Clarification, and re the Forum thread.

[rhubroma]

This is just one instance of the awfulness of this family, for whom, when I come to think of it, the words shame, sensitivity and consideration mean virtually nothing. A malign atmosphere prevails everywhere, and you think you are talking to to a descent person--which he might have been once--only to discover that he's the lowest of the low. On the other hand, BroDeal, with his usual perspicacity, BroDeal the forenoon fantasist as I like to call him, who is always exaggerating, but has ever and above all in this instance, spoken the honest truth: lets us know that melodramatic sniveling, here, in the way DimSpace has perpetrated it, was merely instrumental to cast the blame on others, that is the so-called family under discussion, for his personally yielding to an access of sentimentality and more or less giving up, out of selfishness. This has always struck me as tasteless and embarrassing.

 

[Hugh Januss]

This is just one instance of the awfulness of this family, for whom, when I come to think of it, the words shame, sensitivity and consideration mean virtually nothing. A malign atmosphere prevails everywhere, and you think you are talking to to a descent person--which he might have been once--only to discover that he's the lowest of the low. On the other hand, BroDeal, with his usual perspicacity, BroDeal the forenoon fantasist as I like to call him, who is always exaggerating, but has ever and above all in this instance, spoken the honest truth: lets us know that melodramatic sniveling, here, in the way DimSpace has perpetrated it, was merely instrumental to cast the blame on others, that is the so-called family under discussion, for his personally yielding to an access of sentimentality and more or less giving up, out of selfishness. This has always struck me as tasteless and embarrassing.

Sometimes I have to go get the thesaurus to be able to read your posts.

 

[Francois the Postman]

Sorry to see Dim's light extinguished, but not really surprised.

Just glad we got a clinic, which I can chose to ignore, and seems to contain most of the post(er)s, and general tone, that would just irritate me after a while.

I do agree with the observation that this place is on the whole pretty aggressive and unfriendly towards new posters, all the more if they have an enthusiasm for something that is looked down on by the established "insiders". Ignoring the obvious old posters who keep making new accounts.

It kept me from posting here for months. Everyone who dared to post around July would be ****ed on, for liking the Tour and not having a clue, as they evidently were not around at any other point in the year. For daring to show up. Self-appointed self-importance (on a frigging internet forum) doesn't make clued up opinions more enjoyable to read, and clue-less ones downright pathetic. Anyone who pulls seniority rank based on the amount of posts made by July deserves to be ridiculed, in my opinion.

We share enthusiasm for a sport. It would be nice if the general tone was welcoming.

There are several posters here who back riders and teams that don't do it for me, but always felt that the one thing we did have in common was a general enthusiasm. And having those forum-characters around is what makes the place (yes Cadel lovers, I am looking at you lot ). There's a fine line between enjoyable smack talk and sneering. I agree with Dim that not everyone here gets that.

Posters with good smack talk and genuine insight are like gold dust to places like this. Dim's gone. One constructive, enthusiastic and pleasant dude that I liked having around, for what it is worth.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Sorry to see Dim's light extinguished, but not really surprised.

Just glad we got a clinic, which I can chose to ignore, and seems to contain most of the post(er)s, and general tone, that would just irritate me after a while.

I do agree with the observation that this place is on the whole pretty aggressive and unfriendly towards new posters, all the more if they have an enthusiasm for something that is looked down on by the established "insiders". Ignoring the obvious old posters who keep making new accounts.

It kept me from posting here for months. Everyone who dared to post around July would be ****ed on, for liking the Tour and not having a clue, as they evidently were not around at any other point in the year. For daring to show up. Self-appointed self-importance (on a frigging internet forum) doesn't make clued up opinions more enjoyable to read, and clue-less ones downright pathetic. Anyone who pulls seniority rank based on the amount of posts made by July deserves to be ridiculed, in my opinion.

We share enthusiasm for a sport. It would be nice if the general tone was welcoming.

There are several posters here who back riders and teams that don't do it for me, but always felt that the one thing we did have in common was a general enthusiasm. And having those forum-characters around is what makes the place (yes Cadel lovers, I am looking at you lot ). There's a fine line between enjoyable smack talk and sneering. I agree with Dim that not everyone here gets that.

Posters with good smack talk and genuine insight are like gold dust to places like this. Dim's gone. One constructive, enthusiastic and pleasant dude that I liked having around, for what it is worth.

Try going on certain other forums and posting anything in a negative vein about a certain bike rider from TexasTM, and see how quickly you are attacked and ganged up on. Not saying it's right but it seems to be 'majority rules' on any forum. If you strongly express an opinion that is at variance with the majority then chances are more than a few will respond. That being said the tone around here could certainly stand a little polishing up.

