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What brings you to CP?

Tall Paul

Tall Paul

"insecure little bitch"
Joined
May 11, 2011
Messages
9,617
I ask you because I'm curious on what some would say or think there role is here vs. what others think your role is. To me I have seen a lot of disrespect here on the boards to different guys over the short year and a half I have been here and I have always looked the other way but I need to get this off my chest! This is not to call out any specific member for anything they have said to me specifically or to another member. I know I have been guilty of some of these things before. I believe there are guys in this board some new and some old that revert to the same old sayings to slap guys down to where they THINK that persons role is. It's always "search is your friend" without anything else. How about trying to answer there question but also direct them to the search engine for further assistance. "Read more post less" How do you know what they have or have not read? Maybe they missed something in their searching or miss read something. Not everyone is perfect. Why would it bother you if someone has a higher post count in a short time. Cigar Pass is said to be a friendly community and to be friendly you need to post stuff and put your 2 cents in. I think everyone gets caught up in the "FOG" and "NEWBIE" thing and in my opinion I can count on 1 hand who I would consider a "FOG" here. So does that make everyone else a NEWBIE" and they have to walk on eggshells make sure they don't post to much and read read read!

All in all I think it's sad how some will act and treat another member because they think they are better than that person. Cigar pass is a community and we should treat everyone with the same respect that we want and not give them bullshit answers just because we think we are better than them. How do you expect this place to grow it we are constantly disrespecting each other.

So Again I ask you whats your role? Why do you come to Cigar Pass regularly?

I'll start it off.

I come to Cigar Pass multiple times a day, my wife would say I'm addict...LOL I would have to agree I love this place and the friendships I have built from this place. I only frequent CP and I am not active anywhere else. For me I like to share my experiences of different cigars with you guys. Get recommendations on new cigars or some I haven't even tried. Talk about sports and join in on that the random draw contests. I like to post up my ugly mug trying to do a half ass video reviews. I enjoy reading the endless amounts of reviews done my some great members. I love to hold contests and just send out a few sticks to someone to try and brighten their day. I'm just a guy that loves cigars and CP.

Paul
 
Personally, I almost never see disrespect here on CP. Just because an older member directs a new member to the search function doesn't mean he is downing him or belittling him. It's obvious that most of the internet is full of folks who want instant answers to their questions and are unwilling to do a little leg work with the search feature.

I see on other sites that the same question gets asked three times a day because nobody steps up to tell that new member to look around a bit and make sure the topic is new or relevant. It gets to the point where I don't even frequent those places any more due to the redundancy.

I understand where you're coming from, Paul, as people could be a little more "friendly" about it and answer these redundant questions a tad more often but I don't see it as disrespect. Hell, I was told to use the search function when I first posted and here I'am. I guess the reason I'm here is because I find this to be an intellectual community full of bright folks who I feel I connect with. I think we have a tight community but are welcoming as well, as long as new folks are willing to follow the rules and use their brains. I think this feeling is greatly lacking in most all other sites/forums.
 
It's always been understood that you need a little thick skin to hang out here. I come here for that reason...respect. I stuck it out here in the beginning and met some great people and earned people's respect along the way.

I think the dynamics here are great and I wouldn't change a thing.
 
Edit: My role used to be to come here mulitple times every day. I like to bust balls, throw out a witty (at least to me) joke from time to time, and when I can I try to share my advice on life and cigars. I used to be really, really passionate about cigars, and tried constantly to learn as much as I could about them, how they are made, by whom, etc.

Now, for my woe is me moment, over the last year I have went through the lowest possible time in my life. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but just over a year ago after returning from a weekend herfing with the great group of friends I have made up in Minnesota, my wife informed me that she wasn't happy with her life anymore, and she wasn't sure she still loved me. We tried to work things out, but on Dec. 30 she told me she wanted out, and that was that. I quit caring about most everything that had been fun for me. I quit contributing/reading as much here, I didn't/don't hang out with friends much anymore, etc. Now, my role is to come here and feel like I have a familiar place with some familiar faces. This is one of my few "escapes" from my everday life. I don't post much because I'm out of touch with the people here, and the cigar community. But I still enjoy reading the posts that are fun. I enjoy the ball busting. I still read the "industry" stuff and the reviews, but that's not what I look for when I come here anymore. I look for the familiar comraderie, and the guys that I've always had a laugh with/at.
 
My role, Self-Proclaimed Uber-Newb.....

