GAF Forum

[Hedley Lamarr]

It's my understanding that a place for the GAF Forum is coming soon. Maybe in a couple of weeks!

[Major Matt Lewis]

What's wrong with The Barracks???  I see it as overkill if we are talking about CAS City. 

[Marshal Halloway]

What's wrong with The Barracks???  I see it as overkill if we are talking about CAS City. 

No, there is no plan on starting a GAF Forum in Cas City, because we already have the Barracks. To spread everyone out and scatter people to the wind really serves no purpose on this site.

To save myself from more emails and PMs about this, here is what is behind this post.

Hedley and Big Hext have some teasers out now for the new CAS forum they are working on.

See http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=4756

Since TFS seems to be dead and gone, there is a small group that will open up a new forum for Cowboy & Western Action Shooting.

An overkill, Major Matt ? It might be.

 I hope by establishing  new websites with new forums..that it won't make the online Cas community look like a whole heap of oil platforms in the Mexican Gulf.

Example:  We had 2 NCOWS forums on 2 different websites for awhile. If a forum is created to get new people interested..wouldn't one active meeting place be more informative than several?.. where a few are here and a few are there?.
 Hard to share all the information when it is strung out. THAT is my concern.

In fact, before TFS went down, I considered taking the Cas City NCOWS board down because the board on TFS was more active and I wanted the organization to get the full benefit of having all the members in one spot.

New forums are started every day for various reasons. Lets wait and see what the purpose and main goal is for this one.

[Advertising]

[Major Matt Lewis]

Well Marshal,

I have to tell you that you run a great site here.  It always works and has great features.  If it's alright, I plan on lerking here for a while.

[jiminy criquet]

In fact, before TFS went down, I considered taking the Cas City NCOWS board down because the board on TFS was more active and I wanted the organization to get the full benefit of having all the members in one spot.

And now you see why the more separate boards the better.  It's better for CAS to have as many boards as possible, the more the merrier in fact, and let the market decide which is the most 'popular' CAS site at the time.
Things change.  As we all saw with TFS...here today, gone tomorrow...and no one can tell what the future holds.  What if this board hadn't been here when TFS crashed...apparently for good this time?  Where would everyone have gone?  To the SASS board?  I sort of doubt it.  My recollection of this board (CASCITY) is that it was sort of an 'outpost off the beaten trail' for people to go to whenever TFS crashed, which over time got to be more and more frequent and for longer intervals.  Eventually this board got to be more well traveled and popular, and TFS began to diminish.  Than TFS went down hard, and folks seemlessly took up here.  Now this appears to be the premier (non-SASS owned) CAS board.  Before it was TFS.  See how things change?

What may be the most popular board today may not be the most popular board tomorrow...and innovation is only fostered by competition.  Without competition in the marketplace there is no real incentive to improve on what's out there already.  If someone wants to open a new CAS site, then they should be encouraged to do so.  It may not be 'popular' or heavily used now ...but who's to say it won't be in the future?

Best of luck with the new board.

[PWDFR POSSE]

Well, IMHO; I don't think the Marshal should rush into things!  Seems to be a lot of folks who hung out at TFS & not here, now wantin' their clubs & groups here cuz TFS can't keep it together!  What is GAF anyway?  Too many hands can spoil the pot, my grandma use to say!

[Lou Graham]

The Marshal has been a real pard and true cowboy all along.  He was that way with the old CAS-L, he was that way when CASCity was pretty much unkown, he's been that way as CASCity has grown and has added more features and listened to special requests and continues to upgrade and improve things here.  He has been more than generous with both the Wire and TFS when they have had problems and gone down, inviting us here and allowing the moderators to provide updates on the status of the crashed BB.

The Marshal is just a plain old good pard and one to ride the river with.

There was a time not too long ago when being a principal on one cowboy BB could get you thrown off another.  Thankfully, those days are gone and there is cooperation and traffic going back and forth between them all.  I will be glad to have the additional BB.  I'm glad it will be a stable operation.  I'm glad it will have active, real time, on-line administration from multiple time zones.

