JohnnyCool
[b]Is this an expat forum?[/b]
A part of it is, for sure. warts and all.
I note with some interest that there are some members regularly breaking so-called forum rules and getting away with it. Mr Roy has done it often in the past, got banned, got re-instated, banned again (maybe this time, for ever).
Mr Roy, (and a few others), have contributed excellent content here in the past. I would go as far as to say some of the best, so far. It's sad to see that personal differences, weird agendas of some, etc, are turning sections of this forum into a disasterpiece.
From [i]Thorsten[/i](above):
[quote]This fadmin (whoever he or she will be) is right now stumbling into another forum disaster and he or she isn’t aware of this, simply due to lack of knowledge about the members of this forum and the culture of this forum, we had this already in the past and this forum survived it, but the people responsible for this similar movement did not. I have seen a lot of balilifes or Markits coming and going here and doubtless there will be more.[/quote]
Many of us already know and agree with this.
What to do about it, (if anything)?
In Australia, football fans generally understand the concept of a "Sin-bin". If a player breaks some rules of the game, he gets sent off for a while. Similar to being "banned", for a while, in a web-forum.
What's different between a football game and a web forum? Hopefully, most of us know that. What about a "Sin-bin" on this forum, as judged by its participants?
Too much garbage, as perceived by forum users, results in the perpetrators being put on hold (maybe forever). Of course, this is by no means fool-proof since it's not all that difficult to re-register as a new user and start again.
Spammers, hackers, flamers, etc, are everywhere on the internet. It's a fact of life these days in the cyber world.
:shock:
BALIHI
My money goes down on Mats .
Bert Vierstra
I gave ownership to my brother, and Administration to Teddy, because I was asked to come to a police station in Bali to "explain a few things". (I did not go, since it not was an official request) These same police threats caused another member to resign here and somewhere else too. This particular member was also told the company he worked for would be informed, bla bla.
Not much later I was also threatened by a (now former) member he would file police complaints if I not would do this or that.
The forum has in the past, and now recently again, been the origin of severe personal attacks on my person. I have a talent of attracting nut cases as it seems.
I know of another leech, number 3, who is luring around, easily plays judge and jury, and hands over private information from this forum eagerly if it fits this leech, and he shares some of the characteristics and symptoms of the other two. I'll see how this develops.
But, although this forum is not my "private possession", it is my private stone around my neck.
I hope the forum, even though its not mine anymore, will not start to give me more problems for my life in Bali.
I wouldn't worry too much about Teddy. This person has been on the forum for quite some time and know whats going on, and has been going on.
Jimbo
[quote]I am the one with the yellow helmet, the big belly, and too small bike[/quote]
At least you are doing something about it. I am going to have to join you the minute I retire :D :D :D
Bert Vierstra
People from 12 to 58 are in the club.
From the guys over 50 I am the fastest :)
But there is no real competitiveness. All are supportive, and its all fun.
Alexandre
Roy causing trouble again?
[color=#008000][/color]
froggy
Good to see you staying in shape Bert. I have been trying myself....... 40 :( sigh.....
Jimbo
Froggy
You are in and out like a yo yo. Are you staying this time :D
froggy
I have been in &out reading ........... Been busy with my company... first product on market :D .... I have been on facebook and found a bunch of old friends , kinda cool, meet up with a few and talked old times..... Next time I visit Bali Im going to spend more time on the surrounding islands,,Lombok,Gilli etc....... and for sure visit Bert up North..... looking forward to doing some biking myself, I use to ride pro mountain bike trails a few years back... I wonder how challenging bali trails can be.....
Bert Vierstra
Well, they seem to do some dirt riding in Bedugul, but for the rest its mostly flat, up or steep up.
Down the mountain and overtaking cars is also a challenge :)
Oh, and assembling a bike in my size is a challenge too!
I now have a 21" frame, and bought a new crank with an arm length of 175 mm, so it its looking a little less like I am riding a kids bike. :oops:
On my 17" frame the extended seatpost was bending, afraid it may break under my 105 kilos..
Bert Vierstra
Thanks for your well meant advice Markit.
I have no problem risking my life to become a bit more fit. And its fun too. And I have have made quite a few new friends.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bCIC5vsgnY
Oh I swim too, now and then. The raining seasons give some nice waves in the North now and then to play with....
Markit
I gotta admire you guys for your man sized appendages. 8)
Every time I see a bike rider on these crazy assed roads you got to think they are as crazy as the dogs that lie in em - I mean to risk laying in the road is bad enough but you are only contending with traffic going one way but to actually ride a bike in the traffic going both ways, at the same time and on both sides is orders of magnitude more nutty, in my book.
