[Warning: first & last paragraphs are germane to the thread - the rest is anti-FB rant]
Sometimes I can be a little slow (read: "dense") on the 'up take' from someone's posting or comment. I read the posting the other day about forums having been sold off. Something, I guess, I had just never thought about and wasn't aware of. But it makes sense - especially if it's a large forum. Lots of people to advertise to and a more-or-less, {targeted} capitative audience.
Years ago when FB was just starting to gain a following, I joined (as it turned out, for a VERY BRIEF amount of time). My sisters and nieces all convinced me it was 'the place' to be, for the family to stay in touch with one another and "share stuff". On the surface, it sounded like a good idea.
But then came the advertisers. Rather suddenly, I started getting gun-related offers... lots of gun-related stuff.... did I mention, Lots & LOTS? (Ammo offers, Range bag offers, free target offers, go here for 'tactical training', go there to that range... the stuff just did not end!). Irritating, to say the least. Some, perhaps, you could "turn off" - but why did "I" need to be proactive in doing this? After all, I was just here to see pictures of the latest baby to join the family.
The final straw, for me, came when some of the more "liberal" members of family began to see (or receive) knowledge of my "gun culture" stuff! Needless to say, that didn't sit well with my little sister and her daughters, their husbands, their family pets, cats & dogs all "had it in for me"! I went from being the 'cool uncle on FB' to the 'crazy old prepper uncle' on FB, all in about a one month period of time.
Quitting FB was difficult, even back then. You had to do about 27 different steps, all in the correct order, on a Tuesday during a week in which there was a full moon. And then you still had to ignore all the emails they sent, threatening to send the FB Gestapo to your house to forcefully sign you back up!
Thankfully, the "forum" internet format has never been that bad. And now that I'm using a smart phone or iPad with Tapatalk - I did pay the nominal one time fee for no advertising - it's actually an enjoyable experience to participate on the forums! [And I'm still forced... errr... get to see all the new baby pictures - they're just emailed to me, now!]. I wish the new owner/creator of 1911Fanatics much success with this new form. Maybe a thread on 1911 history, development and/or war time use stories?