Old bomb squads

So, where I came from there was no north vs south free for all. There were however bomb squads... Many on here will remember this and some may even still belong to said groups. So I propose instead of a Hatfield and McCoy standoff type deal we organize. I am union by the way. 😉
I'm sure there are some FOG here that can chime in to organize this chaos, or if not scrap the idea and carry on either way it works. Cheers

Shout out to the legends:
LOB
SQUIDS
Zillah
hahaha that's all I can recall as of now.

One you could start now and Nick the noob could be ringleader....
NWA.....Noobs Waiting to Attack

Most of them can be found elsewhere but I do know some of the guys are here. I don't think Ron is over here, I've really only seen him post on one other site regularly and another sparingly. It kinda sucks, it was awesome to watch but it's never really recovered from the great divide. It's a shame, I know Shawn has stopped posting online and don't even think he smokes regularly anymore. Haven't heard from Wilson or Jordan in forever. Miss the hell out of Veeral who I believe left before all those antics took place.

Feel free to shoot me a PM if you want to get into contact with some of them on another forum(that I won't discuss in the open) and maybe invite them over here. I don't really want to get involved because I know that some have issues with others and I've always tried to stay clear of that. I also know some that went back to Puff after the administration change, notably Ian who I never thought that would happen.

Yea I was just mentioning a few I remembered, thinking maybe these newer guys could organize.

.....ah the good old days....Zilla Killas!! That was great fun. Unfortunately a couple people ruined the fun for everyone....oh well.

LOB and Squids were fun guys to trade shots with.

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Originally Posted by Big Bull

.....ah the good old days....Zilla Killas!! That was great fun. Unfortunately a couple people ruined the fun for everyone....oh well.

LOB and Squids were fun guys to trade shots with.

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This is about as good as you can say it.

Indeed. What started out as a seemingly harmless way to pay Ron back for doing such great things, quickly turned completely south. It turned into a mob/gang mentality with all the language and chest beating that goes along with it. The definition of bombing, or better described, "gifting", went straight out the window. It became all about boasting and self-congratulation and nothing about the recipient. By definition, being a gift, one should give it selflessly and make it about the recipient and the qualities for which you congratulate them. Everything about the gangs flew in the face of the very spirit of gift giving.

The membership grew tired of it very quickly and finally became angry that the gangs were taking over the forum and making their own rules. They begged staff to put an end to it and a lot of members left as a result. There was a terrible rift and several members on both sides acted out in deplorable ways. They eventually started their own forum and went about cherry picking members exclusively from Poof!. Eventually, people set about intentionally getting themselves banned and I will not go into the behaviors they engaged to do so.

I am not for an instant impugning everyone involved. On the contrary, it was clear that most were simply caught up in the fervor of the moment. I wasn't directly involved in much of it and most of it had blown up while I was out of town on business. It was a sad, sad epoc in Poof's history.

I hope this doesn't happen here.

:imwithstupid:

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Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

This is about as good as you can say it.

Indeed. What started out as a seemingly harmless way to pay Ron back for doing such great things, quickly turned completely south. It turned into a mob/gang mentality with all the language and chest beating that goes along with it. The definition of bombing, or better described, "gifting", went straight out the window. It became all about boasting and self-congratulation and nothing about the recipient. By definition, being a gift, one should give it selflessly and make it about the recipient and the qualities for which you congratulate them. Everything about the gangs flew in the face of the very spirit of gift giving.

The membership grew tired of it very quickly and finally became angry that the gangs were taking over the forum and making their own rules. They begged staff to put an end to it and a lot of members left as a result. There was a terrible rift and several members on both sides acted out in deplorable ways. They eventually started their own forum and went about cherry picking members exclusively from Poof!. Eventually, people set about intentionally getting themselves banned and I will not go into the behaviors they engaged to do so.

I am not for an instant impugning everyone involved. On the contrary, it was clear that most were simply caught up in the fervor of the moment. I wasn't directly involved in much of it and most of it had blown up while I was out of town on business. It was a sad, sad epoc in Poof's history.

I hope this doesn't happen here.

