[TheForge] Mass Resignations?

[JERRY FROST]

Firebrand, ME? 

Some years ago, Theforge.list and artmetal.list were the two GO TO places on the net for metal heads. At one time artmetal carried a few hundred posts a week easy and had strict rules about the poison topics. Religion, politics and money. When the university stopped hosting it members chipped in and one, Enrique Varga, took the reins. Others took the jobs of managing the operations. At the time artmetal went private and altered the name to avoid copyright issues there were still something like 14,000 members and good traffic.

Then Enrique, being the new owner abolished the forbidden topics rule, anything goes. Within 6 months membership had dropped to under 100 and traffic was pidlin, everybody had gone to facebook their own web pages or other fora. 

I maintain a subscription because once in a while someone posts a good question, or strikes up a conversation. Arthritis is making it so I hardly light a fire, haven't in a good 8 months in fact. Without heat in the shop I need a good reason in winter anyway but even on a nice day making my thumbs and knees ache for several days sort of takes the fun out. 

Still I watch theforge.list. Then Dave's adolescent spitefulness made me seriously wonder why, it's not like much good happens. I about unsubbed, I prefer to hang with grownups and have filters to dump offensive BS. Of course Admins know the backdoors and can slip whatever they want in. Perhaps an admin has been emailing nastygrams and people are leaving in answer? 

Maybe it's an ex-admin giving us the bird as a last act before leaving. I know if I were the list mom it would have been. I'm not big on open contempt.

Sorry for the rant guys.

Frosty

----- Original Message -----
From: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 3:16:03 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Mass Resignations?

Walt & company,
I just thought we were going through a dry period where the firebrands like Frosty have mellowed as they aged. No political comments here.

Mark Williams
Snow Hill, Maryland
> On 02/02/2025 5:24 AM EST Walter .Mullett <wmullett22 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>  
> It looks like you forwarded the message on how we can manage our membership
> including exiting.  It says it come out once a month.  I can't remember
> ever seeing this monthly.
> 
> BTW ... maybe some people object to your political tag line.  I know I
> object.
> 
> On Sun, Feb 2, 2025, 1:03 AM Dave Mudge <davemudge1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > As the FORMER administrator, I received notice of
> > 17 members all quitting TheForge at the same time.
> > What's up with that???
> > dave m
> >
> > --
> >
> >
> > NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency
> > may have read this email without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do
> > this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse
> > nor protection.