User Experiences

[NorthernRaider]

I am all for ensuring newbies ( I still hate that term its disrespectful) get access to the essential hard core info and lists , it is after all why I have been producing and giving away my basic prepping guide for over 12 years free of charge to anyone who asks. Its in the download section along with petabytes of other info folks have donated gladly for all to benefit from without charge.

But this is a FORUM, SUKs forum, forums are for discussion, debate, chat, informing, disagreeing, countering, advising, opinionating but not just reading, downloading and leaving.

This is supposed to be a FORUM not a BLOG, not a NEWSPAPER and not a MAGAZINE, for it to be a successful, vibrant and thriving FORUM it requires EVERYONE to chip in and do their bit, large or small. The download section is there courtsy of SD for folks to access whatever they want.

SD has grafted his chubby little ass off for three years, funding the forum, creating a superb free archive and running the forum, most members treat his efforts with contempt.

All I am hearing is comment from people who think the status quo should remain IE a small hard core of contributors graft there collective asses off to research, track down, confirm and publish articles, reviews, news items etc and the masses continue to take take take and give nothing back in return.

Even the guys I frequently disagree with, often viciously still come here and join in, make contributions, announce findings, organising RVS, sharing books, providing discounted gear, We have Americans who are willing and able and DO provide interesting articles, commentaries and views. THEY PARTICIPATE because it is a PARTICIPATORY forum.

I remember one lovely chap who used to use SUK who produced some great research including videos of his development of arrows and assorted bow, building workshops and developing PV systems, He gave up and left in part because in his own words he was doing all the graft but no one else was joining in the debate or research.

There ARE far to many who use the forum like a discardable newspaper where they come, cherry pick the best bits and leave, one only has to look at the numbers of hits most threads get compared with the numbers of replies.

It is NOT elitist to expect members of a forum to stop making excuses as to why they cannot contribute to discussion or debate, after all I assume they are all mature educated adults who want to be part of the prepping community

GG with respect you ask " what would be left for me" I reply all the SUK download archives and the other UK forums where you and HL and AL spend most of your time.

Further folks will ALWAYS remain " newbies" unless they get stuck in along with the rest of the community, sitting on the edge just reading is never going to help people become better prepped, I'm sorry but there are folks on this forum who have been here between 2 and 3 years and STILL use the " newbie" excuse not to contribute.

I look at it this way anyone who plays the newbie card for over a year is not someone I would want to rely upon or cooperate with because its clear they are only ever going to consume everyone elses efforts.

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That was the long version, here is the short version I know SD will delete.

If you want to come here and just parasitize us taking and taking never joining in then you should stick to the archives where there is lots of stuff for you to hoard.

As for the FORUM ( this bit designed for discussion, debate, research, NEWS (dig at SD) opinions etc if you are NOT going to participate as an equal I believe you should Ffffffffffffff ........... go elsewhere where you can read about knitting patterns, what you have eaten for tea, what your granddads 13 yr old spaniel did to your nephew etc.

I believe ALL the best, wisest, most intelligent and productive members cept LS and TH have gone because the consumers took everything they grafted to produce but gave nothing in return. I miss their knowledge, experience, guidance and wisdom and as a very poor prepper my self I am much worse off without them to guide me.

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Oh aye correct me if I am wrong but I believe P2S is the UKs most populated forum with the most active members, and I also believe it has graded membership systems in place.?

I believe SB in the US has extra closed access forums for its paying members and it rocks.

I also detect a whiff of the malignant attitude of socialism pervading the forums with some folks thinking people should give willingly with others just make sad excuses and take.