There are literally hundreds of hunting forums out there in web land, as the numbers continue to rise, more and more people are introduced to how the internet can bring sportsmen and women together, or drive them apart.
Over the last 6 or 7 years I have been a member of over a dozen forums, all of them waterfowl related and all of them were really neat when they opened up. Today, I am an active member of 2 and frequent 3 in total. All of the others have chased me and just about everyone else out.
How do they do this? The first disease a forum gets is spam, internet cowboys advertising black market prescriptions, salesmen selling time shares and ways to come out of debt. Those cowboys are easy to fight, you add a few security features, (costs a little money) and they more or less vanish.
The other way spam is introduced is by self proclaimed “pro staffers” or “experts” in the topic being discussed. They will hijack a thread asking about decoy spreads and turn it into a free advertisement for the brand of call or blind they represent. They are all over, happens all of the time. A guy will make an honest post, asking how to set decoys in swirling wind and it never fails, someone will respond, “if you used this brand of call you would know.”. That type of behavior will turn the honest, good hearted sportsman away, never to be heard from again.
What else? How about the guy who has 32 companies with web links in his signature, he is the one that posts, “nice job” or “way to go” on each and every post just so his signature can be admired by all of the little people he thinks we all are. What about the guy who makes posts pointing you to his website to “read more”, if it’s that important, post it on the forum, don’t make me leave the site I am on just so you can shove your brand down my throat. Because you tried to rope me like that I will never visit your site, none of us should.
Callin’ The Shots Forums was created a few years back, over those years we have had over 1200 people sign up, we made some simple rules to ensure the spam wars didn’t happen, we fought multiple username bravados by IP matching software, we eliminated everyone with “look at me” signatures and we have banned over 400 users for going against the rules by not entering location and making the first post so the IP software could do it’s job.
For example, we had a company owner, (no names) register 9 different usernames (other than his original) and then start conversations about lanyards amongst his fictitious users. We never had so many people asking, what lanyard do you recommend? It was funny, all 9 would offer the same company, every day. It took me a week to catch on, then you know what happened next, all 10 users were banned, only 1 was real. The IP software did it’s job and continues to do so.
We work hard to keep the CTS forum free of morons, it is a constant battle but the end result is nothing short of incredible. Today we are at 716 members, because of the forum mood and environment we have the tightest waterfowl community on the internet. Tips and stories are shared, our members pictures are wonderful and we have more kids registered than any other waterfowl forum that I know of. Kids even have their own spot to chat amongst themselves. Now the site gets over 15,000 hits a day, most stay on the homepage and link out from there to the sponsor's banners or read the daily info. To get into the forums they must be registered. registration is and will always be free.
If your not a member, please stop by and register, it is the only forum that there is someone keeping the spam wolf at the door continuously and the only place that you can be guaranteed not to be bashed over anything.
If you want to be a forum sponsor let me know, we have room for a couple more! We have a selection process that will ensure only sponsors who won’t turn into infomercials will make the pages, all part of protecting the most serious waterfowlers on the planet, Callin’ The Shots Forum Members!
Over the last 6 or 7 years I have been a member of over a dozen forums, all of them waterfowl related and all of them were really neat when they opened up. Today, I am an active member of 2 and frequent 3 in total. All of the others have chased me and just about everyone else out.
How do they do this? The first disease a forum gets is spam, internet cowboys advertising black market prescriptions, salesmen selling time shares and ways to come out of debt. Those cowboys are easy to fight, you add a few security features, (costs a little money) and they more or less vanish.
The other way spam is introduced is by self proclaimed “pro staffers” or “experts” in the topic being discussed. They will hijack a thread asking about decoy spreads and turn it into a free advertisement for the brand of call or blind they represent. They are all over, happens all of the time. A guy will make an honest post, asking how to set decoys in swirling wind and it never fails, someone will respond, “if you used this brand of call you would know.”. That type of behavior will turn the honest, good hearted sportsman away, never to be heard from again.
What else? How about the guy who has 32 companies with web links in his signature, he is the one that posts, “nice job” or “way to go” on each and every post just so his signature can be admired by all of the little people he thinks we all are. What about the guy who makes posts pointing you to his website to “read more”, if it’s that important, post it on the forum, don’t make me leave the site I am on just so you can shove your brand down my throat. Because you tried to rope me like that I will never visit your site, none of us should.
Callin’ The Shots Forums was created a few years back, over those years we have had over 1200 people sign up, we made some simple rules to ensure the spam wars didn’t happen, we fought multiple username bravados by IP matching software, we eliminated everyone with “look at me” signatures and we have banned over 400 users for going against the rules by not entering location and making the first post so the IP software could do it’s job.
