I'm sure there was a post about this this morning but now it's disappeared. Did i imagine it? Anyone know what has happened to it?
www.transandalus.org.
Transandalus cycle route
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andymiller
- Posts: 1716
- Joined: 8 Dec 2007, 10:26am
Si wrote:I believe that it was removed because it was duplicated on more than one board and the content was thought to either be spam or break the forum rules on commercial advertising. AFAIK it has been placed in stasis until a final decision is made.
Can I just say that the the transandalus route is non-commercial and something that will be of interest to members of this forum (certainly of interest to me). It is a genuine collaborative effort by volunteers and a significant resource for cycling: I would have thought it would be the sort of thing we should be supporting and applauding. I'm sure that whoever removed the thread could have found this out for themselves by simply following the link.
Someone needs to get a sense of perspective. I hope the moderators will quickly see sense and reinstate this thread.
Please could you let me know what the decision is on this.
Hi,
I'm the original poster and am sorry if I broke forum rules by posting in two places. It seemed to me that this long route would appeal to cyclists interested in an expedition as well as mountain bikers.
It is definitely NOT a commercial adventure. The volunteers who work on the project are dedicated and incredibly generous. They have put on the web, for free, information that would cyclists would normally have to pay for in the form of a guidebook and maps.
I was delighted to find out about this trail and thought many of your readers would also be happy to know about it.
Elaine
I'm the original poster and am sorry if I broke forum rules by posting in two places. It seemed to me that this long route would appeal to cyclists interested in an expedition as well as mountain bikers.
It is definitely NOT a commercial adventure. The volunteers who work on the project are dedicated and incredibly generous. They have put on the web, for free, information that would cyclists would normally have to pay for in the form of a guidebook and maps.
I was delighted to find out about this trail and thought many of your readers would also be happy to know about it.
Elaine
Someone needs to get a sense of perspective.
Such comments are unhelpful. The people that do spam busting and moderation do it as an unpaid voluntary job to help keep the forum running smoothly. Sometimes a better safe than sorry attitude is taken and things are moved until a decision is made which often requires people taking time out of there real lives/jobs to look into the matter. This does not mean that posts are just arbitrarily binned off without a second glance: as I said it was put in safe keeping until a decision was made.
Indeed, it would have helped the OP's cause if they had not spammed the board with multiple copies of the same post, always a good way of putting the staff on alert.
Suggesting that the board staff do not have a sense of perspective will do little to get the OP returned I fear. A hell of a lot of time can be taken up with dealing with spam and maintenance of other forum rules so you will have to forgive us if we do so to our own schedules not yours.
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andymiller
- Posts: 1716
- Joined: 8 Dec 2007, 10:26am
Si wrote:Someone needs to get a sense of perspective.
Such comments are unhelpful. The people that do spam busting and moderation do it as an unpaid voluntary job to help keep the forum running smoothly. Sometimes a better safe than sorry attitude is taken and things are moved until a decision is made which often requires people taking time out of there real lives/jobs to look into the matter. This does not mean that posts are just arbitrarily binned off without a second glance: as I said it was put in safe keeping until a decision was made.
Indeed, it would have helped the OP's cause if they had not spammed the board with multiple copies of the same post, always a good way of putting the staff on alert.
Suggesting that the board staff do not have a sense of perspective will do little to get the OP returned I fear. A hell of a lot of time can be taken up with dealing with spam and maintenance of other forum rules so you will have to forgive us if we do so to our own schedules not yours.
Ok I withdraw the remark about sense of perspective but frankly I was gobsmacked by this. I appreciate that people are acting as moderators on an unpaid basis, but so are the people who have put together the Transandalus route. The fact that the moderators are doing this unpaid does not make this any less of a bad decision.
Using the word spam here is equally unhelpful. Let's be clear: spam is advertising Viagra, penis enlargement, appeals from Nigerian princes, dodgy shares. In what possible sense was passing on information about an off-road cycle route 'spam'?
Personally I am glad that this was posted in more than one forum - I rarely go outside the Touring and Expedition forum.
Just in case anyone is wondering what all the fuss is about. Here is the text of the original post. (More or less). I appreciate that moderators have real lives and real jobs but I am at a loss as to how anyone - no matter how rushed could read this as spam.
The official TransAndalus website, www.transandalus.org, is now accessible in English as well as Spanish. This magnificent trail, developed and maintained by volunteers, traverses Andalucía on a route similar to the ACA's Great Divide Route. The comprehensive website includes all the information needed to cycle the route: maps, GPS tracks, detailed route guides, photos, FAQ's, listings of accommodations, and a forum.
From the website:
"The TransAndalus is a 2000 km long mountain bike route which makes a complete circuit through the autonomous region of Andalucía and runs the length of its eight provinces. The climate in Andalucía is ideal for bicycle touring and invites you to travel through its streets and country trails and discover places, scenery and people that are often very different from those found on the traditional tourist circuit.
To give you an idea of the beauty of the route, one need only list some of the precious natural scenery through which it passes: Cabo de Gata, Karst de Yesos en Sorbas, Sierra de Baza, Cazorla, Despeñaperros, Andújar, Cardeña and Montoro, Sierra Norte, Aracena and Picos de Aroche, Doñana, El Estrecho, Los Alcornocales, Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama, Sierra Nevada. Not to mention the outstandingly precious environments of el Valle de Los Pedroches, la Sierra de los Filabres and la Sierra de Gádor.
