| I just want to chime in here on this topic and then go back to life and normal posting.
1. This policy is merely a codification of what has been practiced on here for the years that I have been involved. Folks have in the past offered, for free, unused vouchers that were either purchased or received and that carry no transferability restrictions. These exchanges were done for goodwill and to encourage other board members to try out a new resort. The problem that has arisen is that people are now trying to sell these vouchers, or in essence ticket scalp which has different motives. These tickets may carry restrictions, or were offered for certain target markets and for certain purposes. To simply allow the board to be a vehicle for such scalping, which is motivated by self-gain rather than generosity, does nobody any good. This is especially true if we were in a position where someone on the board began selling counterfeit tickets. This measure is proactive in the sense that the moderators, as well as Greg, will not be in a position to have to handle this problem.
2. I will again say that this board is in a unique position between the resorts and skiers/riders. Some boards are simply “let’s have at it” with their approach and this has weakened the credibility of the board, or the “community.”
In my years involved here, there has been a consistent interest on the part of the posters and the owner (Greg) to build relations with resorts in order to leverage good deals for posters while supporting the industry. I will say that when I go to Sugarbush, I hear repeatedly how much the likes of John Egan, Win Smith, and others regularly visit this board and regularly communicate with us all. They have benefited immensely from knowing what skiers and riders want, and we have benefited immensely from discounts and special promotions. Though these benefits have been few, they are on the increase. And though some people take these benefits for granted or feel that we are entitled to them, the truth is that much like any other business deal, the benefits stem from the relationship that has existed.
This relationship creates natural friction. Industry insiders have complained about some threads and comments in here, but we have let those comments remain in order to maintain the credibility of the board amongst you the posters. On the other hand, some people are often too trigger happy to say that we “pander to the resorts,” or as said in this thread, that there may be the beginning of “a slippery slope, perhaps criticism of industry insiders who post here will be not allowed either eventually and so on down that line.” These comments fail to consider the care and concern that the mods and Greg have with regards to balancing out the competing interests that are at stake here. The speakers also fail to appreciate the constructive criticism that has been offered by posters and even mods here to all resorts that we allow (including my own harsh criticism last season over Burke’s Season Pass policy). If we were truly pawns to the industry, then we would not be speaking out as we do or allowing others to do so. There are too many anecdotes to support this point, but some recent examples include Billski's thread last month on snow reporting and this very thread. If we were indeed pawns, these threads would cease to exist upon their creation. They remain.
In sum, the board has chosen to build relationships with resorts in order to establish credibility and benefits that extend to all posters. Such a relationship is a give and take, within reason, and again considering the needs of the industry, as well as the posters, this decision is one such balancing act.
3. This decision was certainly not a fiat of any kind. As with other decisions, there was a discussion amongst Greg (the owner) and the Mods. Greg certainly could have just implemented this decision on his own and been well within his rights, but he opted for our input. I am not at liberty to discuss our deliberations, but I will say that the Mods do not simply act as a “rubber stamp” for changes on the board. Much like Greg, we try to be fair and consider the different interests and views at stake. The Mods have been selected to represent differing points of view and have different values. The goal has been to be fair in the operation of the board and I will say that we all take for granted how well things do run here.
As with any “change” some people are not going to be happy and some are going to use this as an opportunity to speak louder because of their own insecurities. Some are going to rush to judgment without considering what is actually happening. A close look at this rule should reveal that the rule is narrow and preserves the customs that we have valued.
Though some folks want a legal analysis, and I am literally footsteps from being a lawyer, I am not at liberty to express any legal opinion or offer legal advice. |