Okay, so I’ve seen quite a bit of banning here lately. My point now being that I want input: How can we make this forum a better, and safer place for intelligent discussion? Should the Terms of Service be modified to be less forgiving to those who cannot comply to begin with? It seems to be a running gag with people here: Arguing, discussing drug use (Clear violation of the ToS), and know-it-all syndrome. I am by no means calling ANY member out here, but some of us just need to know when to step back and look at the bigger picture. We are on a forum for CIVILIZED discussion of snuff. We’ve been too complacent on watching some of these incidents unfold.
Interesting. Believe it or not, from a newly joined member’s perspective, this place seems to be populated by extraordinarily decent folks. No internet tough guys. No lords and masters (although apparently one Baronet). You might see problems, and of course there might be problems, but snuffers seem like polite people.
There are many nice people here. My point though is that some of the discussions here become a bit more bickering than intellectual discussion.
I understand, sir. I was just paying the compliment.
Typically I believe newer members are the general cause of the unrest. There are some older little napoleon’s here, but for the most part the old timers know the forum and cherish it. There really is nothing to do. Because you can’t enforce manners and common courtesy.
i think its the way with internet forums sadly, and in my time here i have noticed a handful of new members that are a bit out of touch with the processes of manners, patience, courtesy and restraint though they sometimes come round, but then conversely there have been older members that seem to lose these virtues, and sometimes get a bit above themselves. we just need to get along as a community, and allow for lapses in judgement, give warnings then use good judgement to remove those that dont respond. having said that, ive noticed a lack of some of these names posting in the past few months, particularly since the ISTA discussions. i still wonder if the ISTA only portion of the site still exists, and if thats where the members that dont have the time or patience for ‘lesser members’ now reside. anyway, i havent seen much evidence of arguing, drug referencing or know-it-all syndrome in the same past few months, i wonder if stuff is being removed faster than it used to be?
@Firestarter0 the ISTA portion of the site does still exist, but that is most definitely not the cause of the recent downturn in manners etc. I believe that it is simply down to certain members wanting to have an argument. Maybe in their ‘real’ lives they are top dog, but then on here there will be people who don’t agree with them and they don’t know how to deal with that. I think some people just have a very high opinion of themselves and this is not really shared by other members. Really, everybody needs to be a bit more laid back and remember what this forum is about. I have been a member here for 4 years and I love the place, I don’t want to see it torn apart. Ramble over!
@Kentuckysnuff: As I’ve stated somewhere else when “the ongoing troubles” hit us sometime ago, I pretty much agree that sometimes there’s a clear ignorance of the ToS by some of the new members and that they should be reminded of them (though being a rather new member myself, I think we should not generalize this assertions), but I haven’t perceived drug references as a cause for any of the recent bans. It’s true they violate the ToS, but I think the mods understand that when they’re discussed with civility and without making apologies of drug-ingestion, they don’t hurt anyone. The same can be said about religious or political discussion: as long as it doesn’t descend into unreasonable arguments with the sole purpose of making everybody agree with you and is kept in the off topic section, I don’t believe it makes this forum any worse. Anyway, I’m with @Firestarter0 , things like those that are currently happening here are common issues on most internet forums, and there is little that can be done for preventing them. Enforcing the rules on their literality and having the mods censoring and banning to no end can lead to a pretty draconian regime and degenerate into authoritarian excesses. Keep in mind that an open-minded, tolerant (but somewhat chaotic) forum is almost always better than a disciplined but silenced and elitist forum, where the newbies are looked by suspicion and the mods are feared instead of respected. In such a scenario it’s easy to see the post count, point system or date of joining having more weight that what one says, and that would be no good at all. I think the problem is not on the ToS, nor in our interpretation of them.
@MarvinLapsus, I agree except about talking about politics and religion civilly. Less of them the better, it always ends in tears.
@JakartaBoy Yeah, I was thinking that as I was writing it. While they’re perceived as an important part of our heritage that must be studied and preserved, when they’re discussed they produce quite a bigger unrest than drugs, which constitute an apparently “darker” and more controversial subject matter. Quite strange, I must say, that the topics that should relate to “love”, “wisdom” and “civility” usually end up metamorphosing on verbal fist-fights.
