What TBN use to be like

[deerefan]

It is not just political subjects.

My county has a privately run chatlist and website that covers our county and local issues. Both places are famous for incivility. Most of it is certainly political, our local politics is VERY divisive because of a group that took over county government a few elections back, the personal attacks and lies told that were used back then have continued and greatly split my county. However, there is more to the incivility than politics. Partly it is the mode of communication. People will say things on the Internet that they would not say in person.

The local chatlist is finishing up on the latest subject that devolved into rudeness. A woman mentioned that she saw a rabid raccoon running across the road and she tried to hit it with her car. When I saw the post I knew the poo was going to hit the fan. People started to attack her for trying to kill the raccoon. Of course she defended herself and it got ugly. The woman was simply trying to warn people that she saw a rabid raccoon but then people attacked her. Now, HOW she knew the coon was rabid is a good question but instead of asking the lady how she knew the coon was sick, they just attacked her. Then they started implying that the lady would try to hit dogs that were running loose because they might have rabies. :shocked:

The internet makes it too easy to be rude and snarky. I often find myself following my granny's advice, "If you don't have anything nice to say, then do not say anything."

Later,
Dan

The internet gives cowards the chance to be bold. Lots of "tough guys" and "experts" hiding behind those keyboards. Civility gets put aside when not speaking face to face.

 

[dmccarty]

TBN has grown from a wee little home school project into a place where thousands of people now hang out. It only takes a few bad apples....

There are very few bad apples on TBN. I do think people offend or get offended too easily because of the written word which is understandable since it is easy to read more into a sentence than the writer intended. What I don't see much of if any on TBN is real name calling. I don't see people calling other people dummy or worse.

The local chatlist and website I mentioned in my previous post is very much full of posts of name calling and personal attacks. I have had TBNers offer me the use of tools to solve a problem! That person only knows me through TBN and would not know me if I walked by them or vice versa. I have NEVER EVER seen anyone offer another person the use of tools to a person on the local website. Never. There have been quite a few TBNer meetings and group projects over the years which is something I have never seen on our local website which is sad and pathetic.

TBN is a pretty remarkable place on the Internet.

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

The internet gives cowards the chance to be bold. Lots of "tough guys" and "experts" hiding behind those keyboards. Civility gets put aside when not speaking face to face.

Yes, it certainly does. There is one women on the local website who has to be a miserable human being. She has multiple IDs to access the site but everyone recognizes the IDs are from the same person. Some people know her real name and her online persona is what she is like in person. Sad.

We had a very divisive event last year. A church wanted to move its private school into an unused building in town. Supporters put up posters for the school and one day a person was caught on video tape pulling down the posters. I think she did this because she thought there was no one around to see what she was doing. When it was asked WHY she was pulling down the signs, she denied pulling down the signs. You would have thought if she found the posters so offensive she would have admitted what she was doing... But what would one expect a bigot to do when caught red handed.

Later,
Dan

 

[Tig]

TBN is still the nicest site I've found. One thing I learned from other forums is to use the ignore list at the first sign of trouble. While I respect everyone's right to an opinion on any given subject, I now try to stay away from opinions of opinions. It's just too easy for it to become a fight. The ignore list helps keep me out of those.
It's no different than at home. If I don't fight back, then there is no fight.

 

[rekees4300]

This board was a fun, friendly, family like place.

IMO it still is and posts insinuating that it isn't are self-fulfilling.

 

[MarkV]

Like a couple of others I have been on the site from a time before it was TBN. I think it has changed or maybe I have changed. I don't post as often and rarely give advice in the field I worked in for decades, too many outside of the field try to tell me how little I know when I do. Maybe they are right but it worked for me and I know I helped some back when everyone respected each other on the forum. Of course back in the day when the forum started there were just a few hundred of us and now there are something over 170,000 members. There isn't near as much tractor talk as there was at one time which is why I joined so my interests are not here as much as they were. Even on this tread, which I considered a non controversial subject, there have been some shots taken at individuals and the way the forum is run. It is a shame that things evolved that way, I guess it is just the way it is. There was a time when if someone posted something you didn't necessarily agree with you would respect their opinion and not feel compelled to tell them they were wrong. Now it seems many are driven to have the final word regardless. No, I don't think TBN is what it use to be even if that is considered self fulfilling statement.

MarkV

 

[Soundguy]

man.. that brings back memories... i see mr jimmi signed like 2 lines under me... wow...

