Sussex Cyclist's trolling of the forum

[PH]

Isn't the title of this post not the very definition of trolling itself?
I was some years ago moderated for calling someone's post trolling, on the basis that calling it that couldn't in any way by helpful! And now we have moderators doing just that.

If someone isn't playing by the forum's rules and ethos, delete the threads, ban the protagonists and move on. The moderation team are doing the forum no favours in prolonging this, with multiple review threads and now this provocative one. What's going on here? Playing tit for tat because you don't like something written on another forum about this one? Get over it and move on, please just stop it.

[Carlton green]

It is what it is. There has been a recent shift from pretty much free speech here to something else. I don’t know why that is the case but believe that CUK might be concerned that controversial views expressed on this forum could be deemed their own and then result in adverse consequences. I valued and learnt from broad ranging debate of a nature that, under new management, will no longer be allowed here. That’s life, enjoy what you can of the forum let the rest sort itself out over time.

As for use of the forum as a wider influencing tool to promote non cycling issues I’m not in favour of such activities.

Do you have a specific reason for believing that is the case?

Do I have reasons? Yes I do, but like I say the situation is what it is and I’ve no interest in debate about it. My perspective is simple: enjoy what you can of the forum and let the rest sort itself out over time.

[Bonefishblues]

It is what it is. There has been a recent shift from pretty much free speech here to something else. I don’t know why that is the case but believe that CUK might be concerned that controversial views expressed on this forum could be deemed their own and then result in adverse consequences. I valued and learnt from broad ranging debate of a nature that, under new management, will no longer be allowed here. That’s life, enjoy what you can of the forum let the rest sort itself out over time.

As for use of the forum as a wider influencing tool to promote non cycling issues I’m not in favour of such activities.

Do you have a specific reason for believing that is the case?

Do I have reasons? Yes I do, but like I say the situation is what it is and I’ve no interest in debate about it. My perspective is simple: enjoy what you can of the forum and let the rest sort itself out over time.

That's disappointing, especially as you allude to an intervention from CUK and a new policy/approach. If your attitude is as you say, then I am puzzled why you posted, making insinuations you aren't prepared to substantiate.

[PedallingSquares]

Has Sussex cyclist been banned for this 'trolling'?
I've been looking through his website/forum and I'm no wiser as to his intentions.

[multitool]

Has Sussex cyclist been banned for this 'trolling'?
I've been looking through his website/forum and I'm no wiser as to his intentions.

His intention is to draw more people into his 'debate' in the hope that they become radicalised in the way he has. This is why he has been posting the same content across several hobbyist fora. Naturally, he doesn't realise he has become radicalised (they never do) but one glance at his monobore obsession and it is clear that he has lost his mind. It is very far from the parameters of normal behaviour, and ultimately the best thing for everybody, including him, is to ignore him.

[simonineaston]

I've been looking through his website/forum and I'm no wiser as to his intentions.

Ditto... however am intent on applying the ABC Leaf this year - ie is it ABout Cycling? If no, not so interested... I joined this forum about a decade ago and have been so used to reading posts from seemingly sane and, if I may say so, ordinary, people. What's been extraordinary is the knowledge of and enthusiasm for, cycles. This episode has been a gentle reminder to me not to take such things for granted.

[Philip Benstead]

snip...despite those posts being entirely reasonable, polite and respectful, in no way breaching forum rules...snip

Rules have to evolve to support their intention and they're sometimes unspoken
Whether we like it or not we're on CUK's bicycle and if they want to develop it, it's theirs. I'm very sure that a lot of thought, conversation and moderator time goes into decisions, whether we agree with them or not

It is what it is. There has been a recent shift from pretty much free speech here to something else. I don’t know why that is the case but believe that CUK might be concerned that controversial views expressed on this forum could be deemed their own and then result in adverse consequences. I valued and learnt from broad ranging debate of a nature that, under new management, will no longer be allowed here. That’s life, enjoy what you can of the forum let the rest sort itself out over time.

As for use of the forum as a wider influencing tool to promote non cycling issues I’m not in favour of such activities.

Is there the need the demand for Cycling forum like this but

not controled by CTC/CUK?

