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Post by livingproof on Mar 9, 2016 6:55:25 GMT -7
First, let me say that I do visit the forum, almost daily, but, as I am not automatically logged-in, I do not show up as "on-line". This a hard topic to open and discuss, but, is it time to consider letting the forum just slide away? There have been so few new discussions this season, and, almost no new gear reviews. It has been a downhill slide in the past two seasons, I think it can be traced back to 1 disastrous thread. It is now history, but, it is shame that all can't work to be friends even if we occasionally disagree about stuff. I don't do much worthy of starting a thread to discuss, I'm sure many of you feel the same way. I do feel connected with the members who post here, and, I really enjoyed the few days we spent skiing together. Just wish there could have been more of them.
I know most have joined Pugski, we can still keep in touch there. I know meput and Todd have posted there. Not funny, but there is a thread active there where the same person who blew up this forum has stirred up the mud regarding a PMTS drill. Damn, I hate the pro and con rhetoric with word choices designed to escalate the differences. I remember a recent "duhh" incident here, once on the net, it just can not be retracted.
So, what do you think about the forum's future.
And, always, thanks to Jim Ratliff, for his technical competence in making the forum possible, and, for his intelligent and open posting style.
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Post by JimRatliff on Mar 15, 2016 6:59:27 GMT -7
I too feel that the usefulness and interest in this forum has passed.
And I'm OK with that.
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Post by ToddW on Mar 15, 2016 18:47:14 GMT -7
Too bad Pugski ain't a viable alternative, but it's brimming over with hostility, and some of the private communications from well-ensconsed members present an opportunity to learn new slurs and putdowns. The Neutral Zone was a really nice idea, but perhaps it was centuries ahead of its time. inpacemrequiescat
The difficulty in maintaining a Neutral Zone was probably related to this classic ski instructor joke: If there are 5 ski instructors seated at a table, there are at least 6 different opinions around the table ... and all of them are right. aueatqueuale
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Post by gary on Mar 16, 2016 9:56:19 GMT -7
Hey gang....popped in to say hello and share some thoughts.
I just returned from skiing with Svend and family in Banff...great trip with wonderful friends. Svend and I were talking about this very subject. He said he felt when he joined he learned so much about skiing, ski tuning, maintenance, skis and boots the first few years he was here. I agreed, sharing thoughts with so many was helpful and just plain fun. There was such a broad selection of personalities, experiences and information. Many new and lifelong friends were made here...some of us (Mike, Ron, Greg, Perry, Svend) are still skiing together and still talking everything skiing.
It just feels to me (and other members I have spoken to) like the site got bias or limited in many areas causing enthusiasm to wain. Maybe it is time for putting a once great thing to sleep...a truly amazing run while it lasted. HOWEVER.....
Is there a way to revive it's once past glory....hmmmm....don't know. What if was less defined into required topic sections...just a message board where anything could be discussed ....maybe just a bit more simple...one page...read and/or respond?
Maybe if I may be so bold...moderators that were more liberal in there moderating about ski methods...always keeping an open mind to what works for the many who sometimes felt ganged up on here.
Respectful, open mildness, informative, funny, the things that made coming here years ago a break from the non-ski world.
As always, wishing all members great ski adventures no matter how you ski...may the "little kid" joy of skiing always inspire you.
Best, G
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Post by livingproof on Mar 16, 2016 11:00:10 GMT -7
The Neutral Zone was a really nice idea, but perhaps it was centuries ahead of its time. inpacemrequiescat
aueatqueuale
OK, Todd, you win! Google can not translate aueatqueuale, can you help me out? A personal favorite song is California, by Joni Mitchell, I always liked the line "it was just a dream some of us had", hence: The Neutral Zone was just a dream some of us had. I hope Pugski can avoid a similar fate. To Gary's thought of resurrecting the forum in a 1 page format, I think the critical mass of required posters is just too small. Forums need new blood, for 2 years people have just faded away. Yes, it would be nice to go back to when I first joined, now 6 years ago, but, the new has now become the old. Of note, there is a similar shut-down thread on the PMTS forum, people come out of the woodwork to beg it to continue, but, the same few keep posting pretty much the same old stuff. And, it was a good run, I'd still like to ski again with those I met here. Gary and I will try to link up next week in Holimont, Heluva may be there on Good Friday, I will be there with my daughters family. Not ready to say goodbye yet, but, it seems inevitable to just fade away.
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Post by ToddW on Mar 16, 2016 16:54:03 GMT -7
Mike,
It's a quote made famous by the poet Catullus.
With a few tweaks, Google should get it. In classical times, there were no spaces between Latin words and the letter j and i were the same (one used for inscriptions in hard materials like stone and the other for writing) as were u and v.
Google search or translate should recognize "ave atque vale" which means hail! and also farewell. Think "ave maria" hail Mary and then valedictorian (farewell speaker) for farewell. Atque is a high falutin version of 'and' that's used when it sounds good (before words that don't start with consonants) and with the sense of "and also", "and yet", "and still", etc.
High school Latin still haunts my brain over 3 decades later :-O
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Post by livingproof on Mar 16, 2016 18:27:26 GMT -7
Todd
Ahhh, that Catullus......I should have known (not). My memories of first (and last) year of Latin have been mostly expunged. Most excellent reference.
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Post by HeluvaSkier on Mar 17, 2016 19:34:23 GMT -7
I know most have joined Pugski, we can still keep in touch there. I know meput and Todd have posted there. Not funny, but there is a thread active there where the same person who blew up this forum has stirred up the mud regarding a PMTS drill. Damn, I hate the pro and con rhetoric with word choices designed to escalate the differences. Too bad Pugski ain't a viable alternative, but it's brimming over with hostility, and some of the private communications from well-ensconsed members present an opportunity to learn new slurs and putdowns.
The "open forum" concept being used at PugSki seems to me to be merely a thinly-veiled avenue for attacking PMTS if it is brought up. I've noticed it is allowed to be discussed as long as no one posts anything positive. If something positive is posted, someone from the boys club jumps in to discredit whatever was posted. The thread mentioned above was started based on a behind the scenes discussion that took place among a small group of contributors over there... for no other reason than to attack the drill, demo and skier. My contributions will be limited there because I have no interest in convincing anyone of anything. If they think they are right, who am I to tell them any differently. The proof is in the skiing. It's easy to see who is full of it and who isn't, which is probably why you don't see much skiing from major contributors. I find most of the posturing being done over there pretty laughable as a result. Coincidentally, I didn't see any of their names on the invitation list for the national demo team tryouts this year either...
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Post by meput on Mar 20, 2016 16:54:15 GMT -7
Started to jump in to the thread over on Pugski, then thought better of it. There is a fair amount of negativity over there, especially in the Ski School forums. When the moderators are putting "like stamps" on posts that express skiing bias, not good.
Have missed this site being active. I understand it is hard to get people to start threads. Starting threads is what keeps a forum active.
May also reflect it has been a lousy ski season for those of us out east. Our minds are looking to go elsewhere. A lot of political negativity out there as well. Where is Pollyanna when you need her?
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Post by JimRatliff on Mar 20, 2016 20:47:31 GMT -7
A bit of drift, but Lynn and i have done 2 weeks in Colorado and 1 week in Utah, and only 2 days at Elk. Looking forward to Hintertux in a couple of weeks.
Jim, post a quick report of how you and your daughter liked/learned camp this year.
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