Anon Ready to Tap Out of CB...

[JBS]

Maybe the solution to the problem of having younger posters (under 18) is to give them their own section to vent and support each other. But it would need to be silently moderated by an adult and it might be time consuming.

We are open to hearing any ideas that anyone has.

 

[JBS]

Kids saying I got hurt doing xyz, or my back/wrist/knee hurts doing xyz. The answer is see a doctor. Tell your parents.

Thank you for your post... love this part especially.

 

[JBS]

Its a message board, what can you say? I love it.

Read the whole post and it has been heard. Thank you for the compliment above!

 

[JBS]

I feel like medical posts in general used to be shut down much faster here with the advice to see a doctor.

Yes... this is most likely my fault. I engage in some of the posts that deal with severs / low back / wrists / etc. I will try to explain this more later on... I just have to figure out how to explain my stance correctly.

 

[JBS]

I was shocked at the advice being given to the fainting teen. My daughter developed POTS a month after having covid (she has some other long covid symptoms too but the POTS has been life altering). Around the same time the POTS developed she also experienced an ankle injury that would ultimately force her retirement from the sport. The ankle injury was the ‘official’ reason for retirement but there’s no way she could have continued to safely train as a college vault/floor specialist with the POTS. I realize the teens situation is different but it was very irresponsible for folks here to comment on the situation.

This seems like a tough thread... it seems the members are focusing on two separate things... at least that is how I saw it. Some were commenting on the coach... some on the medical side.

It was ultimately shut down with a link to SafeSport.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

First off... why is this all anonymous? It's a bit strange that this is all posted anonymous.

Because the default is post anonymously checked. No one unchecks

 

[JBS]

I have a different opinion. The thread devolved the second a professional photo of an athlete was cropped and posted out of context along with the word ‘thot’ and a comment of ‘whatever that was’. Further insult that the athlete was non-white. This was actually pretty darn hurtful to me.

In reading the post right now... two things come to mind to me...

1. Let's not use that term on this site.
2. The poster seemed to be asking why one particular woman (Olivia Dunne) is singled out in news articles and such for content that is according to the following article... "self-sexualized". This poster seems to be stating that they view others as posting similar content.

Here is the above referenced article...

New Endorsements for College Athletes Resurface an Old Concern: Sex Sells

Female college athletes are making millions thanks to their large social media followings. But some who have fought for equity in women’s sports worry that their brand building is regressive.

www.nytimes.com

#1 above is not hard... let's not use the term "thot" on this site anymore... thank you.

#2 above is harder as we are dealing with question / opinion that a member has.

 

[JBS]

Agreed. Things posted in that thread were disgusting, and shutting it down was the right decision.

Thank you for your response.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Lol, JBS is working overtime responding to all these posts!

You just got home from a meet. You're allowed to rest. This thread will still be here.

 

[JBS]

I thought I was the only person. It was a freaking crazy thread consider how many grown ups were commentin- irresponsibly in my opinion

It seems this is another thread that some had an issue with. I do want to state that when I locked it... I was only the 9th person in the thread. I still think is was a tough thread as members seems to be posting from two different angles.

 

[JBS]

Lol, JBS is working overtime responding to all these posts!

You just got home from a meet. You're allowed to rest. This thread will still be here.

Yes... I just want everyone to know that this site is important to me and that all of the posts on this thread are important to me as well.

I do want to push this place into the future. That does not mean that I will agree with everyone... and it doesn't mean that everyone has to agree with me or even like me.

The power of a forum is the power of all... the power of intelligent yet opinionated asynchronous discussion.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

It seems this is another thread that some had an issue with. I do want to state that when I locked it... I was only the 9th person in the thread. I still think is was a tough thread as members seems to be posting from two different angles.

That wasn’t the thread I was referring to. There was way more posts 9 and it was shutdown after I reported it. Although I have no idea if my reporting it was why it was shutdown

 

[JBS]

I find I learn a lot when threads wander. Unless there is personal attacking or the OP requests the thread shutdown I think threads should be allowed to follow their natural course. And before shutting down a thread there should be a warning.

Lately, I find threads shutdown far too quickly based on having to keep hyper specific on topic.

There is then less discussion and less spin-off discussions.

I’ve been learning a lot on my recent thread asking about a change for my kid. If responses were kept very specifically to my question I wouldn’t have other things to consider. which could also be useful to others.

This is a fair comment. I wander greatly.

 

[JBS]

That wasn’t the thread I was referring to. There was way more posts 9 and it was shutdown after I reported it. Although I have no idea if my reporting it was why it was shutdown

Yes it was. There were 5 pages of posts... as far as people... there was the OP... you... me when I locked it... and 6 others. Total of 9 members in that thread.

