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Shooting Forum - Firearms licencing information


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Forums versus Social media.

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  • 30-03-2023 7:22pm
    #1
    badaj0z
    Registered Users Posts: 471 ✭✭


    I have seen a few debates on this topic and I have arrived at a considered opinion after viewing the last few days posts. I have been a member on here for many years, sometimes in conflict with the mods. I have always enjoyed the debates, especially if they are on technical topics. Political issues? That is a different story, but they are still necessary.

    Reading the last few days posts has reminded me of the value of Boards.ie and similar forums. The amount of valued experience and advice available on here is immense. It is searchable and that is the key difference between Forums(Fora) and social media. Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok etc.. are ephemeral. Here today, gone tomorrow. How often have you seen a post of interest today and could not find it tomorrow? That is the nature of Social Media. Forums can be searched and are indexed externally by search engines such as Google. I am often pleasantly surprised when I search on Google about how to fix this or that on a car or a house alarm, or a firearm issue, to find that the answer is indexed on Boards.ie. or similar forums. I moderate some FB groups connected with my hobbies which gives me some experience in this area.

    Post here often, look here often. I have no connection to anyone in Boards.ie.



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    #2
    BSA International
    Registered Users Posts: 550 ✭✭✭BSA International


    Social media is crap 😀

    Forums such as this are way better!



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    #3
    deeksofdoom
    Registered Users Posts: 2,022 ✭✭✭deeksofdoom


    There’s a certain amount of anonymity that I like about the forums.

    Facebook and other social media platforms have exposed some absolute gobshites and do the whole field sports scene no favours. I’ve have seen some absolute spacers pop up on social media and the scary thing is that they are totally unmoderated and by & large illiterate.



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    #4
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 39,395 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Forums are for the facts.

    Social media is for the crap.



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    #5
    Cass
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 28,557 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cass


    @deeksofdoom and the scary thing is that they are totally unmoderated

    This is the bit I don't like and excuse the seemingly self congratulatory back patting (it's not that) but eventually they all have to be moderated.

    The difference between forums and social media is as an Irish forum we are bound by certain laws. Defamation, GDPR, copyright, criminal, etc. If anything is posted we, as in the forum, are responsible for supervising and acting to maintain it not just for a clean and safe place to talk but for legal reasons.

    Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

    If you see a problem post use the report post function. Click on the three dots on the post, select "FLAG" & let a Moderator deal with it.

    Moderators - Cass otmmyboy2 , CatMod - Shamboc , Admins - Beasty , mickeroo



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    #6
    Cass
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 28,557 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cass


    Also the for sale section.

    I think we're the last decent place for selling stuff given social media's bias or outright ban against firearms.

    Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

    If you see a problem post use the report post function. Click on the three dots on the post, select "FLAG" & let a Moderator deal with it.

    Moderators - Cass otmmyboy2 , CatMod - Shamboc , Admins - Beasty , mickeroo



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    #7
    tonysopprano
    Registered Users Posts: 803 ✭✭✭tonysopprano


    Agree that forums, and especially this one, are much better than social media BUT with the following reservations

    1) Firearms Licencing Sticky has not been updated since 2016

    2) No yearly calendar of events

    3) Upcoming/This weekend notifications thread is never used

    4) The last event notification on the target shooting thread, was on 7th Sept for that weekend of 10th+11th Sept in H.H. Not really any use if you did not already have plans to go

    5) Alot of organisations post upcoming events to social media, so how hard would it be to duplicate the post in the upcoming thread in this forum or add to a calender


    This forum is searchable, and posts are in particular threads, so easy to find, whereas on social media you have to scroll back through all the posts to find anything useful eg: MNSCI posted a calender of events on Feb 1st, with more to come??, but you have to scroll back all the way to access it.

    If you can do the job, do it. If you can't do the job, just teach it. If you really suck at it, just become a union executive or politician.



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    #8
    kunekunesika
    Registered Users Posts: 279 ✭✭kunekunesika


    Without it I'd be lost. Totally ignorant on any developments over the years. I love that it is moderated. I love that it search able. I love the fact I can check the previous posts of a poster I don't know, and form an opinion on where they are coming from. I love the buy and sell section......and the fact that I know who I am dealing with if I choose to buy or sell.

    So big thanks to the mods over the years.



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    #9
    Cass
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 28,557 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cass


    This is what is needed, input from members. I'll address the points individually.

    1) My bad. I lost my laptop about 8 months ago and the phone is a pita to use. I'll try rectify that asap.

    Points 2 to 5 are seemingly on the same line so I'll answer them in one.

    I rely on organisations to post here on the upcoming events thread which I usually transfer to the this weekends thread. I have, as said above, lost access to my laptop and the phone is a nightmare to use not only for typing but for mod actions. So I'll get something sorted and address the threads asap.

    As for checking social media, I've taken a step back over the past few months from here due to a family bereavement and rarely use social media at the best of times ( I have the boards account but not my own personal one) so again that is my bad.

    There are other issues that need addressing and while not an excuse as I can manage on my own, I'm on my own. You might have noticed under my sign line the list of mods have gone from 5 to just me. The other Mods never returned after the changeover to the new platform and getting new mods is an even longer process than before.

    So for the moment I'm going solo and coupled with the passing of my Mother I've let non essential things just slide focusing only on thing such as reported posts and keeping the for sale section working.

    For that I apologise and will endeavour to clean the place up but it will take a while and may be slower than normal.

