Forum Content

[StuM]

Originally Posted by TJ D

Gosh, I don't know. I don't think that most of us think of CF as some kind oa a wikipedia/reference material. It's about interaction for most.

...

For my part, we're at the point where it's all been talked about before, there really is almost nothing new under the sun, so repeats are inevitable, and really not a problem. If we could only talk about new stuff, there wouldn't be much happening here.
TJ

It's certainly about the interaction for me. I like discussing boating things with knowledgeable people and also enjoy sharing my experience with newer sailors.

I don't come here specifically looking for information, but I do regularly learn new things here during the various conversations.

Get any group of people together regularly ( like in a pub ) and the conversations tend to repeat too.

[Island Time O25]

I've been joining "boating/sailing" forums since about early 2000s, when I first stated thinking about getting my own boat. 2/3 of those forums are dead by now and some have been dead for quite awhile. All were informative in their own way or for the purpose they were initially started and all were helpful to my learning curve. Think either specific brands or locations or whatnot. The ones which are still breathing have new posts about every 3-4 months and some have "latest posts" going back to 2012-2014. So for all practical purposes those can be considered dead as well. CF is one of the few, very few, forums which has not only kept up with times but keeps being relevant in all respects and in all of its initial goals. Even the fact that we can gripe here off topic or semi off topic proves CF's strength, that it can survive an off topic or two without any damage to its stated purpose. I don't think it would be a good idea to limit membership to boat owners or cruisers or liveaboards only as this will diminish the quality (not to mention the quantity) of the discussion and ideas. But perhaps a requirement in the public profile to check as many as applicable - "cruising", "liveaboard", "own a boat now", owned a boat in the past", "looking for a boat in the XXX future" etc would help to filter the noise from the real knowledge. Parenthetically, after sailing for 20 seasons I still (and will probably always will) consider myself a newbie with corresponding thirst for knowledge, which IMO is a life long process. As someone wise once said: "extent of one's knowledge is like a circle out into the world - the more you know the more you realize how much you don't know".

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by thomm225

This is somewhat true but we also got away with a lot back in the day that a kid/teen would most likely go to jail for today

We "played" with guns from age 10-11 on (22's and shotguns) in the wood for example. Borrowed (stole) cars/motorcycles/go carts at night but returned them before the owner woke up or returned, and so on

Exactly. A lot of what was considered (and IMO still is) natural adolescent behavior now is either criminalized, ostracised or both. As a result we have several generations of "snowflakes" who need "safe rooms", repeated visits to psychiatrists throughout their lives and/or "big brother" to tell them what (or what not) to eat, drink, do and think.

PS When I get together with my old high school buddies we laugh and talk about things which we used to do for which now their children would be not just expelled but actually in jail. And possibly for a long time. And none of us grew up to be "problem" adults. We have among us several lawyers and doctors, IT director at Ivy League University's trust fund, two or three business owners and some other productive members of society. And none of us were ever on the gov't dole or in jail. One of my buddies (the IT guy) did live in his parents' basement until he got married at 27. But having saved a ton of $$ right out of the basement bought a $300K 3 family in the late 80s (today that house would probably go for $2.5mil if not more).

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

This is true of all of us, not just 'those damn kids.'

I would disagree. I still prefer paper books over kindle. And live telephone calls over texting. And I call personally to wish someone happy b-day when most others moved on to e-postcards, text greetings and what not.

25+ years ago when I got out of grad. school I was given a present of a small (cigarette pack sized) voice recorder. Back then it was the latest gadget to have. I still have it I think unopened and still take/make notes by hand.

PS I did get into computers early enough though (for a non techie guy) - mid 80s. And got online through my IT buddy's Compuserve work account in 1990 or 1991. This was back when there were no browsers to speak of and all the news and info was in DOS format and a pic of a naked woman would take a long time to download.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Island Time O25

PS I did get into computers early enough though (for a non techie guy) - mid 80s. And got online through my IT buddy's Compuserve work account in 1990 or 1991. This was back when there were no browsers to speak of and all the news and info was in DOS format and a pic of a naked woman would take a long time to download.

You Geek..!! I didn't get my first computer till 2001..

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by boatman61

You Geek..!! I didn't get my first computer till 2001..

Actually I'm a luddite. For the first 5 years I used it in conjunction with a 9 pin printer solely as a word processor. When it broke and I took it to my computer savvy buddy for repairs he showed me what else it could do. But by then that computer was too old and did not have the slots for the 3.5 floppys coming out.

[captain58sailin]

Hi, I am a live aboard / commercial fisher, should I go back to driving truck, or keep living on my boat in hopes of one day being a good enough fisher to sustain my preferred way of life?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Island Time O25

I would disagree. I still prefer paper books over kindle. And live telephone calls over texting. And I call personally to wish someone happy b-day when most others moved on to e-postcards, text greetings and what not.

You’re a self-professed luddite . The fact is, most people are chained to their devices these days, not just the kids. The largest demographic on Facebook is not the kids; it’s baby boomers and GenXers.

Originally Posted by Island Time O25

Exactly. A lot of what was considered (and IMO still is) natural adolescent behavior now is either criminalized, ostracised or both. As a result we have several generations of "snowflakes" who need "safe rooms", repeated visits to psychiatrists throughout their lives and/or "big brother" to tell them what (or what not) to eat, drink, do and think.

I agree with you, although who is it who brought up these people? Our generation are the parents who began the trend of not letting kids be kids.

Kids got/get driven everywhere. They’re time is programmed and controlled, with little space left to just be kids. It’s considered child abuse if a parent lets a kid walk a few blocks on their own. We allowed ourselves to be scared into teaching ‘stranger danger’, and it is our generation that have developed the whole psychology of placing the blame ‘anywhere but here’.

