Anyone out there???????

My, my... that sound of axes grinding has an oddly familiar ring to it.
I don't recognise the name "satnav" but the tone certainly sounds like
the poster should end his rant with "not a fan of..." something.

Back in this ng's heyday (showing my age here, that was something like
1998...) I used to be one of the regular posters here. For the reasons
already discussed above, the signal-to-noise ratio got unacceptably low
for many folk, and most of us disappeared to other forums. This
happened at about the same time as website design was improving and
more people were getting faster connections, so that web-based forums
became pretty standard fare across the internet. I still pop in here
from time to time for a touch of nostalgia, careful as always not to
cut myself on the swarf from those aforementioned axes.

The ukrgb forum has essentially replaced this newsgroup as the de facto
discussion forum for touring paddlers in the UK. I've met and paddled
with the originator, and know that he is passionately in favour of a
not-for-profit *resource* for paddlers - the forum complements the
river guides. The site "owner" (in so much as a resource of that
nature can be "owned" by one person) does not charge for the ads placed
on "his" site, although I believe he occasionally receives discounted
paddling gear from several of them. He has for several years funded
all the server costs from his own pocket. The teeshirt "enterprise"
is, by his own admission, due to popular request from many of the
users. If you don't like the idea of putting money in his pocket,
no-one is forcing you to wear a shirt or click on the links.

As for the format, it comes down to personal choice - modern web forums
are undeniably prettier and for most people are easier to use (e.g.
inserting links, pictures is more straightforward). On the other hand,
USENET ngs have a nice solid ASCII feel to them and of course are far
easier on that old 28kbps modem you refuse to throw away.

As for content, the ukrgb forum has over 3000 registered users and
attracts seemingly dozens of new posts per day. I have seen very
little evidence of moderation - and in the rare cases when the
moderator's brush has been swished around, it has usually been welcomed
by other posters. This ng has a handful of regular posters who are
still apparently trotting out the tired old stuff about the BCU / child
abuse / David Train / blah blah blah that they have been for the past
five years.

Best,
philm

"Alan Adams" <alan.adams.TakeThisOut@orchard-way.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:29a687be4d.Alan.Adams@orchard-way.freeserve.co.uk...
> In message <96rnl154v2em7i6d73nhqiclnv09odrcme.TakeThisOut@4ax.com>
> JH <jacques.TakeThisOut@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> > On Sun, 23 Oct 2005 19:19:45 +0100, "SatNav" <SatNav.TakeThisOut@dsl.pipex.com>
wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >"Kegs" <james.keasley.TakeThisOut@gmail.invalid> wrote in message
> > >news:87irvo43zk.fsf@athena.homeric.co.uk...
> > >> "SatNav" <SatNav.TakeThisOut@dsl.pipex.com> writes:
> > >>
> > >>> "MatSav" <m a t t h e w D O T s a v a g e A T d s l D O T p i p e x
D OT
> > >>> c o
> > >>> m> wrote in message
news:kiqml1pae9q9tforv1g902ishdcanl62uq@4ax.com...
> > >>>> On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 23:43:42 +0100, JH <jacques.TakeThisOut@nospam.demon.co.uk>
> > >>>> wrote:
> > >>>>
> > >>>>>Does anything ever happen in this group, or are you all down with
Davy
> > >>>>>Jones?
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Discussion has migrated to <url:http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> The above fake little dialogue is designed to divert gullible usenet
> > >>> users
> > >>> to a commercial page.
> > >>
> > >> Bing! Wrong, UKRGB is a free site, with free discussion boards, and
> > >> free access to the river guides, which are contributed by the
readership.
> > >>
> > >> Ads and selling stuff like t-shirts are about the only ways to pay
for
> > >> the, non-negligable, overheads of running a popular site like that,
> > >> without
> > >> directly charging the end-users.
> > >>
> > >
> > >My point precisely, UKRGB depends on advertising revenue to keep going.
You
> > >know what happens when your website depends financially on someone?
> > >
> > >Even if they don't overtly call the shots, you make sure you don't
upset
> > >them. Freedom of speech goes out the window etc. etc.
> > >
> > >This by contrast is a free AND independent NG. I regret if people post
> > >here, announcing that 'discussion has migrated' to a commercially
funded web
> > >site.
> > >
> > >The motivation is obvious - adverts fetch more the more hits your site
gets.
> > >
> > >
> >
> > Given the popularity (growing it seems to me) of "paddling", it seems
> > amazing that a newsgroup can be "killed" off by two individuals with a
> > point to prove.
> >
> > Shame really, the moderators rule. (Again..)
> >
> > J.
>
> No, you misunderstand. The group is unmoderated, which was the cause of
the
> problem. When it was hijacked, there was no way to stop it, other than
> leaving. The forum is moderated, hence hasn't been hijacked.
>
>
How's that? An open newsgroup where anything goes, and is allegedly
hijacked by people offering a viewpoint that perhaps questions the NGB,
perhaps making people far removed from the troublesome topics feel
uncomfortable - I don't know. But having chat on moderated forums where
moderators can remove anything they don't like is okay.... seems like
turkeys voting for Christmas if you ask me.

Personally I think it goes completely against the grain and I'd much rather
put up with different opinions and challenging viewpoints, and even the odd
obnoxious outburst than face unquestioning censorship. But then again, maybe
I have driven some away from another newsgroup...

Ewan Scott