Aach, ideas are such insidious things. If not properly controlled, they can lead to real problems for those in authority. Hence the restrictions on the club's new official forum, initiated recently by Commodore Matt Duerst. Not only are posts restricted to happy, friendly ones (at the risk of being banned) but certain club members are banned from the outset, according to our sources. A happy, friendly club ought to be free of criticisms—especially ones that potential club members might see.
Nor did certain club hacks like the complaints that were surfacing regularly on the long-time keelboat list (keelboat@cs.wisc.edu), a holdover from better days. Some 150 club members, including most keelboat instructors and club leaders, were subscribed to that list. So, in late April, a couple of club officers started sending obnoxious, slanderous messages to the list, causing it to be shut down.
Of course, that was their intent. A new, privately controlled, non-UW-sponsored list was all ready to take its place. On the same day that the old keelboat list was terminated by UW-Madison staff, a new list appeared (groups.google.com/group/keelboat), controlled by none other than Jonathan Gapen, an ex-commodore. NOTE: the Sailing Club commodore is an employee of the State of Wisconsin.
[5/17 UPDATE: Yeah, maybe there were really only 100 subscribers after pseudonyms, and no, it's not hard to set up a google group. But there were also eleventh-hour messages to the old list from club leaders encouraging people to try the club's impotent new "forum". Two plus two still adds up to three in Hoofers.]
Because setting up a new mailing list/group on Google takes months of planning instead of a few clicks in an afternoon. It's all a conspiracy.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Thought Control.
ReplyDelete"Some 150 club members, including most keelboat instructors and club leaders, were subscribed to that list. "
It's much easier to 'stretch' the facts to make them suit your needs than to actually, you know, include real facts.
Is the 150 number accurate? Do you have sources for this? How many of these were defunct emails? How many of them were "aliases" set up by people trying to hide their true identity. Did you include such people as "Cletus", "Hoofer-X", "Fleet Commander", "Hoofer Sailor" in your numbers or properly exclude them?
I've got a hunch if you look at "real facts", as to "made up facts" the number would be closer to 60-70. Lets be Generous and assume 70...70/150 = 46% of your asserted claim.
Who's the one trying to do the thought control here?
"but certain club members are banned from the outset, according to our sources."
ReplyDeleteAnd by this you mean one. "Bob" as he is known around here.
["but certain club members are banned from the outset, according to our sources."
ReplyDeleteAnd by this you mean one. "Bob" as he is known around here.]
Hasn't "Bob" been banned from the club and as such is not a club member?
How can anyone be "banned" from Hoofers? It says anyone can join, or at least any union member can , and anyone can join the union.
ReplyDeletePeople don't seemto know what they're talking about. Oh I get it, that's the thought control they're talking about.
Wow, this post actually named a name! Too bad it was in a totally bland and uninteresting way.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Jonathan Gapen, is his wickedness more like that of Cardinal Richelieu or Pol Pot?
hard to say. haven't seen "angels and demons" yet :)
ReplyDeleteI think he's more like a cross between Joseph Stalin and Ron Jeremy.
ReplyDeleteSince you are too chicken to name names and the dirty deeds they done, I have a possible alternative:
ReplyDeleteList each of the instructors, BOC members, and others in positions of authority. Then, for each person, evaluate their performance and explain why you think they are doing good or bad.
100 subscribers to a list, or even 150 is probably not an exaggeration if there are really 1000 people in the sailing club.
ReplyDelete