[Jaspersharpe]

I'm not too interested in Fiend's question, but if he was asking about compression problems in Lancashire...

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

What's that got to do with the good things in life though? Like leering at birds and calling someone a cunt when they're a cunt.

I think you're missing the point. You cunt.

[lagerstarfish]

I liked you better when you were selling vodka, rockets and guns to both the good Muslims and the bad Muslims

[Fiend]

I'm not too interested in Fiend's question, but if he was asking about compression problems in Lancashire...

Ugh now this is really getting sordid. No wonder no-one visits UKB with topics like that looming.

[lagerstarfish]

sorry

[kingholmesy]

A couple of thoughts.

As someone who frequently lurks but rarely posts, the forum can seem cliquey.  However, that is also part of its charm.  I enjoy reading the banter between the regular users even if I don't often contribute.  The level of debate is also well informed, and you don't tend to get the sort of trolling or over the top internet arguments that you do elsewhere.

I think much of this would be lost if you had every man and his dog on here, and I wouldn't want the character of the site to change to obtain wider appeal.

At the same time, no-one should feel unwelcome due to race, gender, sexuality etc.  However, I think on the whole the site is pretty well self-regulating in this regard.  The present case is a good example.  The word faggot is pejorative, even if only unthinkingly so, and in bad taste.  I've noticed the avatar in the past but not said anything (maybe due to cowardice?).  I'm glad it's been called out.

[psychomansam]

I'm wondering if the problem is that we're not offensive enough? You cunt-munching faggots.

Edit: I couldn't be arsed to read the middle of the thread, so if someone said this already I apologise.

[blamo]

I don't post often, but read fairly regularly.  I appreciate the overall tone as well as the cliquey nature (even if I am an outsider).  I also appreciate the topics discussed.

I really can't be bothered with sifting through forums where things like the following are the norm: http://www.mountainproject.com/v/do-essential-oils-damage-climbing-ropes/111876424

[skelf]

Good Points:
Is fairly moderately moderated, so freedom of speak prevails.
          Sponsors can take a pounding in the forums and threads NOT be pulled.
          I can swear in a thread if I feel it warrants it ..
DTI Forum is a great training resource
        Somewhere where if you ask a question you aren’t going to get some bumbly that that been training (and climbing) for 6 months talking like he is the dude.


Bad Points:
Fiend has a giant red cock as an avatar that makes it look like I’m browsing some cross training forum.
Lack of moderation means that people can overstep the mark and post stuff like ^ (I edited what I was going to post btw but others wouldn’t)
Most climbers are probably on the spectrum somewhere or other and they don’t realise when they are overstepping the mark.
It's cliquey as fuck.

[a dense loner]

When people say it's cliquey what do they actually mean? Its not cliquey it's just the same people post since most of them are bored at work. It's not point break with fuckin lagers, tomtom, shark and say me surfing the good stuff and locals rule. Anyone can join in, I wish some people would to be honest since the forums getting pretty tedious. The only bad thing is people can't really say what they want, there is no freedom of speech only the illusion of these things. Everybody's equal just some people are more equal than others.

[lagerstarfish]

post since ... bored at work.

that and the fact that I haven't got any real friends

[dave]

Not posting on here because it's is cliquey is like walking into a pub you've not been into before, finding most of the table full of groups of people talking, and instead of asking for the spare stool at the end of someone's table or striking up conversation with the old bloke at the bar you go "oooh this place is so cliquey", necking you half pint and leaving.

[Fiend]

fuckin lagers, tomtom, shark and say me

All noobs apart from you dense, surely??

The giant red cock goes when my watched tag goes and I get to know who was masquerading as the UKB REMOVE IT IMMEDIATELY ANTI-AVATAR HIT SQUAD. Unless I have enough votes to keep it??

P.S. Good points skelf, and dave too.

[tomtom]

post since ... bored at work.

that and the fact that I haven't got any real friends

me too. I only post when the cat won't talk to me....

