"Here's what I've done to stay in shape since last October: nothing. Nothing at all. Let me re-state this one other way: I have 0 miles for the year. In fact none going back to last Halloweenie (sic). Why do I tell you this? So you won't come expecting capability I don't have.
It is chutspah for me to still regard my aging, faltering, doddering, out-of-shape self as even at the lowest end of the ""A""s, yet my shallow pride seems to require it.
This is an A ride...if only because I won't stop for more than a 10 min. snack, and, at that, not in Piermont and not in Nyack. That requires social skills I don't have.
If this sounds like your kind of sloth, let us comfort one another.
Boathouse: 9:30. River Road. God knows what else."
Sat. 3/10 9:30 Boathouse A very, very minus 18/19 50± mi.
Fri, 03/10/2006 - 3:56pm
Fri, 03/10/2006 - 6:17pm
#1
Truth in advertising
"For God's sakes, why not just call it a ""B"" ride? What's next? An A14?"
Fri, 03/10/2006 - 8:17pm
#2
Just come and tell me if it's a B ride. Hint: It isn't.
The content of your note is precisely the argument for why people, in this case, you, post anonymously. It shields people from being identified with ignorance.
I don't dispute that the ride is at the low end of the A scale. In fact, it is. In further fact, I said it is. But I'm not aware there are B rides that stop for only ten minutes in a 50ish mile ride or that average 19MPH on the flats and that do climbs of 8, 10, and 11 or 12%...but I defer to you: perhaps you know the club and its ride categorization better than I. I'm new to the club, having been in it only 24 years.
Sat, 03/11/2006 - 3:35am
#3
Anonymous Coward
I agree with Richard. Why are you posting anonymously? Something to hide? Normally, I wouldn't say or write such a thing, but since you have express yourself in such a negative way: either reveal yourself or shut up.
Note to the board: this is exactly why anonymous posts should not be allowed.
Sat, 03/11/2006 - 3:25am
#4
Knowing Richard ....
... this will be a challenging A ride for A19 level riders in March, who probably don't have many miles under them this year either.
Sat, 03/11/2006 - 4:37am
#5
old bears be cautious
You know what they say about old bears coming out from hiberation at the first snowfall and shoveling furiously? Anyway, be careful. I'd join you but even I, an all-year cyclist, who's apparently missed the call for hiberation, am not up for River Road yet.
I'll join you later, Richard.
Thu, 03/16/2006 - 8:07pm
#6
My apologies to Richard
Hi all, I’ve received a few e-mails about this rather mysterious post, so I thought I would try to address it as briefly as possible.
I had originally posted a message to this thread anonymously. Someone later added my actual name to it. To the best of my knowledge, only the club’s web masters have the ability to change or remove someone else’s posting. The message board states that anonymous posts are allowed, but we really don’t seem to have a very clear policy on this.
In any case, the remark was unnecessary and I would like to apologize to Richard for posting it. It was made in haste and doesn’t really reflect on my views on how the club should be run. In a volunteer club such as ours, I believe our ride leaders are our most important asset. Ultimately, they should be able to list rides in any way that they see fit. Mea culpa!
Fri, 03/17/2006 - 11:48am
#7
Feh
Ok, wait a minute...I thought the comment was hilarious. Was it on point? I don't know, I don't do A rides. I do go on lots of B rides and lead B rides that sound a lot like this one. Yes, we climb steep hills; yes, we take short breaks. At least my rides do. And so do Stephen's rides.
Also, I don't like it when people pick on my friends. You're awesome and I don't think that you should have to apologize for cracking a joke, anonymously or otherwise.
Fri, 03/17/2006 - 12:24pm
#8
Ha ha
Thanks, Ivy! But I do think the apology was in order. My intent was simply to raise the issue, not anyone's ire.
While I do think we as a club could be more consistent in how we classify rides, at the end of the day it doesn't really matter that much. We're mostly a group of recreational riders looking for safe, fun rides and the company of good friends.
In my book, anyone who takes the time to lead a ride deserves our kudos.