For example, we had a company owner, (no names) register 9 different usernames (other than his original) and then start conversations about lanyards amongst his fictitious users. We never had so many people asking, what lanyard do you recommend? It was funny, all 9 would offer the same company, every day. It took me a week to catch on, then you know what happened next, all 10 users were banned, only 1 was real. The IP software did it’s job and continues to do so.
We work hard to keep the CTS forum free of morons, it is a constant battle but the end result is nothing short of incredible. Today we are at 716 members, because of the forum mood and environment we have the tightest waterfowl community on the internet. Tips and stories are shared, our members pictures are wonderful and we have more kids registered than any other waterfowl forum that I know of. Kids even have their own spot to chat amongst themselves. Now the site gets over 15,000 hits a day, most stay on the homepage and link out from there to the sponsor's banners or read the daily info. To get into the forums they must be registered. registration is and will always be free.
If your not a member, please stop by and register, it is the only forum that there is someone keeping the spam wolf at the door continuously and the only place that you can be guaranteed not to be bashed over anything.
If you want to be a forum sponsor let me know, we have room for a couple more! We have a selection process that will ensure only sponsors who won’t turn into infomercials will make the pages, all part of protecting the most serious waterfowlers on the planet, Callin’ The Shots Forum Members!
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Article of the week
"Forums"
Brian Pierog
"Forums"
Brian Pierog
Our Sponsor of the month, Wad Wizard! Here is the latest press release!
You will kill your prey “Dead Right There” in a way you never believed possible with Walker’s Wad Wizard? choke tubes, now protected by 4 separate U.S. patents. The shot wad is “retarded” at the muzzle and separated from the shot to create a uniform 3-dimensional pattern density for maximum on-target striking power. They feature maximum shot pattern density and throw evenly distributed, ultimately deadly “wads” of shot from your 10, 12 and 20 gauge, without elevating bore pressure through constriction.
These tubes are always American-manufactured with high-precision workmanship and quality control. They are expertly machined to the proper specifications and to close tolerances to give you amazing performance. All Wad Wizard tubes are hearing-friendly (meaning unported) for use with all speeds, types and sizes of shot, including HeviShot, tungsten shot and high-velocity steel loadings.
If you want to put the maximum shot payload on target at any given range try the Stud10 for 10 gauge models, the Power20? for 20 gauge models and the medium to long-range Supreme for most popular 12 gauge guns. Our short to medium-range SWAT (Supreme Wide Area Tube) model is available for most popular 10, 12 and 20 gauge guns, also.
No matter if you are a hunting waterfowl, turkey, deer, upland game or target shooting, Walker’s Wad Wizard Choke Tubes can handle any type of hunting/shooting situation you care to do with your shotgun.
All tubes come with our 30-day unconditional money-back guarantee and are guaranteed for life against defects in materials and workmanship.
For more information, contact Wad Wizard? toll-free at (877) 278-3131, by email at talktous@wadwizard.com, or visit us on the web at www.wadwizard.com
You will kill your prey “Dead Right There” in a way you never believed possible with Walker’s Wad Wizard? choke tubes, now protected by 4 separate U.S. patents. The shot wad is “retarded” at the muzzle and separated from the shot to create a uniform 3-dimensional pattern density for maximum on-target striking power. They feature maximum shot pattern density and throw evenly distributed, ultimately deadly “wads” of shot from your 10, 12 and 20 gauge, without elevating bore pressure through constriction.
These tubes are always American-manufactured with high-precision workmanship and quality control. They are expertly machined to the proper specifications and to close tolerances to give you amazing performance. All Wad Wizard tubes are hearing-friendly (meaning unported) for use with all speeds, types and sizes of shot, including HeviShot, tungsten shot and high-velocity steel loadings.
If you want to put the maximum shot payload on target at any given range try the Stud10 for 10 gauge models, the Power20? for 20 gauge models and the medium to long-range Supreme for most popular 12 gauge guns. Our short to medium-range SWAT (Supreme Wide Area Tube) model is available for most popular 10, 12 and 20 gauge guns, also.
No matter if you are a hunting waterfowl, turkey, deer, upland game or target shooting, Walker’s Wad Wizard Choke Tubes can handle any type of hunting/shooting situation you care to do with your shotgun.
All tubes come with our 30-day unconditional money-back guarantee and are guaranteed for life against defects in materials and workmanship.
For more information, contact Wad Wizard? toll-free at (877) 278-3131, by email at talktous@wadwizard.com, or visit us on the web at www.wadwizard.com
Brian Pierog is the owner of Longneck Outdoors Waterfowl Supply and a partner of Callin' The Shots Outdoor Television. You can visit his forum at www.callintheshots.com for season updates and a schedule of events.
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