Ok, I'm lit up, but.....

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Drjones

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Seriously...

Some have said that internet forums like these are a waste of time.

If that is so true, WHY WHY WHY do the issues raised here occupy my thoughts constantly???

I have learned more here, and sharpened my thinking and debating skills more than I could have in 50 years of school. Really.

You know what? I refuse to believe that these forums are "a waste of time." I feel a sort of bond between us all, I have learned more here in 6 months than I have in 20 years of school.

To hell with everyone else....
 
Free thinkers and those with open minds will find much to learn or at least be exposed to. It is not a waste of time by any means. Even if you disagree with some of what gets posted, you are at least getting the opportunity to consider it.

I've learned much myself. And, I'm better off for it.
 
Be careful, good Doctor... when shooters say "Light 'em up", they're usually talking about something rather worse than being "lit up"!!! :D :ar15:
 
These forums are no more a waste...

...than any other time when you and some friends and acquaintances get together and talk about...anything. Not to sound like, I don't know, Dr. Phil; but talk is good.
No, I don't watch Dr. Phil. How that man got his own show is beyond me.
 
Imagine, instead of this internet forum, a town hall where folks gathered to share ideas and learn from each other.

Would that be a waste of time?:)
 
A waste of time? You sound like Leatherness! I don't think it's a waste of time to discuss a wide variety of technical, political and social issues with a wide (well, somewhat wide) cross-section of other people. It forces critical thinking and evaluation, which are two of the most difficult-to-obtain aspects of maturity. Now, if I could just get that across to HRH Leatherness:D
TC
 
Having Participated in Libertarian Forums in the past and reading the RKBA posts here I have formulated a rather odd mental picture. Imagine if you will that the Internet was around in the 1770's. Then imagine if our founding fathers wouldn't have used something like these forums to communicate with each other. These forums are like the pamphlets of decades gone buy. We don't have the advantage of being gathered in a realtively small geographic area where it is possible to print up a run and distribute it in a timely manner. Someday, maybe, forums such as TheHighRoad will be thought of as the Common Sence of the 21st century.

GinSlinger
 
I certainly don't call forums like this a waste of time. I've learned ALOT from TFL & THR - in the beginning I was on knifeforums.com and ready to get my CCW, thinking I couldn't conceal anything bigger than a Seecamp. I was invited over to TFL and the rest is history.

I also think the RKBA cause has been greatly helped through forums like this - where would be if we didn't know what was going on and couldn't talk to other gun owners from the other states and around the world? We get info on what's going on faster than waiting for a firearm organization's news flyer in the mail. We've staged rallies, called up congresscritters, supported boycotts and more. We've informed and supported each other through tough times. And we've stuck together - traveling from TFL to THR and even opening up other firearm forums to spread our causes.

We've not only broken myths & stereotypes about gun owners, we've converted fence-sitters and antis. We're also a resource on future gun purchases, tactics, and individual experiences.

Some of us have met each other in person and found new local shooting buddies. Some of us have found jobs through these forums and heck, I even found a man. :p And some of us have found emotional support to help them through personal times.
 
Some people need to sober up and then ask this question..:D :D

just pullin' on yer' leg..
Poke.gif
 
I'd rather sit at the computer and read about subjects that interest me then watch the TV for hours at a time. At least here and other forums there is interaction with other people.

I'm a member of 7 different gun forums not including TFL since it's doors are now shut.

It information over load for me, but no where near a waste of time.
 
Drjones,
I have learned more here in 6 months than I have in 20 years of school.
Click to expand...
You poor kid! Do you mean that your parents packed you off to school when you were just 1yo? I thought you were just about 21 or so when you joined TFL last year. :(
 
A waste of time?

You read and write to people. A time honored tradition: human interaction and exchange of ideas. Downright subversive, if you ask me.;)

Hey, what happened to the extreme animated puke smiley?
 
Well, a lot of folks find it much easier to engage in toughtful debate or just plain ol' fun on these types of boards because it is easier than meeting others face-to-face. I am not one of those but this is much easier given the busy schedule I keep. I like it and do not consider it a waste of time because it does allow me to read about things that I would otherwise have no knowledge of.

GT
 
This is a great place to exchange ideas and to spend time just chewing the fat! Where else can you find so many like minded people where firearms are concerned. There are many diverse opinions and thoughts on a subject dear to our hearts. This site is illuminating!
 
I don't give a flying three-fingered damn if someone ELSE thinks these forums are a waste of time or not.

I'll spend my time the way I see fit.

If it's posting messages to boards where I only know the people by their screen names, then so be it.

This is my life. If you don't like it, stay out of it. :cuss:
 
Two of my primary interests are firearms and 2nd Amendment issues. I get information and entertainment from the gun sites. In 2000 I had major cancer surgery(fully recovered now) and I believe the time I spent healing up was made much easier because of time spent on gun sites. I do regret a few of my posts during this time. Seems pain killers made me a little more aggressive than normal!:uhoh:
 
Mike,

I grabbed that line and put it in my quotes file. :) Thanks.

DrJones,

You know the truth: that hanging out on forums like this one is not just fun, it is profitable.

For one thing, you've been armed with all sorts of new ideas and new ways of thinking. That's why it's in your thoughts all the time -- because it is still new to you. When your mind has been stretched to accomodate a new idea, it gains a certain elasticity which you will never acquire as long as you stay away from new ideas.

Another value: when you don't agree with what someone else has posted, you learn how to express your opinion, in writing, and to back up what you believe with solid facts. That's something that most English classes try to teach ... and most of them fail, miserably, because it's just a stale exercise in stupid futility if the topic isn't one that interests you and if there is no one to convince for real.

But the big value is that, by hanging out with like minded folks who really care about freedom, your own fire is kept going. It'd be really easy to believe that no one else in the world cares about this stuff, if you just went by what you see at school or hear on the radio or TV. But by interacting with people of all ages, from all walks of life, who are scattered all over the country and all over the world, you realize that you are involved in something bigger than yourself. And that, in turn, gives you the courage and the drive to speak up for what you believe in, in your own community ... even when it appears that you will be standing alone. You'll be able to do that, in part, because your online friends give you the courage you need to know that you are not alone.

Yeah, it's valuable.

pax

Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are not even capable of forming such opinions. -- Albert Einstein
 
You poor kid! Do you mean that your parents packed you off to school when you were just 1yo? I thought you were just about 21 or so when you joined TFL last year.
Click to expand...

Hey Blackhawk: Remember I said I was, uh, less than sober when I wrote this last night? :p Yes, I am 22...so I dunno....16 or so years of skoo?

Thanks all for the replies!!! I once read on another forum someone who said forums are a waste of time, and that's been bugging me a bit.

I now watch pretty much NO TV: I spend lots more time here. I feel a lot better here than watching TV.

Not only have I learned everything that I now know about RKBA and guns from TFL, but I have learned a lot about political issues.

You guys are right: my time here couldn't be better spent!

Thank you!
A sober Drjones
 
Internet gun forums are far from a waste of time as long as you follow the cadre of 'share what you know, learn what you don't'.

Its those that question what you know and what you are willing to share (in an attempt to bait you and make you look foolish) that totally vilifies the whole purpose and principle of these forums and makes ones participation an uncomfortable experience.

Aside from that, the only other downside is when you have to wade through the incessant parroting of what someone read in a gunrag magazine to get to the more accurate, truthful and useful information. But that is to be expected in this type of medium.

:cool:


Edited to be a little more specific.
 
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I feel a group hug coming on....


I typically hear criticism and skepticism of forums from people that dont use them.

Diesle
 
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