The AOL Boards and who has survived

[Big Jim]

My AOL handle was inherited from my older son (now 37 ). Dahdah911 (his initials). Who were you Big Jim?

Neil,
I was JaKaLisle, a mix of mine and my late wife's name.

[Neil]

Cannot find the post about Wentzel. Perhaps it was deleted?

[rogruth]

My AOL handle was inherited from my older son (now 37 ). Dahdah911 (his initials). Who were you Big Jim?

Neil,
I was JaKaLisle, a mix of mine and my late wife's name.

The rogruth that I use is a similar combination. Roger and Ruthlane.
Yours reminds me of Jekyll Island, one of the Georgia sea islands.

[E7]

Cannot find the post about Wentzel. Perhaps it was deleted?

On the manufacturers Forum:

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/i-m ... osted-this

[Neil]

Most likely something personal rather than indicative of bigger issues I'd guess. Always a difficult transition in a small company, but maybe he had someone second in charge who can smoothly step in to the position, if they are lucky.

[KeithL]

I've posted here infrequently, even less so in recent years, although I do check in. I've been more active on OGR, MTF, and OGF. That's only because MTJ has become so quiet.

Anyhow, I don't remember for sure if I ever posted on the AOL Boards--I probably did a little--but I looked at them often, most of all because it was so entertaining! The flame wars between the Orange people and the Purple people (you know who they were) were sizzling hot--much more intense than it ever got on OGR during the lawsuit years.

To this day, I miss the Wild, Wild West that was the AOL Boards.

[2railjon]

My lovable a**hole self is still around!!!

[ogauge47]

I certainly agree with the above posts.

I agree also that the use of forums has seemed to go a different direction.When I needed answers on how to do almost anything model train related I got my answer here on MTJ. One can still get answers here but the section that regularly discusses model trains is the 2 rail one. Now don't misunderstand, MTJ is still my favorite and I hope it stays that way.

Of the other forums that I read, MTF usually has some interesting items and does cover all scales and has a lot of variety.

The newest forum, OGF, seems to be a self admiration society. I seem to be out of place there with the posters that relate how much stuff they have and how much they are going to buy. They also seem to be into how many posts can be made so a lot of the posts are just echos. I look in often and post now and then but may be asked/told to leave when someone there reads this.

I haven't been to OGR for some time but someone recently posted that they thought it was a little friendlier now. I probably need to visit.

I agree, Roger. The superficiality of that forum is crazy. Every thread was "what did you buy today" or "show off your boxcars"

[Neil]

Interesting how people are so easily offended or outraged by moderation of any sort. In the last year or two, there have been two forums formed mostly by those who no longer post on OGR, or were excommunicated. The Model Train Forum, led by a guy from Maine who uses the handle "Passenger Train Collector." Moderated by gunrunnerjohn (John Will). There was apparently a huge dustup about birthday greetings, so a group formed yet another forum, the O Gauge Forum, now sponsored by Classic Toy Trains and led by the Passenger Train Collector, and specifically excluding a few people who got on his nerves. MartyE posts on all, in his usual good natured way. He's now a grandfather, by the way, so congratulations. There's the usual acerbic postings with all the humility that can be mustered by a certain Lionel critic who was rusticated from the O Gauge Forum. Lots of grumbling and complaining about quality and cost and other such stuff. Reminds me of the "No Homers" club from the Simpsons. .

Certain similarities to the AOL Boards. A few folks who cannot bear being contradicted, or who respond to sarcasm or wit with antagonism despite the fact that their own posts are larded with same. The USA, the center of narcissism and individual rights. . And people who have not a clue how to civilly discuss things with people who view things differently. Egos totally out of control.

[rogruth]

I agree, Neil.
What I don't understand is how a word as simple as FUN can be interpreted so many ways.
Hobbies of any type are supposed to be fun and apparently some only have fun when being critical.
That means that criticism of others must be a hobby because so many do that it must be fun.
See. I am criticizing others for having fun criticizing.

[HONDO74]

Well Neil, since you brought MTF into your AOL thread I will add my 2 cents about what I observed. I joined MTF in may of 2012 so I was there to see the great migrant invasion from OGRR.

When they first arrived all the wanted to do was condemn OGRR and complained about how they were so mistreated. One of their main complaints was about the sponsors and they couldn't say anything about them or they would get deleted.

The next adventure for Brian Vail ( PTC ) was to go into competition with OGRR. He went out and had clothes made with MTF emblems on them so when they went to York they could show off. They even had their own diner with invited guest speakers.

So what happened next. They get in a pissing contest about where they can post Happy Birthday and decide they will start their own forum. They had new logo patches made to cover up the MTF logo.

And they have more than just CTT as a sponsor. Be interesting to see what happens if someone complains about one of their new sponsors.

But then I also remember some members that left MTJ and started their own forum. It went belly up last year.

[Neil]

As example of how out of touch/different with/from the main stream of the hobby the O Gauge Forum is they have a poll of what your next purchase will be. A total of 28 votes. MTH leads with 12, Lionel with 9 and, wait for it, 3rd Rail with 7. Tells you all you need to know about the preferences and wildly different tastes of those on the forum compared with the rest of the world . They actually believe this represents the coming trend despite the evidence that MTH is on the wane and 3rd rail is a one man boutique operation for those with more money to spend than even the Lionel high end enthusiasts.

[rogruth]

Lionel has problems but will probably still be around for some time.
They find ways to keep going every time someone says they are dead.

[E7]

What amuses me is that some people don't understand that the forums that are supported by advertisers are not going to tolerate anyone bad mouthing those advertisers, since they are the paying the bills.

[Big Jim]

So what happened next. They get in a pissing contest about where they can post Happy Birthday and decide they will start their own forum.

Some guy, we'll call him CJ, got mad and issued an ultimatum. He was leaving the forum if he didn't get his way. After a statement like that, I figured that it wasn't my place to say "don't let the door hit you in the *** when you leave". However, I did politely ask why he had to issue an ultimatum. He said that it wasn't an ultimatum and got mad again. Attempts to educate CJ and his entourage the definition of what an ultimatum is only went to show how blind some people can be. Needless to say, those folks have an aversion to seeing things as they really are, so, I am not welcome there. Figuring that referring them to the book of Proverbs would really blow their minds, I let it go.