why is it so hard for people to start new topics? scared to ask questions?

[Tugaloo]

A couple of years ago on another form, we brought up a discussion about the "planned" Mississippi River trip and admittedly it lead me to do at least 8-10 hours of research on kayaking, locks on the river, travel food for at least 45+ days, etc. In other words, from his B$, I learned about a new aspect that I hadn't considered and looked at it from the perspective of "how can this help me". Even though I have no desire to travel to the land of cottonmouths and gators, it was interesting.

Same as all Gunkid's pipedream plans, they lead to a dead end.. Whatever he was smoking in his pipe was way too strong for him.
Does Forrest Gump's "stupid is as stupid does" imply Forrest read Gunkid's posts? ROFL

Cottonmouths and gators?
A consideration for the "one gun and a BOB" heading for where we are located are the Eastern Diamondbacks, Timber Rattlers and copperheads. OTOH, I'm certain he plans on eating them for protein...

[Garand]

A couple of years ago on another form, we brought up a discussion about the "planned" Mississippi River trip and admittedly it lead me to do at least 8-10 hours of research on kayaking, locks on the river, travel food for at least 45+ days, etc. In other words, from his B$, I learned about a new aspect that I hadn't considered and looked at it from the perspective of "how can this help me". Even though I have no desire to travel to the land of cottonmouths and gators, it was interesting.

[Tugaloo]

While Gun kid is frequently wrong, mainly due to his criminal thinking that avoids doing anything unless it is easy, his conversations do bring out a lot of information from people trying to debunk him.

Well said and I noticed it was very easy to debunk him.

Gun Kid's underground hide is a fine example of avoiding thinking it through. There has been many movies showing how prisoners to POWs disposed of tailings from digging their tunnels by cutting holes in their pockets to spread the evidence.
Gunkid was the internet poser extraordinaire.

Any thoughts on this: http://www.voy.com/9259/7774.html

[Garand]

While Gun kid is frequently wrong, mainly due to his criminal thinking that avoids doing anything unless it is easy, his conversations do bring out a lot of information from people trying to debunk him.

[Tugaloo]

dont know anything to write about? Scared you'll get shown-up? what's the problem? You've got time and "know" enough to comment, so why not start some topics?

registror,
Because no one ever answers new posts, why bother?

There's a sticky on the Forums page

Welcome Survival Magazine

Welcome back! We are back up, clean and ready to rock, spread the word! Hope to see you all back active and enjoying the site.

Obviously, very few came back. It's a shame, but most who where here once have moved on.

[Tugaloo]

Same thing with a lot of adults, some have loads of cheap gear, some loads of expensive gear but most have in common is that they think they know how to use it, but I think the majority have never actually attempted things much less successfully done it. I always love the folks showing their BOB's, 72 hr kits, etc... and as they are showing all their stuff laid out nice and pristine still in the packaging it was in when they pulled it off the shelf. So tell me how they know if it works, if its good or a piece of junk...

CountryGuy,
Excellent post and I stand in awe! Guess what, they don't know as if you didn't know.. ;)
In short 'Train as you fight, fight as you train' and another version 'Train as you'll survive, survive as you trained'
I hope all agree no training in either subject is absolutely useless..

Unless one was a Grunt type; there is no "fight training" in their resume. AFA as survival training grab one's BOB and head out into the boonies and not for only a weekend.. Too busy? I guess one will learn after SHTF.

[CountryGuy]

The problem for internet "Prepping/Survival" Forums, is they do not work for cultivating discussion. And the reason is because it is a group of people with very-very little if any actual "first-hand" experience. Oh-there is a massive inventory of constantly regurgitated "assumed" useful knowledge, nearly all acquired from reading internet forums. This results in people shouting at each other about what they "Believe", not based on their experience, but on what they read on the internet.

I can agree with that. I mean I live a pretty cushy existence, I'm not out roughing it every day or having experiences weekly. I mean I was more active at things when I was a youngster in Scouts, later on in the military (though I had no straight up survival or SERE schools) and then what I've done on my own since getting out which has been more camping/ bushcrafting. Not out getting functional, repetitive training though consistently. Now with my boys getting involved in wanting to be outside and learn things it's getting my butt out there once again and having fun.

I think you're right that 95% of internet prepper/ survivalist who will argue over a brand, length and diameter of ferro rod couldn't start a fire with one if you gave them a box full of every brand and size out there and a gallon of kerosene.

