AZ..has it done more good or bad?

[Colin Colenso]

I like AZ, and you will not find one person here that ever had an argument with me....

Them's fighten words:angry: lol

Just yolkin', you and Jay and Willie and others are right. You make of this place what you will. All people have faults, some more than others. A large group will include some irritating sods and sometimes some pretty decent folk will just have a clash of heads. So be it, it's like normal life, but others get to see some of it.

Below the chaff is a lot of good wheat, and that wheat ain't so easy to get anywhere else.

Colin

 

[Snapshot9]

Pool is no different

than it has been in the past. Whereas you got the info in the backrooms, through friends, road players, or phone calls, but now all the information is available through the internet, more of it, and much more widespread than before.

Now, you can find out about a dirty player the day after it happens, and which direction he might be going. You also learn much more about the sport on a international basis, about cuemaking, the retail market of cues, common problems that players suffer with, and everything in general.

Bringing all this together on the internet with so many people, there is bound to be positive and negative things discussed at some point. But, the point is we can communicate our opinions and feelings about a wide array of subjects relevant to the sport we all love so much, and without communication there is no growth. It allows us to grow and mature in our attitudes while enjoying ourselves, but the road is not without bumps in the road.

 

[o2bacs]

I'm always bombarded with things I really don't like reading

This just cracks me up till no end. How in the world do you get bombarded with things you don't like reading? Who exactly forces anyone to read things? Why is it so hard for people to select to read what interests them? This forum, as is most things, is what you make of it. If you have issues with a public forum, chances are you aren't using that advice.

 

[!Smorgass Bored]

I Meant 'Nook & Cranny'

AZB started out great at it's inception and got better as the years passed and the membership grew. We have posters from all over the world and from every aspect of pooldom. The good and bad from every crook & nanny is exposed for all to see and comment on.

I am glad that I lived to see the internet age...
When AZB goes down for a day, it's like going through an addiction withdrawal for most of us.

Doug
(where else could I have been a Smorgass Bored)

 

[1on1pooltournys]

This just cracks me up till no end. How in the world do you get bombarded with things you don't like reading? Who exactly forces anyone to read things? Why is it so hard for people to select to read what interests them? This forum, as is most things, is what you make of it. If you have issues with a public forum, chances are you aren't using that advice.

Sometimes you may think you are reading something of value only to read further and hear pool promoters name calling each other and accusing one of stiffing somebody and screwed somebody else, and so on and so forth. There are many examples of threads that ARE NOT what they appear. All in all, Az is a great place for the pool community, but how long can it stay that way with these types of issues being displayed.

 

[!Smorgass Bored]

I Like The Cream Filled Metaphors

All in all, Az is a great place for the pool community, but how long can it stay that way with these types of issues being displayed.

Life is like a box of chocolates that the fat lady sat on while she was singing.

Doug
(and AZB is like LIFE.......imo)

 

[jay helfert]

Life is like a box of chocolates that the fat lady sat on while she was singing.

Doug
(and AZB is like LIFE.......imo)

That should be on a T-Shirt! You'd make millions. :smile:

 

[Milo]

Much more Good than Bad

I started on AZB in April of this year. And boy, am I sure glad I did.
There are so many quality people with a tremendous amount of knowledge.
In all honesty, AZB has given me inspiration to become a better player.
I certainly have a much different perspective now. And I think some of it has come from my education from this site.
Regarding the bad, well, I just ignore the negative attitude. Some people have nothing better to do I guess.
I just try to do my part to promote a positive environment. I certainly have better things to do with my time than to involve myself in the negativity.
I feel (IMO) the good guys are winning for sure on this site. LOL
The bad guys (or what AZers call trolls) can go sit under their bridges. LOL

 

[TXsouthpaw]

AZ has done more good than bad. theres always gonna be idiots out there.
It aint no different than your average poolhall. But depsite all the bad crap that goes on, its still the best pool site on the planet.

 

[jimmyB]

I think AZ can only be good for pool in general. We all love pool and we need somewhere to talk about what we love and to learn new things from each other. We could all make pool huge again if we would start getting together and stop stabbing each other in the back and being negative about everything everybody else says. Knowledge is powerful and I know that just about everyone on here could probably teach me something and maybe I have something that I could teach someone. You just have to be open to the experience and not assume the worst of everyone. Not everyone on here is like that but I've seen nasty, mean comments on here about absolutely nothing but someone stating an opinion.

