Watered-down W&SS

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Don Rearic said:
Well, one of the reasons for stagnation is because you can't point people who are new to the search feature because they have to pay for that. So, you're either going to answer them and support them or just make it your own little club. Either be a forum...or don't.

On the other hand, you can put a sticky up and they will ignore it and oftentimes ignore demands they use a search feature as well.

I don't begrudge BFC for charging for memberships with certain privs, etc., being able to sell stuff...but the signature line and search features, having to pay for them seems a bit much to me really. And I don't need people with big heads to lecture me on that, especially people that were not even here when the changeover happened...or people that were! Just an opinion.
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well i think it is worth noting that when the search feature got dropped for registered users it was due to the fact of lags. it was brought back for a time after the new server was put in for about a month but everything started slowing down again. the only way Spark was able to fix the problem was to take the search feature away again from non paying members. Spark prefers everyone use the google search method which is in the aforementioned sticky because it doesn't tax the server.
 
I purchased a basic membership JUST to support this site because of WS&S!

K_Estella and Joezilla, TF, MW, and the literal myriad of other people like DOC-C.

Forums go through cycles, especially with so many members.

I've learned so much in my short time here, sure there are a few W&C worthy threads and sometimes Esav tosses in some random threads but this place is great...

Now where do I go to get a WS&S patch?
 
hollowdweller said:
Yeah I think sometimes there's a tendency to lock those before they really get hot where back in the day when we had almost no moderation on the forum they more or less played out or the members themselves sort of policed them with Esav coming in only when it was a real problem.
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I agree...I liked it that way. Now I feel like I need to worry if my thread is gonna be too controversial, or my review is gonna be construed as spam, or if I am deal spotting.....It just gets easier to not post.

However, we all need to move forward. More gear reviews, less gear pron. More what knife I use, less what knife should I buy. More firestarting method, less firestarting implement. I realize some guys cant get out to snap pics, and post up skills threads and reviews, so maybe its up to us that can, to add more substanence to this forum and take it in a brighter direction. At the same time, inspiring conversation, and better subject matter throughout.
 
crossada said:
well i think it is worth noting that when the search feature got dropped for registered users it was due to the fact of lags. it was brought back for a time after the new server was put in for about a month but everything started slowing down again. the only way Spark was able to fix the problem was to take the search feature away again from non paying members. Spark prefers everyone use the google search method which is in the aforementioned sticky because it doesn't tax the server.
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:thumbup::thumbup:

lots of members here, more so then most forums.
 
I'm a firm believer in you can't like everyone and not pussyfooting around issues. However on the internet it is a very delicate balance between a forum that is nothing but a troll infested flame fest, and an overly moderated forum where any heated exchange is quickly quelled, possibly squashing worthwhile information. I really like this forum and a whole lot of the people here and have seen it go up and down, it is a little nicer than I am used to playing but I try to conform to what the majority seems to want.

Some of us have been beating this stuff up for years so we could be running out of things to say. We have our own areas of expertise and have pretty much said everything there is to say about them.

Baldtaco, don't know how long you've been around but if you didn't like the coyote thread you for sure would have had a hard time when me and Skammer used to "discuss" things. Chris
 
One thing that I've noticed is the simple volume of threads here is getting overwhelming. There's so much information and so many people that it's hard to sort through it all. I try to only put my $.02 in where it's warranted, and don't post just to be saying something. I really think that there's a lot of decorum in most of the threads and the way people treat each other-more than most other busy forums.

I do think it may be time to divide the W&SS forum into two sections though-maybe "Outdoors Gear" and "Skills and Adventures"?
 
j williams said:
I agree...I liked it that way. Now I feel like I need to worry if my thread is gonna be too controversial, or my review is gonna be construed as spam, or if I am deal spotting.....It just gets easier to not post.

However, we all need to move forward. More gear reviews, less gear pron. More what knife I use, less what knife should I buy. More firestarting method, less firestarting implement. I realize some guys cant get out to snap pics, and post up skills threads and reviews, so maybe its up to us that can, to add more substanence to this forum and take it in a brighter direction. At the same time, inspiring conversation, and better subject matter throughout.
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right on J..:thumbup: great post...

i have always felt like the W&SS was more or less my home base on the forums... i can definately feel/see the change...this place was policed by mod's very little back in the day, now i am puzzled at some of the stuff that gets moved or edited....
i think with this being the internet, that threads and opinions are always going to be fluctuating, especially during the off season... you can take it as is or try and contribute more... i hate to see people leave for reasons such as this..


we are a busy family and spend a lot of time outdoors.. i am also no means an expert, but i try to post and contribute when and where i can...:)
 
W&SS is my favorite forum on bladefourms. But the op is correct. I read often and post little.
 
I post seldom these days, mostly due to a pos computer virus. I've been noting cool gear and skills I'd like to improve. I remember when Chris and skammer went at it. Usually resolved before too much was thrown.
 
I can't really say I've found it too bad lately. The one good thing is that the contraversy threads tend to stay in the thread rather then creep into multiple threads. I really can't say I mind having one thread title with lots of activity and 10 pages. Sometimes, like the 'do you think he was being a jerk' thread becomes comic relief for the day, although I feel a bit sorry for the OP on that one.

I'm a bit like Hollowdweller in that over-abundance of thread starts becomes taxing and demotivates you into putting a lot of work into your own threads. As he stated, you spend 30 minutes putting together a thread with pictures ect. and it becomes burried with 1 or 2 responses after a couple of hours. I actually find that this kind of thing is getting better though, or at least I've been happy to find my threads getting replies.

