I like it private. Feels like a BBQ night in my fully fenced backyard! Neighbors can smell the tasty meat but cannot have it! And if they try to enter without my permission - I will feed them to dogs!
nice analogy...
Why is CGN private? What do we gain from this?
- Thread starter lonely_wolf
- Start date
nice analogy...
- Location
- California (formerly from BC)
Takes all of 1 minute to register and verify your registration. I hardly see this as being a gated, walled garden when anyone can go through those steps and gain admittance just by filling out a form.
If they can't be bothered to register, why worry about them not being able to lurk silently, and use member created content for their own web sites or blogs without registering first.
I realize this may not seem like a big deal, but we live in a culture of instant gratification. Also, I am certain that I am not alone in the fact I browse many forums for information that I am not registered too. This is not possible here.
This is a sad excuse. Your statement is applicable to anything in society and is no reason to hide what is believed important. This is especially true when so many are fed misinformation by the sources they have learned to trust without question.
I like it private. Feels like a BBQ night in my fully fenced backyard! Neighbors can smell the tasty meat but cannot have it! And if they try to enter without my permission - I will feed them to dogs!
I know you jest- However, considering my screen name has already been targeted, along with the above statement by Until the Angels Fall that everything is potentially hazardous, is this not the mentality in Question?
If we want people to see firearms as simple tools, instead of the media’s ignorant and bloodthirsty portrayal; If we want people to understand and view firearms ownership positively then we cannot be drawing lines.
We should be setting examples. We need to be viewed as no different than anyone else in society.
Normal, boring, everyday- Thereby, accepted.
This is greentips' club. It is not a public place.
I come here to relax, not to argue with trolls and anti's.
Anybody motivated enough to register, will register.
Anybody who doesn't even have the motivation to register doesn't belong here anyway.
I come here to relax, not to argue with trolls and anti's.
Anybody motivated enough to register, will register.
Anybody who doesn't even have the motivation to register doesn't belong here anyway.
Logan_Lamothe
Regular
- Location
- Big River, Sask
I hate to pop some bubbles here, but this board is not unknown to antis. In fact, I am sure they are all over it.
As anywhere else, anything you say here is out in the public. Perhaps it doesn't show up in a search for the general public, but enough rabid antis will read it.
EDIT: that isn't to say it should be opened up. However, I think some people ion CGN have an over-inflated idea of how 'private' it is.
As anywhere else, anything you say here is out in the public. Perhaps it doesn't show up in a search for the general public, but enough rabid antis will read it.
EDIT: that isn't to say it should be opened up. However, I think some people ion CGN have an over-inflated idea of how 'private' it is.
Everything published in 'The Gazette' is edited and approved for publication. Do you think they publish every single letter they receive? Do you think they don't delete comments posted to the website that are racist, violent, or spam?
Argument - FAIL.
-M
BrotherRockeye
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Rural Saskatchewan
I think the op is confused...
CGN is a public site!
Anyone can register to be a member.
Private sites allow members by invite only...you usually only know they exist if you are invited...
registering and being verified by a valid email address is about the only way to stop mass spam and advertising from the billions of unscrupulous types lurking on the www
hope that clears things up for you.
CGN is a public site!
Anyone can register to be a member.
Private sites allow members by invite only...you usually only know they exist if you are invited...
registering and being verified by a valid email address is about the only way to stop mass spam and advertising from the billions of unscrupulous types lurking on the www
hope that clears things up for you.
The main reason why Forums would be made "private" is liability. By this, I take "private" to mean "requires a verification and approval process to become a member".
In the USA especially, it is now commonplace for disgruntled individuals to sue the owner of a forum when they feel that people's personal opinions are libelous.
By forcing people to register, it also forces them to agree to a contract taking responsibility for their actions and words, and acknowledging their thoughts are their own and not the forum's or anyone else.
Another board I am on out of the USA has 2 Canadians named in a $10m Libel lawsuit because they posted in a thread warning people about a service provider who killed a customer through criminal negligence. The owner of the forum is at the center of it, because they claim that he made it possible for these people (over 100 of them) to start the thread talking about this service provider, and it has since damaged their reputation.
One factor in this board, is that it is fully search-able by google, if you type that topic into a google window, that board, and all posts in the thread are fully viewable to all who click on it.
Should a internet chat-board owner be responsible for the posts made by the board users? No friggin' way.
Should people's comments be protected under Freedom of Speech privileges? Damned Straight!
Will unscrupulous cash-grabbers stop frivolous lawsuits? Never.
I think the owner of this board has done a good job at what he needs to do to protect his interests.
In the USA especially, it is now commonplace for disgruntled individuals to sue the owner of a forum when they feel that people's personal opinions are libelous.
By forcing people to register, it also forces them to agree to a contract taking responsibility for their actions and words, and acknowledging their thoughts are their own and not the forum's or anyone else.
