MP Forums - Most respected contributors?

As an aside, was trying to remember the proj comedy hall of fame roster. Funny posts, and walking the line of taking the piss, but not being mean or derailing threads. I’m sure I’m forgetting some folks.

-Aleks Zebastian

-The person who used to add sit start fa’s to classic climbs. I think a lot of these may have been edited off the route comment pages by area admins or the person who posted them. 

-Burchy

Neil Bwrote:

I think you are confusing subjective opinion with objective facts, which should be assessed differently.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum The number of people saying something is irrelvent as to factual truth but does tell you about opinions.

There is also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority but that is often misunderstood and really is not an argument against listening expert authorities  but against false authority or an expert talking about a topic different to their field of expertise.

I guess swap out belay device with where to put your foot on some project of yours. 

Spinsser Hwrote:

As a new member here who is very interested in learning as much as possible I'd definitely say Eric Moss (for his great innovation in rappel techniques), and puppy lovr (mainly for the kneebar & bat hang story).

Technically then you would appreciate the OP and not me. Maybe next time someone with an actual account will write a trip report (or people won't flag it?). Although Fritz and even Chode Rider thought it was me. My main defense is that I can't figureout how to make another account (an neither can Chode) and I was running during the post. 

Gumby King (just for the memes everything else is rubbish)

Myspace Top 8 Friends List    Most Respected Contributors off the Top of My Head:

Contributors of Useful Information: Bearbreeder, Steve Price, RGold, Mark Hudon, Slim, Long Ranger
Contributors of Humor: Aleks, Burch Will Fight Anyone, Tradiban
Contributor of Fingertip to Light Socket: Grog
Contributor of Indecipherable Unintentionally-Postmodern Literary Brilliance: Suburban Roadside
Contributor of Much-Needed Humanity and Civility: The one and only OLH

And a shoutout to everyone that I've met from this forum in real life, which is too long a list to compile at the moment.

Straight fax, I've benefited greatly from this site, above and beyond acquiring route information, meeting new partners who turn into friends and scoring killer deals on used gear.

I can honestly say I've grown as a person thanks to both the criticism and encouragement I've received from you all. Thanks, everyone, for contributing.

James Mwrote:

I disagreed with a point Hudon made once and while I was typing thought "Who that hell am I to challenge this legend?" I love his posts and trip reports, nothing but respect for the guy. 

it's great to respect people that came before us, but that doesn't mean everything they say is law. think for yourself and remember, challenging someone is a healthy part of a constructive conversation.

i see this all the time in professional organizations (i.e. the 1 year experienced EMT won't challenge the decision of a 20 year paramedic, even if they think something is wrong)

More people need to be commenting John Gill.

the admirable and GNARLY SirTobyThe3rd M  aka Vitaliy! 

 jcs

jackscoldsweatwrote:

Russ 'Fish' Walling get's my vote. If only for his sound reasoning, sense of humor, and of course quality of workmanship.

I agree that Russ Walling should be on the list. His occasionally off color comedy is brilliant, and he's been doing it forever.

He's the Milton Berle of the climbing community!

John Gill for sure. 

curt86irocwrote:

it's great to respect people that came before us, but that doesn't mean everything they say is law. think for yourself and remember, challenging someone is a healthy part of a constructive conversation.

i see this all the time in professional organizations (i.e. the 1 year experienced EMT won't challenge the decision of a 20 year paramedic, even if they think something is wrong)

EMT and paramedics are first responders, so they operate within a command structure, like police and military, with orders to follow. Climbing partners are just people choosing to do stuff together. Different beast, but point granted.

I have maybe a handful, literally about 5 people I know, who I would pretty much obey, if shit hit the fan. But even with those people, with that level of trust? If it seemed off, some how? Or truly made me uncomfortable? I'd say something. That's something I hope we expect of each other, when it really matters, speak up. Small misjudgements add up to more misjudgements, and sometimes, those really bad outcomes we all want to avoid.

But those tiny "something seems wrong" bits are the big red flags, I think. REALLY stop, and "listen" hard for what your brain or body is objecting to. 

That is the hard part of being a less experienced climber. You may not even know what's wrong (logically), only that it is not making sense, somehow.

And yes, this gets extended to our online discussions. What was so great with rgold, for myself as a total noob, is he responded patiently, clearly, and thoroughly, to any questions that us noobs through out there. This site was greatly improved by peeps like me stubbornly persisting in asking whatever....and rgold (and others) graciously replying. Only a few years ago? If you joined MP to finally leave lurking and ask a question? You instantly got jumped on as being a troll. Any new participant got a swift kick in the teeth.

