The Good Ole TFL Days

Looking through this thread I am amazed at how much of this I was here to live through. I am surprised at how close to the beginning I first stumbled on TFL. I lurked for a few days and then registered. The first firearms forum that I did register on. I had only been shooting about a year at the time and was looking for good information and a friendly place. And, I think I found it. I have noticed some of the recent changes that go with growth but still find this a most civilized place to be, especially when I ignore the trolls.
I remember the big deal when we got to 1776 members. I remember the name changes and the arrival and growth of some of our current staff.
What I do not remember, since I wasn't able to check in most of last week, is the shut down. Just heard about it on an email forum.
Rich, you've keep a great place. (And how did the memory upgrade go this evening?)
 
Jim-
No go. We need to build a new server....expect it to be in typical TFL style; a barnburner! In the meantime, we've located one with the necessary capabilities as a loaner. Brian just needs to find the time, when not trying to feed his family, to set it up and load it with the necessary software. This is hardly like installing Microsoft Office. :(

It's kinda discouraging. We thought we'd planned this move so well. We knew there's be potholes but we never expected to run into a memory wall. (Our motherboard, won't accept any more ram). I'm still commited to the database and software, but everyone involved has pushed so hard. Not sure how much more we can ask on a "yesterday" basis.

Tomorrow's another day.
Rich
 
Man! You guys get me all misty-eyed thinking back to the "old days!" The coffee pot...whew!, I forgot about that! Well, here I am, sitting at over 1K posts, and I'm going to change my username. No one will know me! Oh well, things could be worse. I could go to Central America and call myself "Chico." No one would know me there either!
 
I remember the old days. I remember when Gale was around, and a card was sent with all the sympathies to the family. I also remember posting here for some time. Then one day I couldn't get in. I had to get a new handle. I used the same one I had with an asterik in front of the handle. I was told that there was another member with my handle. The other member was probably me. Anyways I re registered and put me as a rookie. Outside of that, it has always been pleasant to participate here, and with more to come.

Best of luck....Cag
 
I remember......

When I first found out that DC was a woman!

When I discovered that Dennis was not 19 years old ;)!

When Art Eatman honored me with his first reply on the Art of the Rifle board!

When I got out of bed and, scratching my head, thought "...am I becoming a Libertarian?..."

When all of you guys sent me your prayers and good thoughts after my Church (Wedgwood Baptist) was shot up.

When my boss first caught me goofing off on TFL.....

And when I got my boss and a co-worker to join! :D
 
Yes, I remember....

  • Art correcting my math (civil engineers can do that, y'know...).
  • Stepping between Rob and a lotta individual folks who wanted to decry cops as an institution, just as they were were "taking off their jackets"... ;)
  • Reading all the new posts during my once-a-day 30-minute lunch break!!!
  • Having Gale tell me that I'd just made his day with my first email to him telling him how much I admired him.
  • Sending off cards and hopes to several of our members, but I think Grayfox, Lawdog, and Gale were the first for me...
  • Welcoming a new pup named Gwinnydapooh
  • Thinking what a pain Cornered Rat was becoming (now a week rarely goes by that I'm not emailing him sumpin' or 'n'other...)
  • Wondering how in the heck people got their text to italics and bold, and how to send images and make links with my own words representing them. Being afraid Rich would call me a weenie for asking, then asking for other helps, anyway. He never called me a weenie... to my face! ;)
  • Realizing for the first time that I hadn't just seen Dennis on a "good day"; that THAT was (and remains) the way he actually is!
  • Being linked here by my friend, Stephen A. Camp, who still posts here by that name, back in late March of '99.
  • Looking around and realizing that I only THOUGHT I knew about guns. Also realizing that I didn't need to resubscribe to any gun magazines.
  • Making my first suggestion to Rich about the board, and being pleasantly amazed at how willing he was to instantly make the adjustment. (He added the [Four Rules of] Firarms Safety link that you find at the top of every page.)

There's a lot more...
:),
L.P.
 
Hmmmmmm-

They say the mind's the second thing to go, but I ferget the first . . . Actually, I remember most of the above. Like several others, I found my way in from Shooters, and found the knowledge sharing, civility, and commaraderie to be soooo refreshing. I've learned tons, laughed a lot, made some firends I've not yet met IRL (and a few I have). I'll never forget the huge amount of support we got when my wife had the brain tumor (literally from Oz to Norway and everywhere n between) and the offline encouragement from LadyDeeJ, Dennis, George, Spectre and so many others. Really looking forward to whatever's next. Pax, M2
 
Let me thank all the mods and staff for keeping the discussion civil and on point.

