About the "Cycling is perhaps more dangerous than you think" thread

[ravens]

[mod comment: this thread was created to have a discussion about the thread about cycle deaths in the news, so people could have their say in the suitable forum area, without derailing the thread as such. Some posts were moved form that thread to this one.]



Are you, like, the reincarnation of Jeffrey Dahmer and that guy in Europe who engaged in consensual cannibalism with his corpses?

These stories are horrible. I think non-cyclists would be equally appalled, these are just ghoulish stories that happen to involve a bicycle.

It's like the Babes on Bikes thread meets Saw.

 

[Granville57]

This thread is disgusting and repulsive on many different levels.

I’m not convinced that there isn’t something deeply disturbing behind the creation of this thread. Under different circumstances I might recognize the value of having a repository of incidents that served to illustrate the dangers that cyclists face on a daily basis.

But this thread is just plain creepy and grotesque, with a not-so-subtle dose of deviance thrown in.

To begin with, the title is deceptive.

“Cycling is perhaps more dangerous than you think”...it slyly beckons.

I initially thought the subject matter might have something to do with some sort of long-term study that had been done regarding the physical exertion of cyclists as we grow older. Or, at its most benign, maybe it would have something to do with unexpected and under-reported equipment failures that all cyclist should be aware of—a concerned cyclist looking out for us all. Something along those lines, if you will. Obviously, this interpretation is mine; I’ll own that without any argument. But somehow I doubt I’m alone on this.

The opening line!

In this section from now on: 'The most horrible and horrendous killing of cyclist stories ever'

“...from now on.” As if to suggest that something else preceded it. Why the obfuscation?

“Horrible AND horrendous...” So why isn’t that the title line instead?
Oh, I see. Steven King is here.

No appetizer needed -> 'Serial killer Croc yesterday devouring a cyclist'

OK....um...I give up. Tabloid reporting meets...Silence of the Lambs?
Is this a serious thread or just a bad attempt at gallows humor?
DAOTEC’s avatar would appear to be equally and deliberately ambiguous as well. Sure, the human tear is effectively evocative—something that every person on the planet can connect with on some level—but combined with the digital coloring and the ridiculous-sounding opening topic, it too comes off as being nothing other than...creepy. Again, is the source of this thread a concerned citizen or a sadistic voyeur?

The first story involving the crocodile, if true, is tragic in that a human being lost their life in what most certainly must have been an encounter of unimaginable horror. And yet we have the cute little follow-up regarding the brand of clothing this most unfortunate individual may or may not have been wearing. So right from the start it would seem quite clear that respect for the memory of the deceased is not to be found here. Could it be? Is it just me? Am I a missing something here? Because if this is going in the direction that I fear it is, then CN certainly would have put a stop to it right from the get-go. Wouldn’t they? Surely they would. No self-respecting cycling website would want to be associated with something better suited to the likes of those inhumane individuals that create enough of a market for things such as ‘snuf films’ to even exist that the sickening ‘genre’ actually has a name.

But so many posts! So many views! Will it turn out to be nothing more than a series of fabricated stories, ones that progressively become more and more bizarre with some sort of wildly entertaining climax on the horizon? Perhaps it’s all leading up to a story about an alien abduction?

No. In fact, it turns out to be quite ugly, disturbing and, to use the lightest term possible, ‘questionable’ at best. And we’re only just beginning.

The Second Post!:

'Ohio bike shop owner got caught by a back to back kill on the spot'

The questionable semantics here alone raised my suspicions. I will discover that these quoted phrases are not drawn from the articles themselves but simply ‘created’ by DAOTEC to sway the reader towards an unspecified perspective on the story. Quotations, when preceding or following a story, are usually put in place to inform the reader of something, verbatim, that actually exists within the article itself. Instead, we are once again left with more ambiguity and questionable motives behind the post to begin with.

Then, somewhat cleverly, there is the use of misdirection applied to a line about the loss of a bike shop as opposed to the loss of a human life. Which, justifiably and expectedly, generates some outrage and disgust from other forum members. However, it also conveniently offers a distraction from what, again, may be the disturbing motivations behind this thread to begin with.

And then another charming intro:

Girl, 11, died...

Few headlines will pull at the heart-strings more than one like this. Very effective.
But once again, the choice of words, the underlying tone...something just isn’t quite right here. Could it really be as sinister as I fear it is?
Wait, what’s that? A voice of reason? I’m not alone in my suspicions?!

