I want to begin with an apology in advance to the moderators here. I know this topic continues to be rehashed over and over again in both public and in private but I would like to share my thoughts so I can find some closure and move on. Also, I hope anyone here that reads this post will bear with me as I try to express my thoughts since being a prolific writer is not my specialty.

The “Missing the squirrel” thread has caused a bit of self reflection in myself and the events that led up to my post on January 1st that eventually let to the few days of chaos (for lack of a better word) and the loss of Dennis either by his own choice or that of the moderators.

I know there are many here that hold me personally responsible for what happen to Dennis and to a small extent I will accept that. My biggest regret was making my displeasure with the tone he was taking in some of the posts public. In hindsight, I wish I had reached out to him privately to express my concerns. In the end it became very disheartening to see the turns a few of the posts were taking and how individuals were being called out simply because they purchased, enjoyed, or wanted to talk about a specific watch. In my defense, I did reach out to Dennis a day or two later hoping to open a dialog but it was not responded to.

When I look back at my time here I don’t think there are many members here who have read my posts that can deny that I was nothing but respectful and helpful to anyone that asked for advice or direction. I’m also aware that there are many here that did not care for what I contributed to the forum and I was fine with that as well. I always found it amusing to scan a WRUW page that I posted on and see a member like 19 pictures and skip mine. It was always easy to sort out who liked me and who didn’t but I never came here to try to make myself stand out, see how many likes I could get, or pass myself off as an expert on anything. I simply came here to share what I thought was interesting with anyone that might have shared similar interests. In the end, being treated the same way whether we shared the same interests was all I wanted in return. I also wanted to see that respect extended to others whether they were long time members or new people just finding their way to the forum.

I do hope someday in the near future Dennis will return. I wish for his speedy return not solely for the benefit of the forum but for him personally. Living here in the Camden, NJ, of Italy, I know the importance of having a place to escape to when life sucks and you’re alone. For me, for a few minutes a day the Omega Forum was a refuge from the rest of the world. I’m disappointed that escape does not exist for Dennis or me as well to some extent now.

Please take my post as an open apology to Dennis, the forum, and the moderators for any disturbance or offense I may have caused. You can feel free to criticize anything I have said or done but please don’t allow this to become a spring board to continue to talk about Dennis without his ability to respond.

 

Ultimately, I think we all need to get together more often, and get out from behind the keyboards... some of the stuff that gets said in the heat of the moment... well, we're all arseholes occasionally right?

@TLIGuy it would be good to have you back... I don't think anyone thought/thinks badly of you.

 

I for one was very disappointed to see that the caseback project thread had been removed, and disheartened to see that both you and Dennis had appeared to have left. I do hope that both of you can return to the forum on a friendly basis, and make positive contributions on all aspects of Omega and all watches.

 

@TLIGuy, I for one, am disappointed to see you go, and as abrod says, that caseback project is one of my favorite threads.

I'd love it if you could find a way to stay, but in any event, all the best. You will be missed here!

 

"Speedy" return... I like that! no pun intended...

Hey, not all are in the click on this forum. You need thick skin around here..

The way I look at it, If I - or anyone for that matter - can help one member on this forum even... Hurray for that guy!

Otherwise, just read and move on..

 

This is a common occurrence unfortunately. There are many "keyboard heroes" who will say a lot of things while hiding behind anonymous user name. More often than not when you meet that same person in real life, they are nothing like their internet persona. I am not sure why this is, and why some folks have the urge to act one way on the web, and completely the other in real life.

I personally never had issues with anyone on here that I can remember, and enjoyed and agreed to extent with some of the rants folks had.

Tied to this, and what I am about to say goes for people in general, majority of people these days need to grow thicker skin. People get butt hurt over smallest things these days and take everything to hart. Everyone feels wronged for smallest of thing, even if said ting had nothing to do with them. Again, this is in general, and not just on OF.

Bottom line is, this is a public forum, you post what you want of your own free will. If someone doesnt agree with it, they have right to say so, they have right to question it and disagree with it. It should be done in respectful manner of course, but it doesnt mean that everyone should either agree with what you say, or keep quiet and not say anything.

I always think of this when someone gets bent out of shape.

 

That meme-priceless!

 

It's a very cute meme, one that I've seen quite a few times before. But I personally would prefer my experience of logging onto OF and discussing watches to be quite different from landing at the beaches of Normandy....

 

I'm not butt hurt by this meme, but I do disagree with it. There are many 18 years fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan that don't need a safe space.

 

I think that's the point, now you're offended for the 18 year olds he isn't talking about but the "others" who that meme may be talking about. And by "others" I mean easily offended, put off people.

 

"Cant we all just get along"

 

Evidence suggests not. Sadly.

 

This may fit here:

 

...and there we go down the rabbit hole again...

 

The rabbit hole takes a long time to get through doesn't it?

 

I only had some brief encouters directly with him, but enjoyed all of them. sarcasm is not the lowest form of wit, in his case it was a quite sophisticated one..he might have gone too far here and then but weighing it against the overall contribution...someone I'd come here for.

 

Truth be told, I would much rather read his messages than another "my uncle left me this watch, what is it" type of post.

 

I would actually read the uncle threads to see his responses. Always quite entertaining

 

Well I miss the SOB and I enjoyed his posts even if they were at my expense.
I wish everyone concerned could smoke the peace pipe and move on.

 

Not me. I'm one all the time.