# An open letter to all AKFF members.



## The Mariner (Aug 23, 2005)

Hi Everyone,

Some of you established members may remember me but for those who don't I'll introduce myself. I'm Phil... the guy who gave birth the the AKFF back in 2004 & then moved eventually moved it to a better home here at http://www.akff.net. It's been almost 2 years since I had to close my Kayak Fishing business and decided to hand the reins of this forum over to Scott & his admin team. Since then I haven't been a regular visitor here by any means, but I do drop by occasionally to see how the community is going & I'm still involved kayaking.

I'll say at this point that I'd like to commend the Admin team for their work here. Keeping control of a growing community is far from easy I can assure you, but without their time & effort there would not be a forum... period.

I'd like to make some constructive criticisms:

Lately I have noticed a very disturbing trend.... and that is I see way too many discussions degenerate into flame wars, to the point where many members choose to leave this community behind. I find this really disturbing because my vision was to have a forum for enthusiasts who enjoyed each other's online company, free of all the belligerant sniping that seemed to be a part of many overseas forums. Back in the early days of AKFF it was so, but now I'm not so sure.

I believe it's well overdue that good old-fashioned values like respect & courtesy returned to the posts made here, otherwise this forum of OURS (not yours, mine, Scott's or any other members) will self-destruct.

If you don't agree with what someone says by all means say so (if you feel you must offer a comment at all), but do so respectfully like an adult, not like a 6yr old in the school yard. Other members are entitled to their opinions as much as you are to yours & it's high time some members here realised that.

I am sick-to-death of reading post after post where someone expresses their view only to be bagged by someone who 1).. doesn't agree, 2).. accuses them of making a commercial post, 3).. thinks the author is just picking on their favourite brand of kayak or 4).. just wants to stir-up trouble.

If you have something *positive* to say, say it. If not... why say anything at all ? Remember... membership of this community is a privilage, not a right.

Private Members.

This is supposed to be fun, right ? Don't waste good fishing time writing a huge diatribe against someone who thinks that their kayak A is better than your kayak B, for example. The numbers of fish being caught from every fishing kayak on the market shows that they all work to an acceptable degree. Life on the roads would be boring if everyone drove the same car, so what's the big deal if someone likes a different brand of kayak to yours ?

Be polite & respectful. Demeaning comments like 'HTFU' have no place here. They might be fine at your local footy club on a Sarurday arvo, but this is an international community. Back in my day when I was the Admin, repeated use of comments like those would result in your membership being suspended, it's as simple as that.

If a commercial member makes a post, be thankful for the policy that he must display his business details in his signature. If he didn't you wouldn't know where to go to purchase. If you object to his website address in his signature, don't whinge about it, just don't click on it & you won't be offended by where it takes you. Easy, eh !

Members with Commercial Interests.

This sniping at each other needs to stop. I read too many posts that have gone off the rails as soon as a representative of a business decides to use the forum & the topic at hand to take a shot at a rival business. You should use the access you have graciously been granted here to sell your product on it's & your merits, not by discrediting the opposition. This forum was not established as a battleground, and I'm sure Scott doesn't want it to be one now.

Keep it up & you'll drive customers away. If you want to fight, do it in the marketplace , not here.

Admin Team.

Things are sliding downhill here. It's not beyond control, but if nothing is done it will be. I believe the policy on commercial posts & how commercial members conduct themselves needs to be overhauled to remove the grey areas, remove any possible hint of bias towards a particular brand or re-seller & make AKFF a place that businesses want to be a part of, not be forced away from because it's too hard to constantly be defending yourself, because the rules are unclear or aren't applied equally to everyone. AKFF members cannot benefit from businesses who don't want anything to do with the forum,

Acceptable use needs to be more sharply defined and *applied consistently*, which is not how I see it's happening now. I also believe that persistent trouble-makers, both private individuals & commercial ones, need to be reprimanded & if necessary have their access suspended. Conduct rules must be applied consistently & consequences administered (if needed) to be effective.

I did a quick search this afternoon & found that 1 particular major brand is named 35% more times than the names of 5 other major brands *combined*. Now, either that brand is very popular amongst members, or a very sucessful covert advertising campaign has been allowed to be employed here. I have noticed it so I'm sure others have too.

In closing... it's time (to quote an old Labor election slogan) for everyone to step-up & work together to keep this forum a good place to be. If this doesn't happen it'll slowly die, and all us members will be the only ones to blame.

Thanks for reading.


