I joined Avsim when FS9 was released. I’d been simming and flying IRL for years, but discovered Avsim in 2004. I was never active and never really spent much time on the site other than a question here and there.

While most people have been welcoming, there’s truly an element of negativity and doomsaying, and there has been here for a long time. I think there are some who are always looking for the black cloud to pull out of the silver lining, whether they realize it or not. They don’t tolerate positivity or disagreeing with their “sky is falling” mantra.

So while I’m sure no one cares one bit, I think I’ll go back to lurking and maybe posting a hardware question every now and then. Engaging in other conversations here is really just too stressful.

Keep the blue on top. 

I agree 100% with what you are saying and it’s the reason I don’t visit Avsim as often as I used to. 

Since I know I have a tendency to be negative,  I do every thing I can to be as positive as possible.  The world needs as much positivity as possible.

19 hours ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

I embrace both positive and negative as they provide "feedback" and information is golden be it good or bad.  I tend to ignore false information and/or those just looking for attention/disruption.

Yup, not looking for an echo chamber. But this update to MSFS (SU5) is a good example of what I mean. I’ll spare you the specifics. 

It's fairly simple to put people on an ignore list in the forum if you don't like what they say, or, in a less Draconian manner, just not click on topics which you suspect will irritate you. Beyond this, there is also your own ability to just not really let stuff stress you out and enjoy the fun posts; after all, we are talking about toy aeroplane games here, so it's really not worth getting too wound up about it. 🙂

   It's not as if this Forum discusses murder and mayhem:   Most of the so-called negative comments are criticisms of simulations. Yes, that's right, simulations.  And many of the criticisms are complaints about dissatisfaction with a game that, in the minds of many persons in this Forum, don't quite measure-up to their expectations.  I find that many of the negative comments are spouted by members who want to shut down all discourse, all complaints:  Yes, everything is rosie in the land of flight simming. No problems.  Now, I'm not saying your wrong about not wanting to participate in a forum where there is constant bickering. But just remember the context of where and what is actually being discussed here.  And to really give you a jolt, know this: These are really so-called First World problems we're talking about. The rest of the world is just trying to get by for one more day...   

2 minutes ago, overspeed3 said:

I find that many of the negative comments are spouted by members who want to shut down all discourse, all complaints:

Any examples?

I found this forum to be  what it is supposed to be...Hanger Chat...conversations between friends with interests that go beyond flightsimming.  We discuss various topics here from UFOs to recipes for roast beef.

I find the moderators here a bit too stringent.  As long as politics and religion are not discussed and there is no name calling I think a little more leeway in language and hearty disagreement should be tolerated.

Some of us are retired and this is a meeting place where we can gather as friends who disagree with each other.  I don't agree with what you said and here's why!  I tend to be somewhat voiciferous and have to review what I've written to tone it down a bit.  I wish I didn't have to do that.

Anyone who'd been on a debating would understand that.

About the language.  I would love to post a story I have written of one of the incidents we had when I was going through Marine Corps boot camp in the early 50s but it would lose it's meaning with all the 'word not allowed' replacements the moderators would put in.  Your loss.

As for staying away, if you don't like what I have to say then put me on your ignore list.

Noel

Edited August 24, 20214 yr by birdguy

23 hours ago, birdguy said:

it would lose it's meaning with all the 'word not allowed' replacements the moderators would put in.

Just for the record Noel, the forum software does that automatically. No mod input is required.

On 8/24/2021 at 2:13 PM, Chock said:

...just not click on topics which you suspect will irritate you...

Quite so. The topics I click on are diminishing by the day. The ones I post in are even fewer. Shame. Maybe it's just me

23 hours ago, birdguy said:

 

About the language.  I would love to post a story I have written of one of the incidents we had when I was going through Marine Corps boot camp in the early 50s but it would lose it's meaning with all the 'word not allowed' replacements the moderators would put in.  Your loss.

As for staying away, if you don't like what I have to say then put me on your ignore list.

Noel

From the TOS:

» Behavior and Your Actions: AVSIM’s goal is to provide an educational and entertainment resource for people with similar interests and a community that is fun to be part of by users from around the world. Your acts and words on AVSIM will not, in any way, infringe upon others enjoyment of the AVSIM site. Any acts of bigotry, profanity, or disregard for what is reasonably considered to be social “norms” will result in suspension or banning entirely. Keep in mind that AVSIM is a multinational and multicultural site, and "norms" vary from country to country. What may be acceptable in your culture / country, may not be acceptable in others. If in doubt, contact AVSIM staff BEFORE you post anything that could be offensive elsewhere. This clause also includes and refers to any material or language that AVSIM Staff consider to be inflammatory and intended to do no more than elicit controversy and division.