Are you, like, the reincarnation of Jeffrey Dahmer and that guy in Europe who engaged in consensual cannibalism with his corpses?

These stories are horrible. I think non-cyclists would be equally appalled, these are just ghoulish stories that happen to involve a bicycle.

Yes! Exactly! These stories ARE horrible and ghoulish! Who WOULD present such stories in this manner? What kind of individual would do this? What kind of website would condone it?

I am encouraged by the apparent dissent among the ranks. I forge on, intent on figuring out just what in the hell is going on here. More titles, more ambiguity, more disturbing topics. But not without humor!

probably a hippy singlespeeder....

Hysterical! It’s all fun and games, folks!

But wait! A more serious tone had been offered:

The cyclists in this group were all between the ages of 70 and 75.

Now I am genuinely confused. I know from reading The Clinic that Susan possesses the powers of “Moderation.” She actually can remove posts deemed unworthy or overly offensive or simply in violation of The Rules.

So which is it, serious or comedic? Not that the two can’t appropriately coexist on one thread, that’s not the issue. They can NOT appropriately coexist on a thread about, "The most horrible and horrendous killing of cyclist stories ever."
This is appalling.

Is this thread meant to be a source of shared mourning over tragic consequences?
Is it meant to offer cautionary tales of what can happen on the road, so that cyclist everywhere will become more aware of the dangers and perhaps avoid some of these same situations themselves?

I begin scanning more posts, one after another. The details are more than I can stomach in one evening (if at all) so I skim rapidly, speed-reading through headlines and topics and responses. I don’t follow the links. I feel sicker and sicker about what I see unfolding here. I am becoming more and more convinced that a very twisted individual is behind all this. Someone who actually derives pleasure in the re-telling of these events. Who else would do this, in this fashion, at such great lengths?

Occasionally I find other responses of sincere sorrow and condolences, but there seems to be one GLARING omission in all of this...

DAOTEC never weighs in on the conversation. The tear-drop avatar just continues to creepily churn out messages from the morgue as if in Automatic Contamination Mode. There is a disturbing lack of humanity being exhibited by DAOTEC. More and more this thread is taking on the role of a depraved fetish of some sort. I search rapidly, not wanting the smear on my soul that DAOTEC is content to spread, but to see if there are any posts about fatal accidents in my area of which I am already familiar. Why? So that I can quickly and definitively determine if any of this is based in reality or if it is just born from the twisted imaginings of a psychopath. But there they are. I find them. Stories that I know to be true.

I feel sick.

What is the point of this thread?
There is little in the way of productive discussion. There are some intelligent exchanges, to be sure, but they are greatly out of proportion with the number of DAOTEC’s postings. Some of these tragedies are barely even related to riding a bike! They just happen to involve a bicycle within the facts. What is the point of this thread?

The world is a dangerous place. I risk my life every time I leave my home. I risk the possibility of death each night when I go to sleep. People die horrible deaths every day of the year all around the world. What is the point of this thread?

It is not even remotely possible that a single visitor to CyclingNews is unaware of the potential risks inherent in riding a bike. Riders of even the highest level, with great experience and great bike-handling skills, can still be struck down in the blink of an eye. What is the point of this thread? Tragedies occur all around us every day. Simply being aware of them does little to change that fact. Living in fear, and with dark desperation, will do even less. What is the point of this thread?

There is something seriously depraved going on here. Would would catalogue and then disseminate such a vast collection of morbid tales? What kind of person does that? WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS THREAD?

I realize now how pathetic the role of the “Moderator” is here. Testy exchanges in The Clinic are quickly met with warnings and threats of being banned. But the despicable retelling of human tragedy, with an unseemly undertone of disgusting pleasure in doing so, is apparently left to fester on its own.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS THREAD?

CyclingNews, you should be deeply ashamed of yourselves for ever allowing this abhorrent and gruesome thread to live a day beyond its opening invitation. It should die a sudden death of its own.

 

[ultimobici]

This thread is disgusting and repulsive on many different levels.

I’m not convinced that there isn’t something deeply disturbing behind the creation of this thread. Under different circumstances I might recognize the value of having a repository of incidents that served to illustrate the dangers that cyclists face on a daily basis.

But this thread is just plain creepy and grotesque, with a not-so-subtle dose of deviance thrown in.

To begin with, the title is deceptive.

