How do you use the High Road?

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Anthropologystudent

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Ladies and Gentlemen of THR!

My name is Daniel, and I'm a senior at the University of North Texas. I'm currently enrolled in a class entitled the "Anthropology of Virtual Communication," and as part of the curriculum, I am to choose a website and try to study how much the website and interactions through the website affect every day life.

I have been a long time browser of this forum, but this is my first foray into posting. The general gun discussion forum has tons and tons of information being slung around, and I'm curious to know how the site has affected your life? How much have you learned here? Has it helped you? Has it hurt?

Any stories about tricks you've picked up from the forum to improve your skills, safety, ways you've saved time and money, etc, I would really like to hear about.

If any users use this site for information about potential purchases, or access the site from mobile media such as smart phones or WIFI capable ipods during gun shows or shopping, I'm particularly interested.

I would love it if anyone were willing to be interviewed about their use of THR, preferably via a video messaging service such as Skype. All interviews are for academic purposes, and anonymity will be maintained, all transcripts of the interviews will be destroyed after the research project is submitted. My article will NOT be published or read anywhere but in class at the University of North Texas. The interviews are a required portion of my research, and I assure you that it would take no more than 10 to 20 minutes of your time.

Respond here with any questions, or if you wish to participate in the interviews, send me an email at [email protected], and include whatever messaging services you have at your disposal.

Also if you don't feel like submitting to an interview, but wish to share information with me, feel free to post here or email me. Every little scrap of information helps me!

Daniel
 
Daniel, over the years THR has been a wealth of knowledge and a valuable resource for me. It has help me make decisions on firearms and reloading equipment/component/recipes. It has opened my eyes also on how others in different parts of the country hunt and view the purpose of their firearms. It has shown me that many firearm owners have much more knowledge of firearms than I do. It has shown me also how little knowledge many other firearms owners have of their weapons and how to use them properly. It has also shown me how lucky I am to live where I live.
 
Daniel,

I'm a college professor, and the class sounds like something I'd like to teach!

Before I started frequenting THR and similar sites, I had my CCW but rarely carried, and I did not reload. I was a fairly good shooter but did not really understand shooting dynamics or ballistics: I could hit targets but could not explain how I was doing it.

Thanks largely to folks on THR, I learned ways to adapt my thought processes and address my concerns about shooting, carrying, and reloading. I'm happy to say that interacting with many fine THR denizens has helped make me a better shooter, a competent reloader, and an informed, confident armed citizen.

It has also influenced me to quintuple my personal collection.
 
buck460XVR, cover's many of my same thoght's, and feeling's. One of the advantige's of THR, is I, can access it from anywhere with the use of my smart phone, and my laptop's wifi. This allow's me to have sense of home, and follow a large part of my life with other's who feel the same way that I, do about firearm's, and reloading. I, have never used any of my devices during shoping, but have used them to shop, and order prouduts.
 
I've closed the other three threads. Feel free to discss any aspects of using THR in this one. We don't need a thread for each section.
 
Daily interaction, huh?

Well, I check THR each morning along with the other sites I frequent from my computer. I browse the forums on my phone when I'm bored or in class. I just enjoy reading and helping here. I ask questions here that I wouldn't ask anywhere else, just because of the nature of the responses (If I ask what type of .45 is good for small black bears, I don't want 50 posts saying "10mm" and none answering me... that kind of thing). I got a lot of shooting tips from other shooters and YouTube, not here, but I pass that along whenever asked or I think a person could benefit from that information. Most purchases I make are researched here beforehand. I really like this site. It's up there with only a few others that I actually like to visit regularly.
 
Daniel, if you are looking to collect numerical information then you might create a survey via SurveryMonkey and invite THR members to participate. As you probably know there are a number of gun boards and forums out there, and each has its own focus, such as the CZ forum, Smith and Wesson and The Firing Line. All might offer various inputs to your research.

As for me, I have used THR to learn about a number of firearms-related information, some of which has caused me to act, such as the "cult of the CZ" :) and some of which has been just very informative where members have helped me to date old guns and provide information. It also serves as recreation reading.

I also use THR as a source on 2nd Amendment issues, something that has interested me since I was in college. It's not a vocation or even an avocation, but still holds my interest.

I access THR from my iPad and a laptop. Just yesterday I downlaoded Tapatalk to my iPad so I now use that rather than Safari. Much better IMO. And I check THR daily. Sometimes hourly. ;)
 
I'm curious to know how the site has affected your life?
Click to expand...

