Legitimate Criticism of Bullshido (the site/community, not the phenomenon)

[Phrost]

Simple answer is no.

Roger that. Just figured I'd ask.

[Iscariot]

We didn't launch an actual rating scale until a month into having that section open. And given the unwritten (should be written, I admit) rule that you should visit a school in person before you rate it, it's a problem.

What I'd hope we would encourage is having people actually visit said schools and watching a class. There are a few ratings in there that are pure and obvious garbage.

I'm open to hear suggestions for dealing with this.

This will drift from the thread for a second, but a good example of the problem is a thread I found when wandering the new posts section, I'll find the URL in a second. Some newbie had followed the instructions of his welcome bot that said "review your dojo". He did. He didn't know we had a preprepared scale for reviewing so effectively went by his own instinct.

DerAus noticed it, and I noticed the thread bump, he called him on it. The poor newb didn't have a clue why he was being called on it.

First suggestion, the bots might want to be clearer. Second suggestion, perhaps have them looked at before they're posted, but this would open the process up to cries of censorship. Third suggestion have mods patrol the dojo reviews for their specialties, spotting obvious BS or mistakes. Fourth suggestion, minimum post count before you can stick a review up, say 50 or 100. Fifth suggestion have people not review their own dojo score wise, just provide information, this could result in sock puppetry.

Note these ideas were just what sprang to mind and some of them won't work with the others.

As a point it seems (as the TKD school in question is in the UK) that DerAus is already checking the KMA section himself.

EDIT: Thread in question - http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=51000

[UpaLumpa]

I don't know. But if he approved me, he should approve you...it's not like he did not call me names on several occasions...

We'll see.

[Dr. Fagbot Q. MacGillicuddy, PhD]

Paul is a nice guy. I still communicate with him via IM from time to time. However, he never really contributed a lot besides boob jokes and so many of his gripes are baseless since he was as much of a part of the problem as anyone else. He chose that route from the get go and despite being repeatedly asked (by me), did not come through and provide technical discussion or anything of the like.

Much as you're one of the few posters here I like, at least as much as one can have like feelings for white dots on a computer, I have to take issue. The "Ronin only tells dick jokes" meme was started to discredit him after his disillusionment with the way this place is run eclipsed his idealism and he left the site. He might not have ever been the best writer or a professional communicator, but I can remember him as having a knack for starting threads that might outline a few simple differences between kick styles or ask an obvious question or two that ended up with reasonably substantial discussion and things I found helpful. Of course, that was before 4/5ths of all the smart people left, too...

Anyway, it's worth noting that Ronin's boner jokes and such were also absolutely a product of the forum culture of the time, and that his role as "good cop" as it were was totally encouraged, by both forum rank 'n' file as well as staff.

And, at least in my book, his advice, integrity and experience were so appreciated, and of a higher calibre, then other forum ghouls when focused more on actual martial content that one or two lines of substance went a long way toward purchasing forgiveness for 100 cracks about boobies or whatever.

In addition, speaking as another former forum admin, I can't say I disagree much with what Manchu's saying, except for maybe emphasis. From reading his criticisms you'd think Phrost was some sort of mastermind manipulator, when the truth his he strikes me as a guy who just hops from one thing to the next without much thought or planning. Aside from (at least in the past) manufacturing an appearance of idealogical inclusiveness that in reality was designed to drive up membership totals, the worst you could accuse him of, evil-genius-wise, is just being really bad at spin after someone brings up the inevitable hypocrisies and inconsistencies left in a wake of bad judgment.

[UpaLumpa]

Simple answer is no.

How then are you only here to stir the pot?
You're contradicting yourself.

Also, given that you frequently bemoan the moderating in DHS (though the problem seems to be with you, other judoka do fine), why haven't you started any grappling threads on TMA?

[Tomas Drgon]

How then are you only here to stir the pot?
You're contradicting yourself.

Meaning I'll be asking questions as opposed to giving answers.
What's contradictory about that?

Also, given that you frequently bemoan the moderating in DHS (though the problem seems to be with you, other judoka do fine), why haven't you started any grappling threads on TMA?

I don't care anymore

[Dr. Fagbot Q. MacGillicuddy, PhD]

Isn't it now 2007?

Cross-reference the taxonomy thread and Manchu's criticisms until the relevance becomes clear.

Or don't. I don't give a ****.

[Tom Kagan]

Isn't it now 2007?

Your past always follows you no matter where you go. It is better to deal with it instead of denying it, IMO.

[Tomas Drgon]

Damned, I answered TWO questions in my prevoius post....
See how easy is it to break your own rules??

I'm oute here

[UpaLumpa]

The "Ronin only tells dick jokes" meme was started to discredit him after his disillusionment with the way this place is run eclipsed his idealism and he left the site. He might not have ever been the best writer or a professional communicator, but I can remember him as having a knack for starting threads that might outline a few simple differences between kick styles or ask an obvious question or two that ended up with reasonably substantial discussion and things I found helpful. Of course, that was before 4/5ths of all the smart people left, too...

When I initially left the site I talked to him about this and he in fact agreed with me (to an extent) that he wasn't as productive as he could have been/should have been. It was also something I took issue with while we were both posting here at the same time and something I at least occasionally called him on. When Ronin discussed technical issues it was always helpful. I don't recall it happening often. As for his phrasing fitting the culture of the forum of the time, I'd counter that he was largely responsible for that. I don't know when the "meme" started but I said as much before and after my departure and have said it since my return. It is independent of whatever cultural shifts occured. Do a search on his posts if you think it isn't a valid comment.

A great example is his issue with Matt being given DHS due to Matt only being a blue belt at the time. His issues are easily countered with the factual statement that in two weeks Matt contributed twice (at least) as much solid technical discussion than Ronin did with 10,000 posts.
Why? Ronin had extensive wrestling (greco and freestyle to my recollections), judo, boxing, kickboxing and karate experience. He was a sniper on top of that and as I recall may well have fought in actual underground nhb fights in Macao! Instead of actually posting anything of substance we got (decent quality) softcore porn.

By the way, Omega could be said to be similarly guilty.