Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

T

trumpetbucks

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 2, 2003
Messages
140
This is just my little rant against censorship on this so-called "discussion forum." It seems you have the right to say anything you want to, as long as you give some advice which includes the words "buy everything you need from iBoats."<br /><br />I posted awhile back in response to some poor Joe who was wanting to know about manuals for a 60s vintage Evinrude. He knew the year and model, so no one had answered him - because basically he just wanted to know someone's opinion of what manual was best.<br /><br />I responded to him that if he wanted ORIGINAL Evinrude manuals, there was a site that I had gotten mine from and I put in the name of the site and told him the approximate price. Then, I said that if he wanted a cheaper alternative to the manufacturer owner's and service manuals, I personally liked the Clymer manuals.<br /><br />Well, along comes the people in the subject line and they delete out almost my whole posting - except the part about Clymer manuals - and give me a response like "Hey, this is iBoats. Don't be mentioning other sites."<br /><br />EXCUSE ME!! First of all, iBoats doesn't have any ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER'S MANUALS listed on their site, so I had to point the guy in another direction if HE wanted to choose that option. And I did not tell him WHERE to buy the Clymer's from if he chose to take my opinion on that. He can buy the thing from iBoats if HE wants to - which, by the way, is not really FROM iBoats, because all the iBoats listings are just links to stores (although I suppose iBoats must make some money off it!).<br /><br />Secondly, there is no mention in the Terms of Use for this site about not listing other sites in your posts. It does mention a host of other stuff: "any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, scandalous, inflammatory, pornographic, or profane material, or any other material that could give rise to any civil or criminal liability under the law." Does anyone see in there "don't give out links to other sites"?<br /><br />Third, EVERYONE in these forums (since the TERMS OF USE doesn't forbid it) mentions other places to shop, including things they are selling themselves! I have seen West Marine and BoatUS mentioned hundreds of times in here. One of the "admirals" on this forum just responded to someone (this morning)who was looking for used outboards with three different websites to check out - none of which is iBoats! And iBoats DOES list rebuilt/used outboards, unlike my manufacturer's manuals! A forum search just now on the words "sell parts" brings back 253 listings (I realize they can't all be right on target with my gripe) and guess what I found in one of them? The same "moderator" who censored my post for mentioning another site is responding to people who are selling for themselves on eBay!! Is this crazy or what!!! Check this out.....<br /><br />***************************************<br />posted December 04, 2001 10:12 PM <br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />I know it's not proper to sell things on this forum, but you might find many things very interesting. I purchased a liquidation of a lot of boat parts and accessories.<br />Check them out then let me know if you need anything, or email to valv@means.net <br />Val <br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />Posts: 333 | From: Lonsdale, MN. | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged <br /> <br />JB <br />Ancient Mariner <br />Member # 1031 <br /><br /> posted December 04, 2001 10:48 PM <br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />Hi, Valv. I'd love to check them out, but where? I need lots of stuff for my BW Outrage-18 restoration.<br />Red sky at night. . .<br />JB <br />*************************************<br /><br />I know this post is long, but can anybody see how crazy this situation is?<br /><br />This is probably my last post, as I'm sure the people mentioned in the subject (and especially the one I just "named" when I quoted his response to someone) will be coming along soon. I'm sure they will delete my login and all my posts, just to teach you other guys a lesson.....
 
SpinnerBait_Nut

SpinnerBait_Nut

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 25, 2002
Messages
17,651
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

Can't wait to see how this one plays out. :D
 
JB

JB

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Mar 25, 2001
Messages
45,907
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

Sorry you are so upset, Boat Project.<br /><br />We aren't perfect, but we try to do the best we know how.<br /><br />It's very hard to recognize whether a post is directing a potential customer away from our benefactor or simply helping out without interfering with iboats interests. We don't always get it right.<br /><br />When we have 200 or 300 posts a day to read and maybe edit, answer or move we sometimes get a bit testy.<br /><br />If you can find a better help site in the universe you are, of course, welcome to depart, but I would rather you stay and continue to help our members. :)
 
OBJ

OBJ

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 27, 2002
Messages
10,161
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

Hey boatproject....<br /><br />I can see that you are a little peeved right now and I won't try and talk you out of being peeved. I would just ask that you take a look at the other side of the coin in that our Moderators are human and can make mistakes just like anyone else. They are under a heavy load in keeping the forums running smoothly and from time to time can "screw up". But over all, I think most of the folks that post will agree they do one heck of a job in keeping things in the "norm". I suppose if I were in your shoes I would be upset to. But please take breath and decide to stay with us. Folks that do their own work have a lot to share in the forums. And that's what we need and what the iboats forums are all about. Sharing. <br /><br />Just an opinion from a poster. Good Luck in what you decide.
 
