I think OT really helped with the sense of community here. There was a lot of useless crap that people posted just because they could, but there was also a lot of genuine sharing of knowledge and experience that weren't directly related to guns.
Yes, this is a gun board, but nobody can deny the friendships and trust that have developed between members who have shared their knowledge and experience about hunting and recreational shooting for months or years. Many people have met on the boards and ended up making hunting trips and other events together.
If you get together with the guys to play your favorite sport every weekend over the years, is it not natural that you will end up "shooting the $4it" about other things after the game? If one of the team members mentions that he was late getting to the game because he's having trouble with his starter in the old dodge, wouldn't you offer him some advice to help him get the beast working properly again? Of course you would, if you had any experience that would help him.
I can't picture the team captain saying "all you may discuss is hockey, so if your conversation isn't about hockey gear or brawling on the ice, then you are off the team".
If a couple of the younger guys are discussing shaving their backs and plucking their eyebrows, :shock: I'd just walk away from earshot (and remember not to shower when they are around) - I wouldn't expect them to be kicked off the team.
As for avatars, yes it used to make me a bit uncomfortable when I'd be talking to my daughter as a thread loaded, only to have a very ###y picture suddenly appear on the monitor. I realize that she is exposed to stuff like that all the time, so I can live with it. It's not like she can go on the net without coming across far worse stuff all the time. I let her read the occasional good joke that came up on OT and she realized that I'm not surfing a #### site.
GT, I hope you will consider opening it again in one form or another. I sincerely believe that CGN is better with it.
