What has become of Bladeforums?

[bearfacedkiller]

There are lots of great folks on there and the amount of collective knowledge on there is amazing. Many seasoned knife makers frequent the site and I have learned a lot on there. I am often critical of the site but the truth is that it is just a few bad apples mostly. If they could just reel those folks in then the site could be great.

The antagonists on there know the rules and play that to their advantage. They bait folks in and when they break a rule they report them and get them banned. It is that posse that enjoys getting folks banned that are largely the problem.

Stay away from general discussion, the political arena, practical tactical and whine and cheese and you can more easily avoid those trolls. Those are their hunting grounds.

[PStone]

I frequent the Buck forum a lot. Probably more so than the Spyderco one that’s there. And the front porch always has great photos of older traditionals to drool over. I just don’t post too much. I just chill, read, and bask in the knowledge that’s there.

[Ankerson]

There are lots of great folks on there and the amount of collective knowledge on there is amazing. Many seasoned knife makers frequent the site and I have learned a lot on there. I am often critical of the site but the truth is that it is just a few bad apples mostly. If they could just reel those folks in then the site could be great.

The antagonists on there know the rules and play that to their advantage. They bait folks in and when they break a rule they report them and get them banned. It is that posse that enjoys getting folks banned that are largely the problem.

Stay away from general discussion, the political arena, practical tactical and whine and cheese and you can more easily avoid those trolls. Those are their hunting grounds.

YUP, exactly, those are the hot spots.

The only one of those I go to every now and then is the PA to see what the radicals are saying. :rolleyes:

Other than that nope.

[Messermann]

Jim,

I’ve mentioned in forums many times: There are many supposedly “poor” kids out there who are running around in designer basketball shoes that cost about as much as or more than a plain-jane Sebenza. Now, whether they or their parents bought them with illicit money or not, who knows? But they’re shoes! Kids’ shoes, that aren’t even going to last long before they’re outgrown or worn out pretty quickly.

If I really plan to buy a luxury item, I’ll sacrifice other nonessential things, like snacks or drinks or whatever it is that I don’t really need. People would be surprised how much $5 here, $10 there, which don’t seem like much spread out, add up. The money saved (that would have been wasted) goes into a fund for that thing I want. Yes, even if it’s an $80 to $100 Spydie.

Jim

You make an interesting point, particularly given that we are in the middle of Lent. I do everything I can for 48 days to economize. I brown-bag it, my wife and I do our own cooking, and we do it as inexpensively as possible. I walk or bicycle to work (6.7 mile loop.) No alcohol, coffees, haircuts, entertainment, new clothing, etc. I drop the thermostat by 5 degrees. For just myself, I save over $700.00 during Lent. I think I'm going to buy knives with my savings this year.

[Messermann]

That is the takeaway here. The difference is cultural. Sal and Spyderco set the tone here and we abide by it.

The crazy thing is that there is very little official moderation on this forum yet things run smooth and stay civil. Bladeforums is HEAVILY moderated and it is a free for all filled with toxic behavior.

I must be missing something? Every time I post here on forum.spyderco.com, my post is delayed until it's reviewed/approved by a moderator. That's as tight as it gets in terms of forum moderation. Is this just for new members (I am brand-new here)?

[bearfacedkiller]

That is the takeaway here. The difference is cultural. Sal and Spyderco set the tone here and we abide by it.

The crazy thing is that there is very little official moderation on this forum yet things run smooth and stay civil. Bladeforums is HEAVILY moderated and it is a free for all filled with toxic behavior.

I must be missing something? Every time I post here on forum.spyderco.com, my post is delayed until it's reviewed/approved by a moderator. That's as tight as it gets in terms of forum moderation. Is this just for new members (I am brand-new here)?

Yes, that is just because you are new. That practice is rather new here and it is intended to filter out bots and spam accounts. You shouldn’t have to deal with that much longer. After that you should see that Sal, Kristi and MJ take a pretty hands off approach around here.

[James Y]

Jim,

I’ve mentioned in forums many times: There are many supposedly “poor” kids out there who are running around in designer basketball shoes that cost about as much as or more than a plain-jane Sebenza. Now, whether they or their parents bought them with illicit money or not, who knows? But they’re shoes! Kids’ shoes, that aren’t even going to last long before they’re outgrown or worn out pretty quickly.

If I really plan to buy a luxury item, I’ll sacrifice other nonessential things, like snacks or drinks or whatever it is that I don’t really need. People would be surprised how much $5 here, $10 there, which don’t seem like much spread out, add up. The money saved (that would have been wasted) goes into a fund for that thing I want. Yes, even if it’s an $80 to $100 Spydie.

Jim

You make an interesting point, particularly given that we are in the middle of Lent. I do everything I can for 48 days to economize. I brown-bag it, my wife and I do our own cooking, and we do it as inexpensively as possible. I walk or bicycle to work (6.7 mile loop.) No alcohol, coffees, haircuts, entertainment, new clothing, etc. I drop the thermostat by 5 degrees. For just myself, I save over $700.00 during Lent. I think I'm going to buy knives with my savings this year.