I have been here a while, not near as active as I used to be, but I still read the board every day. I have seen both ends of the scale here at CP. Cannot really remember the year, but there was a very long summer of drama. It really sucked! Funny thing is that most could have been avoided by either using a very simple search, or reading more.

I understand where you are coming from, just throwing those mantras out all the time seems a bit heavy handed, but consider this hobby for just a second. It is not one that is based on instant gratification, but rather the slow burn. Even the simplest of searches will answer the question of" cello on or off"," what smokes are good for a new smoker", or "can I save dry cigars" and those are just a few examples. 2 min of reading on the front page and you know that you should post an intro, not ask for sources, and the timelines for trades. There has to be some effort shown by the poster to show that he/she understands the very basics of this community.

Just my thoughts,

Tim
 
The Scourge of Asshats and a link to the good old days. when we weren't so kind and gentle. :whistling: What else?

Doc
 
I gotta be honest with you, I really don't know what you're talking about. If somebody or bodies here are rubbing you the wrong way, then ask what got stuck up their ass. To make a cryptic post and use all-inclusive words and phrases such as "always" and "everybody" then I would think this forum would be rife with examples, and quite frankly I can't remember the last time I saw something that made me cringe here. IMO, post some examples or links to threads where this kind of behavior exists. For the record, I don't hold any ill will towards you if my post sounds prickish. I'm just giving you my honest opinion. And my role here is to hold Doc's coat while he takes care of business. :)
 
I come to chew bubblegum and fuck shit up... and I'm all out of bubble gum. And shit... so I got nothing. Fausto for the drunken smok'in win...
 
After lurking for ages I decided to join because I found a group of folk who didn't give a shit what you did for a crust ( job ) where you come from or how old or young you are. The members here seem to care about each other and are willing to help out in any way they can if life punches you in the face.

As far as the cigar side goes I have to say that I have learned heaps and smoked a lot of sticks that I did not know even existed before joining CP, I have even been bombed a few times which really humbles me because I wonder why a guy/gal that I have never met would send me something that cost them some of their hard earned and some cigars cost a fair amount of scratch, It's that brother/sisterhood that has grown in me and made me do the same thing to someone that I did not know except for on CP.

I consider everyone on CP to be an extended member of my family it's just that they live so far away, but I would be lost without you folk to make me laugh and at times shed a tear with sad stories of lost pets or family.

Just remember everyone, we are a family of sorts and no-one can take that from us.
 
Agent provocateur. Simple stuff; easy to describe, hard to pull off with any level of expertise. A goal I strive for, all the time..... :cool:

Oh, and I send lots of guys lots of cigars from time to time. And I buy some now and then. And I smoke quite a few. And I like to ramble...... :p
 
I hardly see any disrespect here, Paul. It's actually been pretty slow and mundane for a while, but life does get in the way. I can't even recall the last meltdown here, so the "kindler and gentler CP" is probably here already. I wasn't around for the polar opposite of that phrase, but I do like ball bustin'. :) I do it so much at work I have to remind myself not everyone can take my teasing, but to those I do tease it is out of total respect for you as adults.

My role here......to relax and unwind, post some life experiences and questions, share some of my cigar and cigar storage knowledge, and pretty much act like I was in a giant room full of cigar smokers. I check in multiple times a day, hell, CP is sometimes the first page to load even before the local newspaper!
 
Great responses guys thanks for all the feedback. I really like how some of you view CP as a “get away” with guys you have really become friends with over the years. Getting away from “life” and coming here to bullshit is a great out sometimes. For some that were looking for specific examples of what I mean of what I thought was disrespect I guess most don’t look at it that way and I can understand it a little more with some of the great reasons given by you guys. Seems like there were times before my time here that were worse in others eyes. I know it’s about having tough skin to a point and sometimes it gets old hearing the same old questions but I guess I look at it different than most with the simple pointing new members to the search, telling people to post less and what not. I am not trying to get any one pissed off with this or point anyone out. Just wondering how the member ship viewed these things and also wonder why you guys visit CP so regularly. I have always know why I love to visit CP daily and just wondered the same about all the other active members.

Thanks again,
Paul
 
Hi Paul,

I agree to a point... When a new member joins CP, they should kindly be pointed in the right direction. I personally will answer their question, and then advise them to post an intro. For those who ask questions that may have already been answered, I am not a big fan of the "search is your friend" response, simply because if we're going to become an archive of information, then where's the community? Help them out, and certainly advise them to also search. Not everyone knows the rules, and people rarely purposely disregard them.

