Daniel Meers - GoldCoast.com.au - Guilty of Inciting Hatred

[g-boaf]

Accusations of trolling are always going to happen - that's how the Internet is these days. People are paid to post deliberately controversial or hateful comments on rival websites to reduce the traffic going to those sites. Ignore the trolls and haters.

Just get out there and ride heaps. I was new to cycling about a year ago, I didn't encounter any hatred - just thoroughly decent, nice people. You'll find them too. Just give it time and steer clear on topics like registration and helmet laws.

[human909]

it certainly didn't help that the person who attacked me the most (human909) clearly hadn't even read my post before attaching me. that's as clear a sign as I need that I was being attacked just for being a noob - at least by that person. (u can't have been that offended by my opinion, cos you didn't read it)

so no, "forum reputation" means nothing to me, nor does post count. I treat people according to how they treat me. so if you're going to attack me for being new, or for having an unpopular opinion - well, you are a douchebag.

Lets be quite clear. I "attacked" your arguments, not you. I did not attack you personally, I did not attack you for being a noob, I did not call you a troll. Nor was I offended by you. I merely disagreed with a opinion that you stated while knowing that it was controversial.

Anyway, enough about that... Ride a bike in any fashion you so feel! Call yourself a bike rider or a cyclist (I make no distinction). Wear shorts, Lycra or Jeans (I rarely wear Lycra). Enjoy the bike for exercise, transport or simply recreation. Use the forum to learn, debate, meet friends. The choice is all yours...

[il padrone]

forgotten all about the patronising and unwelcoming responses I initially received.

Probably a result of the patronising and unwelcoming initial post you made. A word of advice - if you want to make valuable discussion with people in a new group (any group - on-line or real time), and even make a few friends, just post about the riding you are doing or ask some advice about an aspect of cycling. You will find a great wealth of advice and support. To knowingly make a first post that is contentious and inflammatory is simply asking for trouble. You knew this too, I believe, but crashed on regardless.

[m@]

[mod] Folks, let's get on with our lives.[/mod]

[AUbicycles]

Admin Says:

1. Whether you are a new member or long term member, we are a diverse forum with diverse ideas and welcome discussion and debate however be aware that while views and opinions can be shared and discussed, if the aim is to convert everyone to your view, it will be a long, hard and painful journey that will most likely not succeed. The best case is to share and discuss, understand that information is power however know when it is time to agree to disagree

2. We are a family orientated forum that should welcome new members, in this thread I have read a number of very fair replies including some that have tried in vain to help the new member. BUT for members who do like to discuss each and every detail, consider a softer approach; share your views though accept that we are a community of different views and who are new and old, but all united by cycling.

[human909]

I agree. (Not that agreement was needed or requested.) To the extent that I was a bull to the red flag of registration I apologise. The flag kept waving and I went in for a few charges.

Those that are new to internet forums or new to cycling may be less aware of the red flags and the way people can react passionately on topics. The tempering factors of social civility and personalities are often less present. Some people (myself included) often enjoy debating void of personalities. In real life the desire to debate is greatly tempered if even started by the often futility and the offence that can be caused. While online offence is often never intended, some people may interpret strong attacks in that way.

[greyhoundtom]

Personally I have no problems with the strong vigorous debates that happen on here from time to time, and while I don’t often join such a debate, I do enjoy reading them.

The only time I take offence is when someone in such a debate resorts to name calling, or referring to a debater in an inflammatory and derogatory manner.

I don’t even mind if someone calls me an idiot, providing they can clearly and logically state their reason for considering me such. Lets face it I have called myself an idiot often enough.

If however someone called me a scumbag, dousebag or such other derogatory term without a real damn good reason, I would request and expect an apology, and if not forthcoming would place the poster on my ignore list, and from there on in act as if they were not a member of this forum.

There again I would trust and expect that the Moderators on this forum would take any posters resorting to using highly derogatory terminology to describe another poster to task over such a post.

[Mulger bill]

Only just caught up with this thread. Not happy with the way things have panned out with one of our newer members, both the response to his beliefs and his belligerent response to that response.
However, something else caught my eye that I find FAR more disturbing...

There would be definite pluses for an effective registration system, but ATM they're outweighed by the negitives preventing its implementation.

I think bike rego was costed in the low hundreds per rider recently in Victoria(?). It would be a huge tax burden. Pity, it would solve a few issues.

