Beware: snakes on the forum!

[Victorman]

Gentlemen,

Most of the forums seem to suffer from it, but here on WAF we also have a couple of snakes being operational!

So far, there are just a few active, but it is a dangerous phenomenon which jeopardizes quality of the provided information and even can slowly kill (strangle) the forum itself.

How do these snakes operate?

-They permanently give negative comments, which they cannot backup with any evidence.

-When asked for clarifications of their statements: no answer is given, they just ignore it and proceed to other topics.

-They never post any pictures, they limit their posts to comments like “+1” amplifying already negative messages or they repeat things their have heard or red somewhere before like “Indian copy” or “Frankenstein dagger”… etc.

-They might not even be real collectors.

Their sole objective is to slowly destroy credibility of the information provided by the forum. It can be compared with the deliberately spreading of “fake news” .

My proposal is to counter his menace:

-Individuals behaving like this, should be forced to explain or remove their (false) statements, this way the forum can remain a clean information source for the real collectors.

-By forcing then to do so, they generally will leave the forum, just like snakes who no longer find any pray: they will go elsewhere.

-If not, and if their behavior continues, they should be banned from the forum after a couple of warnings by the forum's responsible (moderator or administrator).

Best regards,

Victorman

[Mat J]

Snakes

Well put Victorman!! I was gonna write "+1" because I agree with you whole heartedly, but will refrain because of what you wrote. The best way to get rid of snakes is to take off the head. Lets hope this thread/your comment doesn't fall on deaf ears. Always enjoy reading upbeat informative posts.

Hate it when posts turn negative and the manure starts to get slung. I'm sure most members will agree with you. I most certainly do. Thanks for putting it out there

Best wishes,

Mat J

PS, biggest gripe I have is when a item is under review and someone just writes, "repro" or "bad" or "fake" with no explantation. We are all hear to learn, and I know we don't want to give the troglodytes overseas the ammo to make better copies. PM's to collectors with questions I think can suffice.

[saar]

I fully support Victorman' position. One should think twice before giving a negative comment but unfortunately some people simply don't care or don't understand what their negative comments will lead to.

[Schlange]

I wonder, Is these thread thrue problem?

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=886368


Schlange

[Victorman]

That is correct, Schlange and I am happy that you admit being one of the snakes of this forum!

And that is just one example you posted... there are many, many more:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=892621

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=883944

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=892097

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=892250

... etc.

The list is much longer and this behaviour is going on for a couple of years now...

And we are still waiting for all your clarifications on these unfounded statements...

Best regards,

Victorman

[nickn]

Snakes are not the only reptile knocking good items

[jmcm]

Another one, it's fake but what website is it on?

[Serge M.]

How much detail should one disclose on a open forum ? This has been a issue that we have discussed on many threads.

It is a double edged sword when you really get into it. How much info should be given ? Is the info even good ? What is the source of that rare but so called 'unacknowledged variant' ?

However, one must be careful to post short replies also. I've done that myself a few times. Other times when I see who I think is a faker posts here to see how their latest fake upgrade flies with the membership, I have slammed them down with details. But what does that do ?
They remove the posted photos of the new fake, and go back to improve on the fake, like they did here IMO;
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...hlight=Type+2B

Someone who states a belief or a opinion on a post should make clear that is just their opinion, from their experience. Other times when forum members want to know where that opinion comes from, it is only good etiquette to reply in a proper manner and not stay silent. However, that all depends on the situation and may not always be the right thing to do, but usually is.
Like the thread above where I challenged the owner of the rare Type2B gravity knife, what did they do ? They just went away to improve, they didn't leave their 'business' for good. Also, by not attaching the photos to the WAF server, they just deleted them and created a worthless thread, so when they come back, there will not be a record of the previous version.
This is what I am most concerned about, and what I will follow up on, the clever fakers who come here in all their different colors.

As far as opinions go, the guys that are getting called out on their positions and seem to be challenged on providing proof, or feel they don't have to, should share some of it, especially if members are asking. A no reply, even by PM, is not kind and doesn't sit well with anyone, and makes readers feel they can't ever back their position with anything factual, only creates the type of frustrating thread like this one.

Best of the Hunt,
Serge

[jmcm]

They can always PM and tell why or why not?

[dr01]

I absolutely agree with what Victorman wrote. It's no problem if someone has a different opinion about a dagger but it is when a dagger is called fake or post war without any clarification. It also helps new or unexperienced collectors when it is explained why a certain dagger is post war/fake.

Sometimes showing some pictures of an original piece to compare with a questionable dagger can be of great help.

I have noticed that when "snakes" post a dagger, it's (almost) always a picture they found on the internet instead of a dagger that comes from their own collection (asuming they have an own collection which in most cases they don't).

Ofcourse we should be careful disclosing all the details when it comes to high end daggers.

Regards
Danny