----------



## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

hear...hear.....


----------



## ManjiMike (Jan 24, 2007)

As a relative newbie, I'd like to say 'Thank you' for dropping in and giving us an unbiased health check 

Cheers Mike


----------



## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Phil nice to have you pop in with your usual wise counsel, and hope all is well on a personal level mate as well


----------



## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

Thanks Phil , its good to see that you keep an eye on the forum and stay in touch , it would be great to hear from you on a regular basis if time permits , very well said mate , and your letter is very timely


----------



## Guest (Nov 2, 2007)

What does 'HTFU' mean? :?


----------



## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Hi Phil, very good to see you are still around - and still with a clear eye for the way things should be. You introduced me and many others to the wonderful sport of kayak fishing on http://com3.runboard.com/baustraliankayakfishingforum - it would be a great pity to see it all end in tears. I met some great guys on this forum, and while fishing - and even if I now live thousands of miles away, we still communicate regularly. Before you started the original discussion forum there was nothing (apart from a bream forum) for the kayak fisherman. I hope your legacy lives on in the spirit it was born.


----------



## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

Zone said:


> What does 'HTFU' mean? :?


either "Harder the F#@k Up" or "Hurry the F#@k up"


----------



## Ironsides (Jul 10, 2006)

Thanks Phil, its nice to know you're still around,
Sound comment, I agree.

Ian


----------



## PoddyMullet (Aug 29, 2005)

Hiya Phil, great to see ya still abouts! Thanks for ya words which will give us the chance to refocus and take on the fish...not each other. Cheers also for the efforts of the admin team, its a big job ya do and very much appreciated by myself. A few tinkers needed perhaps, but nuttin beyond ya teams skills and huge workload


----------



## Breambo (Apr 19, 2006)

Thanks Phil, and I agree with what you say. Ive had a year away from the forum and since returning have found it not as much fun as before. Some of my previous gurus from this site dont even post anymore. So come on lets keep this site positive and dont let it degenerate any further.
One comment Id like to make about all this " my brand is better than your brand" rubbish is that the kayak is only as good as the person paddling it.
Cheers


----------



## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

Hi Phil. Good to hear from you.

In response, (speaking on behalf of the mods) we certainly agree with most of Phils points especially in regard to how individuals MUST conduct themselves in their dealings with others.

Its getting pretty damn boring to be going over this same crap every month or so - and yes there does seem to be a lot more bickering between members now than there was 2 years ago. I guess thats the unfortunate downside of having a forum with over 1500 members as opposed to one with a couple of hundred back when Phil was driving the ship. However, with the number of members involved, I'd say that AKFF is doing pretty well to avoid too many fights. (just imagine getting 1500 guys in a room and asking them all to get along with each other day in - day out!!).

The forum was founded on RESPECT for others. Thats something that we haven't lost sight of and continue to promote.

Re the commercial stuff - this is certainly something that we are still 'trying to get right'. In the past the forum had a totally anti-commercial stance where ANYONE involved in the business of selling kayaks, tackle or associated products was made to feel unwelcome by mods and members.

The current mod team feels that commercial members are a valued part of the community and their knowledge on all things kayaking is something that all members can benefit from, be it asking a specific question, finding a local dealer or sourcing a part. The VAST MAJORITY of commercial guys conduct themselves perfectly and within our established guidelines (which are there for all to see in the commercial section). Yes there are certainly those who 'skirt the edges' but normally these guys will be contacted by mods and asked to do certain things to keep within policy. We appreciate being advised (via pm is fine) by members when they feel that something crosses the line in regard to commercial posts (that way we can look at it and deal with it), but I don't like to constantly see posts from some members trying to pull others up on whether its a commercial post or not..YES the bickering has to stop.

We have made the offer to all commercial guys to make special offers to members. Some guys take advantage of this and some don't. If they go about things the wrong way then yes they can expect to have the threads pulled, deleted or be banned from further access, but again thankfully most guys go about it the right way.... Ideally we want to showcase products, services and information that our commercial guys have access to well before the general public.

As for Phils comments regarding the forum self destructing. Sorry Phil, but i have to disagree there. The problems that we have are isolated and usually restricted to one or 2 individuals having a go at each other and not having the common sense/self control to back down from a stoush. Thankfully, most other members can usually see what gooses these blokes make themselves out to be and silently laugh to themselves thinking 'jeez I'm glad i'm not like that!'.

