Re: ridecamp forum and topics

["Glenda R. Snodgrass" <grs@theneteffect.com>]

Well, since the forbidden topic has been broached, I feel compelled to
chime in, particularly since I am the author of the anonymous snippet
which Trish posted -- to my great surprise, I might add <g>.  (And yeah,
her post was a bit dramatic, but Trish is just like that.)

My primary concern in severely limiting the scope of acceptable messages 
to Ridecamp is that we are losing the "community" function of this 
listserv, which I believe is vitally important.

I know that we all keep up with discussions in the media of the Internet
as a global village, etc., and how this medium is changing the way we
communicate. I consider the community aspect of Ridecamp to be an
important part of its value. For example, I live in the middle of an
endurance "black hole" -- there just aren't any riders anywhere close to
me. Without Ridecamp I would not have gotten the info I needed to get
started in endurance riding, but equally and perhaps more important, I
would not have made the connections with individuals necessary to make me
feel comfortable driving a few hundred miles all alone, to camp in a
strange place without even a telephone connection for emergencies. The
best means of getting more people involved in endurance riding,
particularly in parts of the country where there's no one doing it now, is
through Ridecamp. And I fear that if Ridecamp becomes too sterile, too
focused on technique & technology, this sense of community will be
diluted, if not eliminated, and an important means of outreach, for
expansion of this sport, will disappear. 

I am one who doesn't particularly care for the really frivolous threads,
like t-shirt sayings and favorite songs, but I also hate to see the
pendulum swing too far the other direction in recompense.  I'm perfectly
willing and able to use my delete button with great abandon, if it means
preserving and perhaps expanding the Ridecamp Community. 

Surely we can strike a balance between health food & junk food, where all
are welcome to come to the table? 

Glenda & Lakota
Mobile, AL