Bowsite.com

I've posted about the reasons some posts and even some threads get deleted per the editorial policy of the Bowsite; once again, a reminder that these decisions are at the discretion of the editors and are not to be questioned.

I'd say the most obvious reason was within the thread a comment was made that basically stated the intent of the thread was to get a reaction out of certain posters; when I saw that I fully expected the thread to be pulled once the editors got wind of it.

It should go without saying that there has been equal "poking the bear" with regard to certain topics the past few years and it's well past time for all responsible parties to consider the greater good and desist from such postings going forward.

Over the past few months I've seen multiple comments about posters who once were regular contributors and who have either greatly reduced their postings or have stopped posting altogether; this is a great loss, most especially for all of the new hunters who have come here seeking advice, guidance and in some cases reassurance. This used to be just the place to go for that type of aid and there's no reason it can't be again.

When we've discussed the state of CT's deer herd a common refrain has been the need to self-police; just as no one forces anyone to release an arrow no one forces anyone to post topics known to be sore spots that quickly devolve into endless argument; we can be better and we must be better.

Off of my soapbox now......

I think all deer management methods are applicable to this site. I understand some on this site are tired of certain subjects, but I think spending taxpayer's money on different deer management practices can, and has, impacted us here in CT, so educating ourselves on cost and results is important.

I agree Doc. Removing a post because someone added a picture of a cartoon character stirring the pot seems a bit extreme. I find it interesting to see how this plays out on SI.

I've read several posts on this site where long argument ensue about guys who wound deer, guys you have the brown is down attitude, the xbow vs non-xbow crowd, deer herd densities and many others, yet I've never said the posters should stop sharing their views or that many other's (???) feel they are ruining the site.

If Pat thinks I should be removed because I'm ruining this site I'm fine with that, this is not my life,.....it's just a distraction.

I also respect Dr Williams for his knowledge, and have said so many times in the past.

In absence of a forum where one can politely and respectfully challenge the status quo, what is left is a mainstream venue where all line up to march in the same direction with synchronized thoughts. If it is so then Bowsite should clearly state it rather than letting confusion slowly brew under the surface creating tensions and further loss of valuable members. For example on the Big Game Forum there is a thread titled "David Petersen turns on bowhunters" still active today despite stirring controversy. This forum went from troll swamped threads to the other extreme where selectively any thread/post trending towards future possible trouble is squashed.

Can a more democratic process be adopted? For example let the forum members flag questionable threads/posts and when a certain flagging level (visible on the thread - likes vs dislikes) is reached then a mod should take a look and intervene. Perhaps other solutions are available instead of dealing with "disappearing" threads which reminds me of a similar situation which took place in Argentina when mothers of the disappeared dissidents took to street silently protesting. Here disappointed members go to other forums available. I sure hope the mods understand that each thread has posts that are the brainchild of the posting member. Yanking these thread/posts from forum is a traumatic experience and leads to dissatisfaction.

Most come here to brag about latest paid for trophy or push personal agendas. Others pay to advertise. Very few are left to bring knowledge, offer an example to follow for the new hunter generations. Without membership advertisement revenue diminishes. A compromise is needed to balance the needs with the wants.

I registered for the site and agreed to the rules. If I don't like the rules it's not my place to complain about them, I can take my ball and go home.

I think we need to put this site in perspective,...... it's just a bowsite.

Ouch. Fox News, NBC, Times, and all other mass media modern venues apply one form or another of censorship. In a global environment CNN in Europe has a totally different programming and views on common topics than CNN in USA for example. One would think they are looking at two different events.

Like I stated previously, some people don't like threads arguing about baiting, wounding deer, xbows, herd densities, SI, Redding, broadheads, etc. Some guys on this site will find fault with anything you do (post) and since I put my comments on a public forum I have no problem with the criticism. But please, if you don't like my posts just ignore them.

I think the Staten Island sterilization program is a concern to all of us who hunt, especially since taxpayer money is paying for it AND local politicians were asking for an archery cull due to the low success rate and money spent. If the new herd count in the article posted by Doc is somewhere north of 1700+ total deer and WB states the fixed 1500+ bucks, why weren't the doe sterilized (just a couple of hundred of them) and most of the $4.1 mil taxpayer money saved?

Can deer control programs run by state officials impact us as bowhunters? It already has. That's my point. Do I want my tax dollars paying for a failed program like the SI program? No way.

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There still seems to be some confusion on why the thread in question was pulled; I'll refer to a few specific sections of the above to try and make things clearer.

First and foremost we should all begin with the reality that we are all guests here; this site is 100% free to all of us so our ability to post here is a privilege, not a right. Just as we would be respectful when visiting someone's home we should treat posting here in a like fashion.

It should be obvious that the editors/moderators cut us a lot of slack on #1.

On some of the more controversial topics I'd say #3 has been challenged at least a few times. I would suspect that level of tolerance is going to get progressively less.

We've had threads pulled and then threads questioning the pulling of the original thread in direct violation of #4; it would not shock me if this thread gets pulled as that's happening again. I see the questions about this but again, the COC addresses this policy and we are guests granted the privilege of posting under these rules/guidelines.

