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Owner Announcement An Open Letter to the GREAT members of the TSC..... and anyone else who is reading this

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I've been involved with message boards for quite some time. I've owned a few, moderated on ~5-10. I've seen so many boards die off by letting the business of the board overrule the will of its members. I've seen a lot of very small, humble boards that fully acknowledge this fall to this same phenomenon. Like what happened?? šŸ¤£

I'm not drawing any parallels to any other boards and I agree with the "letting it die" sentiment. I knew there was a little bit of beef between TSC and B&B, but I didn't realize the extent of it. I would say it's probably not healthy. Especially on a forum that is supposed to be for gentlemen.

Having said that, I must agree with Dave's philosophy on building a great board. I did similar things with mine and they were successful. Everything should revolve around the members. And the more freedom they have, the better. Big thanks to @Dave in KY for inviting me to TSC and thanks to everyone else for having me.

Happy new year!
 
This is Daveā€™s New Years rant so I wonā€™t use his post to pile on but I WILL express my support for what he has said. We (the 3 owners of The Shaving Cadre forum) absolutely hold the membership, the hobbyists and the retail partners in the highest regard. AND we absolutely consider you (collectively) as being the most important part of our forum. In fact, as citizens of the Internet forum universe we think it is a little silly to view forum members, content contributors and supporting sponsors as anything BUT central to a forumā€™s success. Members are not guests of our forum, they ARE our forum.

To @dangerousdon keeping the lights on (and getting the place wired in the first place) requires some cash flow but we have been fortunate that it has been managed well by member donations, program fees and a few other ā€œoddā€ sources. The biggest challenge has been time as the three of us have rather complex lives and the forum required (requires less now) a significant amount of learning and hands on. Each of us already had 2 jobs so our family time was all we had left to give. While this may sound like we/our families suffered so the forum might thrive (partly true), you all know we wouldnā€™t have been able to do it with out the support of our own families and our families are happier and stronger because of it ...so we did it for ourselves as much as we did it for the forum (which was a small group of about 15 gentlemen at the time)

To @ShavePastor @mrdoug and all those who join(Ed) looking for a forum with more transparency and freedoms. Or as Dave described it, as being self moderated... We definitely envisioned a forum where gentlemen are free to hold discussions on all sorts of topics that interest them (gentlemanly pursuits). We felt that when gentlemen were told they were expected to behave like gentlemen then given a chance to self police, knowing that they will be held accountable by the others for how they choose to interact with one another, the need for formal moderation would be minimal. The Shaving Cadre offers a LOT of freedom but we (the 3 owners in collaboration) still put boundaries on what will be allowed, both in content and in context. These boundaries might be to protect the integrity and value of the forum (Failure to do so could cause the forum to shut down), or they might be to protect the integrity and value retail partners program, or they might be to ensure we donā€™t stray into areas that threaten non-compliance with our TOU, other laws or are generally unbecoming a gentleman. I know weā€™ve said it in our early radio interviews but it is worth stating here too, our intent from day one was to never censor in a way that resulted in (or might result in) truncated comments or questionable context within a thread.


ok, I think I WILL pile on just a little.
"I'm very glad to see that you are "ALL" mindful of the fact that we are "Guests" of the owners on a Private Forum"
...that makes BANK because of the clicks and views generated because of content posted by ā€˜guestā€™ who volunteer to provide FREE content, FREE clicks, FREE views and engage in discussions (for FREE) that attract the attention of Google bots, search engines web crawlers and those perusing the web for information about topics and products that ā€˜guestsā€™ DARE to mention on the owners private forum. All so the owners can be compensated for doing absolutely NOTHING while paid ad words litter forum threads, Web ads appear at random and artisans/vendors are strong armed into paying hundreds for a seat at the kiddie table where they are told to they may be seen (if lucky) but not heard. Itā€™s good that they are all mindful that they are but guests of the owners in their private kingdom...wouldnā€™t want anyone to feel more important than they are. I mean, itā€™s not like there are other forums with great content, incredible opportunities to engage with others of shared mind, learn new things, share and exchange ideas.
 
"To @ShavePastor @mrdoug and all those who join(Ed) looking for a forum with more transparency and freedoms. Or as Dave described it, as being self moderated..."

Im not that deep @CBLindsay .