 

[JBS]

I have not seen all the threads specifically mentioned here so won't comment on those. But since OP brings it up, I have to admit it definitely makes me VERY uncomfortable that younger gymnasts are permitted to post on the site. I stick mostly to the parent forum, and I only responded to a person I knew was a minor once, and it made me very uncomfortable. Minors reading the site for info? Yes. Have a parent post a question FOR their teen? Sure. Minors posting and interacting with adults? No. Any benefit does not outweigh the risks. I know it happens everywhere and there is probably no way to entirely prevent it. Chalkbucket may be one of the safest places to do this, even. But that does not make it right or responsible. When even "safe" sites encourage this, it normalizes something that should not be normalized. Adults should not be interacting with minors without parent knowledge and oversight. Anywhere. Especially the internet.

I can't say that I disagree with you on this at all... however... this is not realistic.

We have worked very hard over the years to help keep kids as safe as possible on this site. I have even been contacted by the FBI more than once as they have told me that in the past they have held fake accounts to monitor the site.

I am trying to come up with more safeguards... but nothing is perfect... kids interact with adults when they go to the grocery store to buy milk.

 

[JBS]

There was a lot of discussion when the age limit was lowered from 16 to 13. Points of the discussion included the inability to accurately determine a posters true age ( we can’t ask to see a drivers license) and the ability for us to give kids a safe space to get answers from responsible adults. Ultimately, JBS made the decision largely based on the fact that 13 year olds are everywhere on the internet and it doesn’t make sense to keep them off CB.

Yes... we added 3 more years in January of 2022...

Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule ("COPPA")

COPPA imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age.

www.ftc.gov

 

[JBS]

Interesting thread ...and I must be showing my age because I had to google "thot" as well. I have been on and off as of late and actually didn't realize the age limit was 13...until I read a couple posts by kids that identified themselves by age and weren't banned. I agree with a poster about mostly staying on the parent forums because I'm not looking to fraternize (even on line) with a middle schooler who may or may not have a parent's permission to be on the site. I get that CB is pretty safe but 13 is middle school.,,,maybe like the "parent forum" , there could be "young athlete 13-17 yo forums" ? Not trying to give the mods more work but I preferred the 16 yo age limit. I still stick around and comment here and there.

Thank you for your response.

 

[JBS]

I understand that you and all the moderators work very hard to make this site as good as it can be, and that it is not your job but your passion. I know I am not alone in how truly grateful I am for the mods and this site.

Thank you!

I first came to this site around 2016 iirc and Chalkbucket was a lifeline for me than. But I am a parent who does not need this site anymore, I am basically here at this point - sporadically- to "give back" - offer feedback when questions relevant to my experience with gymnastics over the last decade + comes up. I love this site for all it gave me and I still enjoy coming here and reading about gymnastics. But since I am no longer an active participant and likely to become even more inactive, maybe I feel more comfortable offering my opinions about site changes openly than those who are more invested.

I think the criticism offered on this thread has been for the most part constructively given, and well meaning.

Thank you and I agree that all of the criticism has been constructive except for one post.

As far as "the internet is changing." Well, it is, and it isn't. The Internet has always been a place that minors access, where access is either entirely unregulated or ineffectively regulated, and where predators seek to ingratiate/ insert themselves into communities that allow access for them to groom and harm minors, and where communities themselves can become inadvertent participants in that grooming by enabling/normalizing adult-minor communication in the first place.

Basically agree here... except that I don't agree that all adult-minor communication is the gateway to grooming. Adult-minor communication is a regular thing in life in general.

I agree that one on one private communication (PM's) for kids is not what I am looking for on this site... so maybe we could just restrict PM ability for underage accounts?

Well meaning adults can either choose to not permit minor-adult interaction and adopt whatever policies and safeguards might discourage it- or do whatever they can to protect minors while permitting/encouraging minor-adult interaction. I know my preference. I am not saying my way is the only way- but dismissal of these concerns as some have done as somehow out of touch is alarming. Child safeguarding does not go out of fashion, nor do the principles of safeguarding change with the times.

I agree... these concerns cannot be dismissed.

Would restricting PM ability and the ability to PM youth accounts on this site be a good start?

 

[JBS]

I would much rather they have a place where they can ask these questions than bottle them up and never voice them to an adult who can encourage them to seek the proper guidance.

This was my basic thought process... however... not sure it is working at this point.

 

[JBS]

My account banner says “proud parent“ and I believe there is a similar banner that says “gymnast.“ Can we just assume anyone with a gymnast badge is a child? Is it possible to require that everyone have some kind of badge?

This, of course, with the understanding that a person can lie. But the kids who are well-intentioned will at least be flagged as such.

The site used to have permissions based on those banners. I will explain that soon too.