Smokers Forum Closing Down

[TallSmoke]

I used to manage AOL forums for a living back in the early 2000's. Right from my home office. I managed three paid staff who worked in their homes and 250 volunteers who got free AOL accounts for helping. This was back when using chat rooms and message boards was HUGE and wildly popular. Getting folks to adhere to the TOS and handling the various complaints and what not was always the biggest headache. It certainly isn't an easy task, especially on a popular forum where hundreds of people participate. Whatever the reason SF is closing down for (I'm not a member, have no clue) I can imagine that if it is a big place one man would grow weary after a while if he didn't have a few folks to rely on. I wonder if he would sell it, like someone mentioned, to another user who has been there for a while and knows the forum? Better to make a few bucks from selling it than closing it outright and make nothing for all your effort.

 

[Number 6]

TallSmoke-I know that Ron has said that he is not willing to consider donations to keep the place going. I know that several people over there have hinted that they would be willing to buy the forums, but not response from him yet.

 

[Midnight Blues]

Sad news, sure makes me happy though that we still have this fine place.
Thanks to all that make BOB a wonderful place to be....

 

[Buck]

TallSmoke-I know that Ron has said that he is not willing to consider donations to keep the place going. I know that several people over there have hinted that they would be willing to buy the forums, but not response from him yet.

Before I left Ron had to figure a way around Paypal to hide the fact that SF was about
tobacco. He did that but I don't know if it worked long term. The donations were
coming in but IMO I think that Ron's refusal to discuss ANYTHING political could have
been his downfall. We're all drowing in politics today cause it is so everywhere in our
lives.

 

[Winslow]

We shall inherit some new members nodoubt,seeing that this is a moderated
forum we shall be just fine.I can't see BoB disintegrating like ASP has over the
years.
"The place where anything goes,sooner or later nobody goes". :evil:

Winslow :sunny:

 

[puros_bran]

Buck, I know you will like me even less for this comment, but I can't help it.... The thought of you getting banned from SF almost made me spit coffee.


Seriously though, Running a forum and maintaining sanity is to much for one person, once you pass more than a handful of members. The Admin should delegate, his headaches would go down tremendously.

I do wonder what he would get a death threat over.

Hopefully he decides not to do it, but if he does I guess that's just one more to remember fondly.

 

[Dock]

We shall inherit some new members nodoubt,seeing that this is a moderated
forum we shall be just fine.I can't see BoB disintegrating like ASP has over the
years.
"The place where anything goes,sooner or later nobody goes". :evil:

Winslow :sunny:

I hate to bash a place that I called home for more than half a decade but I can also call a spade a spade with utter impunity.

BoB's will NEVER turn into anything like ASP as long as I'm here Steve. Though a sad place now, it still has a few remaining members that are world class gentlemen. Ed Duncan, Paul Z, Bert Olten and Art of Mingkahuna tampers come to mind. They also have some lowly characters there such as JTN AKA "Jim the newbie". The constant posts from the trolls (both pro smoking and anti alike) make it a very unhappy environment to subject yourself too for long.

I think the best way to describe ASP is to say that it died long ago but no one bothered burying it and it just really stinks now!

 

[Anonymous]

Out of the guys you mentioned, I only know Art. But he is a hell of a nice guy and belongs with us anyway. I'm never without one of his tampers.

 

[Buck]

Buck, I know you will like me even less for this comment, but I can't help it.... The thought of you getting banned from SF almost made me spit coffee.

Then why say it? Get your rocks off did ya?

 

[dopealope]

Well, after my little temper tantrum last night on SF, I am now officially no longer a member. It was my primary forum for the past two years, and I did enjoy the place.

I can't say I truly understand Ron's decision to just close the place down without letting someone else take it over, but it is his decision.

I after been pretty much inactive here since I registered in 2007, but I guess I need a new home ...

 

[woody]

when I was looking around for pipe forums I think I did run into ASP - I dunno what that's short for but I didn't like it a number of months ago - then I found SF - but I always did lurk some on BoB and now I've been welcomed. Wishing SF the best and kudo's to BoB - it's all about promoting a great hobby and pipe smoking in general.

