Multiple Admin Comments

[adm1n]

Hi guys...

First, let me address the "TeleDave" banning thing.

Yes he was banned. However, we do appreciate the contribution that Dave started and brought to this messageboard. He HAS the opportunity to be allowed back on the messageboard - of he chooses to do so. HE IS AWARE of what is needed.

The reason that he was banned is that he posted comments and photos which equated Sugar Mountain Resort's owner as "Hitler". It was over the line and he knows it. If you read and supported his comments and posts as "free game" then you're nuts. We believe in the right to speak your mind about resorts or the WAY that they are ran, but we have NEVER allowed people to NAME owners or managers and/or make terrible statements about INDIVIDUALS on this board.

I do not come on this board often and for those who think that it's gone downhill - you should know that I NEVER HAVE been one to spend any real time on this messageboard. It's just "not my thing". However WHEN I am made aware of the kind of crap posting that was going on about Gunther...I have to react.

We transitioned the messageboard a year or so ago to a new version and Kenny screwed up and did not transfer the MODS access and I have asked that he get those back in place. If there are those of you who WERE MODS who would like to help with that again - email me at [email protected]. If we don't get those re-established from the past, then I will accept new MODS. Again, email me if you're willing to help.

My office was called this past week from a banker/friend/connection with Gunther and HE told my staff what had happened AND he mentioned that he was speaking WITH Gunther LAST WEEK and TeleDave's post came up in that conversation and the friend told us that Gunther expressed that he was greatly offended by the posts.

I asked Kenny to SAVE A COPY OF IT and send it to me and then DELETE the posts and BAN TeleDave. TDave was also messaged and told that the BAN COULD BE just a temporary suspension and he was told what would need to happen to be reinstated. Dave has not called me so I am can only presume that he is no longer interested in posting on the board.

That is totally fine and that is totally his decision.

However - simply stated, there is no room on this board for people to make ethnic or racial slurs against individuals on it. Everyone KNOWS that Gunther is of Austrian decent and to reference Hitler and post images of him was a purposeful attempt to attack Gunther. There could certainly be no confusion that TDave was complimenting Gunther.

It is relatively well-known that Gunther, nor Kim and I see eye-to-eye on some things. However, I respect the hell out of both of them and the fact that Sugar is the popular and well-ran resort that it is. Despite the fact that Sugar catches some grief on this messageboard, you should know that the Sugar content on this website IS THE MOST visited of all of the resorts in North Carolina. That is despite the fact that Sugar is the only ski resort in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic that does not participate in any marketing with us.

When I read TeleDave's comments and post I was alternately pissed and upset- for Gunther. If I were him, I'd have been offended as well.

I don't have time to deal with crap like this and yet I had to take time out of my busy schedule to write Gunther and Kim to express my feelings about the posts as well. There are other ramifications that posts like the one TDave posted might have that you guys will never fully appreciate or understand.

If there are those of you who want to deactivate your accounts since we banner David, just let us know and we'll handle that for you. Honestly, if you support the kind of post that Dave posted, then we don't want you on here anyway. So by all means, let us know.


COMMENTING ON HOW DEAD THINGS ARE...

Obviously there are always seasonal aspects to websites like this. However, if the messageboard is lacking energy compared to the past, there are reasons and they have NOTHING to do with ME, the ADMINS, Kenny, etc. Consider the fact that many of you treat new posters as unwelcome guests.

Like all things...there is ALWAYS an ebb and flow aspect to popularity...but DON'T CONFUSE the lack of popularity of this messageboard with the website in general. We're more popular than ever. 64% of our traffic in the last 12 months IS NEW PEOPLE.

What you guys have got to understand is that according to Google Analytics - this messageboard only makes up 11% of our TOTAL TRAFFIC. So while there are those of you who have posted MANY TIMES of how YOU only come to the messageboard and that you NEVER look at our front page or read my FirsTrax columns...the FACTS are that 89% of people DO OTHERWISE....

We promote this website FOR THOSE PEOPLE who appreciate the content. The messageboard is a viable part of the website which is why I have not deleted it over the years despite MANY attacks on it. COUNTLESS times I have had comments from resort management that it makes the website less than it could be. I think otherwise, but it is during times like this that I tend to lean towards killing it.

Last night I considered doing just that and then I thought that since the website is more popular than ever, that there are certainly chances for a new group of TeleDaves, etc.

If the messageboard is stale to some of you - then help to promote. Invite your snow loving friends to come on board. Get on social media and invite people over - and then treat them like the kindred spirits that they are instead of like the enemy.

In the past there was a corp group of messageboard members who felt that they were more important than the website. They trashed new members and ran them off. They always felt that I or we owed THEM for the success of the website or board. I honored those feelings - though they were not fact based. I am personally not as important as this website.

I have attempted to sell the site a few times over the years BECAUSE I think it CAN be operated so much better than I have the time to do so. I have recruited people from time to time to post content and I am certainly willing to entertain suggestions from you guys.

I have entertained multiple offers to purchase the site in the last year and I have not sold it. I was rejuvenated this past season and enjoyed posting on the weekends. I think that Kenny has done a decent job of posting weekdays and our traffic growth seems to agree with that.

If you guys think that the messageboard is dying, then revive it or suggest ways to do so.

Perhaps it's time to kill it. Perhaps we should push it over to Facebook...

Feel free to email me your thoughts.

Mike

[adm1n]

Thanks for the kind emails - from those of you who do so. (You know who you are.)

Thanks.

[OldSchool]

I haven't logged in in a minute..



My only comments are...





" Dave being banned finally is great news.. that guy should have been banned when he purchased his first kayak...."




and




"I would start cleaning up this decrepit place with deleting the droogie dumb post a thousand times... crap"




or are we waiting to see how many years it take to fill the first page up with new posts again?











Cheers!





To the 2015-2016 ski season!!




Its getting closer every day!



















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