Open Letter To The Indoor Rowing Community

[Alissa]

Note that this is not a loyalty oath. It’s not required of forum members.

I understand that. I was (probably obliquely) responding to the suggestion that signing such a statement be made a requirement for board access. I'm sorry I wasn't clear.

And to be crystal clear, I may join your aspirations and even your behavioral goals without signing a statement to that effect. I am old enough to remember the Army McCarthy Hearings. They left a profound imprint on me.

Hi Sasha.

Absolutely you can join my aspirations etc. w/out signing anything (and I agree that requiring a signed "pledge" for membership might well be "over the edge")!

I think many members of the forum have been managing their own conduct in a way that is exactly in accordance with Jon's various statements--that may be why it rang so true to me as appropriate... You should (of course ) stay true to your own aspirations and goals. Whether that leads you to "sign-on" to the list Jon assembled (or not) is up to you. It is one of my goals to be supportive of forum members and that includes you! I would never want you to be uncomfortable because of something I'm doing (and I have enjoyed your participation, BTW, in case you were wondering... ).

However as a part of speaking my own mind, I thought it was important for me to identify the sort of behaviour by others that has (over time) made this forum a place where I want to contribute. I didn't want to address this by criticizing what I didn't like (which, in a couple of instances, had started to become a little more prominent than I was comfortable with), so I welcomed an opportunity to speak positively. Jon's statement offered that to me.

If it doesn't appeal to you (and I see that it doesn't), then I both honor your sensibilities and respect your decision.

Alissa

[BrianAbroad]

I pledge that I will be as supportive and positive on this Forum as possible. I will help others, as others have been of inestimable help to me. I will continue to speak my mind, nonconfrontationally. I will try to avoid contributing to troll threads and gratutious disputes, however innocently. And when I read something that I feel warrants censure, I will no longer sit on my hands. I will ask the party/parties involved to desist, preferably privately, and when the situation warrants it I will bring my reasoned concerns privately to the Forum moderators. Above all, I respect and uplift the rights, dignity, questions, thoughts, answers, performances, and capabilities of others, so as to keep the Forum the wonderful virtual community it should be.

Brian

[Ben Rea]

I'll sign on that!



For the record:

I pledge that I will be as supportive and positive on this Forum as possible. I will help others, as others have been of inestimable help to me. I will continue to speak my mind, nonconfrontationally. I will try to avoid contributing to troll threads and gratutious disputes, however innocently. And when I read something that I feel warrants censure, I will no longer sit on my hands. I will ask the party/parties involved to desist, preferably privately, and when the situation warrants it I will bring my reasoned concerns privately to the Forum moderators. Above all, I respect and uplift the rights, dignity, questions, thoughts, answers, performances, and capabilities of others, so as to keep the Forum the wonderful virtual community it should be.

[jagmanvdp]

Hmm Interesting thread.

In addition to be a Concept 2 rower of limited skill and slow times, I belong to another forum where we discuss Jaguar automobiles. It has thousands of members from around the world. I can honestly say I have never seen the level of conversation in that forum drop to the level it did here when the topic of cheaters came up. Of course, we don't race our jaguars in the basement and then post the time for comparison either, so it's a bit of a different world.

Suffice to say, that the Jaguar forum is full of many people with differing views on things, (ideas that some can be very passionate about) but , for some reason, cooler heads have prevailed. It is possible to discuss differing views like an adult.....and free speech is not curtailed. One just needs to maintain perspective. There are far more important things in life than Jaguar automobiles or rowing times. Once you plant that idea firmly in your mind...civility towards your fellow rowers is quite straightforward.

Happy racing..whatever your vehicle of choice.

Darren Bessey

p.s. I pledge that I will be as supportive and positive on this Forum as possible. I will help others, as others have been of inestimable help to me. I will continue to speak my mind, nonconfrontationally. I will try to avoid contributing to troll threads and gratutious disputes, however innocently. And when I read something that I feel warrants censure, I will no longer sit on my hands. I will ask the party/parties involved to desist, preferably privately, and when the situation warrants it I will bring my reasoned concerns privately to the Forum moderators. Above all, I respect and uplift the rights, dignity, questions, thoughts, answers, performances, and capabilities of others, so as to keep the Forum the wonderful virtual community it should be.

[Ducatista]

Suffice to say, that the Jaguar forum is full of many people with differing views on things, (ideas that some can be very passionate about) but , for some reason, cooler heads have prevailed.

You know what they say: tepid vehicle, cool head.



(I kid, I kid.)

[jagmanvdp]

TEPID????? Why I oughta..........!!!!!!!!

Darren

[Daren]

TEPID????? Why I oughta..........

...buy something better?