H&R Forum Rules -- Courtesy and Restraint

[Johnny Guest]

We've gotten along for some time in Handloading and Reloading forum with only one "local rule." That had to do with the posting of heavy loads. It has been floated at the top of the forum since the first , and it has generally been closely observed by the membership, and for that I am grateful. H&R is a technically oriented forum, and most discussion pivots around techniques and asking questions and giving suggestions on how to solve problems. Compared to a couple of other forums, this has been a quiet, peaceful, backwater on THR. This suits me very well, being basically lazy and not caring to do any more moderation than absolutely necessary.

I've recently become alarmed that H&R has sometimes deteriorated into a bickerfest, with some notable examples of discourtesy. It seems that most of the really acrimonious disputes recently have concerned progressive reloading presses. Brand loyalty is one thing, but this has become reminiscent of Ford vs. Chevy, AR vs. AK, Glock plastic vs. 1911 steel, or .45 vs. .40 vs. 9mm. Maybe this is my fault for being too laid back, allowing things to take their own course, and simply deleting the few instances of unsuitable language.

Hey - - In a technical forum, when a member asks a serious question, earnestly seeking knowledge, it is not appropriate to make cute little digs, or out-and-out attacks upon the other guy's apparent choice of loading gear. It makes sense to point out if the member is laboring under some false impression. It is only nice to indicate if Brand Z has a problem with the little safety chain breaking, or perhaps that Brand Q's pretty blue paint sometimes fades when exposed to sunlight.

So, here's the drill. Write whatever you wish in direct answer to the question posed, writing about the brand in question ONLY. If Member Joe asks the question, answer Joe. If you have personal experience with that brand of gear, fine, say so. If you personally own a bit of gear that is better in your mind, you may mention it gently. You must NOT belittle or demean the other guy's choice of gear. Do NOT make unkind comments on answers given by other members. You make your answer, they make theirs. It's all a matter of opinion anyway.

It was recently mentioned that some of the more elaborate posts probably take hours to write. I know that I sometimes do a fair amount of research to give a comprehensive answer, and I spend considerable time putting it into a semi-readable form. I trust that most of you are justifiably proud when you post some magnum opus. I respectfully ask that you carefully proof read and edit it to assure that your opinion is stated without any personal attack on any other member, with no silly slams or clever flames. If any exist, your carefully crafted composition will disappear, waft away like smoke in a breeze, evaporate like dew in the desert, go - - Well, you get the idea.

THR staffers do have interests away from the board, and I may possibly miss seeing some infractions for a few days. I note, though, that many members are apparently becoming equally impatient with flames, silliness, and antagonism. More and more are clicking on the little red Report Bad Post triangle. I appreciate this responsible attitude, and I read every one. Be assured, I WILL personally review the material before I delete, erase, or edit anything. Please, treat one another with respect, so that I need not cause your finely wrought writings to disappear.

Some of the older threads combine some problem postings with some very good information. In consideration of this fact, I will not entirely delete the thread, but I will close them. Feel free to re-start an amiable discussion on the topic.

Oh, while we're at it, please discontinue the bandwidth-wasting practice of posting nothing other than some emoticom (smiley face -- or whatever) or "I agree," or, worse, the "+1" entry. If you have nothing to say, please - - say nothing. In that they indicate nothing, nothing will be lost when the post is lost.

To all who are doing well and will help out, thank you all for your cooperation. For those who will not, well, see you around.

Very sincerely,
Johnny Guest