NOBMOB Censorship

[unitec]

I seem to be running into more and more people lately that have had there posts deleted on NOBMOB simply because their views differed from the owner of the site.
Just to be clear I am not talking about racist, sexist or vulgar language but simply a view that the owner/moderator didn't agree with.
Anyone else had this happen to them?

 

[alchemist]

Meh, don't like the site owner's actions move on, not worth getting upset about.

 

[rotorub]

Meh, don't like the site owner's actions move on, not worth getting upset about.

Agreed, read the name of the org NOBMOB! Nuff Said!

 

[unitec]

Meh, don't like the site owner's actions move on, not worth getting upset about.

My concern is that the comments posted on such forums influence the views of other riders and the authorities that use these sites to gain an understanding of the MTB scene.
Censorship of forums breeds ignorance and will ultimately divide the MTB community. It may also be why the authorities seem to be getting it so wrong.

 

[Ben-e]

Can you be more specific about what they are censoring?

 

[zoidberg]

I believe the site is a slur on the face of mountainbiking in general and pretty damaging to mtbing on the northern beaches. Unless of course your views are inline with those allowed by the site owner/operators... Forums exist to allow differing views to be expressed. Sure as hell doesn't happen there.

Could not agree more.

 

[Ben-e]

I believe the site is a slur on the face of mountainbiking in general and pretty damaging to mtbing on the northern beaches. Unless of course your views are inline with those allowed by the site owner/operators... Forums exist to allow differing views to be expressed. Sure as hell doesn't happen there.

Could not agree more.

Really! I was considering joining primarily for that 'group ride' function, seems like a pretty good way to organize riding sessions, but I had no intention of posting in the forums there. One of the things I like about rotorburn is the open discussion. If there is censorship happening there, I certainly wont be joining.

 

[Moggio]

One thing to keep in mind is that just because a forum is ostensibly about mountain biking they don't always serve the same purpose.

Rotorburn is a very free and open forum though it has got some limits such as with the discussion of illegal trail buidling. Threads on these topics will get "censored" to have a nice heated word in the pot. But basically they are just deemed inadvisable to discuss. Overall though pretty much everything gets talked about.

Some other websites are more closely linked to advocacy and are very heavily read by opponents of trail advocacy. Sometimes innocent comments that have been said on mtb forums get thrown back in the faces of trail advocates and cause lots of problems. These can be fair enough and honest comments and riders shouldn't be afraid to say them, but sometimes having really stupid, or inapproriate material out there is very harmful to the trail advocacy cause. This stuff is better removed and to be "censored" (yes lets use the heated word again) than to have as a problem down the track. Some of this material may not seem stupid or innapropriate to the poster but can make the mod with advocacy hat on squirm.

NobMob is very linked to advocacy and very heavily read/monitored by local council, NPWS, green groups etc. It is a site that therefore is a public face of mountain biking and has to have a responsible level of discussion even if at times this does take some freedoms away. (Same with the site listed in my sig.)

So if you want almost totally free discussion rely on rotorburn and don't go to NobMob. If you want to get what is useful from Nobmob, or other sites, play their game, get the good and ignore what you don't like.

 

[BM Epic]

One thing to keep in mind is that just because a forum is ostensibly about mountain biking they don't always serve the same purpose.

Rotorburn is a very free and open forum though it has got some limits such as with the discussion of illegal trail buidling. Threads on these topics will get "censored" to have a nice heated word in the pot. But basically they are just deemed inadvisable to discuss. Overall though pretty much everything gets talked about.

Some other websites are more closely linked to advocacy and are very heavily read by opponents of trail advocacy. Sometimes innocent comments that have been said on mtb forums get thrown back in the faces of trail advocates and cause lots of problems. These can be fair enough and honest comments and riders shouldn't be afraid to say them, but sometimes having really stupid, or inapproriate material out there is very harmful to the trail advocacy cause. This stuff is better removed and to be "censored" (yes lets use the heated word again) than to have as a problem down the track. Some of this material may not seem stupid or innapropriate to the poster but can make the mod with advocacy hat on squirm.

NobMob is very linked to advocacy and very heavily read/monitored by local council, NPWS, green groups etc. It is a site that therefore is a public face of mountain biking and has to have a responsible level of discussion even if at times this does take some freedoms away. (Same with the site listed in my sig.)

So if you want almost totally free discussion rely on rotorburn and don't go to NobMob. If you want to get what is useful from Nobmob, or other sites, play their game, get the good and ignore what you don't like.

Well put Mark, that does explain a lot!

 

[Dozer]

Moggio got it in one. It isn't just the people who ride bikes that read the forums. It can be land owners, parents of children getting race info, people looking to get into the sport etc and people don't want their forums jam packed with content that isn't correct or could land them or a member in hot water.

