TableTennisCoaching.com

You wrote:

I also posted a helpful note in the "Help for Tournament Preparations" thread - perhaps you'd like to go there and post insults there and muck up that thread as well? I don't see you responding there with anything helpful. Would you like a listing of other helpful tips and suggestions I've posted here so you can mess up those threads as well? Seriously, the only motivation I can see for what you are doing here is that you are intimidated by other "experts" and so do what you can to bring them down to your level and/or keep them out of this forum. You have succeeded. When people wonder why so many top players and coaches do not post here, they should look to you, Mr. fatt, as a core reason. 

Incidentally, I don't like that users are using anonymous user names. Knowing who you are dealing with, including their TT experience and level, is very helpful to provide context to their comments. For example, impressions about equipment will differ whether a user is a 1800-level kid, a 1200-level player with 1.5 years of TT experience, or a 2000+ level middle-aged with 20+ years of TT experience (not saying any of them are better - they each have their own context and valuable opinion). This is one of the reasons why I don't put much faith in revspin.net, but a lot of faith in expert reviewers like yogi.   

Honestly, the man puts in TONS of time and effort into the sport we love, more than we can know, and for little monetary gain too, he himself said. 

Hope we can all move on from this as quickly as possible. And go back to constructive discussions.

How many freaking coaches are on this forum? Many times fewer than self-proclaimed equipment experts, I bet. Is having N-1 better, where N is not that large to begin with? 

I get it, self-promotion rubs some folks here the wrong way. IMHO, there was not much of it to begin with (gee, signature with credentials and a link to TT website with crapton of useful info on technique, tactics, USATT business etc. - that's horrible...).  

A reasonable question. The right policy has to be something that allows Larry to respond to someone's question without having to re-write something he's already written. Any policy that discourages him from doing that would be unfortunate.

Interesting that such a glowing review comes in for a user (ERT) who literally ONLY has ever used this forum to plug his videos of questionable integrity. 

So for ERT who was successful in the (online) TT community under an unverifiable guise of expertise to come and plug his stolen-content videos is commendable. But screw Larry, who was successful in the real TT world with numerous verifiable credentials, to come here and plug his self made content that is relevant to topics of discussion.

Right guys?

FWIW: none of us are wedded to this place. We all come to this forum for some TT content and value. It is just my opinion: we should give a bit of slack to the knowledgeable or to those in a position to affect changes in USA TT. We want to attract both kinds here. Helps keep the rest of us around.

IMHO, larrytt (wherever he writes - whether in books or in blogs) does provide value (quite a bit of it completely free). And like Gordy, he's accessible / approachable.

So does Baal (who has always been quite helpful to me via PM). He most likely volunteers a lot of his time here for no comp and defends us in the FS forum. He's no hot-headed 15 yr old coming off a Fortnite-laden all-nighter (& I admire his composure here). And like zeio, he has a research-oriented approach & it shows.

Lastly, while I don't know larrytt at all, I have met fatt & played with him. Subsequently, I have talked to him many times via PM. His heart's in the right place (I'm sure). I'm glad that this is a safe space where we can express our disagreements and hope that it is done in a civil manner.

Since I am the one who inadvertently started this flame war I better step in and try to put it out as best as I can.

Nobody is getting banned. 

Again, I am sorry I brought any of this up.  I am not quite sure what more to say to calm people down.  The internet is certainly not the best place for people with thin skins, that is for sure. 

To the larger point I raised about people using this forum as a primary vehicle to promote their own internet activities, the extent that happens lies on a spectrum.  It ranges from people who only post here or maybe here and also at, say, TTD (perhaps on occasion starting similar threads at both sites); to people who would never post here for any reason except to try to direct traffic to their own sites to make money.  In the for sale section I don't let people post links to their ebay threads because it violates one of the oldest rules (you have to post a price, it is not an auction site).  Nexy is an interesting case because he clearly uses MyTT to drive attention to his company and the stuff he sells.  (Full disclosure, I play with one of his rubbers, Karis M).  On the rare occasions he comes here, though, it is always about how he goes about designing a new product, what he was trying to achieve through a particular design, often in comparison to both his own and other products.  It is not an advertisement per se.  Somebody brought up ERT. I have written some fairly brutal stuff about the content of his videos. After I saw his first couple I just ignore them. With Larry we know who he is and what is behind his advice.

It is not always clear where to draw a line (it is easier in the for sale section than anywhere else). Larry responded to what I wrote to the effect that he has not crossed any line and the response convinces me.  I spent a bit of time trying to imagine a formulation of some sort of  "universal guideline" that would always work.  And after a few minutes I just gave up.

But hey, at least we all know we are alive, right?