• Hi Guest - Come check out all of the new CP Merch Shop! Now you can support CigarPass buy purchasing hats, apparel, and more...
    Click here to visit! here...

a few observations and a new years promise

Double D

alphabetically challenged
Joined
Oct 27, 2005
Messages
1,080
Location
Grafenwoehr Germany
For some time I have enjoyed spending time in this forum with the good people who call this place their internet home. During this time I have observed many acts of kindness and camaraderie and also some seriously disturbing behavior.

Before I say what has been on my mind for awhile I would like to say that this is not intended to upset or point the finger at anyone period. For some reason we all sometimes forget why we became a member to enjoy camaraderie of the one thing we All have in common Cigars and the enjoyment we derive from them. I personally think that if we all sit back and consider that we will find out it is more than we share in common than with folks we deal with on a Dailey basis.

I live and work in a closed community meaning everyone knows everything about everyone and there is no margin for error it will be remembered for years to come. My personality is such that I am very direct and often unintentionally brutal to people and over the years I have paid for this in the loss of promotions and many people thinking I am an asshat. Two years ago I was passed over for a promotion that I had been working for many years to achieve not because I was unqualified or lacked the skill set necessary to succeed in this job because but because I was volatile and explosive and may react that way to people in higher positions.

The person who got the job was a guy who I hated and would do anything to piss off he was now my supervisor to say the least I was concerned. Within a week of having the job I was called to his office my first thought was ok I am gone he sat me down and proceeded to tell me what an asset I was to the firm and then detailed my faults and how he was going to assist me navigate in this type of environment.

Since that day he has been my staunchest ally and has repeatedly helped me to improve myself were a lesser man would have cut his losses early on and in the process I have learned a lot about diplomacy and thinking things through before reacting to them.

This community tends to react quickly and forcibly at times when a little thought could prevent a civil war other times we act together and quickly for a common goal like when some vendor try’s to rip off folks. If we tried to work together more we could achieve what we already know one of the best most tightly knit communities on the web were folks truly care.

I myself believe this and have seen this to be true but when a new person first logs in and sees some of our threads they probably think holy cow what have I got myself into. Yes I know I am a noob both to cigars and this forum but in life I am not a noob and have personally found that diplomacy and respect can go very far someone I once considered my worst enemy has turned out to be the person who showed me the way and that has changed my outlook more than I can explain however I hope that we as a community can find our way to more tolerance and respect for each other I have to believe this is possible because if it isn’t that means the changes I have felt personally over the years were not possible.

So this is my new years pledge to all of you I will treat everyone with respect and use diplomacy to guide my actions and my wish is that everyone else can find their way to do the same. This is not intended to out anyone person or flame someone or cause civil war it is just my humble observations if this does offend someone I apologize up front and I know my post count is low and that many of you would see some of them as padding but that is ok I don’t care about post count I come here because I enjoy the camaraderie.


Respectfully

Dale

P.S I know my spelling and grammar is horrible but i used word this time so hopefully it is better.

*edited to make Paragraphs* :rolleyes:
 
Post padder! :p




Just kidding, of course, DD. Thanks for sharing your story. I am sure that those of us who have chosen to make this place our exclusive online cigar home feel as seriously about investing ourselves here, psychologically, emotionally and socially. This is true for any community we wish to not only be a part of but also grow with and contribute to. The sign of those who feel this way is that they can be seen as wanting to make a difference, to contribute positively and constructively.

I have my own take on the recent situations, but it's nowhere near as compact and as eloquent as your account. But as history unfolds, our history and the history of this board, lives will entangle, branches will prune and leaves will fall...all the while the roots and trunk will grow. But unlike an actual tree, which planted as an oak will fall as an oak, communities will and must necessarily change over the years especially as the membership grows and changes.

Thanks DD. And BTW, I'm not sure I would have liked the you of several years ago. I know this because years ago, I was much as you described yourself; arrogant, dismissive, unaware and uncaring of my affects on those around me. That self was good enough to become a technical director of a $500M company, but made me a failure in life nonetheless. I'm a lot poorer, but much happier with genuine friends.

