rant time again

[wareagle69]

so here we go again time for me to veiw my unpopular opinion and say what needs to be said and to ask the hard questions, fine by me i have broad shoulders, so here we go.

introductions-some of the memebers here really disappoint me with the attitude that is given when somesone shows up asks a question and then gets hammered for not "giving a proper intro" well excuse me what the heck is that do you give a complete bio in life when asking a question of someone.
See the problem is a couple of things- 1-is that everyone thinks they are entitled to know whats going on in someones life_example when in a conversation about someone and they find out you live in town A "oh yeah where at?" none of your buisness i telll them< why? cuz its not. yes i know we would like to know your experience level to answer a question, but i have noticed most questions do not need to know any of that info
example_what kind of knife is the best? is it pertinent to know the persons back ground to answer that no
Now second part, you will tell me that we get spammed and trolled, yes i am aware of that but here is the other problem with the world-guilty intil proven innocent.
When someone comes here especially that is younger and is looking for info and mentors and gets hammered for not posting a bio(and said child has been told not to post too much info) and you can interpret that as what you want.
you might say knowing age and geographic location is not too much info but that is you veiw not the posters.
while some may veiw this as good manners to post a "proper"intro i see it as rude and unwelcoming,
in time if the person is a numpty it will reveal itself, but what if the person is new to computers and you alienate with rudeness and lose allot of great info.
computer is great for ananimity, i have had people say things to me on the computer they would never say in real life, and thats fine, but for some it may not be fine.

so in other words this long winded rant would be easier somed up as
lighten the truck up people, its only a forum, if they don't intro to your likeing then just don't answer thier questions because it has not fit your criteria, some here will be more than happy to pass along our knowledge
oh yeah have a nice day
WE

[your_comforting_company]

I agree to a degree, but I think it is a rather welcoming signal. I went to the knife show and met lots of folks there yesterday who knew nothing about primitive, and a few who did. Every one of them asked me where I was from, how long I'd been doing it, did I know anything else, etc, etc.
Would they have refused to talk to me if I hadn't been so liberal with my personal information? probably not, they'd have just thought me some egoist who put myself on a platform, above their machinations and contraptions, just because I can make fire with sticks, rather than flint and steel (there were f&s demonstrations). They would have been (I feel) much more reluctant or technical. Why would someone who makes knives out of rocks have interest in blacksmithing, right? Letting the smiths there know right up front that I didn't know squat about blacksmithing, or steel qualities, or forges, etc. let them know that they have to talk to me about such things like a curious/wondering child. Those who talked to me about knapping and tanning, on the other hand, could tell (not only from the buckskin suit I was wearing) that my level of tanning knowledge was far exceeding any of theirs, so I had to treat these old men with kid gloves.

I think you see my point, so I'll let that be my 2¢. If you know these things going into a conversation, you know how to select your info that you share. I started talking about currying bark tan hides, and everyone got blank looks on their faces... so I had to explain the purpose of the curry, and what it was, etc.

On the other side of the coin, When I signed up here, I wasn't sure just how much I wanted to reveal about myself. especially when I looked through the "show yourself" thread and there was only one other guy with long hair, seeing all the folks with military backgrounds, formal training, years of experience, etc. It was a bit intimidating. But I know it helped everyone to understand my background and how to address me with their answers... Not as a novice, but as someone who already has the basics down and is ready to move on up. That said, I see the necessity of the intro. If someone comes here and wants to know about tanning, for me to know just how much they DO know already will be very useful in selecting the information and how I would present it.

If by some far chance, we meet one day face to face, I hope that none of you will be reluctant to share basic personal information with me.. Heck one of you might have been there yesterday.. After all, it's not like I'm asking for social security and credit card #s.

[Sarge47]

[1] introductions-some of the memebers here really disappoint me with the attitude that is given when somesone shows up asks a question and then gets hammered for not "giving a proper intro" well excuse me what the heck is that do you give a complete bio in life when asking a question of someone.

