Unfortunatly It's time

imported
#1

Well the facts are are undeniable, it is time for a login setup. Possibly with only bonofide journalists being able to post. This is the last thing I want to see, but is there an alternative? We can’t have lief and zip up 24/7 trying to keep this site free from hate. Readers would still have access to all the posts and journals, just not able to post. Sensorship is a subject that turns my stomach, I spent years in radio fighting it. But there are somethings that are simply not defendable.

BearKat

#2

You are wrong, everything is debatable. Especially the PC crap most people obediantly swallow.

And it’s spelled censorship, not sensorship.

Pine Cones

#3

We might help keep Trail Forums alive by not responding under inappropriate headings or titles like the one in question. Now if someone had left the hate out and phrased the question in a half way intelligent manner then an intelligent discussion would ensue. BTW I was out for two weeks last summer and over a 175 mile stretch of the trail, I did meet up with two Black hikers at different times. One was a very intelligent middle aged person. A real asset to the hiking community. The other was a younger guy with a great sense of humor. There were 3 others in the shelter and he kept us all in stitches. Great guy. Actually, I think he was on his second thru-hike. The other thing we could do to help Lief & Zip is to each post an entry or two on any “non-hate” type subject. Any other ideas?

Skeemer

#4

i’m too shocked just yet to come up with any ideas of what to do, but i must express some feelings. my heart is very heavy after reading the last thread; i am utterly incredulous and disappointed to the point of tears. it almost makes me not want to hike the Trail if there are people on it with that attitude, let alone revisit this site. i had no idea this embracing hiker-community could stoop to exclusivity. i take comfort in knowing the hate does not reflect the character of every member.

hephzibah

#5

You are right it is censorship! But you are also wrong. Hep, take heart and know that the people in question are not journalists, nobody who has walked these paths could ever hold that much hatred in thier hearts.

BearKat

#6

How will logins prevent offensive posting? I see a real need to prevent someone from posting something offensive and using someone elses name. As things seem to be set up now, I could say anything and post as, say, Bushwhack. Would the logins be used to get rid of people who might be a little controversial? Also, I get tons of spam in my email so keeping my email address private is important. Would this still be possible?

Fred

#7

Logins will not prevent people from posting the types of messages that were recently posted. When we do add logins we will still allow people without logins to post to the site.

We have some ideas on how to limit the negative messages that get posted, but there will be no way to eliminated it. I guess not responding to a hateful message is a good start as well.

Thanks for the insight all.

Leif

#8

One fool will not change the way our forums are run. It is important for people to share ideas. It is also important so to with some class.

Up to this point these forums have been completely uncensored. I haven’t had to delete a topic since we started the forums, a little more then 2 years ago and nearly 5000 posts. This fact should speak much LOUDER then 3 very ignorant posts.

On the technical side, there are several very easy ways to keep this from happening again. FYI: Moderators, and automatic censors on the posts - if you aren’t clean it won’t be posted.

Sorry I can’t implement then right now. I need some sleep, I was a zombie at work yesterday, two days in row would not be good.

And to Vonbluvens, I’m watching. :wink:

ZipDrive

#9

This topic prompted my 1st post on your site; I’ve been lurking for a long time. I would like to say thank you for taking a strong and decisive stance against hate. Not too long ago the people at WhiteBlase initial reaction to a similar event was to tolerate and ignore.

I understand you cannot prevent the attacks, but I do like your reaction to them.

I would, without hesitation, recommend this site to anyone of any color, race, religion, etc.

Greg

#10

Unfortunately there are people like this who are hiking the trail. I had an encounter with one in 2000, he was very drunk and not ashamed to make his feelings known. Do not let this deter you from your hike. Deal with it. If you are uncomfortable about someones acts or opinions tell them and move on. Beleive it or not on th trail its easy to avoid someone, especailly and idiot loudmouth.:smokin

Chef

#11

“%*$! & LIGHT”
There was a woman hiker who left that in every journal entry I remember seeing during my AT 01 NOBO. It summed up her positivity. On tough days, upon reaching shelter, I reached for the register and thumbed to her familiar writing. Every time, I smiled as her words pierced through my self-imposed fog. The air would clear around me, and my strength would return. For miles and miles, I meditated on those words. I still do…

Thanks Wild Rose.

