How come this forum manages to stay so friendly?

[AndyR]

Anybody else find themselves wondering this?

We sometimes get a thread or a post where I think "oh noooo...", but we always seem to sort ourselves out (or is there friendly moderation going on in the background that most of us don't notice?).

I've been on other forums, I guess we all have, where it just doesn't seem to work like that - sooner or later some pillock or pillocks is going to make it so that you have to go "why am I wasting my time doing this?"

So how come we manage it here? We're just as opinionated a bunch of gits as on other forums, but we seem to get on. Even to the extent that when I'm too busy at work, I really miss being able to follow what's going on. I don't think I behave any differently on here than I have on other forums, but I very rarely feel that I've been misunderstood.

Have we stumbled on the secret solution to end all the world's woes?
Should governments, the UN, etc, etc, be consulting us?
:lol:
I doubt it somehow... but I would love to know why this forum works and others, well, just "don't" as far as I'm concerned.

[Twinfan]

I think we're all just very civilised on here  :)

[Lazy_McDoesnothing]

Yes, a forum is only as good as it's members.  Group hug!  :P

[noodleplugerine]

:D I LOVE YOU ALL.

[FELINEGUITARS]

I think it is the will of the majority that keeps it that way.

I think that there are a lot of mature heads on here (irrespective of age) who set the general tone and others follow
We have a bit more of a sense of community.

[38thBeatle]

I think we can all have the sense to see  a wind up when it appears and take it in the spirit that it was (hopefully)intended. Another thing is that we seem to manage to avoid the politics.When a political comment appears I may have a view but I think before commenting and normally avoid contributing.Takes a lot of will sometimes but I value this forum and the "friendships" we form.The regulars are all making it what it is and long may it continue and may tolerance and respect prevail. I do think that is the "powers that be" were to hand the financial crisis over to us, we'd have it fixed in no time.

[mikeluke]

I always feel that there in a great acceptance of the fact that 'one man's meat is another man's poison' - i.e. you might like Les Pauls, whereas I prefer Strats (notice that I did not say Teles there!! :-))  - you might be a shredder and I might be a complete hacker - but at the end of the day we recognise that we all enjoy music, guitars and pups. There is no right or wrong answer but we can all learn something through reading the heathly debate that goes on in this forum.

Mike

PS - sorry if I have not upset anyone - will make a mental note to try harder next time!!

[Philly Q]

OH F*CK OFF THE LOT OF YOU! 

[Philly Q]

But seriously, I do think people tend to be "sensitive" to the general tone of the forum, and if they don't like it they don't hang around for long.  We have had the occasional "OMFG that fvckin suxxx ROFLMAO" type of poster but they usually disappear off to Ultimate Guitar or wherever.

(Sorry, that does sound a bit Lord Snooty!  :lol: :oops: )

I only visit a handful of other forums, and this is the only guitar one I "contribute" to.  But don't most forums have their own tone/atmosphere?

[Roobubba]

We're just as opinionated a bunch of gits as on other forums

Hell, I certainly am!
People mostly realise that it's all light-hearted (except maybe after a few beers, but this is usually swiftly pointed out!). Most of all, I can certainly take a joke, and so can the vast majority on here. I'm perfectly okay with people having a good old go at me, because it's funny! Yeah, I know I'm probably too outspoken on several topics (okay, two topics in particular), but I also have the ability to laugh at myself and take it on the chin, so to speak.

Without that level of rapport, I think some of my slightly less positive contributions may have been detrimental, but as it is, there's always Philly or Twinfan or AndyR or [etc] to have a dig and bring it all back to a light-hearted note, and that's the way it should be!

Plus the fact that Tim makes such damned good pickups probably helps somewhat, too - whatever our favoured instruments or disfavoured ones, I think we all have the agreement that Tim's pickups will in essentially all cases improve the tone of all of those instruments (whether we like the shape of them or not!).

Roo

[Ratrod]

It helps that there are no political and religeous threads here. Those can turn even the most civilised people into animals.

It also helps that the core of the forum members are very friendly, civilised and grown up. Such behaviour rubs off on the rest.

I remember someone calling my beloved Gretsch 'ghetto'. On any other forum you would have gotten the flaming of your life for that. Here I managed to just let it go.

[gwEm]

also i think most people have a live and let live attitude. if someone doesn't like something, their usually objective/try to see the other viewpoint.

[Will]

We are blatantly scared of the mods :P
are there actually more than one?

Politics is bad to go into though, good that it is kept well away from here.

People that are willing to dish out the cash for BKP's (lets face it, they aren't the cheapest) usually have the decency to be polite, they have spent however long working to buy the set etc

[MDV]

A forum is its members.

Clearly we're a friendly civilised bunch, not interested in exploiting the anonymity of the environment to be a dick to people, and that tone rubs off on new members - the trend continues.

Like phil said, the occasional idiot stumbles in here thinking its like UG or harmony central, and very quickly they learn that its not that sort of place, that we dont act like that round here.

I love it that people here can still be garrelous and, how shall we say, verbose about their opinions, and its meant in and taken in good humour.

[Tim]

Like some of you have already said, a forum is only as good as it's members and I'm rightly proud of ours. Topics are discussed in a friendly and informative way and I've no hesitation in forwarding new customers onto the boards as I know they'll be well received and get a lot out of the varied contributions and wealth of information available. The attitude of the forum totally reflects that which I've put into BKP since the outset-just looking back through posts from the past few years shows what a journey it's been. Without doubt the work of the moderators has helped keep things on the rails from time to time but to be honest the real heart of the forum exists in the quality of the posts and threads.Excellent work ladies and gentlemen, keep it up!