"What AI Thinks of TMP" Topic

For grins and giggles, I asked AI (Gemini) about TMP. Here's the result:

Yes, I'm familiar with **The Miniatures Page** (often called **TMP**). It's one of the oldest and most comprehensive hubs for the miniature wargaming hobby.

If you're planning to dive into the community there, here's a quick "state of the site" to keep in mind:

### What Makes it Unique

* **The "Grognard" Hub:** It's famous for its deep focus on **historical wargaming**, covering everything from Ancient Egypt to modern conflicts, alongside sci-fi and fantasy.
* **Massive Archive:** With over **5.7 million messages** across nearly **300 specialized boards**, it's an incredible resource for finding obscure figure manufacturers or specific painting guides.
* **Retro Design:** The site famously retains a mid-to-late 90s aesthetic. It's built for speed and text-heavy browsing, though it can feel a bit clunky on modern mobile devices.

### Community Culture & Reputation

* **The Editor (Bill Armintrout):** The site is personally managed by its creator, Bill. His hands-on (and sometimes controversial) moderation style is a frequent topic of debate in the wider hobby world.
* **The "Dawghouse":** This is TMP's unique moderation system. If you break the rules, you aren't just banned; you are publicly placed in the [Dawghouse](https://www.google.com/search?q=http://theminiaturespage.com/dawghouse/) for a set period, often with a colorful explanation of your "crime."
* **Strict Neutrality:** The site has very strict rules against discussing **politics or religion** to keep the focus entirely on "toy soldiers," though users often test these boundaries.

### Key Features to Check Out

* **Polls:** The daily polls are a staple, often covering everything from favorite rulesets to how many unpainted minis (the "Lead Mountain") you own.
* **Figure Finder:** One of the most helpful sections if you're looking for a specific, obscure model.
* **Marketplace:** A very active area for buying and selling used collections.

Not sure you could ask for a better understanding

AI has some strange ideas about our tech, though.

…a custom engine built by Armintrout, allowing for unique features like the "Figure Finder" and specific cross-posting mechanics…

Um, the Figure Finder is just one of the forum boards. And cross-posting is normal, isn't it?

Was reading a Facebook post yesterday where the commenters think TMP is a MAGA stronghold.

heh, heh, just waiting for the TMP Bug to infect AI. That's going to be something to see when that happens… LOL

Ask AI for negative thoughts about it.

More confusion from AI:

W.G. Armintrout is the professional name of Bill Armintrout, the founder and editor of the popular wargaming website The Miniatures Page (TMP).

Well, it was my professional name 40 years ago…

While the wargaming community knows him simply as "The Editor," his full name (often credited as William G. Armintrout) is associated with his career in the video game industry and his historical research.

Historical research???

He writes the majority of the site's news updates…

No, I don't. I give them a light edit when needed.

He has used his platform to promote smaller, independent miniature manufacturers and obscure historical periods that might otherwise be overlooked by mainstream gaming.

That's just part of the job, not an agenda.

He has authored and edited various rulesets and "how-to" guides for the hobby.

I've never authored anything of the sort, nor have I edited any.

His interests often lean toward Victorian-era warfare, colonial conflicts, and naval combat.

Aren't the first two the same thing? None of my current projects are on that list…

I've never authored anything of the sort…

Well, it's partially right!

I was not aware of this, but two of the adventures I wrote for Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer magazines have been reworked and published as GURPS adventures (without my knowledge). So the AI counts that as miniature wargaming rulebooks.

But it says I'm co-author of GURPS Aliens, which is absolutely not true.

I corrected the AI, and now it corrected its information.

Does that do anything permanently, or will it make the same errors if someone else asks?

Ask Wikipedia about how permanent correlations are.

Maybe you should contact Steve Jackson Games and ask for royalties.

I have told Chat GPT things and had it cite them months later on an otherwise unrelated discussion. So I expect it DOES remember corrections. At least in discussions with YOU. I have no idea what it takes to put data into its general store.

Maybe you should contact Steve Jackson Games and ask for royalties.

I get royalties for other things, but for magazine articles I doubt that royalties would apply.