This summer I was working on teaching my 9yo and one other boy in his Cub Scout Den how to do just that, use a fire starter to start a fire to cook their dinner over. Mind you neither one ended up getting one to go the whole way but it's the trying part that's most critical right now, at least in my mind. I warned them, good chance you won't get it today. (To be honest I don't know why my sons didn't cause man he had the smoke rolling and the ember blazing but it just wouldn't catch for him.) Anyway on the lead up to it as I'm going thru explaining (or trying to) I'm interrupted about every 30 seconds by our new Cub telling me about how he knows all about this or that or 10 seconds after I tell them something he's trying to tell my son like he's a subject matter expert.
I'd just ask "oh you've done this before?" Oh no but I've read all about it.. "hmmm really, OK" So when rubber meets the road he can't even get down throwing a spark. So I show him many many times, one of the other leaders does as well. When he's finally able to get a few consistently we have him try to start his bundle. Eventually he somehow gets a spark to land in his char cloth and gets a little smoke but ember dies. Probably get him to the same stage about 4 times. He's about in tears and I told him... so you think you still know all about it from reading about it or watching some youtube vids? I told him he needs to close the mouth, open the ears and also learn that reading about something or watching someone else do it isn't the same as actually doing it himself. I think he finally started to catch on to what is was trying to tell him. Though that was try number 2, the day before we had a similar incident learning to set up a tent. He wanted to be in charge, knows all about it...well after about 10 minutes it was a mess and before he ended up breaking a pole I stepped in. I told him once you do it once, keep practicing and then once he's done it a few hundred times he can tell me he's an expert and knows all about it.

Same thing with a lot of adults, some have loads of cheap gear, some loads of expensive gear but most have in common is that they think they know how to use it, but I think the majority have never actually attempted things much less successfully done it. I always love the folks showing their BOB's, 72 hr kits, etc... and as they are showing all their stuff laid out nice and pristine still in the packaging it was in when they pulled it off the shelf. So tell me how they know if it works, if its good or a piece of junk...

[Sourdough]

The problem for internet "Prepping/Survival" Forums, is they do not work for cultivating discussion. And the reason is because it is a group of people with very-very little if any actual "first-hand" experience. Oh-there is a massive inventory of constantly regurgitated "assumed" useful knowledge, nearly all acquired from reading internet forums. This results in people shouting at each other about what they "Believe", not based on their experience, but on what they read on the internet.

[CountryGuy]

So GunKid.
You're sadly starting the typical taunts again?

I'd been away from the site for a bit but when I came back and saw this "registror" posts and style I was like Gun Kid/ Mall Ninja is back again. Guy must have zero life. He seems to just continually make the rounds to the various forums. Comes in, drops his crap, spreading the most insane and moronic things. I think at this point he must just copy and paste from one site to the next. Thankfully looks like they cancelled him or he gave up when he was once again figured out.

[Tugaloo]

Knowledge without context and experience is pretty much trivia.

fewer threads with more discussion is far more valuable than lots and lots of thread starts. Some people think there’s some kind of status or impressive value in starting threads. This thinking leads to spamming the forums with disjointed and often repetitive posts. There is not a plus side to this, it ends up making good information disappear, lost in the noise.

discussing the pros and cons, alternative approaches, give & take - these are what make a board great, these are what lets us add tools to our tool belts. Part of this is recognizing that there is not a single best approach, that what works for me may not work for you.

but without a discussion in the same thread, this is lost.

the OP seems to have some difficulties with these concepts.

I agree with a major wow to your words.

With a site, although questions may lack experience, they do open doors to great informative threads. As you said, the pros and cons, and approaches; the give and take of internet friends sharing information and ideas.

There isn't any status or impressive value to thread starts or post counts. Only the quality of information is of important. This s only way to add tools to our belt or share tools from our belt. Is to give and receive and not advice that works where I am or you are. So many people don't "get" that simple concept.

I'd add without a quality discussion in a thread, this special thing, the most important thing that makes us who we are is lost.

[Dorobuta]

Once you have used all your knowledge to make topics, what new topics can you start? Other then new tech, or new experiences what else is there?

Knowledge without context and experience is pretty much trivia.

fewer threads with more discussion is far more valuable than lots and lots of thread starts. Some people think there’s some kind of status or impressive value in starting threads. This thinking leads to spamming the forums with disjointed and often repetitive posts. There is not a plus side to this, it ends up making good information disappear, lost in the noise.

discussing the pros and cons, alternative approaches, give & take - these are what make a board great, these are what lets us add tools to our tool belts. Part of this is recognizing that there is not a single best approach, that what works for me may not work for you.

but without a discussion in the same thread, this is lost.

the OP seems to have some difficulties with these concepts.

[RICHFL]

Once you have used all your knowledge to make topics, what new topics can you start? Other then new tech, or new experiences what else is there?

[Tugaloo]

Registror ,
As you start so many "topics," it can't be hard at all. AFA knowledge, copy and paste YouTube links doesn't indicate any knowledge whatsoever.
BTW, a search reveals Registror is not a word; did you misspell Registrar? LOL

[Dorobuta]

Also, this topic probably should have been in another forum, hopefully the moderator can move it.

[Dorobuta]

dont know anything to write about? Scared you'll get shown-up? what's the problem? You've got time and "know" enough to comment, so why not start some topics?

What’s more important, starting topics or exchanging information?

conversations are what facilitate learning. Exchanging ideas and opinions are how we validate things, improve understanding, and learn new things.

simply starting a topic in of itself is meaningless. Being able to hold conversations and exchange ideas is far more productive and important.

putting undue value on topic starts becomes spam very quickly and is counter productive.

I put far more value on civil discourse within a smaller number of threads.