Lockpicking/Locksmithing Communities

hxxp://lockpickology.com/forum/portal.php
Seems to be the New LP101.

hxxp://lockpicking101.com
My Opinion:This website was the cradle of the formation of the locksport hobby, however it began to collapse under the weight of it's own success as new members drove away the veteran members, and as the fascist-typical behaviors/egos of it's moderators killed the goose that laid the golden egg.

It is a fascinating observation on human nature to watch a condensed rise and fall of rome.

In the beginning: you have raw potential. It's organic. From this primordial soup: the organized personality type rises in fame and power.

Suddenly: the community isn't just artisans and it has to become children friendly. It is now popular. The kids come to learn how to be men so to speak, and the men feel obligated to censor themselves around the children. This of course stifles the cocktail napkin/alcohol fueled creativity. The complaints begin, and the moderators have to pacify them.

Midlife: Veterans begin to bitch about the new blood, the moderators say "same as it ever was" and the old new blood begins to shoulder out the "old foggies". The Political Correctness becomes ingrained in the culture because the new blood wants to cozy up to the politically successful organized fascist-typical personality type.

Deathbed: New generation of veterans has nostalgia for the "golden age"-> fascist typical personality ego has reached climax. New blood is uncreative "me-toos" but there are lots of them. New blood shouts down warnings about stifling creativity with rules. We are no longer organic: we are a commercially successful movement, and creativity is not in the PR vision.

Zombie: Last hold outs of creativity leave and start their own ventures/communities. The original real deal is a shell of people clinging to memories, and with an interest in teaching. Fascist typical personality misses the way things used to be. Mourns his success in the pursuit of his vision due to unintended consequences.

I call it: the cycle of disillussionment.

The story can be told in as many ways as there are spectators, and it will tell you as much about the story teller as the history of events, unless the storyteller is good at deception anyway.