Do you ever wish you could un-invent the Internet and go back to a life before message boards and email lists?
My happiness and sanity went up by leaps and bounds about 18 months ago when I finally stopped posting on a particular gaming message board. I increased my enjoyment of the webernet further by deleting the majority of gaming-related bookmarks I had saved. Now the only ones I peruse are either summary feed sites or those written by folks I've come to know semi-personally over the years.
And now it's time to purge a particular mountain biking community listserve as well. It's just not worth the headaches anymore. You'd think that even amongst a group of people who actually know one another in real life and who all donate time and energy and money to a specific cause, that a certain measure of respect would be maintained. But apparently not. And while I could try not to let it bother me or I could simply ignore the bickering and stupid remarks, that's not the point. The point, to me at least, is that it simply hurts to see people who claim to care about an organization and sport so much, act so stupid and quite literally turn people off from the organization altogether.
I didn't get this before. I've been involved in a few of the firefights over the years (and in recent weeks -- anybody have a waterbottle?). And maybe some of my own comments were a bit of a turnoff for some. But only now do I get the bigger picture.
The final straw has been laid bare and I'm done.
To see someone piss all over another's good intentions and then question not only their commitment on a personal level, but make a backhanded attack at numerous other members efforts? To question their legitimacy as if this person is somehow struck with the divine power to judge? Well, that's just ridiculous. And trust me, I'm not using such soft language here on the other side of my monitor. I'm screaming mad. It's no wonder most of the people I've come to consider friends from group rides have moved away from the organization over the past two years.
It's amazing how much harm someone can do in a public setting when left to rant unmuzzled.
If someone who made the organization as much a part of their life as I did over the past 3 years is ready to just walk away, I can't help but wonder how newcomers ever bother to stay in the first place.
I had forgotten what breaking up felt like... it sucks.
This is me, moving into the background.
9 comments:
Hey Doug,
That was ugly on the list. Please don't give up on the organization or on the really important work you are doing for our community. Just quit the freaking list serve. You’ve been around the internet long enough to know that there is just something about a list serve that brings out the worst in people. Please let it go. Just drop off the list, or lurk like I do. Please don’t quit the advocacy work you’ve got going.
Thanks,
Nick V.
I've had enough of the whining and have dropped from the list myself.
Ditto Nick comments.
No intention of quitting doing anything behind the scenes (like working on the grant proposal for the South Fork/Olallie project). I'm just going to do what I can without being as visible and without posting anything on the calendar or to the listserve from now on.
Thanks for writing guys. And keep me in mind if you want to go riding!
The word is "thou", not "thy". "Thou" means "you", "thy" means "your".
Ha, thanks Mory. I knew "thou" meant "you" but I've seen people use "thy" as "I". Oh well... serves me right for trying to get fancy while grinding my teeth.
Welcome to small world of the "Blessed Few" of the BBTC!! I am glad that you have had your eyes opened to idiocy of the flame fanning Jackasses that have NOTHING better to do than cut down ANYONE that has a differing opinion than theirs'! I too am done with the list serve and the BBTC! I plan to just do our thing here in the south-end and ride my bike. I have seen these people pinch my dad and his honest hard work and claim way more than they produce. Spend way too much money and time on one particularly urban project and I am just done. I have actually started riding more now that I have moved to T-town and started riding with Courtland than I EVER did when I lived in Seattle!! Go figure... You should come down this way some time and I'll take you out on our South-End Thrilla route....
I am not doing 24 hours around the clock might do TOE50? Definitely doing CCP100 looking to do SW100 in WV! And then the Bend's Big Fat Tour in Oct.
Brandon Lockwood
Well, I'd just like to take this moment to say that the thoughts and opinions expressed by others in this comments section don't necessarily reflect those of Randomly Generated.
Now that I got that out of the way, I'll just add that I sincerely recommend differentiating the efforts of BBTC from the opinions and behavior of a few of its members. I am still 100% committed towards doing what I can within the organization behind the scenes. My post was simply about moving away from the social aspects of the club.
Sorry Doug I didn't mean to Frak up your blog with my own personal rant...
Brandon Lockwood
No worries.
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