You don't know How Good you got it on WB

[Blissful]

Okay I spent half an hour jumping hoops to try and get on this Practical Backpacker forum. After having to go through numerous sign-ins of which I had to do codes, answer secret question, confirm my e-mail via e-mail with an e-mail that they must have on an e-mail approval list, and await the moderator's approval, I finally (gasp) was "accepted" in.

Yippee. Making a little progress. I then go to access my user ICP to put in some personal info. DENIED. I do NOT have the privileges yet to put in my info, and they wouldn't say why. Huh? I need "privileges" to put in some personal data? I was told to go to this help forum thing and NOT to contact them about it. The Help forum says nothing about why a new member is not allowed to adjust or put in personal data on the USER CP. Or what needs to happen. Instead there was a huge list of dos and don'ts about their posting rules that made my head spin and were so cumbersome it was beyond disbelief. I know I'd never remember all that stuff. I finally said to myself, the *** with it and gave up.

So it is with great relief I come back here where life (and membership) is simple and the rules are not so overloaded that one cannot enjoy a forum as well as the trail we love.

You really have it good here, folks. Don't ever complain again. And by the way, please DONATE (button is under donations)!

[JaxHiker]

It's also a veeeeery quiet place.

[couscous]

Well said! The moderators and everyone "behind the scenes" do a great job on WB. Thanks for reminding us.

[sheepdog]

que the butterfly landing on bambi's nose

[fiddlehead]

I agree.
Some of these forums are so complicated.
Although the AT is not my favorite trail, this forum is definitely the easiest to navigate.

All forums seem to have a personality.
None are perfect. (because we all want different things)
This one has a pretty good moderating team although it has gone through it's bad ones from time to time.
I really like hiking the CDT and PCT but those forums are just terrible.
They either junk up my mailbox or i see stuff later.
I finally quit even trying. Just post here about all 3 now.

[skinewmexico]

Not much happens there, at least when I was on. But then I lost my company account, and they won't allow anyone on there with a hotmail account, which is my permanent account. Or Yahoo, or gmail, or any other. They're worthless.

[STICK]

I think I managed to join at one time, but I forgot my passwords or something. I came across it cause I was wanting to read a post about a MYOG quilt but I had to be a member to read it all or something another....I haven't really been back. I spend my time between here, Backpacker.com and some at BPL. Here and Backpacker are my favorites.

[Cookerhiker]

Blissful, I'm so grateful that you started this thread. I was actually planning to start a similar one tomorrow to mark my WB anniversary - 6 years and counting.

Notwithstanding its detractors, WB is IMO and experience a wonderful site. I have met many fellow hikers and other fine persons who share my love of the hiking and the outdoors. By "met," I'm not just talking through cyberspace but live persons in the flesh after first "knowing" each other through WB. I believe the consensus we reached a few years ago to avoid certain subjects and discuss topics in a civilized manner has been a force for good. Despite various complaints, I believe the Mods do a fine job in what can be a thankless and PITA task trying to maintain balance, fairness, and respect.

The greatest strength of WB and measure of its value is the assistance to the many newbys who keep coming to the site and see their questions answered promptly and thoroughly (to the point of TMI sometimes, LOL). So one question may prompt 20 responses of which 15 are different from each other - well, that's the WB way but it demonstrates folks' caring and good-faith effort to help those who seek it. In that way, WB is like a bank - you deposit your area of expertise/familiarity/experience and you make withdrawals when you seek advice yourself.

I'm pleased with the trend of more new WBers from outside the AT region, even from the West Coast and PCT land. I'm also pleased to see so many young people coming on, asking their questions, and going hiking.

We got a good thing going here everyone. Let's all keep it up.

[max patch]

and discuss topics in a civilized manner

Now thats funny.

[Cookerhiker]

Now thats funny.

It's all relative Max - I'm sure you've seen other internet sites where the flaming is quite extreme.

[sherrill]

The political forums back in the day made for some interesting reading. I believe that was the catalyst for the way things are structured now.

I don't always agree with some things the Mods do but I respect their efforts. I also don't contribute money to the website either (I used to).

[Rain Man]

Notwithstanding its detractors, WB is IMO and experience a wonderful site. I have met many fellow hikers and other fine persons who share my love of the hiking and the outdoors. By "met," I'm not just talking through cyberspace but live persons in the flesh after first "knowing" each other through WB. I believe the consensus we reached a few years ago to avoid certain subjects and discuss topics in a civilized manner has been a force for good. Despite various complaints, I believe the Mods do a fine job in what can be a thankless and PITA task trying to maintain balance, fairness, and respect.

Well said. And I too thank Blissful for the OP.

RainMan

.

[Driver8]

... WB is like a bank - you deposit your area of expertise/familiarity/experience and you make withdrawals when you seek advice yourself.

Very insightful. Excellent post. I'm glad to be here. And glad to benefit from the wealth of information and experience of White Blazers, the fellowship and ensures - in the wilderness and online. Blissful's experience with another board only reinforces that feeling.

[Turtle-on]

I am also grateful for this site. I have been reading posts since Jan., when I began training for my section hike in June. I finally joined this week, and this will be my third post. This site has tons of useful info. posted by people from many different walks of life and viewpoints. I have used this site to help select the section of the trail I will be hiking, the pace, my training routine, my gear, food, books and so on. I am EXTREMELY grateful to everyone who works to make this forum what it is, including those who thoughtfully post here and those who moderate. Most people think I am nuts to consider wandering around in the woods for a week this summer, but I find a great deal of courage from the info. on this site. I even read through the trail humor section when my training has me tired and feeling discouraged. Thanks, WB community.

[sbhikes]

There are a number of us purposefully trying to make the PCT-L a better, friendlier and more useful place. But I agree, WB is a fun place.

[weary]

..... But I agree, WB is a fun place.

As do I. But that is not a reason for not trying to make it wiser and better.

[Wise Old Owl]

Even the Austrian's thought they had it pretty good in 1943.

tis a wonderful thing.

[Bags4266]

Not much happens there, at least when I was on. But then I lost my company account, and they won't allow anyone on there with a hotmail account, which is my permanent account. Or Yahoo, or gmail, or any other. They're worthless.

Exactly, what other e-mail are they looking for? Thats why I gave up on that forum major PITA

[max patch]

Exactly, what other e-mail are they looking for? Thats why I gave up on that forum major PITA

I don't belong to PB so I can't comment specifically, but its not unusual for "serious" sites to require a "real" email account - issued by work, school, isp, etc - as opposed to a "free" account that anyone can get - yahoo, gmail, lycos, etc - as spammers and trolls tend to use the freebies. This policy tends to get rid of a lot of the riff raff before they show up and become a problem.

[Cookerhiker]

Even the Austrian's thought they had it pretty good in 1943.

tis a wonderful thing.

And your point is.....