Hey, I happen to like Captain Morgan.
I have been thinking about this a lot lately, since I started reading the T11 forums more. I've realized that this is a really, really negative place. I don't mean Steerpike, either. I don't think you're negative, really, Steerpike. I mean all the pety, ego-boosting teenage bull**** that goes on. There's very little worthwhile content on the forums these days, and when there is worthwhile stuff, it gets derailed and goes off on stupid tangents.
I think this relates back to the fact that many magicians learn magic as a social crutch. The ones that are negative all the time are also the ones that couldn't hold a conversation without a deck of cards either. They use magic as a way to be unique, so they have to be the best at it. Anyone that's also good at magic hurts their standing as best magician, so they react defensively.
So to you people that are doing that ... check your egos. We'll be far better magicians in general if we stop trying to be rock stars and start helping everyone around us get better.
Look at Shawn Farquhar. When the technical set up at FISM was subpar, he rewired speakers and lighting boards to help his fellow performers, even though he didn't go on until three days after that. When he was at the combined SAM/IBM competition, he helped fix the mic for the guy that went on to beat him.
What's my point? Let go of the ego, stop the back biting and hate mongering and try to improve the magic world as a whole.
Like William said. I guess I kind of went on a rant there.