Re: Der Fuhrer Replies

[Jeremy Mixer <mixer@xxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 4 Jul 2002, Donald McElheny wrote:

> Perhaps you should dig a little deeper.  Check the archives going back 7 or
> 8 years.  There used to be several members of DG and later FBO who were very

Brett- where are there archives going back to the DG days? I have searched
the web high and low and have been unable to find any DG archives.

> were run off by Trent and his band of mental midgets.  FBO today is like a
> former MVP who is now entering the twilight of his career and batting .230,
> much different than it used to be.  Hell, the highlight of most FBO digests
> for me these days is reading Mixer's ramblings.  And for those who have been
> around for awhile, that's saying alot.

I don't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment....I think
it's both in one, and I won't let it mean anything.

And Brett, that's an opinion you share with those in Billy's exclusive
little club.....I'm not concerned too much about it, Personally I prefer
the FBO of today to the infant FBO and the latter-day Digital Grafitti for
one basic reason..... the modern FBO, unlike in it's early days, has
seemed to get rid of 95% of the egotistical,
"I-Know-Everything-About-Led-Zeppelin-and-you-don't-so-that's-why-I-am-better-than-you"
attitude that many of the old time DG'ers had absorbed over a period of
time. I was a member of Digital Grafitti since late 1994 or early 1995
through the last 2 1/2 years of it's life. While it had a few flame wars,
most of the people seemed like good people initially..... and as time went
on, a LOT of stuck up people came out slowly who thought they were better
then everyone else and tried to rule the list.

The best and worst thing that could have ever happened was Zepfest 96, the
most "classic" Zepfest out of everything else that Grant put together,
when many of us met for the first time.....and I think a lot of the
interpersonal friendships that people had had changed after that. Less
then a year later, DG had dissolved and FBO was in it's early stages. Then
everyne agrees to make a charter and then some of the same people are
bitching about having a charter and all you hear is how FBO isn't DG, bla
bla bla, and newbies being frowned upon rather then be welcomed (unless
they had some enormous tape collection so people could get something from
them). Eventually, Billy took a lot of these people into his own little
forum. I don't dislike the people that are there by any means, what I get
sick and tired of is how this entire group looks down on people just
because they are part of FBO, yet still urk and keep an eye on the list so
they can be the first to stand up for their precious little "club" if it
gets slammed.

I've talked to enough people to know that I am one of the most hated
people in that little exclusive forum and will never be welcome there. And
I am fine with that. I wouldn't want to be part of a group who looks down
on everyone else and brags about their little exclusive rights that they
have, their first dibs on some recent-surfaced boots that are exclusively
traded within the group, with rules forbidding people to leak them out
onto FBO under penalty of being banned from the group. Beleive me, I'm not
stupid, I know enough people to know what goes on there and what has been
said about me. But I'm sorry, can anyone say hoarding? I applaud the
members of the list who have managed to leak things out onto FBO, and I am
thankful that there are still good people out there who don't beleive in
any of this exclusive "look down on the clueless idiots." type BS in which
this so-called exclusive club encourages and to an extent- requires.

Is it that it is a private club that bugs me? Hell no- I'm all for that.
Is it that there are people there that have more organized discussions
then here? No......is that approach good for FBO? No. What makes FBO great
is that everyone is welcome and the discussion is based on what everyone
here wants to talk about. Not every discussion interests everyone, that's
how it's always been. FBO goes through times when I find it boring, and
then a couple discussions come up which are extremely fascinating to me.
If you don't like that that is your parogative......and your choice to be
here or not to be here. What I get sick and tired of is the slamming of
people on FO for the sole fact that they are on FBO. While you're at it,
tell us your opinion of "niggers" and "gooks" And the "frogs" and what do
you think of the "bitches?" It's the same thing really..... I always
enjoyed Billy's posts on FBO to an extent, other times I didn't because it
wwas so obvious that it was his way of slamming people and disguising it
as humor.

You all know you are mroe then welcome here and always will be. I fail to
see the point of looking at everyone on FBO like a bunch of lost sheep
without a border collie to keep them from falling off the cliffs of Dover.
Hell I'd be more then willing to stick up for Shar againt the wrath of the
Phreaks and I wouldn't think twice about it. And for anyone who knows the
history between her and I going as far back as 6 years......THAT is saying
a LOT.

OK I'm getting off my high horse now. Have a great week.

Jeremy
speaking as an FBO member, not as an admin mind you.