Some Admin. website business here:

You've heard it before, but those few of us who take the hours to prepare posts are completely baffled. I just verified: 147 reads on Jerry's and Jim's posts so far. Three people (that were not at the shoot) said anything at all. We simply do not understand the problem.

It's the most unrewarding thing imaginable, to sit and process pictures for hours (after having bought equipment and programs) ... then assemble the data into a post ... publish it for folks to read and enjoy .... and then get such a pathetic lack of responce. We're just dumbfounded. It literally takes less than a minute to post a cheerful responce. It's not a lack of time. The reader is already here - has already taken the time to read and enjoy the post - and then doesn't have 30 seconds to comment "Thanks for the Post!." It's not that people have been too busy, and haven't had the time to come read. The numbers say differently. They say that 147 reads produced 3 comments.

Here's the reason this is important: This sort of responce to hours of effort, makes you totally disinterested in doing it again anytime soon. It just errodes the quality of the site, because people won't bother to get out the cameras, process the data, assemble the posts ... if they cannot promote a decent thread of discussion. Less interest means even less posts - which means less new threads to read ... which means less interest yet. That's the way you errode a canyon.

I wonder if part of it is the impersonal nature of the web. "The universe for free - just come take what you want". Well, forums are an effort to make acquaintances with similar interests. You get to know personalities. For some reason, in the real world, you thank someone who just holds a door an extra second for you. Here on the net, when someone goes to hours of work to entertain people, there's a 99% brush off for the effort. It certainly doesn't promote any desire to repeat the effort. Honestly, Jerry and I have discussed this topic for hours ... and we're out of ideas as to how to change the situation. We're also just not the type to say, "Oh well ... that's just how it is ... we'll just keep working in a vaccum ... and hope some day people will comment".

What's Up? Can we fix it? Do we want to keep fresh posts coming?

Thanks for reading something that's just "maintenance" in nature.

Gary

Heck, I'll throw in my two cents on just about any subject, whether it's even remotely related to the topic or not.

I'm not sure if that makes me part of the problem or part of the solution, but it seems to work for me.

I, for one, appreciate the time and effort you guys put into posting pics and topics. PLEASE keep it up, and perhaps all the silent-sam types out there will chip in from time to time.

i will agree with rotorhead , there are a lot of people reading , shown by the figures, maybe because of the quality of both the pictures and text some people feel their input may not be up to the required standard ,,,
unlike me ,, ill write anything



and often do .
t

Diver and Rotor,

Correct. We're not looking for the "mystery of life" stuff. Just some indication (other than a number counter) that there's life out there, on the other side of the screen. It's all about some sort of "attaboy" for the effort, that makes the human want to do it again. As a human, it's impossible to not get a bit disappointed, once you get the idea that everybody will come eat the picnic ... but nobody wants to bring a dish to help out.

See - this isn't a "sales site". This is a "Rendezvous" site. We come together and share the hobby. This isn't a running Infommercial. It's supposed to be a place that "even the likes of myself" can come and relax a bit. So - there has to be something "live" to the atmosphere. In the shop, I can't stand to just listen to canned music all day. I have to have some sort of talk radio, or news. There has to be a live person - in real time - to feel like there's any company to the noise. Otherwise ... it's like looking at wallpaper samples, to me.

There's something that has to have caught the attention of everyone, when they look at a string of 17 fresh pictures related to their hobby. Just take 30 seconds and say so. ;?)

Gary

oh, sure, now that I've finally posted a few pics I have to comment also??

hehe

Happy Thanksgiving everybody - and make sure you go to bed early so you can get up and go to Black Friday sales.......NOT

I'm getting up at 3am to go to the black Friday sale at the Dollar Store! Everything for 75 cents .... IMAGINE!!!!!



Gary

A quick thanks for all the effort you guys go to through. Love the pics, twisted humor, and explanations. It's great to see the responce from around the world. PPPlease keep it going...

Any pics of things that hav'nt turned out as works of art ??
Oops files??

Oops files!!! PA-leaze .....

You mean stuff with the barrel on backwards? The stock on top ... that sort of thing?



Gary

Gary,

Sorry for not posting. This past year has really been drawn out for me with my long commutes to work every week (Miami to Tampa). I finally found a new job in September where I do not have to commute to Tampa every week, but I will still do a considerable amount of traveling (so far mostly to DC, but soon will be international travel); only on the road 24 weeks out of the year. On one of my future trips to DC I will try to visit if I can swing being there over the weekend.

If I can find a source for air, the shop I was going to moved or closed (Lon, do you know what the deal is?), I will solve one of my shooting problems.

I have to find a new place to shoot at since I do not feal like going through the same BS I went through the last time I was at the local county range. For some reason they don't feel having an air tank on the range as safe since it might get hit by a ricochet and explode. I guess they never watch Myth Busters. Finding a new place to shoot without driving an hour plus will solve the other problem.

Anyway, I do appreciate the efforts that you, Jerry, Jim, Kent, and all the others have gone through to keep this site running and full of information. When I have time, this is where I like to come to spend an hour or so, though that is not enough time to keep up with the posts.

Keep up the good work,

Keith

Exploding air tanks....right.....

It just show what a huge mistake it is getting the government involved in anything having to do with the shooting sports. I went a couple of times to a city-owned range in Albuquerque, NM. It was a nightmare, the staff were idiots, the rules capricious, and it was expensive to boot. The guys there must have all gotten hired because they knew someone at the city or had a relative that worked there; they knew NOTHING about firearms in any practical sense. They implemented all "safety" regulations on a rote basis, with no knowledge of how firearms work, no practical experience, and no knowledge of common range courtesy and operation.

If you ever end up in Abq, NM, by all means join the Zia gun club. It's a private range, and although the facilities are fairly spartan it's a fine place to shoot without unwanted interference. Other than on scheduled weekend shoots, you'll usually have the place to yourself or share with at most a handfull of other shooters. The officials there know what they're doing, unlike the folks that work for the city range.

Leave it up to a beaurocrat to find a liability in anything that they don't understand.