 

[shinobi]

Absolutely, far more good than bad.

 

[hjs032570]

I agree Shinobi!!!!

 

[stick8]

yea

I?m sorry but I feel like a lot of people have been wondering this. With all of the recent threads and incidents that have become public knowledge, what does everyone think? Quite frankly, I feel that all of the negative stuff that is being posted for the entire pool world to see has to put yet another dent in the sport. I am the first person to listen and inquire on certain matters pertaining to pool, but with the overwhelming amount of despiteful things I read on this forum, I can't help but ask myself where we all were 10 to 15 years ago? Honestly, the only reason I get on the forums any more is to see what is going on with TAR and prestigious tournaments, however, I'm always bombarded with things I really don't like reading or seeing that are always promoted by people that obviously like to discourage new comers away from pool and in my eyes friends, that is a DAMN shame.

YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUY OF MY MOUTH!!!!!:angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:

 

[shinobi]

Y'all complain about the ratio of crap posts to good ones then be a part of the solution and volunteer to be a moderator and be prepared to take a lot of heat.

I've never noticed AZ asking for additional moderators, paid or unpaid. Many forums I'm on do advertise about that.

I'd venture to guess that over the last few years, some people MUST have volunteered to help out. If so, obviously those offers were not accepted.

I don't recall Mike H or Jerry F expressing any of their own concerns about the quality or content of moderation, so perhaps they aren't looking to change anything?

In any case, *IF* there is a problem with moderation around here, then it's up to the powers that be to do something about it. Not to wait around for random users to volunteer.

Incidentally, as for that comment about "be prepared to take a lot of the heat" -- I don't know why they don't just create a relatively anonymous moderator IDs like "Moderator Bob". A lot of forums do this. In fact, I don't recall another forum where users so consistently make threads and posts whining specifically to a named moderator (only here).

 

[ShootingArts]

been both

I have been both a named moderator on some sites and an unnamed one on others. I was totally unknown so as a result the known mod's had to take the heat for my mistakes. That's having your cake and eating it too!

Hu

I've never noticed AZ asking for additional moderators, paid or unpaid. Many forums I'm on do advertise about that.

I'd venture to guess that over the last few years, some people MUST have volunteered to help out. If so, obviously those offers were not accepted.

I don't recall Mike H or Jerry F expressing any of their own concerns about the quality or content of moderation, so perhaps they aren't looking to change anything?

In any case, *IF* there is a problem with moderation around here, then it's up to the powers that be to do something about it. Not to wait around for random users to volunteer.

Incidentally, as for that comment about "be prepared to take a lot of the heat" -- I don't know why they don't just create a relatively anonymous moderator IDs like "Moderator Bob". A lot of forums do this. In fact, I don't recall another forum where users so consistently make threads and posts whining specifically to a named moderator (only here).

 

[sjm]

I?m sorry but I feel like a lot of people have been wondering this. With all of the recent threads and incidents that have become public knowledge, what does everyone think? Quite frankly, I feel that all of the negative stuff that is being posted for the entire pool world to see has to put yet another dent in the sport. I am the first person to listen and inquire on certain matters pertaining to pool, but with the overwhelming amount of despiteful things I read on this forum, I can't help but ask myself where we all were 10 to 15 years ago? Honestly, the only reason I get on the forums any more is to see what is going on with TAR and prestigious tournaments, however, I'm always bombarded with things I really don't like reading or seeing that are always promoted by people that obviously like to discourage new comers away from pool and in my eyes friends, that is a DAMN shame.

I am almost at a loss here, but cannot fault you for stating your honest opinion.

In truth, the AZB forum is no more than a place where those interested in, involved with, or concerned about pool congregate to communicate and to share ideas.

