savethebigdipper.org

[BoddaH1994]

I wanted to make a thread to let you know that if you're interested in donating to the cause for saving the Big Dipper at Geauga Lake, the web site www.savethebigdipper.org is the correct site. There is a .com version of the same site, but it's a scam created by a certain enthusiast in California.

Thought I'd give you a heads up.

[IndyGuy4KI]

And the. Com site is very hard to read and use. Hats off to our very own Kat for taking on this major project. I hope to ride it for the the first time some day will the help of all of us enthusiasts.

[BoddaH1994]

I agree. I hope she's successful. I rode the Big Dipper in its 2nd last season and I didn't think it was all that great, but many others really like it. i just hope they have an idea of where it can ultimately go...

[IndyGuy4KI]

I can not believe a smaller park was not interested in the ride. Seems it would be a great honor to have a John Miller in your line up of coasters.

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

I wonder is a place like Stickers would want it, or even afford it.

[Guest rcfreak339]

Nice choice with the .org name. It's indeed an organization something those people in California don't understand.

[bkroz]

It's honestly a shame was Robb and them are doing... Imagine how disheartened the leaders of the real movement feel at how they're being mocked / laughed at / parodied / whatever you want to call it. There's laughing with someone, and laughing at them, and it's really awful what they're doing. And based on Robb's reactions in the thread on TPR, he's much more of a jerk than I ever thought... Like, his "parody" and the way others on that site are treating it is so rude, and is not funny at all. The leaders of the real relocation effort put so much on the line to support something they obviously believe in, and I don't think it's right how they're being mocked.

What a shame... It makes me think a lot differently about Robb. I used to consider him just a fun-loving, world-traveling nerd like all of us. But his parody site is immature. He looks like an ass, frankly. And now I see that he's one of those guys who, the more you straightforwardly tell him that you disapprove and how it makes you feel, the more he soaks it up and posts "FAIL" pictures and immature responses... It just sucks, because I can imagine what Kat is feeling when reading the things he says. But at least she stands for something good...

[Beast1979]

This entire thing is making me heartsore....The people on TPR are either blissfully unaware of just how harmful they are being, or are absolutely convinced that what they are doing is right, while Rob Alvey, spearheading it all, is being corrupt beyond belief. Honestly...this entire thing is just sad.

Stand strong, Kat!

[bkroz]

Yes! There are people behind you, and people who are very, very thankful for what you're sacrificing for this project. Think of it this way - you certainly are getting attention from this mess. Don't let it get you down. You made the right choice, you did what you felt, you followed your heart, and fantastic things will come your way (including many of us here, who will do all we can whenever you need us)!

GYK, so grateful beyond belief for not having purchased that TPR membership earlier this year, as I'd be asking for a refund. For what it's worth, I tweeted the following:

I don't see the big deal about moving the Big Dipper, but don't see a reason to be #immature about it, either... #unfollow @themeparkreview

Naturally, it was quickly re-tweeted by Theme Park Review as a way to mock me. So be it. There's at least one less person who will be paying for their business in the future (and hopefully, many more besides me). I never 100% understood why The Interpreter said he would sooner leave this place then have it resemble Theme Park Review. Now, I do indeed see the light.

[windshawne]

I have only dealt with their crew once-the time they came in and did a review of KI right after Cedar Fair took over. They were disrespectful and condescending. I haven't been to the site in years, and don't plan to. Count me out on joining any coaster group-this loose group of friends off here is good enough for me.

[BoddaH1994]

Hopefully both parks and patrons see this guy and his group's true colors with this one. This goes beyond a joke. It's fraud.

[tycoonrebel7188]

I understand the .com is only supposed to be a joke, but seriously, creating an alter ego, Prince Desmond, is beyond a waste of time and resources. I love watching the video and reading the Trip Reports on TPR but the recent attitude toward Savethebigdipper.org has saddened me. Why waste the $10 on a fake website domain when that money could have been donated to the real project? I don't understand making fun of the subject they claim to love so dearly.

