View Full Version : Idea for TEEN White Blaze members
alaska moose
02-20-2009, 08:23
I was looking at the diffrent forums, and I saw that there are different areas for people (example:womens, class of -----, ect). So what about finding out if one could be started for teens. We have a different view point for things. So please give me your input . . . .
Lone Wolf
02-20-2009, 08:39
wonderful idea! run it by the moderators
Frick Frack
02-20-2009, 08:57
In the cycling forums that I also visit there are seperate forums for Mountain biking, road biking, single speed, commuters, races/events, manufactors, general, etc.... Users for the site are obviously all interested in one thing....."cycling". I see Whiteblaze as the same thing, a site for "hiking" & the "Appalachian Trail". If a teen or a elderly person was to ask me a question or ask for an opinion about either my answer would be the same to both of them.
Hiking isn't any different for a teen than it is an adult, except maybe the times you need to take a piss at night.
Christus Cowboy
02-20-2009, 09:45
I generally don't see a problem with a teen forum insofar that there are relevant trail related topics that are "teen specific". But as Totem pointed out there would be very little differentiation between topics brought up on a teen forum as would be experienced in the current format. The issue is, with each new forum comes with it the responsibility of adequately moderating it which is a challenging job already given the current number of forums we have. That said, it appears to me that many of the teens of whiteblaze have already taken this into account when they open up threads that are "teen specific" by using the thread description to make this differentiation.
This whole debate happened last week as well. The result was that OutwardBoundBackpack created a Facebook account for teens interested in the AT. Check it out here (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=46720&highlight=facebook).
I was looking at the diffrent forums, and I saw that there are different areas for people (example:womens, class of -----, ect). So what about finding out if one could be started for teens. We have a different view point for things. So please give me your input . . . .
hey moose, don't worry it's not you. everybody's a smartass on here, me included. here are some links for some threads that obbp started recently. they stirred up some interesting discussion, so i thought you might want to read them:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=46604
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=46720
it's a good idea generally but it's probably not gonna happen. i've been hiking since i was little and i agree that hiking for teens is ALOT different than as an adult. different issues, different views and opinions. however, on here you're just gonna have to run with the big dogs. we're glad to have you, though, and your viewpoints.
Ask the moderators and if they agree go for it! It might encourage more young people to hike the AT. Young people have different concerns, ideas, and capabilities then us older folks so why not have a different forum for them?
I thought it had already been decided that a seperate forum for teens would not be created. It would make it too easy for pedophiles to search and find. there's enough wackos out there, don't need a reason for them to come to Whiteblaze.
lmao... here comes round two.
What are your different viewpoints? Any examples?
theinfamousj
02-20-2009, 17:58
Here's the deal --
Facebook has the staff necessary to keep the youth safe from predators. OBBP has already gone through all the trouble to create a Facebook group to serve as an extension of Whiteblaze so that teens may talk with one another freely.
Here at Whiteblaze, all the staff is volunteer and barely have enough time to deal with all of the current issues. If predators come to this site because there is a youth forum - talk about shooting fish in a barrel - then Whiteblaze does not have the staff to deal with the infestation and Whiteblaze could be shut down.
Teens talking about backpacking = good. Facebook = good place to do it. If you have a teen forum here, it is a matter of time (though that time may be years ...) until the whole of Whiteblaze is shut down.
Just look at how fast predators moved in to Second Life or AOL's now defunct teen chatrooms.
I thought it had already been decided that a seperate forum for teens would not be created. It would make it too easy for pedophiles to search and find. there's enough wackos out there, don't need a reason for them to come to Whiteblaze.
It HAS been decided. No teen forum here. Go to the Facebook site.
wonderful idea! run it by the moderators
The sarcasm underwhelms me:rolleyes:
fiddlehead
02-20-2009, 20:07
I for one, don't understand the big deal.
I don't even look at what forum a thread is in.
I just click on a topic that i am interested.
OK, if i click and see it purple, then i know it's the womens and i back out of there.
And if i see black writing on the sidebars, i know it's probably going to turn into a humor thread within a page or two.
Everything else is..........a hiking forum.
Who cares if the forum is: shelters, food, gear, or general. They are all the same to me.