Let me offer my 2c from the perspective of what I would consider a neutral. I mean that in the sense that I don't have any friends/mates here or enemies (that I know of). I lurk more than post since I feel I don't have the expertise to offer like many others, but I certainly soak up the good information that is shared on this site, particularly the restoration and technical info.
Very early on in my time on this forum I put you caveoftreasures on ignore, as apparently many others have. Quite frankly in the main I found you added nothing to the conversation on here other than your own ego and caused unnecessary tension. Honestly all you do is inflame people that may not share your views. Between apparently being an authority on everything, continual Stern cheerleading or beating your chest about how great you are and how many possessions you have, frankly I found your posts downright irritating. I mean just looking at your previous avatars and your signature reflect how egotistic and materialistic you are. I'm here for pinball not a dick measuring contest. I'm impressed by things like the restorations that Nino and other talented people on this form do and share, not by who you happen to talk with directly up the chain at Stern or how fantastic you are at your security business.
Last time you took a vacation from this forum it was fantastic. The back and forth bickering reduced significantly, so much so that when you returned and inevitably so did all the tension, I pm'd one of the mods noting the change in mood on this site as a consequence of your presence. Unfortunately having you on ignore doesn't prevent me from seeing the other half of your conversations nor prevent you from being quoted or me enquiring why a thread may have been suddenly shut down.
Like others have said I would hope this forum can return to being a friendly one focused on playing, enjoying and restoring pinball and helping others with technical queries etc etc. This forum should be about pinball not individuals and egos.
YES, YES, YES, THIS ^^
This forum was awesome from the beginning, a breakaway to a dedicated pinball forum without any petty bullshit. I do not have the desire to visit, that I once did.
I have a lot of great friends on the forum and I enjoy the passion of most, but since Caveoftreasures started posting his drivel, I noticed the forum going downhill. I can block his comments but obviously see the threads heading downhill as he spruikes his opinionated ideas without accepting that others may not share his opinion so therefore they are wrong.
I feel bad that people with amazing skills and experience to help troubleshoot people's problems have, and are continuing to leave to forum due to the actions of one.
I'm glad retropin and pinsanity are still hanging on and I totally agree with their comments in this thread, they make valid comments only to be rebuttled with nonsense statements, as the path of most threads seem to go when individuals don't agree with Caveoftreasures thoughts.
I don't bother commenting anymore because I felt I was picking on him, but seriously I understand those who have to stand up for themselves.
It made me so frustrated seeing his comments, I just do not have the passion, not only for this forum but pinball in general. To be honest I haven't played any of my games for months.
It's great to see the forum pick up when he is on hiatus but it is short lived.
Unfortunately I honestly can not ever see this forum bouncing back to what it was in the beginning.
