the Future of the Gopherhole?

[Otis]

I feel that the name "Gopherhole" is now offensive due to this incident! I recommend a name change.

Gopherchat is much more Politically Correct.

(any news media citing a chat room as a source might as well use Wikipedia and wikileaks! They should also be sold strictly in grocery stores.)

 

[tikited]

Don't video sex acts on your phone and you won't have to worry about some website commenting on it when said videos become public. Pretty simple really.

 

[Nate]

They should have claimed "anonymous source" instead of naming GopherHole.com

 

[60's Guy]

I'm SO lucky to have met you and you and Sir Moonlight are people I've grown to adore. I am surprised to see you post this though. One of the things I love most about GH is 1. the community and relationships I've built, and 2. the insight and information I've received from people who are "in the know" - there are so many people here that are players, former players, coaches, family members etc, who I have a great deal of respect for their opinions.

Are people always correct? No. But the majority of the time, we do get good information and hear things hear 1st, it's kind of the power of a whole community. People were sharing information, just like they do on Twitter, through blogs, texts, etc. As far as dragging the program through the mud, you can't really blame the messenger. These are just people sharing information. So it would have been ok and gotten swept under the rug had people here not posted about it? No way. Too many people saw it, as it was up on Both Instagram and Twitter.

Bottom line, we'd never want to lose you, as you provide such great takes that I enjoy reading, and selfishly, love having women on this sight that love bball as much as I do.

Well, I'm off to an international flight, and won't be on GH much after this - so don't think I'm ignoring you if I don't reply!

There are risks with anything in life. Nothing is perfect. Gopherhole provides a lot of news and value. Putting up with ridicule, sorting out the likely untruths, contemplating differing opinions, ignoring trolls and on occasion laughing out loud makes it all pretty entertaining. Like Jim Valvano said: "If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day." For me Gopherhole often provides that. Thank you, Nadine. Appreciate your contributions very much!

 

[bottlebass]

Don't video sex acts on your phone and you won't have to worry about some website commenting on it when said videos become public. Pretty simple really.

YOu skipped the part about someone stealing said phone....

 

[Moonlight]

I'm SO lucky to have met you and you and Sir Moonlight are people I've grown to adore. I am surprised to see you post this though. One of the things I love most about GH is 1. the community and relationships I've built, and 2. the insight and information I've received from people who are "in the know" - there are so many people here that are players, former players, coaches, family members etc, who I have a great deal of respect for their opinions.

Are people always correct? No. But the majority of the time, we do get good information and hear things hear 1st, it's kind of the power of a whole community. People were sharing information, just like they do on Twitter, through blogs, texts, etc. As far as dragging the program through the mud, you can't really blame the messenger. These are just people sharing information. So it would have been ok and gotten swept under the rug had people here not posted about it? No way. Too many people saw it, as it was up on Both Instagram and Twitter.

Bottom line, we'd never want to lose you, as you provide such great takes that I enjoy reading, and selfishly, love having women on this sight that love bball as much as I do.

Well, I'm off to an international flight, and won't be on GH much after this - so don't think I'm ignoring you if I don't reply!

I'm surprised you're surprised! It responsible to have this discussion.

I will totally grant that I don't consider sports journalism to be actual journalism. I decided for the first time ever to turn on 1500 today enroute and the whole conversation I heard between Judd and Mackey (sp?) was about how one of them had pissed off Cordarrelle Patterson via a tweet and Patterson had blocked him. Which he mocked at length. That was about it the whole drive across town. This isn't journalism. And I fully expect that the most meaningful conversation some will be able to have after sharing this is whether CP is a jerk or not.

I do think that the fact that these are not full adults (with btw a scientifically documented fact of incomplete judgment development in their neocortex!) matters. Yes, it is a new world.

I think it is obviously reasonable to have this conversation - esp in the face of threads devoted to wild speculation. I think you should be glad I brought it up and thank me!

 

[El Amin Fan]

I think you should be glad I brought it up and thank me!

