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Dec. 21, 2016, 5:46 p.m.
Posts: 19076
Joined: Oct. 28, 2003

Maybe what I am suggesting here is, in fact, misplaced… maybe it should not even be here. Maybe it should be a forum at NSMBA's website, since NSMBA members are bound to act according to the societies rules (Read the Act people…) and they already have the website membership technology piece and payments processing.

As I think about this… it would be a better fit there…..

umm… I agree. But don't agree that yet another volunteer maintained forum is necessary in any stretch of the imagination. Unless we'd all support more paid staff to manage it with our membership dollars.

NSMB.com is not directly affiliated with NSMBA.ca, nor should it be. Just happens to have many like minded individuals.

If you want to engage with the NSMBA, the outlets are in place. Just don't be a dick about it.

https://www.facebook.com/nsmba/ - see visitor posts

https://www.facebook.com/nsmba/app/116943498446376/ See also twitter
https://twitter.com/NSMBA

https://www.facebook.com/nsmba/app/151858328287166/ See also instagram
https://www.instagram.com/nsmba/

And Trailforks for trail related issues
http://www.trailforks.com/directory/159/

And if you really want to get involved, the Shorecorp is the next level. Gotta attend a Builders Academy first though. That's free. Just your time and learning commitment.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/149918005162382/

Dec. 21, 2016, 6:13 p.m.
Posts: 228
Joined: Nov. 28, 2010

Something needs to change or everyone is just going to stop coming on here all together. Everyone I know has pretty much stop using the forums because of all the negativity. I feel like these forums have always been so informative,entertaining and engaging. It would be such a shame if one lame duck brings down the whole thing. I don't think paying would work, but linking your profile to your Facebook account would. Secondly, this isn't a democracy, it's a business and if I owned this website I would ban a couple users for sure. Eventually this guy is going to start effecting your pocketbook and why would you want that? I say trim the fat.

Dec. 21, 2016, 6:26 p.m.
Posts: 129
Joined: Aug. 11, 2015

Maybe it should be a forum at NSMBA's website, ….

They said at the AGM that they will have a new site in 2017 so maybe that's a possibility?

Dec. 21, 2016, 6:35 p.m.
Posts: 945
Joined: Nov. 18, 2015

Scrooge, you can't isolate riders from hikers, walkers, trail runners and dog walkers. If you're proposing fees for trail use, please revise your concept to include all groups that use the trails.

And your comparison to baseball diamonds etc is poorly thought out.

Go grab another glass of whatever your favorite is and come back with something that is more rational and not just vindictive.

Dec. 21, 2016, 6:44 p.m.
Posts: 0
Joined: Oct. 6, 2005

It would really be good to use real names. I use mine. Then we wouldn't have to deal with stuff like Scrooge on here.

I haven't been on in a while. May have to continue not visiting.

Dec. 21, 2016, 7:28 p.m.
Posts: 0
Joined: May 24, 2013

Something needs to change or everyone is just going to stop coming on here all together. Everyone I know has pretty much stop using the forums because of all the negativity. I feel like these forums have always been so informative,entertaining and engaging. It would be such a shame if one lame duck brings down the whole thing. I don't think paying would work, but linking your profile to your Facebook account would. Secondly, this isn't a democracy, it's a business and if I owned this website I would ban a couple users for sure. Eventually this guy is going to start effecting your pocketbook and why would you want that? I say trim the fat.

Agree with this. I think the idea of having a forum for discussing MTB on the North Shore is fantastic. But as a DNV resident who rides a bike on the shore, I can't participate in this forum very much if at all without getting a really bad taste in my mouth.

I wouldn't lay it all on 'Uncle Scrooge' as I got really turned off this forum around the time of the Lee/Woodro slappy fight. Once that had died down I started going to nsmb.com a bit more again, as the content on the front page is generally great and I enjoy the writing. But if I'm on the site I'll eventually click the forum link - and now the really nasty tone of trolls like 'scrooge' is giving me an even worse taste than the ridiculous Lee/Wood thing did.

