Is there a spy among us ?

“Wanted to start a thread and discuss this further...
Violin suggested in another thread(Backpacker Magazine Subscription) That someone might be gleaning info from Trail Talk for articles in Backpacker Mag. What do you think?

Could one of us be writing for Backpacker Mag. ? Or is someone just lurking about getting ideas?”

“I wouldn't doubt it!”

“Next months issue ...
Green Jello”

“Wouldn?t surprise me. There is some great information from some very experienced hikers on this board. I know it has helped me out a lot. Maybe, if Backpacker IS lurking about, they should do a story on how people with the same interests can use the Internet and come together to help each other out. This board is a good example of how the Internet should be used. Plus, it?s not all just gear threads and dry talk, it?s like sittin? around camp and hanging out. I think that?s why people on this board are able to get together as much as they do. I?ve only been here for about a month or so and I haven?t found a better place to call home.”

“Windwalker.....lime green jello! Hot dog things have not changed that much (LOL)”

“If so they should pay more attention to the structure of this site. The magazine's web site is seriously cumbersome and grossly commercial.”

“Just incase they are lurking out there, I just wanna say that your magazine sucks because it's nothing but adds!”

“I WISH it were me. It'd mean I'd be making some better money with magazine articles!!”

“Sometimes I get the feeling that it's more than just Backpacker, Wind Walker. There are some threads that ask questions that make me go hmmm, why would someone want to know that? They sound suspicously like marketing questions. Sometimes I answer truthfully, sometimes I yank the chain.

There's a funny line I saw for a new Woody Alan film. I don't remember the exact quote but Woody's friend tells him, "There's a word for someone who thinks other people are out to get you." Woody says, "Yeah, prudent."”

“If we see an article in next months magazine with the title "Pee-Wee is Back", this conspiracy theory must be true. Then we should all start collecting royalty checks.”

“I subscribe to Backpacker for gear reviews and food tips. I get very little out of the magazine regarding general advice for backpackers. Maybe someone is checking out TT for that kind of advice also.

I would love to be a gear reviewer for Backpacker sometime. That would be a trip.”

“How about a BP'er Mag sponsored TT Trip...an expose' on the faces behind the names of TT....

oh, and we could test some new gear too of course....”

“uhhh, arclite, in my line of work we call it paranoia. We have medicine for that ya know;-)

I think it's a riot to think about some one from BP mag to spy on our humble little group. Windwalker mentioned Lime Green Jell-O, if they do a story on that they WILL have to have in depth inteviews with me and mel! I can just see our smilin faces on the cover. LOL!!!!”

“I could see that. I get the thing for the gear reviews and general trail lust, but most of the tips they give out are kinda meaningless. And the adds are crap. I've seen so many goddamned SUV adds in there! UGH. Random thought, what would they think of Tarpy?”

“Tarpy would be a special edition....saleable to a variety of magazines as an advertising pullout for BP'er Magazine..lets see now,

"High times"
"Guns and Ammo"
"Psychology Today"
"Off Road"
"Bicycling"
did I mention "Psychology Today"?

Just Funnin' Tarp....”

“Ruffian has a real good idea about the sponsered trip. Like to see that happen as well....”

“yeah, but in order to do that, we'd have to find folks from this site that actually go backpacking.”

“Don't you go suggesting that I take more medicine now, Mistress Pammy. Are you out to get me? If you get your pics on the cover don't forget to buy five copies for your mother.

Ok, now I'm really interested, what kind of car does everyone drive?”

“Go for it Lizs!!”

“Mad Magazine, I could believe.”

“Did Backpacker Magazine have an article on the importance of a good work ethic?”

“Newgirl's KY thread could be in the Penthouse letters with a little embelishment. ;o)”

“Not that anyone here would ever read anything like that, right?? RIGHT, FOLKS???!”

“I prefer Hustler.

...for the articles.”

“Yes arclite, I'm out to "get" you;-) And I promise that if mel and I make it to the cover of Backpacker, I'll sport your underwear on my head. LOL

Raddy, are you insinuating that no one on this site backpacks? So I guess the couple of trips I've taken with you were just pleasant hallucinations. That would also mean that I hallucinated meeting...ohmegawd! Methinks I need to go check myself in to my own department! Won't do any good though. Every one I work with knows I'm looney.”

