The history of the online road community

[bugo]

As far as your TFO example goes, there's no doubt that many people love posts like that...and they jump on the bandwagon to express it.  There's an equal amount if not more that hate those posts.  Those people will stay silent though.  Bring it back to MTR...when enough silent people have enough of it, they leave, and the entire forum goes down with it, because it's just a bunch of punches against each other, rather than interesting and enlightening conversation.

I would like to see some evidence that this is indeed the case or if you're just guessing.

[bugo]

Another thing to keep in mind is that some of our posters are here on a professional basis. The main example is, of course, our resident AHTD rep. Someone in such a position might come across a "Do us all a favor" or likewise and wonder what sort of cesspool they have gotten themselves into.

I think Scott (AHTD) hates me because I have had to correct him several times and because I whine about Arkansas' refusal to sign 'plexed highways. I don't intend to be a dick but sometimes it comes out that way. I'm a blunt person, both online and in person. I'm known for saying inappropriate things in inappropriate settings. It's all a matter of perspective.

[bugo]

Anyone remember "Gillespie from Florida" on MTR?

Yes! I heard it was Sherman running that troll.

[bugo]

I didn't see the TFO-type post that got deleted, but I never thought TFO was offensive or a bully or anything like that. Tom brought a dose of self-deprecation and levity to MTR, and the only person I think he ever caused any consternation for was Pete Jenior, who happened to share a last name and a home state with Tom. Pete named his son Thomas, which prompted a lot of us who are friends with him on Facebook, to post TFO references. He deleted them, saying he didn't want to have to explain the whole TFO saga to his non-roadgeek friends. Nobody could ever really take a flame from TFO seriously. It took him a couple of years to get around to me, and even then, it was a half-hearted flame.

Naming TFO "Tom Jenior" was never intended to be an insult to Pete. The reason I picked that as his last name is because of this post to MTR:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/misc.transport.road/mrpete$20pete$20jenior/misc.transport.road/I8fcpFl1fuo/06vuRy9i_wYJ

"Just thought that I would announce that my real name is Pete Jenior.  Jenior
in pronounced "jen-yer" (like the girl's name, followed by a redneck
pronunciation of the word "your").  By the way, my grandpa had never been
able to find anyone in this country named "Jenior" who is not related to my
family.  If any of you never figured it out, "mrpete" represents Mr. Pete."

I found this post unnecessary but hilarious and decided to make a parody of it:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/misc.transport.road/TOM$20JENIOR$20real$20name/misc.transport.road/E10rqh4bQFA/OUJAUleJYFoJ

"Just thought that I would announce that my real name is Tom Jenior.  Jenior
in pronounced jen-yer (like the girl's name, followed by a redneck
pronunciation of the word your).  By the way, my grandpa had never been
able to find anyone in this country named Jenior who is not related to my
family.  If any of you never figured it out, Tom From Ohio represents Tom From Ohio."

The name stuck. I meant no harm to the real Jenior when I posted it. He was known for making silly posts and TFO's post was merely satire. If I caused Pete any stress or anything then I apologize. I still can't believe he named his kid Tom but maybe Tom will grow up to be president or something.

[briantroutman]

Those people will stay silent though.

I would like to see some evidence that this is indeed the case or if you're just guessing.

I've been looking in at this thread occasionally but decided that posting was pointless. This comment seemed like a direct invitation, though.

While I haven't been a consistently active contributor to the online roadgeek community over my history within it, I'm no kid and no newcomer. I vividly recall those '90s days when my searches for highway information would lead me to sites like Andy's Highway Kick-Off Page, James Lin's ViaGuide (when it was still on caltech.edu), and Jeff Kitsko's prototypical site on AOL. And I remember the buzz about something called "misc.transport.road" –although I didn't post. Why? Because I was a young teenager without a driver's license, a digital camera, or any insider knowledge, so I had nothing to new to offer. When I finally did make it to a roadgeek meet (SWPA Fall 2004), I had a blast.

When it comes to my participation in the online roadgeek community, my position is this: If I have information, photos, etc. that I think others will find interesting, I'll post them. And if others are offering information or photos I'm interested in, I'll gladly accept them with thanks.

That's the beginning and the end of it. I'm not looking to be amused by the post; the entertainment value is the content. Nor am I using this or any other forum as a venue for my performance art. I've watched in disappointment as countless threads went down the tubes in political flame wars, pissing matches, or snark fests. Perhaps entertaining for some, but a huge tune-out factor–at least for me, and perhaps many others.