I actually just joined because I was invited to, lol. I wasn't looking for anything in particular. I stay and visit frequently because of the friendliness. Just as a point of contrast: I'm a member on DFS too. I never hear anyone with a problem with them (it could exist, I just don't hear it, lol). Yet I still frequent the Cadre a lot more. I just have more fun here. Simple, I guess.

I'm a simple man... That's why I'm always referred to as a simpleton. Hmm, now that I think about it. Yikes.

Edit: Though it just occurred to me that the atmosphere here is probably due in part to the freedoms... Ok so now I'm a slow and simple man. This is turning into a painful self-actualization exercise. Lol.
 
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The things that have transpired at the other place over the last few years are inexplicable and inexcusable. Itā€™s a shame that a handful of people can cause so much grief and go unchecked, though we know that the wider community is blameless. Iā€™m glad there has been a place and a voice to bring those actions to light, itā€™s something that should be exposed, especially since itā€™s still happening in some situations.

Iā€™m with the gents who have voiced that itā€™s time to move past and move on. We can make the choice to forgive; if we donā€™t we will continue to have that ugly shadow hang over us and wallow in the mess that is really not ours. Forgiveness doesnā€™t mean we have to forget or set ourselves up to be fooled again, but it does mean making this place the best it can be and being an example of the ethic of what is good.

Thanks @BarberDave @CBLindsay @Cvargo and each member here for helping give us that space to flourish.
 
I realize that sometimes folks need to get things off their chest in situations like these, however I found out over the years that if you carry this with you, it defines you and sometimes that isn't a good thing. Anyway, this is a new year and a new decade and so I wish all of you well in the coming future. Thank you @BarberDave, @CBLindsay, @Cvargo for creating this fine place for all of us to congregate and enjoy.
 
Iā€™ll pile on, I totally get why thereā€™s some anger with said ā€˜other placeā€™. Iā€™ve had my issues as well, but itā€™s just one of a large number of forums, and frankly when I started going there it was already so large and full of characters that I never felt it would be a ā€˜homeā€™. For sure seeing threads be banished to the cult zone really put me off, but I was already looking at other forums, and thanks to Joshā€™s great videos I wound up taking the plunge here. Not to be a rebel, though thatā€™s a fine motivation too, but because I just liked it here.

It has always been about the fellowship and just feeling comfortable to make dumb ass jokes among friends. I mean how many soaps do I really need, I like seeing reviews etc, but can live without the enablement. Without the jump on the latest hot thing bandwagon, and thatā€™s the other reason Iā€™m happy here, that just doesnā€™t seem like the main focus. Weā€™ve all happily got our niche we live in, I like Myrsol and Tallow and Steel, someone else like Sterling etc.... who cares, I can be. Into my thing and love hearing about yours without feeling pressured to buy more and take up more space in my flat.

Honestly I think there should be tens of forums of communities of people who actually get to know each other.

Anyway Iā€™m all for giving the other palace a hard time, just like we do to ourselves on a daily basis, but I agree, let it go, especially the owners, youā€™ve created something special here, and for the majority it isnā€™t about being a rebel against that place. Thatā€™s not sustainable. Itā€™s about the friends, the jokes, the shoulders to cry on.
 
As I read through all the posts in response to Dave's initial post, I keep seeing a familiar theme..................family.............camaraderie............and freedom. I've always subscribed to the notion that if you give someone 500 acres to roam on with a fence around it they'll do just fine as long as they know that if they screw-up the fence moves in and if you want to operate on a 6 foot square then it's your own doing by a long series of bad choices. I feel safe here on our 500 acres. I see the fence and don't ever want to do anything to have that fence moved in on me or the forum.

As a relatively new wet shaver, I've never known another shaving forum but TSC. Sure, during research of products I see the other forums but they just don't interest me because my family is here at TSC. There's that word again.....family. When I'm not on the forum for a period of time I can count on Shawn sending me a PM asking what's going on and that cat even drove several hours to help with my cabin build! That's family. The friendly kidding and camaraderie is second to none here and that's what keeps me coming. Who else would put up with mammoth painting? We all can have fun with that for sure and I love the kidding around about it. Freedom here is essential. Shave journals often are really about the shaver's personal life as well as shaving. It's nice to have the freedom to talk about your life to your "family" here. Some probably could care less about what axe I'm working on or whatever, but those that do positively comment. So.....It seems keeping those three things central is so important to most here and if the negative experiences else where serve as anything, let it be a lesson learned to not go there and I think the moderators get that in a big way here.

