What bothers me is when they take a thread that may be valueable to quite a few of us and turn it into a debate on extremely intricate aspects of dancing. Because of all their posts, I don't find the more basic posts that would help me or I could possibly contribute to.

That would require mandatory registration if it were to be at all effective. And that's something I won't do. Mandatory registration is a good way to filter out a large percentage of trash, but you also lose a lot of good content in the process. Many of the best questions are asked by curious passers-by, who would not otherwise ask if they had been required to register, first.

From a technical standpoint, it's nearly impossible to write a script that would allow you to filter a specific non-registered guest. The two identifying factors -- guest name and IP address -- are both extremely unreliable. A guest can choose whichever name he likes, and change it each and every time he posts a message. Two or more guests can post a message under the same name, and I can think of no better example of this than the name "Anonymous". IP addresses can be easily masked, and are often rotated periodically by ISP's. So the only way to make an effective blocking tool is by requiring all participants to assume an identity through user registration. And as I said, that's not an option I'm willing to use.

Besides, it looks like the current problem with Don & Anonymous was stamped out almost entirely in one swoop. This is the only live thread remaining that has the same annoying qualities. So once Anonymous gets his last word in, insetad of answering, just let it go. And with any luck, this will all go away.

Regards,
Jonathan

Thank you Jonathan for your care and your efforts to provide us with all the useful information about dancing.

In fact we are all annoyed of anonymous and don, just because they turn every discussion into a war of nonsense! really! i don't ignore that they have the knowledge, but it's too much and they shall understand that we visit this website to learn new things and to talk with people that share the same passion, but these to persons made us hate dancing because they turn it into something so very complicated!
Simply when i'm seeing a topic started by don or anonymous i don't read it!

Thank you again Jonathan! and congratulations on the learning center's great work!

Regards to all of you, and keep on dancing!

Awww Latindiva.. Don't ignore Don's or anonymous's topics. Sometimes i join in with some invaluable insights, and you'd miss them!!

Oh Phil i know how valubale your opinion is, and i always read what you write! because you always say it directly and simlpy!!

I'm just bumping this thread up to the top again!

I agree that the site being dominated by two people--whatever their interests or topics--is unfortunate. I mostly skip the technical threads for that reason.

The thing that bothers me the most is when some beginning dancer comes on to ask a perfectly straightforward question about a step, timing, etc. and gets bombarded with minute details that, even if correct, wouldn't be relevant to the original poster's training for years to come. That alone makes me skeptical about anything those two posters say, as they clearly don't have any idea of how adjust their information to their audience, a requirement of any good teacher.

"The thing that bothers me the most is when some beginning dancer comes on to ask a perfectly straightforward question about a step, timing, etc. and gets bombarded with minute details that, even if correct, wouldn't be relevant to the original poster's training for years to come. That alone makes me skeptical about anything those two posters say, as they clearly don't have any idea of how adjust their information to their audience, a requirement of any good teacher."

Once someone unwisedly injects erroneous information into a response, it needs to be corrected.

BTW, most of the recent "debate" threads have been started by parties to the debate, not by innocent newbies with intersting questions that get bown out of proportion.

That's why I don't even both reading most threads with technical titles.

If you read back any where you will find everything I have ever written is from a technique book usually giving the page number , or from a tape or DVD . I very often refere to a John Wood tape on which the one I have goes into great detail and there is less of teaching a group and more on the technique fully explained. I also tell a person where on this site they can find exactly what they want and how to get there. How' s this. You are in a ballroom which has columns supporting the ceiling. They are virtical and are placed a few feet apart. If you were watching a couples dancing and as they went past, one was leaning backwards, ( taking the vertical support as a guide ). Another is leaning forward. So what is the correct way to stand . Having found that we must stay upright then we might ask ourselves how do we move from one position to the other and stay verical. So go to the Learn the Steps and see what a good topline and movement should look like. At this time I would add that Quicktime might have to be loaded. It is free just follow the instructions. Is that instructive or not. Some would rather read how the studio is charging these unreasonable prices. Over this you have no control. What you do have is the ability to make yourself stand upright and to move maintaing a good posture once it is pointed out. From there , the use of the music and how to dance in rhythm and in phrase is probably the least understood. And so and so on.