Hi, Messermann! Sounds like an excellent plan! :)

Another thing I do when I’m interested in a particular knife is I’ll usually wait on it. Meaning, I’ll hold off at least a month. Sometimes after that time passes, I’ve found that I don’t really want the knife as much as I thought I did, and I’d rather purchase some other model instead. If after a month or two I still really want it, I’ll usually go ahead and order it. I’ve done this several times. This applies mostly to knives in the regular lineup.

Of course, this might not be helpful if you’re interested in sprint runs.

Jim

[Messermann]

That is the takeaway here. The difference is cultural. Sal and Spyderco set the tone here and we abide by it.

The crazy thing is that there is very little official moderation on this forum yet things run smooth and stay civil. Bladeforums is HEAVILY moderated and it is a free for all filled with toxic behavior.

I must be missing something? Every time I post here on forum.spyderco.com, my post is delayed until it's reviewed/approved by a moderator. That's as tight as it gets in terms of forum moderation. Is this just for new members (I am brand-new here)?

Yes, that is just because you are new. That practice is rather new here and it is intended to filter out bots and spam accounts. You shouldn’t have to deal with that much longer. After that you should see that Sal, Kristi and MJ take a pretty hands off approach around here.

No complaints at all, I was just curious? This thread for instance, were it about another knife forum would NEVER be allowed over at BF.

[Messermann]

Jim,

I’ve mentioned in forums many times: There are many supposedly “poor” kids out there who are running around in designer basketball shoes that cost about as much as or more than a plain-jane Sebenza. Now, whether they or their parents bought them with illicit money or not, who knows? But they’re shoes! Kids’ shoes, that aren’t even going to last long before they’re outgrown or worn out pretty quickly.

If I really plan to buy a luxury item, I’ll sacrifice other nonessential things, like snacks or drinks or whatever it is that I don’t really need. People would be surprised how much $5 here, $10 there, which don’t seem like much spread out, add up. The money saved (that would have been wasted) goes into a fund for that thing I want. Yes, even if it’s an $80 to $100 Spydie.

Jim

You make an interesting point, particularly given that we are in the middle of Lent. I do everything I can for 48 days to economize. I brown-bag it, my wife and I do our own cooking, and we do it as inexpensively as possible. I walk or bicycle to work (6.7 mile loop.) No alcohol, coffees, haircuts, entertainment, new clothing, etc. I drop the thermostat by 5 degrees. For just myself, I save over $700.00 during Lent. I think I'm going to buy knives with my savings this year.

Hi, Messermann! Sounds like an excellent plan! :)

Another thing I do when I’m interested in a particular knife is I’ll usually wait on it. Meaning, I’ll hold off at least a month. Sometimes after that time passes, I’ve found that I don’t really want the knife as much as I thought I did, and I’d rather purchase some other model instead. If after a month or two I still really want it, I’ll usually go ahead and order it. I’ve done this several times. This applies mostly to knives in the regular lineup.

Of course, this might not be helpful if you’re interested in sprint runs.

Jim

I very much agree, Jim. Part of the fun of knives to me is keeping a list (categories: fixed blades, folders, traditional pocket knives, culinary knives, swords, "still considering" and "on hold") of wants and then really shopping over a period of time to get the best deal.

One really good tool is the free https://camelcamelcamel.com Amazon price tracker. You can put in a description of anything. It'll give you an Amazon pricing history graph. You can then enter you own "buy at this price" number, and it will email you when/if it ever hits that price.

I've set ridiculously low prices before and sure enough. 9 months later I receive an email. I then spend 10 minutes seeing if one of Amazon's competitors can beat it, and then finally pull the trigger. Almost unfair...

[TazKristi]

That is the takeaway here. The difference is cultural. Sal and Spyderco set the tone here and we abide by it.

The crazy thing is that there is very little official moderation on this forum yet things run smooth and stay civil. Bladeforums is HEAVILY moderated and it is a free for all filled with toxic behavior.

I must be missing something? Every time I post here on forum.spyderco.com, my post is delayed until it's reviewed/approved by a moderator. That's as tight as it gets in terms of forum moderation. Is this just for new members (I am brand-new here)?

Hey, Messermann:
Welcome to our forum. I recently added a thread in the tech support area of the forum explaining post moderation for new members. It's a topic that has come up in that area frequently, but this post is pinned. Hopefully, it will give you some perspective on why we do what we do. viewtopic.php?f=11&t=88927

We hope you enjoy your time with us!

I also want to clarify something posted earlier in this thread by another member. Manufacturers do not pay to have a sub-forum on BladeForums. Spark does not ask for any money to give us space. All he asks is that the manufacturer has staff who are willing to participate in the sub-forum. There are forums that charge us to have space, but BladeForums isn't one of them.

Kristi

[Messermann]

Thank you, Kristi...

[Wartstein]

Thank you, Kristi...

A bit off topic in the off topic section :

But, Messermann, you clearly have a German username.
So do you have German, Austrian or swiss origins or even immigrated to the US from one of these countries (I am Austrian myself)?