Thr has enriched my life beyound anything I could imagine.

I came here as an already old and accomplished gunny. What I got here was a fellowship of like minded friends, many who I got to know and meet, and many I communicate with regularly.

It has become part of life. Here I can learn, teach, support, get supported and even agree to disagree in a civilized adult culture.
It is a virtual based circle of aquaintances much like the church socials of my youth. I liken it to a large nieghborhood where so many different people of different backgrounds, ages, and diverse experiences come together bound by a commom interest.

It means a lot to me.
 
THR is Gun College

Welcome Daniel. I started up on THR back in 2008 just after finishing my masters degree. Naturally I was having a hard time finding a degree appropriate career due to the economic downturn. I scrapped by on odd jobs for months just to pay rent until one day when I strolled into my LGS/Pawn Shop. I didn't have any money but asked the store owner if I could haggle on an 80 Series Gold Cup anyway (being a previous gun and parts customer he kinda knew me (I built 1911 parts guns for fun in college... when you could still get cheap parts on eBay..)) anyway, he said yes, we went through the motions and agreed on a price, I sighed, he laughed.. and I sulked out the door... I was just about to start the engine when he came running out after me and asked if I'd be interested in working there as a clerk. Well, DUH! a reliable full time JOB! I really didn't know rifles or shotguns.. even much about most hand guns... My mind had been on a career position at my university as an Academic or Study Abroad Advisor.. Hell yeah I'll take a temporary gig at a gun shop!

I probably stumbled upon this site during my first few weeks of work, trying to google about some gun or another..(the first 6 months of the job was mostly learning and doing A LOT of cleaning- 10 years of dust and 20 year old inventory) I don't remember any details of my early visits to THR but I obviously found this site to be an awesome resource because it has become my first, go to place for firearm info!

My start on THR was rocky, I was banned a few times over politics and general a$$ishness.. Being slightly left of the political center, I naturally chaffed at the right of center majority here. (to top it off having just left college I was very opinionated and geared for a debate) I never really started a "hot" thread but was very prone toward speaking up when I thought someone was being an idiot. Cut me some slack though, it was 2008 and there was A LOT of Obama tin-foil. :rolleyes: (him being a Muslim.. birth certificate...)

As expected I chaffed with some real-life customers over the same issues which is NOT good for business (again, it only happened with the most vocal of the tin-foil crowd) My jets cooled over time and my customer interaction much improved. I know for a fact it was due to THR- The knowledge and experience here WAS WORTH ENOUGH for me to eat crow and play some ball. I'm only 35 and I know my knowledge pales in comparison to some of the guys on here. (I want to go camping for a week with 1911tuner, Old Fuff, Python Elite, Oro, and a host of others for a gun history/gun-smithing orgy on 1911s and S&W revolvers :)

Anyway, three years later and I now manage the shop and am in line to buy it in the next few years. The store has been cleaned, modernized with computerized, scannable point of sales (seriously, when I started at my shop the cash register was a glorified cigar box :eek: cash counts were NEVER done, no money tracking...) ... Modern inventory and inventory tracking controls... and I have added new distributors and doubled our new hand gun selection. Business is better than ever, customer service is through the roof, and next month I am holding our first women's only class in our in-door range. (most of these gun business advancements are due to research on THR)

This is my life as I know it- You never know where the winds will take you-

Where I am in life now is due to:

Having excellent parents! (Dad damn near forced me into the Boy Scouts.. I really didn't want to at first but the structure, the arts of manhood, the outdoors really sucked me in! I took it all the way to Eagle.. Dad knew best!)

Growing up in my parents small town Drug Store (seeing how a successful business is run)

My education (curiosity, analysis, procedure, developing git r done attitudes)

Several study abroads in Asia (haggling! a special skill.. seriously, in Asia people laugh at you if you don't haggle over a price.)

Working 4 years for Wells Fargo as a Teller during my college undergrad (Cash flow handling, VERY important in a Pawn Shop!)

And Finally The High Road.ORG (THR) As an MD has his medical texts, I have THR- The site is really THAT good. Use the search feature and you too will see the light. (The tremendous knowledge base, a whole lot of fine folk that I disagreed on politics with but learned to find a happy medium here which translated to much better relations with my customer base.) There is NO way I would be as good as I am at my job without this resource.