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I agree Don, I would not want that to happen here. With that said, I know we have this North vs. South rivalry going and I wouldn't want anyone to lose sight of the true meaning of "Bomb". Most of this was started because of some fine BOTL's needed bombing and a bunch still do and will! I for one will continue to bomb those who may or may not participate in the North vs. South rivalry. Anyone I see fit that deserves/needs a bomb will get hit whether they or North, South, East or West. This is by far IMO the best forums I have been apart of and I wouldn't want a hand in ruining it but I must say it seems as if we are having fun with the Civil war thingy...

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Originally Posted by Big Bull

.....ah the good old days....Zilla Killas!! That was great fun. Unfortunately a couple people ruined the fun for everyone....oh well.

LOB and Squids were fun guys to trade shots with.

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Sorry those weren't the good ole days..it was the beginning of the end.

The groups and gang bombing is why I stopped bombing...the idea of what a bomb is and how it was done was lost.

I don't have any issue with groups getting together and bombing but the idea behind it needs to be for the receiver and not what was sent or who sent it..


The Troll

So far it all seems to be in good fun and making sure some BotLs have some good smokes to try out :)

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Originally Posted by TheGrumpyOleTroll

Sorry those weren't the good ole days..it was the beginning of the end.

The groups and gang bombing is why I stopped bombing...the idea of what a bomb is and how it was done was lost.

I don't have any issue with groups getting together and bombing but the idea behind it needs to be for the receiver and not what was sent or who sent it..


The Troll

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I agree. I have several people who deserve bombs. Some north some south, but I will start in the south and work my way around :) I remeber my first bomb I received. It was quite a nice gesture and I left it at that. I never have looked at bombs any other way other than someone was very generous.

But no one is safe on here as everyone has been generous.

@Herf N Turf , I hope I have not started one of those. I began with the idea of a jocular poke at the War of Northern Aggression. If an apology is in order, consider it extended

As long as it is kept in the context of what it is meant to be it is a great way to show
Appreciation to someone who has helped or guided in one way or another. I think I
Was part of a real early mass hit to show what an asset this person had been to the
People on the forum.
He had no idea and was totally blown away by the generosity of the members.

Hopefully that will be the idea behind things

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Originally Posted by Usafvet509

@Herf N Turf , I hope I have not started one of those. I began with the idea of a jocular poke at the War of Northern Aggression. If an apology is in order, consider it extended

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I personally feel like you did nothing wrong. You had no idea this would escalate like it did. Having said that I also think this North vs South has morphed into a separate entity such as a MAW or PIF type of thing. There are those that will join in and bomb the opposite fraction and then they will be those that don't. If we treat this as "game" and not all bombing that we do everything will be ok. Like I stated earlier I will continue to bomb random unsuspecting victims that I see fit that has nothing to do with North or South but just RAK's in the purest form. This North vs South is just a fun little game we are having. Like @Horseshoe said there are so many generous members on this forums and we have been bombing like crazy but I don't feel as if anyone has lost site of what a bomb means. Lets just keep having fun and keep this forums going with love and respect!

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Originally Posted by Usafvet509

@Herf N Turf , I hope I have not started one of those. I began with the idea of a jocular poke at the War of Northern Aggression. If an apology is in order, consider it extended

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I am in the same boat, and will second an apology if warranted. A bomb for me will always be a way of showing respect and admiration for a member on here, whether it's under the guise of a North/South bomb or not. For me, it's not economical to bomb all willy nilly, so a bomb will always carry meaning.

Having said that, living where I do, very few people aren't North (30th parallel) of me so my bombs will almost always be directed northward:stogie:

Please believe I was not calling anyone out that what is going on here is nothing more then fun and of the original meaning behind bombing and I doubt Don ment his any different. More of a remberence post of why to prevent history from repeating its self..


The Troll

As others have stated, bombing in the early days was good amd well intentioned. The groups took it to a whole other level and it was the beginning of the end......we're there other contributing factors, absolutely. ....I hope that doesn't happen hear.

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Originally Posted by JollyRogers

I am in the same boat, and will second an apology if warranted. A bomb for me will always be a way of showing respect and admiration for a member on here, whether it's under the guise of a North/South bomb or not. For me, it's not economical to bomb all willy nilly, so a bomb will always carry meaning.

