DnvrFox

"Friendliness" of the 50+ Forum

Personally, I think the 50+ forum is one of the friendliest and"warmest" forums around.

I do think that there are a couple of things that we could do to increase it just a bit.

1. There is a thread which I started many years ago - it is a "sticky" and is the most posted thread on the 50+ forum. It is the "Special Thread For 50+yo Bicyclists"

https://www.bikeforums.net/fifty-plus-50/63378-special-thread-50-yo-bicyclists.html

Often, new folks will post there, and never get a response. As the OP, I try and get there at times and respond to folk's threads. But it would be nice if others would. I admit I am negligent in not getting there all the time.

OR, perhaps it would be a good idea to simply close the thread, as it already has over 700 posts?

Stickies do tend to get ignored once one participates more in the forum.

2. We do have our inside jokes and "clubbish" talk. Perhaps this is off-putting to others - I don't know. Should we try to temper that or explain it a bit? Perhaps a non-postable sticky explaining the "culture" and "traditions" of the 50+ forum?

Recently someone responded to a post, the title of which had to do with which wife to buy for a bike. A new poster completely misread the humor and told the OP that he must have posted incorrectly, he should have stated, "Which bike to buy for his wife."

Just one example.

3. I have been told by a PM from a Mod that Mods feel very unwelcome in the 50+ forum. I think this is unfortunate, but I think it stems from a couple of things.

* Mods don't generally do POSITIVE things. IOW, they are not seen as a positive force, but rather a negative force. They move threads we don't want moved, they criticize us, they ban us, they tell us we are unfriendly.

* With me, it started way back with a mod severely criticizing the 50+ forum because folks were talking about some of the physical problems associated with aging - we simply shouldn't ever admit, at least in public, that we are aging and having age-related conditions and diseases. As I was going through a rather traumatic time, physically, that really turned me off to mods.

But, this is unfortunate. It needs to change.

They and we are here, and they are a fact of life, AND THEY DO A LOT OF GOOD AS VOLUNTEERS IN KEEPING THE ENTIRE FORUM GOING IN A MORE POSITIVE MANNER. But, often, I fail to recognize that.

How could we get a more positive relationship with the mods going?

maddmaxx 

I would like to have our very own moderator...........someone who hangs out here and gets a first hand knowledge of the pulse of the community.

Certainly, dminor is comfortable about the Mountain Bike Forum and knows what going on for example.

My receint experiences make me feel that moderators who just wander in from time to time have a less than firm grasp on what has been taking place. Others stop by sometimes (but rarely), take part in or read a joke or two and leave thinking that 50+ is just a bunch of pranksters. Others think they are qualified in 50+ because they are 50+...........but they are rarely here so perhaps they misunderstand the nuances of what's going on.

This is perfectly normal and is not to be construed as a condemnation of the moderators. They perform a most valuable service that most of us probably would run from screaming. Certainly, for example, I don't have any knowledge of the personalities or characters in Foo and would be hardpressed to understand the difference there between a friendly joke and an insult. However there are moderators that spend some considerable time there and do an excellent job of smoothly handling issues.

I think that if we could encourage a moderator or 2 to stop by a little more often that they would be in a better position to let us know when we are a bit out of control (before it goes too far). They would also be in a better position to know when to leave things alone because nothing much is happening anyway.

Perhaps this is a good idea, perhaps not.....................just an idea to float along.

East Hill

Isn't that the point? There are at least six moderators who are over the age of 50, and whenever we show up, we are not greeted with open arms by ALL. In fact, some of the members in this forum get quite surly.

Now, before you type something in haste...should anyone over the age of 50 be told that THEY NEED TO BE QUALIFIED IN BEING IN 50+ ?

Please.... .

East Hill

DnvrFox

OK, we are already off to a negative start. Let's just close this thread.

It is useless.

stapfam

This is a biking forum- but more than that- A community has built up in the 50+ that I often feel is lacking within some of the other sections. As Dnvrfx has pointed out- there is a lot more to being 50 than biking- some of the illness's are going to hit others- so how can you get back to cycling when heart problems come in- How is arthritus going to be over come- or where can I find a bike that is going to be comfortable with a Cr*p back. ---Easy - ask the experts- others of the same age that also have the problems.

But then there are some of the posting that start that are off topic--Off Cycling. How some of them stay here I do not know- but the torque wrench posting being moved was in my mind stupid. OK- it was about a tool- so put in the mechanics section. But it was also related to 50+ members experiences of torque wrench's.

