1. Why are they there, and us here?
No real reason other than, its another forum. I'm a member of this forum, that forum, a former member of the ipmag forum, easypooltutor forum, etc.. I'm sure if you checked around, you'd see that a LOT of people here are members of other forums. Many of us "over there" spend a bit more time there because:
A) we're friends, and not in the typical AZ way: "That guy gave me green rep once. We're practically besties!" ...we actually hang out with one another when an occasion arises
B) we like the idea of a bit more freedom from censorship. In other words, you can speak freely without the concern for threads being pulled and posts deleted, etc.. Because we're smaller (and Jim and Murray are our mods), they realize we're a group of adults (some of whom act like infants but ultimately, still adults) so we can speak freely without having to be nice and respectful to those who may not deserve it.
2. Are some of us here *and* there?
More than you know. And while some HERE won't ever admit to going there (due to grudges with some individuals), they read that forum practically every day, all the while proclaiming "I never go there". Riiiiiiiiiiiight.
2 5/8. Do they play pool?
I'd say 95% of us play pool. Some a lot more than others. I consider myself lucky to get out of the house to play once a week IF that. If I had to rate my game, I'd say I'm a strong C- (so we can gamble if you like
)We also have a good amount of cue makers who are active over there (some hacks too).
3. Are they white supremacists?
Not even a little. I'm sure there are one or two racists *****s over there but they're trolls. They stir the pot for 5 minutes, we indulge them until, like all 5 year olds throwing a tantrum and making a spectacle of themselves, they realize they're not really bothering anyone and they move on. Posts DO get deleted and people DO get banned. But you more or less have to prove that you add NOTHING of value in ANY way and are there ONLY to cause a problem with each and every post.
Doesn't everyone? (And before you say 'no', rest assured, I've gotten a few PMs in the past 72 hours on THIS site from respected AZers doing that very thing.
5. Are they presbyterians?
Maybe some? I was born Catholic and raised Catholic and at a young age, I saw a good deal of differences between what I believed and what the church thought I should believe. So when given the choice by my parents as to whether or not to get confirmed, I chose the 'Hell no' route. I guess I'm not really a practicing anything but a baptized Christian?
6. Do they play Parcheesi for the cheese?
You can find action with a few people there on a number of things. Probably NOT parcheesi but hey. We all have our guilty pleasures, right? Maybe someone will give you a game.
Yup. Good ol' Dave K is a pretty active and well-like Canuck.
8. Is there a vetting process to become a member and, if so, is it tough?
No vetting process. Go over, sign up, start posting. But... be prepared to be on the receiving end of anything you could imagine. Some guys will say "Hey! Brian! Glad you made it over here! We've been waiting." Some might say "Oh f*#@! This guy???" then proceed to bust your balls relentlessly. Some don't make it past that stage and stop posting. Others don't mind it and realize that it happens to EVERYONE. No one there is immune. I consider Jim a friend and he and I berate each other in that chatroom at least once a week.
9. Is it true they can post really bad swear words with impunity?
Again, you can say pretty much anything you want... provided you contribute in some way shape or form. If your sole purpose there is to troll and annoy people, you may get shown the door. If you treat that place like you do this one, but with more profanity, you'll fit right in.
10. Are they trifling and with bad hygiene?
I'm wearing the same jeans I wore yesterday because I didn't really feel like doing the laundry last night. But I did shower AND brush my teeth today. Does't help though. My breath is ALWAYS terrible. Dunno how my wife even tolerates it. And I fart with a force that could kill midgets.
11. Is it recommended to not make eye contact with them?
If you don't mind looking at fat, bald, grumpy dudes (plus Timberly and Sarah and Monkey), feel free to make eye contact with anyone.
All of you? No. Some of you? Sure. Although 'mad' is not really the right word. There are some people here that are complete jack@sses. And yeah. A lot of us there recognize that. As for 'being mad', Barton is probably the 'maddest' person over there. But he's there nonetheless and he loves to stir the pot. Sometimes its hysterical. Other times, its just annoying. But given the fact that so many of 'them' are actually part of the group you call 'us', maybe everyone should stop the whole "us vs. them" thing.
Feel free to answer any or as many of these that you can, just please refer to which # you're responding to.
A lot of people view JA as a place for the banned. Truth is, there are probably only a handful of people there who have been banned for life from here. Even JimBo himself is not BANNED here. He had a falling out with Dave Wilson and disagreed with some of the rules. So, he sorta exiled himself. He chooses not to participate here. There's a certain "us vs. them" perception but frankly, I find most of that sentiment here. Everyone over there reads this site often. Its the biggest pool forum out there. We'd be stupid NOT to. But given most of us know each other, live within a few hours of each other, and are (in some cases) like-minded, we like it there too. Plus, they've got a good chat room. :thumbup:
JA is a great place for cue lovers. Given the number of cuemakers who actively participate, you can learn a LOT about cues. Its also a good place for people who love pool. And the more pool-related content we get, the better. Feel free to swing by. Just be prepared for whatever reception you may get.
