User Panel
|
|
Quoted:
Wow.... Mixed thoughts. I’ve seen the demise of other forums start this way but...if anyone can break the mold...ARFCOM and Brownells can. The possibility of becoming a stronger voice for 1A/2A is exhilarating and possible as long as PC culture and lawyers stay out of the mix. Regardless, I’m in for the ride. I’m appreciative for what the forum is now, thankful for the leadership, and hopeful for even brighter days. View Quote Shit. If an anti-gunner spent two weeks cherry picking some of the stuff said here they would have a field day with gotcha quote blog headlines. If arfcom is to be the hub of a pro 2a whateveryoucallit thats probably a good thing. If does become that it won't look anything like what it is now. Maybe thats a positive. Guess we will see. |
|
|
Quoted:
So, then, did I just pay Brownells to be an Industry Partner here? If so, that's genius on their part, maybe not so smart on my part. It's a legitimate concern going forward. Good for you guys (Avilas), you worked hard and got rewarded. View Quote |
|
|
I’m skeptical about corporate types tolerating what goes on in GD. It’s pretty loosely moderated which is how I like it. I’m cautiously pessimistic.
|
|
Quoted:
Yeah, I'm sure you've been tempted all the times the Life Memberships have been offered over your long tenure here. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
Perfect example of why I don’t buy Lifetime Membership. Not impressed with Brownells ethics. Yeah, I'm sure you've been tempted all the times the Life Memberships have been offered over your long tenure here. I look forward to it. Brownells is good people. Time will tell, but for now I'm kind of excited. |
|
View Quote Are we talking along those lines with this merger? Sorry if this has been asked and answered. Don't have time for a 12 page read through at the moment. |
|
|
Quoted: Ok so I look at it like ARFCOM just got access to a nice piggy bank, some amazing people, and a connection to a company focused on the 2A. What would you do if you had all that at your disposal and could enact change? Where does your mind go? What do you do first? There are so many possibilities now and while we are focused on this site first, it is no longer having tight walls on where we can go. Imagine your yard just got bigger. Say it's 100 acres around your home and any neighbors are gone and you can do anything you want. Would you be content to sit and stare? Would you build a range? ATV/Truck/Mudding course to play on? How about a pool/garden/party shack? There really is no limitations except what you can think of. So we have been running ARFCOM for 20+ years and there are things we always wanted to do and have run into walls. This is an opportunity to make something special with a like minded company. (Like a national gathering! Who remembers the BRC and Gunstock!) View Quote |
|
Quoted:
In every large group of great people like this one, there is always a small sub-set of naysayers and pessimists I am not surprised to see some of you afraid of change.That has been the history of the world, and certainly that of Arfcom, but I urge you all to look up instead of down! If the same group of had been around the American colonies in 1776, they would be saying: -No country has beaten the British military and gotten independence..........ever! -If the revolution succeeds, it will become a tyranny, just like it has happened in every revolution before, blah,blah,blah! TL;DR version: Have some faith in what is being done and be positive! View Quote |
|
Quoted:
SH and GT were purchased by an advertising company who utilized their traffic to increase profits on their ad inventory. They did not care about the community or its future. This is an entirely different situation. I can't stress it enough and I don't know who cares to really see that. I know change is tough and fear leads us to think the world is ending, but give it a few months and see if anything changes before worrying about the sky falling! View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
The elephant in the room question - What's Brownells getting out of it? They didn't spent what I assume is a good bit of money for nothing. This is an entirely different situation. I can't stress it enough and I don't know who cares to really see that. I know change is tough and fear leads us to think the world is ending, but give it a few months and see if anything changes before worrying about the sky falling! I’m very hopeful that Brownells realizes nobody knows how to run this site better than the people who run this site. I have no doubt that in 10 years it will be very different but that was going to happen anyway. Change and adapt or go extinct. |
