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Topic: Why such simple questions?, Just do what comes naturally!< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 19 2013, 11:33 pm  Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
OK, even though I've got over ONE HUNDRED POSTS many of you still consider me a n00b. So be it--you don't know me, or my experience. Fair enough.

But, really, WTF? Why so many simplistic posts with self-evident answers getting dozens--if not scores--of well-meaning but overcooked responses?

How do you wear your raincoat? How do you carry your flashlight? Why do my boots stink? Is it safe to hike alone? How could he have just disappeared in the woods? How many sheets of toilet paper should I bring?

It really isn't that mysterious. In the end, it's just walking outdoors, with what you need to survive carried along, like we've done since bipedalism was invented.

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 19 2013, 11:47 pm Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
Why the questions?  Occasionally a troll, but mostly people who really have no experience of the outdoors, maybe outside the city, needing to get some reassurance that they can, in fact, tap into "what comes naturally."

Why do we all answer?  Well, heck, we all like to hear the sound of our own voices.

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 19 2013, 11:51 pm Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE

(waterdog @ Mar. 19 2013, 9:33 pm)
QUOTE
. . . But, really, WTF? Why so many simplistic posts with self-evident answers getting dozens--if not scores--of well-meaning but overcooked responses?

How do you wear your raincoat? How do you carry your flashlight? Why do my boots stink? Is it safe to hike alone? How could he have just disappeared in the woods? How many sheets of toilet paper should I bring? . . .

Personally, I'm happy to see backpacking questions on a backpacking forum — simplistic or not. You are certainly welcome to ask more thought-provoking questions, if you have them.

But don't be surprised if someone remembers a half-dozen threads on the same topic. Suits me fine. Ask away.


(waterdog @ Mar. 19 2013, 9:33 pm)
QUOTE
. . . In the end, it's just walking outdoors, with what you need to survive carried along, like we've done since bipedalism was invented. . . .

If everything is so simple and self-evident, why have a backpacking magazine with a backpacking forum at all?

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 19 2013, 11:53 pm Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
People take different approaches.

I read books and went out with more experienced friends and admittedly, got a bit lucky.

Others, these days, post questions that come to them on an internet forum.

Why answer? Judging takes too much energy and life is short.

And not everyone has friends that will or can answer.

Shrug.

Don't want to bother? Then don't click on the thread... easy as that.
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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 12:04 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
hmmm 120 posts in 11 years.  Looks like someone is dusting off a sock puppet.

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 12:05 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE

(Deborah @ Mar. 19 2013, 9:04 pm)
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hmmm 120 posts in 11 years.  Looks like someone is dusting off a sock puppet.

Ha, hadn't noticed that.

Good eye.
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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 12:07 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE

(TravisNWood @ Mar. 19 2013, 11:51 pm)
QUOTE
If everything is so simple and self-evident, why have a backpacking magazine with a backpacking forum at all?

Well, that's a good question.

Here's a few reasons I can think of:

For fun.
To sell us stuff (not a bad thing).
Because our daily lives are so complicated, we've forgotten how to be simple.
As a distraction from our complicated lives when we can't manage to get outside (like right now!)

Cheers!

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 12:11 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE

(Deborah @ Mar. 20 2013, 12:04 am)
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hmmm 120 posts in 11 years.  Looks like someone is dusting off a sock puppet.

No, not at all.

When I joined the forum about 1 1/2--2 months ago, there was some kind of digital ghost that I haven't been able to get rid of attached either to my posting name (waterdog) or my email address. Wasn't able to figure out how to shed it, it's like a remora, a leech, a chigger, or a tick...

Really.

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 12:14 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE


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The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.  -- St. Augustine
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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 12:17 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
Most people enjoy talking about what they know and like.  Human nature.  I guess if you don't like it, you don't have to frequent these forums.

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 12:52 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
Just food for thought, not troll food.

When simple problems garner complex solutions, rather than vice versa, it begs questioning.

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 1:13 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
Maybe if you post that picture of the dogs and cut and past some wiki stuff they will believe you.

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Of all the ridiculous things to micromanage.  Even for a lunatic megalomaniac.
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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 1:17 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
Believe what?

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 1:19 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
Exactly

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Of all the ridiculous things to micromanage.  Even for a lunatic megalomaniac.
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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 6:40 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
Because it's human nature to hold discourse on everything.

Go ahead and ask "how do you deal with your period in the backcountry?" over in the womens forum.   Hang on for the ride.

Nothing is simplistic.
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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 7:17 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?
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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 7:17 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
I am pretty sure this post is the start of my categorization as a noob for awhile.

What I have noticed regarding forums is there are two kinds of people.
One that searches for the information on their own, and after an exhaustive search posts something.
The other kind is someone who didn't bother to use the search function and likes to be told answers.

