My Turn..............

[Transalp]

to speak my mind. Note this is said in my personal capacity and not as Committee.

Why are YOU on this forum?

1) is it because you care about biker safety?

2) is it because you have nothing else to do?

3) is it because you like to stir?

4) is it because you like to brag?

5) is it because you like to moan?

Personally I am here because I want to ride my bike in a safer environment on the roads. Nothing more, nothing less, no hidden adgendas, no personal ego to stroke, nothing just road safety.

This forum was started as a place for like minded people (safety concsious bikers) could hang out and shoot the breeze about anything. Yes we have started to be more PC, is it warrented, not sure.

The question is what do you want from the Tb forum, do you want a place where anything goes, no holds barred, or do you want a place where you would be proud to show your Mother, Child, Priest what we are about.

Where do we draw the line?

All I have seen lately, is a load of poeple wasting huge amounts of energy on things which at the end of the day have absolutly nothing to do with road safety, let alone Think Bike.

Most of us here are adults, with jobs and families which we want to keep. Our families want us too return home after a ride in one piece.

The question is why are YOU here? go back read the first 5 questions again and give an honest answer to yourself.

If your answer was No.1 great lets get on with it.

If you answer was No.2 - 5 what the hell are you doing here?

We can discuss road safety with a light hearted moment or two, we can have a little banter, we can laugh we can cry about it, BUT PLEASE keep it to something that you would be PROUD to say I AM A THINK BIKE MEMBER/SUPPORTER and not just seeing how far the boundries can be pushed, who can get the most posts moderated etc etc.

Bucc was a very open minded individual who could give and take like anyone, BUT his dream was to make Think Bike work.

What are YOU doing to fulfill that dream?

[Scobs]

1,2 and 3 for me

[ChucklesCT]

How very true. Now if only we could get one minute towards the cause for every post in the pink tuttu thread then life would be wonderful.

[craigvdp]

1,2 and 3 for me

What he said !

[Mig]

How very true. Now if only we could get one minute towards the cause for every post in the pink tuttu thread then life would be wonderful.

Hey now you post there too now and then

It is one of the most flamboyant freads (to say the least) it also has a lot of active Marshals and people that contribute there personal time very willingly to assist, that post on it. us WC boys know how to get along

I think a mass braai needs to be had

Well said Transalp, you missed one point though... i am here for the friendship and family Think bike gave me

[ChucklesCT]

Hey now you post there too now and then

It is one of the most flamboyant freads (to say the least) it also has a lot of active Marshals and people that contribute there personal time very willingly to assist, that post on it. us WC boys know how to get along

I think a mass braai needs to be had

Well said Transalp, you missed one point though... i am here for the friendship and family Think bike gave me

I was just poking fun at you guys. Now see how many minutes it takes you to count my posts in that thread.

[Unchained]

I was just poking fun at you guys. Now see how many minutes it takes you to count my posts in that thread.

Depends on how good the advanced search is

[Nexus]

I was just poking fun at you guys. Now see how many minutes it takes you to count my posts in that thread.

:ME-Smartass: It's only 5 posts, I checked

[Mig]

:ME-Smartass: It's only 5 posts, I checked

He still posted.... i.e. he spends shameless moments in his life following the movement of that thread... he is as guilty as the rest of us

Now Appologies to Transalp for hi-jacking this thread... WC guy behave please

[AMZ]

Transalp in black

to speak my mind. Note this is said in my personal capacity and not as Committee.

Why are YOU on this forum?

1) is it because you care about biker safety?

Most definitely.

2) is it because you have nothing else to do?

Yep. Part of it. Forums are a great way to while away time. If I while away time, I may as well do it on a forum of like minded individuals regarding road safety.

3) is it because you like to stir?

I do enjoy a stir. Stirring is not neccesarily bad. Sometimes it can cause a very interesting and challenging debate that can lead to a very positive outcome.

4) is it because you like to brag?

Nope. I am not much of a braggart.

5) is it because you like to moan?

