Why is it??????

[lrogers]

Forum members here from around the world will go out of their way to help each other and treat them like family when something goes wrong.

Memebers of the R/C helicopter forums I frequent will do the same. I've been helping a guy in Canada, a guy in Norway has been helping me and a guy in South America posted a video to show an easy way to mount new 2.4 ghz receivers. It goes on and one.

Why, if individuals from all over the world help each other, can't the countries of the world do the same thing??????

Sorry for the rant, just had to get that off my chest.

Just makes me really appreciate the forum friends/family I have from all over the world.

[dkerfoot]

I agree it is a shame, but I am thankful that most nations manage to avoid the flame wars of so many other forums! Otherwise, that big red "Nuke 'Em" button would have been pushed long ago.

When it comes right down to it, I think most people are legitimately caring, giving people, so long as you don't bruise their ego: "I'll give you the shirt off my back, but if you point out my farmer's tan I'll shove the shirt down your throat!"

[dbhost]

To be brutally honest, because we come to these forums with a common goal, and interest. Nations often have competing interests and goals...

I'd like to go into a reasonable, and rational discussion of what is going on as far as violence and dispute among people globally, but then we veer strongly into religion and politics, and I don't really want to go there...

[jackellis]

Disclaimer: this is NOT meant to be a political statement.

I've traveled around the world (40 or so countries) and generally speaking, people are pretty nice to one another. However, most people also have a strong nationalistic streak. So while working for a Norwegian of Swedish ancestry living in London, I'd hear some interesting snide remarks about other Europeans.

Folks tend to get ugly about foreigners when they think their sovereignty or their livelihood or their safety is being threatened.

It's usually not the people of one country who dislike the people of another country. It's the people of various countries disliking the government policies of other countries.

[Russianwolf]

I'll put it this way.

I don't see people going out of their way to help others as much on forums that allow discussion of Politics and Religion.

The ones that disallow these conversations, form great communities that celebrate what makes us similar and not so different.

[Hellrazor]

Why, if individuals from all over the world help each other, can't the countries of the world do the same thing??????

Because woodworking, RC, etc is all hobby level items and it is something like minded people enjoy. Political stuff, abortion, etc is the stuff that gets ugly.

[Ed62]

No doubt about it, politics and religion bring out the negative side of people all over the world.

Ed

[vaking]

Be carefull with generalizations. This forum is for people who enjoy woodworking as a hobby. R/C forum is for people who enjoy another hobby. There are woodworking professionals outhere who are more capable as woodworkers than we are. Do you know of any forum where woodworking professionals congregate? How helpful are they to each other? Hobbyists do not compete with each other because their livelihood is not at stake, professionals do.
Let me give you example from a different field. Up until recently there were usefull forums of people who were hacking computers. That was at the time when hackers were hobbyists. If they found any vulnerability - they would post it for the sake of having bragging rights. Manufacturers often relied on such sites to learn about vulnerabilities they needed to fix. 3 years ago that changed. Hacking became a profession. Nobody wants bragging rights anymore, they want something more substantial. If a hacker finds vulnerability now - he/she will not be posting about it. He/she will be exploiting it as long as possible.
This isn't about religion or politics, this is about perceived threats related to what you care for.

[lrogers]

Yeah, I guess you guys are right. Still, it's nice to dream of a what if world........
Like I said originally, seeing all the rotten stuff in the world, REALLY makes me appreciate each and every one of you and the "conversations" we share all the more.

[sparkeyjames]

The answer is simple. There are far more stupid people on the planet than intelligent people. We are outnumbered. Sad but true.