AE606, as Gatordev mentioned, scoolbubbas account was locked at his request. I was forward deployed until the other day, with little to NO internet for a couple of months when all this transpired. My ability to post and respond was limited. I typed a couple posts that failed to go through in some instances and gave up and got some sleep instead.I use to think this was a good site but I now know different.
Brett327, R1, RLSO, and webmaster you guys can all go f*%# yourselves. Seems that some peoples word doesn't mean crap.
It was a nice ride while it lasted.
My PMs with Scoolbubba:
Scoolbubba,
I was just made aware that you are also one of the plank owners on the new site from some individuals contacting me about the genesis of the new site. I wasn't originally made aware of it by P73, HAL and KBD when they talked with me that you and Harrier Dude were also involved in creating the new site. I could care less about the site, just the whole way it was broached with me and the recruiting on AWs started before anyone even bothered to talk with me. I have removed you and Harrier Dude as mods, due to Harrier Dudes extensive recruiting on the site before and after (I locked his account). Your call on whether you want to stay, go, or tell me to fuck off.
Regardless, wish you all the best,
Webmaster
Webmaster, I wasn't in on the planning/creation, but I am a mod over there. I got invited on board last Friday and found out the genesis behind the site once I was approved.
I've got no issues staying on here; I've been asked by a couple dudes what happened, and told them the gist behind the site but haven't (and won't) mention the site by name. I haven't recruited any AWs, either.
If that doesn't work, no worries if you wanna lock my account. Let me know.
Take care and stay safe,
Webmaster,
On second thought, go ahead and lock my account. It's been great, the website is an awesome resource, and I wish you all the best with it going forward.
Take care. Scoolbubba
I thought it was quite explanatory in my previous posts, but I guess I put that in the Private Naval Aviator thread. Basic synopsis/readers digest:
1. Subset group of individuals thought their viewpoint was getting limited on this website, even though they were MODS and no posts were deleted. And I sure as heck haven't constrained them during their time with the website. They wanted the ability to post more NSFW items, mess with peoples avatars like the old software, and decry anything not politically correct in nature. They also desired to ban other winged members, and curtail their posting/views/opinions. There are two camps of thought and posting, cliques if you will: (Phrog/KBD/HAL vs Brett/RLSO/R1). Obviously drama got a little crazy by one group, and even though they had a major say in this site, and NONE of their posts got limited or deleted, they felt that they couldn't post here due to the differing opinions by other members.
Original PM and my response:
Webmaster,
We were chatting in PM about how Brett (and now RLSO) really annoy us (it's been an ongoing PM, added as necessary). The problem we all face is that we have too much respect for you and how you desire to run your site that we feel constrained in many things we really want to post. AirWarriors has given us so much entertainment over the years that none of us want you to feel something we posted in any way diminishes the site or your vision for it. During the conversation it was jokingly suggested we should start our own site dedicated to the non-PC side of Naval Aviation. Well, you know how things tend to take on a life of their own….
We are going to try and start a website called "It Was a Good Ride". Your site has matured with the years, the changes in society and the political reality. We haven’t. We want a site like the AirWarriors we used to have back in the early to mid-2000s when A4s was larger than life, when we changed avatars to reflect a poster’s buffoonery, where we could call a spade a spade, and before Brett and others went off the kool-aid drinking cliff. The name clearly harkens back to the patch that we all know about and love, and we thought it was fitting. We've already got the web space set up and the domain purchased.
Our intent is not to replace or compete with AirWarriors, rather be a complement to it - for those of us who aren't the mainstream "kiss the golden ring" career types, and are starting to get frustrated/fed up with coming on here to bullshit with friends, only to have the Brett, RLSO, R1, etc. tell us how fucked up we are. We can be as non-PC as we want, bullshitting amongst ourselves about whatever topic comes to mind. And since we plan on locking it down so you have to be a member to see anything, we won’t have to worry about Big Navy taking offense to our ass clownery. Membership is going to be by invitation only and we would very much like you to be a part of that membership, as a moderator of course.
We all desire to and plan to stay active on AirWarriors, and it is not our intention to “steal” from your site in any way. Instead, we can just carry our non-PC thoughts, panty pictures and disrespect of idiots that arise out of topics on AirWarriors to a different place that won’t cause you problems and that doesn’t make us feel constrained.
We hope you understand and are okay with this. More importantly, we hope you understand we are not trying to compete with AirWarriors. Again, please join us when we get the site up and running.
