it's a small world after all

sam_walker

http://www.bikereader.com/forareviews.html

ChrisLS

...sorry confused here :? ...who is this expert reviewer :?:

nicklouse

two very different forums pre-merger

more like 4 fora!

Yorkshireman

Reasonable sumnation there (from sam-walker) in my humble/honest opinion

rustychisel

Right!!!! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

I resent the implication. Hard, yes. Hardcore, no. :roll:

Glueman

Sam missed his own out so...

ACF is the site most likely to contain genuine expertise so musing out loud is best avoided. Voices were honed in the fires of Elsewhere and opinions seen through political glasses with not much room in the cracks - even this will likely end up on the dissecting slab. The stance is catching.
Very good on audax, bike advice and the standard of daily debate is high to very high. There's a members area if you like that sort of thing. Chummy in a real life way with a high quota of IT types. A good deal of fact trading goes on and statistics are currency. Best described as concerned, contemporary and relatively youthful (with those plusses and minus's), Sam's hand on the tiller is less of late, not always to advantage.

Will hear: 'Ruth Kelly's approach to Equitable Life policyholders is already showing through in transport policy - what next, bike design? The Brooks Opus Dei for the woman who never Swallows ?'

Won't hear: Tucked in a cagers slip and gave him the finger through the red. Some ped went berzzzzerk!!!! I'm soooo baaaad!!!!!

sam_walker

Cheers Glueman. I had considered a self-critique - contrary to what may be popular belief I have a very advanced self-flagellation routine - but decided to leave that to others.

You are missed, even though you provided constant dilemmas to the librarian, who has been instructed to cast her net wide as possible. Even so I'm mightily tempted to scoop up 'The Brooks Opus Dei for the woman who never Swallows' as just compensation.

Recently my hand has been on the tiller long enough to oversee the construction of a new homepage to place member contributions at better advantage, not to mention give us a prettier face; upgrade the software; introduce 'The Pub' as a better avenue for chumminess; rationalise the boards, believe it or not (we shall always offer a large and eclectic lineup); dust off the Member Map; and slip into Theodore's smoking jacket in the early a.m. hours. Note also the introduction of a Situation Room [ http://www.anothercyclingforum.com/inde ... ic=37478.0 ], an experimental board meant to keep valued names from going black.

Basically, life is good.

PS. If anybody is still wondering what acf is, here's a short history:
http://www.anothercyclingforum.com/inde ... ic=36598.0

Glueman

Yes, I thought it was measured. Apart from the CTC forum who still receive my unsolicited musings on off-road provision -water finds its own level - site visits make Halley's comet seem like pass the parcel. In fact I'm only here because...why am I here...?

Aunty Rubbish

Hypocritical, dishonest, revisionist cant.
How do you type that stuff with a straight face Walker?

John Stevenson

Aunty Rubbish wrote:

Hypocritical, dishonest, revisionist cant.
How do you type that stuff with a straight face Walker?

If this is about to turn into any sort of personal spat about how someone else, runs another forum, somewhere else, then please take it elsewhere.

Aunty Rubbish

Because Walker chose to post a link to his forum critique on here. I'm simply responding to it. If you don't want people to reply, or you only want back slapping replies, then perhaps you should consider whether he should have been allowed to post it in the first place. It contains some pretty nasty and snide comments about various fora, it deserves either a response on here or for the link to be deleted.

sam_walker

Apologies to admin if I have overstepped a line by posting here. That he has stopped by is testament to my earlier judgment about the recent changes; users are best served by active management.

This board on this forum seemed a reasonable venue for 'it's a small world', given the subject matter and the fact that many of us always seem to be bumping into each other. Although in the past I have usually tried to stay away to avoid becoming a source of interfora conflict, I do at times feel an urge to materialise and put the case for the defence, or as with this topic, present food for thought to those interested in how forums thrive or otherwise. I very rarely let my temper get the best of me.

Sentiments such as the ones expressed immediately due north appear to be motivated more by personal enmity than by what I've actually written. They do not yield any sort of sting, and I am not moved to reply in kind. Readers can decide for themselves if the critique of my critique is an accurate one, and although as a writer I enjoy a response, there is a place for everything. The PM facility seems tailor made to keep this thread from summoning the ghost of Soapbox past.

Ravenbait

So why did you post the review here, Sam?