But it's nice to be welcomed so warmly here. I'm looking forward to all the posts and pipe sales etc. I really feel sorry for the elders on SF; they'll really going to miss it.

w

 

[kilted1]

It is a shame about SF, though personally I never really liked the place, it's a shame it's shutting down. ASP (alt.smokers.pipes the newsgroup) has become a cesspool which I left some years ago. I imagine, there are still some good folks posting there, I haven't read it in a long time. I still participate actively in ASP chat on undernet on IRC and it's still pretty active, having a strong core group of regulars and OP's.

The thing that makes BoB for me, is that it is largely un-moderated or censored, and there is a separate section for the more 'controversial' discussions and 'off-topic' discussions, and the wide variety of on-topic subjects. BoB seems to have room for everything I enjoy sharing with fellow Brothers of Briar.

I hope nothing changes that ...

ipe:

 

[woody]

ASP (alt.smokers.pipes the newsgroup) has become a cesspool which I left some years ago.

ipe:

yes - that's the one kilted1 - just there - and got out real quick. Didn't take long. thanks for the info.

 

[Number 6]

Well, after my little temper tantrum last night on SF, I am now officially no longer a member. It was my primary forum for the past two years, and I did enjoy the place.

I can't say I truly understand Ron's decision to just close the place down without letting someone else take it over, but it is his decision.

I after been pretty much inactive here since I registered in 2007, but I guess I need a new home ...

I missed the tantrum. What happened?

 

[earl]

I missed it too. Dish. earl

 

[Anonymous]

The Knoxboard doesn't exist any more ?

:face:

 

[earl]

I see they just posted that SF will continue with another individual simply taking it over. earl

 

[earl]

It is a shame about SF, though personally I never really liked the place, it's a shame it's shutting down. ASP (alt.smokers.pipes the newsgroup) has become a cesspool which I left some years ago. I imagine, there are still some good folks posting there, I haven't read it in a long time. I still participate actively in ASP chat on undernet on IRC and it's still pretty active, having a strong core group of regulars and OP's.

The thing that makes BoB for me, is that it is largely un-moderated or censored, and there is a separate section for the more 'controversial' discussions and 'off-topic' discussions, and the wide variety of on-topic subjects. BoB seems to have room for everything I enjoy sharing with fellow Brothers of Briar.

I hope nothing changes that ...

ipe:

What was your beef with it kilted1? A bit too tame perhaps? :bom: earl

 

[puros_bran]

Buck & gentlemen... You know what makes BoB so great? Because regardless of what a moderator (former at this point, I think anyway) thinks of you, you will not get banned for personal reasons..

I'll still not condemn SF,ASP,Knox or any other board I have ever participated in... I have enjoyed them all, and learned far more from them than I ever could have on my own. Hearing of a board closing is as painful as hearing of a B&M closing... Its a shrinking of the community's options. That can't be good.

 

[kilted1]

It is a shame about SF, though personally I never really liked the place, it's a shame it's shutting down. ASP (alt.smokers.pipes the newsgroup) has become a cesspool which I left some years ago. I imagine, there are still some good folks posting there, I haven't read it in a long time. I still participate actively in ASP chat on undernet on IRC and it's still pretty active, having a strong core group of regulars and OP's.

The thing that makes BoB for me, is that it is largely un-moderated or censored, and there is a separate section for the more 'controversial' discussions and 'off-topic' discussions, and the wide variety of on-topic subjects. BoB seems to have room for everything I enjoy sharing with fellow Brothers of Briar.

I hope nothing changes that ...

ipe:

What was your beef with it kilted1? A bit too tame perhaps? :bom: earl

What was my beef with what exactly? I can't determine by 'it' which place you are referring too. SF seemed a little too um 'restrictive'? 'moderated'? to me. I think it's sad that it's going (if indeed it is) for the folks that enjoy it. Whatever their 'rules' are, they clearly don't meet everyone's needs, but for those that works for would be well served to find a way to keep it alive, or start a SF II or whatever to take it's place.

ASP the newsgroup, just seemed to me to degenerate into complete chaos to me, endless flame wars, and bickering over whether someone posted 'OT' in front of an 'off topic' thread and other such madness. After about 4 years participation (daily) on there, I had enough. I wish those folks that still participate there all happiness, some probably also participate here, it's just not where I prefer to spend time.

This place is pretty cool, not restricted to ONLY discussing pipes and tobacco, even having an area where disagreement is the 'norm'. :lol: