FTR Forum Closing

The Forum will no longer be a part of the FTR Web Site. It sounded like a good idea, when John Day implemented it. It was to be a place for members to exchange positive ideas and discuss whatever they liked. Unfortunately, it has been misused and turned into a political soap box and complaint message board that the Executive Committee feels is detrimental to FTR and the many people from all over the world, yes the world, that visit our site. We are not opposed to criticism, especially when it is constructive and not targeted toward certain individuals. However, it seems that the members, and non-members who have expressed themselves on the Forum, have forgotten that there are specific sources for information on specific topics, i.e. "Is the race this weekend still on?" and "Did the rule for xyz change this year?" or even, "Why did we do that?". Of course, one can make themselves look more concerned, involved and important by writing a dissertation on the Forum than by contacting the proper parties and asking a few questions. If you have a question, a comment or a complaint, the Area Directors, Referees, Scorekeepers, Executive Committee members and Business Manager contact information is on the site and in the magazine. Use them. You will get straight answers from the people involved in the decisions, not biased opinions from the people who don't have a good thing to say about anything. We have always had questions, complaints and disagreements and we always will. The Forum, just like the rest of the internet, has given too big a voice, and one that seems to never quiet, to those who constantly complain and disagree. Let's all remember. We are doing this for fun. Our volunteers do this because they care. We all do this to promote the sport. The way the Forum has been used by a vocal minority has made this less fun for all of us and does not promote the image we want to project to the general public.