Carphunter

Carphunter

Commander
Joined
Aug 11, 2002
Messages
2,061
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

You have to understand the situation the moderators are in. They are "working" for this site, and if possible will try to steer a potential buyer to something offered on this site, just as they should. <br />Browse the forums on this site, and you will see that keeping up with all of the posts is a full time job, (even though we all know JB refuses any pay, even though he does a fine job).<br />So hey, maybe a mistake was made, but we are all friends here, and we don't want to lose a valuable member of the team. :) <br /><br />I will say that the title of your post is pretty harsh though.
 
M

mellowyellow

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jun 8, 2002
Messages
5,327
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

you obviously have spent very little time on this forum, otherwise you would never make these remarks....<br />not only is this the best forum out there, they will bend over backwards to be fair and honest. I can certainly understand the desire to delete any free advertising for the competition...<br />the fact this post is still here says volumes!<br />my .02,<br />M.Y.
 
Admin5

Admin5

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 29, 1998
Messages
683
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

BoatProject,<br />I very much appreciate your sincerity and time you spent in writing this post. Our moderators do a fabulous job (for which they are not paid other than by words of thanks by everyone). We are not perfect in any means and I am sure not consistent as we would like to be.<br /><br />We do not have what you think will be an acceptable answer to your questions. We are working very hard to get further into the parts business and on June 30th will be opening a whole new parts division of iboats because of the demand. We are also working on other plans to see how we can work with everyone on the boards trying to sell stuff. We will keep you all updated on those.<br /><br />When all is said and done if you think you want to leave iboats because we won't let you sell stuff - lots of people who you have helped will miss your insightful comments. I personally wish you the best of luck.
 
T

trumpetbucks

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 2, 2003
Messages
140
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

Admin #5: You obviously didn't even read my post before typing in your reply. I am not trying to sell stuff: never in one of my posts have I tried to sell anything - unlike hundreds of other people, who are directly and indirectly selling stuff through the postings. All I was doing was referring someone to another site for a product which iBoats DOES NOT EVEN OFFER.<br /><br />JB: Of course no one is perfect, and I do not hold any personal grudge against you, but you have to see things from the perspective of one of us peons...I got slammed for referring someone to another site and then the moderator who slammed me uses a posting to ask for info on buying parts for his project off ANOTHER SITE (eBay from a board user). I was not trying to buy or sell, just giving a fellow boater a choice of getting OEM manuals, which iBoats doesn't do.
 
Carphunter

Carphunter

Commander
Joined
Aug 11, 2002
Messages
2,061
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

You should thank JB, cause if I were moderator, you would have been gone after the first post. :) <br /><br />Thats why we think the moderators here do such a great job,......they show restraint where some of us could not.
 
Admin5

Admin5

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 29, 1998
Messages
683
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

I misworded my post and put the word "you" instead of "people" I'm sorry. We are going to miss you around here. Looks like your mind is made up - good luck.
 
K

knobby

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 11, 2003
Messages
430
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

I'm with mellowyellow on this one, iboats do the best job they can, but you can't please all the people all the time. Just don't get you panties in a wad over something so trivial. If you were a real fisherman, you would have learned patience a long time ago, or maybe move on to a different fishing hole.
 
OBJ

OBJ

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 27, 2002
Messages
10,161
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

Hi again BoatProject....<br /><br />I've seen some of your posts' and think you can contribute a lot to the forum with your experience. I would ask you again, please don't let one bad experience turn you off to the forums. Think about it at least. Thanks.
 