However, please be aware that if YOU are the member being a goose, we guarantee that the mods will be keeping an eye on you and all your future posts. We want to promote a GFZ (Goose Free Zone) :lol:

Finally, Phils comments about banning members, deleting user privileges etc has and will continue to happen. 2 members were banned yesterday and several others are on their last warnings. So if push comes to shove, we will get rid of the ones who want to spoil it for others.

Again, Phil, good to hear from you and I hope that you continue to drop in to AKFF from time to time. I appreciate your comments but hope you understand that a lot has changed with the forum in 2 years and that, despite a few 'issues' theres a lot of good things that have also happened during that time.

Cheers.


----------



## JustinC (Aug 29, 2005)

Hi Phil,

Great to hear from you. I'm with Redro. I had my first yak and was just getting into kayak fishing when you were getting the old forum up and running and you were inspirational for me going from quiet backseat member to really getting into the sport and lifestyle of kayak fishing. Also, the act of sharing information and experience between people, cities, states and countries has done nothing short miracles for the activity in this country - Thank you!

With regard to your comments, I couldn't agree more. Also great to see others rallying to suport your comments as well. With a bit of luck, we can keep the direction and energy going and get things back on track.

Hope you are well and look forwards to seeing more of you here.


----------



## colzinho (Aug 6, 2007)

a bit of pushing your product is not so bad is it? When I bought a kayak I didn't know anyone into the sport, wherabouts of sites/shops stocking kayak fishing specific gear and jsut went in on my own merry and blind way armed with a couple of magazine articles id read from a NZ fishing paper (Stephen Tapp) and the vague notion of sticking a rod holder in a floating bit of plastic. I bought my kayak  (in the end a choice im happy with) off somebody that admitted he knew nothing about fishing but thought that that might have been the norm anyhow. I actually like to here a bit from members about what business they are in and what they sell...Im sure that most kayak businesses here are 1 man band type operations (no offence meant I am one) so why not let them get a bit of self promotion. IF I suddenly decided to change kayaks or wanted to buy a piece of gear and asked advice I would actually welcome a reply of "I sell those and can let you know more if you come by or give me a call" Its not like they are promoting James Hardie asbestos or Gap Kids sweatshops...its a kayak shop. The good thing about a forum is you have a choice to ignore posts/threads and even members that dont interest or find your agreement.


----------



## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

I was wanting to make this post and wondered where to put it so this seems like a good place.
Firstly i always seem to miss the agressive treads and only ever here about trouble afterwards so it is something i remain oblivious to.

The main reason for my post is that i want to say what a great forum this has been for me.
(sorry if this bit is boring)
I grew up in New Zealand and all i can remember of my childhood is fishing, i'm an addict.
I lived in london for 14 years and apart from holidays i went through a rather extreme fishing drought.
About nine years ago after starting a family i dragged them down to sydney, i immediately got back in to fishing, predominently off the rocks and occassionaly on a friends boat.
The rock fishing i did was always a bit extreme as i like to try for kingies or tuna, but the main feature of my fishing was that it always either on my own (very dangerous) or with a friend who wanted to fish but hadn't before (very boring)!

5 or 6 years ago i bought a kayak and thought i was the first person in the world to think of fishing from it, every decision i made, like "how to carry a rod or should i just use a handline" was a major one.
About 18 months ago i saw someone else fishing from a kayak and raced over to say hello, he said are you on the forum ???? what forum ????
I joined as fast as i could and it has changed my life.
(partly because my friends and family think i am comunicating with aliens or are part of a regilious cult).

It is so great to meet others who share the love of fishing and not having people saying "do you think we should get going now" or "how long do you think you want to stay".
Fishing with others is fanatastic when you have done it to often on your own (9 kayaks might be pushing it).
I have meet some great people through this forum and the knowledge i have gained has made my fishing better and safer. It is a real buzz to have people ask if i can come out for a fish.

So thank you to everyone on this forum for welcoming me and others on board and sharing knowledge that has been accumulated over the years so freely.

There are probably a lot of people out there who hold a fishing rod that i would never get on with but so far i haven't found one that is prepared to sit in a kayak that i don't get on with, i think we just have that little bit more in common.

Thanks again and well done to everyone who has been part of bring this bunch of kayak fishers together.

Kerry
( i warned you it might be boring)


----------



## andybear (Jan 15, 2006)

Hi Phil,

Thanks for dropping in. Your words of wisdom are welcome.

