So despite still having their avatar and links (right), i don't participate anymore. My membership has lapsed it and i'm happier without it. So many people have left, i bumped into another last friday, they just don't log in anymore.
These are people that are still bikers, commuters, safety and community orientated people.
So why not? Myself, who had committed a lot of my personal energy to the campaign, and others, who had invested even more?
http://forum.thinkbike.co.za/showthread.php?t=42397
This is in a subforum called "support", meant for those who council or need councilling.
Read it and weep. Your days are numbered ThinkBike, and good that it is so. With attitudes like this the sooner we are rid of you the better for us all. That this has become the norm, shouts to the world the true natures of those involved. No more tolerance, but narrow minded pedantry masquerading as intelligence, or something.
The Buccaneer would never have condoned such attitudes or behaviours, and neither would any respectable man or woman. But this aggression is in fact encouraged. Frankly, since we could all die at any point, religion is kinda intrinsic don't you think? But then safety is similarly glossed over, as is drinking at Think Bike (and other safety) events.
SALUT to those who had the courage to walk away from something they believed in, for all the right reasons. We stand silent in the wings, for whenever you need a hand.
5 comments:
I find it curious that there have been no comments to date.
*sigh*
Only reason I'm posting is because I can't NOT post. It's been a while since I frequented your blog. But I thought, hmmm... lets go see what Abraxas is bitching about. And well... I can't not post something about this one (And I wasnt gonna post anything, I swear. I'm still erm... slightly... you know?!).
I am dissapointed in what the "support" board is being utilised for. And seeing as I am practically the person who started that board, I think I'm allowed to be. (I had a lot of input from Bucc himself, and his death just made this happen so much sooner, as it was decided it was something that could no longer be put off)
It was never intended to become one of the many boards where people can cause shit, no matter WHAT the topic. it's the "support board", not the "kick someone on their arse on the fucking way out board".
The entire attitude of the happening over the past 2 years on TB, have left a very bitter after taste. it certainly is NOT the campaign it used to be, and I'm sure if Bucc were here with us, he would also just *sigh*.
There is something that I have come to realise & think more and more... Give it to the dogs, they will know what to do with it.
Soul, thanks for saying hi.
I know how much effort you specifically put into the campaign, in many ways.
I want people to know how much has been lost.
peace and love
Been thinking about this for the past days... and...
1stly, I can't say what I wanna say. Except I'm sad. not because of TB, totally un-TB related. I'm gonna leave it at that.
Then, back onto TB.
I guess in many ways a lot of things have been lost, what it is I'm not sure.
Looking back, and looking at the here and now...
1. Bucc's campaign STILL is alive, regardless of popular belief and thinking the campaign died when he died. - Unfortunetly we don't all agree with the way it is being run.
2. I'm sure there are many more things within the campaign that made it's mark.
Then in terms of... and I'm going to use myself as an example, because I can't think of other examples right now.
1. The support board and group is STILL up and running, over 2 years after I left. Which means, regardless of still being a part of it or not, I made my mark, and it stuck.
2. The news letter "in-the-loop" is still being sent out regularly. It's changed a lot, as everything does change. But, it is STILL being sent out.
3. I think I saw "The Buccaneer" STILL being actively contributed to and sent out. Another mark that has not been erased yet.
4. Show stands. They started off with nothing but a little gazebo and a table. By the time I left, it had manequens, better gazebos, clothing racks, display stands, electronic tills etc. And I'm sure that on the occasions that TB still puts up a stall to sell stuff and do awareness creating, it is still only getting better.
Those are only a view examples. And the point I'm trying to make is that yes, many people have left, but they have not done it without making a mark. Those are all things that have been implemented a long time ago, and are all still running, even after people died or have been absent for many years.
So I guess, thinking about all that, and really trying to think about what has been lost, it is not that much. It is all STILL there and going strong. And I bet with the constant influx of new members and interested people, this will STILL be happening in 10 years time.
Although a lot of people have left, and a lot of stuff is going on in the background like petty politics and the "clicks" there is not much that anyone can be sad about in regards to what is happening to the "campaign".
What is sad though is that, it seems what was once a fairly tight knit little online/ offline community and a huge circle of friends, have started breaking down, and crumbling. Instead of being tolerable towards each other, on issues such as religion, the forum/ friendship circle has become a platform for petty politics (which should have been dealt with in the background), flaming people, name calling, supressing belief systems, alterior motives, power struggles etc.
In terms of the "campaign" , I can not say anything has been lost. It is still going strong, which means somewhere something is being done right.
In terms of the driving force behind the campaign, I guess, yes, TB lost a lot of things. It lost it's HUMANITY. It is a lot less tolerable towards it's members, it's disrespectfull towards members.
The entire sence of belonging to a group of people with the same goal at hart has been lost in tireless many threads of stirring, politics, religous debates etc etc etc.
SOUL WAS HERE!
Hmmmm
Sounds remarkably like the south african government.
They're still making it look like it always has, but the soul has gone out of it.
peace
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