2004-2008 were some real rough years at CP! I personally got sick of some of the nonsense that went on during that time, and didn't want to see CP fall apart. Without encouraging new membership, communities tend to fizzle out. I believe this community truly is one of the best there is. I have never come across another forum that's unmoderated and as tame as this place is. If you join some other forums, you might not see any disrespecting behavior. Why? Because most forums delete, hide, cover up such posts. Here you get the real deal, un-censored. So what you're seeing is really quite tame, especially compared to a few years ago.

My reason for coming to CP (and keeping it going) is to get away from the grind, and come to a place where we all share a similar passion. No one cares what you do for a living, what kind of cigars you smoke, etc. It's home away from home... Every community will always have some sort of issues arise, however seeing that CP is un-censored, this place really is a true community where people see it as a sort of brotherhood.

If you ever feel someone is out of line, then PM them and try to resolve it privately. We're not a moderated community, therefore it's up to you (and everyone else) to ensure our rules are upheld. The drama here has been at an all time low, and I'd like to see that trend continue.

Rod
 
Great topic, Paul. I definitely see your point about rote responses, and agree. That being said, I'd say we've been relatively low drama for a while. When I came on, things seemed much more stratified than they are now, and the prevailing oligarchical culture seemed at odds with the rules as Rod had written them. That created a big disconnect for me for a long time.

During that time there was a guy named Pembroke who, whenever he posted, seemed to be hounded by a number of other members for a variety of past incidents. I was amazed at the tenacity with which some members attacked him. Well, eventually Pembroke said he was leaving, and the drama had reached such a height, that Rod said in other words, 'Fine, but we're going to hold you to that,' (a rule often called the Pembroke rule. If you say you're leaving, then you stay gone.) and things calmed down. Pembroke was certainly rude upon occasion, but I felt a touch of sympathy for him when he tried to talk about something innocuous, and would perpetually be jumped on.

Not long after his banning, it was revealed that he had ripped several people off to the tune of several thousands of dollars (on other forums). The point of my anecdote, is that we're not always privy to the full story. Others had more context with this guy than I did, and a lot of our members have great BS detectors. They sensed something was sketchy about this guy, and acted severely to protect something they loved, this community.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that if you see an established member jumping on someone that it is always justified. We all have our bad days and jump on someone who doesn't fully deserve it. I do advocate patience, and a willingness to uncover the motivations that sometimes spur such 'attacks'.

With all that being said, I think we've moved in a great direction lately, and have become more Newb-friendly. I remember Newbs begging for activities (Passes, contests, etc.) that would be open to them so they could start establishing themselves as members of the community. Now it seems like we have a lot of Newb-friendly stuff, and we've become more inclusive.

The one piece of advice I might have for you, Paul, is that one member's example can have a slow but persistent effect on our tiny culture. If you want CP to be more newb-friendly, then make sure you take point on that, and I know others will see it, and follow your lead. We rewrite what our culture is constantly (and that's a good thing).

As for my role? No idea. Faithful sidekick to Beyond the Band when he needs one, or perpetual box-splitter with AudiKraut and JoeBunaga on the DL, or occasional Herf host, or most importantly a tiny part of that community we visit obsessively.




I know, I know: TL:DR.
 
After reading this topic, and thinking about this for many many hours, I believe I've found what I want to say.

When I first joined I noticed it was very rowdy, not necessarily in a bad way, but definitely exclusive so to speak. "Bromances" were everywhere, jokes were played, inside jokes were used steadily, it was certainly a spectacle to watch. I joined just after the pinnacle of drama, and it was astounded by some of the text I read and the antics I saw, but I'm very glad I stayed around in a trying time where most members decided to get out while they still had the chance.

I've done extensive amounts reading, research, and analysis, during that time I've noticed a few things. Like how CigarPass has changed through the years, which is to be expected, as everything in life continually changes. I noticed how in the early days, there was a lot of friendships, heavy amounts of generosity, camaraderie busting at the seams, just an overall amazing place to call home. Not that it isn't like that now a days, but I believe based on the excessive amounts of drama and problems had in the those years put that "brotherhood" on the back burner so to speak. But that being said, I'm slowly beginning to notice it's return and more than pleased by seeing this. This is my "home", this is where I come to speak with friends, have a good laugh, and participate. I am on a few other boards, but those forums pale in comparison to CP. I doubt more than 5 people on those other forums, know me by any name other than WKOTI.

