Welcome and Guidelines

Grizzly · Dec 20, 2007

Welcome and welcome back! There’s this Monty Python sketch that’s been going through my cranium this past week or so. It has many forms really, but it always ends with the phrase “I never wanted to do this for a living, all my life I wanted to be a LUMBERJACK!” Those of you who are Python fans will recognize that as the lead in to the Lumberjack Song, the song where things aren’t quite what they appear to be. There are two themes there, one of being perhaps in an unexpected role or situation, the other of things not being what you expect. These two themes apply to our situation here at KickRunners and in the PRT. Let me begin by stating the obvious. This ain’t Kansas, Toto. KickRunners isn’t CoolRunning, and the Post Race Tent isn’t the Clubhouse, and never was intended to be so. This isn’t a value judgment on CR, Active, the CH or any of the other running web sites or running fora, it is just a statement of fact. If you’ve come looking for the reincarnation of another board or forum, you will be disappointed. Most of you know that when Rich (Satfix) and a few others started an MSN group a few years back just to keep in touch, there was no idea that THIS would happen. None. We grew, but this place was a very sleepy little board until February 2007 when there was a wave of people who joined up. It was a bit overwhelming at first, and there have been growing pains, both technological and relational. There have been other migrations too, and our numbers have swelled 50-fold. Check out the other fora here, you’ll find numerous communities of people who have come to make this one of their internet destinations. About the unexpected role: I never wanted to be a modulator (again), but this was supposed to be an interim gig. It’s proven to be relatively easy so far, and so I’ve stayed. The people here for the most part self-moderate. The community here has some guidelines, but it all boils down to one word, “respect”. We’re not heavy-handed with applying them, but they are our rules of the road and we want to ensure that you know what you’re signing on for and what you agree to when you do register. We don’t delete posts here, (other than the occasional duplicate posts). We don’t ban people here, but we are serious about the respect thing. Oh, and I’m serious about the coconut thing too. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Read the Guidelines below... I understand that some of you have a great deal of frustration over what has happened in the CoolRunning / Active transition, and some have vowed to leave the CH forever. I think that some of you are being a tad hasty, but you wouldn’t be the first people to arrive here as self-declared “refugees”. In February we asked our new arrivals and the existing community not to make this forum an “us vs. them” soapbox. I ask the same thing now. What we’ve built and what we are building here is about “us”, this forum, this community. The team here wish all the “thems” out there - running sites, fora, loops, whatever - success. If you do decide to join, join because of what this place is, not what other places are not. And don’t feel that you have to be exclusive on your choice of boards, we have many people who are “bi” (postal) and proud of it. We respect people’s right to choose, we ask you to do the same. Tom Wolfe said that you can never go home again, and that’s particularly true about the set of communities some of us have called “home” over the years.. This isn’t, won’t and can’t be the CH of CoolRunning. It isn’t and can never be the CH of the old Kicksports. It also isn’t the Happy Valley of Unicorns and Rainbows™ that some folks have labeled us . It is what it is. Accept that and you’ll save yourself a world of frustration trying to get a place to live up to misplaced expectations or down to preconceived notions. And for the established members here, be patient with the new people. Yes, this is your “home”, and you may be feeling nervous about the influx of new members. I’d encourage you to be the welcoming and supportive community you have already shown yourself to be. And spare a thought for the old timers who are still recovering from their February coronaries. Things are going to change here. We’re not a sleepy little board hosted on a friend’s server. Over the next few months we have to come to terms with the size of this and figure out ways that this place can be funded. With every bit of growth comes new opportunities and challenges. There’s a running log that is in its early stages of testing. There are other features on the drawing board, and as I mentioned, there’s quite a lot happening in the other KickRunners fora. Check out the VRAA. Got a training plan? Submit it to our forum. Want to help out a newbie? Volunteer as a mentor. Get involved as much as you want. If you’re up for being part of a growing community, stick around. We may not be lumberjacks, but we’re okay, and there’s bound to be some surprises.

