[Closed] Forum Behaviour Update

FunkyDunc Free Member
I miss the childish banter of 20 years ago, and the blatant taking the pee out of people, the constant bans that were handed out and the resurfacing of people.

I joined this forum about 20 years ago. It was a different place back then, it probably felt a bit smaller as a lot of the regulars seemed to know each other beyond the forum, plus bike industry people like Cy and Brant were more present. There probably was a lot more kidding around, but that also included stuff like some people trying to trick people into following Goatse links and the like, or impersonating other forum members (back then the username was just a free text field you could fill as you pleased).

Since then the forum has grown, Singletrack as a business has grown and the world and the law's attitude to online spaces has changed significantly. While it's possible to miss the (potentially rose tinted) forum of yesteryear it's not possible to go back to it.

i reported to Mark and he responded back with something akin to ‘if you want to play the game, dont moan when they bite back’.

If by your own admission you have "unpopular opinions" (and I have no idea what you're referring to here), you can't expect to go around being unpopular and then run crying to teacher when someone puts you back in your box.

This is sort-of what I was just talking about. We could spin / interpret this one of two ways.

1) "Someone was making comments about my daughter, I thought this was totally out of order so I took it up with the site owner who simply mocked me."

2) "I was being an abject roaster, someone finally had enough of my shit and made a humorous comment referencing my daughter, I bypassed the established method of reporting and went straight to Mark who said 'well you've been poking bears all day, what did you expect?'"

Which of those two scenarios is closer to the mark (so to speak) I have no idea, as I've said previously I'm not great at keeping track of usernames. Point is, as Drac also just evidenced, it's quite easy to act all hard done by when the truth isn't always quite as black and white as initially presented.

I dont really get involved on here as my opinions tend to not be so popular

I'm becoming increasingly this, my views are complex and don't align with any political party or ideology, some are really quite liberal / left wing others definitely conservative with a small c. It's the blatant labelling of people with different political views as scum (TJ looking at you here) or the equating of any one with a slightly right of centre veiwpoint as selfish morons out to crush the oppressed poor, life isn't black and white and there have been plenty of destructive left wing ideologies as well as right.

It all goes back to the original post, play the argument not the man, or throw in assumptions about someone's motivations.

There probably was a lot more kidding around, but that also included stuff like some people trying to trick people into following Goatse links and the like, or impersonating other forum members

Yeah, the tag wars could be quite funny until they weren't.

There were always one or two posters who could be relied on to post some mad shit that everyone would then pile on to. Then, of course, someone posted a message to say that the mad shit posting user was no longer with us.

I think that made people a lot more aware of the harm that could be caused and took some of the fun and innocence out of the place.

Overall I think this place has a decent balance these days.

Oh, and for what it's worth,

If you'd reported the post you found questionable (again, I've no idea whether you did or not), the moderators could look it up. They could also cross-reference it against potential other complaints about the same user. This may lead to action being taken where in isolation a single complaint might not have been.

Going directly to Mark - whilst always an option - means they have no such records. Also, he's a grumpy trousers so you might well just get told to bugger off and talk to the moderators. (-: Consider it a route of escalation rather than a starting point perhaps.

There were always one or two posters who could be relied on to post some mad shit that everyone would then pile on to. Then, of course, someone posted a message to say that the mad shit posting user was no longer with us.

I think that made people a lot more aware of the harm that could be caused and took some of the fun and innocence out of the place.

Wise words.

We could all do to remember that people we're interacting with are, well, people and everyone has their own shit to deal with. And some might not be dealing with it as well as others. Doubly so in recent times.

Stay safe. Be kind.

It’s the blatant labelling of people with different political views as scum (TJ looking at you here)

You mean the quote from Bevan?  when you have seen what I have of the people impoverished, damaged and forced into illhealth as a result of deliberate tory policy and that me and my partner spent our entire lives fighting for fairness for people then yes its hard not to be angry.

But the quote about scum comes from a highly respected politician who did more good for the country than most other folk

If that is unnacceptable then so be it.

[img] [/img]

In the spirit of this topic,

I pledge to stop posting that photo of @northwinds... on all bike maintenance threads...

I'm sorry @Northwind if i have caused you any anguish if you ever need any help with up and down in the future just let me know and i will come running with some arrows for your garage wall.

If that is unnacceptable then so be it.

You know it is. I've "enjoyed" many a joust on here with many folks, and I've never felt the need to call anyone scum, whether quoting "a famous politician" or not. There's just no need for it.

C'mon TJ, you've literally got a behaviour pattern named after you because of the way you interact with people, and in the years I've been on here, your behaviour has never changed despite enforced and self-imposed periods of absence.

Nickc

Actually its changed a lot

I am however embarrassed, abashed and ashamed that my posts have caused people to reduce their posting or even leave.

I always took this stuff to be a part of the rough and tumble of debate on here considering that what I have directed at me is far worse than I have directed at others over the piece

I guess my mistake is to think of " the posters" as a homogeneous mass so what is appropriate to some posters is appropriate to all

I did not call anyone "scum" BTW  I called "!the tories" scum

Thanks for backing up my thoughts Cougar.

If by your own admission you have “unpopular opinions” (and I have no idea what you’re referring to here), you can’t expect to go around being unpopular and then run crying to teacher when someone puts you back in your box.

If you read my post. I didnt actually say i was bothered about being (In your nice way of keeping it civil) 'put back in my box' I reported someone for reducing the conversation down to insulting my daughter. I took Marks comments on board and did what you suggested by climbing back in my box. All i was trying to do was point out that you (A mod or ex mod) and the likes of Mark are just as guilty of feeding this craze for nastiness. You had no reason to make the above comment other than to antagonize. As you say you dont even know what im referring to. But you still had to have the last word. Its the way of the forum now

Nickc - if you refer to " the Edinburgh defense" that was created by a poster on here specifically to humiliate me and is false in its premise.  Its actually really offensive to me.

Maybe he was only joking?

 Its actually really offensive to me.

If you find it offensive, you're not shy from using it when it suits - of all places on thread about the weather only last week

3, 2, 1....

Can we please try to stay civil in this thread.

There is somebody posting on this thread complaining that others provoke people. I've seen this poster make physical threats - first cleaming they were big and hard, then something along the lines of "I'll see you out on the trails and we'll 'discuss' it then".

There is another poster on this thread suggesting we should be kind. I've seen this poster make nasty, bitter, personal comments to other posters because they did not agree with him.

I'm sure if someone could be bothered to go through my past post they'd find examples that would show I've done similar (well - not the physical threats), my point is that nobody should assume they are the good guy here. Remember that having the last word does not mean you have 'won', and that someone who disagrees with you is not necessarily a bad person.

If that is unnacceptable then so be it.

Of course it's unacceptable and more importantly completely unnecessary.

If you have to resort to personal insults then you have lost the argument a long time ago and just don't realise it.

Incredible Ironing!

Talking of last words.

Closed