Visions of TT past

“It only goes back to 2000 (and the months indicated are not quite right) - but pick a date and scroll down to see the thread lists from years gone by:

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk”

“go to 2000 and most threads were backpacking, or at least named something backpacking sounding in the title. Each year afterwards the backpacking threads became fewer and the chatter became more.”

“Each year afterwards the backpacking threads became fewer and the chatter became more.”
hyway
9:42:03 PM
11/12/09

After some gear talk and some trip reports of the more exciting trips, how much backpacking talk can there be?
HighPlainsDrifter
8:07:39 AM
11/12/09

So the point is proven. After discussing backpacking for several years, what more was there to talk about? Besides, posters eventually became friends and the non-backpacking chatter picked up. Makes perfect sense.”

“HPD and noncom have a point. I am sure this was a factor. It is certainly true for me. Also, I came here to learn about backpacking in 1999 and visited intermittently when I had a question. I became a regular the next year because of the social stuff - some of it off topic and some of it on topic. While I am happy to answer questions, my backpacking habits are pretty well set and I have a set of gear I am happy with and have no urge to spend needless bucks updating.

What happened here for a while and has happened over the same period of time on regional websites that I post to is that there a steady flow of new people come with questions, and excitement about new experiences, and benefit from the information that the long time posters have.

So for me the fact that there is a lot of off topic chatter and the fuego is not the problem. The problem is that the bad craziness drives away a lot of people - lots of would be newbies and some long time guys as well. I know it is hard to agree on how to separate the bad craziness from the good craziness (which I love) and a few people loved the things that drove me up a wall. The Sarge wars are an example. Some people loved them and want them back. Even some of the people who seemed to hate them are still trying to fight them. There were other low points some more recent.”

“lets not forget new people have not been able to join for the last, what, 12 months, more, less? I know the signup process has had problems ever since Matt sold the place. Like you said, No new people, no new blood, no new questions.”

“Also, many people have taken their trips private and only open to invited people. That also cuts down on backpacking talk here. So you hear some people complaining about this site, not because they might lose the backpacking threads, but because they might lose the trips function.”

“I agree with all of that.

It is probably time for me to become a trip planner again. I stopped because I had to bail on so many that I planned. In Jan 05 I did an ownership transition at my company. Work hours went up, trips went down. I_ve used the Great Recession to get my priorities adjusted and back in line. I previously had a prety good work/life balance, but 07 and 08 seemed to see that change. I_m still getting adjusted, but I want more trips in 10.”

“I want more 10's in trips ;).

I think I have only planned one trip and the weather conspired to prevent those 10's from wearing bikinis.”

“It did rain like hell on your Labor Day trip, didn_t it?

Does bar math work on trips? A 4 on Friday is a 9 on Sunday?”

“There are no 4s. Just being a backpacker gives you 5. The ability to breath gives another point. So all breathing backpacking women are at least a 6.”

“But does the analogy hold?”

“Aren't most TT trips similar to bars?”

“Sometimes, depends on mileage.”

“Also, many people have taken their trips private and only open to invited people.

I propose that a large reason of this is the drop off of old, regular posters - like Pennsy, treebeard, etc. most of that dropoff was directly related to the rise in bs on the board.

as fuego began to creep into almost all threads the value of the board to a lot of people declined.

I quit posting trips coz there arent many (if any) posters in my area. There used to be a couple of CO tt folks but they quit posting shortly after matt sold due to the dramatic increase in bs on the boards.”

“Pennsy dropped off this board as a regular years ago. treebeard was just as likely to wade in BS as many others. But yes, many people left because of the rise of BS.

people have been leaving TT since TT's inception. the only difference now is that new people haven't been able to join.
last edited: 11/13/09 10:09:16 AM”

“When I first joined TT the Michigan peeps were all the rage. But they slowly moved on and the north easterners were very active as well as west coasters. TT has never been one set group of people.”

“im just sharing what ive been told.

the bs level is the reason my usage of the board has declined over the past year or so.

three years ago you could post a tr and pictures and people appreciated it. used to be that on monday and tuesday you could look forward to seeing trs from around the country.

now - you post a tr and nobody notices - and as a result you dont see many trs and pics put up. im pretty sure its not because people quit going on trips.

the board has become dominated by bullshyt.

there was always bs on the board - and there always will be. its just a matter of degrees.”

“IMHO, the BS became more "personal" a couple years ago.

Sometimes, I just hate myself for ever getting wound up in it.”

“I think you are wrong. There have been and still are many trip reports on this board. They are just by people you don't know so you don't see them.”

“The forum was ruined when Matt instituted registered user names. Before that was the Golden Age of trailtalk.”

“I know what you mean chili. I get wound up in it sometimes too, then have to remember that its just internet bable. I have never gotten mad at someone on an actual trip. When I feel myself getting too involved I just click off feugo and try to invoke some personal responsibility in my posting actions. It doesn't always work, but it does most of the time.”

