Shawn Armstrong said:
I just read a reply to one of my statements, to which I was informed that I should "listen to member ABC because he play a lot, and plays well".
Just noticing a general lack of respect for new posters on this group. I know there ends up being the odd McWhorter or FastLarry, but for the most part, we're all people that love pool, and love to talk about it and play it.
Here's my problem - there seems to be an "old boys" network on here that determine who knows and who knows not. If you take exception to one of their comments or opinions, you are labelled a "newbie" or a "pool retard", when none of you know our speeds or who we are.
I don't gamble, so some of you would label me as yellow, or a fish. I don't live in a pool hall, so you'd say I'm not a die hard. I don't play with a custom cue (although I used to and still do build the odd one), so I'm just another banger. But what I am is a decent player. And I hate hearing the voices of newsgroup "elders" saying "there, there - one day you MIGHT know something about pool after listening to us for the next 3 years".
Oh, PULEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE.
Just a "newbie rant".
APA stats - 8ball 7, 9ball 8
BCA ranking - 10
..................but still just a hack. I hope Pat Johnson will be around to correct me some more.
Shawn, I just read your opening post on this thread and just want to suggest that you chill a bit. I like to respond to threads before reading other's posts because I don't want to be influenced by what they say. If I am redundant with my post, so be it...
If you hear any arrogance on this forum, some of it may be imagined. By that I mean, the written word is not so well communicated on this forum or any other for that matter. Some feelings are left out unintentionally as it takes extra effort to express some sentiments. I am sure there is some arrogance on this forum and other forums and it is the nature of the medium I am afraid.
For the most part, posters reap what they sow.
The forum does have seasoned posters who have earned their position in the heirarchy if one exists. But most have earned their position of respect because they have shown themselves to be responsible, capable and knowledgeable. A few posters go out on a limb from time to time and get called for shenanigans as one poster calls it and that is just the way it is.
A post is read by people of different abilities, different backgrounds, by people in good moods, by people in bad moods, by nice people and by not so nice people. Here on the Internet it is far easier to be not so nice especially if you hide behind an alias screen name without having to be held responsible for your comments so on occasion you may get some small-minded person, wanting to stand a little taller, shouting out unappreciative remarks and such. At the same time there are people who are knowledgeable, capable but perhaps do not share the same type of patience with others as you and I might and they may come off a bit abrupt. While it isn't easy, get to know some of the posters, overlook some of the pissiness that sometimes gets expressed here, realizing that people aren't always in a good mood and that sometimes what they write is not all that they would have preferred to have said. Some of the posters are far more valuable than they might first appear to be.
It is easy to go over your own post a couple of times and find fault with what you have written let alone someone else's post. That doesn't mean that you have to eat water buffalo dung either.
Thanks for posting your thoughts and feelings. Hang in there.
JoeyA