“Cycling is perhaps more dangerous than you think”...it slyly beckons.

I initially thought the subject matter might have something to do with some sort of long-term study that had been done regarding the physical exertion of cyclists as we grow older. Or, at its most benign, maybe it would have something to do with unexpected and under-reported equipment failures that all cyclist should be aware of—a concerned cyclist looking out for us all. Something along those lines, if you will. Obviously, this interpretation is mine; I’ll own that without any argument. But somehow I doubt I’m alone on this.

The opening line!

“...from now on.” As if to suggest that something else preceded it. Why the obfuscation?

“Horrible AND horrendous...” So why isn’t that the title line instead?
Oh, I see. Steven King is here.



OK....um...I give up. Tabloid reporting meets...Silence of the Lambs?
Is this a serious thread or just a bad attempt at gallows humor?
DAOTEC’s avatar would appear to be equally and deliberately ambiguous as well. Sure, the human tear is effectively evocative—something that every person on the planet can connect with on some level—but combined with the digital coloring and the ridiculous-sounding opening topic, it too comes off as being nothing other than...creepy. Again, is the source of this thread a concerned citizen or a sadistic voyeur?

The first story involving the crocodile, if true, is tragic in that a human being lost their life in what most certainly must have been an encounter of unimaginable horror. And yet we have the cute little follow-up regarding the brand of clothing this most unfortunate individual may or may not have been wearing. So right from the start it would seem quite clear that respect for the memory of the deceased is not to be found here. Could it be? Is it just me? Am I a missing something here? Because if this is going in the direction that I fear it is, then CN certainly would have put a stop to it right from the get-go. Wouldn’t they? Surely they would. No self-respecting cycling website would want to be associated with something better suited to the likes of those inhumane individuals that create enough of a market for things such as ‘snuf films’ to even exist that the sickening ‘genre’ actually has a name.

But so many posts! So many views! Will it turn out to be nothing more than a series of fabricated stories, ones that progressively become more and more bizarre with some sort of wildly entertaining climax on the horizon? Perhaps it’s all leading up to a story about an alien abduction?

No. In fact, it turns out to be quite ugly, disturbing and, to use the lightest term possible, ‘questionable’ at best. And we’re only just beginning.

The Second Post!:


The questionable semantics here alone raised my suspicions. I will discover that these quoted phrases are not drawn from the articles themselves but simply ‘created’ by DAOTEC to sway the reader towards an unspecified perspective on the story. Quotations, when preceding or following a story, are usually put in place to inform the reader of something, verbatim, that actually exists within the article itself. Instead, we are once again left with more ambiguity and questionable motives behind the post to begin with.

Then, somewhat cleverly, there is the use of misdirection applied to a line about the loss of a bike shop as opposed to the loss of a human life. Which, justifiably and expectedly, generates some outrage and disgust from other forum members. However, it also conveniently offers a distraction from what, again, may be the disturbing motivations behind this thread to begin with.

And then another charming intro:

Few headlines will pull at the heart-strings more than one like this. Very effective.
But once again, the choice of words, the underlying tone...something just isn’t quite right here. Could it really be as sinister as I fear it is?
Wait, what’s that? A voice of reason? I’m not alone in my suspicions?!



Yes! Exactly! These stories ARE horrible and ghoulish! Who WOULD present such stories in this manner? What kind of individual would do this? What kind of website would condone it?

I am encouraged by the apparent dissent among the ranks. I forge on, intent on figuring out just what in the hell is going on here. More titles, more ambiguity, more disturbing topics. But not without humor!

Hysterical! It’s all fun and games, folks!

But wait! A more serious tone had been offered:


Now I am genuinely confused. I know from reading The Clinic that Susan possesses the powers of “Moderation.” She actually can remove posts deemed unworthy or overly offensive or simply in violation of The Rules.

So which is it, serious or comedic? Not that the two can’t appropriately coexist on one thread, that’s not the issue. They can NOT appropriately coexist on a thread about, "The most horrible and horrendous killing of cyclist stories ever."
This is appalling.

Is this thread meant to be a source of shared mourning over tragic consequences?
Is it meant to offer cautionary tales of what can happen on the road, so that cyclist everywhere will become more aware of the dangers and perhaps avoid some of these same situations themselves?