[Guest TombraiderTy]

I agree about the immaturity involved with the creation of the .com site, but, taken from the bottom of it:

This is a parody of http://www.savethebigdipper.org Let this be a lesson to the webmasters of that site that if a .com is available BUY IT before someone else does.

This is indeed a valid point- most people tend to link URL addresses with .com's instead of .org's, and even when the cause is related to a .org (like Save the Big Dipper is), it's still smart to buy the .com as well (as Wikipedia has- visiting Wikipedia.com will take you directly to Wikipedia.org). Just saying...

[Gordon Bombay]

Ok, woah, seriously, lets take a step back and look at what we're all saying.

Kat is a friend of mine and I certainly respect and support what she's doing, but you guys are attacking Alvey as if he's running a Ponzi scheme. Look, his website mocked and made fun of a legitimate group of people trying to do something. Was it low and lacked class? Yeah, it was, but I'm not gonna lie... I laughed when I heard "everybody dance now" in the midi version on the .com site.

I see the point Robb was making, the .org site comes off as a little unprofessional in appearance and information. Despite the ".org" name, it itself even looks a little shady. There's no information about if its a real organization, no way to track the money, no legal information.... just a deposit to someone's paypal account. Now, he could've made this point to them in a polite way or offered to help them to design a better looking site/effort (and I'm sure there are many talented people on this website who'd be willing to help Kat with this effort). He made the mock site, he was a dick. Which leads me to my next point...

Hopefully both parks and patrons see this guy and his group's true colors with this one. This goes beyond a joke. It's fraud.

Ok, yeah, the guy was a jerk, but fraud? Seriously? No. He wasn't asking for money or taking anyone's money. He made a parody site. It was a joke. A stupid joke, but it wasn't "fraud."

I think a lot of you need to lighten up. You can read TPR and realize that Alvey and his online buddies are just a bunch of coaster nerds. They made a joke, I even found it pretty funny. Dick move, but get on with it.

[Coney Islander]

^

Even though this is obviously meant to be a parody toward certain foreign scams, he did in fact ask for donations.

http://www.savethebi....com/ABOUT.html

http://www.savethebi...com/DONATE.html

[Gordon Bombay]

^

Even though this is obviously meant to b a parody toward certain foreign scams, he did in fact ask for donations.

http://www.savethebigdipper.com/ABOUT.html

http://www.savethebigdipper.com/DONATE.html

[Tomkatt7]

I would like to offer another angle, as well.

If you want to make a "parody" site, or poke fun at something, then take on someone your own size. This would be funny if he were making fun of Bill Gates or something, but there are real struggles, and real people involved here. I think everyone has had something they love taken from them. In this situation a person is trying to save it, with no help, no money, and so far, not much luck. It must be a struggle everyday to just keep fighting for the cause.

I find it sad that people are defending the other site as it "is only a joke". You need to rethink this. I could go out and follow a retarded kid all day. Mimic his movements. Laugh at the way he talks. Make a website that trashes how his mom tries to take care of him. Would you laugh at my site? It's just a joke.

It doesn't matter if he having fun or not. It is a matter of class, or an extreme lack of. There is an appropriate time to laugh and make fun, and a time not too.

This guy is just a horrible human being. I don't care how much money he has, what site he runs, how many friends he has......If he were laying on the street dieing, I would not waste my time to stop and spit on him. Maybe that makes me sound like a horrible person too, but oh well.

I would like to see Kat's effort succeed, just to put it in this guys face. Sadly, it may not. He won't lose any sleep over what he's done though, he is too consumed with own awesomeness to notice how much pain he caused.

Oh well. I could ramble all night about this issue. But I will just leave it at this:

The joke is not funny. A joke is not a joke if it hurts someone. I hope Karma kicks this guys teeth out!

[Coney Islander]

^^

Did I fail, somehow?

I believe we should drop this tangent and move on to the real effort towards saving The Big Dipper.

This guy'll be a reading.... Feeding off our words...

[Gordon Bombay]

I would like to offer another angle, as well.