As someone who has participated in many different internet forums for years, I find that while people bitch about a heavy handed moderation strategy, at some point it becomes necessary. I appreciate that the NSMB mods are staying true to an original vision for the forum, but this place isn't 'big' enough to survive that kind of hands-off approach, especially when it's become the vehicle of choice for some really fucked up peoples' weird agendas.

Eventually enough people get turned off and give up and the forum goes dead. It basically already has in my view. I'm sure there are traffic stats that could prove or disprove this.

tl;dr would love to read and participate on these forums more, but can't until the trolling is reduced. Hope that happens soon.

Dec. 21, 2016, 8:14 p.m.
Posts: 398
Joined: Aug. 10, 2012

As DNV taxpayer I ask, "Why do members of the NSMBA get to use our recreation facilities for no charge especially since we charge fees to local baseball and soccer clubs to use fields, and even higher fields for groups that use arena ice?

Yes there are some folks who build and maintain trails. I applaud them. But they freely use the Fromme Parking lot and its facilities, they freely use local roads and other infrastructure.

The argument that business are attracted here because they can have North Vancouver in their mailing address is spurious. I do agree that there is a network of cycling businesses here but there is no economic development office working on expanding the network. How about putting some money into building a mountain bike park as part of the Cypress Bowl development.

All of these things require an administrative infrastructure, and the NSMBA is not resourced in such a thing. It could be if it had a broader vision and the ability to collect annual permit fees. Hazen Colbert has put these things forward for discussion and being treated as if a leper. It seems that members of the NSMBA, which actually practice a form of cycling which is just a fraction of the larger market, want the rush of adrenaline free of charge and the sense of being rebellious. They object to dumbing down of trails which would bring far more users to the Shore and create the volume to support a full commercial business.

Trailforks and nsmb.om do great business, but is either actually in the District of North Vancouver. Are either the hub and scope of the network commercial businesses in the DNV?

Mark Wood did an excellent job building out trails, Matt Bond an excellent job getting sponsors. But know what? The number of riders per km of trail on the North Shore is incredibly low. Why? Some analysis is required.

And please be honest. There are too many trails, far too many. There are environmental consequences of these trails. And…there are no synergies among the trails and local businesses that might benefit such as found with the gift center at the Capilano Suspension Bridge.

It be great to expand the discussion but I fear that there are closed minds, and even worse, there are people who have great experience and skill to bring to the table who would be shunned.

Uncle Scrooge

NIMBY-ism at it's best.
Wouldn't it just be an amazing world if every district/resort/town/city did it that way? Pay to walk the Stanley Park Seawall. Pay to walk your dog in David Lam Park. Pay to walk on Cannon Beach. Pay to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Pay to look at the troll under the bridge in Fremont. Pay to do a lap of Central Park. Pay to hike to the Hollywood sign.

What a preposterous comment….on so many levels.

Dec. 21, 2016, 8:51 p.m.
Posts: 0
Joined: Aug. 12, 2007

Personally I like being anomnimoose as I like to split work from pleasure, and my opinion might not match whoever I might be working for at the time. I think Boost spacing sucks balls for instance, when we had 110 x 20mm axles circa 1997.
I don't think people should be allowed on here if they have the sole intention of trying to bring someone, or an organisation down. Sure, come up with suggestions on how something can be improved, but maybe discussing a Councillors farts or tastes in porn stars is maybe going a bit too far?

treezz
wow you are a ass

Dec. 21, 2016, 8:55 p.m.
Posts: 140
Joined: Feb. 8, 2016

I agree that changes should be introduced. I've seen a trials forum die because it wasn't moderated and this is going in the same direction. I'd rather have a slow forum than a trolled forum.