I begin scanning more posts, one after another. The details are more than I can stomach in one evening (if at all) so I skim rapidly, speed-reading through headlines and topics and responses. I don’t follow the links. I feel sicker and sicker about what I see unfolding here. I am becoming more and more convinced that a very twisted individual is behind all this. Someone who actually derives pleasure in the re-telling of these events. Who else would do this, in this fashion, at such great lengths?

Occasionally I find other responses of sincere sorrow and condolences, but there seems to be one GLARING omission in all of this...

DAOTEC never weighs in on the conversation. The tear-drop avatar just continues to creepily churn out messages from the morgue as if in Automatic Contamination Mode. There is a disturbing lack of humanity being exhibited by DAOTEC. More and more this thread is taking on the role of a depraved fetish of some sort. I search rapidly, not wanting the smear on my soul that DAOTEC is content to spread, but to see if there are any posts about fatal accidents in my area of which I am already familiar. Why? So that I can quickly and definitively determine if any of this is based in reality or if it is just born from the twisted imaginings of a psychopath. But there they are. I find them. Stories that I know to be true.

I feel sick.

What is the point of this thread?
There is little in the way of productive discussion. There are some intelligent exchanges, to be sure, but they are greatly out of proportion with the number of DAOTEC’s postings. Some of these tragedies are barely even related to riding a bike! They just happen to involve a bicycle within the facts. What is the point of this thread?

The world is a dangerous place. I risk my life every time I leave my home. I risk the possibility of death each night when I go to sleep. People die horrible deaths every day of the year all around the world. What is the point of this thread?

It is not even remotely possible that a single visitor to CyclingNews is unaware of the potential risks inherent in riding a bike. Riders of even the highest level, with great experience and great bike-handling skills, can still be struck down in the blink of an eye. What is the point of this thread? Tragedies occur all around us every day. Simply being aware of them does little to change that fact. Living in fear, and with dark desperation, will do even less. What is the point of this thread?

There is something seriously depraved going on here. Would would catalogue and then disseminate such a vast collection of morbid tales? What kind of person does that? WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS THREAD?

I realize now how pathetic the role of the “Moderator” is here. Testy exchanges in The Clinic are quickly met with warnings and threats of being banned. But the despicable retelling of human tragedy, with an unseemly undertone of disgusting pleasure in doing so, is apparently left to fester on its own.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS THREAD?

CyclingNews, you should be deeply ashamed of yourselves for ever allowing this abhorrent and gruesome thread to live a day beyond its opening invitation. It should die a sudden death of its own.

Totally agree with you.

Mods - why is this thread allowed to continue under the original title? Why for that matter is it allowed to continue at all?

 

[usedtobefast]

Totally agree with you.

Mods - why is this thread allowed to continue under the original title? Why for that matter is it allowed to continue at all?

i think you should not look at this thread. you have the choice. there are many
who disagree with your point. have you ever been hit by a car? this thread reminds all to ride safely, and drive and remind others to drive safely. life is not so pretty sometimes.

 

[ultimobici]

i think you should not look at this thread. you have the choice. there are many
who disagree with your point. have you ever been hit by a car? this thread reminds all to ride safely, and drive and remind others to drive safely. life is not so pretty sometimes.

What on earth has this post to do with encouraging sensible riding & driving? SFA.

68-year-old Belgian passes away suddenly while at work in team’s service course

Sat Dec 11, 2010 6:12 pm | Omega Pharma-Lotto mechanic Freddy Heydens has died unexpectedly, the team has announced. The 68-year-old Belgian was at work in the team’s Service Course in Waregem, Belgium, when he suddenly collapsed]http://www.tuttobiciweb.it/showimg.php?cod=34726&tp=n[/IMG]
“Riders, colleagues and sponsors of the OmegaPharma-Lotto team are naturally devastated by this loss and offer their deepest sympathies to his wife, family and friends,” reads the statement from the team’s general manager Coeman. [http://tuttobiciweb.it]

And this on was the first he posted? The fact that the victim was on a bike is entirely coincidental.

No appetizer needed -> 'Serial killer Croc yesterday devouring a cyclist'

11 mars 2010 | Radio Okapi - The victim was cycling on a bicycle along the river Movo when she was snatched and devoured by a crocodile.

The drama took place in the territory of Miabi at Bakwa Sumba village, about 50 kilometers south of Mbuji-Mayi in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The rest of the remains of the swollowed unfortunate, her bicycle and two bottles containing alcohol were found by locals living near the River.