If you see a thread that you like and has good content, you should write at the very least a 'Thanks for your post ' reply. This brings it back to the top and keeps the quality threads front and center. That is what the forum is about. Personally, I always try to reply to trip reports and reviews where I can because I value the information provided and want to let the OP know that I valued their efforts. It seemed we had a slump in the fall where almost nobody was replying to the quality threads and deep burial was a constant problem. Again, I think it seems better now. Agreeing with Magnussen here. Start bitching about the quality and content of W&SS and much of that is your own fault. You improve it in two ways. By providing content and also by selecting content through your replies to bring valuable topics to the top.

As for gear porn. Its always and will always be part of W&SS. It gets a little worse right after christmas where everybody is excited about recent gifts or have come into some cash and are trying to figure out how to spend that. Thats just part of the times that are part of this time of year. It will pass. It is still a valuable service for us to provide consumer reports to questions about gear and such. Again, its one of the reasons why I like coming here.
 
kgd said:
If you see a thread that you like and has good content, you should write at the very least a 'Thanks for your post ' reply. This brings it back to the top and keeps the quality threads front and center.
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Dead on. Important to let people know their contributions are appreciated and also sometimes when you ask them questions it actually raises ideas for other threads.
 
perhaps having different Categories (Fire Making, Water related, gear related, survival, etc) available to us at the top of the menu when one clicks on WS&S would be an idea. Then people dont have to sift thru 30 pages of mishmash to find related topics. Say a guy wants to make a post on fire starting, he goes to WS&S , clicks on Fire related and then gets the subforum.

etc etc
 
To be honest the search function here was never worth a d*mn anyway, so no great loss.
Unless its has been improved lately?
Any paying members want to comment on its current functionality?

From my experience Google search does a better job.
There is a specific google page for searching BF but i don't have it right now.
Stupid 'puter crashed on me couple of days before christmas so my bookmarks are gone. Luckily i backed up a few days before so they are retrievable, just need to finish house-sitting so i can get back to my home and 'puter and start the salvage operation.
 
tholiver said:
To be honest the search function here was never worth a d*mn anyway, so no great loss.
Unless its has been improved lately?
Any paying members want to comment on its current functionality?

From my experience Google search does a better job.
There is a specific google page for searching BF but i don't have it right now.
Stupid 'puter crashed on me couple of days before christmas so my bookmarks are gone. Luckily i backed up a few days before so they are retrievable, just need to finish house-sitting so i can get back to my home and 'puter and start the salvage operation.
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Hey th, when you're up and running again, could you please send it to me?

Thanks,

Doc
 
We will never get multiple subforums. That has been brought up in the past. Thats why we have the thread topics when you go to start a new thread...People dont use them much though.

I think we as WSS need a Cantina like the HI guys have. Someplace to throw all the OT stuff, and guess what I ordered threads etc...Keeping gear reviews, skills, and on topic questons and material in the WSS....

I love gear pron. I mean cmon, thats what brought me here initially. Im just sayin, well, I know people are exited to show off new toys, but if you just say, "looky at what I got" and dont add any kind of thoughts or review, or general impressions of the gear through use, then its just a looky at what I got kinda thing. Get out there and use the gear, then come back and write up your thoughts. Even if your calling out Busse, or Moras, or whatever. Then at least you will have a leg to stand for voicing your opinion.
 
j williams said:
I agree...I liked it that way. Now I feel like I need to worry if my thread is gonna be too controversial, or my review is gonna be construed as spam, or if I am deal spotting.....It just gets easier to not post.

However, we all need to move forward. More gear reviews, less gear pron. More what knife I use, less what knife should I buy. More firestarting method, less firestarting implement. I realize some guys cant get out to snap pics, and post up skills threads and reviews, so maybe its up to us that can, to add more substanence to this forum and take it in a brighter direction. At the same time, inspiring conversation, and better subject matter throughout.
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cant have reviews on gear without having the gear.......... ;)

also the anti gear primitive types need to realize that some of us use gear and that they (anti's) are not superior to us because they don't use gear. Cavemen had gear too.......so did your flint and steel "bushcraft" types hundreds of years ago.

just saying,.
 
hollowdweller said:
Dead on. Important to let people know their contributions are appreciated and also sometimes when you ask them questions it actually raises ideas for other threads.
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It would be nice if number of views somehow factored into the the ranking equation.
I've seen threads with very high viewing numbers getting bumped to the back pages just because no one posted replies.
I'm not saying it should take preference over reply counts but still it should count for something in thread ranking.
Hmmm maybe a star rating system for threads like they have for youtube videos?
Just an idea.....
Anyway i will just starting occasionally "bumping" threads, or is that a no-no?
 
Bushman5 said:
cant have reviews on gear without having the gear.......... ;)

also the anti gear primitive types need to realize that some of us use gear and that they (anti's) are not superior to us because they don't use gear. Cavemen had gear too.......so did your flint and steel "bushcraft" types hundreds of years ago.

just saying,.
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I am certainly not "anti-gear"

I use all of my gear, and am not an "anti gear superior" person...

Of course you cant have a review w/o having the gear. :rolleyes:

Im saying, Id like to see more," I got this, and used it, and this is what I think", and less "Looky at what I got, Ill keep ya posted on how it performs"(never to see it again)

That would make the subject matter more insightfull.
 
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