Grizzly · Dec 22, 2007

Kickrunners.com Guidelines Our Simple Rules: 
There aren't too many, and they're not too hard to follow, but please take the time to read this, If you're here and plan on staying, then - it IS your home. We're not exclusive - we don't 'demand' allegiance; nor is there any 'kool-aid' for you to drink! We aren't here to compete with or be 'better than' any of the other forums . We're all just like restaurants - each having their own menu and atmosphere. Sometimes you feel like a full course meal with a small jazz band; other times you're ready for beer, wings, and Rock and Roll! BOTH are GOOD!!! Our Moderators: 
We have moderators, but their real job is to make sure the grass is cut, the cat is put out at night, and there's beer in the fridges.... We don't have "thought" Police, and we don't ban people. We DEPEND on each other to simply be civil and respectful. When that isn't possible, then the moderators get distracted and then the beer inventory goes down. Butt slapping is ok, debates are fine - just try to keep the sticks in the yard and there's way too much glass around here to throw stones – treat posters on line as you would in public and we’ll always have ENOUGH BEER! Private Messages: 
Take advantage of the features we do have - PM is there for your use. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or complaints.. drop a PM to a moderator and we'll address it (except complaints - JC is in charge of those!) 
When I was young, we had 'party lines' - telephone lines that was shared by several people - THANKFULLY - we've got Private Messaging so we don't have to get someone’s attention with a thread. If you have a topic you'd like someone to read, post it with an appropriate title and then PM the person to let them know. After all - Hairstyles may come back in vogue, but who wants to go BACKWARDS in features!!!! On Puppets: 
One final thought - Since we like you JUST the way you are (all your wrinkles and warts as well as your dimples and demeanor) - there is no need to recreate yourself. Besides, how ya gonna make it to Kickster! if you go and post as a split personality???? One of you is MORE than enough. – One account per person please! 
If the administrators of this site detect a puppet they will suspend the puppet account and issue a warning to the creator. A second offense will result in suspension of the creator's posting priveleges. 
Kickrunners.com will be what the kickrunners make it.. and so far – our members have made it a very nice place to be!! 
So, if you agree to these simple rules, then.... Welcome Home!! 
----------------------------------------- PRT Guidelines (that may be applicable elsewhere) Parody Threads: Are okay in moderation, but there is a fine line. A number of people came here because there weren’t so many here. Stickies: 3 Max.. A new one means one has to go… (This is Grizzly's own PRT guideline for himself) Call Outs: Please, no. PM is there for a reason. Stay on target: Target ideas, not people. 
Self-Restraint: Just because you can say something doesn’t mean you have to. We don't delete posts here and what you say can stick around a loooong time. Coconut: The PRT is a coconut-free zone. Pina Coladas are iffy, Nanaimo bars are borderline too. Profanity: We're not about censoring posts, (see Self-Censorship), but please keep profanity out of thread titles. Piling On: Think self-censorship. 
----------------------------------------- Who's Who In The Zoo Owner: Rich (satfix). He's the man behind the very first vision of this site way back in the day, and he's the one who's marched us through version after version. He's the guy who pays the bills too. Admin: Sierra. Think of her as a super-mod. There's just too much going on here on any given day for one person to keep track of. Sierra helped nurse this site into existence and keeps it going day-to-day. Modulators: Various volunteers who help make sure that the beer is stocked. Not sure who your modulator is? Well on the Forum Index screen the modulator for each forum is the person whose name is on the far right. The same applies for sub-fora, for each sub-forum the modulator's name is on the right of the listing. 
You can contact the modulator by clicking on their name and sending them a PM, or you can use their handy-dandy email accounts located at: 
modulator name AT kickruners DOT com. satfix and Sierra have accounts as well. Please Note: It is standard policy here that if you are contacted by one of the above (except for personal matters) that the message is CC'd. This is to ensure that the owner, admin and modulator(s) involved are all "in the know".

Welcome and Guidelines

Grizzly

Grizzly

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