Stay here, go there, move back and forth.  It's all good.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Well, IMHO; I don't think the Marshal should rush into things!  Seems to be a lot of folks who hung out at TFS & not here, now wantin' their clubs & groups here cuz TFS can't keep it together!  What is GAF anyway?  Too many hands can spoil the pot, my grandma use to say!

Grand Army of the Frontier
http://www.grandarmyofthefrontier.org/

Slim

[RattlesnakeJack]

I also think that the Barracks would make a fine permanent home for GAF folk, as well as others of like mind.  The fact that it would be a general forum for all topics related to Victorian-era military - rather than being a "GAF Forum" is a good thing, in my view (even though that pretty well describes the GAF "mandate" ...)

I must agree that the Marshal's spread has been a whole lot more stable, reliable and generally "user friendly" than TFS - not to denigrate the considerable effort which undoubtedly went into maintaining the latter.  If TFS cannot be revived, CASCity unquestionably has the potential for becoming THE non-partisan western action shooting site ...

[RRio]

The Marshal has been a real pard and true cowboy all along.  He was that way with the old CAS-L, he was that way when CASCity was pretty much unkown, he's been that way as CASCity has grown and has added more features and listened to special requests and continues to upgrade and improve things here.  He has been more than generous with both the Wire and TFS when they have had problems and gone down, inviting us here and allowing the moderators to provide updates on the status of the crashed BB.

The Marshal is just a plain old good pard and one to ride the river with.



Stay here, go there, move back and forth.  It's all good.

Thank you, Lou!

You have said something that needed to be said by someone other than the Marshal's Deputies!
The Marshal has bent over backwards to accommodate people's requests, and put in some heavy-duty hours doing it, to make this the Premier CAS site, in my honest to God opinion.

"The Marshal is just a plain old good pard and one to ride the river with."   Damn right! And I'll ride the river with him anytime. I definitly ride for his brand!

Thanks Lou, I knew you were a sweetheart when I met ya at WR2004!

[bosunpete]

Well if amung the GAF membership, I could host a new forum for us or an email list if need be.

If interested, contact me offlist at crazedcamel (at) gmail (dot) com

Bosun Pete

[Delmonico]

Well I ain't gonna not visit any new/old boards, but if any one is lookin' fer me, look here first.

[Gen Lew Wallace]

The GAF and reenactors was the reason I asked the Marshal to add the Barracks to the forums.  I don't think we need 2 areas.  If someone wants to moderate it I won't mind.  I have plenty to keep me busy.   

[Marshal Halloway]

Howdy folks!

Marshal H. walkin' into the Barracks....

Thank you for your kind words, everyone..

Ok, as mentioned above, Barracks is here because of an initiative from General Wallace. This group just adds to the quality of the forum and the website as a major junction for information.

Now, as a promotor for the sport and marketing consultant, I need to step outside my hosting ego and say this:

You as a group should have one official board. You have to decide where. As a special interest group, you can spread the word about your activities in every forum, but should link and gather essential information at one place.

I appreciate loyalty and support, but as a group, an organization, you need to put the loyalty to the group first. When NCOWS had one board at TFS and one here, because of loyalty to me or EC, the group suffered from it and the information and sharing of knowledge became scattered.

I was about to suggest that the official NCOWS board should be over at TFS, because of more activity, but let it rest because of the technical problems over there.

Don't misunderstand me now, you are more than welcome here, but think about the group first and how important it is to have one official board.

Have a wonderful weekend and Marshal'ette and I are looking so much forward to meeting you at the Muster.

[Lou Graham]

I think this is the place where I say ...........

I told you so

 

[Major Matt Lewis]

Now I read this more than once.  I wanted to be sure that I got a bead on things.  I happen to wholey agree with The Marshal.  I stated on a thread here in the Long Branch that I was planning on pitching my tent here a while.