Sorta runs counter to:

We have never and will never support the registration of cyclists or bicycles in Queensland or anywhere else.

.
Certainly made me rethink a few things...

[Baldy]

Only just caught up with this thread. Not happy with the way things have panned out with one of our newer members, both the response to his beliefs and his belligerent response to that response.
However, something else caught my eye that I find FAR more disturbing...

There would be definite pluses for an effective registration system, but ATM they're outweighed by the negitives preventing its implementation.

I think bike rego was costed in the low hundreds per rider recently in Victoria(?). It would be a huge tax burden. Pity, it would solve a few issues.

Sorta runs counter to:

We have never and will never support the registration of cyclists or bicycles in Queensland or anywhere else.

.
Certainly made me rethink a few things...

Not thinking hard enough obviously.

He said there would be pluses if there were an effective way to implement it. There is not... so that is why SCA does not endorse rego for bikes.
He said even though it would solve a few issues it would be far too costly.....which is why SCA is not advocating for rego for bikes.

Womble is big and ugly enough to speak for himself and I'm sure he will. I just like pointing out when you are wrong

Personally I'm all for more arguing between human99 and supera. Its like watching Anthony Mundine fight Anthony Mundine...

[il padrone]

I reckon it's been fascinating watching the train wreck

[mikesbytes]

Well I'll give you another angle.

The writer is a columnist and its not the job of a columnist to write a balance article, but to invoke debate. In a sense its a bit like a forum troll

So how to invoke debate?
- The wrong doings of a minority group, in particular if the crime at hand can be viewed differently. "The RF interference from the Go Cart racing down the valley meant that I couldn't receive 2GB on my transistor radio while sitting under the tree in my back yard", that's why Go Cart racing should be banned.
- Do-gooder initiatives. For example the Toy guy buy back scheme. After all they know better than you as to what's right for your children.
- Politics
- etc

So back to the topic. I bet Daniel Meers is sitting back in his chair having a laugh at all the hits on his article and the number of comments received. Just like a troll sits back and watches the trolled thread grow

[human909]

Not thinking hard enough obviously.

Hmmmm..... I think it would be a poor assumption to suggest this of Mulger Bill. While his objections were not explicitly spelt out, I think playing the logic argument games to show that they aren't contradictory positions still misses his point.

I just like pointing out when you {Mulger Bill} are wrong

Even when he isn't wrong? Sure if we want to play semantics then you are correct that Womble's statements aren't quite contradictory to SCA. But while we are playing that the you need to recognise that Mulger Bill isn't "wrong" despite your claim has his comment was appropriately prefixed.

He said there would be pluses if there were an effective way to implement it. There is not... so that is why SCA does not endorse rego for bikes.
He said even though it would solve a few issues it would be far too costly.....which is why SCA is not advocating for rego for bikes.

Justifying the "pluses" is a very hard sell regardless of the difficulty in implementation. The only "issue" that bicycle registration has any chance of solving is the one of cyclist haters ranting about non cycling registration. Simply put it seems a bizarre position to take.

[wilddemon]

Yawn

Anyone got anything on topic to add?

[KenGS]

Yawn

Anyone got anything on topic to add?

I LOVE irony!

[KonaCommuter]

When a motorist breaks the road rules it's a Rogue Motorist http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/nati ... 6543396588" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;





But if one cyclist breaks a road rule it's "Cyclists" (Plural aka everyone that rides a bike) http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/quee ... 6446296016" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[il padrone]

A driver activates cruise control, while his feet hang out the window as he travels on the Eastern Freeway....

.....while another driver takes a photograph while pretending to be driving a car


I must say, I don't think there is any suggestion from the Courier-Mail article that it was just one cyclist breaking the law. They've detected many cyclists running red lights. I'm not surprised and don't crash reds myself, but I don't see it as anything beyond a personal risk for the cyclists.

[human909]

Thanks KonaCommuter and Il Padrone. Now that the cycling rego fires have almost died down, it is about time somebody throws some napalm into the mix with the "is running red light ok"?

[DentedHead]

Supera,

I'm a relative newcomer, both to cycling and this forum. I've never worn lycra, and I doubt I ever will (beyond the gloves I received as a Xmas gift) In addition, I ride a non-standard, scratch-built bike, further removing me from the "elite cyclist "clique. I've engaged in debate, asked advice etc, and, despite expressing some controversial opinions, never once felt that BNA was less than welcoming. I've had some opinions shot down by some, but I don't recall anyone ever attacking me personally.

