"This is the MINIATURES page, right?" Topic

I have enjoyed miniatures for a very long time. That is what I come to TMP to discuss and read about and sometimes click a link. All that other 'chaff' just doesn't belong here – or maybe I don't belong here. Too much chaff and not enough wheat leads to starvation: Either of my interest in this board or, perhaps, the further relevance (and then existence) of this board.

So, can we please keep the discussions focused on miniatures, please? Isn't that why we all come here in the first place? And those who are not here for the miniatures, don't they belong somewhere else?

I am not trying to stifle anyone's right to free speech, just trying to get the ship that is TMP back on its ostensibly intended course. Won't be easy but might be worth the effort.

Or has TMP just run out of worthwhile miniatures topics? If so, then the name of the board should change.

Maybe a poll – what percentage of your interest in coming to TMP is based on miniatures? Mine would be 100%. How about you?

Why do you want to censor other gamers?

The TMP community has repeatedly voted in favor of the current forum rules. If you want to change the rules, you know how to do that, right?

Also: You started this account in 2008, then didn't use it again until this year… sure this isn't trolling?

First they came for the role players and I said nothing…

Then they came for the boardgamers and I remained silent…

Next they came for the computer gamers…and I cheered (well, no-one's perfect)

Read the stuff that interests you, ignore the rest. It's like a Newspaper – you don't have to read the sports section if you aren't interested.

20th Maine,
I love it. I am still laughing. Really needed that after
some pretty bad weeks. And yes, I am in whole hearted
agreement!

thanks

Sam

I am really anti-censorship on most levels, but if we are no longer going to be predominantly about miniatures, maybe it's time to change the name of the site.

May I propose:
The page predominately related to miniature war gaming rules and figures but also related to various other forms of war games, current events and historical discussions of a nature related to warfare.

TPPRMWGRFRVOFWGCEHDNRW for short.

That's perfect. And at least it's more honest and has that snappy easy to remember ring to it.

How's the pronunciation though? I used to say Teaemmpee, should I now say:
Teapeepeearremmdublyaugeearreffarrrveeoheffdublyageeseaeeaitchdeeennarrdublya ?

Good Luck Blasted Brains, Bill makes the rules and as you can see interprets them as well.

It is too quiet on TMP. I hope that our dear editor will lift Tango's topic restrictions so that we may have more interesting miniatures related topics.

This is the page for fans of miniatures to get together and argue about vaccines.

In any case, you can control what boards do and don't appear on your home page. Do that and you'll see a lot less chaff.

It's also possible to write and save a fancy google search to give you custom content. For example, the following checks for any mention of "quar" or "Zombiesmith" in the last seven days:

link

"https://www.google.com/search?as_q=&as_epq=&as_oq=quar+Zombiesmith&as_eq=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&lr=&cr=&as_qdr=w&as_sitesearch=theminiaturespage.com&as_occt=any&safe=images&as_filetype=&tbs="

Make yourself a dozen of these and you can be sure never to miss discussion of your favorite rules or whatnot.

"Bill makes the rules and as you can see interprets them as well."

Ya, the rules are open to one persons opinion, Editor in Chief.

I had a tread disappear, no notice, just gone, that was written under one the TMP banners of how much TMP supports "free speech".

Didn't think it was "offensive" as it did not insult anyone, question a persons beliefs or take a political stand.

Ironic when you think one of the TMP banners when I was writing it said "I LOVE FREE SPEECH" with a little heart.

Brains – maybe you are now here because you have retired or you have time because the the pandemic. You sound okay to me and I don't find this topic especially hilarious these days. I have posted my views elsewhere on TMP.

Andrew – yes this works, but seems pretty clunky to have to do this to enjoy TMP.

Also, you can turn certain message boards on or off depending on what interests you. And you can block certain posters that inundate you..

This is the page for fans of miniatures to get together and argue about vaccines.

Which, I will point out, largely takes place on a forum called TMP Plus, separate from the main wargaming forum and easily filtered out in your settings.

Bill makes the rules and as you can see interprets them as well.

Well, I do own and operate this site. Who else should make and interpret the rules?

I had a tread disappear, no notice, just gone, that was written under one the TMP banners of how much TMP supports "free speech".

I think it's time to get over it and move forward, don't you think? I don't know the specifics, but I'm sure nobody here deleted your topic for any malicious motive.

+1 20thmaine
+1 Andrew Walters

[Satire On!]
Bill! How dare you think that just because you own/operate/moderate this forum that YOU, of all people, should be able to run it as you personally see fit?!?!?!? Oh! The Shock! Oh! The horror of it all!
[Satire Off!]

LOL! I don't care for a lot of the topics and discussions which take place on TMP. Like the man said, skip what you don't like -- I couldn't care less about sports, so I skip that entire section on my news sources.

I do, occasionally, need to slide back from the keyboard, to remind myself that no one needs my input on some topics. I remind myself to just skip over that topic/discussion, and go to one that I do find interesting and entertaining.

I had a FaceBook account, for many a year. I tried using it, but I frankly detested the premise of FB, and its attempts to enslave me to it. I even tried using it for miniatures and gaming related topics… I had to 'follow' topics of interest, daily, or it disappeared down the scrolling screen! I detest that style of, "Read it every hour, before your topic of interest disappears in the ever scrolling screen format!", hype. I only use YouTube, and traditional forums, like TMP, for gaming interests -- they just plain work, for me. That is all I care about. Cheers!

