Explaination of What Happened to Bike Path Thread

I think it may be helpful to explain what happened to the Bike Path thread. I hope for a more civilized forum than the previous BYF sometimes (often?) was. Even though the bike path thread seemed to have calmed down by the time I got to it many of the posts were inconsistent with tone desired for the BYF2. It started as essentially a personal rant that degenerated into snippiness back and forth between individual members. Too often on the old board these would degenerate further into thinly veiled insults back and forth. If that means being a bit heavy-handed at the start then so be it.

As an example, here is a list of snippets from the thread that maybe seem OK when you first read them but come across more negatively when you read them in the context of the whole thread. Consider these as examples of what will be looked at carefully by the moderators.

These come across as arrogant and judgmental, telling people what to do or think in a "my way or the highway" tone:

Quote :

let's establish from the outset that biking is generally for fitness, and when biking for fitness your aim is to get your heart rate up...The bike path is for exercise, not tooling around on a Sunday drive

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I can honestly say, you are wound just a bit too tight.

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I see you ride using an ipod, that is dangeroug

The line between sarcasm and insulting is often nonexistent:

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Those should help you out. Won't have to put up with all those ignorant walkers. affraid Heck I carry a police baton and just whack anybody that doesn't get out of my way. Why should I go slower when there's traffic, I'm on a schedule here, move it or you're going to lose it. Evil or Very Mad As for children, I just kick those popsicle suckers to the curb....and here's the big one, if they are Democrats, heck they get both the kick and the bation. Twisted Evil

Quote :

At 272 lbs, I bet you didn't HATE IT.

And then there is just plain insulting:

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There's that nonsensical extremism I love so much from my leftie friends..

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A legend in his own mind? A rebel without a clue?

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Put on your big boy riding pants

These are the kinds of things I hope we can do without on the new BYF.