[Bsteel]

Having watched the rise and fall of several hobby fora it seems that a forum follows a life cycle. Initially the forum forms around a small number of members wishing to discuss a single interest. This attracts specialists and soon the forum develops a reputation as a solid knowledge base. That quality knowledge base then attracts a larger audience who initially come for the information and then stay, but in doing so often widen the discussion and sub groups form. What happens at this point seems to then vary but frequently seems to involve a migration of the original core to a new home. This is triggered by items such as technical issues around the forum software, ownership of the forum changing or just the general nature of the discussion moving to far from the original concept,
I wonder if there has been any studies on forums and the membership data over time analysed ?

[simonineaston]

I wonder if there has been any studies on forums and the membership data over time analysed ?

Does the Pope live in the woods?! Meta / Google ect. will have oodles of studies on how we articulate our thoughts & preferences !!

[thirdcrank]

On one of the recent threads broadly about this subject, somebody referred to making money (AKA monetising ?) social media.

I noticed an item on the BBC www which is ostensibly about the problems of cycling couriers trying to make a living, a topic also recently discussed on other threads eg

not trendy at all and too boring to film!

viewtopic.php?p=1745537#p1745537

Here's another approach

Cost of living: Deliveroo and Uber couriers face uphill struggle

Atlanta (Martin) started riding in Worthing, near Brighton, during lockdown, sharing her trips on TikTok and YouTube, where she's grown her following to more than 50,000.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-63914936

I fancy controversy and aggro attract more followers than blandness

[simonineaston]

I fancy controversy and aggro attract more followers than blandness

Again, the tech companies have studied this topic closely for the last two decades. They know very well what makes us click. see too result of 2016 EU m'ship referendum, ect.

[horizon]

I joined this forum about a decade ago and have been so used to reading posts from seemingly sane and, if I may say so, ordinary, people.

What's nice about this forum is that you can find views on a range of current issues expressed by people much like oneself: practical, outdoorsy, middle-aged (largely) and quite well educated. There is also a good sense of humour and lots of banter. The cycling aspect keeps it going and open to new members (a good thing) but it is as much a social community as a specifically cycling one. Over-strict moderation would be as unwelcome as a free-for-all but a line has to be drawn somewhere. I liken it to holding a cycling meeting in a church hall - you keep the colourful language and raucous humour a bit quiet because of where you are and who else might be there, not because it necessarily reflects your own views. Currently the church warden is a bit sensitive about profanity and heresy but hey-ho, the tea and Rich Tea biscuits are good, the company pleasant, the heating is on and the weather outside is filthy (the only thing that is).

[simonineaston]

It's shocking to recall how quickly this has happened. A quick trawl through papers written about internet use and personal preferences reminds us that the first few years were dominated by people wondering how the internet could help us investigate how people felt. It was only around 2005 that folks started to realise that the 'net was here to stay and becoming part of 'real life' and the Q was then begged, how do people feel about that and how are they starting to react to the 'net growing in importance and influence in their daily lives.
The next steps are so important, so little understood. The nascent companies that we now know as the big tech usual suspects started out as maverick left-field, freedom-for-all spaces, driven by youngsters, with stars in their eyes - remember when Google wanted to publish 'all of human knowledge' ?? These ambitions didn't survive the interaction with two key influences, 9/11 & the 2008 global financial crisis. What happended next was a reversal of the sort of things they'd dreamed about. They were required, one way or another, to find out exactly what we wanted and to pass the knowledge on to commercial interests. They achieved this by inventing "the algorithm".
Now it's got all got completely out of hand - and some will argue - beyond our control.

[Philip Benstead]

It was suggest to me that the www concentrate and highlights view and opinions.

If I had great interest in the thermal vents in Atlantic before the days of www I want to

find like mined persons I would have to place advert in specific publications NOW I would just trawel the to find people.

Now I can find like mined people who belive what I belive or have the same physical, mental and emotional needs and wants as I.


Now if anybody find my need and wants come into conflicting with their emotional, religious and philosophy belive system they can express views which may be upsetting, this in turn will galvanise a response to demolished the creditabily of the view and outcast them from society and may cause them to losses their job and reputation.

[simonineaston]

Now I can find like mined people who belive what I belive or have the same physical, mental and emotional needs and wants as I.

Yes. Therein lies a problem, which is that people can quickly find themselves in a bubble that consists of views that don't challenge or improve their position, even when that position may be dangerous.
Folks can readily arrive at a social space that normalises extreme behaviour... these social groups differ from traditional social groups in that they're often engaged with individually, that is they occur online as opposed to old-fashioned multi-person social groups - to give two examples, a club that meets down the pub / church hall and secondly, family groups. The result is a lack of measure and nuance.