Add the above to doing it all in 30C heat and it certainly looks like a recipe for making your inheritors very happy :roll:
Spent some time in Candi Dasa recently just sitting in Vincents drinking ice cold beers and watching a herd of Dutch bicyclers trying for their first heart attack. Seems the first thing the Dutch do when they get off the plane is to rent a bike. These were all looking for a face-saving way to get off again but couldn't seem to beat the peer group pressure so are probably all in the intensive care now.
If you want to excersize, and I'm told there are people out there that do, then if you are on a tropical island - go for a fecking swim, dummy. It's the best exersize you can do for your whole body and the worst think you can say about it is that it doesn't make you thirsty - so no reason for a cold beer afterwords.
tintin
We always talk about the "Mad dogs and Englishmen," but what about the "Mad dogs and Dutchmen?" It was in July (or August), 1987, and I was sitting, enjoying a cold drink in a small warung, right in the turn of the road, in front of the entrance to Pura Tegeh Koripan, Penulisan (up Mt. Batur). I had just returned from the Pura, walking down its 333 steps, which of course I had had to climb in the first place to reach the Pura (beautiful panoramic view from the location)…
Suddenly, a bunch of bicyclists, all dressed up in colorful bicycle-racers outfits, riding racing bikes, as it was way before mountain bikes existed, started trickling in and stopping at the warung. They were coming from the road to Kubutanbahan, on the North shore, which happens to be the steepest road to reach the rim of Mt. Batur's caldera, at about 1,500 m altitude (the distance between these two points is about 20 kms, along a spectacular, winding road). It's a fabulous ride on a motorcycle, but on a bicycle…!? :roll:
Over the next half-hour, the cyclists came coming in for a well-deserved cold drink and a short rest. I learned that they were members of a Dutch bicycle club, and had started their ride from Bandung, Java. They were all middle-aged, generously speaking, but when the several cars, which accompanied the group (for emergencies, etc) arrived at the warung, I noticed that none of the riders had abandoned the challenge and was riding in them. Now, that is up to par with any "Englishmen"…
Bert, I did not catch some of their names, but, surely, some of them must have been relatives of yours. So, see you in Penulisan soon. :lol:
Here are some pictures of the Pura, taken on that occasion.
mimpimanis
I meant to comment on this at the time and forgot but just came across it again.
[b]Thorsten says[/b]
[quote]A while a go, Bert thought it’s a good idea to close this forum and so he did, that time I wrote him an email to explain that this forum is not his private procession and cannot be treated like this, even though he started it and owns it.[/quote]
I am sorry but I have to disagree. Bert (at that time) was the owner and the moderator of the forum. He paid for the domain and the hosting and put the time & effort into building and moderating it. As such IMO he was free to do whatever he liked.
Even as members we are guests in the forum, if we put a lot of time into it, it is because we chose to do so. If Bert or his brother decide to call it a day and close the forum though it would be sad for many of us, it would be their foum, their choice and they are free to do so.
Of course I hope it will not ever come to that again. :)
fordprefect
I meant to comment on this at the time and forgot but just came across it again.
Even as members we are guests in the forum, if we put a lot of time into it, it is because we chose to do so. If Bert or his brother decide to call it a day and close the forum though it would be sad for many of us, it would be their forum, their choice and they are free to do so.
Of course I hope it will not ever come to that again. :)
Mimpi, agreed.
But,
Blogrolls, forums, etc close all the time; some more noticeable than others. unfortunately for me this was the most noticeable by far recently:
http://fairpole.baseballtoaster.com/arc ... 04218.html
I'd thought (blissfully ignorant as it turns out) that my favorite sports blogroll would always be around.
Since I'm on this subject, can anyone say with certainty if this forum has a self-sustaining business model?
By that I mean can it survive without us paying subscription fees of some sort?
It has so far of course, but nothing lasts forever, correct?
Dasha
Hmmm after reading all that i gotta say DCC had the right idea.
hope that helps Karren
mimpimanis
As I said Dasha - she has left the forum and doesnt even log on to read any more. So no point leaving messages here.
Dasha
you would be surprised what Karren does Mimp........... and many others who i know lurk out of curiosity :)
mimpimanis
I know she wont even log on to pick up PMs when she gets an email telling her she has one.
And I know she doesnt use her real name on any of the forums she contributes to and its not really on for someone else to, IMO.
Dasha
Hmm that's ok I have her in my mac at home - Ta