I'm no stranger to mean-spirited meta- and anti-humor. I have the ticket stubs from Neil Hamburger and Phil Hendrie shows to prove that. But that's not why I come here.

[lordsutch]

Frankly I find TFO and other things of its ilk (including things like people thread-crapping to troll particular people they want to nitpick or bully rather than say something useful about the post in question, or gratuitous insults hurled at individuals for no apparent reason except because the poster can) rather tiresome and immature. And while the occasional post like that can be mildly amusing, too much of it will drive off people who are interested in the forum for its substantive content rather than an opportunity to reenact the Monty Python "Argument Room" sketch on a daily basis. I get enough of that crap from my job, but at least I'm paid to tolerate it there.

I get that some people can be a little anal about things, and maybe they need to lighten up or search the forum before posting duplicate topics or shouldn't be cataloging the minute differences in the shades of green used on BGSes by various DOTs or whatever, but at some level I'd rather be part of a forum with a reasonably high signal/noise ratio with a few eccentrics that aren't really that annoying and at least are earnest than one where everyone feels the need to out-insult each other and the rest of us have to killfile half the regulars to actually enjoy the place, which is what MTR devolved to back in the day.

[kurumi]

I can't believe this thing is still online: http://mtrlog2.pitas.com/year2001.html

[lordsutch]

I can't believe this thing is still online: http://mtrlog2.pitas.com/year2001.html

I'm just glad my name only got dragged into that thing once, and only to call someone else out for their apparent lack of manners in addressing a post of mine.

[bugo]

Okay... let's try this whole thing again.

Look, Jeremy, I have nothing but respect for you in how you have been a major player in the roadgeeking community. I'm aware of your past thanks to conversations with Alex. I did not mean any malice in my moderation - I truly didn't. You're right that I'm very - I guess "out of touch" would be the right way to phrase this - with the older MTR members here. I wasn't part of that era, and I'm certainly not trying to act like I ever was. So maybe I have overstepped a bit deleting your posts that are nostalgic of MTR.

But what I want to mention to you is what you may find funny, others may find hurtful. One of my best friends, who was different like every other human being, was made fun of repeatedly on social media and at school. It hurt me to see him so depressed. Well, the comments were a bit more profane than the ones you posted, but the premise of the posts was to insult and hate. Luckily I got him help before he did anything extremely drastic, but that's why I'm so adamant in not letting trolling get to an extreme. We're from different generations for sure, but my reasons are a bit more personal, such as your posts are reminiscent of the old road community.

I'm a forgiveful person. It does not take much for me to reconcile our differences. If you have a problem with me, then please discuss it with me privately. I'd really rather not get blasted in public. It's just a bit rude honestly. I am open and willing to change, and if you want to explain the history of MTR to me, then I will listen. If your posts are intended to make others laugh, that's fine, but I just don't want anyone to feel genuinely offended by them.

As Andy has said, I appreciate all of your contributions to the road community, and I have read your blog, and I think I might've even found an archive of your site, in addition to helping to found this amazing community. I don't wish to have this kind of animosity between us. I understand that I'm a very new person here, one that is very humbled to be a moderator in the first place. I only wish to help Alex, Andy, Brent, and everyone else make this site the best place for the road enthusiast. I am not trying to kill that history. I also want this place to be a place that everyone can enjoy without being subjected to hateful comments. It's a hard balance to strike, for sure, but I know Alex has commended me on my job as well as my effort into helping modernize AARoads' site.

Is there hope for a truce between us? If need be, I will delegate more of my actions to the other moderators before I take any actions if I am truly overstepping my boundaries. But this petty fighting doesn't help anybody.

I have zero interest in being your friend. Let me let you in on a little secret: MANY members of this forum do not like you. I know that many members of this forum dislike me but I don't care. I kind of enjoy being hated.

[bugo]

I'm coming out of the closet. I ran one of the MTRLogs. I'm not going to reveal which one it was. but I reckon some of you can figure it out.

[jeffandnicole]

Is there hope for a truce between us? If need be, I will delegate more of my actions to the other moderators before I take any actions if I am truly overstepping my boundaries. But this petty fighting doesn't help anybody.

I have zero interest in being your friend. Let me let you in on a little secret: MANY members of this forum do not like you. I know that many members of this forum dislike me but I don't care. I kind of enjoy being hated.

He asked for a truce. Not a friendship.  And while I don't know about what people chat privately, but I'm quite sure you don't speak for the other members.  Personally, I never even really took notice of you and your comments until your constant sneering on this topic came about.