Fri, 03/17/2006 - 4:20pm
#9
time to consider...
"...moving to vbulletin before peter/tim decide to move in. vbulletin is THE message board solution for the club. it's been out there for a very long time...has a fierce (and very widespread) following, is very affordable, easily customizable, etc., etc., etc.
what the nycc DOES NOT want to have happen is what is happening to one of my clients now...a very skilled programmer built an intranet site from the ground up using code that only a very expensive programmer MAY be able to come in and figure out. not a good position to be in (anyone know a good asp/xml programmer with internet/intranet experience?).
ps, the point of my post is to show the nycc that vbulletin offers so much flexibility that the nycc can set up message board registration, appoint forum moderators, allow members to rate each other based on thier posts, etc...all this and much, much more is easily attainable using vbulletin.
('sides, i'm sure peter/tim are getting tired of all this c**p anyhow and would rather be riding their bikes!)
don"
Fri, 03/17/2006 - 5:19pm
#10
No thanks
"I like the NYCC message board just fine the way it is. I think ""vbulletin"" and its ilk are clumsy and awkward, and nothing to hold up as examples of good user-interface design.
The club will always need a webmaster of some kind, and he or she may or may not know anything about vbulletin. Even the simplest program on the scale of a message-board server requires at least SOME knowledge to setup and run.
Besides, do you actually know how much code and programming are behind the current system? Do you know for a fact that the current code is poorly written and poorly documented, so that the next webmaster would be at a complete loss?
I also cannot imagine what the point of a post-based ""rating system"" would be. What, if you give bad advice, you can't go on a club ride? Would you be penalized for typos or poor grammar? Ugh, I can't stand this type of stuff!
And finally, it's OK with me if folks want to post anonymously. It's just not that big a deal, and most posters on this board use their names, anyway, just as I am now.
"
Sat, 03/18/2006 - 10:16am
#11
you're missing the point...
> I like the NYCC message board just fine the way it is.
sure, it's a beautiful site...but what happens when peter moves on? good design goes beyond the asthetics and the gui - think functionality, manageablity and longetivity.
> The club will always need a webmaster of some kind,
> and he or she may or may not know anything about vbulletin.
vbulletin is a widely used, well documented and highly supported message board solution - not to mention it's the most flexible and easy to learn. there are literally tens of thousands of vbulletin-driven message boards out there. vbulletin is something anyone (with a background in webdesign/programming) can deploy/manage. however, only peter can mange the current (hand written custom made) site. not a good position for the nycc to be in.
i also don't like the fact that the webmaster/programmer can delete posts at will - the message board belongs to the club (irrespective of who does the grunge work) and the nycc board should be the ones who set the ground rules and assign moderators...vbulletin would facilitate this.
peter/carol...i emailed you offline.
don (too cold to ride - gym day)
Sat, 03/18/2006 - 12:04pm
#12
Don wrote:
> i also don't like the fact that the webmaster/programmer
> can delete posts at will
I don't like that either (as stated in my prior message), but vbulletin won't solve that. I moderate a vbulletin-based message board, and I can delete and edit messages as desired.
Also, vbulletin is easy to hack. Not that the current NYCC message board might not be, but the vulnerabilities in vbulletin are well-known.
In other words, what we have here is a control or people issue, not a software problem.
- Christian
Sat, 03/18/2006 - 12:40pm
#13
software problems vs people problems
"> I moderate a vbulletin-based message board, and
> I can delete and edit messages as desired.
exactly...you're a moderator so you can do so. if the nycc moved to vbulletin, the nycc board can appoint moderators.
> Also, vbulletin is easy to hack. Not that the current
> NYCC message board might not be, but the vulnerabilities
> in vbulletin are well-known.
alot of things are easy to hack...including windows, mac osx, apache, etc. the best protection is keeping up with the patches. vbulletin released the last patch three weeks ago.