|
|
|
Quoted:
I wonder if a stronger voice for for 2A includes tranny threads, use of the "rich and vibrant" label, Looty memes, beheading threads and the other crazy stuff that makes GD what it is. Shit. If an anti-gunner spent two weeks cherry picking some of the stuff said here they would have a field day with gotcha quote blog headlines. If arfcom is to be the hub of a pro 2a whateveryoucallit thats probably a good thing. If does become that it won't look anything like what it is now. Maybe thats a positive. Guess we will see. View Quote Antis can gotcha quote anything on the internet, it's meaningless. If ARFcom is being purchased as the "hub of pro-2A activism" or something there will sadly be a realization that buying a community hosting system does not in fact buy the community. Even if otherwise in agreement, NYPA. Maintaining the site as is on the forum side and simply producing more official content and things could work well, though. |
|
Quoted:
Hopefully does not involve more lawyers looking at every topic and post with an overly critical eye looking to protect corporate interests... Let's hope forums like BOTD and other 'edgy' subjects like some of the political content don't just vanish View Quote |
|
Quoted:
If they decide to start moderating GD like the comments section of Syracuse.com they just paid for an empy forum View Quote Quoted: Reduce that crazy shit from GD and the site dies. For all the bullshit, it's also a free exchange of ideas. Good ideas rise, bad ideas fall (or get elevated in a "point and laugh" way). Reduce available topics of discussion and the actual rich and vibrant nature of GD goes away. You can look at any of the sterilized corporate forums that others have mentioned in this thread so far and see that to be the case. Antis can gotcha quote anything on the internet, it's meaningless. If ARFcom is being purchased as the "hub of pro-2A activism" or something there will sadly be a realization that buying a community hosting system does not in fact buy the community. Even if otherwise in agreement, NYPA. Maintaining the site as is on the forum side and simply producing more official content and things could work well, though. View Quote They start clamping down and I'm gone. |
|
Whatever good comes to the Avilas is well deserved. I hope they all retire very wealthy, and I really mean that.
However, these thing have a habit of ending tragically, “If it is not done organically it will fail.” As a previous poster said. I hope that is not the case here. |
|
I’m optimistic. While there are dark clouds on the horizon, partnerships like this can only strengthen an already strong , numerous and vocal swath of freedom and liberty loving Americans. We need to be stronger, more numerous, and louder. Contrary to what some would have you believe, we are in the right and we are the majority and we are the people that the founding fathers of this great nation still speak through to this day . As long as that is put above all else I see this as a win win .
|
|
Quoted:
Will Brownell's actually be selling Liftime Memberships ? ? ? View Quote |
|
Quoted:
So as I read through the thread I am seeing this change as a wholesale change for the 2nd Group that now owns Brownells and AR15.com, using that leverage to affect positive change. AR15.com already has 10s of thousands of members and an internet presence while Brownells has marketing figured out. The Brownells leader stepped away from the corruption in the NRA and wants to go their own way. So that person can lead the good fight. By purchasing AR15.com the 2nd group actually purchased access to us as a community, the largest pro 2nd community on the net. Boom instant viable replacement for the NRA. They then have a Business Leader and former NRA leader to step up and lead the 2nd community out of the mess we are in. The new lobbying and business venture can raise their hand as a viable option to the NRA because AR15.com becomes the base population and it has more people than any other like group because they started with us. NSSF and others who have tried had no base population to start with and had very little internet presence and basically failed. If I am seeing this correctly this could be a win but I do see our seedy side being phased out. The entire venture can then lead into a new option for a true 1st A platform on the net. It can pull in Full30 and other baby companies that support freedom and help all of them work together. View Quote |
|
I wonder if this has anything to do with Pete Brownelle stepping down from the NRA?
|
|
I am the last to know anything.
