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littleike -> RE: A discussion about our Community and Moderation. (1/19/2022 2:45:54 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: DD696
In a few days I will be turning 75 years old. This post will serve as an early birthday present to myself.
I started playing war games in 1967, the old Avalon Hill series. Can't remember which was the first. My wife and I met a fella motorcycling from San Francisco to Hobbs, New Mexico to visit relatives and we befriended him. He introduced me to commercially available war games. Previously I had experimented with using road maps and pieces of tape on them to represent military units and attempting to figure out a rudimentary combat system. The best I could come up at the time was that if I had 3 times as many troops in a combat then the opponent had 3 times the causalities inflicted on him.
I have purchased many hundreds of war games over the years, from retail stores such as the local hobby shop in Scottsdale, Arizona to Best Buy to, well, I can't recall the name of the specialty chain stores selling computer games and software. I can say that never once was I denied the ability to purchase a game or prevented from playing it. However, I am male. I am considered white (but I also have an American Heritage ago). Until 1997 I was also under 50. I can say that I have never seen, nor have I ever heard of anyone being denied the ability to purchase a war game - providing to could provide the appropriate money to do so.
For the last 20 plus years internet online sales have become the prime method of purchasing war games. I believe there are 5 companies with whom I have done business, Matrix Games being primary one. When I would purchase a game from Matrix, or any other company, I was never asked if I was male, female, or it. I was never asked as to which racial heritage I claim to be from. I was never asked my age. Now, I'm just taking a wild assed guess here, but I do not believe that Matrix restricts the sales of games they publish to only males, white, and over 50. Now, I could be wrong, only Eric (who seems to be the only remaining representative of good old Matrix Games), for now we have to deal with Slitherine, so the Slitherine folks would really have to confirm this.
Which brings me to this question: Has anyone even been denied to right to purchase a war game based upon your gender, racial heritage, or age? Does any know of anyone who has been denied the right to purchase a war game based upon their gender, racial heritage, or age? Were you, or anyone you know, denied the right to play a war game (other than parents, wives, bosses, company commanders (a military reference))? I can say that my cats have denied me the right to play board games.
Really! Think about that for a bit. Could it possibly be that women choose different hobbies to pursue?
In 2004 I decided to become an active forum member. As I have said elsewhere in this thread, I have not posted very often. These forums are filled with animosity. Back in those early days I became active because of the original War in the Pacific game. I am one who plays against the AI. I remember the never ending harassment because I preferred to play against the AI. I'd make a post and some nitwit would insist that I PBEM. Time after time and time after time....... It got so bad that I finally used as my signature statement "I have not, will not, and will never play a PBEM game". It irritated me to no end. I still refuse to play a PBEM game. Thankfully, over the years AI players are now considered to be grudgingly slightly below equal.
Over the years I have only taken note of 3 self identified women in these forums. Graffin Zeppelin here (she faded away), Rhonda Brown (she sadly passed away), and MrsWargamer (she received a permanent ban). I wish I could say that I never say any harassment of these women, but I did primarily from one current forum member. I am fairly astute at reading certain forums and follow them well.
She was permanently banned by Eric. My thinking on this matter was that there was a failure to fully understand what led her to get so angry that she would defy Eric in the manner in which she did. Which brings us to the current forum member, very active in these forums, and this thread. He has perfected the art to baiting people to the point at which they finally have had enough and lash back at this baiter-in-chief. He baited her mercilessly. To me he has attempted to do so repeatedly, one time when he and another member were disparaging my military service by ending one of his baiting tirades saying "but I don't know what your criminal record is".
That is not against forum rules, but it certainly tended to rile the hell out of me. Just yesterday Loksenna (probably misspelled) was the subject of his baiting. I am sure that any forum member who reads here regularly will know who this individual is.
For my early 75th birthday present I am granting myself a more serene, peaceful and less stressful life. It is too short to have to put up with the crap that occurs on a daily basis here. This forum has been a good source of knowledge, but when the cost of acquiring that knowledge is to have your dignity degraded and your character attacked, then the cost of that knowledge is too high.
Semper Fi.
My very best wishes for your 75 birthday DD696
I made my 74 in last december and i was thinking to be the oldest here!!
So, in the name of the sixties, juke box, rock'n roll, Harley and Triumph, chewing gum, fifteen balls, heavy smoke films, flipper, drive inn and coca cola, (and also some pin up ...with moderation ) stop yourself!!
You are not alone here. [:)]
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