Speaking of the mods, great work guys! Many of us don't know what goes into TSC, but thank you anyways. What's great is that I've never been moderated so it's like you all are there but not looking for a reason to flex your muscles. I'm comforted in knowing though that if some reason I cross the line unknowingly, that you guys won't be like Storm Troopers kicking in my door. I know your response would be respectful and appropriate and I wouldn't doubt that for a minute. Great job on being there but not being there!
 
Blade-meister said:
...I'm comforted in knowing though that if some reason I cross the line unknowingly, that you guys won't be like Storm Troopers kicking in my door...
Click to expand...

My mind usually works in a 'not right' way... AND... Of course you can find that picture on Google. Lol
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Yikes. What happened to taking the high road? If a thread like this had existed before I registered here, I never would have joined.
I'm a member of both forums and I'm not taking sides, nor am I participating in mud slinging.
 
BarberDave said:
Good Day TSC Members:

As we approach the New Year, and as we get near the twilight of our 2nd Year as a forum, and begin our third, I though it was appropriate to comment on a few things. I am, speaking for myself, however, I would guess that this sentiment is and will be shared by my partners in this world we call "The Shaving Cadre. I admittedly have been a ghost for awhile, but after retirement, then out of retirement to school, and then into business as a barber, not to mention other personal issues, I have been trying to make a 33 hour day fit into 24. With that being said I want to publicly, and sincerely THANK my partners Chad and Chris for picking up my slack while I have been away. Also I want to Welcome all NEW members, Hobbyists, and Retail Partners, and continuing members for you patronage and support. This is a partial reason for this communication. More on that later

First some items that we as a forum dispelled from the very beginning from our "naysayers", moderators and ownership over at Badger and Blade (I hope they read this)

1. An un-moderated forum, self-policed by it's members will NEVER work...........Well Guess What idiots, it not only worked, but this is by far the most civil, member driven forum that has ever been established!

2. Vendors have no business talking to the members in an open forum about their stuff, and we will need to charge them large amounts of money, and keep them in line.......Again Mr. BrainTrust Moderators, it not only has worked, but the Retail Partners are appreciated every day and now feel they can speak freely, and talk to their customer base.

3. You must have members who donate to keep the place running an you have to give them titles, and force feed them the Kool-Aid of "The Badger"....HORSE HOCKEY! If members want to donate , they can. We run a tighter more close knit forum that you in All you years can even hope to imagine.

I mention these items, as I was given some information today that, if I was still a members over there, I would quite immediately, again, more on that in a minute...

I should say this 1st: YOU the MEMBERS of TSC ARE the LIFEBLOOD of this forum, this is something that I, nor my partners, will EVER, EVER FORGET!! Without you the TSC would not exist period.

So to the crux of this note: Although I have not been around much, I have been keeping up with some of the issues that our members have had over there when doing pass around, mentioning soaps, and outright being banned from the Elitist forum. It has also been mentioned to me that the following was a response given to one of their members. I can only assume it was due to the moving, back and forth, of threads to the Clubs and Brotherhoods. Which BTW, as a former steward of that place, was where threads were banished to die.

Here is the Quote from moderator DJH (a real pompous Tool) to a member. I will give you my comments below.
"The Thread in Question is back in the Clubs and BrotherhoodSub-Forum"
"I'm very glad to see that you are "ALL" (meaning you subserviant members) mindful of the fact that we are "Guests" of the owners on a Private Forum"

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?? This proves to me how conceited, and dictatorial the "OVERLORD MODERATORS" are at Badger and Blade. To insult members that spend time, and money clicking away on adspace so the owners of B&B can take cigar trips to Cuba, and buy 600 shoes, to review. How much of an elite group do you think you are.

Well, Hats off to you B&B attitudes like that are our best advertising, and banning members only because they belong here, or mention CBL soaps, or that don't fit into the B&B mold.. B&B needs a crash course in CUSTOMER SERVICE...

