what I have loved to hate about this forum, ever since it was GoFar, is it’s ability to stimulate debate from the well educated through the ill informed to the down right bizarre. It’s what makes it the colourful and frustrating place it is.

My question is simply this:

Has a thread on singletrack changed your opinion on a subject about which you had previously made up your mind?

For instance, has someone’s reasoned and lucid argument persuaded you that hunting is wrong when before you would happily have donned the deer stalker? Has someone convinced you to switch from Red to Blue after you have spent the day handing out the ‘Socialist Worker’ outside the town hall? You get the picture.

I guess you can discount cycling related subjects for the purposes of this question.

It’s something that just popped into my head earlier (after TandemJeremy and i got close to dueling on a subject we’d covered before)

Personally I am pretty sure that no one thread on this site has made me change my mind on a subject. and i guess that doesn’t really surprise me.

I understand of course that this is the internet and people [strangers] spout all sorts of made up crap but it’s not difficult to research peoples claims.

Yep, it has happened for me. On a occasions I’ve seen things slightly different as a result of someone putting forward a persuasive argument. Nothing really drastic, and it tends to be people who have somewhat similar views to mine, but I’ve accepted things which I hadn’t necessarily before.

Yep – i decided to never use Picolax.

Yes. Even when not, its still useful to understand an opposing point of view.

Yes.
Dont elaborate.

At great personal cost I reluctantly withdrew my planning permission for the Coventry ConveyorPort ™ 🙁

no: it’s not 50:50

um, yes, no, erm, I’m not sure, now come to think about it, no, oh, maybe, no, definitely not.

My perception of “right and wrong” politically has certainly developed over the years of having “vigorous” discussions in here with intelligent, articulate posters from the other side of the political spectrum, and I think has rubbed off on my own views of the world to some extent. There’s still far too much irrational daily mail/morning star ranting by those who refuse to calm down and think through their views. But that just makes for easy targets! 🙂

no

I’ve certainly learned to accept other people have different opinions. Not sure I’ve changed any of mine, but I no longer go off on one arguing, I just accept they’re wrong and wont change, then move on 🙂

Sometimes, one gets a clearer insight into a subject that one holds (perhaps ill thought out) ideas about. Do, yes I’m always ready to read what (some) others have written. So, yes.

i decided to nost the Big Bike Bash.

I think it is only fair that you all* buy ticket now.

*You can’t all buy tickets as we are selling them too fast and there are only 500 so be quick

I sort of changed my mind about the bankers’ bonuses thing from an article that Stoner posted. Him and his kind are still evil capitalist warmongering pigs, however. 😛

Has a thread on singletrack changed your opinion on a subject about which you had previously made up your mind?
Yes. I used to have a fairly positive attitude towards people I’d not met or spoken to before. Now I realise that the majority of them are cocks. 😉

Singletrack is my mind.

I did think this thread was going to be about riding a particular piece of trail whilst contemplating some personal decision and the whole oneness with the bike and the trail thing transporting you off until you arrive at a conclusion from the centre of your being that is different to the one you had previously made in the rush that was everyday life.

Instead, I find that I’m being asked if hora has posted some little gem about his personal life that has given me an insight into the human condition beyond what I already knew.

slightly disappointed, tbh.

Not usually things people have written themselves, but things they link, yes. Also, it is always profoundly interesting to see how other people approach subjects that I have fairly clearly worked out in my own mind. This is quite a heterogenous group of folk, it’s good.

🙂

I now believe in life after death. Someone proved it to me by typing some words.

What griz coffeeking and stoner say…
I still think capitalism is a piece of shite and wont work, but then I am a red 😉 😉

Before STW I had no ill feelings towards TJ or Hora.

yup
I won’t put a kitten in the MWO

I used to think that a plane could take off on a conveyor.

I think it is interesting to see the wide range of opinions on offer. Has it ever changed my mind? Of course. I’m not arrogant enough to assume I have all the answers.

What BigDummy said.

I still don’t want to ride a rigid SS steel framed 29er with mary bars tho.

TandemJeremy and i got close to dueling

This thread needs pics!

I used to think that in a fight I would easily beat the crap out of Oneeyedwilly, but now I know he would probably ‘own me’ if he was armed with a set of suspension forks.

No, because I was always right.

I’ve certainly not changed any opinions but I’ve had my eyes opened to a couple of things.

Like for example, quite how some people have actually managed to turn the computer on never mind find this site and type words in.

Not really. Influenced my opinions, given me a different perspective on stuff, maybe.

LSD changed my mind.

I didnt agree with this post until I read it again, and now I do agree but my answer is no.