I do not blame them for selling, it had to be a shit load of money. I wish them well. While a lot of good can come from the combined efforts of our new overlords; they cant have their name on a lot of shit that goes on here and that said shit is what makes this place great. Someone start a new site and keep our cool rules. |
|
Quoted: That's kind of my concern as well. It usually goes south when someone from the news links the degenerates in GD to Brownell's and the PR department throws a shit fit and shuts it down. Free speech doesn't exist in the wild today when there is money involved. And having spent time in GD, that should take about a week for the public outrage. I am hopeful, but I definitely understand the fear of change. View Quote So a bunch of latte sipping pussies who never bought a gun, let alone a gun part can not throw the fear of god into Brownells. At least I don't believe they can. |
|
Lots of vague phrases. But, I have been here long enough to ride the flaming hulk all the way in.
|
|
I'm going to view this as a positive until given a reason to think differently.
|
|
Quoted:
There's also those of us that are business owners and have dealt with the "corporate" atmosphere, and everything that comes with it, at some point in our careers. As others have said, if y'all pull this off, it'll be the first. I'm along for the ride. Good luck! View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
In every large group of great people like this one, there is always a small sub-set of naysayers and pessimists I am not surprised to see some of you afraid of change.That has been the history of the world, and certainly that of Arfcom, but I urge you all to look up instead of down! If the same group of had been around the American colonies in 1776, they would be saying: -No country has beaten the British military and gotten independence..........ever! -If the revolution succeeds, it will become a tyranny, just like it has happened in every revolution before, blah,blah,blah! TL;DR version: Have some faith in what is being done and be positive! Make no mistake, you guys no longer own the site, you now have a boss. One who really cares only about how much revenue you generate for them. Stop making them "enough" money and see how fast they toss you aside. Note that "enough" is subjective and will change. As in increase. But who knows. Maybe this time it will be different. |
|
|
I sincerely congratulate the Avila family for building something like this (even if 0bama will tell you that you didn't build that), and now cashing in on it as it was a lot of work and headaches over the years. I can only hope it was profitable and worth it for the many years of work.
Having gone through a sale of a company before, I know the reality of what's in store so there's sadness there. Next month it'll 20 years, 20 years (wow that's a long damn time) I've been a member of this forum. Nothing lasts forever. |
|
|
Quoted:
Update the YUGO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well I have met both Pete and frank Brownell and they both treated me with a respect of equals. And have been stand up guys for the gun community for many years. I think its a wonderful merger and meeting of the minds. View Quote |
|
|
Quoted:
Yep. BTDT. If Brownells said "merger of equals" or words to that effect, stand by because you're getting fucked hard in 3... 2...1... As has been said over and over on this site, some animals are more equal than others. Make no mistake, you guys no longer own the site, you now have a boss. One who really cares only about how much revenue you generate for them. Stop making them "enough" money and see how fast they toss you aside. Note that "enough" is subjective and will change. As in increase. But who knows. Maybe this time it will be different. View Quote One is that the inevitable corporate meddling will happen, regardless of the initial designs of individuals involved, and corporate decisions will crush the nature of AR15.com. Specifically the rough edges that make the site great will fade, and soon after GD dies - which is the heart of the community, the tech forums will slowly descend into the same, as has happened in myriad examples given by other posters in this thread. The other seems less likely, but possible - consider that Brownells is a company that sends guns & gear to InRange, who have posted gun vids on PornHub to make a stand against corporate/media censorship, and thus Brownells may be willing to take a 1A stand in the same way they'd take a 2A stand. They might leave ARFcom's sketchier elements to themselves and let it be self-corrected by the membership (which tends to happen anyway), while Brownells gets to access the community that has organically grown. Thus they're people smart enough to know you don't buy a thing and change it and expect it to stay the same. The membership here is not really a commodity that can be bought and sold. Change the forums, people will leave, and all that market that's been ostensibly purchased will vanish. Maintain it and you get brand loyalty. |
|
Quoted:
The industry forums will have some change. I can see some of them not wanting to shell out for industry partner or site sponsorship status when their money is going to the competition. View Quote |
|
|
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.