 

[Francois the Postman]

Oh, general tone, and that not everything is about Lance

What I had in mind was a guy a while back who dared to have an enthusiasm for Euskaltel and asked what folk were thinking for its 2010 chances. The venom with which his team was characterised in the initial posts were staggering. No one welcoming the guy to the forum, his post was jumped upon as if he ws instantly ready for smack-attack, like most forum veterans know to expect when they back let's say the more outside shots.

I doubt if he made it beyond 5 posts here, with the welcome he got.

But he had the same enthusiasm that others have for Cadel, Menchov, Wiggins. Knew far more about the riders in that team that most of us know about all the non-English riders in the entire pro-tour. And was dead chuffed he found a place where he could join in.

To me those are exactly the type of guy whose contributions could grace and enhance this forum, and add something that we don't get a lot of. News from a planet that isn't a constant ****ing contest between the usual suspects, or daily reminders that dope is around, and we should all take note and question every performance of every rider all the time, especially when we dared to enjoy the race as it happened. Blissfully aware or unaware.

All of us look at the same sport, but not all of us get the same thing out of it, or share the same hang-ups. It can be off-putting to be constantly hammered on by, and exposed to, people who seem to think that their POV is something that is some sort of special place that we should all adopt, and just can't let go. Endlessly. Thread after thread, repeating the same mantras. Drowning out other people's enthusiasm.

I think that was Dim's point, in the end.

 

[ravens]

while i was going to the trouble of writing the post, the thread was locked. But Im not going to waste it...

I understand. But the tone makes me concerned. We had a guy in the states go nuts last month and fly a plane into his local IRS office building.

Please don't do that.

 

[BroDeal]

I am on the internets and everything that I say is really important and its just like real life and no one should support a rider that I dont like. we sould all get more wound up about this, this is a cycling forum and therfore the most important thing that you will do today.

Wondlerlance gets funnier all the time. It is funny because it is true.

Internet forums are people using fake names to engage in discussion with people they don't know and will likely never meet. Why should anyone get overly upset about what is written by an anonymous person who lives thousands of miles away, perhaps in a country they will never visit?

 

[luckyboy]

What I had in mind was a guy a while back who dared to have an enthusiasm for Euskaltel and asked what folk were thinking for its 2010 chances. The venom with which his team was characterised in the initial posts were staggering.

Just tracked down that thread, and I have to say that Auscyclefan94 acted pretty badly. Though it was only him/her who applies to what you've said. Personally, I like Euskaltel. Fun.

 

[spanky wanderlust]

sorry to see you go, dim. i am one of the aforementioned new posters that has shied away from jumping in to the maelstrom that is the cn forum. i've been reading these boards everyday for almost a year now because these boards are an invaluable source of cycling information, history and analysis. i just recently decided to jump in because...well...i'm addicted to the sport and need to interact with folks about it. and, as vicious as people can be here, i have not found a better forum. people like you are the reason this forum is great, that is, if you can sift through the vitriol.

of course, the first thread i posted on turned out to be a complete disaster...yes, the wiggins doping thread.

hopefully, the mods will soon solve the registration security breach, which must kill all of their time for dealing with other, very real forum problems. then maybe you can return. your contributions here will be sorely missed by many. the vdb tribute link stands out.

btw, the sky site is terrific. i heard you had something to do with that. just found it today and hope it goes well because i plan on spending a lot of time there! and i'm sorry i said mean things about wiggo's hair. all in good fun. terrific track rider. bad, bad haircut.

spankyw

 

[BikeCentric]

The reason I hang around this forum is because it does contain the most knowledgable and experienced community of cycling fans available on the internet in English. If there is a "pack mentality" here I see the primary goal of the pack as a dedication to the truth and reality of the wonderful sport of cycling in all its facets, the positives and the negatives. I have never seen an example of a the regular posters here attacking a poster for stating truth or a well reasoned and supported opinion. The only posters on this forum that get "attacked" are called out for either being wrong (and are proven wrong with actual facts) or are called out for merely posting about how they dislike what another poster is saying.

As far as Dimpace's dramatic little opera here, I don't really understand what the motivation is. Dimspace took the side of a notorius forum troll that has been banned here 20+ times. The troll was recognized by the regulars and flagged and called out appropriately. I admit that many of us, myself included, made the problem worse by essentially "trolling the troll" instead of ignoring him. As for any attempt to use this episode as an illustration of insular groupthink, the only insular groupthink I see here is a dedication to a critical analysis of truth and reality.

 

[53 x 11]

What I had in mind was a guy a while back who dared to have an enthusiasm for Euskaltel and asked what folk were thinking for its 2010 chances. The venom with which his team was characterised in the initial posts were staggering. No one welcoming the guy to the forum, his post was jumped upon as if he ws instantly ready for smack-attack, like most forum veterans know to expect when they back let's say the more outside shots.

I doubt if he made it beyond 5 posts here, with the welcome he got.

