I'm not ashamed of any of the following, though obviously, it didn't work.
Note also that these posts weren't originally jammed together like this.
(http://www.notanothercyclingforum.net/bikereader/forum/pics/tea1.jpg) (http://www.notanothercyclingforum.net/bikereader/forum/pics/tea.jpg)
Frequently Asked or Anticipated Questions
See also Memos from Head Office (http://www.notanothercyclingforum.net/acf/memos.html)
Welcome to another cycling forum. It's British but you don't have to be. Make yourself at home. Sorry to inform that tea-making facilities are currently unavailable.
Do we really need another cycling forum?
Do you really need another bicycle?
Haven't we been down this road before?
Some of us have. (http://www.notanothercyclingforum.net/acf/press.html#freewheeling)
Is it cliquey here?
Cliques get a lot of press, most of it bad. It's no wonder. The dictionary definition is "a small group of people, with shared interests or other features in common, who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them." The more common definition seems to be "any group of people with whom I do not identify". To answer the question: at any given time, who knows. It's in the eye of the beholder. (http://www.notanothercyclingforum.net/acf/memos.html#inviting)
What shall we do about 'trolls'?
Not worry.
There are no Awooooogas here. Don't call anybody a troll.
Is there censorship?
No.
Not even a little?
OK, a little. To keep the face of the forum looking reasonably presentable for the purposes of continued recruitment from as wide an audience as possible, as well as workplace friendly, it is requested that members exercise a modicum of restraint when naming topics and posting photographs. Avatars and sig lines can also be a gray area.
As for the post itself, most anything goes, though for the love of God and the personal and financial safety of admin try not to incite any riots unless it's absolutely necessary.
See also Keeping acf healthy, below.
That looks like more than a little
"Everything is permitted to me, but not everything is constructive." Some saint or another said that. No, not St. Theodore (http://www.notanothercyclingforum.net/acf/index.php?topic=166.0).
Why are avatars and sigs a "gray area"?
These appear whenever you post, and are both private and public, so constitute a unique statement in themselves. They become a design in the acf wallpaper, which is something that tends to interest admin.
No images in sigs. Keep 'em short.
You are also requested to refrain from choosing anatomical pinups which might contribute to a locker room atmosphere.
And no ads, please. acf is noncommercial.
Can I promote my site?
You can add it to your profile, which then appears as 'website' underneath your name/avatar. A low key mention in your sig is also OK. Please refrain from plugging it by making quickie replies which are little more than a vehicle for links.
What does R2U mean?
That's txt for 'replies to you'. Clicking on it shows replies to your posts, which practically speaking means it comes up with a list of all topics in which you have posted and in which there are new replies. This is a little different than 'while you were away', which shows unread topics since your last visit and, via link, all unread topics. All clear?
An Error Has Occurred!
The topic or board you are looking for appears to be either missing or off limits to you.
Sometimes the URL of a topic gets changed, in which case this notice is the forum's generic way of saying "I'm sorry but I can't find it".
What do the << previous next >> links refer to?
Threads, rather than pages in a thread or eras of your life.
Why aren't there smileys?
To give people a choice of going to a forum without them. (Clearly (http://www.notanothercyclingforum.net/acf/index.php?topic=51390.0) this FAQ has been edited since 2005.)
Missing in action?
It is the nature of forums that people will come and go, for their own reasons, which can be personal. Please respect their privacy.
What are Personal Notes?
This is a text field in your Profile. It's not visible to other users.
Who are you?
I'm just another cyclist.
Everyone has to do their part to keep the climate comfortable for everyone else. This means:
- What you think it means. No need for more bullet points. (I wish.)
- Never make the argument personal. Anecdotes are fine; avatars-turned-dartboards are not.
- Don't freight your posts with intolerance no matter how righteous the cause, or plumb the depths of insult.
- Give people room to breathe. If you're an expert in a certain topic, try to avoid turning what may be a very opinionated debate into either a condescending lecture on your own speciality, or a soapbox. You may with vigour expound, rebut, defend. Just remember that you do not own a topic anymore than you own the truth (though you do have the power to delete and lock your threads - please use it with care if at all). This is not sloppy relativism in the face of what may be cold hard scientific facts; it's a pragmatic approach to running a cycling forum.
- Points of view are bound to be aired which you find frustrating. Note that the feeling may be mutual, and make every attempt to find common ground in your shared desire to keep the 'a' in acf from standing for antagonistic.
- Dogma isn't your best friend here. Nor pedantry.
- Respect the rights of others to disagree with you (even if you're right, damnit!). The funny thing about respect is that it can be infectious.
The Usual Suspects
Shimano -vs- Campagnolo
They both work.
Helmets
Q: Drop two cyclists onto the road headfirst, one wearing a helmet, the other not. Which will survive?
A: Neither. They'll throttle each other on the way down.
Or so it would seem if you were gathering impressions from cycling forums, where anecdotes and statistics are ammunition in the never-ending battle for hearts, minds and heads.
It is never a "no brainer". If it were, people on both sides of the issue would've run out of steam long ago. I'm not interested in telling people what to think about helmets. Nor do I wish to provide space for endless iterations of the pro- and con- arguments.
Fixed -vs- Freewheel
Even more tedious than helmet wars, if that's possible. Respect each other's choice of drivetrain and move on.
Everything not Rapha -vs- Rapha
Clothes don't make, or unmake, the cyclist.
(http://www.notanothercyclingforum.net/acf/pics/glossary/naked2.jpg)
acf -vs- YACF and other cycling forums
Please don't make this a topic of discussion. There's too much potential for grief.
PC -vs- Mac
This one's easy. Obviously are way better. Case closed.
(http://www.notanothercyclingforum.net/bikereader/forum/pics/larson2.jpg)
God at his computer, © Gary Larson
acf is a big enough church for theists and atheists, both of whom should be able to contribute to religious threads without feeling trespassed against. We'll be debating this subject until the second coming, so for the love of Dawkins find a way to do it peacefully.
Write with your heart and your brain, not your spleen. Every time you post, think about what kind of forum you want. (http://www.notanothercyclingforum.net/acf/whatkind.html)