Nope. I intensely dislike moaning. I hate only one thing more than moaning and that is when actual complaints or critisism is made of to be moaning.

This forum was started as a place for like minded people (safety concsious bikers) could hang out and shoot the breeze about anything. Yes we have started to be more PC, is it warrented, not sure.


Where do we draw the line?

Impossible to say and extremely difficult to manage. It does help to listen to grievances, take them into account from time to time though.

All I have seen lately, is a load of poeple wasting huge amounts of energy on things which at the end of the day have absolutly nothing to do with road safety, let alone Think Bike.

I have seen TB supporting the OutSurance green guys after their horrific accident. I have seen TB marshal the 94.7 with great success. I have seen TB Marshall the Gay Pride march with even greater success. I have seen TB members be asked for 60 duvets and them giving three times that. The list goes on. I think you are looking in the wrong place. All of what I have mentioned, in some way, was spawned on this forum between all the junk, stirring, etc.

We can discuss road safety with a light hearted moment or two, we can have a little banter, we can laugh we can cry about it, BUT PLEASE keep it to something that you would be PROUD to say I AM A THINK BIKE MEMBER/SUPPORTER and not just seeing how far the boundries can be pushed, who can get the most posts moderated etc etc.

Personally, I am proud to be a TB Supporter because of what TB is seen to do ot there, in real life.

[Da'Fiz]

6)... because I wanna be in communication with other riders

[Brown Bear]

Let me offer the perspective of one who's pretty much a junior in terms of this forum:

Why are YOU on this forum?

1) is it because you care about biker safety?

Absolutely. Have always cared deeply about road safety. And now that I'm back on a bike after all these years I am doubly aware of bike and biker safety given the additional risk all of us face every day. Anything I can do to make it safer for any of us, I will.

But get this - it is through the forum (the banter, the serious posts, the help and support that the guys and girls pour out to each other when it's needed, the community drives, the toys, duvets, etc) that I have been inspired to throw my weight into helping this campaign wherever I can. I'm on the list to attend the next media meeting because that's where my professional skills lie but I'm also looking forward to seeing what I can do elsewhere in TB.

Yeah - I know it's not a perfect family. I die a little inside when I see a driver walk out of a pub and get into a car half cut. It's a lot worse when I see a Think Bike bib on someone heading out to a bike in exactly the same condition. So, we have to educate within as well as without, sadly often to those who should know better.

2) is it because you have nothing else to do?

I have plenty else to do. However, I enjoy the company here, am pleased to have made the friends I have and hope to make quite a few more. With my starry-eyed idealist's hat on, I wish that bad blood and politics could stay out of TB. With my realist's hat on I have to concede that they will always be a factor.

3) is it because you like to stir?

Only in fun. And a forum that has no place for fun will surely die. (But notice that I'm not saying it should be all about fun.)

4) is it because you like to brag?

N/A

5) is it because you like to moan?

Nope. See above. Which is not to say everyone's not entitled to moan, whinge and blether from time to time.

I thank the Pope though (well, I might if I were Catholic) that I don't have a moderator's task. It has got to be a sod of a job, as has the job of a committee giving mods direction. I certainly don't agree with everything mods do - but I do appreciate that it's not easy.


<Climbs down from reinforced bear soapbox>

[Beachbum]

Thanks dood...i appreciate the thoughts...

[Beachbum]

From a very sincere point of view...

I thank everyone for being individuals, because if we were all the same this world would be very boring. I thank you for your insight, your advice and your ideas, keep them coming. I know you have the ideals and goals of THINKBIKE at heart, and know that in the end the 1 person on a bike who has never heard of THINKBIKE will more than likely be the beneficiary of our hard work.
And in the big scheme of things, we did good, all of us.

So hope to see you all around, its been interesting to say the least.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend, stay safe...

BB

[DaCat]

Excellent post Transalp

Think Bike is and should be all about biker safety and road safety, but we need the support from the biking community... Bucc did and does want this to work but he also never expected us to sell our souls to achieve the results.

