The Apology

On 11/10/20 10:57 PM, Chip Bearden wrote:
On Monday, November 9, 2020 at 9:56:56 PM UTC-5, 2G wrote:

Chip, if it moves up the ladder it will be because of YOU beating a dead horse.

Tom

WE DID IT!!! Sometime yesterday, 10 Nov 2020, this post--ironically titled "The Apology"--shot into THIRD PLACE (3rd) for "Most Viewed RAS Discussions for 2020". Bronze Medal position!!! (in Google Groups, assumed to be representative of other views via Usenet providers/newsreader clients).

Un-freaking-believable. The post had almost nothing to do with soaring apart from being sparked by an apology in Soaring magazine that was deemed a craven capitulation to nefarious forces undermining all that is sacred in our sport. It concluded with the abject refusal of one sullen poster to apologize for anything. In between were condescending and insulting protestations by others that the original "offense" (with much debate over whether it was, in fact, offensive) was blown way out of proportion. Total views just in Google Groups alone were almost 7,300.

My whole perspective on the men and women in U.S. soaring is different today than when this thread kicked off three weeks ago. I concede that I've kept it going the past few days because I don't think we should forget what was said here. This was not a spirited debate over which flight computer is better or the use of ASTs in contests where we close by good-naturedly agreeing to disagree. Rather, this discussion revealed a funadmental difference in the way we respect each other in soaring.

Having seen this discussion reach the podium position and acknowledging that no one who posted seems to have changed their minds, I'm signing off. But don't stop re-reading and/or contributing on my account.

Chip Bearden
JB

Keep it up, Chip. Your continuous score keeping posts seem to be what
will eventually run this one to the top spot! Great job. Congratulations.

Time to move on, don'tcha think?

--
Dan
5J