However no details on the clothing of the cyclist, probably brand Lacoste

Every time this thread is posted to it shows up on the listings when you log in. It is sensationalistic and senseless. A more appropriate avatar for the OP would be this.

 

[Francois the Postman]

I moved the posts that discuss the validity and nature of the thread in question to the forum feedback area, so people can discuss it without derailing the thread. This isn't a reflection on the validity of the points raised, just a way to keep the two strands separate and in the appropriate forum spaces.

Some posters are asking for a response from the mods. I have just raised the issue with the mods here, so please bear with me for a day or two, as that will take its time. Weekend and all.

I have my own pov too, but it's almost 8am and I am off to bed instead. A "misplaced" sense of duty kept me up for another hour already. It will follow too

 

[L'arriviste]

A lot of the above is cobblers in my opinion - mostly posted by someone who appears not to have returned since, thereby not giving us the opportunity to figure out his/her worthiness as a moral compass.

So, while I would agree that the post about the late Lotto mechanic is perhaps misfiled (should be in DAOTEC's excellent Adios thread, which is a great addition to this forum), much of what remains is relevant in that it documents many of the problems of cycling in this modern world of ours.

There is a longstanding tradition in newspapers of also in the news, faits divers and c'est arrivé près de chez vous columns. Sometimes the details are picaresque or macabre but we wouldn't often question their presence in the publication.

 

[Granville57]

A further explanation on my part

OK, allow me to chime in here.

First off, if anyone is wondering just who I am (and that seems to be the case), I have a long history of posting on VeloNews under the same screen name and avatar. Some members of The Clinic are certainly familiar with it, and I've used it here for that very reason. Anyone interested can easily check my history on that site or through Disqus. Some of my more recent comments can be seen here from the McQauid interview, Part 3:
http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/12/news/inside-cycling-with-john-wilcockson-pat-mcquaid-interview-part-3_153249

I've resisted adding further posts to this discussion because:
1) I didn't want to overtly highjack the thread.
2) I was curious to see if my post would gain any traction on its own.
3) I needed to know if I was a lone voice in the wilderness or if others would support my perspective.

I deliberately included all my talking points in my original post (obviously!) to avoid a drawn out back-and-forth about my motivations behind this. If there are any questions, please read it in its entirety.

However, at the risk of repeating myself:
If DAOTEC's thread had anything to do with offering a sincere and cautionary tale of the risks we all face (as seems to be argued by some), then why the warped perspective? As I originally stated, there is deception in the title and a disturbing underlying pleasure exhibited in the retelling of some of these events.
It would appear that in almost all of the scenarios, nothing could've been done by the rider to avert the tragedy. So what is the lesson to be learned? Don't leave home on a bicycle?

Is it supposed to be a tribute of sorts for the fallen? Then why the accident scene photos? Do you think those were on display at the victim's funerals?

I could understand a memorial thread to honor these poor souls but, in my mind, it would most appropriately consist of entries offered up by those with a personal connection to the victim—not a keeper of the crypt, as it were.

I just returned from a long ride myself, and I was struck with a disturbing thought. If I were to fall victim to some reckless driver or other unforeseen circumstance, the very last thing that I would want is for my demise to be splashed across this thread with some inevitably coy headline such as, "Ironic end to voice of opposition."

If this thread is allowed to continue, at the very least, could we have an "Opt Out" feature attached to it?!?!

Now someone wants to verify my moral compass?
This isn't just about me.
Ask yourselves this: In its present form, would YOU want to end up as part of a virtual pin-up on DAOTEC's disturbing wall?

 

[usedtobefast]

i think the thing you forget is, these are reports from totally separate sources.
not from CN. i have been taken out twice by motorists. i have lost friends.
are these things sad,grisly. yes. so be careful and be a safety advocate.
the life you save could be a complete stranger. or even a loved one. the bike riding nature of this site focuses on the good and bad. cheers.
re-opt out=don't click on it.simple?

 

[Martin318is]

I would like to hear either way what people's opinions are of the need to post the accident photos in that thread.

Given the photos are available if you follow the links that are posted, should the photos be included in the posts or should they be removed?

 

[Granville57]

i think the thing you forget is, these are reports from totally separate sources.
not from CN. i have been taken out twice by motorists. i have lost friends.
are these things sad,grisly. yes. so be careful and be a safety advocate.
the life you save could be a complete stranger. or even a loved one. the bike riding nature of this site focuses on the good and bad. cheers.
re-opt out=don't click on it.simple?