[2] See the problem is a couple of things- 1-is that everyone thinks they are entitled to know whats going on in someones life_example when in a conversation about someone and they find out you live in town A "oh yeah where at?" none of your buisness i telll them< why? cuz its not.

[3] yes i know we would like to know your experience level to answer a question, but i have noticed most questions do not need to know any of that info
example_what kind of knife is the best? is it pertinent to know the persons back ground to answer that no

[4] Now second part, you will tell me that we get spammed and trolled, yes i am aware of that but here is the other problem with the world-guilty intil proven innocent.

[5] When someone comes here especially that is younger and is looking for info and mentors and gets hammered for not posting a bio(and said child has been told not to post too much info) and you can interpret that as what you want.

[6] you might say knowing age and geographic location is not too much info but that is you veiw not the posters.

[7] while some may veiw this as good manners to post a "proper"intro i see it as rude and unwelcoming,

[8] in time if the person is a numpty it will reveal itself, but what if the person is new to computers and you alienate with rudeness and lose allot of great info.

[9] computer is great for ananimity, i have had people say things to me on the computer they would never say in real life, and thats fine, but for some it may not be fine.

[10] so in other words this long winded rant would be easier somed up as
lighten the truck up people, its only a forum, if they don't intro to your likeing then just don't answer thier questions because it has not fit your criteria, some here will be more than happy to pass along our knowledge
oh yeah have a nice day
WE

WE; I've numbered portions of your post into "talking posts" type formats as you've raised a lot of points. Here goes:

[1] We don't "hammer" anybody; I think you're over-reacting here. I, for one, would like to know some BASIC info about someone. If you're a recluse, that's fine, but not everyone else is.

[2] People do not need to give out any info, but then, neither do we when they ask a question...quid pro quo...dig?

[3] Most of us here DO consider "experience level" as a needed bit of info to properly formulate an answer. That's our choice.

[4] We do what we feel that we have to do to ward off Spammers & Trolls. Sorry if you disagree. Presumption of innocence is one thing, but suspicions are something else. When we suspect someone of being a Troll or spammer, we have a system we use to determine if that's a possibility. An example might be that, since every new member get's their IP address checked, RIPE are watched very close, and APNIC are banned outright.

[5] Again, I object to your use of the term, "hammered." We are not asking for a street adreess, name, social security number, or anything else of a personal nature, just a general geographical area if WE feel that it's needed to answer a question properly. Also, if someone is 13, I would not make the same recommendations that I would make for someone whos 18 or older; that's just taking responsibility for my actions. Recently I had a number of PMs exchanged with a younger member regarding outdoor skills info. The member came to the realization that he needed to trust his mother more & decided to wait until he was 18 to do any real outdoor stuff but would spend the time in the intern by studying up, going on small jaunts, etc..

[6] OUR view is OUR right. If they feel that they don't have to share, why can't we feel the same way?

[7] Opinions vary.

[8] Sorry if you disagree.

[9] I don't care if people share personal info or not, but annonimity can work against you, as well as for you; I always err on the side of caution.

[10] Lighten up yourself; sheesh, we're not performing an inquisition here. Oh yeah, have a nice day as well. I'll dismount my soap-box now, thanks for reading this.

[gryffynklm]

WE, you make a valid point and point taken. Though an intro is helpful to us, being requested to give " a proper intro" can feel intimidating.

Think about it. New person asks a rather simple question What knife should I buy? We often answer as creatively as we can, slice down to the intro section, and what do you want to do with the knife? I suppose it can come across felling like you have been asked...

Who are you, why do you want to know?

The only reason I gave an intro when I first posted was because I read enough to understand it would be requested first thing, even if I only posted Wow thats cool.

Is that right or wrong???? Well I think the point WE may be trying to make is that we should be aware of Why we are asking for the intro, is an intro really necessary to answer the question? How would it be perceived to be asked first of for your information when you only commented or asked a simple question.