If you want to make a "parody" site, or poke fun at something, then take on someone your own size. This would be funny if he were making fun of Bill Gates or something, but there are real struggles, and real people involved here. I think everyone has had something they love taken from them. In this situation a person is trying to save it, with no help, no money, and so far, not much luck. It must be a struggle everyday to just keep fighting for the cause.

Like I said, he was being a jerk, but its still just a joke. He wasn't trying to scam the other site out of money or trying to scam people out of money. He could've made his point in a nice way, but he made the parody site. Jerk move, but still... it was a joke.

I find it sad that people are defending the other site as it "is only a joke". You need to rethink this. I could go out and follow a retarded kid all day. Mimic his movements. Laugh at the way he talks. Make a website that trashes how his mom tries to take care of him. Would you laugh at my site? It's just a joke.

Wow. Comparing apples to oranges much? That example is a little extreme and unnecessary. By what you're saying, Kat's website is the equivalent of a mentally challenged individual? He made fun of a good cause, he didn't make fun of mental disabilities. Wow.

It doesn't matter if he having fun or not. It is a matter of class, or an extreme lack of.

Agree, he could've made a valid point in a respectful manner.

This guy is just a horrible human being. I don't care how much money he has, what site he runs, how many friends he has......If he were laying on the street dieing, I would not waste my time to stop and spit on him. Maybe that makes me sound like a horrible person too, but oh well.

Wow....regardless of Robb being a jerk...this comment is just as bad as any parody site he may have made.

[Coney Islander]

^

And what about people who really mean towards donating to this cause, but having been appalled by the ".com" website, decide against it?

[Gordon Bombay]

^Look, if you really wanna give to the cause, and it's a great cause, then a stupid joke website isn't going to stop you. I hardly doubt there have been mass donations stopped because someone saw the .com website and was so offended that if you pointed them in the right direction of the .org website, they'd refuse to give donations.

[Coney Islander]

I hardly doubt every man would have enough patience to read the entire page, coming upon rubbish like that.

Ie. Its not entirely clear that the said website is unofficial... What about potential donors who don't read the fine print and come to believe the Big Dipper cause is a scam?

These kinds of things are delicate... People are free to donate their money elsewhere, or not at all.

[Gordon Bombay]

I hardly doubt every man would have enough patience to read the entire page, coming upon rubbish like that.

Ie. Its not entirely clear that the said website is unofficial...

I don't know, the fact that the actual Big Dipper isn't shown, there's dancing cats, loud music and a disclaimer at the bottom etc. etc. etc. pretty much give off that its a sarcastic interpretation.

What about potential donors who don't read the fine print and come to believe the Big Dipper cause is a scam?

They'd have to be completely void of detecting sarcasm. The .com website is CLEARLY not intended to be serious.

I, under any small chance of getting deceived, would not donate.

These kinds of things are delicate... People are free to donate their money elsewhere, or not at all.

You're asking a lot of "what if's" and hypothetical situations, I hardly doubt that this joke website is causing the .org site to lose thousands of donations from people who were so blunt and unaware of sarcasm that they saw the .com website and vowed never again to donate to a Big Dipper cause.

[Tomkatt7]

I would like to offer another angle, as well.

If you want to make a "parody" site, or poke fun at something, then take on someone your own size. This would be funny if he were making fun of Bill Gates or something, but there are real struggles, and real people involved here. I think everyone has had something they love taken from them. In this situation a person is trying to save it, with no help, no money, and so far, not much luck. It must be a struggle everyday to just keep fighting for the cause.

Like I said, he was being a jerk, but its still just a joke. He wasn't trying to scam the other site out of money or trying to scam people out of money. He could've made his point in a nice way, but he made the parody site. Jerk move, but still... it was a joke.

I find it sad that people are defending the other site as it "is only a joke". You need to rethink this. I could go out and follow a retarded kid all day. Mimic his movements. Laugh at the way he talks. Make a website that trashes how his mom tries to take care of him. Would you laugh at my site? It's just a joke.

Wow. Comparing apples to oranges much? That example is a little extreme and unnecessary. By what you're saying, Kat's website is the equivalent of a mentally challenged individual? He made fun of a good cause, he didn't make fun of mental disabilities. Wow.

