Our roots.

Message

Elia · #1 Post by **Elia** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:12 pm

We would be remiss if we did not give full credit to Shooting Sportsman magazine and their formerly wildly successful Bulletin Board as the genesis of this forum. bbs.shootingsportsman.com was a tool of goodwill and camaraderie that introduced fine gun enthusiasts and resulted in the creation of bonds between sportsmen all over the country who might otherwise never have had the pleasure of each other's company and correspondence.

But, in a galactically puzzling business decision, the powers at that magazine decided to throw away all the goodwill their site had garnered for them. Forgetting who their customers were, management felt it more important to show loyalty to the employee who had succeeded in irredeemably annoying many, if not most, of the subscribers and customers who frequented that site. This error was compounded by management's stubborn refusal to even engage in dialog with people who really did care about the magazine and the BBS and wanted to see it restored to its former glory.

It pleased the SSM management to imagine that the forerunner of this site was implemented by a few disgruntled people who had been banned. This was understandably preferable to facing the fact that they had deeply alienated and bemused a large base of their customers and supporters. The significance of the parody escaped them. So, instead they shot the messengers.

In fact, it was not the case that "banned" started that site. No one who participated in the former site had then been banned from SSMBBS. In fact, almost 100 then-current SSMBBS members joined that site in the few days of its existence. When it went down, a groundswell of emails and PM's began to circulate. These messages begged for a new site where discourse could be free of arbitrary and inconsistent restraint - where people could communicate with each other without fear of some nun rulering their knuckles, while teacher's pets escaped. Many offered financial support for this site which, fortunately, is not needed.

Anyway, you can only kick your customers around for so long before they get fed up and say the hell with you. So here we are.

Of course, collective ire, disgust and ill-will is not a foundation for a community we hope has a long-term future. If and when Shooting Sportsman reaps the final harvest of what it has sown, this forum will probably morph its name and we hope it will carry on as the torch-bearer of what SSMBBS was, and could have been.

Many are saddened by what has come to pass in Camden. But, as with an old bird dog, you realize that he is aged and sick and the quality of life is not there anymore. So you bid a tearful adieu, and get a new puppy.

Cyniczny Optymista · Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:21 pm

It's no Declaration of Independence, or even the Magna Carta but this won't be the first group to grow from oppression to eventually power to be reckoned with.

Boser · #3 Post by **Boser** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 2:44 pm

I agree, there were many that were mistreated. It apears they certainly have ties to a certain Political party so they couldnt have any conservative views.

Boser

pooch · #4 Post by **pooch** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:36 pm

I hope that we agree to change the name of this BB soon. The best way to leave a place for good is to not look back. What we knew as the SSMBB no longer exists. There is no reason this site can't be better then the old SSMBB was in its salad days. Lets gather in the lost sheep, then move on.

steve voss · #5 Post by **steve voss** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:38 pm

Crap, if you're Pooch, who's Amarillo Slim?

curmudgeon · #6 Post by **curmudgeon** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:46 pm

pooch wrote:I hope that we agree to change the name of this BB soon. The best way to leave a place for good is to not look back. What we knew as the SSMBB no longer exists. There is no reason this site can't be better then the old SSMBB was in its salad days. Lets gather in the lost sheep, then move on.

I agree. I think the name serves as a beacon to the drowning for awhile, but in say a month or so, the name can change. Whoever runs this place, how about it?

#7 Post by **JoeZ** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:27 pm

I say let this site mature before there's any serious thought about changing its name, which is an amusing suggestion given that it's less than a day old.

luckydog · #8 Post by **luckydog** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 9:35 pm

curmudgeon wrote:
pooch wrote:I hope that we agree to change the name of this BB soon. The best way to leave a place for good is to not look back. What we knew as the SSMBB no longer exists. There is no reason this site can't be better then the old SSMBB was in its salad days. Lets gather in the lost sheep, then move on.
I agree. I think the name serves as a beacon to the drowning for awhile, but in say a month or so, the name can change. Whoever runs this place, how about it?

How about "luckydogbbs", or "El Mundo's world wide campfire"?

VA12 · #9 Post by **VA12** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 9:38 pm

I think that should be "worldwide." But I could be wrong. Is it one word or two?

Dictionary.com has them hyphenated and joined, but not separate. Fix that. Misspellings will not be allowed.

Mike · #10 Post by **Mike** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:31 pm

See Dog..............you let 'them' into the country, and pretty soon they start tellin us how to talk.

bill higgins · #11 Post by **bill higgins** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 11:12 pm

Who the hell at SSM was responsible for the psychotic Stalinist purges that went on over there? Ralph Stuart? Ed Carol?

They won't satisfactorily explain or discuss anything, so f--k 'em.

...and another thing, all that crap about SSMBB being "their sandbox" really pissed me off...sure, they started it, but it was our (the participant's) sandbox, and they should have butted out, and just let us be...I, for one, never read any post there that a mature man would consider "over the top."...well, maybe once or twice, but that's all. :)

Rufus Scout · #12 Post by **Rufus Scout** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 6:04 am

Ed Carroll was responsible with the firm backing of Ralph Stuart.

pooch · #13 Post by **pooch** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 6:47 am

I think Ed and Ralph expected you guys to come back to the SSMBB, with tails dragging humbled and compliant. It is the only thing that makes sense.

Rufus Scout · #14 Post by **Rufus Scout** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:04 am

pooch wrote:I think Ed and Ralph expected you guys to come back to the SSMBB, with tails dragging humbled and compliant. It is the only thing that makes sense.

Nope. They made it plain to me in an email from Ralph. Fuck you; strong letter to follow. They are not interested in our return. Or mine anyway, which is fine. He's behind Ed 100%.

pooch · #15 Post by **pooch** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:18 am

I'm completely at a loss. I guess they have a new product in mind, a magazine of fine guns and hunting for people that hate guns and support PETA.