The diversity of the Board should be applauded and enjoyed by all. To be certain the degree of expertise in all phases of the hobby is an asset to the Board as a whole and we all learn regardless of our own level of expertise. I've only been at this prewar business for less than 7 years. I know a helluva lot more now than I did when I started and a lot of that knowledge has been added in the last year since joining the Board.
No one has been more surprised and yes, at times, embarrassed that the silly Monster Number Thread has survived and in fact may be accelerating rather than slowing down. I fully understand that the scholarly input of that thread is essentially nil, but the feedback from the vast majority has been positive. I am not posting here to defend that thread in any way.
My point is that the success of the Board IMO is the diversity of content:
1. Expertise willingly shared by collectors such as yourself, Phil
2. Friendships developed as a result of verbal exchanges and B/S/T activity.
3. The generally civil conduct of Board members toward each other.
4. Amusement derived from some of the less scholarly threads.
The sense of community we share with several hundred folks who share common interests, but do not live down the street, is for many a welcome addition to our lives, as prewar baseball card discussions are usually met with vacant stares
in our local social circles.
My activity on the Board has led to phone calls to a number of Board members, whom I now consider friends, that I never would have met otherwise. I'm convinced that I am not alone in my experience or feelings about this group.
The Board should not only make you less
, but should also make you
.