I remember that and to be fair it was one poster with a huge chip on their shoulder who attacked spanish riders. Many of us though the comments were biggoted and unfair and much support was offered for Euskaltel

 

[WonderLance]

Just tracked down that thread, and I have to say that Auscyclefan94 acted pretty badly. Though it was only him/her who applies to what you've said. Personally, I like Euskaltel. Fun.

Shes a she.

 

[pedaling squares]

I'll add a few brief thoughts to this thread.

This is the first and only forum I have joined, and I joined in July. During the tour. And not once has anyone given me grief about that or made me feel unwelcome. Maybe that's just my experience. Maybe it would have been different if I professed my admiration for rider X or critiqued rider Y. But my observations are that people who disagree with the 2000+ post club while stating rational, considered opinions tend not to get picked on. Those who troll or who fail to provide sources of their 'facts' do get picked on. That doesn't seem too cruel or unusual to me. And Susan made an excellent point - if you state that you like rider X, you can expect to hear from people who dislike rider X. Just like the talk around the water cooler at work. You don't have to respond if you don't want to converse.

About the troll - as others have said, we are to blame for engaging him in a game he so obviously wants to play. I didn't realize there were PM's and other behind-the-scenes shenanigans too... what a strange dude. I'll do my bit to make this place better by putting him on ignore asap instead of responding. You're first Spanky.

About mods - IMO we don't need more. We need to police ourselves so they can enjoy being cycling fans and not babysitters. It takes a while to ban a troll, we can render him useless instantly simply by ignoring him.

If you're reading dim I really do think you let the Wigans/Sky bashing get to you. You seemed pretty content around here for 4000 posts, not too concerned about salty language or the size of Hugh's anus, and suddenly you are upset, this place is inappropriate, and poor BPC needs a 22nd chance?! This concern for newcomers didn't seem to extend to any Spaniards who may have been reluctant to join because a senior forum member referred to them as "slimy". Anyway, hopefully you'll have a change of heart and will rejoin if/when you feel like it. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy your Sky site - it really is excellent.

 

[Big GMaC]

I'll add a few brief thoughts to this thread.

About the troll - as others have said, we are to blame for engaging him in a game he so obviously wants to play. I didn't realize there were PM's and other behind-the-scenes shenanigans too... what a strange dude. I'll do my bit to make this place better by putting him on ignore asap instead of responding.

This

About mods - IMO we don't need more. We need to police ourselves so they can enjoy being cycling fans and not babysitters. It takes a while to ban a troll, we can render him useless instantly simply by ignoring him.

This

If you're reading dim I really do think you let the Wigans/Sky bashing get to you. You seemed pretty content around here for 4000 posts, not too concerned about salty language or the size of Hugh's anus, and suddenly you are upset, this place is inappropriate, and poor BPC needs a 22nd chance?! This concern for newcomers didn't seem to extend to any Spaniards who may have been reluctant to join because a senior forum member referred to them as "slimy". Anyway, hopefully you'll have a change of heart and will rejoin if/when you feel like it. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy your Sky site - it really is excellent.

And This. Can't really say it better without rehashing the same words

 

[auscyclefan94]

Just tracked down that thread, and I have to say that Auscyclefan94 acted pretty badly. Though it was only him/her who applies to what you've said. Personally, I like Euskaltel. Fun.

I acted badly because I made an opinion! Sorry if that is against the forum rules. I get insulted far too much of what is within reason because I like a rider.

 

[TheGame]

You got the wrong troll - You need to look more carefully

 

[pmcg76]

I am disappointed to see Dim or any other poster leave the forum. We agreed on some things, disagreed on others but never had any problems with him. I just think the negativity overall was getting to him.

I understand his point on the gang mentality but I didnt agree with his opinion on the troll.

I dont like putting people on ignore as I dont want to read threads where its hard to follow whats happening becuase I have a load of people on ignore. I was a bit shocked at the vitriol when I first joined, which was at the start but I know this is a forum so people can say what they want. Dont take it too serious though.

I think a lot of people on here dont like Lance(including myself) but I think its only a group of 5-10 posters who go OTT with insults etc, and I think thats why a lot of people get annoyed. The problem is, most of these people are some of the most knowledgble people on here, they just appear completely cynical about everything and are the most frequent posters.

For me, things like Lances personal life, girlfriends etc are off limits yet people go out of their way to find new stuff to keep it going. The best thing Dim ever done(apart from the Sky site) was create the Lance thread which really helped clean up the place.

Almost everybody seems to have a hatred of some rider/team, even Dim himself slated Spanish riders and very often Cadel Evans. I agree with Susan in that if you have a favourite rider, then be prepared to receive stick. (Fortunatley mine is low enough on the pecking order to not attract abuse) Just go and read a football forum or something similar to see the abuse that is hurled between fans of different teams.

