ISSA - International Slalom Skateboarding Association

One of the best beers comes from California. It has even won medals in Amsterdam.

San Fran`s own Anchor Steam beer!!
(thier Porter racks too..)

Ja, I try PsYcHoLoId beerr at da Gazering, unt dan I tri zum morr. After cuupla beerrz I cood skate Gilmourz courz full speed!
PsycoBeer!

I don't think y'all can talk about beer on this website.

After all, none of the great beers come from California. As we all know, if it doesn't come from California, it's not worth discussing.

At least, there are those who hold that opinion.

On 2003-05-09 03:27, Chris Eggers wrote:
You mean we stop talking about beer?

NO! That would not only be Un-American and Un-German, it would be inhumane.

I was fortunate enough to have some of Alan Sidlo's home brew at the Gathering. His stout was a most excellent brew.

Chris, you need to have a race in Germany during Oktoberfest. It wouldn't get any better than that.

There is a question mark you could have missed. It has a meaning too.

Beer is legal, why not talk about it. It's not a gateway drink to, say, Stoli, so why not?

I find beer to be a good alternative to other questionble popular drinks that are approved for any age. It's all about the limits. AND the age limits.

Vlad.

Beautifully written. I do not consider this web site as "mine" so to speak, I do however take care of it. In having an election for an editor, well, this is sort of how I get the membership to become responsible for who they want to see in charge of editorial direction.

Truly, I want the community to feel that they own it. Unless I have some sort of responsibility in maintaining a direction in organization, by design, a disgruntled skateboarder can side track us into negativity.

Consider our numbers. We are not a HUGE sport compared to snowboarding or surfing or even our kick flip bretheren. One person who has multiple posts, the time to saturate the database with his or her opinion can ultimately steer the direction of the sport with that slant. It is truly a difficult matter to discuss and even more difficult to make decisions based on opinions and content of the database.

I have banned one person here. It was a difficult decision but I did it in full view of the membership, having left all posts, reasons and all for public view. I do not believe in "culling or censorship" so to speak.

Example: If someone writes "hate" then I will edit their posts to remove who is hated and all that is left is the person posting that he or she hates ?

I think it is paramount to not to act arbitrarily regarding editorial liscense. You need to be upfront with the membership and the moderators need to be too. That is why their names are listed, mine is listed and I will own what I say and do.

I thought that by making a International site on skateboard slalom, the best things I could set it up with would include.

1. No banners, non-commercial. (this prevents the site being driven by money)

2. Absolutely a light hand in editorial. (again for the reasons above)

3. Make it a membership site. (people have to own what they say and be held accountable for it)

4. Ability to have the membership edit their posts. (times change)

5. Surround the site with people who care about the sport. (obvious)

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

I want the site to make sense to you, the reader/enthusiast.

You and I have not always agreed on topics, the thing that is important to remember is that we agree that skateboard slalom is fun and respect will follow respect.

Thanks Vlad and others for being responsible with your words.

Vlad,

When Adam first put this website up for everyone, he had a forum labelled "NCDSA." It was just so people could go and discuss issues related to the other website. Included in that forum was what I must say was a beautifully-written post about the difference between "censorship" and "editorial discretion." I went to great lengths to explain there is no such thing as "censorship" on a private website (or any other publication or broadcast) as put out by the Adams.

"Censorship" is a governmental policy. Period. You can't "censor" me and I can't "censor" you. If, however, I post something that Adam finds unacceptable, he has every right and reason to yank it. Is that censorship? Hell no. It's Adam's website and he has the right to decide without question what can and cannot be posted. Just remember, just because the Constitution gurantees you freedom of speech (and it does,) that does not guarantee that some private citizen is ever obgligated to provide you a forum for your speech at that person's expense (time, space or money.) Trust me, you can say whatever you please, whevever you please, however you please at anytime you please. . . all you have to do is go out and start your own website and have at it. Of course, that does't guarantee anyone will read it, but your freedom of speech doesn't create within us an obligation to listen or read whatever you have to say or write.

By the same token, you going back and editing or altering your own posts is so far from censorship as to be close to ridiculous. It is nothing more than you exercising your own editorial discretion in cleaning up and maintaining your own words to your own standards. If you as a moderator decide to alter or edit SOMEONE ELSE'S POSTS, that would not be "censorship." If you decide to delete someone else's posts, that would not be "censorship." And finally, if you (or I should say Adam,) decides to BAN a particular individual from this website, that is in no way "censorship. As I said before, any of these actions are editorial in nature. Also, anyone who objects to having their words altered, deleted, or banned completely from Slalomskateboarder.com always has the wonderful option of just starting their own website. Unless some federal administration comes out and shuts you down, though, there is no such thing as censorship involved here.

Oh, and before anyone tries this time-honored nonsense, Adam has not in anyway waived his First Amendment rights just because he started this website. There is a rather repugnant notion out there amongst the more left-wing illiterati that when someone makes the conscious decision to create an open forum, the person who does all the legwork then in some abrogates his first amendment rights and must at all times under any circumstances permit any and all speech. Sort of like putting up a bulletin board and then allowing whatever trash someone wants to post as being inviolate. Well, that's just incredibly stupid. Adam in no way at any time has to cede HIS First Amendment rights to anyone. If he dislikes or disapproves of anything at any time on this website, he can at anytime do whatever he likes to change or eliminate it. That's a god-given right reserved to anyone in this country.

Just remember this: The First Amendment to the Constitution Of The United States guarantees that every American has the freedom to say whatever he pleases and freedom of the press to distribute it. All you have to do is go buy a printing press (or the modern day equivalent, the website,) and get started. Just because, though, you are guranteed freedom of the press DOES NOT under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES guarantee you free and unfettered access to MY PRESS (or website.) If I don't like your words, I can shut you down.

That's why editors have all the power


________________________________________
Editor's note: Ok, Ok!.. but please keep your posts short/er.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: vlad popov on 2003-05-09 15:34 ]</font>

You mean we stop talking about beer?

The last thing I want to do is being all politically correct and act my age and stuff. But! Because this site will get more and more promo in the teen circles in a near future, I decided to do some cleaning (editing) of some of my old posts. “Herb@life” (in TS forum) needs to go, as well as some other stuff.

Nobody is making me do this, nor anyone has asked or even hinted that it needs to be done. I just think it’s better that way for the kids who’s gonna stop by here. Plus, how long a joke can be funny?

So, with that said, I’ll go ERASE the past.

Bye now.
V.