I can also see how a controversial and off-topic first post could easily be assumed to be an attempt at trolling. I think a similar post on ANY forum would receive similar replies.


Dent.

[winstonw]

I bet Daniel Meers is sitting back in his chair having a laugh at all the hits on his article and the number of comments received. Just like a troll sits back and watches the trolled thread grow

I highly doubt it. His facebook page reveals his interests as - girls girls girls, horse racing, and Home and Away (seriously)
Nothing he has written anywhere indicates he has any idea what happens in the world, outside his myopic and developmentally challenged interests, nor that he has the capacity to use trolling advantageously.

[gorilla monsoon]

Supera,

I'm a relative newcomer, both to cycling and this forum. I've never worn lycra, and I doubt I ever will (beyond the gloves I received as a Xmas gift) In addition, I ride a non-standard, scratch-built bike, further removing me from the "elite cyclist "clique. I've engaged in debate, asked advice etc, and, despite expressing some controversial opinions, never once felt that BNA was less than welcoming. I've had some opinions shot down by some, but I don't recall anyone ever attacking me personally.

I can also see how a controversial and off-topic first post could easily be assumed to be an attempt at trolling. I think a similar post on ANY forum would receive similar replies.


Dent.

Don't try explaining it to him, Dent, because he isn't coming back. He said his piece, got his answers that led him to the belief the members were playing hardball (they were not, most of them were fair, especially human909 (and I can't believe I just wrote that) despite Womble Squared's contrary view), got the hump and went away.

I have my own theories about Mr Supera's issues but they can be just that - my theories.

Anyway, can anyone tell me if friend Meers has paid out on cyclists again in recent days?

[The 2nd Womble]

Only just caught up with this thread. Not happy with the way things have panned out with one of our newer members, both the response to his beliefs and his belligerent response to that response.
However, something else caught my eye that I find FAR more disturbing...

There would be definite pluses for an effective registration system, but ATM they're outweighed by the negitives preventing its implementation.

I think bike rego was costed in the low hundreds per rider recently in Victoria(?). It would be a huge tax burden. Pity, it would solve a few issues.

Sorta runs counter to:

We have never and will never support the registration of cyclists or bicycles in Queensland or anywhere else.

.
Certainly made me rethink a few things...

You can take all the offence you wish MB. There are merits to rego in my view, but as I have said and will say again, due to the utter impossibility of cyclist rego being workable, and the reasons for those wanting it, we will never support calls for it.
I'm not paying the rego debate any more attention than in this thread. Need I also point out that many here also see slight worth in some instances where rego would benefit a cyclist?
You should realise MB I meant no more or less than this. If motorists want us registered so they can more precisely apportion blame to offset their own stupidity, they're plum out of luck.
Next...

[Mulger bill]

Offended Dave? No.

Worried by the fact that prawns like Meres, Nightingail and various others would gleefully grab hold of "There would be definite pluses for an effective registration system' and quoting it as the exact words of the boss of SCA as their way of demonstrating how wonderful rego would be when such a pre eminent person in cycling safety as your good self backs the concept. Remember, it aint what you say that matters a damn these days, it's what the mass media reports you as saying.

Shaun

[The 2nd Womble]

Offended Dave? No.

Worried by the fact that prawns like Meres, Nightingail and various others would gleefully grab hold of "There would be definite pluses for an effective registration system' and quoting it as the exact words of the boss of SCA as their way of demonstrating how wonderful rego would be when such a pre eminent person in cycling safety as your good self backs the concept. Remember, it aint what you say that matters a damn these days, it's what the mass media reports you as saying.

Shaun

They can report me a saying "#!$(AT) Daniel Meers" if they want to. The offer is open

[InTheWoods]

Received a reply from the Australian Press Council today.

Dear Mr XXXXXX

I refer to your complaint received on 16 December 2012.

The Australian Press Council received several complaints about the Gold Coast Bulletin article “Meers: Time to curb pedal power”.

We have sought a response from the publication and we will provide you with an update once the matter has been finalised.

You are welcome to contact me to discuss this further.

Yours sincerely,



XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX
Director of Complaints

[winstonw]

Got the exact same...

Received a reply from the Australian Press Council today.