Wow. Someone thinks highly of themselves.

Reporters have been citing anonymous sources forever. At least this time they put a name (die hard gopher) instead of (sometimes) making it up and saying it was from an anonymous source.

 

[Moonlight]

Wow. Someone thinks highly of themselves.

Reporters have been citing anonymous sources forever. At least this time they put a name (die hard gopher) instead of (sometimes) making it up and saying it was from an anonymous source.

GL & I are friends - I didn't say that to Bleed because we're not. But yes, I do, and of lots of people including many here.

Does it reflects well on the board and it's mod's for there to be a discussion about how this unfolded?
Is it helpful to have some concern about how vulnerable kids are (not just basketball players) to f-ing up their lives in the electronic age?
Or is each thread on opportunity to decide if someone and their view is stupid, or not?

 

[howeda7]

Like Jim Valvano said: "If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day." For me Gopherhole often provides that.

I love that quote. Unfortunately, as Gopher fans, our ratios tend to skew a little towards the latter. I know some were sensitive about the humor some folks found around this incident. But if ever a fan base needed to be able to laugh at itself...

 

[MennoSota]

I don't see what the Gopherhole did wrong. It is just an online discussion board, which is a modern day version of the barbershop or hair salon.

What I find disturbing is that media outlets now forego quality journalism in order to get ratings boosts. Media outlets saw this story as a generator of interest, which brings in more money for them. It doesn't seem to matter anymore that rumors around the water cooler are now the sources for their journalism. That is the sad part, for me. The gopherhole is harmless barbershop banter.

 

[Ewert86PC]

I feel that the name "Gopherhole" is now offensive due to this incident! I recommend a name change.

Gopherchat is much more Politically Correct.

(any news media citing a chat room as a source might as well use Wikipedia and wikileaks! They should also be sold strictly in grocery stores.)

You should go ask Hawkeye fans to rename their forum "CornHole."

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[Hates Monikers]

A few others have mentioned it here, but journalism -- and culture -- have changed over the past 15 years. Social media is a fact of life, like it or not. I happen to like it.

I'm 50. Though not a journalist in any sense of the word, I studied communication in college and worked at a few small time suburban newspapers. What passes for facts and sources today has changed. At the same time, the way we all interact -- with close friends on Facebook and Twitter and with strangers on a message board -- has also changed. It took me a while to catch up with the changes. Kids are lucky that they are growing up with it. Most are more aware than Dorsey.

News is often broken on social media. Sometimes it's inaccurate. In my experience on this board, when we hear a negative rumor, many initially deny it. But more often than not, we soon find out it's true.

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

 

[tikited]

YOu skipped the part about someone stealing said phone....

What does that matter? People should realize by now that putting anything like that on your phone is stupid. It's Dorsey's fault that it got out no matter what.

 

[Holy Man]

This is a good discussion. I'm with what appears to be the majority in the thread that believe the worst thing to come out of this is that our "mainstream" press is citing an anonymous message board for a critical story. That's horrendous and leads me to doubt the media even more (and I am a big doubter to begin with). That is scary for the world we live in which depends highly on a free and ethical press that has some universal standards that are voluntarily adhered to.

I'm personally concerned that the power of social media can ruin someone's life at a stage that they are clueless, either because they put something out there that shouldn't be, or someone decides to say, "I heard about so and so," and starts and endless string of gossip that even when proved false will have the person answering for it interminably. In a world way short of mercy, we are putting potentially harmful tools into the hands of people who are not responsible enough to handle them. It is amazing to me the number of teens I hear about who are waiting to get a driver's license, but are naively hanging out in social media circles that are every bit as dangerous as driving a car unsafely. Gossip is poison for the human condition. Tools that help spread it faster than wildfire make it even more poisonous. With all the good that comes with new communication tools, there is a lot bad, too and too much of that world is spreading gossip. The new media requires ever more responsible creators and users of the information and it seems like there is less responsibility than ever on both sides.