The way I see this is The Barracks is always up and running, the light is always on and the sentry is always on watch.  (This is not a left handed remark towards anyone.) 

The Marshal has allowed us to congregate in community when we were refugees.  As Military men (Present, Former, or Portraying) we know about honor and loyalty.  That's why, with the Marshals permission I plan to make The Barracks and the NCOWS Forums here to offical update station for the GAF Muster.  I will do this as long as I run the Muster or the Marshal kicks me off.  If somebody else takes over the Muster, they can post where they like.  Until they do, stay tuned to the Barracks and the NCOWS section here as this is where all Muster updates will be.

The Marshal has been too good of a pard to not return the courtesy to. 

[US Scout]

I've always considered the Barracks as the GAF Forum.  Its where we have discussed GAF business and issues, as well as a place where folks at CAS City can bring a miitary-related question to be answered by our subject matter experts.  We also have a pretty good time joshin' each other.

Admittedly, in the past the GAF posted its main HQ at TFS, but there was a small contingent who kept the flag flying at the Barracks, and it was always a good alternate HQ whenever the TFS went down, which unfortunately it seemed to do with some regularity.  Now that the TFS has been down a considerable time, the Barracks looks like it has not only fulfilled its alternate HQ role admirably, but it has actually begun to fully function as the new main HQ. 

At present, I believe all is working out well as currently established, but because of the Marshal's offer I have tried to think why a separate GAF forum might be necessary. 

If the purpose of a separate GAF Forum is to discuss strictly GAF administrative and operational issues such as our policies, operating procedures, membership requirements, the GAF Medal, awards, the Muster, and other related topics that are of interest only to GAF leadership and/or membership, and not to the average CAS City citizen, then I would think it a move in the right direction. 

That would leave the Barracks as the place to exchange information on guns, uniforms, military history, visits to the Sutler, etc.  Those CAS City citizens who are not interested in GAF only issues could hang out in the barracks without feeling like an outsider.  I see this as a positive move since we might attract others of like mind without making it look like an exclusionary board.  Lets face it, some who might look into the Barracks and see a major discussion raging on the GAF Medal would quickly retreat back out the door wondering why anyone would be interested in such a thing.  On the other hand, if said person wandered in and saw discussions on guns, uniforms, history and the like, said person might be more inclined to not only read and participate, but might also eventually find themself enlisting in the GAF.

My only concern would be keeping the GAF Forum focused strictly on GAF business and the Barracks for general frontier military related topics.  Tough job for a moderator, but it could be done, especially if the moderator had the capability of moving threads between the two forums to keep topics where they needed to be.

I am not inclined to tamper with something that seems to be functioning well, but the Marshal's offer does have some intriguing potential, and is something we should at least keep under consideration as the GAF continues to grow and develop.

US Scout
Bvt Col of Marines
GAF Chief of Staff

[Marshal Halloway]

Just a quick note.

Every forum has the option of both having a member section and a public section.

Example: GAF members can discuss member issues on a child board within the Barracks and general topics like on this board. This can be set up within most forums.

Telling you this, so you know the options.

Have a great weekend.

[US Scout]

Thanks Marshal!

Bearing in mind my earlier comments, this would make sense to have both a public and private (ie, GAF members only) forum. 

US Scout
GAF Chief of Staff

[Major Matt Lewis]

I like the idea of the public and private.  Scout makes a great point about the general public not having the slightest interest in The GAF Medal, but with the Muster my goal is to attract a large cross section of the Cowboy Action Shooting Community.  I like to keep Muster discussions public.  I like the idea of doing it in one place...one posting. 

I will also point out that the GAF Muster IS an NCOWS match.  The Muster, while it is my event, is tied directly to NCOWS.  CAS City facilitates the need for me to communicate with both GAF and NCOWS members in one place.  My statement about keeping all the Muster updates in CAS City stands.