Been associated with this site since around 2007. Back when webmaster used to participate in discussions, back when moderators would invite others to correct their views and back when 90% of the topics were concentrated on defense topics, with a very high proportion of versus comparisons threads. So much so that such threads would be banned a few years later.
13 years went by quite quickly. i remwmber the clashes with
@Muradk,
@Xeric,
@Jana,
@Elmo, @oscar and the lot of first rate posters over everything. The Indian side used to be very well represented then,
@sancho,
@Tiki Tam Tam,
@Abingdonboy to name a few.
Witnessed the entry of most of the current elite members, Admins, Mods and TT posters. New posters from both sides came in with a lot of enthusiasm but rarely the kind of indepth knowledge required to defend their absolute positions on issues. But by and large most were willing to learn and would allow the more experienced ones to teach them. That's sadly no longer the case anymore.
Witnessed the new regime take over slowly, the new mods being more dogmatic, less liberal to opposing views, and with an inherent hostility to Indians. Once this change took hold there really was no way for first rate Indian posters to go to but move to Indian sites.
This site used to be different from all the others. At very core of this site, at least to us was the lively discussions on defence, on history. At it's core lay the diverging opinions on issues with both sides debating and discussing their views with passion and intensity. The last vestiges of such debates was dead by 2017. People like me had to move on, a little sad that there would never be such ferocious and intellectually stimulating debates that made me a regional champion, a national contender, and a decent critical thinker.
Yeah.
