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  • wildrider666

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    A comment in another thread mentioned a mass buy-up of firearm related forums. I find that interesting. It seem firearm forums aren't the only forums being bought but the reasons are likely the same: buy cheap (earning from sponsers/ads only), then charge fees for access to all or some of the sections (which is user/member generated). Of major concern is the imposition of content restrictions? I'm not talking about bikini pics or cuss words. What if all mention of opposition to gun control was restricted? What if they strickly applied the U.S. State Dept firearms information technology export restriction/ban? If there is a monopoly and you don't want to pay, play or be censored; where do you go? Okay, just bail out. Later you have a gun problem and want some info on frearm X: where is your search engine going to take you? Yeah, right back to the the monopoly sites. Same thing with key info you might have bookmarked (NOW IS THE TIME TO DOWNLOAD OR HARD COPY IMPORTANT INFO). There may be Forum holdouts and some boycott (like the shift from youtube to alternate Hosts).
    TORSTAR owns 56% of VerticalScope (both Canadian Companies) VS now owns more then 1400 Forum/Blog type Sites and growing.

    This Thread is in no way meant to disparage the Current Owner of GCGF or influnce his business decisions. Its about the creation of a monoply and its effects. What do you think?

    This full but out of date list of VerticalScope’s firearms-related properties, according to the page that has since been removed from its website:

    1911Forum.com
    1911Talk.com
    68Forums.com
    700Rifle.com
    ACRForum.com
    AirSoftSniperForum.com
    AR15Forums.com
    ArmsLocker.com
    BersapistolForum.com
    BlowgunForum.com
    ColtForum.com
    DefensiveCarry.com
    FloridaConcealedCarry.com
    FNForum.net
    GearHog.com
    Glock.pro
    GlockForum.net
    GrayBeardOutdoors.com
    GunBlog.com
    GunBoards.com
    Gunco.net
    GunForums.net
    GunHub.com
    GunnerForum.com
    GunListings.org
    HandgunForum.net
    HandgunsandAmmunition.com
    HKPro.com
    KahrForum.com
    KeltecForum.com
    KimberTalk.com
    M14Forum.com
    MarlinOwners.com
    MassCops.com
    MP-Pistol.com
    NationalGunForum.com
    PistolSmith.com
    RimFireCentral.com
    RugerForum.net
    RugerPistolForums.com
    ShootersForum.com
    ShootersRealm.com
    ShotgunForums.com
    Sigarms556.com
    SigTalk.com
    SlingshotForum.com
    SmithandWessonForums.com
    SniperForums.com
    TaurusArmed.net
    TheAKForum.net
    TheFirearmBlog.com
    UtahConcealedCarry.com
    WaltherForums.com
    XCRForum.com
    XDTalk.com
     

    Little Jack

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    I've been on the XCR forum for awhile. Small bunch of guys but we were all like minded and appreciated the platform and the original owner was pretty hands off so we ended up policing ourselves. Participation has dwindled with lack of interest in the platform but the die hards are still there and there's still the occasional newb that needs some help with the platform. It got bought it last year sometime. It's turned into gun.deals advertising. Most of the new posts are regurgitations of listings. It's a little disappointing.
     

    spongemonkey

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    In my opinion, vertical scope is bad news for firearms forums. I was on a few that got bought by vertical scope and the forums dwindled down to darn near nothing and no longer worth participating in.
     

    donr101395

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    The cool thing is that it's not hard or overly expensive to start your own forum. When myself and my business partners left SI we started our own forum for chump change. That was in 2013 and it's continually grown to the point that we are currently do upgrades to make it better. It just takes times, a little cash and a lot of hustle.
    I agree that one company owning a huge chunk of forums isn't good, but it's also not hard to compete by starting a better forum.
     

    wildrider666

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    I was also curious as to why no regional buy/sell/trade sites like (State)guntrader.xxx were not bought?Yet? Maybe:
    a. Perceived liability from pending lawsuits on firearm listing that guns were sold and later used in crimes?
    b. Net worth and earning potential exceeds buyers buyers per Site price limit?
    c. Membership + free to them content = future fees and larger advertising audience "to sell" as mandatory ad views?
    d. Fee per seller ad generates lower numbers then membership fees?
    e. It might be against Canadian Law to own dedicated primary firearms sales Sites or require a license?
    e. If they want to control the conversation they need a platform for it?
    f. The're just a bunch of nice people from a country without gun Rights but a lot of restrictions on permitted firearms that just want to help out the firearm enthusiasts where 2A Rights exist?
    g. They want new product advertisers money with zero conflict with "used sales" as a advertising selling point.
     
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    kidsoncoffee

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    Your speaking of downloading things to keep for future info reminds me of youtube. They have been kicking a TON of firearms related videos off their platform. So much so that a lot of the uploaders are having to take their content elsewhere. Most things gun related are now censored or deleted off that platform. I would think that before too long, the only way to get good information will be to join a pay to play forum or video site. I can't tell you how many gun breakdowns/builds, reloading press hacks, and firearm reviews I've accessed on that site. It's a shame to lose that platform. The monopolizing of our information online is no different than the monopolies in the news. It's absolutely all a form of control.
     

    wildrider666

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    I look down the road too. I know how to disassemble, maintain and slap mine together but the people inheriting them don't! As a minimum, I recommend download/print a copy of each frearms user/owners manual, same for complicated optics. I have duplicate firearms and a manual for each one as they will go to different people.
     
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