Bada bing, bada bang.

"I think it's time to get over it and move forward, don't you think?"

I'm not losing sleep over it, just ironic that stuff gets tossed on a whim while professing "free speech".

My choice is to not post to others messages or post my own as much as in the past.

I'm not losing sleep over it, just ironic that stuff gets tossed on a whim while professing "free speech".

I doubt anyone deleted your topic "on a whim." Maybe it got eaten by The Bug?

Why do you need to read everything you are annoyed with?

This site is also very big on military history! It is what drives us to push little figures on a game board. So if anything happens militarily, it is fair game to talk about.

I enjoy the chaff.

I get less than 10% of posts that are unrelated to this hobby. Most of them I don't read. A lot more wheat than chaff I'd say.

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It is too quiet on TMP. I hope that our dear editor will lift Tango's topic restrictions…

Because Tango never posts anything off-topic or controversial.

"Well, I do own and operate this site. Who else should make and interpret the rules?"

Which is fine and certainly your right, just when you talk about "free speech" or your bias in the interpretations you give credence to your detractors.

Which is fine and certainly your right, just when you talk about "free speech" or your bias in the interpretations you give credence to your detractors.

Some people need to show some common sense.

TMP is a business, so yes, we are going to limit giving 'free publicity' to companies that aren't advertising here, and if those topics are deleted, that's just business survival.

As for 'bias in the interpretations', what often happens is that people think that it's 'politics' if someone disagrees with them. Or people assume that 'well, he said X, so he must really mean Y'. Or people who think TMP should censor posts which are off-topic or 'dumb'. There was even a complaint about 'politics' recently that, when I looked at the post in question, was simply because the name of a major worldwide religion was mentioned. Then people complain because I didn't act on their complaint and say I'm biased, when the truth is that their complaint wasn't valid or they didn't really understand the rules.

I'm with the OP. I come here for miniatures chat. Some people use this as a soap box for whatever views they have – and use strange fig leaves to hide political opinions. If there is interesting science, post it on the science board. But people dont post new species or interesting astronomy – they post articles that can only be considered inflammatory. I dont envy Bill's job!

I just skip what I am not interested in, it is that simple

I am sorry Bill but I see the folks who get banned and put in the Doghouse and there is most definitely a skew.

Free speech is such an overused term. Anyone who thinks a private forum with a targeted interest attempting some modicum of control somehow runs afoul of "free speech" doesn't understand the concept enough to argue with. Free speech concerns government actors, regulation, and censorship, not the actions of individuals to control their spaces. It is a limit on power, but too often it is confused with any kind of limitation.

If you do not like the standards applied, you can either attempt persuasion or leave (can't fix everything). Many message boards over the years have been overrun by ads, bots, spammers, and the like, just as many have shifted into exclusionary hell holes.

I am sorry Bill but I see the folks who get banned and put in the Doghouse and there is most definitely a skew.

Maybe one side is more likely to break forum rules?

At the moment, the Dawghouse is perfectly balanced!

It is too quiet on TMP. I hope that our dear editor will lift Tango's topic restrictions…

Because Tango never posts anything off-topic or controversial. laugh laugh laugh

The only restriction that Tango01 is under is the same one that everyone else is under. 5 threads per day. That applies to Tango01, it applies to me, it applies to Laszlo Ferndock.

I thought…"Oh yes" just on reading the title "This is the MINIATURES page, right?"
I was even more convinced reading most of the discussion.
But the next topic down was "Forum Topics That You Don't Like" asking what you did with them, most replying ignore and move on.
If the subjects of postings get steadily dafter and into paranoid conspiracy stuff I will move on and even out. But right now I am happy to stick to WWII, Napoleonic and VN stuff and keep out of the "chat" fora. I still value this site, but you do have to pick and choose.

I agree with the OP! Since this thread is not about minitueres, it should be nuked!

This thread is deploring the many messages that have nothing to do with miniatures……..

Do not nuke the thread then. It is making the very point you are stressing.

Do not shoot the messenger. It is totally agreeing with you, as would I.

Do not nuke the thread then. It is making the very point you are stressing.

No … my point was that a thread about what should be posted on TMP is a thread not about miniatures. By the standard set forth in the OP, this discussion itself does not belond on TMP, since the discussion is not about miniatures. By being posted, the OP violates its own stated preference – 100% of discussions about minis.

It's hilarious.

But we don't so we do have this thread, Bill could very easily make this change.

But we don't so we do have this thread, Bill could very easily make this change.

Why would I change something that the community has repeatedly voted in favor of?

"Bill's page Bill's rules" trumps what the community wants/needs/desires any day of the week. Bill you know better then anyone that the polls are for entertainment value and not remotely statistical samplings, furthermore it is your page, so if there is something you don't like to begin with it will probably never see the light of day as a poll or poll option. I am actually kind of amazed that those other sites have not accused you of giving the results that you desire (after all they have accused you of everything else😊 But to answer your question it's in your best business interest as the owner of TMP.