Removing the HCT.

[redacted]

And I'm sure that to many that's how it looks (and has been characterized). The fact of the matter, though, was that in and of itself, the HCT wasn't the precipitating cause of any of the current drama. That thread was created years and years ago as a repository of all the hot chickiness a small group of members wished to have a space for. However, throughout the history of the thread, those very members would post their hot chick images in other areas of the board, and not just a picture here and there, but pages and pages and pages of them, along with associated, ahem, "insightful" commentary. Repeatedly, at least a couple of times a year since the HCT was begun, massive cleanups, thread deletions, and warnings took place surrounding these images. All of these crises arose from post reports about hot chick stuff in threads that were not the HCT.

This latest crisis came about in exactly this way. We had post reports about a string of particularly erotic images in a non-HCT thread. We aren't talking about cheerleaders here or co-eds at the beach. Because there were so many hot chick pictures in that not-HCT thread that to move them would be a huge task, a representative of the frequent posters in those two threads and I decided together that merging the two would at least leave all of the hot chicks in just one thread, which might solve the issue. Unfortunately it didn't solve anything because rather than trying to keep a low profile in order to continue to enjoy the privilege of having a hot chick space on SB, some members upped the ante and posted even more revealing images, and this was after I asked the representative to spread the word to self-police with their image posting or it could come back to bite them. We now see that it has come back to bite them.

Thus all the tears and tantrums.

So, Bob, far from being the case of "a mod" imposing "morals" on a group of innocent guys just trying to have a little fun, this was a chain of events like snowfall that sits for long periods on a mountainside and that eventually leads to an avalanche. This has been building and building for years and has been a regular feature of how-can-we-find-a-win-win-solution discussions in the back room each time a hot chick crisis has erupted. The responsibility for having got to where we are now rests squarely with the members who have been most vociferous in expressing their outrage. If only the HCT guys had stuck just to the HCT and not repeatedly inundated other threads with erotic content; if only the merged-thread guys had toned it down instead of ramping it up; if only the outrage hadn't morphed into frivolous post reporting to make a point, your post would still be right where you published it.

Sounds to me like someone decided the best cure for cancer was a firing squad.

 

[drbill]

I visited that thread once or twice in my years on the board. It was not for me so I saw no reason to follow it. Certainly even the small portion I saws was a bit sexist, but I just avoided it. Besides, the hot stuff I'm interested in is fish and invertebrate porn for my "Munching & Mating in the Macrocystis." However, I do feel that if someone is adverse to a bit of the human stuff, they are not entirely comfortable with sexuality period. There are three basic functions of any species: respiration, feeding and reproduction. These are pretty much common to almost all species. Degrading images and comments are a different matter of course. Personally, I won't miss the thread.

 

[mathauck0814]

... each time a hot chick crisis has erupted...

Hyperbole much?

 

[Quero]

Hyperbole much?

Not at all. There have been many, many prolonged instances of hot chick reporting/discussion/action sequences that have produced extensive, involved, and impassioned debate amongst staff, some of which actually resulted in very hard feelings. In addition, each time there has been a great deal of moaning on the part of those who felt their posting rights were being denied them, along with the tired claims of unrestrained censorship. So no, it's not hyperbole.

 

[Steve_C]

I put no work/time in on scuba board. I imagine it can take a lot at time.

I pay no money to keep scuba board functioning.

I appreciate the freebie.

Therefore I am entitled to nothing. The owners/workers/supporters can make any usage rules that they want. My role is to comply or visit other sites.

As an aside I have avoided SB for several years because of a bad rep it had in some circles I dove in for being a not so nice place. A partial withering of traffic on another board led me to try SB. Since I have been reading the board the last few months I have found it saner and friendlier for the most part than I expected and have learned several things.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

That's really all there is to it. The decision has been made that this kind of content no longer has a place on SB.

Makes sense to me, and I think a statement to the effect of 'Dear All: after tiring of constant back and forth over these things, we've decided to remove the thread(s)/posts and everyone's on notice not to post further images like this going forward. No moralizin, it's just business.' would have gone over fine.


But when banners anounce that Sexism is not allowed on SB and the owner starts ranting about bigotry, BS detectors go off. I agree with Steve_C's sentiment re: who's in control and what we're (not) entitled to as SB users... but nobody deserves a free pass on BS.

 

[chrpai]

I would argue against that it's "free" or that we aren't owed anything.

The user community provides content, hit counts and industry relevancy to the owner for the purpsoes or marketing and selling advertising. Don't underestimate how much SB needs us. Conversely I can find community and dive buddies at a great number of places. This is the center of the owners world, not my world.

I have observed it's not the managements style to inform us of things. The groups application was arbitrarily taken away without any explanation. Direct questions are ignored and responded with talking points.

 

[dmoore19]

Bottom line is it's Pete's sandbox. If he wants to take his toys and go home it is his right as the owner of the toys.

I don't remember seeing any warnings by any mods asking things be changed. I didn't even get a chance to post a quick farewell, it just disappeared. Then the flurry of several threads suddenly opened and closed. I don't guess I have been around long enough to know of the history. I clicked on the HCT whenever there was new posts indicated. I even joined in the fray on several occasions. I don't believe for one minute that anything that was posted was done so in a malicious manner, nor do I believe any of the comments made were done so with some kind of hidden meaning. I didn't see anything I considered offensive but then it ain't my sandbox, I don't get to make the rules.

 

[redacted]

Bottom line is it's Pete's sandbox. If he wants to take his toys and go home it is his right as the owner of the toys.

I don't remember seeing any warnings by any mods asking things be changed. I didn't even get a chance to post a quick farewell, it just disappeared. Then the flurry of several threads suddenly opened and closed. I don't guess I have been around long enough to know of the history. I clicked on the HCT whenever there was new posts indicated. I even joined in the fray on several occasions. I don't believe for one minute that anything that was posted was done so in a malicious manner, nor do I believe any of the comments made were done so with some kind of hidden meaning. I didn't see anything I considered offensive but then it ain't my sandbox, I don't get to make the rules.

It really is not a sandbox. It is more like a sports stadium. Without participants and an audience, it is just a lot of grass to cut.

 

[bilsant]

Seems like what's done is done.

Just an observer...no dog in this fight really...I figured out I can find hot pics and zesty commentary in about a zillion places on the Internet, so not experiencing any feelings of deprivation...

but I'm not foreseeing any great membership migration away from here because of the decision.

I think most of us are here for the diving.

Folks who get mad and threaten to take their bat and ball and leave, sometimes talk themselves into a grand gesture that ends with them all alone outside the park with just a stupid bat and ball.