Some of the threads that have been pulled relate directly to #5 and on some of the follow-up threads questioning the demise of the original thread I tried to subtly point to this rationale; on certain topics this really should be painfully obvious as to why this rule was put in place and why it's been enforced.

The original recent SI thread was most likely pulled as it relates to #8; in all likelihood, leaving out the comment that strongly inferred the purpose of starting the thread was to get under the skin of a few posters is why the thread got pulled. In an of itself I think the thread was fine; it was the statement of looking to provoke that was the issue. Again, this should be painfully obvious as to why this concerned the editors/moderators.

Thankfully (at least for the moment) we've been spared the barrage of violators of #9.

There will always be topics that are guaranteed to tap into opposing views; if done in the spirit of promoting healthy debate that's a good thing; some topics should be discussed, especially those that have tangible impact on us all. We can have those discussions absent obvious animus; everyone here should possess the maturity to keep it courteous and respectful while standing firm in their convictions.

Lastly, if the sport we love is to not only survive, but flourish we need a constant infusion of new blood; we will surely choke this off if we allow this site to turn into a recreation of grade-school bullying. We're better than that-way, way better.

Nobody likes a fist in the mouth --> "4. No discussion, or challenge, to our editing policy are allowed within the conferences." The rules should be discussed and allowed to evolve for a better forum experience thru expressed membership consensus followed by moderator / administrator analysis and decision.

Talking about moderators. We do not know their handles and their presence is at best heavily mythical. See recent troll flooding that took awhile to go away. How many on the CT forum know who the moderators are? Maybe some will have an educated guess but most have no clue.

As the rules stand today they leave room for confusion in certain areas, leading to member dissatisfaction and possible loss of advertising revenue thru membership thinning out. In conclusion we have Option 1 where we use 10 rules AND at least implement a flagging system and allow an organic evolution thru membership participation or Option 2 where more detailed rules with clear instructions are used to offer the privilege coming directly from active administrators / moderators.

And if anyone wants a thread to be debate free.... then click debate free when they start it. How bout them apples.....

https://youtu.be/-8h_v_our_Q

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You forgot #18 also. If you add a smiley or winky face at the end of your post, it makes your post acceptable.

And it sure would be nice to see the man behind the curtain here. :)

"2. Ethical Persecution is not allowed - Public submissions which criticize other hunters for what they hunt, where they hunt, or how they hunt are not allowed."

"5. No topics and/or statements which could be used to reflect poorly on archery and/or bowhunting.Since the Bowsite is visited frequently by anti-hunting organizations and non-hunting individuals, we feel it is necessary to remove those topics or statements which could be used against us, or tarnish our image. While the contributors original intent (e.g. an example of "what not to do") may be good-intentioned, if it can assist in presenting poor image to the media for our sport it will be removed."

Let's keep it real Orion brothers, otherwise we look like hypocrite sheep.

However, Bloodtrail is correct when he states that archery permits have been increasing steadily to a record high in 2017, however there was a 3.5% decrease in 2018 according to the report.

I'll guess that xbows helped boost the permit numbers in recent years up till 2018, and then when the new hunters discovered that the new bow didn't put a deer in the freezer, they backed off in 2018. I wish the report broke out the xbow additional permits as it would be interesting to see the impact.

Nah nah nah nah nah, Six. :) :)

BTW, does Bowsite.com profit off of any advertising on this website? Most forums like this generate revenue through advertising, which in turn largely corresponds with number of users/activity.

I won't expect a response, apparently mods don't do that.

And the post on the Big Forum got POOFED! Lmao. :)

I wonder if there is a way to cancel membership once you sign up. I do not see it. Even if you no longer actively participate here your account then stays open to be counted for advertising purpose. That is interesting. Maybe that is the reason troll accounts are tolerated for awhile.

Let’s hope the CT site can withstand some of the downs it has seemingly gone through over the last year. :)

More members = more clicks. Less members = less clicks. Same goes for time spent on page. It all revolves around membership, or is not? If traffic is weighted then it must be outside traffic coming in. Once you clicked in and now you move from page to page it is another story. Me staying on this page is not as important as me coming to Bowsite.com from different IP addresses multiple times. 101 primer on measuring traffic for advertising - https://www.wikihow.com/Measure-Website-Traffic and https://www.commonplaces.com/blog/5-web-traffic-metrics-you-should-keep-your-eyes-on

Free tip: Instead of having advertising banner at the top and bottom of a page where they disappear as soon as you scroll, place them along sides and make them banners chase the scrolling function if you do not have enough ads to dynamically fill the column. Keep them on screen no matter where the user scrolls. Also, make the banners cycle based on advertiser paid fee; more fee = more advertising time. It is best to keep up with the technology and demand. This website is a gold mine exploited using archaic techniques and equipment. The revenue can be maximized as there is place for improvement.

Quote from https://www.incomediary.com/how-much-traffic-website-gets:

"The Final Word

Unless the owner of the website reveals exactly how much traffic they’re getting, every other figure is a best guess. Most tools are surprisingly inaccurate when it comes to generating stats. They are good, however, for comparing yourself against others."