The anonymity of the intertubes can lead to behavior that’s not likely in “real life” personal interactions. Name calling and demeaning language towards other members is what gets my blood simmering; it starts boiling over when it turns into bullying. That’s my own demon to battle on my own time, not here among friends. I still can’t wrap my head around how snuff can be controversial. You like yours, I like mine, someone else may hate both. Are we going to start a war over that? I think not. A civil society is self policing. The Amish have it down to an art form. If a member of the community errs too often or too egregiously they are Shunned. Not excommunicated or thrown out. When they encounter the members in good standing, those members turn their backs on the miscreant. There are no words spoken. It takes “ignoring” to a whole new level. My future strategy is this; if someone or something gets too heated or ridiculous, I’m going to call my granddaughter and learn whatever language it is that two year olds speak. When the coast is clear, I’ll happily come back. The vast majority of this membership are great people. Let’s not let a few outliers spoil it for the many.
1 Like
I had a funny experience. A couple of years ago, I went to the Indonesian pipe club’s annual weekend festival, in a small mountain resort town. There was some guy, round as a basketball, piggy eyes, very dubious dress sense. He saw me, started chuckling, and said “I know you. I’m a lawyer. I represented your ex-wife in your divorce case!”. I was just about to tell him that I wasn’t sure I could accept that as a character reference, when I noticed he had a tin of Escudo in front of him. I’d never tried it at that stage, and was quite curious about it. I picked up the tin to look at it and he enthusiastically offered me to help myself. Overcoming some residual distaste, I sat down and loaded my pipe. It’s actually a really good tobacco, a very good Virginia-Perique mix. Comes in these curious little coin shapes, quite fun pulling them apart to pack your pipe. We talked about the use of perique in pipe tobaccos, mainly, and the virtues of meerschaum. Not a bad bloke, really. At the end of the chat, he invited me to take what was left in the tin with me. So I did. What I guess I’m saying is that you can talk quite amicably with all sorts of assholes, if you keep the subject mainly on tobacco, and off the topic of property settlements, gun laws, socialized health systems, the virtues of the death penalty and those kinds of things. One of tobacco’s great virtues.
@chefdaniel brought up “shunning” and that is exactly what I do to members or posts that I don’t care for. Ignoring an attention seeker is a powerful tool and when these folks don’t get their fill of drama maybe they will find another forum to haunt. This is a great forum and it will continue to evolve and hopefully be the premier snuff forum for many years to come.
Is there still an ISTA portion?
When it was being formed I mentioned that I qualify, but nopony ever replied to my query about how to join…
Would that be a white or original portion? 
2 Likes
@slobandtom The ISTA flame on Snuffhouse went out when I got diagnosed with cancer . I was hoping someone would pick up the torch and run with it. You and other members who are interested in reviving the ISTA can certainly try. I resigned as spokesperson ,I felt it didn’t look good for the spokesperson to have cancer. People would blame it on tobacco use and not my field of work and other environmental pollutants i’ve been exposed to.
I see the ISTA has a page on facebook. I don’t know if they have any movement established? I sure he could use help doing something…Not sure of any course of action or direction LincolnSnuff has in mind. It just looks like a facebook group not much action there. Nice picture of sharrow mills.
This forum is what you make of it. building friendships ,camaraderie, sharing knowledge and exchanging pleasantries. I too ignore those who try to push my buttons. I have no interest in politics,religion or the news for that matter. I like to be blissfully ignorant of anything that doesn’t concern my favorite pastimes .
Ah, now I know all! Thank you for the illumination, and here’s to hoping for your recovery (takes big spoon of Sun Kohinoor). I pray for a good prognosis.
I’m new on here but I can honestly say it’s by far the most civil and friendly forum I’ve encountered ( I read most of it before joining!). Don’t know what’s gone down in the past but it’s a breath of fresh air to me. Must be influential too - I’ve never smoked a pipe but last night I dreamed I was wandering around a pub doing just that!
6 Likes