In case you weren't already thankful for the TE forum...

[colorisnt]

I posted about getting a bike on there once and was turned off by it almost immediately because I said, "I have less than $300.00 to spend - any advice on getting something used/where to look."

I had a bunch of guys say it was useless and if I wanted to get serious, I needed to do xyz. Note, that I hadn't ridden a bike seriously since high school and had no idea I would take to it like this. I live to bike, but back in April, not so much haha!

I don't mind snark. I am on a horse forum where it is snarky as you can be, but I don't like people who belittle you for trying to LEARN.

I love to learn and I would hope that if I asked a question nicely, someone wouldn't bite my head off.

[tulip]

Hi. I post on the Bike Forums women's forum regularly. I really like it. There are so many bozos on the regular Bike Forum that I don't even bother with them anymore. I've met some really wonderful people from the Bike Forum women's forums. It's much smaller than TE, and because of that, I've gotten to know and really appreciate the women there.

Seems to me like it might make a little bit of sense to think twice before dissing something that one has no idea about.

[KnottedYet]

I thought Colorisnt made a very clear distinction that her experience was with BikeForum, not the Women's forum.

She didn't express any disrespect of the BF Women's forum at all.

[tulip]

I wasn't responding to colorisnt. I was responding to several of the posts that seem, to me at least, to be leveled at the Bike Forums women's forum and their screening process.

But maybe that's just my take. No offense meant.

[KnottedYet]

No problem, sorry I thought you were replying to Colorisnt.

After seeing the kind of posts in the main forum (as pointed out by the OP) I'm not at all surprised they screen for 50 posts and hide the portal completely.

Snarky boys can be entertaining, but when someone asks a simple question (where's the women's forum) and gets 1 real answer and 2 pages of snark, well, that's a lot to plow through.

It does make me very grateful for TE.

[Catrin]

I belong to Bike Forum, I do like their Long Distance/Endurance Cycling forum, have felt uncomfortable in the others - but that is just me. Kind of a shame that they have to go so far for their women's forum. I wouldn't mind joining it but doubt I will ever have 50 posts there... (and how do you prove you are female on an online forum )

[KnottedYet]

I wouldn't mind joining it but doubt I will ever have 50 posts there... (and how do you prove you are female on an online forum )

Well, you've got your TE history. You could ask one of the TE'ers who've said they belong to the BF Women's Forum if they would sponsor you and help you get permission to join.

It would be a shame if you missed an opportunity on BF just because you were so uncomfortable that you'd be unable to post there 50 times, when you have this HUGE history here on TE.

[NbyNW]

Some of the comments on that thread reminded me of this old SNL skit

[Catrin]

Well, you've got your TE history. You could ask one of the TE'ers who've said they belong to the BF Women's Forum if they would sponsor you and help you get permission to join.

It would be a shame if you missed an opportunity on BF just because you were so uncomfortable that you'd be unable to post there 50 times, when you have this HUGE history here on TE.

Good idea, I will contact one of the admin there and see if they would go for that.

[colorisnt]

I wouldn't mind being on the women's forum because I am sure it is nice and supportive because it IS hidden. However, I don't think I would even make 50 posts after that. Snark is one thing. Belittling a noob who is trying to learn is different and something that wouldn't happen on TE.

Tulip, I am glad that you enjoy the women's forum. Clearly you post shows us that BF is not all that bad. Good point!

[Catrin]

I emailed the admin at BF and all of a sudden I have access to the women's forum there... that was nice of them.

[nscrbug]

I've been a member of the BF women's forum for several years. I don't post too much, but I do read. I also peruse through a few of the other "male-dominated" forums over there. Yeah, it's true that some of the regulars (guys) can be a bit obnoxious at times. I avoid posting on topics where things get crazy and out-of-control...it's too easy to become a target or labeled as a troll over there. But I have found a lot of useful information on that forum, so it's not all "bad".

Linda

[Irulan]

IIRC, the whole BF invitation thing is old news? And so what. There are lots of forums to choose from, and many ways to do it.

I belong to a women's only ski board that requires 25 posts for full access, and if you are not female, you WILL be banned. It is not a sub forum of a different board.

I belong to a design entrepeneur board that require that you either purchase a specific book or pay a certain fee.

It's all different, and it's all good and we can all make choices. Personally I think it's bad form to
put down board on another, but that's just me.

[jessmarimba]

I can't speak for anyone else, obviously, but I don't have a problem with BF or with them doing whatever they feel like to grant entry to the women's forum.

However (and the quote is taken from one of their posters on the linked thread) the reason they have to block access is just (to me) a little sad. I don't like that there are people who are so immature and insensitive that they've driven the women into hiding.

"Some women post personal issues that they would be embarrassed about if men could read them, and some men can't control themselves from posting juvenile comments when women bring up sensitive issues. Bike Forums handles that by making the women's forum accessible only to female members and requiring a posting history on Bike Forums before access is granted."

[Irulan]

I can't speak for anyone else, obviously, but I don't have a problem with BF or with them doing whatever they feel like to grant entry to the women's forum.

However (and the quote is taken from one of their posters on the linked thread) the reason they have to block access is just (to me) a little sad. I don't like that there are people who are so immature and insensitive that they've driven the women into hiding.

"Some women post personal issues that they would be embarrassed about if men could read them, and some men can't control themselves from posting juvenile comments when women bring up sensitive issues. Bike Forums handles that by making the women's forum accessible only to female members and requiring a posting history on Bike Forums before access is granted."

The flavor of any board is determined ultimately by the admin and the guidelines given to the moderators. We don't have the above problem at mtbr, where the women's board is huge and not closed to men. The women got sick of the bs from the guys and formed a team of moderators, with the back up of admin. It took a few months, but with a zero tolerance approach to men being d**kheads, some forum guidelines posted about what behavior was acceptable, and the problem was solved. I have yet to understand why this approach isn't taken elsewhere.... the guys only do it because they can ( ie, the "the more annoyed you get the more fun it is for me" concept). All is takes is setting a standard, letting people know you mean business, a warning and then banning individuals that are pushing the limit.

In addition, this empowered the women to be in control of their own board, and it rarely takes a moderator to send a guy out of there, tail between his legs, for inappropriate posting. Women routinely discuss any biking issue, without inappropriate posts from guys, without the secret club approach.

Here's what we did, works great. I was on the moderator team that put this in place, and enforced it, for many years.

I do find the number 50 kind of ridiculous.

The Women's Lounge is a place for mountain biking women to discuss topics of their choosing. Guys are welcome, but consider yourselves guests, in this small corner of Mtbr designated for Women, specifically.

Wit and humor and being a good sport are appreciated; trolling and baiting are not. Any post that is deemed inappropriate for this forum will be deleted at the moderator's discretion without explanation.

This includes but is not limited to:

* Posts that insult women, either individually or in a group
* Posts that criticize sexual orientation
* Posters that are deemed to be harrassing female posters


We take complaints from our regular users very seriously, as they are the core of this forum.

Access to the WL may be restricted if the rules are not heeded.

Questions/concerns/complaints can be sent to the Site Manager directly: "

Thanks in advance for your compliance.

easy fix, dunno why they don't do it.