On the most recent thread about carrying kids across the IM finish line, BBDawg make the observation that: “I love this forum, but some people really aren’t that accepting of new people. Make it tough to become a poster instead of a lurker because seems like there is always somebody screaming that a new poster should have searched prior to posting.”
That got me thinking: Do we have a FAQ? If not, I think we should have one. What I had in mind was a Slowtwiki article titled “FAQ” with entries that give a brief summary of both sides of the issue and links to the relevant discussions:
Family members at finish lines
Some people bring family members across the finish line. One group of people believes this is wrong because it slows down other finishers and interferes with good finish photos. Another group believes it is an appropriate way of showing appreciation to family members who have supported them during their training, and it is acceptable if it does not block anyone else’s finish. Another view is that there should be separate finish chutes.
ST Forum discussions at: http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=1408633 and http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=1033339
Team in Training
TNT is an organization that gives all-expense-paid trips to athletic events to people who raise money for the Lukemia/Lymphoma Society. Many of these athletes are new to the sport. Some people dislike TNT because some of the funds are used to pay for the athletes’ trips and because many of these athletes are unfamiliar with the rules and ettiquite of the sport. Some people think TNT is great because it does raise money for research and it’s a lot of fun.
ST Forum discussions at: http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=1343760
TNT Website: http://www.teamintraining.org/
Clydesdale/Athena
These are categories for men who weigh over 200 pounds and women who weigh over 150 pounds. Some people feel it’s inappropriate to create a special category for people who are not disabled. Other people compare this to “weight classes” in boxing. Discussions about weight categories often contain remarks about how some people need to lose weight.
ST Forum discussions at: http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=1388663 and http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=1068515
That’s a FAQ about the forum itself, not a FAQ of topics discussed on the forum.
What I had in mind was a list of subjects that, if someone makes a post about them, people groan, “Oh no, not THIS subject again!” or label the poster a troll.
Here’s a few more entries (tongue planted firrmly in cheek… sort of):
Which bike to buy
Couple of routes you can go here… Safest bet is to buy the most expensive Cervelo you can afford. Great bikes, and you’ll have the approval of most of the forum crowd. If you want to do more research, there are many other worthwhile alternatives; but who wants do to all that work? If you really want to be a rebel, buy a cheap no-name bike; train real hard; and then post messages about how many Cervelos you passed by on your cheapo bike.
What wheels to buy
If you search (or ask) about this, you’re going to get all sorts of confusing and conflicting information containing words like “zipp” and “hed” and “stinger” and references to rolling resistance, disc wheels, rim depth, etc. Save yourself all that aggravation and simply go to your favorite local or online bike store and ask them for the most expensive wheels they have. You will have to decide between “tubular” wheels and “clincher” wheels. This is one of those hotly debated topics that will never be agreed on, and for which there is plenty of fervor with very little hard evidence. Come to think of it, that kind of describes many of the “what should I use/buy?” debates…
Getting Faster/How much should I train
Please do not waste anybody’s time asking about improved form, quality workouts, or actually pushing yourself to your limits and maybe a little beyond during your training. The only REAL answer is to give up your family, job, hobbies, life… and DO MORE. Anything less than 15K of swimming, 200 miles of biking, and 50 miles of running per week just means you are not a serious triathlete. And that’s if you’re doing Olympic distance events… Also, genetics and natural ability don’t seem to have anything to do with it, so don’t whine about why you can’t run under 6 minute miles like the pros. If you cannot bike 25 mph or run 6 minute miles, it is simply because you are not doing enough.
What’s considered a fast/good race time
You should only post this type of message if you did ridiculously well in your first race with little or no training. For example: “I only did 4 hours of training per week for my first IM, and finished in 10:30 → is that any good?” If you are asking what is a good race time for YOU, that one just has too many variables to expect any kind of reasonable answer.
Drafting
Drafting sucks the life force out of triathlon and is ruining the sport. Everybody that races triathlons drafts and is a dirty dog cheater… except the people on this forum. Excuses about too many people in too small a space, camera angles, etc.; will not be tolerated.
Ironman triathlons
First of all, the actual Ford Ironman Triathlons are horrid, commercial events that cost too much and only exist to boost the egos of the people that do them. The truly cool triathlete will do an ironman distance race that is not sponsored by the Evil Empire. There is also a relatively new distance called “One0One” that falls somewhere between half and full ironman distances. It is new, so it is cool. If you did an ironman distance race and did not finish in under 12 hours (male) or 13 hours (female); you are clearly one of those pathetic people that walks the whole marathon and then walks across the finish line with all your kids in tow.
Wetsuits
Wetsuits are for crappy triathlete swimmers that don’t belong in the water with the “real” swimmers. It is almost as bad as the drafters on the bike, and even worse, it’s legal! Next thing you know, people that aren’t that great on the bike will start using money to buy better bikes and wheels and get an unfair advantage over those that can’t afford $5K for a bike and wheels…
The “Search” function is nice if you know exactly what you’re seeking, but as someone mentioned in the in the discussion at http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=1123061 , it brings up a whole lot of hits.
I think a list like the one I started would give newcomers an idea of some of the controversial “issue” discussions that have already taken place and help them avoid being labeled a troll on their first post.