Having said that, living where I do, very few people aren't North (30th parallel) of me so my bombs will almost always be directed northward:stogie:

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Originally Posted by Usafvet509

@Herf N Turf , I hope I have not started one of those. I began with the idea of a jocular poke at the War of Northern Aggression. If an apology is in order, consider it extended

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Well, you guys must understand, the membership at Poof! was also to blame, mods included. For all Poof!'s boasting about being self-policing, it actually wasn't at that particular time. A wave of FOGS was stepping back and there was an enormous influx of new, very young members. Boys will be boys and given the tendency of many millenials to reject authority, members failed to report posts for language, disrespect toward one another and so on. The mods basically stopped reading their posts, so the behavior went unchecked. By the time things went pear-shaped, it was way too late. Members had begun reporting things like wild, but again, too late. By the time the mods stepped in the gangs were taking it way to harshly and completely refused to accept that they were acting in accordance with a huge member base of tenured people. Most of the gang members had been there less than 18 months. The issue of the overall lack of tenure at that time was as much the culprit as anything.

I see this community much like old Club Stogie in it's prime. People were respectful to others to a fault and didn't hesitate to report, or admonish offenders. Everyone stuck together and backed one another up. The issues became seldom, where we'd go weeks without a reported post; at least for someone doing anything naughty. I see Cigar Bum much that same way. While none of us has a lick of tenure :D we've made it clear we're all on the same page and also get along as friends. We really don't have any jackasses as far as I can tell.

So, I'm not really worried about the intent of the outfits you guys have formed. I think you're each on board with the values we've quickly come to embrace and now jealously protect, so I'd say, what the hell, have at it.

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Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

Everything about the gangs flew in the face of the very spirit of gift giving.

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I gotta disagree with you there, Don. The Squids always were about recognizing and thanking members in the community that we appreciated. We had members who did their own thing, as did all the groups, and there were a few individuals towards the end that took things too far (there always are, and they're not exclusive to bombing groups) but I don't think it's fair or accurate to say that everything about the gangs flew in the face of the very spirit of giving.

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Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

There was a terrible rift and several members on both sides acted out in deplorable ways.

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That may be the fairest thing that can be said on the matter.

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Originally Posted by StogieNinja

It actually took a couple years, I think, before things really went downhill.



I gotta disagree with you there, Don. The Squids always were about recognizing and thanking members in the community that we appreciated. We had members who did their own thing, as did all the groups, and there were a few individuals towards the end that took things too far (there always are, and they're not exclusive to bombing groups) but I don't think it's fair or accurate to say that everything about the gangs flew in the face of the very spirit of giving.



That may be the fairest thing that can be said on the matter.

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Well, Derek, that's how I felt about it at the time and still do. While I respect your opinion, if I put both sides on opposite ends of the seesaw, I'd have give it to the general membership, for the simple fact they didn't cause it. Perhaps the biggest mistake the "groups" made was to ignore the message being sent by the membership. I think, had that been acknowledged and activities amended, even slightly, naught would have happened. By "the end" as you call it, things had slid so far downhill and had become so rabid, that there was no reason left. Nothing worked.

I tried hard to express that I wasn't impugning every one of the members of all the gangs. If it came across that way, I apologize. My belief at the time was that it was about 35% jackasses at the end. Sadly, that 35% took down a LOT of really good people in the heat of battle. That's the part of it I deeply regret, but again, I wasn't at the wheel.

Edit: Oh and bytheway, we're not going to discuss any specific events, or specific members or groups in this, or any other thread. This is nothing, but bad blood that occurred in a long, far off, forgotten place and time. That stuff will not be carried into Cigar Bum.

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Originally Posted by TheGrumpyOleTroll

Sorry those weren't the good ole days..it was the beginning of the end.

The groups and gang bombing is why I stopped bombing...the idea of what a bomb is and how it was done was lost.

I don't have any issue with groups getting together and bombing but the idea behind it needs to be for the receiver and not what was sent or who sent it..


The Troll

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The original intent wasn't what it turned into. What it turned into I agree wasn't cool at all.