I've seen what you're talking about over the years, and I see where you're coming from Paul. I feel similar a good portion of the time. A thick skin is needed from time to time, but I'd like to feel that this is one of the few places I can come and let my guard down so to speak. I find I call a lot of members here friends, and I enjoy the playful banter back and forth, the inside jokes, ect. I'd like to see the site continue to progress back into it's old ways. I wouldn't mind seeing us taking the time to answer one of the many mundane questions from time to time, while also guiding members to the proper ways to research their own questions. I understand the annoyance of seeing the same questions asked time and time again, but in this hobby/lifestyle I've chosen, I've come understand that these questions are common questions, that I will answer repeatedly. I try to view it as a positive, such as; this is another opportunity to inform a fellow brother/sister, another chance to revise or clarify my answer, another piece of knowledge revisited to learn about. Unlike the negative view "Seriously, I have to answer this again?" That's personally just me, I see both sides of the coin and I have those negative moments, but when I do I try to abstain from posting if I have nothing informing to bring to the situation.

As for my role in the community, I believe I owe the community as a whole. The knowledge that I've acquired isn't free to me, I believe I have a responsibly to help the new generation of CPers, just as I was helped by the generation before me. I do whatever I can to give back and enjoy helping whomever I can in their time of need. I want to replenish the well of knowledge I've been drinking from. I'm here to keep that brotherhood alive, and help wherever needed. Like hosting video herfs or something as simple as hosting a pass, because after all this is what this site was started for. I want to thank Rod for keeping this site running and dedicating his time, money and effort to keeping my home exactly where I left it. I also want to thank all the members for contributing to the forums and keeping the knowledge flowing. And lastly, I'd like to thank all of you that I call friends, the members that have become more than strangers on the internet.

I apologize for the long winded reply, this is just something I feel strongly about.

CJ
 
5 years ago this conversation would have been shut down and some members even run off. I'm proud to see we've evolved to a more mature "community".

If you feel someone is asking the same old question, perhaps not responding and moving on is best. You are not obligated to responding to questions you see.

Now I'm not saying newbies get 100% entitlement upon joining, certain aspects of CP still need to be earned. However, making people feel welcome will only allow us to continue this community, otherwise, there's no reason for new comers to join. There are plenty of other cigar forums out there these days. Let's continue to be the one everyone else looks up to, and copies. Hell, it's amazing how many things from CP other forums have ripped off. Even recently!

It goes back to the old saying -- "treat other as you'd like to be treated".

Edit to add: CP started out in 2000 with a mission to provide a friendly yet knowledgeable community. Something happened between 2005-2009. This was my goal as I was a member of several forums that no longer exist, such as JRBB, where it was nothing but a clan of people who felt they were above everyone else. CP may have gotten off track a bit, but we're certainly heading in the right direction. Good topic, Paul. Healthy discussion will only allow us to better shape our community.
 
I like the prickly nature of this community. The stiff barrier to entry ensures we can trust each other enough to unflinchingly send a couple dozen or hundred bux in cash or cigars to someone we've never met while doing a purchase trade, box split or pass. That kind of trust is built by forcing people to prove themselves, that they have sense and maturity. The nature of this forum and the risks people routinely take show trust across the community as a whole.

I've been coming to CP because I like reading what people have to say whether it be about their lives or sports or a cigar. I also like the opportunities to share cigars. Hell, the Secret Santa is one of the coolest things I've ever been part of, IMHO. I originally sought advice or validation of my own opinions but now that I'm a couple years into this place, I return to see what the USMA class is doing, or if Mr. Peat has returned from his health-related cigar retirement. Though the "read more" comment brigade does get old and stifles a bit of the community, it forces people to slow down and really understand CP.
 
Never thought of myself as having a "role." When I first got into serious cigars, a friend on a car forum I belonged to mentioned CP. So I came over here and checked it out, and to this day, I learn something new every time I come here, after years of smoking cigars. I don't post here nearly as often as I used to, simply because life is busy. But I browse topics regularly.

Why I keep coming back: The wealth of knowledge, the high standard of respect for each other and the content, and the friendly atmosphere. I can read the reviews here all day and stay entertained.

I'm thankful I found this place.
 
Ah damn I miss you guys!! And guess what!! I'm smoking a stogie as I type! :D.

Oh and edit to add...I come because I miss you guys! Even Doc! Lol! :D
 
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