 

[DeBloot]

Nobmob started long long ago by a few mates as a way to hook up for rides
It was anti-serious

But times change and there was a split between many of the regulars a few years ago due to the direction of the site
One of which is the reason the op is upset
It is now slanted toward trail advocacy and all comments are taken with a 'what would council think' attitude

I respect what the mod (and others) is trying to do re advocacy and I try and stay out of any discussions
But can't help but comment sometimes when disrespectful comments are made about unauthorised trail builders
And the holier than thou attitude of those that advocate towards those that dig on areas that don't have rubber stamp approval

Not everyone on there beats the drum, and if you go on a ride and it's all about fun
But as an open forum where you are free to say what you want - forget it.

 

[bikesarefun]

Hahaha I though NobMob was only there so you could have a vent on a public forum without having to worry about your comment being in the public domain the next day!


Advocacy fall apart when the guys leading the process don't listen to the riders. That seems to be the case with NobMob.

For advocacy to be effective on the Northern Beaches, there's going to been to be a common vehicle for all riders. That sure as hell isn't going to be NobMob. But I reckon that TrailCare (www.trailcare.com.au) has a chance of succeeding. I suggest everyone joins up and gets behind that initiative. The membership structure is only just getting started, but it has the potential to grow into what we're going to need in terms of providing the political pull required to deal with land managers and get trails approved.

 

[unitec]

Nobmob started long long ago by a few mates as a way to hook up for rides
It was anti-serious

But times change and there was a split between many of the regulars a few years ago due to the direction of the site
One of which is the reason the op is upset
It is now slanted toward trail advocacy and all comments are taken with a 'what would council think' attitude

I respect what the mod (and others) is trying to do re advocacy and I try and stay out of any discussions
But can't help but comment sometimes when disrespectful comments are made about unauthorised trail builders
And the holier than thou attitude of those that advocate towards those that dig on areas that don't have rubber stamp approval

Not everyone on there beats the drum, and if you go on a ride and it's all about fun
But as an open forum where you are free to say what you want - forget it.

I think that most of the censorship is around unauthorised trails however for a site that has gained pretty much all it's membership by advertising the locations of unauthorised trails it's amazing how so many don't seem to pick up on the hypocrisy.
I guess propaganda really does work

 

[alchemist]

Moggio got it in one. It isn't just the people who ride bikes that read the forums. It can be land owners, parents of children getting race info, people looking to get into the sport etc and people don't want their forums jam packed with content that isn't correct or could land them or a member in hot water.

That's true, but anyone that thinks that this forum isn't monitored just as much as another is kidding themselves.

 

[D_Nine]

+1 for joining trailcare . United we stand, divided we fall. I've heard stories up nth in QLD where the 'lycra brigade' actually contact the local council and national parks to report 'enthusiastic' track constructions ! We need a legitimate body to represent us,and if it means paying a small fee,$10 to achieve this then no problem.

 

[Spokey Dokey]

Forums

You could always go start your own forum.

 

[Shredden]

Cheers for the constructive input, very useful.

 

[DeBloot]

You could always go start your own forum.

That's exactly what happened

 

[bikesarefun]

I think that most of the censorship is around unauthorised trails however for a site that has gained pretty much all it's membership by advertising the locations of unauthorised trails it's amazing how so many don't seem to pick up on the hypocrisy.
I guess propaganda really does work

Totally agree. The site has even has a wiki of trails with directions and descriptions. Last I checked, the only "authorised" trail on the beaches (fireroads aside) was Manly Dam. They hate the "dig first, ask permission later" philosophy, but ironically ride a lot of places where somebody else did the digging (and didn't ask for permission).

But that's just me having a rant. NobMob serves a purpose. It's like ugly chicks in a nightclub. You don't have to talk to them, but at least they make the place seem busier... And they're probably having fun.

 

[Moggio]

+1 for joining trailcare . United we stand, divided we fall. I've heard stories up nth in QLD where the 'lycra brigade' actually contact the local council and national parks to report 'enthusiastic' track constructions ! We need a legitimate body to represent us,and if it means paying a small fee,$10 to achieve this then no problem.

Well, heck I have been involved in closing "enthusiastic constructions". Just becaue a trail is being built doesn't necessarily mean its good or worth keeping. In this case an idiot was pissing off the locals, building close to their houses and being rude to them; his trail was very poor design and would have eroded horribly and be a gully in a year and he was putting it in right next to an area where trail advocates had been working to get a formalised trail where this guys third rate efforts would have severly compromised the liklihood of this getting the green light.

Also rememeber that Old Bathurst Road after being a serious DH riding site for the last 20 years was closed because some people put in another trail nearby that annoyed residents, created a huge political backlash and then got all trails closed. Are we to stay somehow united?

If you think a "legitimate body" is going to somehow be able to represent all riders and be "united" with unauthorised trail building activity then you are in wonderland. You can be sure they will be distancing themselves as far away from unauthorised trail construction issues as possible, as it is the kiss of death.