bringing life to the forum

I understand. Well...thanks for having me.

No disrespect or offence meant...

It is just that for a second I have a picture in my head of this place becoming a dating site or something.

There are already plenty of those on the internet so why add one more by changing this one?

The best way to bring life to a military forum like this is to attract people that people interested in military stuff will want to chat with.

I have had quite a long period of reading and learning about Russian and Soviet equipment... when it was hard during the late cold war period and now that they hand you marketing sheets with figures printed on them that the CIA would have killed for 3 decades ago.

Avery very good idea; retired army officers are always a very high-valued additions to any place; but they are rare though!!

They don't need to be retired or even career soldiers. Anyone who has experience with various equipment items would be interesting enough. Obviously we don't want to compromise OpSec, but nothing like a story to put things in context.

A common question people ask me is X vs Y... which is better? and based on their spec sheets you can give some indications but never a definitive answer. For instance the T-34 on paper should easily defeat a Panzer MkIV with a short 75mm gun, but in practise the better training and better crew configuration and the availability of the correct ammo will influence the results that seem so clear on paper. At the start of WWII the Soviet tanks had a shortage of Armour piercing ammo which immediately put them at a disadvantage even though on paper they should have done much better.
Equally for example the west rarely acknowledges the fact that these same German forces also defeated all of western europe because of their superior tactics. Their tank armour was weak and the tank armament was poor but they had the right ammo and good optics and radios and communication between units and airpower.
The Soviets didn't have the English channel to hide behind so they were largely saved because the German logistics train wouldn't stretch to Moscow without putting German units under strain. After fighting on the eastern front for a couple of years the German Army was bashed around at the length of its logistics train to the point where many of the experienced and well trained troops were gone and they lost air superiority by 1943 so after that even though their retreat was shortening their logistics train they were not the same force any more and neither were the Soviets.
The first 6 months of WWII for the Soviets was like Britains experience at Dunkirk loss of enormous amounts of equipment, though the Soviets lost millions of men too. The thing is however after 1941 there were no great encirclements anymore and they tended to hang on to equipment better too. The Germans after Kursk during their withdrawl basically did to the Soviets what they had been on the receiving end of for the last 2 years, but they added lethality to their withdrawl so the Soviets paid more to push the German forces back. NATO plans in the cold war period was largely based on German tactics of withdraw and do damage to the enemy... hoping their logistics train will fail before they get to the English Channel.

Probably because it is very hard to explain the "feeling" to someone who has not done the training or been there. It's difficult to talk of military manovouers, tactics and hardhsip with just anyone. There are good times, lots of good times, boredom, hardwork - like really hard work and then for some - real excitement!

Exactly. I am certainly not a BTDT, but I was on a forum a few years back and a picture was posted showing a Soviet mountain unit that was crossing a deep ravine on a rope and I had a very long discussion with someone who couldn't understand why they would be so stupid to use a rope because it would leave someone very vulnerable. From memory the person I was talking to lived in a big city and had never been out in the wild and didn't believe that a fully trained soldier could slip on a hill in wet grass!
Anyone who has done any sort of hiking or bush walking knows that especially when you get off the track slipping over carrying a backpack is all too easy to do. No wonder he couldn't understand when you are in steep rocky mountains and you come to a deep ravine that a fit healthy good rock climber would take a couple of hours climbing down and up again without his rifle and backpack and webbing and that if you sent the whole unit to do it in full gear it would take days if it was even possible to get across.
It is not a Soviet thing, any mountain unit will pick the best climber dump his gear with the unit and let him climb down and up as quick as he can while the rest of the unit keeps watch and takes a break. Once he is on the other side, you throw a rope over and he secures it to a rock and then you secure your end and send everyone and everyones gear over on the rope. If you use the right knot to secure the rope at the side you start on you should even be able to retrieve the rope.

... but he didn't get it.

Except I never took it to be offensive or disrespectful, as much as I see the following statements of your as ignorance. I hope you dont take offence to that.

You are perfectly correct, I was being ignorant.

This is a thread about what we can do to increase traffic so my rants about strategic bombing during WWII were not appropriate.
My Apologies for that.

If we all spoke of the same things, that would be pretty boring.