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Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

Edit: Oh and bytheway, we're not going to discuss any specific events, or specific members or groups in this, or any other thread. This is nothing, but bad blood that occurred in a long, far off, forgotten place and time. That stuff will not be carried into Cigar Bum.

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I disagree with you on the hows and whys, and I always will, but I absolutely agree that doesn't need to be brought here.

All I meant in my response above was that bombing groups, in and of themselves, are not a negative thing, and don't intrinsically fly in the face of the spirit of giving. In fact, one of the best things about a group bomb it that it often leaves the recipient so buried in appreciation, he had no choice but to forget about retaliation and simply enjoy be appreciated.

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Originally Posted by StogieNinja

I gotta disagree with you there, Don. The Squids always were about recognizing and thanking members in the community that we appreciated. We had members who did their own thing, as did all the groups, and there were a few individuals towards the end that took things too far (there always are, and they're not exclusive to bombing groups) but I don't think it's fair or accurate to say that everything about the gangs flew in the face of the very spirit of giving.



That may be the fairest thing that can be said on the matter.

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Thanks Derek, sums it up pretty good.

When the Zillas came into being it wasn't about what it turned into at all.

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Originally Posted by StogieNinja

All I meant in my response above was that bombing groups, in and of themselves, are not a negative thing, and don't intrinsically fly in the face of the spirit of giving. In fact, one of the best things about a group bomb it that it often leaves the recipient so buried in appreciation, he had no choice but to forget about retaliation and simply enjoy be appreciated.

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Originally Posted by Big Bull

Thanks Derek, sums it up pretty good.

When the XXXX came into being it wasn't about what it turned into at all.

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Benn, please, I asked we not discuss this element. It can serve no purpose, but to perpetuate ire.

I do, however, completely agree that at least initially, the "groups cum gangs" was a righteous endeavor. What I think will remain in dispute is at what point it began heading in the wrong direction. Either way, if you analyze the end game, it wasn't worth it.

Errrrrr...did y'all hear about the four meteorologists that went on a fishing trip together???


They ended up FOURCASTING all day...

Attachment 2530


The Troll

Don, if I have anyway stirred up a storm it was not my intent. The fact that everyone here TRULY does understand what a bomb or pif or maw is is great and it will remain that way. You can delete this thread if necessary as to not stir up anything else.

Done, and Done good sir!

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Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

Benn, please, I asked we not discuss this element. It can serve no purpose, but to perpetuate ire.

I do, however, completely agree that at least initially, the "groups cum gangs" was a righteous endeavor. What I think will remain in dispute is at what point it began heading in the wrong direction. Either way, if you analyze the end game, it wasn't worth it.

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Originally Posted by droy1958

Errrrrr...did y'all hear about the four meteorologists that went on a fishing trip together???


They ended up FOURCASTING all day...

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Nice.....lol, I actually haven't heard that one before.

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Originally Posted by Big Bull

Nice.....lol, I actually haven't heard that one before.

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I actually made it up MANY years ago...

I was never a part of the bombing groups but have friends on both sides of the argument. I can see both sides...but I think it's a difference of personality and a generational gap that created the issue. While it might look like they were puffing out their chest, the intention was always good. There was CERTAINLY a negative aspect of it as a few seemed to draw lines and you were either a cool kid or you weren't...but I think it all boiled down to a willingness to be a little immature and "fun" for some and a desire to keep the forum mature and 'respectable" from others. I can see both sides and respect both sides but personally it's a lot better now that the groups have a playground as an outlet.

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Originally Posted by BMack

I was never a part of the bombing groups but have friends on both sides of the argument. I can see both sides...but I think it's a difference of personality and a generational gap that created the issue. While it might look like they were puffing out their chest, the intention was always good. There was CERTAINLY a negative aspect of it as a few seemed to draw lines and you were either a cool kid or you weren't...but I think it all boiled down to a willingness to be a little immature and "fun" for some and a desire to keep the forum mature and 'respectable" from others. I can see both sides and respect both sides but personally it's a lot better now that the groups have a playground as an outlet.

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Excellent post. Very well said.