But on some of the other forums- a question is raised- and within 20 replies- not one answer has stayed on the original question.

We do need a moderator- or several- but moderators that understand this group. We are going to wander a bit- But no more- in fact less- than some of the other groups postings.

Going to finish this now as I have A ride tommorrow and it is getting late (Just so the moderators do not move this posting) and I need my sleep and Horlicks.

DnvrFox

Don't you see a difference between being a MOD in the 50+ forum and being a PARTICIPANT in the 50+ forum?

I sure do.

MNBikeguy

I'm truly sorry. You have an agenda, and are using issues out of context.
Why don't you spell out exactly what it is you're looking for? As a moderator, what do you need to see?

stapfam

Now post in road forums that you are 60 years old and want to get a bike to get exercise to lower your High blood pressure and lower your PSA count.

Can just see how welcome that would be- and what sort of replies it would get.

cyclinfool

We need a group hug.

If we are thinking of a 50+ mod how about this guy




"I love you,
You love me,
We're a happy family,
with a great big hug,
and a kiss from me to you,
Won't you say you love me TOO!

I love you,
You love me,
We're best friends like friends should be,
With a great big hug,
And a kiss from me to you,
Won't you say you love me too "

Oh please - gag me with a spoon!

maddmaxx 

The point I was attempting to make is that in spite of being over 50, most of those 6 mods simply don't spend enough time around here to have a real good feel for what is going on. There was nothing in that statement that spoke to qualifications.

As to the other part..........I must have missed something over the last couple of years. I have not seen the surlyness that you are speaking of before this last week. In fact several moderators have interacted here on a very pleasent basis.

You seem to be angry at us and I'm afraid that everyone here is reacting with a "why are they hitting me" attitude.

A local moderator could establish some guidelines and everyone would be much happier. As an ex sailor I can assure the people in the military like the system...........they understand what their duties and rsspolsibliities are.

East Hill

Now that this thread has a few posts...can you all take a look and tell me what you see?

Don't think of me as a moderator. Think of me as someone who wandered in off the street, wanting to talk about being 50+.

I disagreed with you. How did you respond?

East Hill

DnvrFox

OK, I'll bite.

How SHOULD we have responded?

Give us some words that fit your idea of what a 50+ forum should be like.

We should have said . . . . ????

maddmaxx 

With the exception of one cartoon character and one post that was strongly worded but within the bounds of a discussion, I see posts that disagree with you

No can I ask the same question of you...I disagreed with you and how did you respond.?

Digital Gee

You strike me as someone with an agenda, but it's not clear to me what it is. You never seem happy when you post in this forum, which only seems to happen when a brew-ha-ha gets stirred up. Otherwise, you're never around. But you show up immediately when things go awry. And then we get told how bad we are. Whatever.

PaulH

I have no clear idea of what is going on here. There was a (to me) fairly uninteresting discussion on torque wrenches which apparently got moved by the moderators. So?

As far as I can tell, things have been just fine here.

Paul

maddmaxx 

I frankly wish we could get one of your seminars right now.

ad6mj

Easthill, I've got 10 months before I'm really qualified for 50+ member status, but as I understood madmaxx, he thought someone being a participant in the forum would help them to better moderate the forum. I didn't take it as being 50+ doesn't qualify them to be a member of the forum. I've fairly recently started coming here and I've disagreed with folks here and have found my opinions to be met with disagreement by some, agreement by others and the discussions to be quite civil.

I'm not sure what you (Easthill) mean by There are at least six moderators who are over the age of 50, and whenever we show up, we are not greeted with open arms by ALL.

Does that mean everyone has made y'all feel unwelcome, or you expect everyone to roll out the welcome mat? I haven't received a big howdy and a hug from everybody here, but I haven't been made to feel unwelcome by folks here either in spite of my junior status. This forum like the other forums I've visited on this site as well as others has a community of folks that have known each other for some time and developed friendships. Everybody doesn't become instant friends, but that doesn't mean they are unfriendly.

Rowan

I can see serious issues on both sides, issues that are enough to warrant me stepping right back from my participation in BFs. Simply, the issues go both ways.

East Hill's comment *at least six moderators who are over the age of 50" worries me in the context that there is an ever-increasing clique of school monitors who display the very traits about which East Hill is complaining. To me, the moderators group has become an unfriendly posse, travelling from forum to forum creating unwarranted trouble "because they can". To me, the addition of a blue star against a member's name is a kiss of death to credibility and respect. This is mainly because of the perception that the mods "have to stick together and support each other" -- even when there is a clear error of judgment involved.

