Thanks for the kind offer, Ross!
No, I don't want to PM you and the reason is quite simple.
Everything I have to say can be made public as I have no fear anymore to be "kicked off" the forum. Even though it were a pity.
You know, the forum was once - for me personally - one of the most important things.
And those people who have asked me sometimes why I am investing that much personal effort and time or so to participate have heard answers just as:
"Because it's a honor for me to be allowed to talk to all these great people!" or "It simply makes fun!"
by myself.
I remember to have had a wonderful discussion with one of my most appreciated fellows who comes from the UK. As we had dinner one night in an excellent Indian restaurant as I have visited Cambridge that time, he offered me by the way to having coincidently recognised me, as being "Stephan" from Germany, the guy who's attending the AWS forum. I was quite surprised but I have honestly confirmed his assumption. The fellow is a very highly educated welding expert and yes, I admire his expertise in welding and his nonetheless very open and likeable mind. But he asked me the question on what I feel by attending the forum and writing all this stuff I have "contributed" by the time. He additionally told me of other forums being more "professional" in particular regard to welding.
And I told him - perhaps he may read this anytime - that I simply feel good by having these wonderful people aside and that I feel great pleasure by even busying myself with the questions coming from all the fellow members, dealing with what I love mostly (after my family) - WELDING. And... that I am always learning somewhat new by even visiting the AWS forum.
But we have also discussed what has happened with "Mr weld39" and his opinion about my contributions. And to be honest, that was the first time that I began to doubt on myself or better, on the "value" of my contributions for this - still great - forum. Therefore I was so happy as Joe Kane (I truly "love" this guy even though he has never specifically replied on one of my posts!) has thrown back the "Feed the Formal Education Monster before you speak" back at "Mr weld39". There was it again, I was not alone!
But to be honest and this, please believe me, is being expressed entirely without any offense against anybody, my mind has changed a bit since all these boring posts were exchanged and people have acted like morons, as you always name the ones who are acting like... "morons?".
Perhaps it has to do with my very own attitude to deal with things. Either I do try to doing them right or even none.
And perhaps it might have to do with some reactions or even with rather the "no" reactions to some topics I have tried to deal with. Some issues in welding are even quite complicated - even this is what fascinates me as you know - and are thus hardly difficult to explain in using simple words. This is where the mathematicians are in a better position since they may use their expressions without needing to make many words. They have created a way over generations to understand one another. Using words to express intricate subjects is quite more difficult which might be the reason that some of my contributions experience "a naught of a reaction" - as somebody has named this a short time back.
Perhaps it might have also to do with the fact that I am no US American and now... I am where I wanted to get to.
You know Ross, I admit to have real problems to understanding what's going on within the forum at the moment. You were so kind and did reply on one of my posts a time ago dealing with the great USA and their people making this nation so great.
"E pluribus unum." This was the sentence which has impressed my that time very much. Out of many, One!
And now as I am visiting the forum - which is admittedly rarely meanwhile - to have a look into the sections I can read things which are making me considering. A hundreds of posts dealing with - stupid - politics instead of welding. This by the way I have meant, when I replied once to a post "...some things are apparently more important than talking about valence electron reactions with oxidation processes."
And then I have asked myself: "Well, where is the "E pluribus unum"? when most appreciated fellow members, appreciated by myself since estmating them as being highly intelligent, asking whether one of their presidential candidates might be a radical muslim in disguise or if his heritage may allow him to become the next president of the United States of America. I am born in a country which has a very regrettable history. Which has went through one of the darkest chapters in human nature and everything has started with the question "Does the heritage of this human being really allow him to be "Deutsch"? What a bullsh**! I have kept the silence by now. Others - also being foreign fellow members - have posted their opinions. Do some of you really think that one of the both who want to become the next president of the USA is really so vicious that he would not want that your nation should grow in prosperity and that all of "E pluribus unum" may have deserved a chance for obtaining an improved progress in their lifes?
I am "just" a European, and a German additionally, which might be the worst combination for some of you. But to be honest, this described above makes me really hesitating to visit the forum meanwhile and this is what makes me - Stephan - considering detracting the forum with an, admitted, heavy heart. You know, this was the reason I have posted yesterday the "Universe.pdf" which should express that all of us are none but a chunk of coal but nonetheless the most wonderful creation the Almighty Lord has ever made - since finally and at the end of the day it's all about perspective.
I have made some wonderful friendships here and I have met some of the most wonderful humans both virtually but also physically here within the "worlds greatest welding forum" which it is, quite undoubtedly. But like I said... it's hard for me to see the people, all of those US Americans, rendering themselves with arguments making me truly scary.
I won't go, if even, with an: "I'm done!" Some things just fade away...
I have reconsidered and relativized my microscopic tiny role within this forum. And this... has truly helped me.
Hence, and finally, the discussion in regard to the "rating" etc. has already been projected by Henry "ssbn727" long before it has been installed. Now we are having the results. Kids are playing God by rating others whose opinions or whatsoever they don't like. And this Ross, the forum truly hasn't deserved. What is good? What is poor? I don't know, I don't want to know and I don't want to judge...
Perhaps I am totally wrong by seeing the things as I stated above or that I am overestimating all this. But these sentences - dunno where they did come from - have required to be written.
My very best regards, and once again, no offense intended with my humble .02$
Stephan