Surfingringo wrote:
Hey Manixfan, I think you need to relax and stop taking this so seriously. This should be a fun and light hearted affair. I don't think anyone is taking this seriously enough to be setting up multiple user accounts so they can skew the results of this life changing poll. :). No sense putting that negativity out there and quoting moral and ethical guidelines to the rest of us. The implications could be taken as a bit offensive. You have gone on and on about people whining or crying because their knife isn't being selected. The only place I have heard any such thing is in your threads. There's also no sense trying to invalidate others peoples attempts to participate and help by laughing them off and making up names like "paynefully unrealistic" or whatever. Then there's the dire warnings about the fallout of anyone making a thread that doesn't follow your plan? I just think we can probably keep this a bit more light than all that. Step back and take a breath. Nobody really cares that much. Let's just have a fun conversation (and sure, a poll is great too) and let Sal make whatever forum knife or shirt (or nothing) he so chooses.
Ok bud, I hope you can see this post for what it is. Not a character assault or an attempt to embarrass or offend you. Just a suggestion to step back and take a breather. I always enjoy your posts and perspectives and often find you to be the voice of reason when threads get a little controversial. I tell you all this because I don't think you see it. I welcome you to do the same for me if you catch me getting a little over passionate or losing my perspective on some subject here in the future. I will almost certainly provide you that opportunity at some point. :rolleyes: :D
Be well my friend,
Lance
Hi Gringo,
I just dropped in and saw your post and was truly bewildered that you had chosen to respond as you have. I've got to run now and will only provide a quick response but will come back to edit this post with some observations.
< Later Edit: This last sentence turns out to be truly ironic......I left it in just for the purpose of those that appreciate irony >
But before I go......I've gotta very busy day today :o ......I am pretty disappointed that you have chosen to interpret my previous posting in the most negative way. There was no negativity intended......just some realistic observations of human nature......oh wait a minute I guess that CAN be interpreted in a negative fashion
D'oh......there I go again! :p
However, in my profession which deals with infrastructure engineering, I have always been known for having a nose for detecting fraud and the way that systems, frameworks and agreements can be intentionally circumvented both overtly and subtlety. Right from the innocuous things that people pass off "as no big deal" such as contractors or developers buying lunch for public officials at expensive venues to the more overt serious things. So without even thinking about it - it became clear to me that there is always someone out there looking to game the system - whatever the stakes. I don't believe that is negativity......that is being realistic.
So although I truly hope this hasn't happened.....and if it has I don't think that it is widespread at all. I don't think that there is any harm in pointing out that this could easily be tracked and accounted for and that "someone will always know". I don't believe that anyone who isn't already defensive about something is going to be taking this in the wrong way. In fact the quote, ”Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” – C.S. Lewis is a familiar one that every Spyderco fan should already have seen.
I have known about that quote for a while and although I like the quote I do think that it is a little inaccurate. <Gasp>....don't all lynch me at once. :rolleyes: I'm not going to delve to far into the metaphysics of it all......but although I really do believe that and feel that ALL of the religions have got it wrong that there are also some seeds of truth to them all......before they get corrupted by mankind's "voting about voting" about what humanity HAS to believe. I believe that although the quote holds true for interactions with the rest of humanity that in reality there is always an observer present to all of your actions.
I've always said that this poll should be taken with a grain of salt but yet there are a small handful of voters, yourself included, that have continually criticized it in one manner or another and then when not many others among the silent majority of 109 voters spoke up in agreement it was then decided by a couple of people that since they didn't like the game that the vast majority had no complaints about..... that they would then go play in their own sandbox and look for other ways to invalidate the results that have shown up here and in other polls. Then there was some subtle derision of others by trying to denigrate people's voting for the next potential forum knife as "just being their favourite knife with some laser engraving on it".......just because they didn't share your vision. I believe that statement was pretty disrespectful in itself but in enough of a low key way that it is kind of hard to respond to without looking unreasonable yourself.
So then everything devolves into whether when if you don't agree with someones criticisms, they are then "whining" about something (or taking it too seriously), which in turn results in a criticism of the criticism or "whining" about someone's whining. You can really take this into pretty well an infinite loop where people are posting complaints about people whining about people criticizing their whining about their criticisms of whining. It all depends on your perspective as to where you fall within that chain of logic.
But when the other poll was set up and was preceded by the whining that occurred just before this action was taken; it kind of felt like a South Park episode where Cartman takes his ball away from the friends he is playing with and says "Screeeewwww Youuu Allllll......I'm gooooing home!" ......just because he doesn't like the way the game is being played. It wasn't that I felt that I was just being disrespected........I felt that everyone who had voted were being disrespected as well.
As I said previously, I am not taking the issue "too seriously" and I am already "relaxed". Although you might be unhappy with some of the criticisms I've expressed, or from your perspective and interpretation, "whining".......I can express exactly the same sentiments and disappointment in your behaviour as you have in mine ......as well as expressing that I honestly really do usually enjoy your posting and the pictures and beautiful experiences that you've shared with the rest of us. Oh, wait a minute......I guess I just did.
But in general I do look forward to your posts, reviews and opinions. Some of your posting has quite literally made my day when I see such beautiful backgrounds and knives being used the way they were intended to be.....and also when I'm sitting in an office and can only look forward to a slow navigation home through horrendous traffic and in -20 degree Celsius temperatures.
Actually, I think that I've said enough and don't have to return to edit this post......anymore than I feel compelled to jump into the "Mule Flipping" thread......that horse has been turned into glue by now.
You might not be happy with my response and feel like I've been too critical of things but I honestly believe that I've been fairly relaxed in my response.
On that note, I will leave you with a lesson that I learned in my first long-term serious relation with a woman that I dated throughout university. People ABSOLUTELY love it when you minimize their efforts in ANY endeavor and tell them that you are taking something too seriously. They just can't get enough of that kind of love. Even better is when you tell someone to relax about something.......my ex-girlfriend would just love that even more and shower me with affection on the occasions where I observed that she was getting a little excited over nothing and needed to just "chill". I still remember some of the extremely loving language that dripped from her lips "like pearls before swine" when such situations occurred.
Just some food for thought......after all we should all try be part of a learning experience for others......so that we might all grow as individuals.
So take care my salty friend and please keep up with the great reviews, pictures and postings! :D
Edit - three new votes for the PM2 at this time of the night, all within 20 minutes from the time I've finished writing this post; see last pic in sequence above for vote movement........I sure hope I didn't give anyone any ideas that they didn't have before 