Unless rgold chose to answer, anyway. 

And then, there were the page 7 romps off into the deep weeds, where any vaguely related thing got discussed. Very messy, but so much information!!!

Anyway, rgold gets my Lifetime Achievement MVP award!

The rest of you merely get friendship!

Best, Helen

I wonder what the magic combination of factors is that contributes to the current state of things. In terms 2008-2013 and whatever other phases of proj there have been.

10% Kyle Walker and Devin Andretti type threads 

10% Respectful discourse, or joking around where you don’t get shitty or mean, but can also take a joke, getting increasingly harder to do for reasons 

10% changes in culture at large 

10% climbings rising user base / popularity, more crowding, exponential rise in threads asking about what should my first trad rack should be, with those same thread posters doing less and less checking of old threads or their own legwork before asking for advice

10% taco migrations 

24% covid 

24% politics

1% thread drift and hijacking. For example someone starts a cool thread acknowledging great MP users, and then gets a post like this.

1% know it all folks like myself in the 2 - 6 years climbing range with lots of opinions

For example. That is probably all super wrong and overly simplistic.

I still think MP can be super cool, when it’s not a dumpster fire. Holding out hope good faith users still keep it relatively useful and less dumpster firey. Early on, for me, I learned a ton of stuff on here, (and had a bunch of laughs) mainly digging into old threads, alongside a bunch of book reading and early outdoor trips. Have really enjoy seeing legends of our thing come on here and drop some opinions or wisdom. Also being able to do something like check out all of the late great Brad Gobrights ticks.

Godspeed proj 

MP needs to implement nesting comments in a thread into the forums. The 'boomer' style messages lends itself to trolls and ramblings.

Grug Mwrote:

MP needs to implement nesting comments in a thread into the forums. The 'boomer' style messages lends itself to trolls and ramblings.

This!

PTRwrote:

jt512.  Wait, what year is it again?

Bwa ha ha ha!

Old lady Hwrote:

. This site was greatly improved by peeps like me 

Did you just say that? Seriously? Time to check the ego.

FrankPSwrote:

Did you just say that? Seriously? Time to check the ego.

Sheesh ....

I said LIKE me. The point was that rgold graciously answered noob questions, even from new accounts.

Rather a lot of other people instantly labeled those who ventured on here "troll".

And, back when I was first on here, there was a lot more activity, it was definitely more spicy, more "hostile", but way, way, more fun. Heaps more information flying around, and at least some of that was "provoked" by stoopud questions, or dubious brilliant ideas to do stuff some other way.

JW, I do remember, when I was first on here, people lamenting how much less fun it was. Hopefully not causal.

But now?

It's pretty grim. 

I'd trade the risk of getting dubbed Ellenor again, for the forum you guys had bitd. 

I'll leave what I wrote as it stands. Not because you guys quoted it, but you know I'll generally not go back and edit, or delete, usually. 

It's grey and gloomy here, with deep cold temps in the forecast for next week. 

I managed to tweak something or other around my shoulder, at the gym a week or two ago. Can't even belay now (yeah, yeah, insert joke here).

:-(

EDIT to add, Frank, part of my point was people like me, who refused to go away, or sit down and shut up, no matter what was thrown at us, lol! I wasn't thinking of just me, at all. Remember Eli?   

Old lady Hwrote:

 ....And, back when I was first on here, there was a lot more activity, it was definitely more spicy, more "hostile", but way, way, more fun. Heaps more information flying around, and at least some of that was "provoked" by stoopud questions, or dubious brilliant ideas to do stuff some other way.

I think it was Ben Franklin who said something to the effect of “People get the website they deserve”

With all the flagging and “moderation” and canceling added over the years  what else could be expected?

Every forum ever has complained about how it used to be, more so every year, even the 20 year old ones I'm on. Mtn Project is the only one growing in membership, mostly denizens of Facebook.

Ahaha, and I'm able to post again, for the first time in this thread. How.... conspiratorial.

Mark Pilatewrote:

I think it was Ben Franklin who said something to the effect of “People get the website they deserve”

With all the flagging and “moderation” and canceling added over the years  what else could be expected?

Nick threatening to just dump the forum part of the site didn't help any, either. A few supertopos wandered over....promptly left.

I'm grateful I at least got in when I did, and truly miss what's gone, that primarily being participants. 

H.

I nominate the n00bs that answer technical questions for other n00bs. 

Keep it entertaining MP!