The forum is a great place to hang out and interact... all I ask (personally) is that the moderators use common sense when moderating. I was called a pussy not so long ago... I took no offence to it and there was no big stir about it... how can a name be such a big deal here all of a sudden? For now I will remain a small pussy... when I grow up I will probably be a bigger pussy... but I will always be a part of the cat family

[Unchained]

to speak my mind. Note this is said in my personal capacity and not as Committee.

Why are YOU on this forum?

1) is it because you care about biker safety?

... etc

What are YOU doing to fulfill that dream?

Please bear with me during the intro, I had a couple of arguments with myself before I decided to respond.

As the (probably controversial) intro: this topic is about as stale as the others relating to moderation and and difference between a biker and a motorcyclist.

Then I realised there is a fundamental basis to all of these and many of the other discussions and banter on the forum.

Herewith an attempt to provide some clarity:

Human needs and behaviour in any circle or society involving communication with others is modelled by Maslow as a pyramid consisting of 5 levels. This may be applied to the family circle, the social circle, the work environment or even an online forum such as the Think Bike forum.

The bottom 4 levels are the deficiency needs and until these are realised the top growth need cannot be realised.

At the bottom of this pyramid is the physiological needs. These are are mostly conditioned and related to the biological existence of the being. The forum does not generally contribute to this level, although exceptions have been noted where people have been in need.

The 2nd level relates to security. This is (in my opinion) the level where most people get attracted to Think Bike: the need for a safer biking environment, the need for security. People learn from others, find out how to be safer, in other words they absorb, take from the campaign.

The 3rd level relates to affiliation. To be accepted in a group and share emotions. Thus all the other banter on the forum not relating to road or biking safety.

At the 4th level comes esteem and self-esteem. So people want some respect for their opinions too, which may not necessarily be biking and road safety related. It as part of the individual's self-image and the direction that develops will be influenced at this level. So think about how you react to somebody's post, it may have a profound impact on that person's life development.

Only once the previous 4 deficiency needs have been fulfilled can one expect contributions towards the aims of Think Bike at the self-actualisation level. This is where a person's basic needs have been satisfied and a natural need develops to give and contribute.

According to Maslow about 1% of all people reach this last level of self-actualisation!

The above freely translated and adapted from:
Kommunikasie vir Bestuur- en Sekretariële Studente Hersiene Uitgawe, MJ van Schalkwyk, 1996

[AMZ]

The forum is a great place to hang out and interact... all I ask (personally) is that the moderators use common sense when moderating. I was called a pussy not so long ago... I took no offence to it and there was no big stir about it... how can a name be such a big deal here all of a sudden? For now I will remain a small pussy... when I grow up I will probably be a bigger pussy... but I will always be a part of the cat family

That was a prime example of how a bit of stirring could be fun, instead of just negative. I do not see you as a pussy and would never call you that in a serious discussion, however, in the context of that particular discussion calling you DaPussy, was a reasonably good chirp and because you accepted it as such, it added to the fun part of that thread.

[Rock_chic]

Spot on Unchained!!

[Vespa 1]

TA, definately No. 1
and on occasion No. 2. But what ever reason I choose to use to be here, the fact remains that I am here, I give my full support to TB where ever I can, and I fully support TB's initiatives and goals. All this to-ing and Fro-ing about who said what, called themselves what, etc.etc. is really so much hot air! We are all grown ups here(sic) and although we do not always behave like them, we should accept others form what they are, and we are going to attract the Aholes as well as the Angels! Pay attention to those you like and ignore those you dont!!
And in closing, in the words of Jump-in"Put your BIG girl panties on!" come on peeps we have got better things to do than work up a sweat over Bullsh1t! My 2zc TIOLI!!!

[DaCat]

come on peeps we have got better things to do than work up a sweat over Bullsh1t! My 2zc TIOLI!!!

Perhaps you should tell that to PP... she was the one that pulled a short straw here :roll: