joeatlarge: The "dump bear411" movement

Joe (

joeatlarge) wrote,
@ 2007-02-05 11:22:00

Entry tags:

internet

The "dump bear411" movement
Ah, capitalism/laissez-faire economics at its best. :)

The bears are so fed up with Bear411 that they're organizing a mass exodus/boycott planned for February 14th.

(38 comments) - (Post a new comment)

	bigfundrew 2007-02-05 04:32 pm UTC (link)
	oh my god is everyone's social and romantic life so dependant on these profile sites that this much effort needs to be exerted? ps we must dine. soon. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	joeatlarge 2007-02-05 07:05 pm UTC (link)
	Agreed, what are you and Ben doing this weekend, any plans? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	bigfundrew 2007-02-05 07:10 pm UTC (link)
	we have the chiterlings next wknd, we might go to a new club in York, PA for their big retro night as we had such a fun time last time that we were there but...Ben works most Saturday nights...and all day on sundays the best bet is every other friday....(how much does that suck?) (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	joeatlarge 2007-02-05 09:01 pm UTC (link)
	hehe...it's good to be busy. So is this friday coming up an available or unavailable one? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	bigfundrew 2007-02-05 09:04 pm UTC (link)
	this friday is one with the kids maybe one day in the future...we can all go out with all the kids. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	joeatlarge 2007-02-05 11:50 pm UTC (link)
	Oh lord, that'd be like the Brady Bunch on steroids! LOL But seriously, since you're busy this Friday if you'd like to make plans for next Friday I'm game and will make sure Mark's available too. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	bigfundrew 2007-02-06 01:26 pm UTC (link)
	that is the night a bunch of us are to go up to Club XS in York for their big retro night (Reply to this) (Parent)

	drevilmoo 2007-02-05 04:55 pm UTC (link)
	Always despised the interface at Bear411. The new alternate cite is much better except for the restrictions on photos. (Reply to this)

	e_falki 2007-02-05 05:00 pm UTC (link)
	Ah, capitalism/laissez-faire economics at its best. :) LOL....Well, there is that aspect to all of this as well, I suppose. ;-) (Reply to this)

	m3rkvry 2007-02-05 05:00 pm UTC (link)
	Where are people generally going? I've been meaning to join one of these sites. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	dchockeyguy 2007-02-05 05:01 pm UTC (link)
	I think it's like bearciti or something similar seems to be the new site I've heard people talking about. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	joeatlarge 2007-02-05 07:06 pm UTC (link)
	Yes, bearciti.com (Reply to this) (Parent)

	furmuslbulk 2007-02-05 05:14 pm UTC (link)
	OH MY GOD! I think I heart bear411 just a little bit more now. Don't these people realize that: A) No one gives a crap if they stop visiting some stupid website. B) They are wasting their energy on a frivolous action. Imagine if they put this much energy into stopping an illegal war! (Reply to this) (Thread)

lovetakesyouin
2007-02-05 06:41 pm UTC (link)

To each their own. While I certainly do everything I can personally to mobilise efforts to protest and raise awareness about the Iraqi Debacle (see progressivevoices.org), I do think that for some of us, there is adequate room to address a broader range of social justice issues than just the war.

For those capable of multi-tasking, it is a big deal for the owner of Bear411 to discriminate against people he deems unworthy of "bear" or "cub" self-identification -- particularly in light of the bear subculture's historic charism of inclusion. When that becomes further complicated by his apparent censoring posts, changing profiles and other antics (not to mention being one of the most poorly designed websites, which just got worse on the latest build), some of us (around 2000 in the past three weeks to be exact), felt compelled to make our voices heard by walking away from and deleting our profiles at Bear411.

Seems it might be a big enough world out there to all for those committed to activism to do such things without having to disparage them with petty remarks. No?

(Sorry to see that negative streak followed you from Boston, buddy. Lighten up!) :-)

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	furmuslbulk 2007-02-05 07:20 pm UTC (link)
	I'm mocking people all freaked out and angry about an online sex site, and you tell ME to lighten up? Whatever. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	lovetakesyouin 2007-02-05 07:37 pm UTC (link)
	No, they're angry about people being discriminated against by the owner of the site, which not all of us necessarily use for sex. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

e_falki
2007-02-05 11:33 pm UTC (link)

....not all of us necessarily use [Bear411]for sex.

Thank you for saying this, especially as I've been one of those guys in that same category. Bear411 (and now CitiBears) for me personally has mainly been a resource for keeping in touch with various bear friends of mine; and since I'm planning on relocating cross-country to a new city (Philly) later this year, it's been a useful resource in making some new online friendships with other guys in that city.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

lovetakesyouin
2007-02-05 11:43 pm UTC (link)

No problem. I'm the same way, and I always find it extremely amusing that the ones who complain the loudest about how stupid the exodus is are among the very first ones to have rushed over there to get their own profiles.

Regardless of one's reasons for using Bear411, the simple fact remains that part of the bear subculture has always been inclusiveness, and so I think it's honourable for anyone who is so compelled to object and refuse to support such a service. Similarly, when I read the disparaging remarks made by those who think it's "stupid" to do so, I will be at the front of the line reminding them that intolerance is violence.

Some folks aren't happy with a half-full glass... they project their own issues on the rest of the world and have to complain that the glass is half empty. I think it's sad.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	(Anonymous) 2007-11-23 09:01 pm UTC (link)
	Exactly! this whole thing is ridiculous. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	bumbelion1977 2007-02-05 07:56 pm UTC (link)
	what makes a war legal? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	lovetakesyouin 2007-02-05 11:44 pm UTC (link)
	Matching shoes and smart little hats! :-) (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	bumbelion1977 2007-02-06 04:01 am UTC (link)
	that was good, Francis... I actually LOL (Reply to this) (Parent)

greatbearmd
2007-02-05 05:51 pm UTC (link)

I got fed up with the B411 shens some time ago and pulled my profile there. It was nice to find a bunch of people that I know (or would like to) gathering in a new place, so I ended up ignoring my own rules and signing up to bearciti.com. So far, it's been kinda fun, which is the important thing. If it becomes a drama haven or shenanigans start to play out, I'll delete my profile there, it's no biggie.

If this 'exodus' makes the site owner of 411 take notice and perhaps change his ways, it'd a perfect example of market forces at work. Vote with your dollars (or cookies, as the case might be)! lol

(Reply to this)

	lovetakesyouin 2007-02-05 06:32 pm UTC (link)
	Cool... so far, just over 900 have left since me, and I was mid-stream on last week's exodus, I'm sure. (Reply to this)

	polardemonwolf 2007-02-05 06:54 pm UTC (link)
	I think his pocket book will force him to figure out why people are leaving B411... and Eventually (hopefully) it will lead him to change. (But I highly doubt it.) Otherwise, b411 becomes another statistic in a long line of dead sites. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	furmuslbulk 2007-02-05 07:28 pm UTC (link)
	I think they only makes money from paying customers, and since most people either don't pay, or have already paid for the entire year, I doubt he'll see much financial impact for a while, if at all. I AM curious about how many paying and nonpaying members they have. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

polardemonwolf
2007-02-05 07:38 pm UTC (link)

Say that the user base is 50% non paying, and 50% paying - the 50% that do not pay will most likely take away at least 70 - 80% of the members that do stay after the non-paying members leave.

You go where the bears are. (or cubs!) You don't go to a website that doesn't get a lot of traffic to "get laid" do you? (Not you, I don't know you that well.) No, you go to sites that have a lot of traffic and hot men.)

just my .02 cents.

YMMV

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	Important point to remember rockvillewoof 2007-02-05 07:31 pm UTC (link)
	While I am all for the exodus, if sufficient numbers don't actively promote and support the bearciti site with active, live presence....then this action will fail. I was able to get back on 411, and am not gonna stir the pot again until it's obvious enough of my support system on 411 has moved over to citi... (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Important point to remember furmuslbulk 2007-02-05 08:19 pm UTC (link)
	good point. People will go to where people are! That's why I'm never logged onto my bearwww account- no one is there! (Reply to this) (Parent)

bumbelion1977
2007-02-05 07:52 pm UTC (link)

I think this is kind of silly all around.

I just feel that maybe a whole community of people shouldn't have ever felt so dependant to a chat service... BUT I do agree that if the service is not performing as it should to serve the customer... then a boycott is the answer.

I however am not a paid member, so I could care less.

I am curious about this talk of Gregg changing profiles though.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	joeatlarge 2007-02-05 08:59 pm UTC (link)
	It happened to me. When I signed up at one point the option of self-identifying as "bear" was removed, leaving only "cub" and "admirer" as possible choices. Apparently I failed the bear test. :) (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	bear_left 2007-02-05 10:54 pm UTC (link)
	I think there's a panel of judges here more than ready and willing to watch your audition tapes :) (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	e_falki 2007-02-05 11:27 pm UTC (link)
	You can definitely include me on that panel (wink). (Reply to this) (Parent)

	lovetakesyouin 2007-02-05 11:48 pm UTC (link)
	I'd volunteer to watch too! Honestly, Joe was among the sexiest guys on there, particularly in the DC area, and I don't think anyone has the right to decide if he should consider himself a bear, cub, wolf-cub (which is how I see him) or anything else. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	joeatlarge 2007-02-06 12:15 am UTC (link)
	(blush!!!!) :) (Reply to this) (Parent)

	sunsmogseahorse 2007-02-05 11:45 pm UTC (link)
	Wow. That's really psycho. It kind of goes with the bad interface. That's the reason I never set up a profile there. I started to and dropped it after seeing how badly it sucked. All this now...eek. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	bumbelion1977 2007-02-06 03:36 am UTC (link)
	That sucks. I think when I signed up, I had the option of saying what I was, and uploading all my pictures at the same time. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	lightningman35 2007-02-06 04:03 am UTC (link)
	you don't fail ANY such test. . .and I'm a better judge than this jackass everyone is in a lather about. (Reply to this) (Parent)

(38 comments) - (Post a new comment)

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