%*$! and light (she would underline each word separately),
T.W.

THA WOOKIE

#12

The word L-O-V-E is currently censored. I’m sure it’s a simple mistake, and in fact I think its quite funny.:smiley:

THA WOOKIE

#13

I just wanted to test it out with nice words… I didn’t want to post a bunch of nogood words if it didn’t work. :oh

Leif

#14

The N word is just a word. The people that use it are not worth wasting time on… Just put one foot in front of the other, follow the blazes & it will soon be behind us.

Lets talk about something interesting, here… Like, I heard there was going to be a Bear Cat hiking the trail…
Now that’s somethin I can get my teeth into…

Dog

PS. Kat - almost time… Just get in the zone, and go man…

hotdog

#15

I was as disappointed as anyone to see the posts. This is a nice community, and I’m sure the posts were from outside. However, all a login system for journalists only would prevent a lot of people from learning from and participating in the discussions. Whatever protection such a system would provide wouldn’t be worth the loss to the vibracncy. As far as how to deal with obnixious/hateful posts. I’m with skeemer. Ignore them, totally. It takes two to have an argument, and any replies to them stand a good chance of just provoking more hate. Don’t stoop to their level.

Saluki Dave

#16

THA WOOKIE when I read your comments it reminded me of something I commented on a lot in the journal of my thru-hike last year. It was the way the registers along the trail were treated. There was a lot of language that would not be appropriate for the young boys and girls that spend time in the registers. I mean the register entries, as do post on this site, can produce humors and informative threads but when you litter them with language that is offensive to the majority of our social it tarnishes the experience. Yes, there should be freedom of expression within the trail community. That same freedom is what we all are hiking for. But there is a thing called social responsibility. It is an individual’s choice and censorship doesn’t work to foster it. The only way you change it is to change the ideals of the ones that avoid the responsibility. So taking a stance on it and discussing it breeds change. Sure the registers aren’t going to clean up anytime soon but it doesn’t mean I can’t try. I took pictures of some entries out there, a little social subculture at work. Ain’t it great?:cheers

Two Scoops

#17

I agree with Vonbluvens views, as do many others who don’t feel free to speak their minds these days. But I really wonder why he’s posting like that. First, there isn’t a problem in the first place. Very few of us have seen blacks on the trail. So what’s the fuss? Second, those posts could be counterproductive. We all know how confrontational blacks are, and if they happened to read his Vonbluven’s rants they might invade the backcountry by the hundreds just to prove a point. Like I said in one of his posts before it was deleted:

IF IT AIN’T BROKE DON’T FIX IT

:pimp

Pine Cones

#18

Go to www.naawp.com That’s the site for you.

Lone Wolf

#19

There are those of us who are out there every day fighting to defend our southern heritage. Then along comes ignorance and hatred and the rest of us are sterotyped by their actions. Dont worry too much about running into this type of person on the trail. They simply dont get it.

Virginian

#20

I’m glad to hear you’re fighting to defend our Southern heritage, Virginian. Remember Robert E. Lee? He was a Virginia native and one of the most honorable Americans who ever lived. But we don’t celebrate his birthday in the 3d week of January like we did not too many years ago, because the blacks insist we celebrate Martin L. King’s instead. He is hardly ever mentioned anymore. Sad.

Remember the Confederate Flag? It represents Southern pride and heritage. But it isn’t flown as much ever since the blacks started sterotyping it as “racist” and threatening our politicians to remove it from our state flags. So where is the hatred coming from? I see a lot more black hatred of white culture, and especially of our Southern heritage, than the other way around.

:pimp

Pine Cones