This is a Russian Military Forum... I think if we talk about things related to that in the appropriate areas provided on this Forum it would not only not be boring, but would actually make sense considering the purpose of the forum.

There are areas for more social topics but I assume these areas are not for new members, but for existing members for discussions that deviate from the main focus of this forum, which is included in the title so there should be no confusion.

Firstly, you dont know me, so to assume I am here to date is pretty funny, because Im a virgin, single and am happy that way. I have too many other things to do than to think about guys, especailly those my age, who hardly are about anything...yet.

You are quite correct, I don't know you.
My fear of this becoming a dating site came from your comment:

I wish I could bring more females to your forum...

I interpreted Vlads comment that females improve forums was a suggestion that your presence was enough. Not a request that you get lots of female friends to log on to a site... especially if they have no interest in the main theme of the site.

Maybe I was wrong.

Secondly, my friend Robert V is/was here, he left for Russian military yesterday, I came here for advise.

Well I consider Robert V as a friend and have met him on several sites, but his leaving for the Russian Military is a complete surprise to me. I didn't even realise he was Russian.

especially when someone like you would have given someone like me time .... time to get to know me before you assume things about me...things that you were very wrong of.

I have nothing at all against you, like you say, I don't even know you. I enjoyed chatting to Rob so I don't see why I would have any problems with you... or anyone else here. I am just here to talk about military stuff mostly. I have given lots of personal advice to several members, whom I will not name. They seemed to appreciate it.

Maybe its people like you who chase people like me away. Maybe next time someone comes here that is new, you could say "hello, welcome to the forum, I hope you enjoy your stay"....not the bs you said of me..when you had no idea of why I came here...or what my military conversations would have been like.

First of all why would I chase anyone away from this forum?
Robert never mentioned you to me so I really don't even know who you are. There are lots of people who post hellos... it is one of the forum rules. The fact that I have not gone through every post and welcomed everyone should not be taken to mean I want everyone to leave that I haven't said Hi to.

Second what BS have I said of you? Most of my replies to you involve apologies to ensure that you know I am not being negative towards you.

I was eager to learn things here, I wanted to learn because my good friend left to serve and Im afraid...did you ever think of that?

I am not a moderator and have no power or interest in preventing you from being a contributing member at this website.

Pro tip..if you look around in this General Forum..there are topics other than the ones you are only interested in...why do you think they are there?

They are clearly there for members who want to talk about subjects.

I rather think the purpose of the site is to discuss Russian Military Issues.

Maybe its because they are places to come to know new members, take interest and show her that you are a positive member...<snip>

The Member Introductions and rules section is to introduce yourself and tell others of your interests.
It might come as a shock but I personally am not here to meet people to find new friends.
I've already got friends.
What I want is to find people who share my interest in Russian military equipment and discuss new and old stuff. Learn of their experiences related to my interests.

Might make me sound like a real w@nker, but I assume most are here to talk about Russian military stuff.

Like you said... different people come here for different things and I don't judge anyone for their purpose here... unless they are here to Troll.

It would have been nicer to stay and learn, but I guess thats not a good idea afterall.

Did I miss the angry mob with the burning torches that have made you feel unwelcome?

Anyway good luck all.

Best of luck Rob. I hear St Petersberg is a beautiful city.

I knew we agreed on a lot of things but I knew you were in Holland so I thought of you as a person like Arthur from Keypublishing forums.

I clearly thought you were a bit older than you clearly must be too.

Ahh the things we learn.

Of course the fact that I was wrong about you in so many things doesn't effect things either way.

Best of luck again... I am really looking forward to when you come back and can tell us of all your adventures and experiences.

It will be good to see your username in green Too...

GarryB

I don't think Robert was scamming anyone. The fact that he lives in the west and was not clear on Russian conscription law or had difficulty typing Russian in a familiar alphabet suggests he probably doesn't speak or write in Russian much.

The speed with which you judge him suggests the quality of the friendship was not high enough for you to give him the benefit of the doubt. I remember when I was in my late teens and early 20s and I was a bit of a dick. I am sure you will say I haven't changed much because it seems you know me so well.

A dating forum? LMAO, right...like someone like me would actually come to a russian military forum for love? As far as I can... {snip}...give your gender any props? lmao. I'd say no.