There are undoubtedly other reasons why my life is the way that it is- But on this lazy Sunday with nothing better to do, these are the points that come to mind... Sorry, I've blathered so much I can't remember the OP or my reason for posting this... I'll press post anyway.. off to re-read the OP :p

Edit to add: And I have to give a lot of credit to the man I work for. He is a very kind and understanding man whom I have the up-most respect for, I count him as a rare best friend. I owe him a a lot!
 
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THR?

It's my gun magazine written by people who aren't generally paid for product placement.

It's a decent conversation for me, as I'm typically either limping along after my 3 kids, or too sore from doing so all day to go out and be sociable. I have about a 4 block walking range, meaning THR is one of the few places I can escape "Yo Gabba Gabba" and unending games of "Candyland"... At least till the youngest two are shooting as well.

It's a failsafe for reloading, the odd legal issue, recalls, and the odd bit of activism to help ensure our rights stay intact for my kids.

It's also one of the most heavily moderated forums on the net, and it's refreshing to see what happens when civility is enforced as much as remaining on topic.
 
It's helped me quite a bit over the years. Found it in a search when I first started getting into shooting. Didn't have anyone to teach me so used this as a way to get myself knowledgeable of the culture, tips and tricks, and to ask for help when I got myself into a jam taking apart or putting together a new rifle. Also was extremely helpful when I took the leap into reloading.

Now, I don't use it to ask for help as much as I browse and try to help back. It's limited how often something comes up that I can actually help with but I try to do my best.
 
Welcome Daniel

This is an excellent choice for a survey as THR is the largest General Firearms forum on the internet...as opposed to a platform or brand specific forum.

THR is like a gateway forum for firearms, welcoming members of all genders, ethic origin, religious persuasion, sexual orientation and political leanings.

I see the mission (use) of THR as passing along the accumulated cultural knowledge to newer generations of shooters or folks newly interested in the shooting sports who don't have easily accessed resources (family and friends). It is also a great place to test/verify the creditability of the knowledge or skills you have already acquired
 
It's my gun magazine written by people who aren't generally paid for product placement.
Click to expand...

What he said. It's (for the most part) the most unbiased opinion you can get. If I want to know if gun A is better then gun B, most people will give their experiences/opinions and their reason for picking A over B.
 
THR advice based on experience with a particular product is very useful when deciding on a purchase or if your problem is a big deal or not. The answers often lead to taking say a firearm to the LGS or shipping to the manufacturer.

Prior to internet gun forums, there was no national interaction between owners of the same firearm. Now, you can discover if your issues are common or important. I feel sure the gun manufacturers get more returns due to THR, but less returns for little things.

My skills have definitely improved as a result of knowledgeable people providing advice. How else do you learn? Most of us live in somewhat of a vacuum (socially) with a small group of "friends". The vacuum dissappears with participation on THR.

You find out that you aren't the only dummy about certain aspects of firearms.

You find out that you aren't as "expert" as you may have believed yourself to be prior to participating on THR.

I do not use smart phones for THR access. Up to this point, I have been pretty anti-smart phone in general. But I do use a laptop computer when I am working out of town.

THR is great for learning what might be a better choice when planning a firearm purchase. In most cases, my only knowledge is from handling a firearm at a gunshop prior to buying.

I buy fewer guns just to "try out". In years past, it was kind of like buying a new CD for some band you never heard of just to "try it out". Those firearm purchases frequently end up costing you money for the knowledge and later selling at a loss regardless of what many say here about a gun holding its value.

THR is a part of the information age.

My gun handling safety has improved.
 
I came to THR as a complete newbie who had just bought his first gun.
I knew nothing about fire arms I just knew as a newly wed, I wanted to protect my young family.
I did not know the basics really to be honest as I had no one in my family to teach me as a young boy. Its shown me what a great group of guys the shooting community really is, as well as how patient and accepting they are to new comers.
I've journeyd through handguns, shotguns and now rifles all along asking questions to fellow high roaders. THR started off as a learning tool for me, on how to enjoy, respect, and get better with my new found hobby. It also taught me how to do it in a SAFE manner.
I've used THR to learn about new brands of fire arms, ammunition, and reloading compnents. Ive also used the forum via my smart phone at gun shows to read up on a product that I was considered buying. Some reviews encouraged me to carry on with my purchace while others helped save money on items that were not so good.
All in all its a great place with great and wise members, and will be a tool of mine throughout the rest of my journey through the firearms' world.
I may not post daily but I'm a daily reader.. Best of luck with your project.
 
