[at-l] apology - again, long

[DaRedhead@xxxxxxx (DaRedhead@xxxxxxx)]

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I realize I could have carried on that conversation w/ RnR privately - it's
just that I was reading a ton of email, and then I kept hitting these posts,
and I just kept getting angry about it.

For the record - I have no problem with someone advocating trail issues. I
have no problem with a site dedictated to trail issues. I have no problem
with being informed of trail issues. I have no problem responding to said
issues, in any way that will help the Trail, or the environment.

I have a serious problem with how Trailplace forced people to use that site
or be kicked off of it. I have a serious problem with a site that allows no
information from any other sites. I have a serious problem when one person
tries to tell everyone what to think. I have a serious problem with a guy who
puts the ATC and ALDHA down and threatens to sue them.  And I have a serious
problem when people who agree with that kind of censorship and misinformation
come to this list and try to make it sound okay.

But I'm taking my serious problem and leaving.

Perhaps you guys can deal with it.  If Ryan weren't such a decent and
wonderful man, unlike some other list admins, we wouldn't be subject to
hearing how not bowing to a (whats the term, OB? - I"m thinking mega and
maniac, but can't remember the term) whatever means we don't love the Trail.
I personally am tired of it. As a whole (the list) we give time, energy,
physical trail work, money, computer help, letters to our senators, editors
and anyone else it will help to write, raise money just thru people caring
and a few friends getting together for various trail causes, make people
smile by throwing them mock weddings, play show and tell with gear,
tuckerize, give information on just about any subject, give slide shows of
hikes to give people who haven't done a particular trail a taste of what is
out there waiting for them, accidently feed thru hikers at the Ruck, even
when they talk funny, help out with rides and even places to stay for
extended times, do trail magic, encourage people who need it in the first few
weeks, or the last few weeks, even if that means driving to them and being
there in person, sending maps, books, or gear to any lister that needs
something they don't have and we do, being there for each hiker as a person
above and beyond the Trail, giving hope to those people left behind while a
loved one hikes (be it mother, father, sister, brother, spouse, significant
other or friend), offer encouragement to anyone who wants to hike, answer any
question about anything, be it gear or deet or chaffing in your privates
(someone on this list already has been there, done that, and is happy to help
(and glad they ain't chaffing again <g>), give links to cheap gear, used
gear, gear reviews, personal experiences with gear, ways to make your own
gear, places to find materials to do it, sound advice about beginners and not
going "too" light, but light enough to make your hike enjoyable and not a
chore, and anything else and everything else that helps the Trail, the people
who hike it,  AND the environment. We have some truly awesome environmental
listers who work in the field and know wherefore they speak - we have
engineers - we have homeless people - we have middle class people - we have
young people just graduating from high school or college, we have folks who
just retired and are about to go live their dream of hiking the Trail, we
have rich people who are as bedazzled by the Trail as we are, and have the
same questions, we have thru hikers who have actually DONE it, we have people
stuck at home while someone else is hiking, we have people like POG who can
tell you everything you ever wanted to know about being a support person, we
have Felix ('nuff said) - we have little hikers being born, we have people
who have hiked with their children to give great advice to those who would
like to - in short (yea, okay, it wasn't short) we have everything any person
actually wanting to thru hike or section hike or day hike the AT could want.
I encourage you all to hang out here and ignore some of us, me included.

I'll be back when someone can't continually tell us we aren't doing that
stuff and are actually hurting the Trail because we don't agree with some
short dude who smokes too much, hasn't hiked in a decade, and totally made up
a Center of Appalachian Studies, which is NOT a NON profit organization, by
the way, in case you were wondering (and refers to themself as if it weren't
themself writing the damn information on their site), got permission from an
organization he denigrated and threatened to sue to use their information in
a book HE gets paid for, and said that he really wanted an active
particpation in the AT . . . when all he wanted was . . .

Well, it wasn't active participation, and I hope, sincerely, that someone
manages to get some info on just how TP EVER promoted ACTIVE PARTICIPATION on
the AT.

If active participation means send this auto email or I will kick you off my
site - then I'm not interested.

On another note - those of you who are actually still talking to me after
this post, actually hike, actually participate in the Trail community, and
actually care about the Trail, who happen to be in the area in three weeks -
see ya at Trail Days. Someone let me know when bold, outright lies are no
longer allowed on this list, and people who promote said lies are gone. It
might seem stupid to let six years of list friendship, exchange of
information, gear information, trip reports, thru hike asperations, handy
rides, trail magic, trail descriptions, thru hikers, friends, etc.  . . .
even just a connection that my Mom had with me before she died - go away from
me because of one issue.  But this issue has been two years going, and I
don't want to clog up the list in arguing, and I can't let what is said go
unchallenged, knowing what actually happened.  So - between the proverbial
rock and the hard place, I guess the better part of valor in this case is
"run away!!!" Otherwise I will continue to rise to these posts, and anger not
only myself, but our list master who makes this place possible. I don't think
he made it possible just to hear me bitch about WF or Trailplace, or the few
people on the list who still ignore history, reality, and try to pretend that
TP ever served a purpose other than it's owner's.

If I had a vote, I'd say when it comes to donations - ATC, ALDHA, Ironmasters
Hostel, AT-L, The Place, Billville, the Nature Conservatory, Greenpeace
(don't send them any Uzi's, though), Miss Janets Hostel, any hostel on the
Trail, any hiker who just plain needs money, and while you're at it, buy some
instuments so those talented folks at these hiker get togethers have more of
a choice other than what they can carry! - but not "The Center for
Appalachian Studies." If you choose to support with money a man who - well -
claims to be one  . . . . well - anyway - if you choose to support one person
over supporting the Trail issues that person supposedly cares about, that
person would then kick you off his list . ..  so do it his way, or join the
otherwise motley group of people who can only claim to actually love the
Trail and benefit it whenever possible. But don't join me - I'm just really
pissed off, and six years of this list make it obvious to me that it's worth
hanging around for. After I get my blood pressure, and my mouth, under
control, I'll be back. It's that kind of place.

Red