Second kind isn't necessarily a bad thing. Bringing life to past topics can stimulate new dialogue or find new relevance.
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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 8:11 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE

(waterdog @ Mar. 19 2013, 11:33 pm)
QUOTE
...like we've done since bipedalism was invented.

Well that just shot that evolution theory out of the water!  I wonder who holds the patent holds a patent???

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 8:31 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE

(RebeccaD @ Mar. 19 2013, 9:47 pm)
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Why do we all answer?  Well, heck, we all like to hear the sound of our own voices.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

And that my friends is the truth.

Just like Facebook is really more or less the cyber equivalent of the "Christmas Letter"... ie, what amounts to a socially sanctioned brag-fest or personal advertisement.

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 8:46 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
Okay, here is a really tuff question:

How do you get that orange stuff off of your fingers after eating a bag of Cheetos ?

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 8:58 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE

(red dog @ Mar. 20 2013, 8:46 am)
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Okay, here is a really tuff question:

How do you get that orange stuff off of your fingers after eating a bag of Cheetos ?

:laugh:

red dog, if you don't know the answer to that, you are missing the best part of eating cheetos.  :p
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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 9:01 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE

(UlightBandit @ Mar. 20 2013, 6:58 am)
QUOTE

(red dog @ Mar. 20 2013, 8:46 am)
QUOTE
Okay, here is a really tuff question:

How do you get that orange stuff off of your fingers after eating a bag of Cheetos ?

:laugh:

red dog, if you don't know the answer to that, you are missing the best part of eating cheetos.  :p

There's a "best part" of eating Cheetos? :)

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 9:02 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE

(Ben2World @ Mar. 19 2013, 10:14 pm)
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I think that's unfair Ben...

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 9:25 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE

(spindle @ Mar. 20 2013, 6:40 am)
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Go ahead and ask "how do you deal with your period in the backcountry?" over in the womens forum.   Hang on for the ride.

Nothing is simplistic.

Well, if there's a good, simplistic answer to that one, let me know. I'll have my 13 and 15 year-old daughters read it before their first backpacking trip this summer!

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 9:59 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
Good gravy, someone woke up grumpy this morning. :p

They're just questions. Some don't get answered at all. Most get a variety of answers that the OP gets to filter through his/her own lens and pick something useful out of. Some, of course, just like to start arguments and play blame games. I don't think we have any of those around here though. :D

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 10:04 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE
If it bothers you that much then don't look at the simple questions. I always hear educators say though that "There are no stupid questions" I know that some questions might seem rather simple but to the person asking the question it may not be simple.
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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 11:52 am Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE

(CheckingOut @ Mar. 20 2013, 4:17 am)
QUOTE
I am pretty sure this post is the start of my categorization as a noob for awhile.

What I have noticed regarding forums is there are two kinds of people.
One that searches for the information on their own, and after an exhaustive search posts something.
The other kind is someone who didn't bother to use the search function and likes to be told answers.

Second kind isn't necessarily a bad thing. Bringing life to past topics can stimulate new dialogue or find new relevance.

What marks you as a Noob is that you don't know that the "search" function on these forums is somewhere a long way south of useless.  I for one have completely given up on it.  

So ask away.  Yeah, we've probably answered it before.  But since we can't find it, probably (after a weekend at Pickle Gulch or HOTB) can't remember what we said, and like to talk, we'll answer anyway!

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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 12:12 pm Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE

(RebeccaD @ Mar. 20 2013, 11:52 am)
QUOTE
What marks you as a Noob is that you don't know that the "search" function on these forums is somewhere a long way south of useless.  I for one have completely given up on it.  

So ask away.  Yeah, we've probably answered it before.  But since we can't find it, probably (after a weekend at Pickle Gulch or HOTB) can't remember what we said, and like to talk, we'll answer anyway!

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! Great answer Rebecca. The search function here sucks!
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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 12:20 pm Skip to the previous post in this topic. Skip to the next post in this topic. Ignore posts   QUOTE

(red dog @ Mar. 20 2013, 6:46 am)
QUOTE
Okay, here is a really tuff question:

How do you get that orange stuff off of your fingers after eating a bag of Cheetos ?

Dip your fingers in acetone, then have someone light them on fire.

note: this will not remove the orange stuff, as it is impervious to heat levels below "sun" "magma" and "nuclear fusion", but your skin will peel off, taking the orange stuff with it.
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PostIcon Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 12:21 pm Skip to the previous post in this topic.  Ignore posts   QUOTE
search function works just fine, just change the "this month and" drop-down to "older"
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73 replies since Mar. 19 2013, 11:33 pm < Next Oldest | Next Newest >

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