I'm not overly fussed about your opinion one way or another. Despite your assertions to the contrary, I know exactly what happened and am long since past caring. However, accusing Chuffy of personal enmity is a bit rich coming from you when your "review" of the League's forum consisted of 99.99% personal comments about myself -- and one of them being positive does not make the review any better in terms of relevancy.

Oh, and your failure to get a reference doesn't make the reference invalid.

Given that you were less than kind about fora other than yours, and you posted to Soapbox, are you honestly claiming you weren't trying to wind anyone up?

Sam

sam_walker

"Yes, I thought it was measured. Apart from the CTC forum who still receive my unsolicited musings on off-road provision -water finds its own level - site visits make Halley's comet seem like pass the parcel." - Glueman

I swing by the CTC forum every once in awhile, and considered including it, but don't know enough about it except to observe that phpBB sure is popular.

I'd also like to thank those who have PMd me here.

Everything else has pretty much been covered.

Fab Foodie

Sam, there are some things in life I fail to understand...

Why do you feel the need to post on other forums? Why post this on this forum?
You seem a decent and erudite sort of chap, run a tight ship that is home to a community of many happy souls. I know, I pass by and enjoy the hospitality of your site and the company of your clientèle from time to time Surely a popular site is enough? I never knew why you posted on C+ on occasions, I think it does you no favours unless you want to come-across to members of other fora as a smug git.

You are entitled to your opinion of the old C+ site, but if you had not noticed many enjoyed (and now miss) the place its brawls, outrage, occasional troll attacks AND it's archaic software. What you see as negatives many saw as positives and vice-versa...strange but true.

I was not really party to the migration to ACF, but what has happened at Cycle-chat seems to be similar at the end of the day, some Cyber-pals leaving something that no longer suits their needs huddling together for warmth somewhere else, that's all.

I simply don't get what point you are trying to make with cross-fora posts like this or what you are trying to achieve?
I just don't get it, unless olr1 is right.

Cheers FF->.

sam_walker

Hi Fab,

I think I've already answered most of what there is to answer in your post, including what I'm trying to achieve now: offer "food for thought to those interested in how forums thrive or otherwise". Surely this is a topic far less incendiary than others which have appeared on this board in times past. And if some of what I wrote is uncomfortably close to the bone, that's traditional, as well.

As for my right to post here at all, I was on the old Cycling Plus forum long, long ago. Don't let the recent join date throw you. I have as much right to post here as anybody, unless management should decide otherwise.

I'd prefer not to get into anything more personal unless it's via PM.*


* That was the edit, twice; once to remove it, once to put it back. Personal messaging is a valuable tool because writing to an individual rather than to a group involves an entirely different thinking process. Try it sometime.

Simon L2

well, there is a serious enterprise here. Cycling has no narrative of note. (And don't give me that O'Brien geezer stuff). (OK, then, Henry Miller). (The Fotheringhams almost).. Like it or not (and some clearly don't), ACF is the place where that narrative might be formed. Nowhere else. So the cross-fora thing is part of the reflective process that generates something new. W.G. Sebald doesn't know what he's missing. Not that he would guess at the political potential.

And, spookily, this body of knowledge is based on people (sharp intake of breath) getting together and riding together. That's the wierdest thing. A young man comes down from Hull to join a ride from London to East Wittering. An ex-teacher guides people of all ages around his beloved Essex and Essex is more loved as a result. Forty people cram into a front room in Horley at three in the morning.

Out of that common pleasure comes thought. Let me tell you that (scandalously) it is harder to find decent critical thinking about architecture than it is to find decent critical thinking about cycling. And the reason is ACF. It's not coherent, and it is, to put it mildly, partial. Sam's rumination is actually a means to an end. You're not s'posed to up sticks and migrate to ACF. It's part of a map. You don't have to look at it.

And you don't have to like it. As Little Miss has it - whatever. But don't slag it off without attmepting to understand it. Because if you do you will make me cross. And why would you do that? On my birthday? Three days before the Dun Run?

Aunty Rubbish

Go away Walker. You have your own private domain, with absolute control and no unpleasant presences to disturb you. Why do you feel the need to come over to other fora and sneer? I'm sure you have better things to do with your time.
I doubt Fiona would approve.

sam_walker

"So the cross-fora thing is part of the reflective process that generates something new"

yes

"Sam's rumination is actually a means to an end. You're not s'posed to up sticks and migrate to ACF. It's part of a map. You don't have to look at it. "

I said yes

"And you don't have to like it. "

I mean yes.

John Stevenson

Enough.

Topic locked. Posts that consisted of little or nothing but personal abuse deleted.