Another board I am on out of the USA has 2 Canadians named in a $10m Libel lawsuit because they posted in a thread warning people about a service provider who killed a customer through criminal negligence. The owner of the forum is at the center of it, because they claim that he made it possible for these people (over 100 of them) to start the thread talking about this service provider, and it has since damaged their reputation.
One factor in this board, is that it is fully search-able by google, if you type that topic into a google window, that board, and all posts in the thread are fully viewable to all who click on it.
Should a internet chat-board owner be responsible for the posts made by the board users? No friggin' way.
Should people's comments be protected under Freedom of Speech privileges? Damned Straight!
Will unscrupulous cash-grabbers stop frivolous lawsuits? Never.
I think the owner of this board has done a good job at what he needs to do to protect his interests.
There's a difference between free speech and responsible speech. The first gun forum i ever joined was "shooters.com". It was a public public but you had to register to post. It was great for a year or so, then things got out of hand. Drive by flamings, trolls coming and going. People had 2 or more entities, long term fueds flourished, advertisers left,. Most of us left too. I think the site went the way of the dinosaur.
Most people aren't grown up enough to use free speech responsibly and they need little reminders to be nice.
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I'm inclined to agree with lonely_wolf. Most net forums permit visitors to read the posts. You usually only have to register to actually post something yourself. In fact, this is the practice of every other firearms oriented board that I've seen.
I don't see that there are any big secrets here that antis could exploit (other than the fact that many CGN members can't spell.) Requiring registration to even view the board has a slight whiff of paranoia about it.
The current practice does restrict the potential audience. Maybe this is intended, but I'm not so sure it's a good idea. When I first came across CGN and saw all the headings without articles I assumed it was simply a relic page of a site that had gone defunct. I sent an email asking if it was still active and received no reply. Eventually I registered anyway and, voila, there it was.
I understand the impulse to remain beneath the radar. On the other hand, this clandestine, furtive approach to gun talk ensures that we're always just preaching to the choir and discourages anyone else from learning anything about our favourite activity.
I don't see that there are any big secrets here that antis could exploit (other than the fact that many CGN members can't spell.) Requiring registration to even view the board has a slight whiff of paranoia about it.
The current practice does restrict the potential audience. Maybe this is intended, but I'm not so sure it's a good idea. When I first came across CGN and saw all the headings without articles I assumed it was simply a relic page of a site that had gone defunct. I sent an email asking if it was still active and received no reply. Eventually I registered anyway and, voila, there it was.
I understand the impulse to remain beneath the radar. On the other hand, this clandestine, furtive approach to gun talk ensures that we're always just preaching to the choir and discourages anyone else from learning anything about our favourite activity.
JimV- I was starting to think I was completely alone on this.
I should also clarify what I mean by 'Private' versus 'Public' as there is a definite misunderstanding.
I do not mean anyone should be able to post freely when I use the term public. I simply mean, as Jim and a few others have recognized, that the forums should be visible without registration- Like every other forum I have ever come across. I don’t understand why they are not and I don’t understand what we gain by being so secretive.
Of course one should have to register to post and contribute- but not to read.
Doc M- Fail? Maybe I did not write clearly enough. Either way, you reinforce my point. With the existence of controlled and biased media, why keep CGN invisible? Again, we gain nothing.
I primarily use this site for information. However, it is difficult to ignore the amount of politics and heated arguments over political issues that occur. There is a whole sub forum dedicated to it. However, as mentioned earlier: What good is preaching to the choir?
I am genuinely surprised by the hostility towards allowing the information shared here to be readily available to the curious.
I should also clarify what I mean by 'Private' versus 'Public' as there is a definite misunderstanding.
I do not mean anyone should be able to post freely when I use the term public. I simply mean, as Jim and a few others have recognized, that the forums should be visible without registration- Like every other forum I have ever come across. I don’t understand why they are not and I don’t understand what we gain by being so secretive.
Of course one should have to register to post and contribute- but not to read.
Doc M- Fail? Maybe I did not write clearly enough. Either way, you reinforce my point. With the existence of controlled and biased media, why keep CGN invisible? Again, we gain nothing.
I primarily use this site for information. However, it is difficult to ignore the amount of politics and heated arguments over political issues that occur. There is a whole sub forum dedicated to it. However, as mentioned earlier: What good is preaching to the choir?
I am genuinely surprised by the hostility towards allowing the information shared here to be readily available to the curious.
You truly are dense if you don't see how discussions on here regarding the use and characteristics of firearms could be "trolled" and handpicked for use by the controlled and biased media - which you yourself admit exist.
-M
Doc M- Dense? Not so much. Civil and polite so far, yes. You cannot seem to engage in a conversation without resorting to insults. I hope that is not how you communicate with people when face to face.