Good to hear from you again, and I hope all is going well for you

Cheers Andybear :lol: :lol:


----------



## ScottLovig (Aug 7, 2006)

Davey G is right!!!!!!

1500 guys is a lot of passionate people to keep on the right track. Especialy since its a love job. You mods are doing your best and I think you are to be commeded for your excellent work. 8)

Cheers

Scott


----------



## oldmanandthesea (Mar 26, 2007)

I tend to agree with Keza a lot here and I don't know what all the fuss is about. I think the akff guys are an extremely good bunch, just like me ha!Where else can you walk up to a complete stranger in the dark and strike up a friendship(Point Cook).Why do I feel like I have put my foot in it again?


----------



## troppo (Feb 1, 2006)

Hi ya Phil! I really appreciate ya words of wisdom. While the forum may now have many more members than when you kicked it off, the values which made it successful then are still the same values which will continue to make it a pleasurable place to hang out. So, thank you for exercising your freedom of speech and making your comments. I am sure the admin team will be thoughtful of them.

Phil, you may be surprised that I am still here, idiot that I is. Everytime I paddle out ta sea, folks are surprised that I remember how to find my way home again. I know some folk here wanted to get me off the forum but it has failed. One time I thought they had succeeded as everything I tried would not get me logged on to AKFF. After about an hour of trying, my son, who was wandering past, asked me what I was doing on the computer with the power off. Bloody conspiracy, that's what it is.


----------



## ManjiMike (Jan 24, 2007)

Don't worry what they say Troppo, you make a good anchor - I mean you manufacture a good anchor :lol: :lol: :lol:










Cheers Mike


----------



## troppo (Feb 1, 2006)

ManjiMike said:


> Don't worry what they say Troppo, you make a good anchor - I mean you manufacture a good anchor :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> Cheers Mike


haheehahee, well said ManjiMike, very witty.


----------



## varp (Sep 12, 2005)

> I think the akff guys are an extremely good bunch, just like me ha!Where else can you walk up to a complete stranger in the dark and strike up a friendship(Point Cook).Why do I feel like I have put my foot in it again?


 :lol: :lol: :lol: and then promptly ask to borrow your shovel :lol: :lol: :lol:

Good to see you out and about Phil and I miss your input (and shop) here.


----------



## devo (Sep 12, 2006)

Gday team ,

Thanks Phil for reminding us all as to what a great site we have and at the end of the day NO ONE PERSON is bigger than the forum.
Davey G and the mods do a great job and I would hate to imagine the amount of work they have do behind the scenes to sort out some of the nonsense that has been going on - let alond the normal admin duties .
I think Keza's post sums up the sheer passion that the majority of us get from kayak fishing and the role that AKFF plays is instrumental in keeping that passion growing.
This is a great forum - lets not let a tiny minority take away from what so many have built over the last few years.
cheers
Devo


----------



## Scott (Aug 29, 2005)

Firstly Phil, I would like to thank you for having the foresight and the dedication to establishing this (at the time ground breaking forum). As one of the original members I have always tried to ensure that every decision I have made (including 1 or 2 really bad ones I made upon taking over) have been in the best interests of the forum and it's majority of users. The complexity of managing the forum has obviously increased from when we were a community of a couple of hundred online mates to the present 1500 or so. We have developed from a small intimate communiy which needed no moderation to a large diverse community which does need the odd reminder of what is right and wrong.

When due to health issues, you could not continue to maintain and devote time to the forum and it's problems, I picked up the ball and ran with it in order to preserve an valuable (and at the time unique) online resource to the sport we all love.Last summer due to my health issues, the forum was again floundering and if it wasn't for the Davey G's, Red Phoenix's and Kraleys we wouldn't still be in existence as I was unable to continue with my responsibilities.

I can say with honesty that myself if it wasn't for the magnificent moderation and admin team, (squidder, kraley, red and davey) this forum wouldn't exist any longer. I feel that we are doing the absolute best we can in balancing the needs and wants of the majority. Due to our size we these days we will always have the odd area of dispute however we deal with this as necessary and warn/ban users who contrevene our acceptable use policy. While I welcome your critism I personally think we are doing our best with a tough juggling act and given the huge amount of increase in members and the fact that we are still the #1 Aussie Kayak fishing online resource we can't be doing too much wrong.

