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pibbleb

Settler
Apr 25, 2006
933
10
51
Sussex, England
This is an interesting thread thanks.

When I first came to the site, and still do to a point, consider myself as something of a jumpy pup desperate to be in the middle of everything, impulsive and probably a bit yappy, what's changed:rolleyes: .

The site has changed, and as I agree with most of the comments I wouldn't repeat, however, I think that with the sites growth, not now just a forum but a huge collection of articles and reviews has perhaps reduced call for bushcraft threads. I sometimes wonder whether the more commercial feel sometimes stifles but I'm realistic and recognise the need for the finance.

It's for sure people come and go and I guess that helps with the development of the site although it's always sad to see good people go. There are a large number people on this site that I hold in great esteem, strange when you consider I've not met many of you let alone know you, but there you are.

Those old timers, if you will, who post less frequently are often the ones who have provided the most assistance, guidance and direction to us yappy pups.

Not to place a burden upon your shoulders, but you/these guys are often the life blood here and I often come to the site, but don't log in just to see who has been up to what.

On a personal note, when I was in a difficult place, and not wanting to get out much this place was a comfort. Nuff of that soppy rubbish!!!!!

One last thing about Red said. I have to disagree with your comments about your lifestyle and what pigeon whole it sould be put in and whether there is a place for it here. I think it's all about how it's presented. Self sufficent lifestyles etc all have a part to play in the art of bushcraft, after all it's only a word it's just the one I choose to us.

Anyway not sure any of that made sense but I applaud you all :35: :35: :35: :35:

P.S. Jon now you are in Cornwall, you probably don't fancy popping over to the Hen and Chick for a pint! When did that happen:D

All the best

Pib
 

JonnyP

Full Member
Oct 17, 2005
3,833
29
Cornwall...
Moved down a couple of months ago Paul...Isn't it your turn to come over my way for a drink anyway...Next friday good for you..? :D
 

sam_acw

Native
Sep 2, 2005
1,081
10
41
Tyneside
I think that the point about some of the best posters moving on does have an effect. I do think the forum has regressed a bit, perhaps there isn't as much information posted but there are more kit questions.
I put less into this forum as I use others more and there simply aren't as many high quality posts here or interesting things as there seemed to be before:(
 

JonnyP

Full Member
Oct 17, 2005
3,833
29
Cornwall...
I think that the point about some of the best posters moving on does have an effect. I do think the forum has regressed a bit, perhaps there isn't as much information posted but there are more kit questions.
I put less into this forum as I use others more and there simply aren't as many high quality posts here or interesting things as there seemed to be before:(

Well its the people using the forum that make the forum so if everyone did the same as that, there would be no forum, It is down to us all as users to make it happen.
How can we get high quality posts back up here..? I suppose it would come from us all getting out there and trying stuff and reporting back on here...I really liked the way Gorden and Ray experimented with wild food. I want to try some of that this year. Infact I want to try lots of that this year. Whatever you enjoy doing with bushcraft, if you get out there and do it and tell of your exploits, we can get the quality stuff back on here..
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
Well, for me Jon, its cheese as one of this years new "making" experiments! I already do beer, bread and pickes so we really need cheese to complete the home made "ploughmans" :)
 

Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
6,446
1,284
Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
Lol...I did leave my avatar the same so not to confuse too much...

I thought someone had just stolen your avatar Jon! :D

Red...Unfortunately Fenlander isn't on here any more either... People do come and go, like you say, thats life, though it is a shame to lose knowledgable folk...

Is that never ever, totally disgruntled with the place or just busy doing other things now?

I've lost count of the number of 'faces' that have left since I first joined.
 

JonnyP

Full Member
Oct 17, 2005
3,833
29
Cornwall...
I thought someone had just stolen your avatar Jon! :D



Is that never ever, totally disgruntled with the place or just busy doing other things now?

I've lost count of the number of 'faces' that have left since I first joined.

Hello Stew..... Sorry mate, not for me to say about Fenlander, but we have lost a mind of wealth there....
 

Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
6,446
1,284
Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
Personally, I think BCUK is a victim of it's own success. I've thought it for some time now.

It's too big.

With the settings I have, there are 3-4 pages of threads posted in every day. If I don't check in often (which I don't as much now) then I have lots of threads to wade through to find anything of interest to me. A lot of people are early in their bushcraft experience and new to forums so they are posting the 'same old questions' rather than using the search function.

As Spamel mentioned, looking at the same questions gets quite demoralising.

"What's the best knife." "What woods work for friction fire lighting." etc.

I know it's all about learning but saying the same thing over and over gets boring.

This makes me less keen to visit as I'll have to wade through posts but then the longer I leave it, the more I will have to look through. :rolleyes:

Quality comes by people being inquisitive. Thinking about new questions to ask - pushing the boundaries of what has been done before ie Rich59 & his 'oven bake' fire lighting technique but it also requires other people to push back.

If I came on and said that I've found a new miracle way of making fire and the only feedback was 'that's great' with no 'how about you try this' or 'I've tried it myself and this works better' then it drops away into the ether unless I myself keep it going but then what's the point in keep coming back and spending he time if I don't get anything back myself.