> In other words, what we have here is a control or people
> issue, not a software problem.
vbulletin gives the nycc board the ability to properly control the message board. the current ""i'm the king of the sandbox because i built it"" attitude is unacceptable.
using proprietary software takes control/accountability away from the nycc board - and gives it to the programmer. the nycc board needs to put this issue on the table at the next board meeting so they don't get caught with their lycra down when peter moves on - or when peter crosses even further over the line.
don (three time former board member)"
Sat, 03/18/2006 - 11:54am
#14
"Wow, I have to say, I think the news of this thread is that the webmaster unilaterally decided to go and un-anonymize an anonymous post. I think that's completely and utterly outrageous. Whether you like or dislike anyonymous posting, the current policies allow it, and to reveal the name of the poster is a total affront.
What if a poster posts anonymously because they don't want their employer to find the posts? Or Michael Chertoff? Or what if they just think the information they post stands on its own merits and doesn't need to be attributed.
For instance, if you look at technical threads on this website, ""Chainwheel"" is probably the most prolific and knowledgeable poster here. Do you need to know who he is? Does he need to worry he'll be revealed? I suppose so.
Say what you will about anonymous posting, but to reveal the name of an anonymous poster goes totally beyond the pale. I'm stunned.
BTW, to all users: if you use the same computer to post to the NYCC message board both anonymously and with attribution, your id can be found by looking at the ip address and comparing it to the ip address of previous posts. Email me and I'll tell you a few easy ways to get around this! [email protected] (my name is in the Author field...)
I guess I'll have to run for the board next year... Totally unbelievable.
- Christian"
Sat, 03/18/2006 - 1:00pm
#15
sour grapes
"There's no such thing as true anonymity in the Internet. Just ask your wife, Ivy. She learned the hard way being outted after posting some contentious posts. It was not done by the webmasters, but rather by and individual or individuals in the message board community.
No one has complained until now. It’s interesting who is doing the complaining now with wrought with sanctimony and straw man arguments.
That information below the Author's name serves a very good purpose and has been of great benefit to the message board. If you need numbers to back that assertion, well then just look at the Activity link.
Regarding a ""few easy ways around this"" - no Internet usage is anonymous, even when using a proxy server. Additionally many service providers, including ours will block such requests that come from certain, if not all proxy servers.
If a poster posts anonymously because they don't want their employer to find the posts, well then they should not be posting in the first place. Besides, that’s a defense for dishonesty.
If they just think the information they post stands on its own merits, then there should be no problem posting such using you real name. This is something you understand quite well because you do so using your real name. Additionally, while “Chainwheel” does not, he does include his real email address. This post did not.
While Stephen was gracious to apologize to Richard, he only tells half the story when he writes, ""the message board states that anonymous posts are allowed"". The policy also states, in the very first line, no less, ""The sole purpose of this board is to foster dialog....""
What he wrote was completely gratuitous and inexcusable and would surely not happen if he had used his real name. Folks here called for his head when he did such anonymously.
It goes without saying, I don't think you, Christian would have written such comments using your name or said such in person to another individual.
The bottom line is because someone may post without using their real name, that does not mean they are no less responsible for the comments they make.
Stephen is correct that the club is made up of volunteers including those who put forth a great deal of time, effort and passion into the website.
"
Sat, 03/18/2006 - 1:07pm
#16
Peter wrote:
> It goes without saying, I don't think you, Christian would
> have written such comments using your name or said such in
> person to another individual.
Surely I would. Richard listed what sounded like a fine B ride. I look forward to the A14.
- Christian
Sat, 03/18/2006 - 1:02pm
#17
many free/paid ways to do this...my favorite...
"with firefox, go to ""about:config"" and change the ""network.http.sendRefererHeader"" value to ""0"". :)
don"
Sun, 03/19/2006 - 5:55pm
#18
No one is safe in NYCC
"What's happening on this board is actually a great example of how ""private"" our life is, NOT!
Not only your ip address can be traced to ""out"" your anon post, your physical address and your phone number can also be ""out"" for the world to see, if a particular board member (in charge of membership) so choose. If it's ok to reveal the name of poster by the web master, what's to stop the membership chair to publish the phone number and address of a particular member who he/she dislike?
"