Anyway there is my New Year rant. We can be very proud of what we have accomplished TOGETHER! Chad, Chris and I will NEVER forget how important each and every one of our members are, and will always be transparent in our communications. Let's make 2020 on for the record books

Happy New Year to you and yours from the TSC Family to you

THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!!!
Click to expand...


First Off thank you for allowing members, hobbyist and vendors to interact with the members. It only makes perfect sense for all parties involved. I felt the freedom the minute I joined the site and I'm grateful that @Dave in KY suggested I join the site as a newbie I'm very much enjoying The Shaving Cadre!

As some know I was just recently banned from B&B and honestly I still do not know for what reason I was banned for! I was given no notice or explanation of what I had done to deserve this treatment. In face what puzzles me is I had not been posting on the site very often leading up to my banning as I have not only been extremely overwhelmed with 3 work projects but I was also planning another lengthy Shave Off so about the only post I was putting up in my World Shave Off Showdown thread was some updates just to let the members know what was going on. It also was interesting that after I just completed the last Shave Off for the Championship of " The Smoothest Razor " and issued the prize to the winning member was shortly ( days ) before Dave asked me to join TSC and shortly after that I got a pm over on B&B from a mod I had never interjected with before asking me who had asked me to join the TSC and how did I like it. So I explained that Dave had done a nice review on my Shave soap and he asked me to join and as a member of a few Shaving sites I thought why not as I had a few friends who had joined. His words were no problem I was just curious and all is good. That was it. So 2 weeks later I go to B&B to login in and I get a message. OPPS! There's a problem you've been banned! Just like that! Again with no explanation of why. Also my Shave Off thread was taken down! Well this didn't go over with a lot of the members who had been following it since I and two other members started it in July 2018. In the time between that first Shave Off up until I was recently banned I had done literally hundreds of Shave Offs and the thread grew into a what I was told was the biggest thread on B&B other than " What razor did you use today " the thread contained not only my Shave Offs but so much information on 100's of razors and other gear and also so much about the history of many of the razors used in the Shave Offs. Lots of member interactions as members would send me gear to be entered into the Shave Offs. I made so many friends through that thread that I've been in communication with threw on site pm's, emails, texts and over the phone chats ever since. I also personally put in hundreds and hundreds of hours into that thread. On average between setting up the photos for a Shave Off, doing the actual Shave off and then doing the write up would take me an average of 2 1/2 to 3 hrs each not to mention the upkeep of the thread and the time it took to respond to the many, many posts that followed each Shave Off along with the questions I get in pm's from members. So just like that it was taken away from me and for the life of me I still don' t know for what reason. Like a mentioned there were a few members who basically said they were ready to post what they called " Suicide Threads or posts " in protest to what happened to not only me but to the thread itself. I told them I don't want you to do that even though the thought is much appreciated. A few didn't listen and did it anyway and they were also threatened with getting banned. The mods probably felt some kind of pressure from all the protest comments and edited the thread and put in in " Clubs and Brotherhood forum which also got protests and they just posted that no more post are allowed retaining to the subject and that's where they made the statement that:

" Be mindful of the fact that we are "Guests" of the owners on a Private Forum"

I was most recently contacted by a mod that I don't know named Chris who gave me an email address of another mod who you mentioned moderator DJH that I could contact to find out why I was banned. I was planning on sending him an email tomorrow as today is a holiday and out of respect for a holiday I'll hold off although I'm dying to hear the reason why I was banned and I'm going to ask for my original thread be sent to me in the form of a document. We will see how that goes.

I have to give props to Andrew at DFS for reaching out to me with a phone call giving me his support to move the Shave off over on the site if I recover the files. He also pretty much said the same thing that you did @BarberDave in his comments to me over the phone and he believes in live and let live on his Shaving forum.


So thank you for the freedom you allow us wet shaving enthusiasts and hobbyist on this great site!

Happy New Years!


Frank
 
Happy New Year guys.
Having never been a member of B&B. This thread fills in some holes in my knowledge of the nexus of why this site was created.
Some of the inside jokes and labeling of products all make sense now. So thanks for that. :)
I enjoy it here and still check in on my other site SRP. See a lot of people from there, here as well.
I hope this place continues. And will do my best to help it be a little corner of the internet we all enjoy visiting.
Ken
 
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