Catch ya Scott


----------



## FishinRod (Mar 2, 2007)

Hi Scott, 
I am writing to say that I think that you & the moderators are doing a fantastic job of running this site. I know that, at times, it must be difficult for you all to do this. Having to intervene when someone really hasn't thought out how they are going to say something must be really painful for you.
Keep up the great work,


----------



## Guest (Nov 4, 2007)

Is it just me or is it all getting a bit wishywashy around here and the mods well some let personal issuses take control.Some may say the pen is mighter than the sword but I would not take a sword or a pen to a gun fight and if I deside to leave I would not post up a goodbye cruel world post.


----------



## Sunhobie (Jun 22, 2006)

Wes/blacktruck said:


> and if I deside to leave I would not post up a *goodbye cruel world *post.


Exactly Wes!
I've been a member here for a long time. There have been periods when I just couldn't be bothered to read what I consider is blatant self flagellation, commercialism, uncalled-for criticism or pathetic back slapping. I have considered signing off, before coming to my senses and just choosing to not visit the site for a while. Its that easy! If it cheeses me off, I stay away.

Now, who got banned? I missed all that!


----------



## crazyratwoman (Feb 26, 2007)

lets all just get over it and go fishing... afterall, we are all adults


----------



## wobbly (Jun 13, 2007)

Human nature is a strange thing!!!!!

Having read a good book on toxicology (work related) and at the same time reading about the recent spate of forum boxing it made sense to connect the two, i.e. chemical toxicity/toxic behavour and it made sense to visit the uni library and investigate the subject and boy the bookshelf is full of books related to toxic people, toxic behaviour in the workplace, toxic this and toxic that. Having flicked through a few books its a revelation to discover (not) that our fast paced information overload high pressure society is creating a group of people who no longer understand nor relate their relationship with the expansiveness of the fast changing world they live in and as a means of coping do conform to the limits of their beliefs. Thats not me talking , its a summary of the books.

Its long been known that television and electronica has divested our attentions and distracted us from developing our ability to communicate effectively, we do make allowances by accepting poor grammer and spelling in what we read, now we must also accept that we need to understand the toxic response providing its in the form of a strong view BUT it cannot be directed at an individual or intended to insult. The view is taken that any offensive material posted should be moderated stricktly and offenders removed.

So guys and gals, if you want to show us your positive contributions and lead by example for the better good of those you wish to communicate with then post in to this forum. Alternatively recognise how toxic the nature is and refrain.

Joke,
Men are like ATM teller machines, once they make a withdrawal they lose interest!

Regards

Brian


----------



## HiRAEdd (Nov 12, 2005)

Hi Phil,
Good to hear from you and thanks for your thoughts. For the most part I remain blissfully unaware of the bickering that apparently happens which I'm forever grateful for. I just love reading about everyone else's experiences out on the water  Happy fishing all!


----------



## PDO (May 24, 2007)

Phil

I whole heartily agree with the vast majority of your comments. I do think the forum is still a great resource and I have met some great people and leant a tremendous amount, and really isn't that what is at the core of AKFF.
I think the admin team is doing the best they can and should be applauded for their efforts.


----------



## scupper (Aug 30, 2005)

G'day Phil - great to hear from you and hope all is well.
In those early days it was you who made me realise that I wasn't the only crazy bugger to want to fish from a yak.

I reckon it is just fantastic to see the forum still going and while I only drop in occasionally I reckon it's doing real well.
Congrats to the moderators and Admin team - you guys are doing a great job. Keep it going - please.

Hopefully catch you on the water sometime Phil.

Regards Scupper


----------



## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

I think we have had some reall challanges - but lets just remember a few things first;

* The admin team do all this off their own back. They are not paid to do any of this and they have real jobs and families too. So they can't be expected to monitor every post as it is written. 
* The vast majority of us have little appreciation for what the admin guys do - most of which we dont understand or even realise happens.
* Most of the trouble seems to be being caused by a very few people.
* Lets be excited and enjoy the fact that (a) this forum exists, (b) the admin team do such a great job, (c) that the forum continues to grow and (d) that these boxing matches are generally few and far between.
* Great job admin team - lets move on


----------



## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

FINISH NOW PLEASE GUYS , LETS CLOSE THIS AND OPEN SOME NEW TOPICS


----------



## shayned (Jul 12, 2006)

Hang on a bit Bazza, we still haven't taken someone out the back and kicked the living [email protected] out of them yet. Opps, my bad, forgot which forum I was on again. :? :? :? :? :?  
I guess this just shows my ignorance but I hadn't noticed any of these dramas occuring, of course it could just be my poor public school education coming back to haunt me in the form of rubbish comprehension skills.