As I thought I stated quite clearly, I was thinking from the comment Vlad made about females making the site better that you might start inviting female friends to this site. I have no problems with females on this site at all, what I have problems with is females being directed to this site just because they are female and not because this site might interest them.
I don't think Vlad is after a site that has 20 million hits a day because the section on general topics has a really good thread on makeup and handbags.
Or maybe I am wrong and that is what he wants.
It is not what I want and I said as much.
I am not a moderator and have no power to influence things one way or another but this is a forum that allows me to post opinion which is exactly what I did.

As for Robert V. I don't believe anything he said to me. I was a fool to befriend him, and also a fool to think I can come here for support.

Lesson 1 of the internet perhaps? And lesson 2 as well. ie Strangers on the internet are just people. Would you completely trust a random person on the street? And of course this is a forum on the internet... perhaps you were looking for www.julia-supportgroup.org? We don't know you at all any better than you know us... what sort of support were you expecting?

We were friends, and nothing more. I have no interest in long distance love., or love in general. Which brings me back to how stupid Garry B looks in his comments. Typical male talk, boring and so predictable. =/

I think I have apologised to you more than anyone I actually know, in fact I probably should apologise more to Ironsightsniper than to you because really we have nothing in common and your misunderstanding of the things I have said seem less than accidental and more willfull. You seem to have decided to dislike me and that is fine. Your picture shows your exterior to be very attractive... if too young for my tastes, but your communications to date suggest you are high maintainence... which of course I can say to your face because I am out of dish throwing distance.

How about we agree we are not going to be friends, Robert is a lying bastard and let this topic return to topic?

The topic is how to expand the forum.

And I never asked you for an apology. I'd never accept it anyway... its the internet, I hardly take what you say as if you would mean it.

You wont accept an apology from a stranger on the internet, but you came here for support/help?

FYI, I have been talking with Robert V. since 07', hardly just days, months or a few years considering its 2011. Again, you are assuming.

Can you direct me to my comment where I called you a noob?
Who exactly is guilty of assumptions here... sounds to me like you have made as many as I have.

However, they cared to get to know me first and my reason for being here, unlike you who jumped to your own silly conclusions that I was here to date...lmao. OH PLEASE.

I never said you were here to date, I have explained that many times... it was your offer to invite female friends to "liven up the place" is what I reacted to. By all means invite them if they are interested in Russia or military stuff or both, but otherwise what do you think they will talk about? Boys, makeup, shopping, shoes, handbags?
Yeah, that will improve this site.

Im sure I seem high maintainence to you, as you assumue so much of someone before you even know jack about them.

Come on... count the number of replies I have made to you on this thread alone... and for what... you are still upset... there is no pleasing you.

I am thinking of joining the Army now...

Lighten up.

I'm going to stop caring of you and your ignorance as of now.

Why should you care about what I think? As I have said I don't know you and you don't know me. Get over it. I am not here to meet people, I am here to share information about things that interest me and get information and news back about the same.
Over time friendships might develop but I am not here looking for friends. Robert is a case in point... I met him on a few forums and we generally had similar views on many topics we were discussing. Same with Austin. I didn't go to those forums looking for friends. I found quite a lot but I wasn't looking for any.

Honestly this should been kept between you Robert , and Garry via PMS. Although I disagree with the fact that people on this forum are strangers( most of us consider it our family , aleast I do) you are entiled to your opinion.

It can become a family, but did you come here looking for a Family?
Or were you interested in the subjects discussed here and joined a family?
Personally I would prefer if I was left out of this discussion completely because I really have no interest in it and as you are a moderator I will take this post as a warning not to discuss this on the open forum. I am not interested in continuing this via PM either. Yes, that means I am ignorant and make lots of bad assumptions etc etc whatever. Don't care.

@ Garry : Conclusions will be made on your answers by this community about support!

People can ask for support and people can give support, but at the end of the day if you need support do you go to a forum on Russian military stuff or do you see a professional/family/friends/teachers/doctors etc?
I didn't offer to give Julia support and am not obliged to, I gave my opinion on suggestions that were being made and then got into a discussion about how I don't know anything about Julia or perhaps anything else. Doesn't sound like any family member I have.
Anyone is entitled to ask for advice and anyone is entitled to give it. No one is forced to take the advice of someone they have never actually spoken to, but met on a net forum a friend came to very occasionally.