Follow the Community Standards :) !

There was a discussion here a few minutes ago that seems now to have been taken down [edit: now I see it again], but perhaps it would be good to clear this up in a straightforward way.

Is it wrong to post pictures of SFOB, especially on an epic day? This would surprise me.

Is it wrong to refer in a very cryptic, difficult (but not impossible), somewhat amusing way to the street name? Or to the location, if not at SFOB and not secret? This would surprise me, but only a little. Will there be massive throngs the next day at the street to which I alluded, when really it was just as good at several of the other streets?

The post that was taken down [edit: I see it again now] lamented that the thrill is gone in searching for surf. Welcome to the future, where information is promiscuous to the point of being pornographic. In the '70s, '80s and most of the '90s I would never in my wildest dreams have imagined there'd be so many ways to plan a day of surfing, without even looking out the window. In the old days, talking about surf spots and the possibilities for tomorrow required as much secrecy and coded language as a pot deal. I liked it much better that way, but in a 21st century urban area with more than a million people and some thousands of surfers, all using internets, those days are gone.

For health reasons, I haven't been able to surf, so I take pictures. I'll pipe down with the cryptic references. Shall I stop posting pictures of well known spots?

I didn't know about this wastebasket... Great way to self regulate. Maybe -5 could be deleted forever?

Tangerine's after-the-fact photos of OB yesterday were sweet and it would be a big loss to the site if they discontinued.

For what its worth, I still can't figure out where he was because I don't know jack about Indian classical music other than what I just learned on Wikipedia.

It may not make sense, but: those of us who have participated in stokereport since the early days will tell you that the community standards represent much learning & pain by many. Despite the fact that there are many disagreements in the community around reporting and the internet, we've established a peaceful positive site that many (most?) SF surfers find of benefit.

I would highly urge everyone to abide by these standards and not report specific location anywhere. Photos, on the other hand, are encouraged and appreciated.

End of my $.02.

Let's be honest. There are about 6 readers who care if a street is named. Those 6 people post 60% of the content to this site. The remaining 99% of readers don't give a siht about some photographer naming a street location from a day ago (to try and get the pics to the people in them).

As someone who recently joined this site, I wasn't around for the great amount of "learning and pain" that created the current standards, but I'll take your word for it.

I enjoy the photos of great waves at spots I love to surf, it takes me there when I can't get out. So please keep 'em coming.

It seems keeping the "secret" spots unnamed is a good/respectful idea, but to think there are any true secret spots between Bolinas and HMB is a bit of a stretch. And if you have one, most people wouldn't bother with the drive anyway. On one hand, I don't think calling out names makes much difference anymore, as all the info is so readily available to those who look (not to mention that you can figure the beach out in a 10 minute drive, and that conditions are probably going to be different 3 hrs later anyway...). At the same time, I understand why some don't like it, and it also seems like common sense or courtesy as a surfer to not be calling that stuff out.

I think 3"birdsofprey" (the actual word of his name got edited out as it is an unmentionable location - ha) has an interesting point. I have almost no photos of me surfing, and would like to get some to show the kids someday...I think whether or not someone wants to admit it, most would be stoked to get a good photo of themselves out there! But I guess this site is not the avenue for that.

@3###### - agreed, 100%. But, as in life, the squeaky wheel gets the oil.... sometimes at the expense of the greater public.

and just another example of how absurd these blocks can be, I cannot even type out your name in response to your post on this board!

I've been avoiding weighing in on this having gone through the "learning and pain" that platypus mentioned.

As someone who uses SR for logging my own experiences, I thought it would be a bummer to lose little pieces of information. Honestly tho, I don't miss it at all.

I don't give a damn _where_ anyone surfs. It doesn't change my habits. If I hear it was clean, lined up, and fun at spot X at 8am, it's probably not now. Even if I hear it was awesome an hour ago, I'm not going to drop everything to run to the beach. I'm gonna give a big "right AWN good for you stoke" that someone got waves and go back to work. If you can't muster up the proxystoke, then tell yourself it's all subjective and that dude's "good" was probably a "fair-" (all this is subjective anyway.)

With or without location names I do what I always do: check my forecasting data against real life, go in where I feel like going in, then either get slop or super stoke. Maybe it takes a little more zen skills to accept the wave ahead of you, but I get super stoke more often then slop so my method certainly works for me.

I know some people think the location name ban is silly, but it's helped keep the peace on SR and here for good reason.

Please stop trying to dance around the filters. Thanks.

BTW: If you want photos of yourself, find a buddy with a go pro or check with the many many beach photographers in our area. It's be WAY easier than hoping you can identify yourself on a low res mobile phone photo. All the shots of myself surfing are from friends. Easier than being in the right place at the right time and hoping some SRer not only gets a photo of you, but posts it.

I say this bit about the photos as an FYI, not as a critique. Everyone knows I'm a big fan of conditions photos. I try to give a good 3-4 hrs between taking a shot and posting it but sometimes I'm adding fuel to the fire. Please bear with me as I work through my OMG PHOTOS YAY addiction.

@guy who's name will get blocked. I for one do care about photos and locations and whatnot. And I'm not a dick. I know it's unlikely to have a real effect on the crowds, but it has an effect on me. It makes me sad to see surfers throwing respect to the wind simply because they can do so anonymously on the internet. Every time I see someone blowing it online by not practicing a surfer's discretion, I get a little less stoked. And if affects how I feel out there in the water just a little. I like this site because there's plenty of entertaining stuff to read other than the reports (which are not even useful, just annoying). Try to remember what surfing was like before the internet... if you can...

@MrNiceGuy - I'm not here to debate or upset anyone (been there before). Just trying to call a spade a spade.

I think there are people like you that hold-on to this unwritten (or in this case, written) rule to never name spots. But then there are people like me that think this rule is a bit silly when it comes to a photographer trying to get pictures to the people in them from several days ago. Why get so bent out of shape over people sharing the Stoke - after all, this is the Stoke Report!?

Just don't name or post pictures from "secret" spots and let's all share our Stoke (& Pictures) of Lady OB!

Hell, nobody's bothered to post any pics, so here are a few of my favs, from a well known spot too ;-)

I 'always' take my camera gear with me, and if anybody asks, I'll gladly oblige them by taking their picture of them surfing, or whatever in the water. Free too. Sometimes I'll just be snapping away, and if I'm there when the surfer comes in, I'll mention that I think I got some decent shots of them, ask if they want them, get their name and email address and send to them.

And this goes for anyplace I might happen to be too. Nobody, and I mean nobody will prevent me from taking pics of any spot, secret or not. However, I will not post the location, and will crop as to be sure not to let it be know too well from the pics where it is.

So if anybody is in the Bo' area when I'm there, and you want some pics, just ask, it would be my pleasure.

Thanks, Makai

@mrniceguy if the reports are annoying maybe dont read em. it is called stokereport after all not stokesurfentertainmentstuff. though you may want to register that url. i find them helpful and not annoying. thats what the site is about. what i find annoying is a smug sense of knowledge about who is blowing it online and what a surfer's discretion entails. the community standards are clear but also up for interpretation. kirkwood and ocean beach are both on the list so you can talk about em' . ive seen people get beat up for telling others where to get fresh tracks after it dumps and ive heard people get miffed about lack of vagueness in ob. so within any location thats ok to discuss there are areas that are not. my suggestion is to use discretion when telling people how discreet to be.

I'm still at a loss for how spots at OB can be consider an off limits topic. It's no 'secret' location.
We all surf there. We all know about it...pretty much the same for nearly every spot around here.

BTW Nobiega is really good.