Now, with that said, couldn't we just point the finger of blame at someone for a short while and at least give them a little bit of a public kicking????????????????

Hey Troopo, are you still acting as the designated scape goat??????


----------



## Guest (Nov 6, 2007)

Compared with just about any other Aus fishing forum I've frequented over the years, the AKFF has always been a much friendlier place to hang out, which I think is due to the fact that we are all participating in much the same sport (unlike 'general' fishing forums, that mix fly fishoes with bottom bashers, with C&R types, etc) coupled with the fact that the mods here generally do a superb job. I have seen many fully commercialized websites with forums that have paid staff moderating that don't do anywhere near as much for their community as the AKFF team. Every step taken by the mods here is typically fully explained and the community is often involved in the decision making process. Given the growth of AKFF over recent times, the achievements of the mods are significant and highly commendable. I don't think that fact is lost on most members here either.

That said, I'd hate to see healthy debate being squashed by too much politicl correctness. We're not all going to agree 100% of the time - thats normal, and in my opinion its a good thing. Debate is a great educator. The trick is keeping personal feelings out of it, which isn't always as easy as it often seems in hind sight. We're only human after all. I think the important thing is to remember that although someone might not agree with you, that doesn't mean they are disrespecting you. As soon as someone assumes that things tend to go south pretty quickly.


----------



## Guest (Nov 6, 2007)

> FINISH NOW PLEASE GUYS , LETS CLOSE THIS AND OPEN SOME NEW TOPICS


I felt like saying the same thing. I'm only new here but I'm getting turned off by all this. Sorry............... 8)


----------



## hairymick (Oct 18, 2005)

Good on ya Phill,

I missed all the the rot. I don't post much here anymore but my reasons are my own.

Compared to all the other Aus fishing forums I visit, this one still remains the friendliest.

Wow - 1500 members - who would have thought such a thing in Aus?

Phill, you are the real deal mate. A genuine legend and I hope all is going well for you and your loved ones..


----------



## Ferret (Oct 31, 2006)

Zone said:


> > FINISH NOW PLEASE GUYS , LETS CLOSE THIS AND OPEN SOME NEW TOPICS
> 
> 
> I felt like saying the same thing. I'm only new here but I'm getting turned off by all this. Sorry............... 8)


I know what Zone means.....The forum is getting bigger but not necessarily better.

Just go fishing.....I will.....If the BLOODY RAIN would stop.....Its been almost 2 weeks now.....I'm doing 'cabin happy'. :evil:

Cheers
John


----------



## hairymick (Oct 18, 2005)

> FINISH NOW PLEASE GUYS , LETS CLOSE THIS AND OPEN SOME NEW TOPICS


Here's a thought.

For those who are finding this thread boring there is a very easy and quick fix. DON'T READ IT.

This is particularly relevent for the newer members who have no idea of the sort of bloke Phill is or of the tireless work he put into this forum and the kayak fishing community in this country. or of the ready and willing help he was allways on hand to give to us when our obsession was in its infancy here.

For those of us who were here from the very early days however, It is a very different matter. We genuinly like Phill and many of us have been concerned about him.

Guys, no dis-respect is intended here, but please try to understand. This forum was originally created by Phill for all members to share ideas and information. if you are not interested in a particular thread, just don't read it. No one is forcing you. For some of us though, it is our main means of contacting each other - or of expressing support and well wishes.

Negative comments like the one quoted, even though posted respectfully, achieve nothing but only help to re-inforce what Phill was on about in his original post here. If you can't say something positive or simply don't care - then why say anything at all?

I don't visit here much anymore, partly because of what has been spoken about in this thread earlier. There are any amount of other forums around if you feel like picking a fight. Ausfish seems to cater to this pretty well. Please, don't let this fine forum degenerate to that level.


----------



## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

I am a newbie and can't comment on previous vs current but i have been absolutely blown away by the quality of the contributions (except for mine) and i have found myself inspired as well as educated as well as entertained. For this forum to be so good after so many years is an incredibly huge credit to you Phil who laid the solid foundation and to the current crop of moderators who continue to build on it. i can pretty much spot the self promotion (although i am pretty gullible) and accept the argy bargy as part of human nature and so far it hasn't spoiled my experience here. Having said that i would like to think we were always striving to improve and would agree that compromising respect for others is definitely not a step in the right direction.

bottom line is i'd like to congratulate and thank Phil, the moderators, and the members and look forward to many happy reads and posts!

