On Apr 18, 8:09 am, H.B. Elkins <hbek...@gmail.com.restrictorplate>
wrote:
What's the matter? Does nobody want to RSVP to your roadmeets?
This newsgroup is not dead because you say it is, H.B. Individuals
have contributed to this newsgroup for well over a decade. They still
do. What has left, thankfully speaking, is the clubhouse mentality.
People previously clustered together and thought they were the
"definition" of how road geeks, road scholars, viatologists, etc.
should be. Morality was mixed in with science. Really, what did you
expect would happen? There is no such thing as an absolutist
morality. There were various ratpacks of people here somehow thought
otherwise. Instead of promoting thoughts about roads around the
country and the world, people were trying to create territories where
they were supposedly thought-leaders, including arbitrary definitions
of right and wrong. Don't deny it. I absolutely hated that period of
time and it wreaked havoc to all participating in this newsgroup.
Luckily social platforms like Facebook have taken the lonely souls
elsewhere. Well, most people. (There are still those who try to
create roadmeets on public newsgroups.)
The last decade was quite sophomoric. You had sects of individuals
who, despite their scientific skills to road studies, were overwhelmed
by their need to affiliate with others. They thought their methods
were the standard. This led to egotism, ostrasizing of others, and
the discouraging of information sharing. I hated it. I was indirectly
influenced by it. It was an unfortunate time. I am still here
because I value the objective exchange of viatological information.
For those who visit this newsgroup, viatology is the scientific study
of roads. (And welcome aboard, too!)
This newsgroup is back to its basics. It's all about exchange of
information. It's not about who you identify with. It's all about
people who love roads and want to share information about them.
I honestly don't care if you leave or stay. I don't care if you have
a killfile list as long as a phonebook. Honestly, I don't care if I'm
on your killfile. This post is far-reaching and is all about
inclusion. It's not about labeling people and categorising them.
Share objective information and maybe people will listen. If they
don't, at least you made a scientific contribution that others one day
can locate in a Google search. We are viatologists. Don't like that
term? Frankly, you can share it with the people who have replied to
your RSVP. Or perhaps you can whine about it on Facebook much like
the others who have done the same.
I am proud of the Worldwide Transportation Library, and the 20+
countries covered by volunteers who strictly love driving and want
others to do the same. I am also proud of those who aren't part of
the Worldwide Transportation Library but share scientific knowledge of
roads day in and day out.
To the future! MTR is alive and well.
Ciao,
Carl Rogers
"Environment first, transportology second"
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