If somebody asked me to pick out a model poster on here, I would have to go with Dr.Maserati, (Alpe before he became a mod) even if he isnt around as much lately. Intelligent, knowlegable, realsitic and can post without being over cynical or aggressively insulting towards other posters.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

...If somebody asked me to pick out a model poster on here, I would have to go with Dr.Maserati, (Alpe before he became a mod) even if he isnt around as much lately.

What happened after I became a mod?

Yes, I haven't been around much lately (you mean me, not Doc, right?). Personal projects, and family issues take precedent. And to be honest, a lot of my allotted time here over the past several weeks has been cleaning up messes and taking out the trash.

 

[pmcg76]

What happened after I became a mod?

Yes, I haven't been around much lately (you mean me, not Doc, right?). Personal projects, and family issues take precedent. And to be honest, a lot of my allotted time here over the past several weeks has been cleaning up messes and taking out the trash.

Ha, I was actually referring to Dr, sorry.

You dont really seem to get to post your opinion as much anymore, more telling people to cool it or deleting posts. Not criticising, just observing, comes with the job, I know. You havent become a bad poster or anything. Bala Verde is a MOD as well now and he rarely posts anymore either.

Its always the good ones

 

[Big_Blue_Dave]

Talking of the number of mods on here, I think we could do with more, and those that will actually take the rules on board and apply them with as they are written, rather than give an extra chance to. This will cut out an awful lot of the problems that are on here at present and have caused one of the people who helped this place with things like feeds for races or creating threads to put certain items in from going.

With respects to Dim, i'm glad to say i've met him and the one thing I will say is that he has a massive love for cycling, and unsurprisingly has a nationalistic passion for the "National" team. Like the Euskaltel fan perhaps.

There is a massive clique on here, and you all know who you are. Its what stops me from posting pretty much full stop. I'll still post but I won't hit 1,000 posts for at least 4 more years, unless there are forum competitions every single day then it will be sooner.

Back to my original point, I was a mod on a football website for a particular football team, and that was well policed until the owners decided to go in a new direction. Guess what happened? Thats right, it is nowhere near the fun place that contained the sort of intelligent postings that began on here. This was a website that was running for over 7 years by the way, and this has happened here inside 1 year. Without modding in a way that is basically follow or have a seat on the bench for a period of time it does not work, plus one email, one IP = one username plus a whole load of other factors as the current mods will understand and you stop the trolls, without gaining dozens more!!! And by that comment I don't mean the troll coming back.

Now I understand some will disagree and some will but as I have always said, I could not care less as that is our individuality coming through on how we think. But please work together as this can be the best forum on cycling on the net and we can make this welcoming for anyone new, old or lurking rather than the cat-calling (sorry Susan and Blackcat had to get that in.) place that we have now, or Dim will be the first of many to disappear. Then what do you have???

 

[pmcg76]

Talking of the number of mods on here, I think we could do with more, and those that will actually take the rules on board and apply them with as they are written, rather than give an extra chance to. This will cut out an awful lot of the problems that are on here at present and have caused one of the people who helped this place with things like feeds for races or creating threads to put certain items in from going.

With respects to Dim, i'm glad to say i've met him and the one thing I will say is that he has a massive love for cycling, and unsurprisingly has a nationalistic passion for the "National" team. Like the Euskaltel fan perhaps.

There is a massive clique on here, and you all know who you are. Its what stops me from posting pretty much full stop. I'll still post but I won't hit 1,000 posts for at least 4 more years, unless there are forum competitions every single day then it will be sooner.

Back to my original point, I was a mod on a football website for a particular football team, and that was well policed until the owners decided to go in a new direction. Guess what happened? Thats right, it is nowhere near the fun place that contained the sort of intelligent postings that began on here. This was a website that was running for over 7 years by the way, and this has happened here inside 1 year. Without modding in a way that is basically follow or have a seat on the bench for a period of time it does not work, plus one email, one IP = one username plus a whole load of other factors as the current mods will understand and you stop the trolls, without gaining dozens more!!! And by that comment I don't mean the troll coming back.

Now I understand some will disagree and some will but as I have always said, I could not care less as that is our individuality coming through on how we think. But please work together as this can be the best forum on cycling on the net and we can make this welcoming for anyone new, old or lurking rather than the cat-calling (sorry Susan and Blackcat had to get that in.) place that we have now, or Dim will be the first of many to disappear. Then what do you have???

I really dont think this place is that bad, it has definitely calmed down since THE troll was banned. Its mild compared to football websites, was reading the BBC website following the CL games and some of the rubbish spouted is simply unbelievable and its not always pleasant and this is the BBC website, its alway funny when people say they arent biased even when they are showing a clear bias. BTW Sir Alex reminds me of Lance a lot or is it the other way around.

I know there are a few on here who can be OTT but there are a few over-sensitive types also. I try not to insult people but I dont get wound up either, its an internet forum after all.