Wrassemagnet


----------



## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

Wrassemagnet said:


> I am a newbie and can't comment on previous vs current but i have been absolutely blown away by the quality of the contributions (except for mine) and i have found myself inspired as well as educated as well as entertained. For this forum to be so good after so many years is an incredibly huge credit to you Phil who laid the solid foundation and to the current crop of moderators who continue to build on it. i can pretty much spot the self promotion (although i am pretty gullible) and accept the argy bargy as part of human nature and so far it hasn't spoiled my experience here. Having said that i would like to think we were always striving to improve and would agree that compromising respect for others is definitely not a step in the right direction.
> 
> bottom line is i'd like to congratulate and thank Phil, the moderators, and the members and look forward to many happy reads and posts!
> 
> Wrassemagnet


wise words wrassehopper.........


----------



## Guest (Nov 12, 2007)

> For those who are finding this thread boring there is a very easy and quick fix. DON'T READ IT.


Here's another thought,

Don't post here and we WON'T read it! :? 

Hasn't enough been said?

I vote to close this also. 8)

Cheers


----------



## hairymick (Oct 18, 2005)

Gotcha 'gain


----------



## troppo (Feb 1, 2006)

hairymick said:


> Gotcha 'gain


Hairymick, I don't know why you posted that bit of information. You know that when my computer starts up it automatically goes to this forum and I am forced by my compulsion to read every word of every post that has been placed onto the AKFF in the 24:00:00 hrs/min/sec since I was last on here. So you posted up "Gotcha 'gain" and I had to read it. In fact, I had to read "Gotch 'gain" twice as the first time it did not register due to my neurally-challenged cognitive function. So, what did I get out of reading "Gotch 'gain"? . . . . Nothing! I spent 0.2645 seconds (time taken to read the phrase) x 2 (for number of times I read it) = 0.322 seconds in total. So, Hairymick, a whole 0.322 seconds of my life has been wasted by reading your post. Don't you feel guilty?

You should feel really, really guilty. Even though this is a public forum where everyone should have the 'right' to write responses within the forum guidlines without calls for gagging by other members of the forum, that 'right' is only theoretical. In practice, members should only write what others want to read. So, you wrote those words "Gotcha 'gain" and there are probably people on the forum who don't want to read those words so they should be deleted and the post closed so no more words can be added. And while we are closing posts that some people don't want to read, there are several thousand (more or less or more) threads in this forum which someone might not want to read so they should be pruned back and closed off as well. And let's just apply this a bit further because I am sure that there are many TV shows which some people feel compelled to watch and so they should be axed, taken off the air, because those people don't really want to watch them. And newspapers, oh gosh, full of words which shouldn't be there as people are reading em and there are gunna be folks reading em words about nothing but doing it because they are there . . . .

I have just had a thought, which is a rare event. All around us is media of all types which bombard us with sounds, images, words, but we learn to switch off from the things which we don't want to be switched on to. If we don't like one channel on TV, we move to another. If we don't like one page in a newspaper or magazine, we turn to another. If we don't like one book in the library, we put it back and get another. We make choices on what we do with our time and with what we read so we must therefore take responsibility for it ourselves. This means, if a thread on AKFF is of no interest to a peson, then that person should move to another thread and let those who are interested to keep the flow of conversation going.

Imagine if you went to a party and were having a great conversation with several people when a stranger came in, listened for a minute then told everyone to shut up as he/she was bored and wanted to talk about something more interesting. You would most likely stop talking. No, perhaps you would ask them to go find a conversation they wanted to be a part of. Same with the forum.

If a person is not interested in a thread, it is that person's responsibility to move on, it is not the responsibility of those in the thread conversation to change to fit that person's wants.

In fact, it is everyone's right to contribute within forum guidlines and it does not matter how trivial. One of the great values Phil had was that total-yak-dummies-newbies could ask any question, no matter how stupid they thought it was, and Phil or another forumite would give a respectful answer. Phil's attitude could have been, "This is a stoopid question, it has been asked 10000 x 10 to the sixth power of the inverse squared relationship. Let's close this and open some new topics, no one wants to read this again again again." But no, Phil or some other forumite would answer respectfully and for those who didn't want to read it, it was assumed that they would simply choose not to read it. Simple. It worked then so let's keep it that way.