Regardless, I will again respond to your statement. Whether CGN is made available to be read without registering or not, the fact remains that those inclined will still continue to misinterpret, misinform, and misquote whatever information they choose. These forms of manipulation continue regardless of what changes may happen here. Furthermore, anyone who does want to use the information on this site for malicious purposes can simply take the few minutes to register and then do so freely (as others have already pointed out). Those who are motivated to demean and prohibit Canada's firearm communities will not be put off by the registration process.
These malcontents are not who you should be worrying about, as there is no protection from them anyway. Making the site viewable does not open us to them; it opens us to those that may not have yet formed an opinion or those (I repeat) who are simply curious. These people will not take the time to register because they are not yet committed. Information is a powerful tool for change. I believe we would gain more supporters if people had the opportunity to browse the forums on impulse and see what a supportive and informative community we have here. What would be wrong with that?
It would appear from reading various posts that most are not happy about Canada’s present anti firearms climate. I, as I’m sure many here, do my best to speak positively about firearms and their use when met by skeptics in the real world. I set an example that firearm owners are regular and responsible people that contribute positively to their community. I grew up in the deep country where firearms were considering tools for survival, not weapons. Everyone had a few and every child who could walk knew how to prove them safe. I share this perspective with those I meet. More often then not because of how I answer their questions I am met with more positive interest. Of course these conversations are rare, but I always take the time when they come about.
I believe CGN could have the same positive influence if it was not invisible to Canadians simply searching for information on the internet. After all, there are many more people exploring the internet at any given moment, than any of us can hope to meet and chat with about firearms in a year.
Regardless of what happens, I will continue to profit from the wealth of information here. I just never understood why the forums were not viewable without registering and I still don’t. I think it is a loss. There are not many (if any other?) firearm websites in Canada. I would think CGN would be proud to take on the responsibility of being a nation’s meeting point and not be afraid of openly revealing itself as the positive community it is.
In the end, maybe I am simply 'Making a mountain out of a molehill."
Of course, I would still appreciate an explanatory answer from one of the moderators or even Greentips himself. So far I feel the majority of responses I have received are founded on paranoia and exclusivity, which I don’t feel are valid answers to the question I posed (or any question for that matter).
CGS- You raise a valid point. However, this forum is sponsored. Only Greentips himself can answer whether the site could handle the added bandwidth.
Regardless, I will again respond to your statement. Whether CGN is made available to be read without registering or not, the fact remains that those inclined will still continue to misinterpret, misinform, and misquote whatever information they choose. These forms of manipulation continue regardless of what changes may happen here. Furthermore, anyone who does want to use the information on this site for malicious purposes can simply take the few minutes to register and then do so freely (as others have already pointed out). Those who are motivated to demean and prohibit Canada's firearm communities will not be put off by the registration process.
These malcontents are not who you should be worrying about, as there is no protection from them anyway. Making the site viewable does not open us to them; it opens us to those that may not have yet formed an opinion or those (I repeat) who are simply curious. These people will not take the time to register because they are not yet committed. Information is a powerful tool for change. I believe we would gain more supporters if people had the opportunity to browse the forums on impulse and see what a supportive and informative community we have here. What would be wrong with that?
It would appear from reading various posts that most are not happy about Canada’s present anti firearms climate. I, as I’m sure many here, do my best to speak positively about firearms and their use when met by skeptics in the real world. I set an example that firearm owners are regular and responsible people that contribute positively to their community. I grew up in the deep country where firearms were considering tools for survival, not weapons. Everyone had a few and every child who could walk knew how to prove them safe. I share this perspective with those I meet. More often then not because of how I answer their questions I am met with more positive interest. Of course these conversations are rare, but I always take the time when they come about.
I believe CGN could have the same positive influence if it was not invisible to Canadians simply searching for information on the internet. After all, there are many more people exploring the internet at any given moment, than any of us can hope to meet and chat with about firearms in a year.
Regardless of what happens, I will continue to profit from the wealth of information here. I just never understood why the forums were not viewable without registering and I still don’t. I think it is a loss. There are not many (if any other?) firearm websites in Canada. I would think CGN would be proud to take on the responsibility of being a nation’s meeting point and not be afraid of openly revealing itself as the positive community it is.
In the end, maybe I am simply 'Making a mountain out of a molehill."
Of course, I would still appreciate an explanatory answer from one of the moderators or even Greentips himself. So far I feel the majority of responses I have received are founded on paranoia and exclusivity, which I don’t feel are valid answers to the question I posed (or any question for that matter).
CGS- You raise a valid point. However, this forum is sponsored. Only Greentips himself can answer whether the site could handle the added bandwidth.
blaxsun
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The EE alone is a treasure trove for trolling antis.
We keep it private so that the spiders won't pick up the content of CGN. It cuts down CGN traffic but from a big picture perspective I think it is good for the firearms community - this allows people to talk more freely.
If this is a openly viewable forum, we will have to tighten up and execute the rules even more vigorously than now.
If this is a openly viewable forum, we will have to tighten up and execute the rules even more vigorously than now.
