Fitting in

[Cossie]

Just joined. Loud and clear. Thank you

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[Xavier Dredo]

I just wanted to post up regarding events over the last few months for the "greater good" of BOTL. Recently, we have seen a lot of negative posts regarding the brotherhood we have built here. Newbs come in and want to make a mark and quickly sour when not accepted after 2-3 months, then post about it bashing the brotherhood we all have spent years to establish.

I remember when my "class" of brothers joined BOTL. We all sent bombs and spent several months and even years paying our dues before fitting in. BOTL is, and always will be, about sharing the share! If you join looking to gain any type of personal benefit you will quickly loose respect from the brotherhood.

This is a group of people who buy cigars to smoke them, if you buy cigars to sell, this ain't your site... And there are plenty of site for sellers, just not this one.

When I joined BOTL I was looking for a place as a casual smoker that I could talk cigars, I was glad to find this place and knew I had to pay my due to fit in.

Lately, it seems as soon as a member hits their 30 days they want to see what BOTL can do for them with ISO posts.... Those guys are clearly missing the point of BOTL.

In honor of JFK... "Ask not what BOTL can do for you, but what you can do for BOTL!" It may take some of the newer guys a while to meet that standard, but at that time, you will have a full understanding of what this place is about.

BOTL.org is not about the latest and greatest cigar, or buying and selling cigars, but the relationships you build with other BOTL's. The sooner you realize that, the better we will all be!

Still the best avatar

 

[Xavier Dredo]

@Craig MAC still has the best avatar

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[Cossie]

Very good stuff! All I wanted was a place to come talk about cigars and share my enjoyment of them. I started smoking cigars again just recently after a long hiatus and was happy to see a forum that wasn't a bunch of guys sneering at you because you weren't smoking $30-$40 Cubans every day and don't have a walk in humidor.
It has never crossed my mind to ever hint around for someone to GIVE me cigars or ask for freebies.... I didn't even know that was a thing until I started reading some of the sticky posts about trying to "fit in". I guess at my age I find that kind of behavior to be over the top and in extremely bad taste. I asked a few questions regarding some guys getting their Cuban cigars seized by Customs...mainly because I worked for the USPS for almost 15 years and I have some inside knowledge of what they look for. It didn't occur to me that it might be taken as me looking for someone's source, so please rest assured that is not at all what I was asking about. I recently ordered a few from Switzerland and had no issues at all. Since the change in the rules I had honestly thought that Customs at the ISC's would waste less time with them but that's obviously not the case... The wife and I will be in the Eastern Caribbean at the end of July so I plan to get a box or two if I can find a reputable Habanos S.A. source.
Everyone here has been welcoming and helpful and I hope I can learn more and more every day about this wonderful hobby! I have truly enjoyed just being able to post what I'm smoking for the day, crack a few jokes and drool over what everybody else is smoking! So thanks so much to everybody for helping out a relative noob!! It's more appreciated than you know!!

I just joined this forum. I'm aware your post is from a while back. But I got hit with the same reality you did. Though I don't discuss CC's at all, all the other stuff you pointed out was a reality check. Good post. Thank you

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[jvd1230]

I've always felt welcome here. I've been here for a good while(almost from the very beginning of my cigar journey) though I've maybe not been the most active. I think part of a place like this, is not letting a thing like "Fitting in" define your experience. People will always have circles and cliques and such, and politics and the like. Just be open to conversation, accept that others views differ from your own and enjoy a cigar that you find pleasant!