I'll be thinking of that next time. I'll probably forget to do it again, short attentio.... SQUIRREL!!!...span.

Just read sarges post.

Age does make a big difference in how you answer as he pointed out.

[Justin Case]

I also agree to a point,,, for me, I did a vague intro, why, well before you get to know anyone its a bit embarrassing to reveal the fact that you are a novice, Its very Intimidating to walk into a room of experts , especially if you are new to this type of thing, i was intimidated at first, and I do know a little about being a survivalist,, I can only imagine how a real beginner may feel,, I would suggest giving everyone a warm welcome first and weed out the problem children as ya go, IM humble O

[LowKey]

The questions Ken has posted in the sticky at the top of the Intro forum allows a person to be relatively truthful while still being vague enough for the internet.

This being a "survival" forum I'm kinda surprised at giving out pinpoint locations. I can see regional info so you can advise on plants and animals and general rules of the road (like firearms laws), but the internet is wide open and there are other groups out there that might be interested in taking what you have. Now, or in the future...

Most of the requests I've seen to "Hop on over to the Intro" section have been pretty polite. A person can take em or leave em. A person's skill level is pretty apparent after a few posts anyway.

[Sarge47]

I also agree to a point,,, for me, I did a vague intro, why, well before you get to know anyone its a bit embarrassing to reveal the fact that you are a novice, Its very Intimidating to walk into a room of experts , especially if you are new to this type of thing, i was intimidated at first, and I do know a little about being a survivalist,, I can only imagine how a real beginner may feel,, I would suggest giving everyone a warm welcome first and weed out the problem children as ya go, IM humble O

Don't know that any of us are "experts," just different levels of experience. I belong to a Magic Club, as well as an on-line magicians forum. I've become "semi-pro" by getting to know the more advanced people & have had no trouble at all in letting them know of my lack of experience. They readily understood & worked at an easier to understand level for me; it really helps. Inexperience is nothing to be ashamed of & you shouldn't let pride stand in the way of learning, IMO.

[Justin Case]

Don't know that any of us are "experts," just different levels of experience. I belong to a Magic Club, as well as an on-line magicians forum. I've become "semi-pro" by getting to know the more advanced people & have had no trouble at all in letting them know of my lack of experience. They readily understood & worked at an easier to understand level for me; it really helps. Inexperience is nothing to be ashamed of & you shouldn't let pride stand in the way of learning, IMO.

From what i have seen so far, I would call 99.9% of you guys experts

[2dumb2kwit]

From what i have seen so far, I would call 99.9% of you guys experts

WOOHOO!!! I'm in the 0.1% group....that means I'm kinda like elite, right? LOL

[BENESSE]

WOOHOO!!! I'm in the 0.1% group....that means I'm kinda like elite, right? LOL

I'd like to pounce on that one but just had a big breakfast, so a little lazy. Maybe after the second Bloody Mary, unless someone beats me to it.

[2dumb2kwit]

I'd like to pounce on that one but just had a big breakfast, so a little lazy. Maybe after the second Bloody Mary, unless someone beats me to it.

Hey, I keep puttin' them up there....if nobody hits 'em out of the park, it's y'alls own dang fault! LOL
(I don't know how to make it much easier.) LOL

[BENESSE]

WOOHOO!!! I'm in the 0.1% IQ group....that means I'm kinda like elite, right? LOL

Yeah kinda, slingblade.

[2dumb2kwit]

Yeah kinda, slingblade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-tCIRJH9p0&NR=1

[Justin Case]

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Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

Hard to believe these are the same guys,, (Billy bob Thorton) Slingblade.

[rwc1969]

I think newbs here get hammered pretty hard and possibly, in some cases, rightfully so. But, unless they know the reasoning behind the hammering they probably just move on or never bother posting in the first place.

It's pretty common response to come on to a forum like this and try to offer advice and sound like you know what you're talking about. This forum has a tendency to stomp that type of response into the ground and pee on it.