I like the 'Hole and find it valuable as an entertainment source and information source for entertainment (college basketball). Like most here, I blow off posts and posters that irritate me or add no value. I don't go to a lot of these things, but the few I have seen suggests that this board is more responsible and reasonable than most. Moonlight, you're in the category of, "Yes, I want to know what she is thinking. It's worth a few minutes." It may even be time for another installment of The Bold and the Gopherhole!

 

[Otis]

Damn! Holy Man blows off my posts!

 

[Sparlimb]

While many seem to basking in their moments of anonymous fame (a moronic oxymoron if I ever heard one) some of us are reflecting on our role in what may be the illegal violation of privacy perpetrated on our team members.

I frankly believe Dorsey’s statement that the phone is in someone else’s hands - esp. since the police seem to have its theft on film. That is called 'evidence'. It totally explains why they are out for the season. The person who has the phone holds a virtual hand grenade and can pull the pin at anytime. Dorsey can shut down access to his twitter account, but he can’t do anything about the fact that this video is in someone else’s hands. How about airing it a half hour before game time? How fun would that be? Half time at the BT tourney? Great publicity. What is the actual consequence for this kind of privacy violation? Basically none.

We’ve helped it along by providing graphic and explicit descriptions of the video content which has basically made it available to everyone.

It is no secret that coaches and teams have a love hate relationship with social media. Tubby Smith was reluctant to recognize the Gopherhole as part of the media. And here you can see why. There are no journalistic rules, no ethical standards, and a message board does not have to ask the question, “Was the this video legally obtained?” before diving in. Then we get excited because we’re cited by actual journalists as the ‘source’ of information? They were smart to keep their distance from this as long as possible.

So we’ve managed to get a major assist in dragging the program through the mud, and now there are equal parts "I’m loyal to them 4-ever" and "I’m through with them” laced in every thread.

There is rarely a thing called total innocence. And there is rarely a thing called total guilt. These guys are guilty of stupidity, and carelessness, and in many people’s eyes, immoral behavior. We have managed to be true fans in the spirit of the origin or the word - fanatics. One part support, two parts gossip mill. I have to wonder if it makes sense going forward for me to be a part of it. I don’t have a good feeling about this. I know Bleed and GL personally, and I’ve met some fine people through this board and had some entertaining discussions. But there’s a dark side to it, and while I like to think I elevate the level of discussion, that is probably a rationalization.

Dude, information is free. We weren't the ones possibly committing crimes. Let's just wait until it all comes out and judge then. But to expect a public message board to not discuss relevant matters on the web is just silly.

 

[jamiche]

This is a good discussion. I'm with what appears to be the majority in the thread that believe the worst thing to come out of this is that our "mainstream" press is citing an anonymous message board for a critical story. That's horrendous and leads me to doubt the media even more (and I am a big doubter to begin with). That is scary for the world we live in which depends highly on a free and ethical press that has some universal standards that are voluntarily adhered to.

I'm personally concerned that the power of social media can ruin someone's life at a stage that they are clueless, either because they put something out there that shouldn't be, or someone decides to say, "I heard about so and so," and starts and endless string of gossip that even when proved false will have the person answering for it interminably. In a world way short of mercy, we are putting potentially harmful tools into the hands of people who are not responsible enough to handle them. It is amazing to me the number of teens I hear about who are waiting to get a driver's license, but are naively hanging out in social media circles that are every bit as dangerous as driving a car unsafely. Gossip is poison for the human condition. Tools that help spread it faster than wildfire make it even more poisonous. With all the good that comes with new communication tools, there is a lot bad, too and too much of that world is spreading gossip. The new media requires ever more responsible creators and users of the information and it seems like there is less responsibility than ever on both sides.

I like the 'Hole and find it valuable as an entertainment source and information source for entertainment (college basketball). Like most here, I blow off posts and posters that irritate me or add no value. I don't go to a lot of these things, but the few I have seen suggests that this board is more responsible and reasonable than most. Moonlight, you're in the category of, "Yes, I want to know what she is thinking. It's worth a few minutes." It may even be time for another installment of The Bold and the Gopherhole!

