra measure of "twinkle in the eye," I guess. I still scratch my head sometimes about why it ended the way it did, and I've cussed out old BIRD on the phone for not bending his stiff neck (I don't even know if he's Irish ) and just working within the limits of what the mods want to see and staying with us. BUT...very shortly after the creation of the Sandbar, there was still some of the same kind of criticism that BIRD used to get in the old single forum for off-topic posting, even before some of the threads went totally off-color and random (and sure, there were plenty of those). I couldn't understand those criticisms then (remember, this was on the SANDBAR), and I'm willing to bet a Buffalo nickel that some of the confusion a few have publicly cited here about what's OK to post could be traced back to reading some of that, ahem, debate. The Sandbar was of course subject to normal forum standards of conduct, but as for topic content was supposed to be anything even loosely connected to boating, cruising, etc. Somehow some members still found a way to try to steer it back to the way it used to be pre-Sandbar; sorry, but I just couldn't give that part of our history a pass.

This post is way too long and probably not as clear as it should be, so apologies for the soapbox spiel. We're a great group, there's plenty to share, and I think we all enjoy doing so. Here's to another great year of fixing our boats, cursing our boats, fixing our boats, washing our boats, cruising our boats, two or three orders more of fixing and washing our boats... Happy New Year, everyone.

 

[Paul45c]

OK, and after all that, now I see the BIRD appears to be back. Guess I should read all the threads after being away for a week first, huh?

 

[CARL GUZMAN]

Very good post by Chris and Paul and others Glad to see the BIRD is back and I talked to him about balance and he is in his cage with the door open and balancing on one leg If he squaks too loud I'll get on him and pull a feather or two

It's good to be back myself after a long x-mas break in the Georgia blue ridge area.. and I bumpped in to the BIRD on day to have that BABA QUE we talked about long ago on the forum....Happy new year to all and see you soon at some Hatt Roundezvouse

 

[Freebird]

OK, and after all that, now I see the BIRD appears to be back. Guess I should read all the threads after being away for a week first, huh?

Dang JB, I think I'm gonna cry!

I wish I had read this before I sent you that PM this morning! Forget the part where I said you should sell your Hatt and get yourself a big Bayliner like I did. All those boys have a sense of humor. Hell, people just bust out laughing every time I dock mine at RD!

Okay boys and girls, I appreciate all the kind references while I was in hibernation. Some of you seem to be giving me way too much credit for changes in the forum. Heck I didn't know you weren't supposed to have a good time and talk to each other when I joined up. Unfortunately, once I got started, I couldn't stop! I'll try to be more mindful of that in the future.

Hey Karl, sometimes it's good to hang out in a bar with a loud mouth drunk. He makes everybody else look better than they normally would. Besides, there is safety in numbers. Every once in a while a bouncer gets out of line, and the party goers toss him out!

I'm glad if nothing else I showed you boys that boxers can be more comfortable than tighty whities!

Now, lets have some peace on Earth and good will to men and women, okay? You guys are great, and I've missed hanging out with you. I just got tired of seeing too many members being singled out as guilty by association. Let's all make sure that 007 is just shaken and not stirred. That's the way ole' James Bond liked his drinks, remember?

Oh yeah, to borrow Sky's signature ending, thank you Sam's!