As someone who is in the chat room everyday to talk to people who come in and spend some time with my other half while we are at work I do have to make one comment in regards to the conversation Beast mentions. Somebody is coming in there and trying to push his buttons. Now while I must admit I do find some amusement in this and even have fun trying to trip the person up (I am convinced it is one of my other friends here though still trying to decipher which one LOL), I do have to comment that in his own way PB is simply casting back his own bait. Now, NOT taking sides in this BS, quite frankly some of the baiting that has been going on by both sides in the chat room is getting old and counter productive. Some of the newbies who hang out in there have gotten hung up in the bait, which is usully when I come along and let it known that this is ball busting going on. Some of these newbies that have been in there though haven't realized that until I clue them in. Also as I told PB today - he needs to stop lashing out on every little thing he takes personal and then wondering why he gets slammed in return. Bryan Fellows and Ladies Man though are more than welcomed though - they add pure entertainment value
To answer the questions though presented by Beast:
1. Is this how you think the board is? (In reference to trouble making allowed on here) Nope. It is rare that I have seen any real flaming going on or heavy debate, or any other PC way of putting it. When it does happen there is usually a warning for the person that is about to be flamed to back off. Sadly they never do, so as far as I am concerned they get what's coming to them. This board however over the last couple of months has become "sensitive". Everyone wants to get or be offended by something or another. In my way of looking at things, this is America - your going to get offended and your going to end up being offended. This happens one of two ways: First someone is deliberately disrespectful to you - in which case I am for bitch slapping them to the moon. Second way though is not from any direct disrespect - it is a matter of social customs, cultural background, simple personality conflict, etc. in which case my philosophy is get the hell over it - if your not used to this happening to you all the time between online, work, social, tv ews, etc. then I suggest you learn how to deal with it, because the way this country is going it will become even more common place to be "offended".
All that to say "no" I don;t see this board as tolerant to trouble making. I do see this board much more accepting than other boards though and that is a good thing. I would point out, especially to those new to this site, that when you see one of the FOG's getting hot under the collar that there is a reason and a history behind it. These guys are GOOD GUYS. I can not stress that enough and so when of them goes into attack mode, trust me they have their reasons and more than justified in my opinion.
2. Is this what you expect from this community?
Nope. I expect to be able to come here and talk about cigars and such. What's going on in our lives. Develop friendships. Find cigars. Bomb the hell out of people while talking smack to them

and good natured ball busting each other.
3. Do you want members to "seek out" trouble"? and do you find this a positive position here in the community?
I think we all have enough drama in our regular real life lives to go ahead and skip the BS here. Of course things happen in our lives where we want support and such and I know I have. But that's what friends are for. They are not here for causing trouble for the sake of needing drama in their lives and sorry but there are some people here (just like anywhere else really) that I really suspect that they live for nothing better than the next drama session.
4. Can you find anything acceptable in these comments?
Going to leave this one alone as I think I pretty much said what I have to say about it in my opening paragraph. On the outside, yes there is a lot wrong with those comments, but on the other side the context of when that conversation was going on was nothing but bantering back and forth and (in my opinion) bad casts (trolls, bait, whatever you want to use in reference to stirring to proverbial pot) and that was done on both sides. As I said before I am in there because it is the only place Melly and I can live chat with our firewalls (well at least mine) and I do enjoy talking with my friends in there - Phill, Fast, Stew, etc. and I are becoming friends through getting to know each other in there. That's why I am there - not to see the BS (if I want that I go to another board we all know about and enjoy it over there :thumbs: ). And btw, yes I said similar things to PB this morning in chat, including telling him to chill.
Now for my final comments on all this.
PB - no offense intended here but stop trying to play the victim, you start more than your share of crap. Now, I don't fault you per se for this - I have been known to do the same thing elsewhere. But playing the victim afterwards is well a little too much IMO. If your going to stir the pot, then expect blow back and stand up to it.
"guest" - you know who you are though I still have to narrow it down LOL. I know I actually like you under your regular nick - but c'mon, come to chat with me and the others who like you instead of capping on PB all the time. It was funny the first few times but is getting a little old. At least slow it down to say a visit a day?
"can't we all get along" card - doesn't wash - is nothing but pure BS, no we can't all get along. While very Utopian in concept is simply not possible. So if you know you don;t like somebody, then avoid them, don't talk to them, ignore them. It is easyily done - just yesterday I shared with a couple buds in chat room the name of someone I didn't like here on CP and they were suprised - as they would of never guessed. Why? Because I simply ignore the person now and avoid him (though that is rather easy as he hasn't posted in awhile :sign: ).
Anyway that was .25 cents worth. If, I offended anyone, it wasn't deliberate, refer to my above rant about the two ways of being offended, it would fall in the second catergory
Sam