I know that's a bad attitude but I can see it happening. If you look at the posts, I bet the percentage of 'useful' posts is minute (repetitions of the same answer not counted)

I think a lot of this is laziness. We're very used to just asking for an answer to a problem rather than working it out for ourselves (I'm as guilty as the next). Of course, that's kindof the point of a forum! :D

I would be no where near where I am in my knowledge now if it wasn't for the internet but then perhaps I would have a more grounded knowledge in a few areas as I may have done it for myself. Who knows. :confused:
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
The best way to get the most from the forum is just to join the conversations. If you aren't part of them, instead trying to skim through and garner more and more bit of information, I think you miss an awful lot.

Folks like Abbe who drifted away did so because he missed those people he had made friends with.
But there's no law that says you may only have 'so many' friends; keep it moving, keep the conversations fluid, there are an awful lot of interesting people out there.

It's incredibly discouraging to be told use the search function all the time; fine, say there was a good thread here, but add something else to it.
No thread ever says it all, there's always someone else's experience.

Cheers,
Toddy.......who's off to cut out redcoats...again! :rolleyes:
 

pibbleb

Settler
Apr 25, 2006
933
10
51
Sussex, England
I agree with what Toddy has said and whilst the point has been made already it's worth raising again.

New people asking the 'same questions' aren't the only people who can post threads and if that's the case surely it could also be leveled that old members don't post enough new stuff!

I'm not having a pop at anyone, I mean I can see what the oldies are saying, but there are two sides to every coin, and you guys have such a wealth of knowledge it's great to learn new things over the virtual camp fire so if something is getting stayed why not float a new ideas?

I just think that if we rely on new people with little to no experience then we are doomed to failure.

Just a thought.

Pib
 

Wayland

Hárbarðr
Quality comes by people being inquisitive. Thinking about new questions to ask - pushing the boundaries of what has been done before ie Rich59 & his 'oven bake' fire lighting technique but it also requires other people to push back.

If I came on and said that I've found a new miracle way of making fire and the only feedback was 'that's great' with no 'how about you try this' or 'I've tried it myself and this works better' then it drops away into the ether unless I myself keep it going but then what's the point in keep coming back and spending he time if I don't get anything back myself.

There's certainly something in what you say there. I often look at some interesting threads but don't really add to the conversation because it's already been said or I haven't anything useful to add.

On the other hand if I post something up, I check back to see if anyone has commented on it and there is a touch of disappointment if it's raised no comment.

I don't like bumping things so as you say it quickly disappears from the "New posts" search which is what I suspect most people check most often.

Not sure what the answer is though. :dunno:
 

gorilla

Settler
Jun 8, 2007
880
0
52
merseyside, england
i don't think that this forum is experiencing any'problems' as such - all succesful forums will hit a wall from time to time. i think the astronomic rise in interest in 'bushcraft' has inevitably led to more people googling the b word, with the consequence that this site has experienced a surge in new membership. many of these newbies will have a look around, ask a couple of questions and then move on - this is the nature of the most popular forums.
repeat questions are as inevitable as spamming, flaming and all the other things that some people find annoying or frustrating on a forum, and old members drifting away will always happen for a myriad of reasons.
the quality of threads will always wax and wane, any subject is finite in it's discussability, and as time goes on, new spins on old subjects are fewer than before.
the only thing i'd like to see is a 'search tutorial' from Jodie - not so much the basics, but the tricks and tips for finding more specific info - a newbie typing in 'new knife' in an effort not to ask a repeat question may well be put off by the 500 results that come back!
other than that, i love it here, and i'm staying!
 

Jodie

Native
Aug 25, 2006
1,561
11
54
London
www.google.co.uk
Heh, do you know - I'm sure I wrote one once... I shall have to go and see if I can find
it... :eek:

Probably I'd sneak in the back door and use Google for that:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=site:www.bushcraftuk.com/forum+knife&meta=

Note what is written in the search box... this format restricts the key word to hits within
a website. Nifty.

Here it is...

"Use the search button!" - how to
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20094

Note that the word "community" in the address usually needs to be replaced with "forum"
before the link will work. I might need to update this post actually - the information
referred to the old forum.
 

JonnyP

Full Member
Oct 17, 2005
3,833
29
Cornwall...
Nice one....Learning how to search properly with the advice from Jodie should be a sticky thread and put somewhere where everyone can see it...
 

Cobweb

Native
Aug 30, 2007
1,149
30
South Shropshire
I came to this site, not as a newbie but I was and still am a little green with certain subjects. Kit lists don't tend to interest me much but I do like to read the other types of discussions that come up here now and again, this being one of them :) Forums have seasons, I think this is the same. People come and go but the posts they have left ensure that their knowledge can benefit others and i have spent a nice afternoon or two just browsing through the old posts gleaning bits here and there from people I never see on here.

Thank you for an interesting topic and I agree that sometimes the same old questions keep on coming up over and over again and the search function could be a great resource if newbies would use it but some are to scared of getting the wrong thing or not finding exactly what they want so they post the same question that a thousand others have asked before, it's reasurring to them when they get their answer and they feel more secure in what they are doing, knowing that the 'professionals' use it too (Woodlore anyone?).

They are the next generation (says the 25yr old...) and while it gets annoying we know they will (hopefully) learn and grow and not kill themselves. Just think in a years time they are going to be saying the exact same things about the new newbies :)
 

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