 

[Soundguy]

Well, it bewilders me how some people can call on line people friends.
Don't we have to meet the person, shake their hand and so forth
to be friends?
It still was thoughtfull that a few people sent him cards.

one of my best friends I met on a internet tractor board.

he lives in indiana.

we talk on the phone weekly.. emaill each other daily talking tractors.

he's sent me hyds parts for my tractor before.. I've sent him home-made soap and local honey. at christmas we exchange small family to family gifts. we've sent each other a family picture..e tc.

I've never met the guy face to face. i know all of his kids names.. etc.

he's as real a friend as the guys I go play cards with on sunday.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

TBN is still the nicest site I've found. One thing I learned from other forums is to use the ignore list at the first sign of trouble. While I respect everyone's right to an opinion on any given subject, I now try to stay away from opinions of opinions. It's just too easy for it to become a fight. The ignore list helps keep me out of those.
It's no different than at home. If I don't fight back, then there is no fight.

Not to be argumentative, and I understand the reason for the "ignore", but I have never found that necessary. I have taken quite a few slings and arrows, but certainly not as many as some. I try not to lose my cool, but I do like my rebuttal, unless I am totally off the mark. When a discussion turns into a battle of insults, I just decline to participate. There are no rewards, only a way to waste your time and energy on someone who dotes on the attention. No one wins a battle of insults. I have found that the gentlemen on TBN far out number the Cretins.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

man.. that brings back memories... i see mr jimmi signed like 2 lines under me... wow...

Yeah, I miss his posts Frank F-15 was another fellow who I got to know on here and lived about 30 minutes away. He passed away a couple years ago as well. Met with him and a few others on a few occasions for breakfast. Heck, I still have the Tractor Shop magazine with a freshly painted Florida Ford on its cover that belongs to a fellow TBN member :laughing:

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Not to be argumentative, and I understand the reason for the "ignore", but I have never found that necessary. I have taken quite a few slings and arrows, but certainly not as many as some. I try not to lose my cool, but I do like my rebuttal, unless I am totally off the mark. When a discussion turns into a battle of insults, I just decline to participate. There are no rewards, only a way to waste your time and energy on someone who dotes on the attention. No one wins a battle of insults. I have found that the gentlemen on TBN far out number the Cretins.

I have found a few people on here that are here just for the purpose of tearing others apart. They post things they know will get a reaction, seldom do they post anything helpful, just negative attacks. These are the people that the ignore feature was created for. I went to school with a kid like this. We got along for the most part because I ignored his bait. He is now married with a kid and works in DC with the police there and still hasn't changed. He will post things on Facebook that he knows will upset people just because he enjoys it. I've known him long enough to just laugh it off and ignore it but others still take the bait. I've talked to him about it, he has admitted he doesn't always believe what he is posting but he just enjoys getting reactions out of people.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

IMO it still is and posts insinuating that it isn't are self-fulfilling.

As TBN grew and gained more members what happened is the more disruptive members started turning away others. I will say this, the Mods do a great job on here of removing a lot of posts before too many people ever see them. I still enjoy coming here and even though my farm operation is more suited to the ag boards I still find this site to be like a home. I get busy and can't check things as often but I check the TBN app multiple times a day just to see what is going on but try to reply when I am on my computer at home because I dislike typing on a smart phone. I have a ton of respect for everyone involved in creating, maintaing and moderating this site as it isn't easy. The mods take a lot of abuse and really do not get thanked enough for their role in keeping the site going. But for me and I know others who were here at the early stages of the board it has changed, both for the better and the worst. There are so many people on here you can get an answer for just about any question you can think of but with all the people you also get the others who are here to cause trouble or judge others.

TBN is my home page and I visit here and post here more then I do Facebook and every other site combined. I just ignore more posts now unless their honest questions or comments.

 

[sam5570]

I have found a few people on here that are here just for the purpose of tearing others apart. They post things they know will get a reaction, seldom do they post anything helpful, just negative attacks. These are the people that the ignore feature was created for. I went to school with a kid like this. We got along for the most part because I ignored his bait. He is now married with a kid and works in DC with the police there and still hasn't changed. He will post things on Facebook that he knows will upset people just because he enjoys it. I've known him long enough to just laugh it off and ignore it but others still take the bait. I've talked to him about it, he has admitted he doesn't always believe what he is posting but he just enjoys getting reactions out of people.

