I'm brand new. I've not yet experienced "negative" here. In fact it has been very friendly. Kind of scary actually.

The internet is brutal for smack talk, and trolls, and stalking, and all sorts of ugliness. I doubt it'll ever change. It's a new enviornment with new rules. I talk politics a lot online, and I love the outlet! In person, I might choke people. Online my hands can't reach their neck.

With a mtn bike website, it didn't even occur to me to be anonymous. Weird transistion for me. I figured we were all local and likely to know each other FTF. I am mainly looking for group rides so using my real identity seems a natural part of the process.

I think that 99.9% of the time, offensive exchanges are the result of innocent verbal diarrea which ends up containing some reference to some thing which at least one member of the board takes offense to. Then the squabbling, until an accord is almost always met. I admit to saying things that I have definitely come to regret only after the fact, and then it's too late. You learn from those experiences and really think hard before getting involved in touchy subjects. There's a definite (and sometimes costly) learning curve involved.

Best post I've seen in a long time. And this might be the best line I've heard all year:

...that's where the tire meets the trail! Very nice.

How to post:

1. write up your post, reply, whatever. Stick in some smileys if it makes ya feel good.
2. click on the Preview button
3. go do something else for a while.
4. come back and re-read your post with fresh eyes. Pretend it's someone else's post.
5. ask yourself if the author (you) sounds like a douchebag
6. if you're not embarrassed by what you've written, click Submit

Ok, you don't have to go through this every time, but if you're writing something emotional, inflammatory, or flaming someone, it's not a bad idea.

And yeah, sayin' something stupid, mean or insulting, then adding j/k or a smiley (yeah, I know, it's the Internet so it's OK)... well, that doesn't always get you off the hook.

I think you mistyped that, it should have been "oh man, here comes the party"

(hopefully this doesnt offend anyone....but I just HAD to! )

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'the notorious North County Sancho'

I think some of this is the different personalities here as well. For example, I am a construction worker. I work with swearing, spiting, salty mofo's all day long. So, with that said, my personality is shaped some by that.

Others here wear a suit and tie to work, and may be a quieter more polite person.

There is only one thing that has happened here, since I have been here, that I took offense to, and that issue is done and gone. Aside from that, I understand that some people are nice, and some are not. Fact of life.

If I have said or done anything that has truly offended someone here, then I am sorry as that is not my intention. I just like to joke around, and I can see that at times, for a "nice" person looking in, it may be offensive.

hncreature, perhaps you could link an example of what has you so bothered?

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Ride it until they CDFW it.

One time, this guy made fun of my minivan . . . .

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A bicycle is a splendid thing.
~Ernest Hemingway

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Life Is Fun!

WTF is going on here? We are not going to all get along, that is just a fact of life. We do however have something in common and that is why we joined and "interact" on this website. Just like when people bitch about TV content, turn the damn channel you don't have to watch it. You don't have to view every post and thread. If you don't like someone (QS) then so be it. If you don't like what someone says, then so what, ignore it as well. Find a thread you do like and reply to that one.

BTW I like the BBQ idea.

OK time for a big gay group hug

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A mountain biker who doesn't ride road has no legs
A road biker who doesn't ride mountain has no soul

Great! Food always makes me feel better!

Thats funny, did you just make that?

Yes. It's still a prototype. Once the finished product becomes available 3rd quarter of this year, It will be showcased on Ron Popeil's next infomercial. I will be giving them away to the first 1,000 callers with irritated genitalia. Mild chafing does not count, but you also get a free chop-o-matic. here is the proposed promo flyer:



If I can reach just one person and change their life with my product, It will be worth the billions of dollars in research.

Thanks.

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Ride it until they CDFW it.