The TransAndalus is a project made possible by the cyclists of Andalucía, who by means of volunteers and communicating together over the internet have collaborated together, contributing information about the sections in their respective provinces. We hope that you enjoy your cycle tour in Andalucía."
Hi Andy,
It was me that moved the posts.
I stand by my decision to move them.
My reasons were:
1st post by a newly registered forum-member - always worth checking out.
Posted on two MBs simultaneously.
Written in a way that sounded like an advert, rather than in a "chatty" way that the usual posters use.
The posts were "put aside" with comments from me, for others to make a final decision about them.
I apologise for upsetting you, but I do not apologise for my actions.
Regards,
Mick.
It was me that moved the posts.
I stand by my decision to move them.
My reasons were:
1st post by a newly registered forum-member - always worth checking out.
Posted on two MBs simultaneously.
Written in a way that sounded like an advert, rather than in a "chatty" way that the usual posters use.
The posts were "put aside" with comments from me, for others to make a final decision about them.
I apologise for upsetting you, but I do not apologise for my actions.
Regards,
Mick.
Andy:
1/ if you are going to put links in your pots you oughta really test that they work
2/ on the subject of spamming, you may have noticed a while back a number of posts that appeared for a period that suggested that they were extelling the virtues of cycling in Spain. Looked inocent enough but they turned out to be posted with the intention of flogging holidays, and thus were spam (if the CTC allows free advertiing to commercial ventures on it's web site then why should those that pay for their advertising carry on paying? instead they too would go for free adverts and the CTC would up the membership fees to make up for this loss of revenue).
Thus, multiple posts about cycling in Spain by brand new users are prone to ring allarm bells.
What's that you say? You didn't see the posts that I am talking about? Well that's probably down to our spam fighting policies working well and our spam busters, such as Mick, doing such good job.
1/ if you are going to put links in your pots you oughta really test that they work
2/ on the subject of spamming, you may have noticed a while back a number of posts that appeared for a period that suggested that they were extelling the virtues of cycling in Spain. Looked inocent enough but they turned out to be posted with the intention of flogging holidays, and thus were spam (if the CTC allows free advertiing to commercial ventures on it's web site then why should those that pay for their advertising carry on paying? instead they too would go for free adverts and the CTC would up the membership fees to make up for this loss of revenue).
Thus, multiple posts about cycling in Spain by brand new users are prone to ring allarm bells.
What's that you say? You didn't see the posts that I am talking about? Well that's probably down to our spam fighting policies working well and our spam busters, such as Mick, doing such good job.
Not yet, but I'm headed there in November. I've found the forum on the TransAndalus site to be a really helpful place to get information about specifics of the trail. People can ask a question in English if their Spanish isn't up to posting, and they will get replies in both English and Spanish from cylists who have spent a lot of time working on the route.
The site has a lot of information on it that isn't obvious at first glance. Try clicking on the Visor de Tramos and then on a section of the route that you are interested in.
Elaine
The site has a lot of information on it that isn't obvious at first glance. Try clicking on the Visor de Tramos and then on a section of the route that you are interested in.
Elaine
I agree ths is a brilliant site and made easier for us poor Spanish speakers by cyclist who have taken the time to translate it for us. I can't wait for the routes to be done as this ride is on my to do list for 2010. Next years trip is already planned.
Thank you Elaine for bringing it to our attention. I am e-mailing the link to my US friends to see if they will be able to join in.
Thank you Elaine for bringing it to our attention. I am e-mailing the link to my US friends to see if they will be able to join in.
Hi egriffn.
If you're going there in November any idea what the weather'll be? I used to spend winter times down that some years ago and it could get cold at times but I was thinking of going back there this year before Christmas and this route appeals to me. If I can't get there myself I hope you do and enjoy yourself.
Pity about the disagreements though. I've found it easy to upset many applecarts myself wothout meaning to. I've rewritten this posting several times for fear of being misunderstood. Let's make up and be friends. Wasn't that an LP some time back or am I just starting another argument?
Have fun.
If you're going there in November any idea what the weather'll be? I used to spend winter times down that some years ago and it could get cold at times but I was thinking of going back there this year before Christmas and this route appeals to me. If I can't get there myself I hope you do and enjoy yourself.
Pity about the disagreements though. I've found it easy to upset many applecarts myself wothout meaning to. I've rewritten this posting several times for fear of being misunderstood. Let's make up and be friends. Wasn't that an LP some time back or am I just starting another argument?
Have fun.
Wallyone and Lisa, I hope you get to try out the route. The English translations for the eight provincial route guides are currently in the process of being completed.
For planning purposes, one place to find a wealth of climate information is the Junta de Andalucia website. They have posted maps that show monthly precipitation and temperatures for 1961 - 1990, as well as for the last three years.
juntadeandalucia
Elaine
For planning purposes, one place to find a wealth of climate information is the Junta de Andalucia website. They have posted maps that show monthly precipitation and temperatures for 1961 - 1990, as well as for the last three years.
juntadeandalucia
Elaine