Conversations around ethics, ethos, etc. used to take place in person and our image was controlled by a few mediums and few people. Memories of the hunt were shared between friends and family in person. Now everyone has a voice and hand in building or tearing down our collective image via social media. Pictures and uninformed or damaging opinions can be posted and shared by anyone and everyone, and then shared again and again to unknown audiences, without context.
I prefer honesty and respect people when they give it. We all have different backgrounds, perspectives, educations, experiences, etc. that color our view of the world. Talking and listening with our ears open, as opposed to tuning out until it's your time to talk again. People can smell BS. Someone above mentioned the Drury brothers. Conversely, guys like Steve and Randy, and on a growing scale, some of the younger guys putting out outstanding indy produced content, are making a real impact through harnessing the power of the same social media. My hope is buoyed by the growth in podcasts, which create real dialogue and stimulate new thinking across our "community", and the content being delivered by some of our most visible, articulate "community" members.
Nicole, I love what you're doing because it comes from an honest place and I think that's why people respond to it. If more people dropped the BS and bravado and put more authentic work out there, and if more hunters gave real introspective thought to how and why they do what they do, those would be a big steps in the right direction. I'm hopeful that we'll continue to move in this direction.