Originally Posted by
BengeBoy
The mods, I suppose, can defend themselves. I just wanted to say that I was one of the users who contacted the moderators complaining about the tone that the former dialogue taken.
I had 3 problems with it:
1. The criticisms of Ryan were old. They had gone on and on. Every time there was an update on Ryan, there were posts going back to the same (now very old) criticisms.
2. There were a number of posts criticizing or belittling forum members who vocally supported Ryan or cheered him on.
3. The mods had already asked for the tone of the forum to change, and it didn't.
Personally I am confused as to why a couple of you are now going back over this well plowed ground, but I thought I would take a moment to explain why I found the former dialogue so annoying. I have no way of knowing whether other forum members complained, but I thought you should know that some of the others following this thread found the earlier dialogue objectionable.
Since the *same* criticisms of Ryan (now even older) are being repeated again, I guess the dead-horse-beating will never end. That's BF.
But the second item above - criticizing other forum members who supported Ryan - just seemed way over the line of what the touring subforum, in particular, ought to be about. People ought to be able to come to the defense or aid of another cyclist without being characterized in a negative way or given a "cute" name as a group that implies they are members of a cult.
Points worth considering:
1. Some criticisms were old, but unanswered. Putting fresh wood on a fire feeds it. And Lord knows some folks were feeding it.
2. The criticism of posters began from the start, with one of Ryan's first posts. As more than one person has written, it was a mistake of the moderators to allow racial slurs to be posted. Why they allowed it is a matter for speculation, but I'll hold my tongue.
That said, the tone of the threads - both of them - were set by a small group that insisted on seeing all criticisms of Ryan as racist. At times it was open, and at times it was a subtext - wonder why we saw so many photos of Ryan posted whenever he - or a supporter - were criticized? Frankly, I found, and find, this insulting. Since complaining to moderators isn't my style I confronted these posters here, using the best weapon I had, my wit. I'm sorry you were bothered by it. But I don't regret doing it. Perhaps it would have been better to use the Ignore feature, but then I'd miss page after page of posts.
Since you've stated your role in this thread, let me state some of mine in connection to Ryan:
- I introduced Ryan to a poster in Phoenix who gave him equipment he needed.
- I was the first person from Bike Forums who called Ryan and posted an update. I've done it a number of times.
- I've started threads in other forums trying to help Ryan, and Josh, find assistance on the road.
- Ryan contacted me to "organize" for him on the East Coast. I said no, since I don't have access to the Internet at my job, and I didn't feel comfortable joining forums up and down the Atlantic Coast to promote a ride I don't believe in.
For my pains I've been vilified by a small group of posters. I didn't expect anything less.
Now I have better things to do today, as do you. Can we all move on?