SpinnerBait_Nut

SpinnerBait_Nut

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 25, 2002
Messages
17,651
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

BoatProject, don't feel that you are the only one that has had his words/post changed or deleted, because you ain't the first and you will not be the last.<br /><br />If everyone that has had their hand smacked for wrong wording or putting post in the wrong forums, then there would not be over 25,000 members to date on this great site.<br /><br />Sure, there are several people on this forum that don't agree with everything thats done on here, but hey, it's their site and if you can't live by their rules, then so be it.<br /><br />You need to stick around though and really see what this site is made of.<br /><br />You help people and people help you.<br /><br />That's what it is all about.<br /><br />Have a nice day. :)
 
JB

JB

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Mar 25, 2001
Messages
45,907
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

Say, BP. I think you got things out of sequence a bit.<br /><br />The post in which I asked you not to compete was in June, 2003.<br /><br />The post in which I asked another poster about parts for my project was in 2001. . .like 2 years and 5,000 posts ago. I was not a moderator then.<br /><br />You must have spent some time digging for that one.<br /><br />You have said your piece. I have said "OOPS!"<br /><br />I hope you hang around, but please let this lie.
 
12Footer

12Footer

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 25, 2001
Messages
8,217
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

NAZIS???? A tad harsh, isn't it, BP?<br />Big Brother? Jeeez. Personally, I feel if iboats upsets you to the point of calling us "Nazis" and "Big Brother", just leave. And don't let the door hit ya.<br />Life is too short to get a stress-related heart attack over such minutia. Go find a site that you like. I like this one just the way it is. I like the way it is set up (a for-sale page would be an improvement, but that's not up to me).<br />I like the people. I help them, they help me, and iboats.com has an archive of problem/solutions unsurpassed on the the internet. <br />I like the links that are here. The used parts and parts section in general needs a bunch of help (IMHO), but you just read where Admin5 is werkin on stuff. And I have places to go online to get whatever iboats does not supply at this time. When and if they ever do, I'll perhaps buy my used stuff here, but I'll have to see how the prices are.<br />I buy from the absolute cheapest place I can, and look for fast shipment and other parameters secondarily. But iboats is for me in ways that aint all buy/sell. If it aint your cup of java, vacate and do us all a favor.<br />Again,JMHO.<br />Nazis indeed!<br /><br />
pcspectanim_e0.gif
<br /><br />Caveat: I am not a moderator,nor am I werking for this site or any of it's links in any way.
 
N

neumanns

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Messages
1,926
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

Well well well... Heres my take, This is more than a site for advice and I do not believe our fearless leaders intend that we purchase every item here. Iboats has become a great source of entertainment as well as a community where friendships are made that go beyond the forums. Just this week I spent three days fishing with a fellow i boater that traveled half way across the country to my neck of the woods so we hooked up and had a good time fishing together. <br /><br />If Iboats can make a living then the board stays alive and we all gain that is NOT wrong that is capitalism, and I for one favor this system.<br /><br />Boat project... I have read some of your posts and recognize your name and would like you around, the more the merrier. however if you feel so strongly about Iboats making a buck that you must depart well no tears will be shed here. <br /><br />As for the rest of you especially admin5, Iboats and the moderators as well as the rest of you members keep doing exactly what you have done in the past mistake's and all. Lord knows I've made mine, I Like it here.<br /><br />And if we as a group can support Iboats when and where we can we should all have a great site well into the future that should only improve with age.<br /><br />Sure its not all in the rules but may a little common curtisy prevail, only seems right to me.
 
B

BR549

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 18, 2002
Messages
87
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

Boat Project - you should demand a full refund of your dues... it almost sounds like they are trying to make money off this site. No offense but they seem to try their best within reason to accomodate a broad spectrum of users while focusing on the goal of the site - running a business. There is a wealth of information in these forums - no need to leave just because they don't run their business the way you think they should.
 
roscoe

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,672
Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Nazis are on Parade!)

Yeah, we've all made a few posts we shouldn't have. I once recommended another site for a purchase because I didn't know iboats carried a similar product. And once, because I didn't even realize I was on the iboats forum,(thought I was on the ****** website, it was laaaate at night.)<br /><br />But what about when someone recommends a brick and mortar store? or recommends a specific brand that iboats doesn't offer? I'm sure we will have to get used to some even more stringent rules in the future. But, if you don't like it, say bye bye.
 
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