Phrog, KBD, HAL
Guys,
I appreciate you taking the time to voice your comments and your desire to create your own space to carry on discussions. I am uncertain why you thought I would be so inflexible when over the years I have given all of you a free reign with very few caveats.
1. Winged guys aren't banned. You guys have a beef with Brett and now rlso. And let's not forget R1. It's obviously gotten to the point where you can't even agree to disagree. You have all the freedom to voice your own opinions and views. I haven't limited them. But it seems that all you desire is to silence the other party and their viewpoints. Lets face it, Brett and Rlso are very successful in their careers. I personally applaud them for their hard work and successes. I don't agree with many of Brett's political and leadership viewpoints, but they are his and I can live with that. It seems that you can't.
2. Mod squad intimidation. A very real problem happened on this website due to avatar changes and shitting on the new guy asking a question. I received countless messages from members as their reason for leaving and not participating in the site. And their belief it was a "good old boys" club of mods. I explained it in indepth posts in our mod forum about steering away from the way the website was headed. And the effect it was having on membership and posting. Sorry if that adversely impacted your fun and powers messing with the new users. But moderator intimidation is a real reason that forums collapse and lose membership.
3. Political correctness. I can't get called into an admirals office anymore. Yes. It has happened in the past. I tread a fine line and it worked out for me keeping aw separate from my career. But that really hasn't stopped any of you from posting your thoughts and anti pc on the forum. NSFW had been allowed for those that want the irreverent and non aviation humor, but the only concern we have had is to make sure it was labelled NSFW so someone on a military/company computer doesn't run afoul of the work place rules. Bottom line (not upfront), I can't think of any time that your view points have been edited or prevented from being said. You all have been very vocal and direct and I have stood behind each of you with support.
You bring up A4s as an example to uphold about anti pc. Let's face it, he was an Internet bully that was inflexible and blasted any member (even winged operational guys and gals) that had an opinion different than his own. I enjoyed everything he brought to the site, but for many he wouldn't accept their own qualifications and right to post their own opinions and suffered a lot of backlash from not just Brett over the years and hence his departure, return and subsequent departure.
Your desire for a private area could have easily been accomplished within the website such as the orange and white private forum that gatordev has. But instead you have chosen a course external, and by your own words you have the desire to use aw to recruit members and build your own website.
In my eyes, you can't be running this site while creating a competing one. If this is your desire and goal, I understand. Please understand that I value your friendship and all that you have done for this website. But if this is what you feel you must do, then with a heavy heart, in my eyes it means it is time to part ways and your participation in this site will be at an end.
If that's the case, I wish you all the luck in the world building your site, but I'm not going to stand by and let you build it off of airwarriors.
Fly safe,
Webmaster
2. Offer was made to set up a private forum on this website for their use, they decided that they didn't want to do that.
3. They created a private website, members only request, which I guess you have access to. They offered me a mod position there. I asked for time to think it over, but was told by HAL they needed an answer immediately (I had 48 hours to reply). I declined and told them I thought it best if we part ways.
4. I was told about all this AFTER they had created the website, AND they had started recruiting membership here on the forum behind my back. I viewed that as at odds with their position here as Moderators and helping me run this site. I gave them the option, to stay here, or part ways amicably. I notified them ahead of time that I would be locking their accounts and removing them as mods. I also informed them that they were welcome back if they wanted to return. Initial group that talked with me and left was Phrog/KBD/HAL. I found out later that there were other plank owner moderators on their site that were involved and were mods here as well. I removed them as mods also (Harrier Dude/Scoolbubba). In the case of Harrier Dude, he was actively recruiting on this site, and I locked his account. Scoolbubba requested to have his account locked.
I wish them all the best of luck. I have no hard feelings with their venture, though obviously you have hard feelings directed my way. I have not posted negatively about any of them, with the exception that I felt betrayed and lied to about them recruiting/sending out invites on this website while they were mods here. Obviously I don't understand how you can get so bent out of shape by posting on an internet forum, there is humor here, NSFW, a wide variety of opinions and backgrounds. We have people that have made command, retired, gone on to different specialities (FAO), etc. There have been some good threads, and heated discussions, but I haven't limited anyone's ability to post their thoughts here. I stood the line when I reminded HAL that he couldn't BAN a winged guy (RLSO) over his opinions and thoughts on a thread. That apparently was the genesis of them desiring to have their own website where they could post away from individuals that they deemed were too heavily drinking the kool aid.
My word means a lot, but if you still feel that we should go (&#$@ ourselves, I would be glad to lock/delete your account also.
That is the complete story from my side, obviously you and others have your own opinion.
Cheers,
John