“pam, ignore the man behind the curtain!

LOL!!!!”

“Hmmmm, ...Hustler......articles...???
Sounds like some one is "makin' the scene with a magazine"....er, "abusing one's self".
yank, yank!@!@!”

“Let us not forget:
soldier of Fortune”

“Part of writing is research. It would make sense if someone from "there" would look over "here.”

“Well, if they are lurking...Matt's forum is better than your forum! nanananananana! :-P”

“Lizs... only when caught in possession, would I claim to have been "reading" it.”

“This isn't the only site where the Backpacker editors are suspected of stealing ideas. Check this out.”

“OK...blew that one...blasted frames...try this one.”

“OK, let's take a closer look (not at Hustler or Penthouse, boys! heheehe).

Articles discussing how to write and submit pieces to a magazine usually say you should query the mag first. Know the audience they're looking for, make sure your idea has not been in a recent issue, and discover their wirting "style."

Some writer will then whine, "But what if they steal my story idea and try to have their own staff do it???!?"

They are then inevitably told that many people in the world have ideas similar to theirs. If you have the idea, don't you think others could also? I've thought of querying places with ideas (and haven't) only to see my idea show up a month or so later (which means that idea was probably pitched to them at least six months ago, allowing for probably 3 months lead time, and then time printing and in distribution).

So this is a long-winded way of saying, backpackers are gonna have the same ideas. (That said, if I were to attempt to query them on something, you're darn right -- I WOULD BE CHECKING AS MANY BACKPACKING SITES AS POSSIBLE FOR NEW STORY IDEAS..... AND FOR COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE. hehee....... that's the way it works!)

While this is not pertaining to backpacking, the only truly original story idea I've read in a magazine lately -- was an article written by a son on how he and his mother attended a spa/ranch for a few days. He was pampered and they bonded. LOL! I'd never seen anything like that anywhere else. (course I do think he was a "sissy" boy, girlfriend or not. LOL!)”

“I know for a FACT that Backpacker peruses their own boards for material. They printed something I posted and gave me credit. I can't tell you what it was because that would mean giving away my super-secret true identity.”

“Here's an original story idea for Backpacker.”

“They really shouldn't feature that one on the cover steve hiker. If it is buried in the magazine, I wouldn't take issue with it.”

“I admit it. I'm a spy for car campers who want to be backpackers. My client organization has a huge membership (okay it has one member, me, but I'm brainwashing my daughters so that they will join too.) Some of the questions I ask are because .............I need the answers.

Wouldn't it be strange if the magazine set up this site and then didn't bother to read the threads for information pertinant to the magazine? Myself, I just assumed that there were magazine personnel among the TT's.”

“You sound like a bunch of "Trekies"!”

“Liz, I totally agree with you.”

“OK Tarpy, I guess I have to say this since you didn't:

I'm a spy in the house of love.
I know the dream that you're dreaming of.
I know the words that you long to hear.
I know your deepest secret fear.
I'm a spy in the house of love.
I know the dream that you're dreaming of.
I know the words that you long to hear.
I know your deepest secret fear.
I know everything.
Everything you do, everywhere you go, everyone you know.
I'm a spy, in the house of love.
I know the dream that you're dreaming of.
I know the word that you long to hear.
I know your deepest secret fear.
I know your deepest secret fear.
I know your deepest secret fear.
I'm a spy, I can see, what you do, and I know.”

“Maybe they will use Buddur's new thread ...
"Servicing Yourself"
:D”

“The truth is out...
TARPIE is the spy!!!”

“Hey Violin -

Early in the morning
And late in the evening
Talk to yourself.

And when you drink a beer
Toast for world peace.

Johnny has a new pair of shoes
On his feet.
Everyone likes his new
Shoes.

--Deepthroat.”

“Thanks Steve Hiker!
I almost wet my f**kin shorts laughing!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Ok, ok. You guys caught me!”

“
”

“Marketing research is what you all are noticing. BP magazine is an add haven. No info, and no guts!! We need a magazine for the real world. I have to work, show me cool weekend stuff in the west not the east. Not everyone lives east of the Rockies.”

“a lot of the people think BP has no content...

...now people think BP is stealing our topics.

what does that say about us?”