TAY Atmosphere

What we're asking for is for people to moderate their behavior. Moderating one's behavior happens all the time in public spaces.

I believe people here do that as they would in public places. The problem (if you see it as such) is that everyone moderates their own behavior to their own standards. My moderation is probably different than yours or Jim's or the guy that called me a dick.



I'd rather be treated like an adult and be trusted to self-moderate, and be prepared for the fact that others may self-moderate to a greater or lesser degree than I as opposed to being held to someone else's standard of 'civility'.

Another lurker.  I have alternatively been amused and irritated by flame war type "discussions".  Despite the argument that constructive criticism is being presented, I don't find them all that constructive (although occasionally I do find them entertaining).  How about a little rating button for posts?  Enough "flags" and the post gets minimized so you have to click a button to see it.  It would also allow Marcus to see where discussions are getting rowdy quickly (even an e-mail alert?) in case he needs to wade into the fray.  An ignore feature would also work, although I don't think I'd use it much.  Most of the "offending parties" here post valuable info on a pretty regular basis and I wouldn't want to lose that.

In general, Marcus, you're doing a fine job.  I occasionally think you're a little late to pull the trigger, but that's based on my own personal line.  Most of the time I think you walk the tightrope just right.

To the aggressive posters: just please try and tone it down a notch.  If you're getting moderated, please stop to think that maybe there is a reason that isn't based on "the man keeping you down".  If you sincerely didn't mean anything, just re-post with more carefully selected words.

To those who would leave insulted: Relatively few of these shenanigans go on in the trip reports.  Staying there would limit the exposure.

I have been quiet on the following issue waiting for Marcus to address it which he hasn't so I will.
It's no big deal but I think should be in the public arena especially since everybody seems it OK to be so frank  and talk about me.

Firstly, disclosures. PNWBrit is a good friend of mine and is as generous and nice a guy as everybody who knows him says he is but also has an absolutely wicked dry sense of humor and a sarcastic talent equally by very few.
He is not concerned he got banned from TAY... doesn't want back.... hasn't asked any of his friends to get him back and the Bring PNWBrit thing on his friends banners on TAY are just a joke.
I miss the little devil but neither am I concerned if he gets back or not.

Now the story.
Brit was well known on TAY for delivering snarky one-liners especially against posters who he felt had made a stupid statement or action. I have to admit that there were times when even I would do a double take and think that his reply was too harsh and unkind. He knows this.
A few years back he posted a particularly virulent reply to a poster and when he and I were talking about it he mentioned that he had received a PM from Marcus basically congratulating him on the harshness of his post and that some people needed to be slapped down to get the point across and telling him well done. He thought it very strange and significant to the extent that he copied me on the e-mail so I could see it. We discussed it afterwards and I told him I was very surprised by Marcus's message and I never thought about it ever again until Brit got banned. Nor did  Brit and I ever discuss it from that day until the day he got banned.
Now admittedly at that time Marcus was not a moderator or owner of TAY and just a common member of the proletariat like me.
When I raised the issue with Marcus after Brit's banning, he said he vaguely remembered the message . My point to Marcus was that his message to Brit certainly enabled Brits harsh postings. Marcus's defence was that if Brit felt that he( Marcus) had somehow encouraged Brit to post harshly, Brit could have and should have contacted him to clarify especially when he took over as TAY owner.
I suggested to Marcus that he should go public about it out of fairness and he said he would think it over but the discussion got derailed by recent events .
Do I think bad about Marcus for congratulating Brit for a particularly harsh post and then banning him for the same behaviour. No, not really... we're all fallible  and flawed and hypocritical at times and Marcus like Brit is a great human being whom I admire.
However that being said, I do find the story ironic and germain to this thread especially given the posturing by some.

… I suggested to Marcus that he should go public about it out of fairness and he said he would think it over but the discussion got derailed by recent events .
Do I think bad about Marcus for congratulating Brit for a particularly harsh post and then banning him for the same behaviour. No, not really... we're all fallible  and flawed and hypocritical at times and Marcus like Brit is a great human being whom I admire.
However that being said, I do find the story ironic and germain to this thread especially given the posturing by some.

You’re wrong, Chris, it’s absolutely NOT germaine.

Nonetheless, just so the whole story be told, Marcus actually did give some thought to your suggestion at the time that he “out of fairness” go public with the matter and in fact asked me my opinion on the matter. My opinion was then as it is now: “just because you supported the brit on a particular post long before you had anything to do with the management of TAY does not obligate you to support the brit in belittleing and driving off good members. Nor do you have any obligation to explain your past actions to the brit, scotty or anyone else.”

Chris you keep trying to play the “fairness card” and claim that TAY is a republic not a monarchy. But the fact is it is neither. It is a business; a solely owned business owned by one person who may choose to run it in any way he wishes. He has absolutely no obligation to be “Fair” to you or anyone else. Check the Terms of Use; nothing in there about the site, moderators or owners having any obligation to be fair. Probably nothing in the articles of incorporation or by-laws either.

The fact that he started this topic leads me to believe that he truly cares to provide a valuable resource for skiers in an atmosphere that the majority of the current users would prefer. But “fair” is off the table, mate. If you don’t like it go somewhere else and play

You’re wrong, Chris, it’s absolutely NOT germaine.

It is a business; a solely owned business owned by one person who may choose to run it in any way he wishes. He has absolutely no obligation to be “Fair” to you or anyone else.

  But “fair” is off the table, mate. If you don’t like it go somewhere else and play

Well thanks for clarifying that Ron and now I fully understand what TAY is and hopefully everybody else does and that fairness, honesty and trying not to be hypocritical  within your " community" are not requirements of posters or Owners on TAY.
One minute it's a community where good virtues are expected and demanded and the next its a business where they are not required... it gets confusing

Let's not run this one off the rails completely.

First, thanks to everyone for truly excellent comments -- a lot of really good stuff here. I'm going to chew on it for a few days and post my thoughts on it later in the week. Please do continue to chime in here.

Re: the last few posts -- Chris and I have talked at length about this and I'm happy to discuss it here if folks really want to. I knew when I shut down the "Smuggest" thread that we'd be having this larger conversation down the road and I knew this particular topic would come in, so it's not a big deal.

I'll touch on it more later in the week -- don't have time now -- but reducing the process of managing this site to fair or unfair doesn't do it justice. Anyway, more on that later.

Again, thanks to everyone for such thoughtful responses.