A Busy day! Please Read.

[ron50]

Today was unfortunately a busy day here at SMF. I wish I could say it was a great day filled with tasty foods and TBS but alas not today.

As many of you know, several members have left here as active participants and started their own web sites and forums about smoking.

TulsaJeff as the owner and administrator of SMF has always been a fair and open minded individual. I've had my disagreements but one thing I will say about him is he tries to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.
Even when I had told him several times that people were using his website to recruit for their own smoking sites he refused to do anything about it until he was provided with proof.

Today I had the proof to show him. As a result, Glued2it, and SmokieOkie have been banned by Jeff from SMF.

Jeff has always told the moderators he has no issues with anyone creating another website as long as they don't use his to solicit members. Well today the trust and the benfit of the doubt were violated by people who claimed to support SMF and Jeff.

In addition, in my opinion, Glued2it showed his disdain for new members by saying they "amuse him". What he fails to realize is helping new members is what this site is about, it is our strength and not our weakness, it is what makes SMF the best!

I'm sure these individuals will sign on again with alias names and refute what I have to say. So be it. Everyone here is capable of coming to their own conclusion.

I wish you well, all of you. Thanks for making this site what it is.

 

[1894]

Guess I understand a little better now , thanks for 'splainin'

Makes more sense now.

 

[abelman]

Sometimes you have to shake the trees.

If I might make one suggestion, keep the stickies. For example, Smokies thread about searing brisket is helpful. It helps all the people here as well as the new comers.

In all honesty, I would imagine they would want them removed so why not keep them?

 

[dmack]

I want to say how much I appreciate this site. At times, early, I was hesistant to ask things knowing they've been covered. As many know it can take a while to find those previous posts. I have been met with nothing but patience here. People have been so helpful. I think the fact that the "OTBS" exists makes this such a powerful place. Being helpful is a part of that "club". Being a teacher, I want to develop the knowledge base so I can help others. I will try very hard to help anybody I can (granted most everybody here can help alot more than I can). Thanks for the efforts that all responsible are doing to keep this site the way it is.

dmack

 

[travcoman45]

An unfortunate situation fer sure. I've never hindered anyone who wan'ts ta improve themselves, but This craft is about smokin fine foods an sharin that information with new members an old alike, it is what I enjoy about SMF, I hope we all can keep it friendly here in our neighborhood.

I'm sure Jeff did not come ta this dicesion easily. It is a tough situation fer him as well as other members here.

Thanks fer explainin what happened Ron, yours guys job is a tough one. Thanks fer doin it fer us.

 

[cowgirl]

I'm sorry to hear this....it's sad when anyone leaves for what ever reason.

In the few months that I have been here, I've found Jeff and the moderators to be more than fair.
They provide a great place for me to exchange smokin ideas and more. Hats off to you folks, this is still the #1 smoke forum and growing everyday.....and I appreciate all you do.

I hope I do not offend anyone when I say.......who in their right mind would want to run a forum?

Can't imagine the headaches!

 

[smokebuzz]

I don't agree with soliciting, not right to do. sadly i don't believe those sites will grow like this one does, not neer as friendly as it is here. I know a lot of us have joined and toured those other sites, but here we are regularly ,not there. I know it gets discouraging at times, same question asked by two people at the same time or a day apart, or those who think how they do it is the way everyone should do it. most of us brush it of and offer up some help one way or another. I hope i can be considered a lifer here, not that 2 years here would constitute that, but i have out lived many that came and gone, and enjoy every day of it here.

 

[capt dan]

I noticed the two of you in chat earlier(moderators chat), I figured something was up. Sorry to hear about the loss of some very good members. Moderating is a tough job, I call it site babysitting, and a webmaster has his rules, as long as they are spelled out, and he is fair about these issues, I have no problem with his decissions.
I belong to the other forum too, and enjoy my time there as well. I don't think Jeff has anything to worry about as far as any member "kidnapping" is concerned. People are adults here, and they go where they want to go.

This site grows buy dozens of new folks every day, and if the latest roll call threads are any indication( not to mention the bandwidth issues) the growth here is constant, and without worry.

Like I said before, the owner of this forum has the right to make the rules, and I have all the respect in the world for his reasons/decissions. I love this place, and all the great people who make it the awesome place that it is. May the SMF continue to make newbies into BBQ addicts, and the addicts into experts!

 

[doctor phreak]

i personally want to thank everyone on this forum for the help and guidance that has been given to me....i do really enjoy the website and really can't wait until i get home to log on and check things out...sometimes being a admin is hard work but at the end of the day you make the decisions that pushes the forum to new heights and its for the good..sad to hear other members doing this i agree i sure don't want to start one up , i don't have the time and paitence....personally i have never talked to jeff but maybe i day i can and let him know how much this website/forum has helped me out to make my bbq experince better....thank you to all

 

[ronp]

Well, I have a web site on Las Vegas and people tried that there and I baned them..