It doesn't matter if he having fun or not. It is a matter of class, or an extreme lack of.

Agree, he could've made a valid point in a respectful manner.

This guy is just a horrible human being. I don't care how much money he has, what site he runs, how many friends he has......If he were laying on the street dieing, I would not waste my time to stop and spit on him. Maybe that makes me sound like a horrible person too, but oh well.

Wow....regardless of Robb being a jerk...this comment is just as bad as any parody site he may have made.

Am I saying her site is the equivalent of a mentally challenged individual? Or am I saying that just like what he is doing, it is wrong to laugh at a retarded kid?

I know in my heart it is wrong to laugh at certain things. You obviously do not.

Something will happen in your life someday that devastates you, and someone will say something inappropriate about it. You will understand then.

Hopefully when it does, one of your "friends" won't stand by and say, "yeah, that was wrong, but it was pretty funny"

[Delirium13]

^ I agree, you're still comparing apples to oranges. I think the point that they're trying to make is that there are more worthy causes to donate to then trying to save a roller coaster that pretty much has its fate set in stone, as sad as that may be. There was a better way to go about it, but the site was somewhat humorous for the minute or so I took to look at it. It's not fraud, it's not a reason to cut all ties with Theme Park Review, nor is it equivalent to making fun of a mentally challenged person. Lighten up.

It would be nice to see this effort work out, but there are more important things in the world to donate to. It's a shame what's happening to the ride, but this website probably won't do anything to save it, sorry to say.

And so far the most offensive thing I have seen written so far in this thread or in the websites being mentioned is your comment about not wasting your time to spit on him if he were dying in the street. Over a parody of a website trying to save a rollercoaster? Really? That's sad.

[The Interpreter]

I wish I could say this type of behavior by a certain Mr. A is atypical.

It is not.

And he is, doubtless, giggling himself silly as he reads this.

He loves attention....

[Gordon Bombay]

Am I saying her site is the equivalent of a mentally challenged individual? Or am I saying that just like what he is doing, it is wrong to laugh at a retarded kid?

I know in my heart it is wrong to laugh at certain things. You obviously do not.

Something will happen in your life someday that devastates you, and someone will say something inappropriate about it. You will understand then.

Hopefully when it does, one of your "friends" won't stand by and say, "yeah, that was wrong, but it was pretty funny"

Oh please. You're making a wide generalization and comparing two situations that are completely irrelevant. I never said he was right in "laughing" or parodying the other website, i said he was a jerk, but what it comes down to is it was just a joke, not intentional fraud or an action so disgusting that it warrants people labeling him as a "horrible human being" or as you so eloquently put it... someone who even if they died you wouldn't waste your time to "stop and spit on him." Now you're just being extreme and dramatic.

[StalkerChick]

*SCREEEEEEEEECH* Ok now that the derailment is done (as i'm gonna make it be done and put us back on target ) but anyways. Thanks Ryan.i strangely totally agree with you. But we are taking steps to 1. make the site/outreach better and 2. not feed into Robb. The site was one thing all his twitter and facebook posts are the worst part of it. but fore those interested, the official twitter is http://twitter.com/bigdipperdotorg check it. follow. retweet, pass on kthankx!

[PREMiERdrum]

*SCREEEEEEEEECH* Ok now that the derailment is done (as i'm gonna make it be done and put us back on target ) but anyways. Thanks Ryan.i strangely totally agree with you. But we are taking steps to 1. make the site/outreach better and 2. not feed into Robb. The site was one thing all his twitter and facebook posts are the worst part of it. but fore those interested, the official twitter is http://twitter.com/bigdipperdotorg check it. follow. retweet, pass on kthankx!

Thank you for dealing with these childish, immature, mean-spirited jabs with such class.

By the way, the background art of your twitter page is incredible... kudos to whoever put that together.

[tycoonrebel7188]

Just wanted to point out really quick that there is now a link on the .com site directing visitors to the real .org site. Also, on the Geauga Lake Discussion over at Theme Park Review (<--- Link) there is an apology of sorts in the very first post of the page.