I can't believe that yet even more words are necessary to accurately convey my point. I have no illusions whatsoever as to the "sources" of these stories.
My main objection is to the nature in which they are conveyed. There is now even a more current example of depravity by DAOTEC. The latest post boldly states:
"Watch Hawaii Pacific Student (18) Killed In Hit And Run"
Followed by a Youtube link!
Am I so lucky as to get to watch the actual video of this teenagers death? Trust me, I didn't follow the link. But this is yet another perfect example of the unnecessary vile nature of the thread. It's not the information that I'm at odds with, it's the nature of the presentation of that information. Wasn't that made clear in my exhaustive entry into this forum?

As for your suggestion of:
"re-opt out=don't click on it.simple?"
That seems to miss my point entirely. If I were the one killed I wouldn't have the choice of clicking or not clicking. My point was that I wouldn't want the story of my death to provide more material to DAOTECs twisted mind.
Hence "Opting Out," of ever being the subject of a headline myself, ahead of time.
(I'm being over-dramatic to make a point, not offering a serious proposal regarding 'opt out')

This is, somehow, becoming even more grim.

But yes, be careful and safe. We owe it to ourselves and each other.

 

[krebs303]

I have no problem with the thread or the photos. all of the articles have been published in other media. It is not a feel good thread it is life and some times life is not pretty. I try and go back and search what punishment the drivers are sentenced to. I find in general most drivers get little more than a slap on the wrist which I find much more offensive. It's news happy or sad. I don't need to be spoon fed pablum I'm a big boy and can handle real life.

 

[scribe]

I think daotec is weird....

 

[pedaling squares]

I would like to hear either way what people's opinions are of the need to post the accident photos in that thread.

Given the photos are available if you follow the links that are posted, should the photos be included in the posts or should they be removed?

Photos from news agencies don't bother me.

The thread is a bit OTT and the headlines are IMO a silly attempt to draw attention, but the thread itself does not bother me. Bad things happen to good people, and the guy is just pointing out some times when it happens to cyclists. Tragic as it is, it doesn't really interest me to read about it, so I don't visit the thread.

I think daotec is weird....

Hell yeah

 

[Anonymous]

There is a very particular reason I have played no part whatsoever in that thread.

I looked at it once when it was about 10 posts old and decided there and then that it was in poor taste and would be playing no part. I cant tell you if it is unsuitable or not as I deliberately havnt looked at it.

My suggestion to people who feel the same would be simply dont visit the thread. I do think the thread should have been closed fairly quickly after it was started. Not because of the taste issue or anything else, but purely because some of the people around here cant be trusted to deal with an adult issue in an adult manner

 

[Martin318is]

This morning I renamed the thread to something more specific that included a warning for readers, "Graphic Discussions of Cycling related deaths - Reader Caution Advised!"

However, recent posts in the thread including - but not limited to - a post that advertised the youtube video of someone's death have prompted CN Management to make the decision to remove the thread.

Individual threads about current events (such as the recent Italian tragedy) are one thing but it is not considered appropriate to be hosting a thread that collates tragedies in this manner.


regards,
Martin

 

[krebs303]

So how many deaths have to be involved before it is considered newsworthy enough to start a new thread. Or are you suggesting that many threads on individual deaths is is better than one thread that people can avoid by just not clicking on the thread.

 

[Martin318is]

The CN site has full control over what it wants to host and what it choses not to host.

It choses not to host a thread that has evolved to exist purely to facilitate the posting of photos and videos of incidents long in the past that portray people dying on camera, accompanied by sensationalist headlines and text.

end of story.

 

[pedaling squares]

As an aside, because I couldn't give a sh*t if that thread lived or died, did the link to youtube actually show a cyclist dying or did it just link to a news story about a cycling-related death? The former would be too stupid to describe, the latter would be no different than any other post in that thread. If it's the post I am thinking of, it was another sensational but BS headline that only linked news coverage. Which may have been enough for the CN folk, and so be it.

 

[Granville57]

There is a very particular reason I have played no part whatsoever in that thread.

I looked at it once when it was about 10 posts old and decided there and then that it was in poor taste and would be playing no part. I cant tell you if it is unsuitable or not as I deliberately havnt looked at it.

I wanted to further this thought a bit, especially now that the Mods have intervened and put an end to the thread.