““im just sharing what ive been told.

the bs level is the reason my usage of the board has declined over the past year or so.

three years ago you could post a tr and pictures and people appreciated it. used to be that on monday and tuesday you could look forward to seeing trs from around the country.

now - you post a tr and nobody notices - and as a result you dont see many trs and pics put up. im pretty sure its not because people quit going on trips.

the board has become dominated by bullshyt.

RA, nailed it. That is one reason I left the site. I do check the trips page from time to time but usually endup going on trips with other folks”

“ewker, you left this site years ago. What you say is proof that TT never changes.”

“I thought Ewker went to white blaze because "real backpackers" used that site.

I went there and watch "frolicking dinosaur" post on every topic imaginable and finally figured out it was SSDD.”

“exactly, chili, there is a lot of revisionist history going on here.”

“SSDD?”

“Sexy Seniors Do Dayhiker”

“hyway - i wasnt sayig there are NO trs on the board anymore - there are a few.

your trying to recast what a lot of us are saying in absolutes but we are speaking in terms of degrees.”

“We will just have to disagree that the TRs are few. They are here every week. Many don't involve people who were here more than 5 years ago so I think you just overlook them because you don't recognize the names.”

“Same Shat Different Day”

“lets not forget new people have not been able to join for the last, what, 12 months, more, less? I know the signup process has had problems ever since Matt sold the place. Like you said, No new people, no new blood, no new questions.”
hyway
10:57:05 AM
11/13/09

I think people have been able to sign up at times over the past year, but I know it has been harder to get on TT. But I also know increasing numbers of people are turned off when they first come to TT, because of the BS. I recommend TT and a few less general boards to people I meet on the trail and since 2005 to people I work with as a Long Trail mentor. People thank me for turning them on to some other boards. It has been quite a few years since anyone thanked be for telling them about TT and mostly people find it pretty off putting becuase of the BS.
I disagree with a lot of the complaints about TT but the nastiness and the personal attacks intrude into the gear, regional, general backpacking and trips threads.”

“I agree there is too much infighting. But many of the people who complain about it are the worse offenders. Simply using the ignore feature instead of giving tit for tat would stop much of the BS. This can't be blamed on a few. Also, people complain about not enough backpacking threads, but they don't back that up with commenting on backpacking threads. Not to mention that many of the old timers only come on this site anymore to complain, get into verbal wars or to toss political comments.”

“telling everyone to use the ignore feature is like putting a newspaper over the dog poo on the floor and never bothering to take the dog outside.

the preponderance of people posting on the board, over the past two years or so has shifted towards people that dont generally backpack much and prefer to discuss political issues. nothing wrong with that, but its had a fairly negative effect on the board as a whole.

it doesnt have to stay that way.”

“Cheers!

Thats about all Ive got.”

“coming from you - thats all ya need!”

“Hway - you have no argument from me about the tit for tat stuff. Some of the worst stuff comes from people who are angry about what other folks are doing. The gibes are always meaner on the other side, too - so when folks try to go for tat, you get is escalation.”

“I may hate you all, but I still backpack.

so what category do I fall into?”

“silly libbie”

“I thought Ewker went to white blaze because real backpackers used that site.

I went there and watch frolicking dinosaur post on every topic imaginable and finally figured out it was SSDD

real backpackers did use this site a lot but many got tired and left because of all the bickering that carried over to every thread.

I do agree with you on the frolicking dinosaurs but they are no longer over there.

I just recently started visiting WB again and it has changed quite a bit. There is a lot of moderating going on over there.”

“eddie munster! how you doin!”

“Ewker says he and others left this site years ago because of all the bickering. Like I said before that just shows that this site has always had bickering. The only thing different from then till now is that way back when this play leaned predominantly left politically and now its balanced (and if it leans right its because many of the folks who left were left). What many of the people who left really miss is getting high fives from everyone when they bashed a conservative. Now when you bash a conservative there are others here who will call you on your bull#&%!$.”

“doing fine Scott and yourself?


Hyway you left the part out where I said it ended up on every thread. You couldnt have a conversation going on about gear without two folks getting into it over a comment made on a feugo thread. If it had stayed on feugo it would have been ok but it didnt.

If there had been a moderator then those post could have been deleted from that thread.


damn it took 3 times to get it to post
last edited: 11/13/09 7:57:11 PM”

“Now when you bash a conservative there are others here who will call you on your bull#&%!$.”

now you get conformist white-knighting for s-rge and xl turning the most mundane, politically neutral topics into left/right clusterfvcks”

“Ewker....How I miss you on TT.
welcome back
hugs old friend!!!”

“FYI
DORK is AKA mapleleaf, but that name is being held hostage”

“A lot of those debates go away when you put enough people on ignore :)”

“TT has been going downhill ever since matt put an end to innuendo.”

“CB, I have always called it like I see it---with a few barbs thrown in for good measure. The lefties are just easier targets, lol. White-knighting....lmao.”

“more like me knight in shining armor!

wink wink”