Too bad gready people do that but that is what it is. Good riddance to them.

I paid for a Premier Membership, and I won't be leaving. It is the greatst learning site for smoking!!

They will be sorry in the end, as running this is no picnic.

 

[coyote]

well, I seem to have missed something since I only can get on every other day..
since I have joined this site and bought Jeff's secert rub and sauce..my saving have diwndled.lol..
I enjoy it and my wife and kids love helping in the kitchen and at the smoker /grill.
jeff has a bouncer http://www.break.com/index/achmed-the-terrorist.html

we should turn him loose..

 

[seboke]

I can honestly say that I have not looked for a single other place to enhance my smokes since I joined this site almost a year ago. I can also say that my wife thinks I am crazy. She has snuck up behind me to see if I'm chattin it up with another woman while I'm perusing this site. I have neglected basic duties in the home (garbage, pool cleaning, yard mowing, etc...) because of the the hours I have spent drooling over the q-view or searching threads for trying something for the first time, or looking for differnt ways to do something that I have gotten good at. I have intended for too long to become a premier member. Wrapping this ranting up, I can't imagine a better site to come to for the purpose of taking my smoking to the next level. I can't remember the last "bad" smoke I had, and that's directly due to me doing my "homework" by researching whatever subject I'm in the mood for and trusting the proven methods that can easily be found here or by simply asking. Simply put, this site is my evening entertainment due to the direct responsibility of its fine members creating my passion (not hobby) for cranking out some great smoky treats!!

 

[capt dan]

Seboke, You and me think alot alike, and if we was ever to run across each other in the future, we might have alot of fun, and I'd probably pee myself laughing.

I couldn't have said what ya just did any better!

 

[hell fire grill]

I am not exclusive to this forum so I was not aware of said mutiny. I get entertainment value from at least 3 other BBQ/smoking forums and at least a couple fishing forums and so on. I'v been reading and posting here as a member for 8 months and have seen the same thing happen twice that Im aware of. And have never seen it happen on any other forum. Im not going to say the banned members are in the wrong, because Im to lazy to read all thier posts I guess, or the rules of the forum are faulty but I will say its kind of strange that it keeps hapening here fairly frequently. Does it happen at other forums and I missed it?

 

[pineywoods]

Yea i think it happens on alot of forums but most try to hide it. I will say this is the only smoking forum I'm on I looked at a few before joining but thought I would like it here the best and I do like it here. Unless something really strange happens I'll be right here with this great group. I do belong to a couple unrelated sites tho and enjoy them too.

 

[sumosmoke]

Seboke - I, like Capt Dan, share the same addiction you (and many others) have for SMF and have experienced everything you're talking about!! Jon (husband) doesn't mind me chatting with the guys but everytime he peeks over my shoulder and sees me on the chat, or with the SMF forum background, he knows I'll be busy for quite some time! Chores ... if they're not done before I log into SMF, they will wait until the next day ...

This is a great place to join for the pure camradarie, and love, of a similar interest all of us share. What makes this place special is the friendliness from folks everywhere, that I've encountered from day 1 on this site. I've also given my support to the site to become a premier member, bought the sauce and rub recipes, and even threw some money in the Tip jar. None of which has equaled to the knowledge and friendships I've made.

Thanks again to the Moderators, and Jeff, for having such a great site dedicated to the art we all love, smoking meats.

 

[flash]

Sorry to hear that. For some their britches get to big. When that starts to happen, I rarely listen to them anymore.

Remember:

Never seem more learned than the people you are with. Wear your learning like a pocket watch and keep it hidden. Do not pull it out to count the hours, but give the time when you are asked. --- Lord Chesterfield

 

[meatballtn]

I belong to a couple other sites , they are really good sites. i have learned a lot from them . But this site is about the best for information and the ease of getting answers that i have seen, everyone here is eager to help , and share knowledge that has taken a long time to gather. I hate to see anyone get banned , but we have rules and they should be obeyed.

 

[fatback joe]

Ron,

Like I said yesterday in the chat room...........thankless job.......keep up the good work.

It is a shame that things had to come to that, but I suppose the rules are the rules. I am a member of the new forum in question also, but hope to continue to enjoy this one as well. Kind of hate that caught in the middle feeling, when you happen to like the folks that are on opposite sides of the fence.

As I said the last time something like this went down, thanks for letting me hang out in your part of the net. Nice to have another place to exchange ideas, make friends, and talk about our successes and failures in the art of smoking.

 

[craig chamberlain]

This is what is great about this forum,we have moderators here that will keep us informed on what is going on.
I know members are going to have different views on this but at least we've been told why, and now we can move on to keep this forum the best smoking forum on the net.
I know that alot of us are in other smoking forums and some of them are good,but I don't think any of them come close to this one.

I'm looking forward to getting past this and getting back to "happy smokin."