Robert i worked around a person for several year's and there goal every day was to pi**** off everyone they came in contact with. she was a very misserable person. i have told some people you will read about her in the new's one day.

 

[madmax12]

If you'd like to meet a more than worthy newbie TBNer, you might enjoy this month's member of the month.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

So, people that you socialize with on the internet, you consider them friends?

No, certain people I socialize with on the internet I consider friends. Not every person. Just the ones I have developed a bond with from interacting so often over the years. Just like you would a person face to face. At the start of TBN there were not as many members so the original group kind of formed a bond because we talked with each other so often that we got to know each other rather well. This is when the original TBN get togethers started, from us first members becoming friends and choosing to expand the online friendship into a real life friendship. I think the Texas guys had the first get together and it expanded from there.

 

[chopped]

Great Thread. Ive often thought the same. Seems the same thing that happend on TBN has happened on another forum site a good friend of mine had ben moderator on for goats.She had to leave the forum..What gets me is I believe that some people have been through so much when they post something they have built or bought, that they simply dont post anymore. This is a loss for most of us who really liked TBN for what it was supposed to be.I for one have done a few things to help members in need. And I have gotten some good ideas of builds.I admit I myself have been through enough to deter me. Starting back hmm 5 years when i wished everyone a Merry X-mas. that simple thread went to a political one...Took me away from TBN for a time until I said to myself,its like real life. the good outweighs the bad . And just ignore somehow those people who dis-respect and critize everything.I mostly just read the tbn posts now.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I remember when you broke your back.... hearing about your farm and vineyards, your daughter, and finding I drove pert near right past your place on a trip from Indiana to Boston right around then, too. Those were good conversations. Man, 5 years go by quick, eh?

Yeah, I have noticed it is getting harder to remember when I fell now. As time goes on and I move on I have to think harder to remember when it was. I guess that is a good thing. It was fun back then. There weren't very many threads on here we didn't all participate in. Now you need to check TBN every 10 minutes and find 50 new posts. It is harder to keep up but that is a good thing. Gives me plenty to read at night or early morning when things slow down :laughing:

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Great Thread. Ive often thought the same. Seems the same thing that happend on TBN has happened on another forum site a good friend of mine had ben moderator on for goats.She had to leave the forum..What gets me is I believe that some people have been through so much when they post something they have built or bought, that they simply dont post anymore. This is a loss for most of us who really liked TBN for what it was supposed to be.I for one have done a few things to help members in need. And I have gotten some good ideas of builds.I admit I myself have been through enough to deter me. Starting back hmm 5 years when i wished everyone a Merry X-mas. that simple thread went to a political one...Took me away from TBN for a time until I said to myself,its like real life. the good outweighs the bad . And just ignore somehow those people who dis-respect and critize everything.I mostly just read the tbn posts now.

I believe it was spencer (my memory is terrible) but a long time ago on here he built up a tester for anyone with a Ford/NH 7308 loader to be able to check your pressure and he explained how to increase it to where it should be as these loaders were a little weak. Had it designed to plug right into the valve, I forget how much it cost him to build but he built it and then offered it to every other TBN member. He sent it to the first person requesting to use it and that person sent it to the next and so on so forth. I think it traveled around the TBN community for around a year till someone decided to end the cycle and it was lost forever. We tried tracking it down but it was a lost cause. No one owned up to having it and we couldn't find out who had it last so it was a great idea and helped quite a few members while it lasted. None of us ever expected it would come up missing back then. It was disappointing when it happened.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Robert, we've not met, likely never will, but you can be my friend any time....glad you are recovered...and thanks for your post about the old days and how things used to be....I hope we can continue to foster the family/friends feel of TBN. I cherish that myself. I seek to retain respect and civility for all as long as possible but if someone regularly is negative, name calling, fringe and refuses to have a civil discussion, I simply put them on my ignore list. That controls the negative responses I see and I do not respond to anyone who I have ignored.

I, too, thank all my TBN friends for their humor and insightful comments on all topics.

I'm always looking for an excuse to justify traveling. I hope to get down to Texas again (haven't been there in 20 years) and when I do I plan to visit as many of the Texas TBN'ers as I can. When I do I will make sure I talk to all my Texas friends first and get their addresses so I can stop in and say Hi

 

[Tomtint]

I have not been here long enough to remember "the good old days" But I think it is a micro indicator of society as a whole.