All fair points, HM.

What should have happened is the people who get paid to break and investigate these stories should have broken and investigated this story, leaving GH to gossip, snipe and speculate. Amelia was napping and is still trying to catch up. In this situation, GH served a useful purpose because this is a legit story (the public dissemination of the video of the sex, not the sex--assuming consensual). Shame on Amelia and the PP. Lazy journalism, even with the obvious constraints of sourcing and fact checking.

A slight digression. People born after the birth of the internet have a completely different understanding of the meaning and importance of privacy from people born prior to the internet. It just isn't that big of a deal for twenty year olds to put their copulation "out there," I guess. What seems crazy to someone born before 1990 isn't that bizarre to someone born after email. It's not that shocking.

 

[WorkingMyTailOff]

I have been discouraged by a few posters that joke about Teague the creepy predator (not funny) and also making light of this most recent scandal. There was nothing funny about Teague's behavior or this hoops scandal to me. It reflects poorly on the university and the athletic community in my opinion. I do enjoy the discussion and support of Gopher sports.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

this story is becoming a rorschach test. People look at it, and see what they want to see.

As far as the media/privacy aspect - this story was always going to get out. GH may have helped it get out a little faster, but if no one had posted a word about this story on GH, it would still have gotten out.

If Kevin Dorsey was an anonymous poly sci major, then I might feel differently about his privacy being invaded. But, he's a D1 college BB player at a major conference. Athletes and celebs know they're in the public eye, and need to be pro-active in protecting their privacy.

Bottom line for me - everyone involved in this story had choices. Mason and Mc Brayer could have walked out of the room when they realized what was going on. They chose to stay and watch. Dorsey could have kept his sex life private - but when you're having sex with multiple people in front of witnesses, I would say privacy is not a major concern on your part.

And in closing -if anyone is upset by the level of discourse on GH over this issue - then you have probably never been on the off-topic board.

 

[Moonlight]

All fair points, HM.

What should have happened is the people who get paid to break and investigate these stories should have broken and investigated this story, leaving GH to gossip, snipe and speculate. Amelia was napping and is still trying to catch up. In this situation, GH served a useful purpose because this is a legit story (the public dissemination of the video of the sex, not the sex--assuming consensual). Shame on Amelia and the PP. Lazy journalism, even with the obvious constraints of sourcing and fact checking.

A slight digression. People born after the birth of the internet have a completely different understanding of the meaning and importance of privacy from people born prior to the internet. It just isn't that big of a deal for twenty year olds to put their copulation "out there," I guess. What seems crazy to someone born before 1990 isn't that bizarre to someone born after email. It's not that shocking.

Good point about the job of the press. Its one thing for a message board to have a scoop about the interest of a recruit, its another to be cited as the primary source of info about the suspensions of players. I don't like the idea of a message board with anonymous posters driving this, but then again, the line between press as story reported and story maker has been blurring for some time.
(Do we think its just a matter of time before someone here takes the moniker of 'deep throat'?)

I get the points of the short and ornery one. I don't think anyone is trying to paint them as victims here. Nonetheless, Like Holy Man, the parent in me hates to see kids who are still developmentally judgmentally impaired in such a public mess that threatens all they've worked for. A friend's daughter's ill-advised posted photos from years back has translated into working with the police to catch a sexual predator. I've raised two males through the college years amid much white knuckling, and so much maturing happens during these years. Even from 22 to 25 is like dog years. I hate to see them screw up their lives - and yes, honestly like many here, I am tired of dumb f-ups screwing up a season. Arguably, some of them will continue like this for a long time. Some will say without severe consequences they won't learn. Who knows?

BTW Your point about how we see things on the internet is spot on. My son, who is 24 would put the year more around '95. If you can't remember not having a computer its a different mindset. He works with high school age kids and says there's a big difference between the way he & they view things. And, these kids have been videoed every moment of their lives, and they have learned to document every, um, shining moment. I can't even stand hearing my voice on a recording.