You undoubtedly take a lot more flak than most of us realize.

Once again, thanks.
 
It is a good thread.

I wasn't here when the forum first started, but I do remember some good stuff.

Recent flashback--I visited a friend in AZ not too long ago, who managed to get me a tour of the McMillan business. I saw, on the wall, a record setting benchrest group measuring .002 (no, not a typo) on the wall, fired ny none other than Gale McMillan.

My most favorite thread? When Rich took the steam out of this guy "LuckyInKentucky"'s sails in an exemplary and noteworthy fashion.

My least favorite thread? When this forum went offline for a while--it was not a good time.

My most memorable and meaningful thread or post? "Metal and Wood" by Dennis Bateman. I still get chills everytime I read it.
 
I am here since September 10, 1999. I posted that first day. I was at shooters.com before I came here. It was a madhouse at shooters.

I remember the tales told by Lawdog and how funny they were. I remember how sad it was when this forum shut down. I would come by all the time and look. I was quite nostalgic. I remember how happy I was when TFL came back to active service.

I remember Ray Woodrow 3rd inviting folks down to a club shoot. I still have my TFL Tee shirt. I never wore it but kept it as a memento.

I believe back in the day there was a thread about an assault wheelbarrow that was extremely funny! I remember the constant 9 vs 40 vs 45 threads. I don't come around as often as I used to do. I do come by and it is like coming home. A great place this!
 
That would be the infamous assault tuna....not a wheelbarrow :D.

& for those of you that are too "young" to remember,,,

The mention earlier in this thread about the "prize".
What that refers to is the "prize" that was awarded to the poster that could post a thread that gathered the most number of responses.

Back when the forum started, traffic was so light that Rich had to bribe people to post :D !
 
This!

Looking around and realizing that I only THOUGHT I knew about guns. Also realizing that I didn't need to resubscribe to any gun magazines.
Click to expand...

Growing up, my friends and I never had anyone to mentor us on guns, shooting, hunting, etc and I am rather embarrassed when I think back to the couple threads I waded into thinking I knew it all, only to discover I didn't know anything! Learning in a vacuum is tough!

When I was overseas flying missions in my C-17, this was how I passed the time during my crew rests, if my crew wasn't dragging me out for schnitzel and beer, chicken tava, donners, or some such.

And what I appreciate the most are the "greybeards" like Kraigwy, Art, Scorch, Tikirocker, the staff, and others, who patiently shared their wisdom.
 
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There was a trend I swore would take off like a rocket back when I started here that, I'm guessing, fizzled out in sad fashion. There were several members that I ended up getting to know via PM. Our conversations were a lot more informal and shared/exchanged ideas to no end. One member, Trapper L, mentored me on getting my wife's Savage Model 12 in .22-250 set up for target shooting and reloading said cartridge.

There just doesn't seem to be much of that, anymore. At least no one is really talking about it.

That was the good ole days to me.
 
I really liked Wild Alaska... Darn fella cut me a deal on a custom 460 Rowland that was unbelievable. The guy had a lot to offer and was a character like many of us... I understand he is staring on some tv show or something now... Not really my business but I am grateful for his kindness and his interesting character...

I have come to make true friends among a few in here and at least respect from and for a few others... There is much to learn and much to offer.
 
While, I wasn't here during the "old days", I have found that I can pass hours of time, and still feel productive by just clicking on certain members profiles and reading through thier old posts.

The late Dave McCracken is a fellow whose wisdom I have greatly come to appreciate since becoming a memeber here.

"Put some wear marks on it from practice" has entered my daily lexicon.

Also, there is nothing quite like reading one of Captain Stuarts war/hunting stories.

And furthermore, I feel smarter every time I read an article that Glenn posts. Which is more than I can say about my fresh PSCY classes.

And in regards to Shane, there are a couple of guys that I met electronically here that I bounce PMs back and fourth with. So I think that still goes on a little bit.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating, I've found TFl to become a virtual barber shop full of great discussions and occassional old shotgun for sell behind the door. :)
 
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