I picked up a handgun for the first time a year and a half ago. I own a couple now. I know people locally who shoot and even work at two different places alongside fellow shooting enthusiasts (neither job is related to firearms). Welcome to the wild west :D I came across the high road when using google to research different questions that I had. I was immediately attracted to the non-inflammatory tone of the board and stayed when it became clear that the board as a whole does not suffer fools. Newbies, beginners, experimenters; yes. Braggy, preachy nuts: no.

I have found the THR community to be an extension of the group of local gun people that I have met since embarking on this adventure: helpful, enthusiastic, cautious, learned, and thrilled to see a woman and her teenage son join the community.

I use THR to learn about my newfound passion in general. To research possible future purchases, to get different points of view about tactics, training, security, legal issues, and ethics.

I have never spent time with so many intelligent and articulate people as I have here. :cool: I'm a glass half full type of person and I avoid downers and haters and I have seen very few of them here. The people here want each other to succeed.
 
I use THR as a diversionary tactic to keep my mind off the 24/7 care & worrying about a loved one.
Thats how I got so many posts in so few years.

I can't leave the house by myself long enough to go fishing, hunting, shooting, R/C flying, or old motorcycle riding like I had planned to do in retirement.
Because I don't know what might happen if I was gone that long.

Enough said about that.

rc
 
I originally created an account at THR to post information on an old gun I had bought to get more information on it. The firearms research section provides fountains of information. Since then I've gotten information on legal issues, activism, general gun topics and even reloading & handloading.

The members here share their knowledge and thereby make others more knowledgeable and safe.
 
THR is Gun College
Click to expand...
If you want to know about something gun related, someone here knows it. If you just want to talk about your favorite firearm/s, someone here is ready to chat about it. Have a problem? Someone here has the solution. Just want to wile away some time to forget about other things? You can do that too.

It's like the old gun store where everyone hung out and talked guns, or whatever. I have been hanging out here for some time now. I picked THR over other sites due to the civility and wealth of knowledge. :)
 
A bunch of us started this shindig. Much like a bunch of kids building a treehouse in a vacant lot. The core ideas already existed about responsible RKBA, and we added as we saw necessary to get where we are today.

I guess I'm the certified Olde Phart, at age 77. Shot my first .22 rifle in 1940. Got into centerfire with a .30-'06 and began reloading in 1950. A little pistol shooting at that time, and a lot more since then. IPSC, among other games. A minor amount of simple gunsmithing.

I started "running the brush" in the country outside of Austin, Texas as a youngun. I've hunted in west Texas desert country, Texas brush country and down in Florida swamps. Now, my body is getting tired, and I don't do those ten- and fifteen mile walking hunts anymore. But if I want to, I can sit and wait. What old guys have learned is where to sit. :)

For me, then, THR is a place to pass along things I've learned through the years, hoping that it might be useful to the newer generations. Heck, some of it might even be worthwhile. :D
 
I am in some ways less concerned about what people think--or know--here about a certain issue (there can be a lot of "right" answers to certain questions); what's on the surface...

Than about why they think a certain answer is true, or how they frame and think about a question--what goes on below the surface. If someone tells me that the .38 S&W's bullet is actually a different caliber than the .38 Special, fine. Glad to have a surface correction when I need it, but it's not going to affect much.

However, if someone explains to me why I should be looking at a legal question, a safety problem or a SD scenario in a different way? That could make me look at a lot of questions a different way.

And I appreciate that. There are some careful thinkers in here.
 
You won't learn much about "virtual communications" by studying only one website. You will learn about that particular website, but you won't really understand the impact that website has unless you have other sourced to compare it to.

As for THR itself, the only two subforums I use is the General Gun Discussions and Rifle Country. Sometimes I find something useful, entertaining or informative and it's even better when what I find is all three
 
Welcome Daniel-
I see you're in Denton. I hope this isn't off-topic, but you might be interested to know that the late Stephen A. Camp was a 25 year member of the Denton PD.
He was an expert on the Browning High Power pistol, knowledgeable about all aspects of defensive handguns, and a true gentleman. He used internet forums to spread his wealth of knowledge to all who wanted to learn. He died in May, 2011.
RIP

Tinpig
 
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