[Messermann]

Thank you, Kristi...

A bit off topic in the off topic section :

But, Messermann, you clearly have a German username.
So do you have German, Austrian or swiss origins or even immigrated to the US from one of these countries (I am Austrian myself)?

I am fully 50% German Swiss. My Mother emigrated to the US following WWII...

[Messermann]

There are lots of great folks on there and the amount of collective knowledge on there is amazing. Many seasoned knife makers frequent the site and I have learned a lot on there. I am often critical of the site but the truth is that it is just a few bad apples mostly. If they could just reel those folks in then the site could be great.

The antagonists on there know the rules and play that to their advantage. They bait folks in and when they break a rule they report them and get them banned. It is that posse that enjoys getting folks banned that are largely the problem.

Stay away from general discussion, the political arena, practical tactical and whine and cheese and you can more easily avoid those trolls. Those are their hunting grounds.

I wish there was a way to create and maintain a "fake experts and real trolls" ignore list for Bladeforums? My ignore list is lengthy and pretty well honed at this point. When I do ask a question, it filters out all those that want to pontificate plus members of the posse you mentioned. There's also a third, smaller group. Those that do everything they can to derail productive discourse. Usually by posting giant "funny" GIFs and the like, and anything that brings them attention.

Recently I posted a new thread there, asking for information. 32 people on my ignore list opined, plus about 80 others. I received some great answers. Just for the heck of it, I quickly scanned the comments from those on my list. Each was from a pontificator, troll or derailer. It would have been awesome to have this ignore list from the very beginning...

[Doc Dan]

There are lots of great folks on there and the amount of collective knowledge on there is amazing. Many seasoned knife makers frequent the site and I have learned a lot on there. I am often critical of the site but the truth is that it is just a few bad apples mostly. If they could just reel those folks in then the site could be great.

The antagonists on there know the rules and play that to their advantage. They bait folks in and when they break a rule they report them and get them banned. It is that posse that enjoys getting folks banned that are largely the problem.

Stay away from general discussion, the political arena, practical tactical and whine and cheese and you can more easily avoid those trolls. Those are their hunting grounds.

I wish there was a way to create and maintain a "fake experts and real trolls" ignore list for Bladeforums? My ignore list is lengthy and pretty well honed at this point. When I do ask a question, it filters out all those that want to pontificate plus members of the posse you mentioned. There's also a third, smaller group. Those that do everything they can to derail productive discourse. Usually by posting giant "funny" GIFs and the like, and anything that brings them attention.

Recently I posted a new thread there, asking for information. 32 people on my ignore list opined, plus about 80 others. I received some great answers. Just for the heck of it, I quickly scanned the comments from those on my list. Each was from a pontificator, troll or derailer. It would have been awesome to have this ignore list from the very beginning...

We frequently do that here and one of our most loved members is famous for this. It is part of our humor, here. We even have entire threads devoted to this. No one does this in meaness, however, just in good fun..

[Messermann]

We frequently do that here and one of our most loved members is famous for this. It is part of our humor, here. We even have entire threads devoted to this. No one does this in meaness, however, just in good fun..

I sure hope it's not done to derail what could be productive threads like on DullRustyBladeForum.kom?

[Doc Dan]

We frequently do that here and one of our most loved members is famous for this. It is part of our humor, here. We even have entire threads devoted to this. No one does this in meaness, however, just in good fun..

I sure hope it's not done to derail what could be productive threads like on DullRustyBladeForum.kom?

Just be forewarned. We have some comedians here, and we all laugh and keep on with the topic at hand. People are going to joke and part of the fun, here, is the relaxed atmosphere.

[Cowboyfromhell]

Yup add another former member just got banned for life for comments toward a brand of knife that I had negative experiences with. I got beat down for my opinion and told to basically shut up. Then I defended my post further which got me an infraction. I was told I had up to 5 more infractions before I was ultimately banned. So I had a snarky comment that followed and the pissed off moderator just clipped my wings....petty pieces of **** .....I actually laugh at that clown. I am actually glad , that place is toxic and not too friendly. It will ultimately save me money ....thanx blade forums !

[Ankerson]

Yup add another former member just got banned for life for comments toward a brand of knife that I had negative experiences with. I got beat down for my opinion and told to basically shut up. Then I defended my post further which got me an infraction. I was told I had up to 5 more infractions before I was ultimately banned. So I had a snarky comment that followed and the pissed off moderator just clipped my wings....petty pieces of **** .....I actually laugh at that clown. I am actually glad , that place is toxic and not too friendly. It will ultimately save me money ....thanx blade forums !

So you basically banned yourself..

[MacLaren]

**** I haven't been able to log in over there in well over a month. Spark changed the website and I forgot my password. ****, I was on there all the time for years.
Now, their password reset email will not work with Yahoo. I've asked what's going on and the last few time I've asked I've gotten no response. I've already asked about a possible refund for my GOLD membership if they can't get this issue with Yahoo fixed (and other .com's btw)
I wish someone could ask Spark for me what the **** is going on......I'm really frustrated about it and really pissed that he is igging me now.....