"Maybe over time this place will gradually replace the Virtual Pub and who knows, with the knowledge most of us have here, maybe the boating aspects too."
Yes, I do hope so. Although this place got off to a rather interesting start, it's pretty obvious by now that nearly everyone here is just 'fairly normal' with a robust sense of humour backed by a serious side. I'm certain that, these days, any Canalworld member looking in won't be too shocked. We're just ex-Canalworld members who have been given a kick in the nuts by some horrible women moderators over there, who like to have a bit of freedom to play around a bit - but, of course, our common thread is boating and the inland waterways (with an awful lot of leeway!).
I think it's good to have it all out discussing homosexuality and immigrants and... well, I was going to say Religion but that dried out quickly - looks like we're all Atheists here (or should I say 'Grown Ups'?). We've gone round the faggots tree, and the Islamists-are-benefits-scroungers roundabout, and yet we settle down to posting pictures of how wonderful it is to be cruising in Fenland and Darkest Yorkshire.
Before June I had printed out 204 Thunderboat adverts - sadly (and shamefacedly!) I got to post only a few, so in October and at Christmas I'd like to try and slap a few more up. Thunderboat still needs an insurge of new members to really get the ball rolling.
Yes, it can be turned into a decent and respectable set of Discussion Forums, with the 'naughty stuff' confined to the Members' Area or 'The Pit'.
I'd like this to overtake CWDF and become the Number One site simply to spite all the nasty folk over there, but how likely is this? CWDF contains tonnes of boating information, years and years of it. But times change, and if more recent and relevant information gets posted here, then this may tip the balance. The information on CWDF is getting dated, and if Thunderboat was to concentrate on The Present Situation of the Canals and Other Inland Waterways then we would be onto a winner.
Of course, with growth, there would need to be some kind of moderation - or would there? As has been pointed out, others will call you Stupid if you behave in a stupid way, and you may feel willing to self-moderate. Delta could let this run fairly freely, but there would need to be a 'few chosen ones' (aka Moderators) to send out warning signals if the limit of The Law or Common Decency is about to be breached.
Britain beat Germany and Nazi-ism in two World Wars (that the Germans started) - why are we letting Nazi-like Moderators (on Canalworld) run our lives and tell us what we are allowed to say or not?
I would have still been a member of Canalworld, and in July thought I still was (having performed no other crime than being a member of Thunderboat), but having been unceremoniously chucked overboard to drown (from Canalworld) with not even a hint of regret or acknowledgement that I have also contributed useful stuff to that site, I find myself here and don't mind trying to paddle in the right direction. I find it very bizarre, not being used to being a member of an Internet Forum, that here I have the highest number of post counts - but that claim of cds/haulier-P holds no water, and it's not my aim at all to relish how many posts I've made - just a quirk of fate that I was one of the first on here.
For any 'outsiders' - I'm sure many of you are scared to step into Thunderboat for fear of being banned on Canalworld. So, you want to be scared all your life? You can still read Canalworld even if those awful wimmin exterminate you from there. Here you will find genuinely nice people; I have met four of 'em personally and live to tell the tale!
Thunderboat is Canalworld - but with no overbearing aunties breathing down your neck.