Sorry, we are not here to tell off-color jokes, swear like drunken sailors or Marines.  Just consider this site and most others like AVSIM as a "benevolent dictatorship".

How do you submit something to the moderators Charlie?

Noel

On 8/24/2021 at 10:03 AM, overspeed3 said:

But just remember the context of where and what is actually being discussed here.  And to really give you a jolt, know this: These are really so-called First World problems we're talking about. The rest of the world is just trying to get by for one more day...   

Love that statement. We should all count our blessings more often. It is a tremendous stress relieving mental exercise. 

Edited August 25, 20214 yr by PATCO LCH

29 minutes ago, birdguy said:

How do you submit something to the moderators Charlie?

Noel

Probably doing a PM will work nicely!

I posted this quite a while ago and got (word not allowed)s.  I'm testing the system to see if it can pick up those words in Japanese.  My apologies to any Japanese readers here.      

 

THE GRINDER

The grinder was about a two acre paved area where we performed our close order drill.  We spent at least an hour a day there.  Sometimes two or three depending on our schedule.

I liked close order drill.  It was easy, fun,  and a welcome break from the routine of dungaree duty, classes, and other tasks we were scheduled to do every day.

I liked the cadence of marching and some of the songs and Jodie calls we sang or responded to.

“We’re a bunch of rokudenashi
Scum of the earth,
Born in a baishunpu house,
Hara a tatete on, tawayato on,
Kicked all over the universe.
But when we go a marchin’
Bands begin to lay,
You can hear the people shoutin’
The raggedy butt Marines are on the way.”

“Left, right, left, right, your mama was home when ya left.
You’re right, left, right, left,  right left!
Your baby was home when ya left, right, left, right left!
Cadence count, one, two, three, four...three four!
Cadence count, one, two, three, four...three four|”

“You get a line and I’ll get a pole, baby, baby.
You get a line and I’ll get pole, baby.
We’ll go down to the crawdad hole,
Baby, Oh baby mine.
Left, right, left, right, cadence count, One, two, three, four...three four!”

Oh, there were a lot of those.  And as time wore on we became quite good.  We were becoming Marines.

There were always several platoons on the grinder performing close order drill and the air was filled with marching songs, Jodie calls, and cadence calls.

One afternoon our drill instructor was marching us down the road from our hut to the grinder.  As we marched onto the grinder there was platoon of BAMs performing close order drill.  BAM is an unofficial acronym we had for female Marines.  Broad word not allowed Marines.

Our drill instructor brought us to halt and the BAM drill instructor marched her platoon close to us and halted them.  Then she walked over to our drill instructor and whispered something to him.  He smiled and nodded his head.
We continued on.

“Forward March! Left, right, left, right, left shoulder arms!
Left, right, left, right, right shoulder arms!”

“Heels, heels, heels!”  He wanted us to bring our hells down sharply.  He said we should wear them out by the end of boot camp and that they would be re-heeled for us.
  
We continued to the far end of the grinder where he halted us.

“Right face!”  We faced right.

“Open ranks march!”  The first rank took two steps forwards and the second rank took one step forward.  The third stood still.  The fourth rank took one step back.

“Dress right, dress!”  We stretched our right arms out touching the shoulder of the man to our right and looked to the right to line up properly.  We were getting good at this.

“Inspection arms!”  We brought our rifles across our chests and pulled the bolt back.  Our drill instructor walked down ranks randomly taking a rifle from one of the troops and inspecting it.
Then he got to one of the troops, took his rifle, held it to squint down the barrel and shouted, “Jones!  Do you call this rifle clean!”

“Sir, yes sir!”

“Looks like a land slide in there Jones.  You clean this rifle when we get back to the hut and I’ll inspect it agin.  Meanwhile give me ten!”

While the drill instructor held his rifle Jones got down and gave him ten pushups.  When he got up the drill instructor shoved the rifle back at him.  “Don’t forget.  I’m inspecting it again this evening.  And make sure those boots are polished!”

“At ease!”  We spread our feet apart, held our rifles out with our right arms and put our left arms behind us.

There we waited.

Soon the BAM platoon marched toward us.  When they were opposite our platoon their drill instructor halted them.  “Right face!” she shouted.

The BAM platoon was facing us.  We were looking at each other.

Then the BAM sergeant shouted, “There’s sixteen feet of swinging inkei over there but you’re not getting one inch of it!”

Our drill instructor chuckled.  We remained straight faced.

Then the BAM sergeant shouted, “When I give you a facing movement I want to hear those chitsu suck air!”

Now our drill instructor was laughing.  We remained straight faced.

Then the BAM drill instructor gave her platoon a left face and marched them off.

From then on we always looked for the BAM platoon when we went to the grinder for close order drill but we never saw them again. 

Noel