Have a Question for Me?

[don_budge]

Because I am busy generating issues-- and you guys are all big boys. And to be totally honest I have become even more anti-authoritarian and more accepting of radical free speech over the years... Let me get some internal mental hard drive free and think about what to do. I haven't read one of Bottle's posts in 10 years.

I believe that this post is an example that does not adhere to the guidelines. Is this permissible?

You son-of-a-bitch. I was raised in Eastport, Maine. It had a dead economy. And you fuckers are the Hitlers of this forum. With your goddamn typecasting. Your labeling. Your assurance that you know what you are talking about. Know-nothings. Graceless turds.

Wake up, you old image of Gawd
Get on with your sinful existence
Continue to perpetrate fraud
The Lord will reward your persistence
Double-cross your old mother, you turd,
And sell your young wife in her bed
You think G.O.D.'s just a word.
He'll show you as soon as you're dead.

Christopher Isherwood

Listen, fat-face. Just because some granny was jealous of her sexy granddaughter, I got thrown out of the house where I had lived happily and without much event for seven years. Without having touched the granddaughter. A friend in this forum suggested that I should have. So, there was no logical place to go. My friend Steve was in Sweden. So I asked Matt, a good Boston Catholic living in Grosse Pointe, for the names of some of the shelters since he knew that kind of stuff. One of the shelters was run by Jesuits. So I made a crack about the monastic life I would enjoy in the shelter. Which made Matt think I wasn't serious enough about my non-existent sexual transgressions. So when he arrived with a list of shelters he brought along a cop. With a loaded gun.

I told you, I believe, that I taught in prisons, two of the most dangerous in Massachusetts. And some of the chess-players still try to contact me at three a.m. They used to offer to knee-cap my literary agent. So shut the fuck up. You don't know anything. You're all sociology and surface and knee-jerk judgment. A polarized puke.

O look, Stevie. See what's in the bottle. Far worse than any of this, you and Steve and Stroke and who's the other, Tennis-teacher?-- hasn't made much of an impression yet but no doubt will. And I will react because that's what I've been taught. Respond, Trump lovers. Stop pretending and respond to his lousiness. With animus. That's where your spleen should direct. You're like little spiders drenched in L.S.D. You don't know where the legitimate target is. So you make asymmetrical webs and attack whatever (or whomever) is handy.

[klacr]

Well, there is always the “ignore” poster option...

B-I-N-G-O.
Some see problems, I see solutions.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[gzhpcu]

Well, there is always the “ignore” poster option...

[don_budge]

Initially that might have been a good idea. However, it has turned out to be a good place to go for a punch up. What we don't want is arguments spilling over into other threads. The Trump thread could be the forum cooler room.

The thread itself is not the problem. I was reading through my contributions and I plan on copying all of them and possibly even creating some sort of book of it. The problem is bottle. His intolerance and vindictiveness has in fact spilled over into the forum and poisoned it. Nobody else seems to have been affected. Just bottle.

My father would say the question is why and then the question becomes what can be done about it.

The problem is one of trolling...by John's definition. The guidelines of the forum explicitly forbid bottle's behaviour over the last couple of years. It has increasingly gotten more and more personal in the attacks. 10splayer says that bottle has destroyed the forum and he has. He has done it willingly and with prejudice. The vile and vindictive nature of his comments and attitude is getting worse and it is worrying.

This issue is not about the "Donald Trump for President?" thread. This issue is specifically about the guidelines that John, the owner of the website, set for the forum. The guidelines are very sound and spell out a environment of respect and tolerance for all who participate. Nobody should be above the law for any reason. bottle has violated these guidelines flagrantly and it wouldn't surprise me if every single reader here agreed with my assessment.

It is only going to get worse. Today's post in the "Trump" thread is clear evidence of further deterioration of our wonderful place of recreation. The forum.

[stotty]

Maybe delete the Trump thread and things will take care of themselves?

Initially that might have been a good idea. However, it has turned out to be a good place to go for a punch up. What we don't want is arguments spilling over into other threads. The Trump thread could be the forum cooler room.

[hockeyscout]

Maybe delete the Trump thread and things will take care of themselves?

[don_budge]

https://www.tennisplayer.net/bulleti...ssage%22%5D%7D

Here are all of bottle's posts. You only have to start at the most recent and work your ways backwards to find the behaviour that you describe in your guidelines. He has become unhinged in his political commentary and provocative to anyone that doesn't agree with his ideology.

To all Tennisplayer Subscribers,

Welcome to the Forum and the opportunity to discuss everything having to do with the game with your fellow subscribers and our writers and contributors.

The good news is, our subscribers are passionate about tennis. We look forward to hearing you share you questions, comments and thoughts. You are free to agree and disagree as you see fit.

The (ocassionally) bad news is that passion can run rampant, and if you have experience with message boards in general you know that posters often say things in forums that would never pass in person to person communication.