On the other hand, personally, I couldn't care less about the 50+ forum. I have been an on-and-off participant here since its inception, and I have never, ever felt welcomed by an American-centric group of people who are displaying the same attitudes and responses as the people they now choose to criticise for a minor error of judgment -- the mods. If you aren't a part of the core group here, forget about participating.

There really is only one thing to say to all involved in these discussions: Grow up.

will dehne

FWIW. And that is not much I know.
I posted in 2005 in various BF groups to get some advise how to get my biking act together. I was a guy biking with street sandals on rental bikes. From these humble beginnings I percolated up to a more serious biker these days. I used the Touring BF, Training and Nutrition, General BF and Road BF.

I do most of my communication with the 50+. Why? I get useful responses from people I have become to know. I get reasonable feedback from reasonable people I got to know.

The concerns from the OP are valid I am sure but have no relevancy why I am on this sub forum. These concerns are to me a tweaking of a system which works pretty good. YMHO.

Tom Bombadil

I'm pretty sure that East Hill participated in the 50+ forum before becoming a moderator. For this reason, I find it very interesting as to how quickly this thread turned negative.

East Hill wrote, "nd whenever we show up, we are not greeted with open arms by ALL."

I say it depends upon what you mean by "we show up." I've never seen someone attacked simply because they are a moderator. And I've seen many moderators welcomed into threads wherein they are participating as a forum member. I've seen them delete threads that were overly contentious, vulgar, political or religious with no or little complaining.

However if they "show up" by moving or deleting threads, which forum members believe should not have been moved, then they indeed aren't welcomed.

The 50+ forum has petitioned the BF powers for the right to be very lightly moderated, for threads to exist here which might otherwise be moved, and has seemingly received permission for this to happen. Yet different moderators keep showing up, moving threads and then making defenses of those actions, which appear to us to be out of accords with the agreements that we reached with the board.

These actions have created contention, contention that none of us want.

IMHO moderators are very welcome here. And are appreciated for their service to the forum at large. They are welcome to participate in any of our threads, indeed we invite them to do so. Join us, please.

Tom Bombadil

That reminds me, you are 49?

Buzz off Bub!

(see I actually do know how to insert a smiley)

Kurt Erlenbach

I don't pay much attention to what goes on behind the scenes here. I think this is a good place with good people who talk about serious things, lighthearted things, biking things, and other things. I've not been involved with an internet forum before, and I enjoy this place. But keep in mind, it's just a forum. No one lives or dies with what goes on here. I've learned a lot, and maybe someone somewhere has learned something from me. I don't know any moderators, and wouldn't be able to pick one out of a lineup. I think some lightening up is appropriate.

Widsith

American-centric? Perhaps it's because I've been here such a short time; but I've read quite a few threads and so far have not seen any indication of what the nationalities of the participants are.

As for the relationship with the moderators, here's the way I feel (and I think at least some of the others who've posted in this thread might agree). Rather than Bosses who show up occasionally to issue orders, I'm much more comfortable with Neighbors who are indistinguishable from the rest of us, except that they are able to do a few things the rest of us can't. It's easier to accept a suggestion (or even a rebuke) from a friend than from an overseer. However, it appears Bike Forums moderators regard themselves more as overseers than friends.

Donegal

As many people have said, "Don't take yourself too seriously." I enjoy the 50+ Forum more than any of the others, even though I follow about 6 of them. Bikers are a strange lot, we exercise ourselves into great pain, wear wild colored spandex outfits, use a styrofoam cooler to keep our heads safe, and still abuse ourselves about our progress daily.

I find some members funny, many very witty, some arrogant and some just a general pain in the butt. This is a forum, not a Fortune 500 business. If we make a few mistakes, everyone should just get over it. Let's not start a self-proclaimed war against the mods. I don't even look at the stars. I don't care who is the mod or who isn't.

I own my business, ride what I want, some years have more time than others to get into shape. I love the arrogant rants, basic B.S. and the whining when poignant.

Let's not forget why we come here, bicycling related information and entertainment. HTFU all of you.

Siu Blue Wind

Aw now my feelings are hurt. I've lurked here for a while and finally posted in the pie thread and now I'm discriminated against because I'm blue. Heck, my pie wasn't even on the list. And now I'm not wanted as a regular mod. *sniff*

I'm a failure!! *hangs head low, kicking stone with toe*