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Alot of us think that we are alone in those things
that irritate us. We aren't. What to do?
Oh, heh, that's easy....you GRIPE!!
GRIPES:
* Use your damn turn signals. Is pushing that tiny little
lever UP or DOWN that damn hard for you?! WEAKLING!
* You do not have a RIGHT to drive. It's a privledge. Too
many of you are forgetting this. If you absolutely have to weave around, get on a damn longboard. At least the only person who will get hurt is YOU!!
* See me come to your online store. See me ask for
information. See me want to spend my money. Be rude to me. Ignore me. See me leave for good with a sad
tale to tell. Skater beware: those who do not have time for their customers are probably not going to be easy to deal with should you have any problems with their product
if you decide to purchase anyway. This is not a syndrome
exclusive to skate products. Occasionally, a business begins
to lose sight of how they got to where they are in the first
place. Don't fret it though. Just pass the word along and
consider an equally good but different product. Don't
fret that either. They're out there.
* 22 Jun 02 -
Are you an annoying skater punk who harasses other
people when you're with your friends? Does it
make you feel better about yourself? Do you think
you're doing wonders for the skate community at large?
Oh, you don't care?
ARE YOU ON CRACK?!!
17 July 02-
If you've read this far, ( and if you have, I thank you as it
does take a little time to do this :-), then you're probably under the impression I put it out there straight. This one's
to the editors of skate mags ( any skate mags ):
What in the world good is it to insert stories about head injuries and how to avoid them in your magazine, and then show so many sk8er's on the cover and between the pages riding without helmets?! This makes no damn sense and it sends a very convaluted message typical of,"Don't do as I do, do as I say." C'mon folks, you're supposed to know better. I think it sends this hypocritical message of,"Well, if you're good you don't really need to wear a helmet. But since you're not sponsored, can't do tricks, don't rip, aren't a pro and just basically not cool, you should wear a helmet." WTF?!! Represent or shut the hell up about it. 18 Dec 02 --
This topic is on skate forums ( but i think it might apply
to alot of other types of forums ). The topic is about attitude.
The good thang 'bout connecting is commnicating with other skaters locally and around the world. You can trade stories, info, tips etc. Sometimes even find a friend. The bad thang is taking it all way, way too seriously. And someof you reading this may even be doing so. Um, is that your board over there collecting dust by any chance?
I heard someone say one time "The end of any civilization or society is begun with the erosion of common manners." I tend to believe this. When you go to a skate forum, you are obliged to read thier Policies. Nearly every forum has them, and failing to do so can get you publically humiliated really quick. And you should be. If you don't have common sense to investigate how everyone's taking their lines, you are gonna get creamed and maybe even beat up for being a stupid, thoughtless kook.
I have been the target for what I can only describe as emotionally imbalanced people looking for someone to vent their dramas on. I have recieved emails from haters and seen some very vile attitudes displayed. I have read as people attempted to shove their religious beliefs down the throats of the rest of the skaters, completely pushing the limit of good taste. ( Note: If you really believe you need to save the souls of other skaters, how 'bout you just build your own damn website instead of playing televangelist in someone else's, hmm? mmkay? )
Webmasters often work very hard on their skate forums. They don't do it so you can turn it into your own personal shit hole and they sure as hell don't do it 'for the money'. Also, people don't go their so you can abuse them, talk down to them, condescend to them, peddle your various skate wares ( although some sites are kind enough to include a 'Vendors' area...)...and you don't go spamming people who had the gonads ( heaven forbid ) to disagree with you. And while we're there, if you can't handle your OPINIONS being disagreed with, ( disagreed with...not slammed, that's different..), then stay out of the forums altogether or you'll be crying or mad ALOT you big baby.
Skaters hating on and abusing other skaters is, in my book, about as vile, low down, and stanky as you can get. You do that, you should get that ass beat. I have a friend who managed to run a trace on some lil' punk beetch who had him spammed. Karma's a GOOD thang. Consider it before you go running your mouth in some temper tantrum.
OK, so now you've found a cool forum to connect with other skaters. Hey, that's great. Catch the spirit, pass on your good vibes, be friendly and stay friendly. You could have one hell of an adventure ahead of you. BUT, ( hey!! WAKE UP!! )..ahem..as i was saying....DO NOT FORGET THAT THE POINT OF SKATING IS TO SKATE. It is not to lend your 'real' life out to the cyber community indefinently. This is an easy trap to fall into. OK? The other thing is: DO NOT just give out personal information because 'skaters are cool'. It's great to think the best of folk, and you should. However, you are not obligated to indulge the curiosity of people you have never met personally..skater or no.
And to you males/females: Please understand that unless the site is specifically set up to do so, it is not a dating service. It's not a place to pick up the opposite sex. And while you may think your lines are very suave and sophisticated, she or he may think you have all the smoothness of a 2 by 4 across the shoulder blades.
1) read the forum policies; 2) keep it real and humble; 3) keep your cool; 4) keep your privacy and finally 5) don't ignore those longboards crying for your attention.
PRAISE: 29 Sep 02 -
This is big ups and praise, straight up to a site I've come to really enjoy.
It is chock full of information, is beautifully laid out
and run by people who try very hard to please
thier members ( and with skaters, that can be a tough thing
to do..). There are reviews of longboard products done better than any site, or magazine, I've seen to date often with better pics of these things than the vendors
themselves provide. Fortunantly, they are not at all under vendor pressure nor do they bend to it, preferring instead to maintain thier integrity and honesty to those they are reaching out to: the everyday skater. They
are honest when they need to be about the weaknesses of
something, without being petty. The community there is tight and quick to dispell bad vibes that tend to surface when people become to emotional. No 'ranking
system' on posts is needed because bad vibes and
nastiness are not much cared for there. The webmasters have clearly stated under their Posting Guidelines what is acceptable and what is not so that no one is caught unaware ( unless they're foolish enough not to
read the posting guidelines ). They accept skaters videos
and photos and this provides an area of exposure for those
without the time to build their own site. When you create
your screen name, you can also opt to upload an avatar
symbol best representing yourself ( or jus' 'bout anytang
dat blows your hair back, as long as it's within the
guidelines ). It is a place
to connect with skaters far and wide across the globe
who I have found are some of the happiest and most soulful
peeps taking the time to communicate with each other.
This praise goes to the best community skate site on the
web to date: SILVERFISH. Long joy, health, and peace
to Marcus and the crew. May you glide always through
untroubled terrain and keep your vision clear and
unclouded.
You'll find thier link under my 'Longboarding Links' section.
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