Please be passionate and respectful. Personal attacks are out. Ridicule is out. Denigrating the views of others is out. If necessary, we can all agree to disagree--politely.

Trolls will be subject to ban.

What's a troll? Someone who sows discord by posting inflammatory or inaccurate messages in an online community, with the intent of provoking readers. Someone who refuses to engage in discussion when his views are questioned and cannot offer evidence to support his or her views.

So if you're able to stay in the guidelines fantastic. And if you can't you'll find your posts deleted and/or banned. These guidelines apply to our contributors, myself as well as all subscribers.

John Yandell

He has been trolling this forum for a couple of years now. The tennis contributions are practically unreadable. "The New Year's Serve" thread is like an assault on any tennis player or student of the game. It is only self serving and narcissistic. The "Donald Trump for President" has likewise become another haven for his trolling anyone that dares to have an opinion that does not coincide with his. Most recently he is trolling 10splayer on his spelling and grammar, trying to taunt him about things that are totally unrelated to anything other than trying to annoy.

bottle has an unusual ability and capacity to annoy and he has made this the concentration of his efforts writing on the forum. I am not alone and 10splayer is not the only other customer that he is doing his best to alienate.

I have been his favourite target and he makes remarks to me on a regular basis that are as far fetched as one can imagine. All because I have been an advocate of tolerance. If you are remotely interested in how this troll has managed to offend this customer of yours just scroll down his posts. Realize that I had not made a post since April first...April Fool's Day. In my over two month absence he continued to hound me and troll me. Always referring to me as if I was a member of the Nazi Party.

I don't know. Are you sure you don't have Easter confused with Thanksgiving? Isn't Easter supposed to be a time of Transformation? I do know for sure that if you don't wear something new a bird will poop on your head.

This is his attempt to denigrate something that I wrote that inspired me on Easter that I shared with the forum. I was describing what I interpreted to be a sign from heaven. Clearly this is only a post in a series of hundreds where for some reason he feels a need to troll me at every opportunity. As I said before you have only to ask the other forum participants about his behaviour. It has been abhorrent. For well over a year now he is referring to me as a Nazi sympathiser, racist, misogynist, homophobe among other of the worst things he can imagine. He has made strange comments about my father, my wife and even my dog. Keep in mind I have been posting here for years and interacting with people of all shapes, sizes and colours not to mention gender.

It is your website. It is your business. You run things as you see fit. You have a customer who is alienating other customers. It is his mission in life and he is taking it very seriously. His mission is in clear violation of your stated guidelines for conduct on this forum. If your policy has changed to "radical free speech" please keep the rest of your loyal customers appraised of the change.

[johnyandell]

OK if any of you guys want to post links to posts that you think violate the guidelines do it.

[johnyandell]

Because I am busy generating issues-- and you guys are all big boys. And to be totally honest I have become even more anti-authoritarian and more accepting of radical free speech over the years... Let me get some internal mental hard drive free and think about what to do. I haven't read one of Bottle's posts in 10 years.

[gzhpcu]

ditto to that...

[don_budge]

To all Tennisplayer Subscribers,

Welcome to the Forum and the opportunity to discuss everything having to do with the game with your fellow subscribers and our writers and contributors.

The good news is, our subscribers are passionate about tennis. We look forward to hearing you share you questions, comments and thoughts. You are free to agree and disagree as you see fit.

The (ocassionally) bad news is that passion can run rampant, and if you have experience with message boards in general you know that posters often say things in forums that would never pass in person to person communication.

Please be passionate and respectful. Personal attacks are out. Ridicule is out. Denigrating the views of others is out. If necessary, we can all agree to disagree--politely.

Trolls will be subject to ban.

What's a troll? Someone who sows discord by posting inflammatory or inaccurate messages in an online community, with the intent of provoking readers. Someone who refuses to engage in discussion when his views are questioned and cannot offer evidence to support his or her views.

So if you're able to stay in the guidelines fantastic. And if you can't you'll find your posts deleted and/or banned. These guidelines apply to our contributors, myself as well as all subscribers.

John Yandell

I have a question John. Why are these guidelines not even remotely being enforced? I am not the only member of your website that is wondering this.

[johnyandell]

No you won 7 matches

[klacr]

In this June issue the "Miss Hits" section has "Kyle L" winning the finals of the club championships. Who is this Kyle L? I'm a Kyle L. Coincidence?

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[johnyandell]

Many still apply!

[stotty]

Stotty. just received the book. Very enjoyable. Great to see the champions of yesteryear. Enjoyed Newcombes twist serve article.

Yes when you read through there is some interesting content; Tony Trabert's thoughts on the grip for the backhand volley, for example. I love the photo on page 96...Nasty was a great athlete. Don Budge's take on the backhand is great; our very own don_budge would love it. Read through it, Phil. It's full of gems.