TAY Atmosphere

Given the recurring theme of "civility" in this thread, it seems relevant to link to a recent NY Times news story on the creation of a "Civility Institute" in Tuscon , which has Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush (pops) caring enough to sign on as honorary chairmen. From one of the founders of the institute:

One of the first steps, he said, would be to attempt defining “best practices and corrosive practices.”

“How do we nurture robustness on one hand and not in any way chill speech, and keep it in bounds that are not destructive to democracy?” he said. “Will it change the nature of dialogue? That will be a tall order.”

So if its any consolation, we're not the only folks grappling with these sorts of questions.

Of course, any such discussion, as we've seen here, will bring a certain degree of fair critique along with ridicule :

If we promote civility, might we not achieve a political nirvana where it is possible to be robust, vehement and caustic while at the same time remaining punctiliously civil and decorous?

Sure, but that would bring to mind another Ambrose Bierce quotation: “Politeness, n. The most acceptable hypocrisy.”

Well, I may not be terribly deep philosophically, and I'm quite sure that at some level my logic is flawed and my actions hypocritical, but for my part I would just like to see TAY remain/return to an environment that feels welcoming to past members who have shied away recently as well as to lurkers who have hesitated to enter the fray, while also being a place where even those folks can feel comfortable having a robust debate that focuses on what really matters, and not on scoring personal "gotchas." At some level this discussion seems to boil down to "who should change - the people who aren't liking the personal attacks, or the people conducting them?" In a community this small and local, it seems to me that the latter is not unreasonable to hope for. I have, of course, been called overly optimistic and naive in the past...

I'm kind of new here relative to a lot of posters. Please help me understand. Is TAY a community or a clique? It is getting kind of blurred in my mind. Let me help with definitions (mine).
A community defines a group of people with a common interest but accepting of fringe ideas as long as the end goal is entertained.  In this case , human powered winter adventure in the PNW.  Some tele, some ride lifts, some skin but all embrace the mountains in snow as opposed to a winter spent waiting for summer.  A clique would expect all to embrace a very narrow mantra and would love to have a Tee shirt like this.

It's about skiing man, not interwebz fights cuz some pussy got his feelings hurt. You gotta embrace it.. its about winning..having tigers blood in your veins.... embracing the skiing and the posting and loving it hard and violently with a violent love and hatred.
It's about winning...... living like a biotchin rockstar skier.... crusing pow, the skintrack, the tele, the AT, the nice the bad the ugly the beautiful and saying ...yes I'm winning cuz I'm doing it with my brain switched on and the electrons are flowing and you don't care man what the guy with the 5 kids and bean bag chairs is posting about ....cuz I'z got my fat skis, gas money and a reefer in the pocket and some PJ sandwiches and it snowing...... snowing like tigers blood.

O please please please O great benevolent dictator purchase IGNORE software if such wonders exist. I've got a few posters that add no value for me.

Marcus - thanks for asking. I thought Charles started a great community and you've been keeping the spirit. I myself was asked to tone my rhetoric down in years past and once I read my note from someone Else's eyes, I agreed that I came off like an arrogant jerk (this might very well be true, but not the point here). The system works.

Good luck to you.

Hi Marcus-

I have also noticed the site has a different feel in the last couple years in regards to forum posts.  I suspect it has to do with more people using the site for daytime entertainment rather than strictly for getting and providing touring beta.  I am not opposed to the recreational posting and am not too worried about users getting their feelings hurt from 'cyber bullies', however it does seem to have diluted the usable content of the site.  Anymore, I mostly am using the site for the very nice weather links page and to pass the time lurking during lunch break.  I do think it would be a shame if the trend continued and TAY became another cascadeclimbers.

In the end, you should guide the site to whatever you want it to be.  There is a community that uses it, but it is your site and your vision rules.  I personally preferred it when the site was dryer and had less spray; it definitely was less 'lively' but IMO more useful.

edit: I also agree with the others that have suggested regional categories for TR's.

Orion

It's about winning...... living like a biotchin rockstar skier.... crusing pow, the skintrack, the tele, the AT, the nice the bad the ugly the beautiful and saying ...yes I'm winning cuz I'm doing it with my brain switched on and the electrons are flowing and you don't care man what the guy with the 5 kids and bean bag chairs is posting about ....cuz I'z got my fat skis, gas money and a reefer in the pocket and some PJ sandwiches and it snowing...... snowing like tigers blood.

Also the poet laureate of TAY, as of now, in the spirit of Ginsberg. Howl from The Gondola, as read by Scotsman!