Not that it's a bad thing, but it could easily be taken the wrong way and many times it appears it is taken the wrong way.

It definitely is not a good idea to post anything too revealing about yourself as everything you post is searchable and it remains on the net for eternity. In many cases you have no way to go back and remove it once it is posted. Heck, I did a search on my user name and found out I belonged to a "mens only club" forum and was one of the more flamboyant posters of said forum. I found out I belong to forums I didn't even know existed. LOL!

I had someone track me down from a pic on another forum and it wasn't so bad till I realized that person was NOT the kinda person you want to hang around with.

[2dumb2kwit]

I think the intros are a great idea, but some of our members do get a little carried away with enforcement of it.

I know sarge is just a lovable fuzzball, but newbies don't know that. If, when I got here, I had been hammered like Justin Case got hammered by sarge, I would have said screw you, and never clicked on this site again.
(I know you're a good guy, sarge, but I gotta call this like I see it.)

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...134#post195134

[BENESSE]

Intros are a nice touch.
However, some of us who joined recently don't have the benefit of reading intros by those who joined way back say, in 07.
Why not keep those around just to be fair?

[Rick]

WE - I think some of what you've posted is probably true. I don't think I've hammered on anyone for not posting an intro. I ask each new member I encounter and if they choose to post or not that's up to them. I value someone's anonymity and privacy so not posting isn't a big deal to me. UNLESS -

i have noticed most questions do not need to know any of that info
example_what kind of knife is the best? is it pertinent to know the persons back ground to answer that no

Actually, here is a perfect instance in which it is. If someone comes on here and is 10 years old or 14 and asks about a knife or firearm or anything that I think can get them hurt then I generally go looking for their bio or intro. We really have no place giving that kind of advice to a youngster not knowing their parents' feelings regarding such items. So there are legitimate times and reasons for asking for a post. If I don't know your age then I'm not going to offer up advice on something that your parents may be against. There's no reason in setting Chris or myself up for a possible lawsuit if a kid gets hurt following my advice.

[Justin Case]

WE - I think some of what you've posted is probably true. I don't think I've hammered on anyone for not posting an intro. I ask each new member I encounter and if they choose to post or not that's up to them. I value someone's anonymity and privacy so not posting isn't a big deal to me. UNLESS -

Actually, here is a perfect instance in which it is. If someone comes on here and is 10 years old or 14 and asks about a knife or firearm or anything that I think can get them hurt then I generally go looking for their bio or intro. We really have no place giving that kind of advice to a youngster not knowing their parents' feelings regarding such items. So there are legitimate times and reasons for asking for a post. If I don't know your age then I'm not going to offer up advice on something that your parents may be against. There's no reason in setting Chris or myself up for a possible lawsuit if a kid gets hurt following my advice.

BTW,, In my case, i selected to "show age only" in my options when i first registered,, and it is still that way, but It is not showing up under my screen name,, That is why I thought it was strange that a mod would need to ask age, they can simply go into the Mod CP and view all of a members info,, But Like I have said elsewhere, I Do not take anything too personal, I am way Past my first interaction with the Sarge and look forward to making friends here as I really like the forum and everybody's sense of humor

so i guess my question is this, why is my age not showing up ?

[hunter63]

Interesting discussion, but, your forum, your rules.

Intros are good, pounding the point in, not so much.
Maybe a standard intro Request?

Anyway, when I first found this place, I don't remember exactly what I was looking for, but I did find this forum on Google, kinda tells you that there had at least been recent discussions on whatever subject it was......memmory going......

I guess whatever the way the intro was requested, must have been worth the trouble, or I would have been gone go long ago.

Did kinda remind me of walking into the "Old Guys Gun Shop", where all the old regulars hang around BS and such, back and forth.
So you just kinda hang around as well, until you feel confident enough to add to the discussion.........Just the way stuff works.

All that doesn't bother me too much, might for some.

It would be interesting to see how many member have made one post, and are never heard from again? Humm
Just sayin.... (self absolving statement)