So, Hairymick, I have changed my mind about you should feel guilty. Your post of "Gotch 'gain" has led me to having a thought, which is always a happy moment and I have burned off some calories with typing so I can have chocolate for dinner without feeling bad. Hope ya feeling good, grand, terrific, fantastic, fabulous, wonderful, terrific, splendid, and did I say awesome?


----------



## hairymick (Oct 18, 2005)

G'day Tropps,

You are a nutter mate. I like that in a bloke. 

I was expecting a big smacking over the last one.

When ya coming down this way again?

Rob and I hope to be up your way next year.


----------



## Guest (Nov 13, 2007)

> Hairymick, I don't know why you posted that bit of information. You know that when my computer starts up it automatically goes to this forum and I am forced by my compulsion to read every word of every post that has been placed onto the AKFF in the 24:00:00 hrs/min/sec since I was last on here. So you posted up "Gotcha 'gain" and I had to read it. In fact, I had to read "Gotch 'gain" twice as the first time it did not register due to my neurally-challenged cognitive function. So, what did I get out of reading "Gotch 'gain"? . . . . Nothing! I spent 0.2645 seconds (time taken to read the phrase) x 2 (for number of times I read it) = 0.322 seconds in total. So, Hairymick, a whole 0.322 seconds of my life has been wasted by reading your post. Don't you feel guilty?
> 
> You should feel really, really guilty. Even though this is a public forum where everyone should have the 'right' to write responses within the forum guidlines without calls for gagging by other members of the forum, that 'right' is only theoretical. In practice, members should only write what others want to read. So, you wrote those words "Gotcha 'gain" and there are probably people on the forum who don't want to read those words so they should be deleted and the post closed so no more words can be added. And while we are closing posts that some people don't want to read, there are several thousand (more or less or more) threads in this forum which someone might not want to read so they should be pruned back and closed off as well. And let's just apply this a bit further because I am sure that there are many TV shows which some people feel compelled to watch and so they should be axed, taken off the air, because those people don't really want to watch them. And newspapers, oh gosh, full of words which shouldn't be there as people are reading em and there are gunna be folks reading em words about nothing but doing it because they are there . . . .
> 
> ...


What does all that mean?

Someone please close this. :?


----------



## Marty (Mar 18, 2007)

must of logged on to the wrong forum , I was sure this was a fishing forum :shock: :shock:


----------



## hairymick (Oct 18, 2005)

:lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## troppo (Feb 1, 2006)

meoldchina said:


> G'day Troppo,
> 
> Whilst I agreed with most of the things you said I think that the seventh point you made totally contradicts your third point therefore, the way I read it, you actually agree with Hairymick on that particular issue. Please, however, correct me if I am wrong and, in doing this, please bear in mind the first thing I said to you when we met at Mooloolaba :lol:


Sorry, Meoldchina. Here I was thinking me eighth point contradicted me third point but it was actually the seventh that was the problem one. Thanks for pointing that out. Ummm. What was my seventh point again? I didn't think I had one. Maybe that was the problem.

At Mooloolaba, I am not sure what you said. I think it was, "Oh [deleted]! I thought Troppo was a human!!!!"
Or was it you who said, "Troppo, I thought you was a wierd so-and-so, but now that I have met you, you are worse." Anyway, it was a great day out on the water, though I nearly came close to impersonating Gatesy. Geez, you have some nice water there. Fish boiling all over the place.

Just for old time's sake, here is a pic of guess who.


----------



## troppo (Feb 1, 2006)

hairymick said:


> G'day Tropps,
> 
> You are a nutter mate. I like that in a bloke.
> 
> ...


Hairymick, you are always the gentleman and with a great sense of humour. Not sure of my travel plans. When you are up this way, let me know. I appreciated your hospitality when I came past that time, so I would be more than happy to return the favour. Just PM me the dates and your plans and I will see what I can do.

You know the area here so nothing new I can show you, but if the weather is good, Corio Bay would be a great place to go. Here is a small grunter from there just to whet your appetite.


----------



## troppo (Feb 1, 2006)

Marty said:


> must of logged on to the wrong forum , I was sure this was a fishing forum :shock: :shock:


 :lol: :lol: :lol: :shock:

It was.

Dunno about now.


----------



## hairymick (Oct 18, 2005)

Aahhh, yet another thread hijacked - My work here is done. :mrgreen:


----------



## Tim (Nov 11, 2005)

Onya Phil, good to hear you're still kickin.

I reackon the the team's doing a grouse job, the forum's still got a friendly feel to it overall, which is an achievement given the membership.

Tim (was "spoonfed" back in the day)


----------