Wilkey
 
If I had to write something that thoughtful and long when trying to post-pad, let's just say I would have, er, 0 posts.
 
Nicely done DoubleD!

I have learned quite a bit after joining this site.
Not just about cigars...but about how people act when hiding behind a computer.

The internet can hide the 'human' aspects of communication.
People can say what they want, with little consequence.

I kinda see it like how people have road-rage. They could be the coolest people, but somehow they act like asses on the road.

Overall, I'm happy to be a part of this community.
Let's keep it going!

DoubleD, a very good New Year's resolution!
I also am trying to conduct myself in the same manner in which you have learned.
I myself tend to be hot-headed and explosive when my buttons are pushed.
I can see how that isn't a good feature when trying to move forward in one's career (and also in life).

Thanks for the reminder!
 
Double D~
That post was right on the money....I agree with what you said and hopefully the new year will bring about some less harsh and negative times around the board. It would be quite nice if it wasn't so full of hate threads and such. But such is life but thank you fro bringing us a little bit more of a happy side to it.

Wishin YALL a happy new years!

Drew
 
Excellent post DD. I have seen some negative stuff recently and in my opinion none of it should be happening. We should save that kind of thing for scum bags who try and rob people and low lives that are bad traders. Going after people with a vengence because of some disagreements is silly.
 
Ginseng said:
...as history unfolds, our history and the history of this board, lives will entangle, branches will prune and leaves will fall...all the while the roots and trunk will grow. But unlike an actual tree, which planted as an oak will fall as an oak, communities will and must necessarily change over the years especially as the membership grows and changes...

Wilkey
[snapback]267451[/snapback]​

Dude, that's beautiful. Kept the metaphor consistent and everything. I'm impressed!
 
wish i could express myself so well, but reading your post is a close second, thanks! :cool:
 
Great post DD :)

As a mostly lurking newbie I must admit that sometimes the tone (not eally sure if that is the right word) on this forum has made me ask myself if this is a forum for me. But seeing all the wisdom and knowledge that floats around here I have decided to stay.
I do feel that a public forum will change over time and I do see the point of the 'old-timers' looking out for the forum so that it evolves the right way. And if you are new to a forum and don't like the way things are done you do have two options, either leave or stay and live with the forum. In time one can influence the way a forum evolves but the sane way to influence it is to lead by example and not to question how everything is done. If people react in ways I don't like I can choose to ignore it or try to lead the way by showing a behavior that I would prefere. By directly qeustioning other people's behavior you will only start feuds and it's seldom anything good come out of feuds.
I'm a person that in real life have a tendency to overreact to quickly but online I have the chance to stop and think before I reply or tries to comment and since english isn't my first language (you wouldn't have guessed :) ) it does take me a few minutes to formulate my thoughts and that gives me time to consider a bit more carefully what I wan't to have said and how to communicate it in the best way.

DD I think that what you states is a great example of leading by example and not to question other peoples behavior and thus avoiding conflicts.

My excuses for my spelling and grammer but I hope you understand what I mean.

I wish you all a Happy New Year!

Niclas
 
Great post. But give your self the credit for recognizing that you can learn and set goals for youself and acheive those goals. Education changes us hopefully for the better. To learn from a former victim is bonus. Change for the better is maturity.
 
Nice post DD.

Let me quickly reiterate one very important aspect of CigarPass. If you're new and you see something that turns you off to the forum, keep in mind we're one of the only cigar forums (and there are many) which doesn't edit YOUR posts, delete posts, cover up other members' poor behavior, etc. What you see is what you get. So while at times you may think there's a lot of flaming or calling out here, there really isn't. We don't moderate like the other guys do; every member is accountable for his/her reputation at CP. There are plenty of other forums out there which will protect a person's poor behavior.

I agree, we all need to keep in mind why we're here. To learn and share the passion we all have for Cigars.

Happy New Year!
Rod
 
That's a great point, Rod. Makes me think of a slogan: CigarPass....where we use pens, not pencils.

You have to be a grown-up to use a pen.
 
Top