    That being said I welcome input and also recommendations. For example is there anything missing in the stickied firearm legislation thread or is it the fact that some links are dead since the changeover?

    Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

    If you see a problem post use the report post function. Click on the three dots on the post, select "FLAG" & let a Moderator deal with it.

    Moderators - Cass otmmyboy2 , CatMod - Shamboc , Admins - Beasty , mickeroo



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    #10
    tonysopprano
    Registered Users Posts: 803 ✭✭✭tonysopprano


    Cass, none of my points were directed at you. The point I was making was that ALL of the people and organisations need to pull together, to be more proactive rather than reactive.

    Taking your points in order,

    Notifications: up to relevant orgs/ranges to be proactive and not down to you to search for

    Social media: as we are a predominantly older genre, social media does not suit some and unless you are following an org that you do not know about, then no updates unlike the forum

    With regard the legislation, since 2016 alot of new laws, both domestic and EU have been introduduced and also others revoked, so an updated sticky is crucial.

    Just looking through the last month or so, more than 20% of questions have been about legalities, some of which could have been answered through the sticky (if people bothered to search)

    The most basic thread of thought on here, is "see I told you so" (reactive) rather than the proactive approach. WE ALL need to get up off the sofa and do our bit and get out of this "my parish not yours mindset"

    If you can do the job, do it. If you can't do the job, just teach it. If you really suck at it, just become a union executive or politician.



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    #11
    Cass
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 28,557 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cass


    I appreciate it wasn't directed at me, but the running of the forum or it's shortfalls land at my feet so it's my responsibility to address them.

    So to that end ill step up my activity and take a look at the problem areas.

    The sticky threads are a mess. The changeover to the new format lost us all pictures before the changeover and messed up a lot of links. That will take the most time.

    I'll start working on the social media aspect and try to get as many comp lists updated in the target forum as I can.

    Anything else just post here or contact me directly via PM.

    Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

    If you see a problem post use the report post function. Click on the three dots on the post, select "FLAG" & let a Moderator deal with it.

    Moderators - Cass otmmyboy2 , CatMod - Shamboc , Admins - Beasty , mickeroo



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    #12
    tonysopprano
    Registered Users Posts: 803 ✭✭✭tonysopprano


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120428077#Comment_120428077

    With regard to the sticky, I think it should be mostly deleted, as out of date, and setup with,

    The Law Reform page, updated to May 2022 https://revisedacts.lawreform.ie/eli/1925/act/17/front/revised/en/html or a better one if found

    Lists of contact details of Clubs/Ranges/Dealers etc

    Forms: https://garda.ie/en/about-us/online-services/firearms-licensing/firearm-certificate-renewals.html

    Other items such as airline/ferry etc restrictions can be added as we find them

    If you can do the job, do it. If you can't do the job, just teach it. If you really suck at it, just become a union executive or politician.



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    #13
    Cass
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 28,557 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cass


    I use that law reform one myself. Has all amendments, SIs, etc.

    Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

    If you see a problem post use the report post function. Click on the three dots on the post, select "FLAG" & let a Moderator deal with it.

    Moderators - Cass otmmyboy2 , CatMod - Shamboc , Admins - Beasty , mickeroo



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    #14
    BattleCorp
    Registered Users Posts: 11,788 ✭✭✭✭BattleCorp


    Holy Jaysus, there's a first. I'm agreeing with @badaj0z.



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    #15
    Cass
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 28,557 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cass


    Quick update.


    Finally got my laptop fixed so I'm better able to sort the forum.

    I've started with the target forum. I've tidied up, changed the title and fixed the links of the upcoming events and this weekend events threads. The sticky is closed as its only to provide the links to the relevant threads. Once directed to the upcoming thread you post the details there and I'll check it weekly and move to the "This weekends events" thread the week before.

    Once over the the post will be split into its own thread in the target forum for discussion.

    As always there should be no posting in the "This weekends events" thread, I've actually closed that thread to prevent it, as its only for me to place the announcement there once the event is coming up.

    I've also split out the MNSCI thread you posted @tonysopprano into its own thread.

    The process of doing this is terribly slow. On the old system I could merge posts as well as threads. On the new system I cannot do that. I have to split out individual posts into their own threads then merge the threads just to merge posts. Its tripling the workload so it'll continue to be a slow process of tidying up the place.


    Next port of call is addressing the important thread links but that will take even more time. I'll update as and when I get it done.


    Anything else need attention, post here and I'll look into it.

    Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

    If you see a problem post use the report post function. Click on the three dots on the post, select "FLAG" & let a Moderator deal with it.

    Moderators - Cass otmmyboy2 , CatMod - Shamboc , Admins - Beasty , mickeroo



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    #16
    Cass
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 28,557 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cass


    Well it seems that was easier than originally thought.

    The dead links were reset with ones that work, but a lot of stuff was simply deleted as it dates back to 2009 and were links to the dealings with the FCP, and other stuff that is long since irrelevant now.

    It'll take a lot more time to do up a new post with stuff that is up to date and relevant, but I need "wish lists" and recommendations for what people need/want. The big announcement at the top of the forum has most stuff including links but there is so much I don't want the post/information getting bogged down in day to say stuff. Really would rather focus on topics that people need to look up rather than start threads on (filling out FCA1, how to apply, etc.)

    Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

    If you see a problem post use the report post function. Click on the three dots on the post, select "FLAG" & let a Moderator deal with it.

    Moderators - Cass otmmyboy2 , CatMod - Shamboc , Admins - Beasty , mickeroo



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