Dec. 21, 2016, 9:09 p.m.
Posts: 221
Joined: March 27, 2014

umm…

Heckler and Walleater have valid points, sure there are outlets to engage (with the NSMBA) - but that was not my angle on it… to engage with the trail association. My angle was to engage with like minded people whom are respectful, and have the same caring passion, but not necessarily viewpoints, since this leads to fruitful discussion.

Sure, all the links Heckler points out are there for "engagement" with the trail association, and they all work for their intended design considerations… but a "forum" tool is especially important for the context and the timeliness and the being able to quote for context, other people's points- like I did here.

And maybe, if we keep on with the ideas… maybe the NSMBA can implement a Members Forum with Participation Rules, under full accountability, and that can separate the ducks from the Swans.

It would not be a "volunteer" run Forum per se… it would be part of a larger communications strategy in place to ramp up members and accountability of the association in the eyes of its' business partners and community leaders.

So yea, maybe status quo here (NSMB) and this idea goes up to a monthly Directors meeting in the New Year at the NSMBA… and let them consider it into the Spring and see where that sits with them and their priorities. Then, we can have professional, sincere, entertaining too, interactions with people we know and meet on the trails… and can have interesting debates with knowing the other person, which can lead to other conversations in the bike shops that actually lead to creating more community.

dunno, a work in progress concept for sure.

Talk less, Say More.

Dec. 21, 2016, 9:35 p.m.
Posts: 3483
Joined: Nov. 27, 2002

It has got crazily political in here of late. I don't care either way but I hope people are as politically engaged about shit that really matters.

I'm not bothered if we're anonymous or not as everyone already knows I'm a c**t. As long as sites like Reddit remain anonymous so I can spew my anti-Islamic agenda there without risk of being run over by a truck etc I'll be happy.

"I do like how you generally bring an open-minded and positive vibe to the threads you participate in"

- Morgman

Dec. 21, 2016, 9:36 p.m.
Posts: 11969
Joined: June 4, 2008

Personally I like being anomnimoose as I like to split work from pleasure

As someone who gets paid to worry about this, I suggest everyone does this all the time.

And for the love of god, don't use your real name for The Facebook.

Dec. 21, 2016, 9:42 p.m.
Posts: 129
Joined: Aug. 11, 2015

And for the love of god, don't use your real name for The Facebook.

Or don't use Facebook, but that's a whole other topic!

Dec. 21, 2016, 9:44 p.m.
Posts: 15054
Joined: Feb. 19, 2003

NIMBY-ism at it's best.
Wouldn't it just be an amazing world if every district/resort/town/city did it that way? Pay to walk the Stanley Park Seawall. Pay to walk your dog in David Lam Park. Pay to walk on Cannon Beach. Pay to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Pay to look at the troll under the bridge in Fremont. Pay to do a lap of Central Park. Pay to hike to the Hollywood sign.

What a preposterous comment….on so many levels.

Exactly.

As a DNV taxpayer, I want access to our natural resources to remain free and open to everyone. Not pay to play like fields and rec centers.

Dec. 21, 2016, 9:46 p.m.
Posts: 221
Joined: March 27, 2014

So I am sensing this: there are those of us that which to remain anon and be able to just go anon and anon and anon… lol…

; )

but then there are time when there is an important topic, and it gets derailed by someone, and then that gets its own traction and goes anon and anon and anon… and the whole thread is poisened.

In the last six months I have been phoned three or four times with the "have you heard about… blah blah blah " and I go onto this Forum and read page after page after page of complete BS to try to understand "what up".

It would be nice to go somewhere where a sincere question is posed, and a sincere answer appears. I am a member of an moto forum and they have their "fun and stupid" forums, but then there are the spots where I actually learn a bunch from others wanting to share.

Maybe I am naive. It would be great to have that here with the great history of the participants… but shit gets sideways within 5 posts. Anyways, I will check back next year! Hope you all have a great holiday!

Talk less, Say More.

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