The point made by TeamSkyFans is important because my reaction was much the same. However—and I feel this is critical to what I originally wanted to convey—by the time I explored the thread, it was far, far beyond just "10 posts." I can understand how others may have become conditioned to it as it unfolded over time, or at least not have been generally shocked because they knew, more or less, what to expect.

But when viewed for the first time, in the vastness of what it had become, it came across as despicable. Of course I could've easily avoided ever clicking on it again and just ignored it, but it stirred a deeply emotional response and I wanted to prevent others from being misled in the same manner that I was by its title and several other deceptive sub-titles.

I would also add that once the thread had evolved to such great lengths, it seemed to indicate a sense of, at the very least, tacit approval on the part of other members and moderators. That was my perception as a first-time viewer of that particular thread, and recent comments from other readers confirmed that my perception was not unique. It gave me considerable pause as to joining the community here and I can only assume that others would have felt the same—and maybe some left entirely as a result (which was also indicated in comments that are now history along with the thread itself). So I am glad this is now a separate thread so that returning viewers can see for themselves what has transpired.

I am also greatly encouraged by the direct response of moderators and administrators to my concerns, and equally impressed that I was taken seriously as a first-time poster here. I hope to contribute in many ways to the forum in the future, on topics both serious and light (as I have already done).

And certainly with more brevity (I've already done that too!).

Thanks for the respectful exchanges. It speaks to the quality of people here.

 

[Anonymous]

Well done mods for doing what should probably have been done straight away.

Not because of its content, but because even back then, it was fairly obvious it had the potential to degenerate fairly impressively.

 

[Spare Tyre]

There is a very particular reason I have played no part whatsoever in that thread.

I looked at it once when it was about 10 posts old and decided there and then that it was in poor taste and would be playing no part. I cant tell you if it is unsuitable or not as I deliberately havnt looked at it.

My suggestion to people who feel the same would be simply dont visit the thread. I do think the thread should have been closed fairly quickly after it was started. Not because of the taste issue or anything else, but purely because some of the people around here cant be trusted to deal with an adult issue in an adult manner

This post of Dim's pretty much sums up my feelings on the thread. I found it macabre and haven't looked at it for ages.

Granville57, your analysis was brilliant. In particular I loved this sentence:

DAOTEC never weighs in on the conversation. The tear-drop avatar just continues to creepily churn out messages from the morgue as if in Automatic Contamination Mode.

 

[sublimit]

I think daotec is weird....

To coin a phrase - I think we can all agree on that. Theres another morbid thread in its infancy here. You couldnt make it up-


http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=11613

 

[Francois the Postman]

To coin a phrase - I think we can all agree on that. Theres another morbid thread in its infancy here. You couldnt make it up-


http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=11613

Now closed.

 

[Christian]

I never looked at the thread because of the title, but I also imagined something completely different. I just always thought "I know cycling can be dangerous, I don't really see what this thread could reveal to me"

However this also seems to be a discussion about DAOTEC, therefore I feel like joining in.

DAOTEC never weighs in on the conversation. The tear-drop avatar just continues to creepily churn out messages (...) as if in Automatic Contamination Mode. There is a disturbing lack of humanity being exhibited by DAOTEC.

That is the image he/she has created for him/herself. It begins with the name, the avatar, never any hint of personality in the posts. I think somehow he/she enjoys this role of this objective news machine. I find that odd because I feel like the point of a forum is discussion. I personally think a Twitter account would be much better suited for him/her, since people who fant to follow his/her news can do so, and others who don't care about all the meaningless cr*p can join a cycling forum and have discussions with real people

I have seen him/her answer to, or adress Susan once or twice; usually when he/she forgot to post a link. He/She posted pictures of the incident where the French douanes raided Johnny Schleck's car on several occasions, without any comment and often without any context. I tried to involve him/her in a discussion, asking why he/she had posted the pictures; what his/her point was, but he/she never replied. Then I even sent him/her a PM, but again, never got an answer. Now I haven't seen the pictures in a while, but I'm sure in due time they will pop up again ... without any comment and completely out of context.

There are some intelligent exchanges, to be sure, but they are greatly out of proportion with the number of DAOTEC’s postings.

There are countless threads on the forum where that is the case. Again, my suggestion to DAOTEC ----> get a twitter account!

I will from now on refer to DAOTEC by "it", because this is clearly the goal it is trying to achieve (plus I won't have to write "he/she" all the time).