We live in the communication age, and with each expansion of our abilities to freely communicate with each other comes a cost. Times were simpler before the pillars of human communications were built. It is undeniable, however, that the advent of newspapers, magazines, books, the telephone, and E-mail have all tended to compromise our privacy. Each is a source of controversy, shame, grief and discomfort, and yet each is a source of information, wisdom, insight, compassion, and reconciliation. One might opt to condemn any or all of these forms of communications for the ills they bring, but most people choose to celebrate them for bringing us closer together and for making us more informed.

I see the AZB forum as just another expansion of man's abilities to communicate. Like most other historical advances in these abilities, there are some negatives, but like most other advances, it's best to celebrate the way the AZB forum brings us together.

The responsibility to maximize the value of this channel of communication belongs to those who post here, and it is a responsibility we must all take seriously. Don't blame the telphone when someone calls you with bad news and don't blame AZB when its posters communicate with indiscretion.

 

[poolplayer2093]

The only way to clean it up is to get it out there in the open. Besides that you would need to assume that anyone who matters really cares about any of this. They don't.

There is more unethical crap going on in big time sports than pool players could even dream of. Drugs, game fixing, gambling, under the table deals, infighting, scandals, it's all there every day in all sports.

It's like this: If people cared to spend a lot of time watching pool then pool would have big time sponsors. That's it.

Football appeals to more people, baseball appeals to more people, advertisers want to have their ads seen by more people. Pretty simple formula. In fact, the more scandal the better for advertisers. Why? Scandal sells papers, it attracts viewers who have to know the latest dirt.

Why do the scandal threads here on AZ get more views and more replies? Because people LIKE drama. They don't want to live in a Pollyanna world where everything is sunshine and peaches all the time.

So no, AZ (more specifically, the AZ community) has not hurt pool one bit. If anything it makes the pool world a better place by exposing a lot of the crap that goes on and brings us all closer so we can be on the same page as to how to make pool better.

I don't see how having a worldwide community of die hard fans who can communicate in near real time is a bad thing.

I think we all learn something every day here.

I care... and I matter alot!

 

[Str8PoolMan]

I never Metaphor I didn't like....

Life is like a box of chocolates that the fat lady sat on while she was singing.

Doug
(and AZB is like LIFE.......imo)

Actually, that's a simile.

Not to be confused with a *smilie* (e.g., :smile: :grin: )

 

[BigDogatLarge]

This is a slice of life...

This forum is a slice of life in the pool world. All manner of things happen here, people lose their loved ones, pets and all manner of illnesses. Just read and think about what people are going through. When someone jumps on another, it is because they have in fact been treated in this manner and it makes them angry and they lash out. Being behind the keyboard makes it easy to be illmannered and crude. On the positive side, we all are here for the game or sport (that is in another thread) that we love or love to hate. It is a great site to be involved in and to add to as well. I have only been here a short time myself, but I still love to hear the stories from JohnnyT and Jay and Fatboy as well as Freddie. I know when I see Smorgie I am going to laugh and shake my head, he is damn funny and irreverent. The history here comes alive with the words of these men and women. I love it here and wish I could be in a room with all of them. I am sorry if I forgot to mention anyone. Flame me so I won't forget again... lol

Dwight

 

[JB Cases]

I've never noticed AZ asking for additional moderators, paid or unpaid. Many forums I'm on do advertise about that.

I'd venture to guess that over the last few years, some people MUST have volunteered to help out. If so, obviously those offers were not accepted.

I don't recall Mike H or Jerry F expressing any of their own concerns about the quality or content of moderation, so perhaps they aren't looking to change anything?

In any case, *IF* there is a problem with moderation around here, then it's up to the powers that be to do something about it. Not to wait around for random users to volunteer.

Incidentally, as for that comment about "be prepared to take a lot of the heat" -- I don't know why they don't just create a relatively anonymous moderator IDs like "Moderator Bob". A lot of forums do this. In fact, I don't recall another forum where users so consistently make threads and posts whining specifically to a named moderator (only here).

Good points. I prefer the uber moderated boards with ZERO tolerance for knuckleheads. Some really GREAT information is exchanged at those places.

I used to like the free for all of RSB in my uber-confrontational days. However, in hindsight I see that I wasted a lot of bandwidth and time.

Anyway, I'd like to see AZ more rather than less moderated. I'd like to see this be a place where industry folks and pros felt comfortable hanging out.

As it is it's still too volatile for most.