[petejh]

I agree with Dense. UKB, like most other forums I suspect, is populated mostly by people filling slack time at work (me), students bored at study, or old cunts unable to make it down the post office for a chat (....). And it does seem to be getting a bit tedious to me too although that might just be a natural phase. Too many doctors moaning about how shit their work schedule is and about the end of the world; before that it was too many teachers moaning about how shit their jobs are, and the end of the world.. The training thread is full of people paying Tommy a hundred quid to tell them they aren't fit enough for their 8a proj...

Throw in bollocks threads like this one and it isn't that interesting at the moment.

I realise you don't have to read the threads that don't interest you but slack time needs filling somehow.

[Bonjoy]

I agree with Dense. UKB, like most other forums I suspect, is populated mostly by people filling slack time at work (me), students bored at study, or old cunts unable to make it down the post office for a chat (....). And it does seem to be getting a bit tedious to me too although that might just be a natural phase. Too many doctors moaning about how shit their work schedule is and about the end of the world; before that it was too many teachers moaning about how shit their jobs are, and the end of the world.. The training thread is full of people paying Tommy a hundred quid to tell them they aren't fit enough for their 8a proj, which is the end of the world...

Throw in bollocks threads like this one and it isn't that interesting at the moment.

I realise you don't have to read the threads that don't interest you but slack time needs filling somehow.

[Fiend]

Throw in bollocks threads like this one

Knob!! And there I was thinking that you had some top posts at the moment 

Still, you raise a good contribution to this thread. Forum is too tedious? Does that put people off?

I always think fora are what you make them....

[JamieG]

Been watching this thread with interest. My 2p.

I suspect this forum feels not very diverse, because in all honestly bouldering is not that diverse. Its getting more diverse, but still the vast majority of boulders are men in there 20-40s and white. That isn't wrong that is just the reality. Therefore its unsuprising the forum has that feel, but as long as we don't actively discourage newer users then i don't see a problem.

Secondly, the value and content of a forum inherently relies on its users. Unlike other websites where people can drive certain agendas/topics by writing articles, promoting certain products etc. Forums contain only user-generated content. I think UKB is popular since it generates a certain tpye of content for (and because of) its user. Which can't be found elsewhere (i.e. 'grubby little edifice'). Therefore I guess if you encourage new users, it will envitably change, but maybe not for the better.

[Jaspersharpe]

Knob!!

I've had to read about what's been going on on here recently to understand your avatar Fiend. At first I just though that you'd had an epiphany and used a small knob as it was appropriate.

[Oldmanmatt]

Be Careful what you wish for ....

Twitter abuse - '50% of misogynistic tweets from women'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-36380247

People are people and I'm not sure of the genders of some of the regular posters on here. Obviously fairly certain of others. Not a frigging clue about Ethnicity except assumptions for which I have flimsy justifications. There seems to be a broad selection of employment/social backgrounds. There are also way more visitors than I realised. Tapatalk has that "who's online" thing (slightly creepy) and it's surprising how many usernames I don't recognise. Clicked on a few and saw they'd been registered for several years.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Coops_13]

Tapatalk has that "who's online" thing (slightly creepy) and it's surprising how many usernames I don't recognise. Clicked on a few and saw they'd been registered for several years.

You can also see what people are doing on it, that's so creepy.... 

[Jaspersharpe]

All forums have a large number of lurkers who never post. It's normal.

[tomtom]

This threads got 99 posts and...

[Jaspersharpe]

This threads got 99 posts and...

....you're still a tit? 

[tomtom]

This threads got 99 posts and...

....you're still a tit? 

Bell end

[ferret]

to me ukb has always embodied what i think makes the british climbing scene great. its not about clique and who climbs hardest. its about personality and passion. the "scene" has never been entirely about climbing hard, theres always been the guy (or gal) with the witty banter, the guy that gets completely trollyed at every party, the guys that almost pushes the boat out a little too far every time they go tradding.
i know or have met a number of people on here and its not because of some clique. its because they are passionate enough about climbing, their at the wall all the time, the people who have searched around for hours to find the only dry rock in a hundred miles, the people driving to different venues every week or going to esoteric crags for that one belting problem, or like in my case dumb enough to work on the ropes just so they can have more time to go climbing.
theres a fuck ton of interesting, intelligent, amusing and passionate people posting on here, puts the drivel on most forums to shame in my opinion.