I think it’s gotten worse with each passing generation, but all we have to look is look in the mirror to see where it started.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

You’re a self-professed luddite . The fact is, most people are chained to their devices these days, not just the kids. The largest demographic on Facebook is not the kids; it’s baby boomers and GenXers.



I agree with you, although who is it who brought up these people? Our generation are the parents who began the trend of not letting kids be kids.

Kids got/get driven everywhere. They’re time is programmed and controlled, with little space left to just be kids. It’s considered child abuse if a parent lets a kid walk a few blocks on their own. We allowed ourselves to be scared into teaching ‘stranger danger’, and it is our generation that have developed the whole psychology of placing the blame ‘anywhere but here’.

I think it’s gotten worse with each passing generation, but all we have to look is look in the mirror to see where it started.

Ain't it so, good post

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Boredom with Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat.. also YouTubers like Le Vagabondes etc will be attracting the fantatists..
It is getting boring constantly regurgitating the same old stuff tho'..

[steveth3b]

The day I think I know everything should be the day I die. Internet forums are for learning, and if you can't ask a question to better understand a possible solution, then how are you making yourself better?

When I find a new hobby, I research it. Browse old knowledge for content, try to find out a basic network of everything involved, and start learning. If I enjoy it, I buy manuals and read. That's how you learn. I've applied this to motorcycles, diesels, and am moving into helicopters, and further into sailboats. I haven't been lucky enough to grow up on the water, with parents to foster that love. I haven't had the benefit of a mentor, but it taught me how to get the information I needed, and how to apply that.

My father's glossy SAIL magazines, back in the 80's peaked my interest in sailing, along with a couple of visits to landlocked boatshows in Houston (with one or two sailboats). The awesome thing about internet forums, like magazines, is the ability to skim over topics that are not relevant (as previously mentioned). If you're looking for a social club, disconnect and go to some events, wherever you are, and with whatever people are around you.

To everyone else giving useful information and encouragement about how I'm going to make this happen: thank you.

PS- I don't remember internet forums 30 years ago before dial-up being a thing. I'm curious to learn more about browsing options on a Commodore 64 or the old IBM DOS machines. 😘

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

You’re a self-professed luddite . The fact is, most people are chained to their devices these days, not just the kids. The largest demographic on Facebook is not the kids; it’s baby boomers and GenXers.



I agree with you, although who is it who brought up these people? Our generation are the parents who began the trend of not letting kids be kids.

Kids got/get driven everywhere. They’re time is programmed and controlled, with little space left to just be kids. It’s considered child abuse if a parent lets a kid walk a few blocks on their own. We allowed ourselves to be scared into teaching ‘stranger danger’, and it is our generation that have developed the whole psychology of placing the blame ‘anywhere but here’.

I think it’s gotten worse with each passing generation, but all we have to look is look in the mirror to see where it started.

You nailed it! Sadly the same should be said about sailing and cruising. Most people who 40-50 years ago would have been sailing today have been scared from this pursuit by the surrounding hysteria about safety, tolerance of danger, etc. One of my relatives upon hearing of my most recent 2 week sail went appoplectic about "just four of us on that small (47ft) boat in the middle of the Caribbean". Never mind that the owners between the two of them have combined 70+ years of very active marine experience, etc. etc. My relative would not even consider that or wanted to hear that. All she knew/heard is that it was "4 people on the little boat in the middle of the ocean". Very sad, if you think about it.

[rbk]

Saddest part is you're more likely to get killed on the road by a drunk driver on your way home from the boat.

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by steveth3b

PS- I don't remember internet forums 30 years ago before dial-up being a thing. I'm curious to learn more about browsing options on a Commodore 64 or the old IBM DOS machines. ��

Back in college, in the early to mid 80s, there was a geek in our dorm who brought a large printer with a 300b/s (that's .3K speed) telephone modem (the kind you had to insert a whole phone handle into) and would connect to his old high school computer system (no hacking involved as this was years before that term was even invented) via dial up and play car racing games. As there was no monitor the whole game would be printed out step by step and you'd have to follow it that way. He later was ecstatic from finding a 1,200 b/s modem which quadrupled his playing speed.

I could never afford an IBM machine in those days so I had the cheapest one around - Armstrad for $1,000 (it was pre-Windows GUI). It had no internal RAM which had to be supplied by 5 1/4 floppy disk and may be 10MB total disk space or some such. And the interface looked cool and impressive.

I was always near technology's roots but never felt close to it. Still don't as I mostly use my smartphone as a regular phone and shy away from being too involved with the latest tech crazes. On my boats I have the very basic old school tech stuff and try not to lose the non-tech navigating skills.

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by rbk

Saddest part is you're more likely to get killed on the road by a drunk driver on your way home from the boat.

Actually that statement is part of the problem we're talking about. Automobile deaths today are about 1/2 of what they were in the 60s-70s. Probably less if you factor population growth and rise in miles driven per person, etc. But a few strategically cried about accidents aided by the auto insurance induced hysteria since the 80s had helped to make this something to be afraid of. With a corresponding rise in the insurance premiums of course. Kind of like the "piracy scare" of the past 10-15 years. But it turns out that for every dollar paid by marine insurance industry for ransoms and/or related losses there are 5-6 dollars collected in add'l insurance premiums "due to pricay activities". Gives one a pause to ask what came first - the chicken or the egg.

Not that I am blase about either DUI or piracy but any activity if treated the way we threat those rare enough events will seem scary and foreboding. Heck, they even started banning Samsung 7s from the airplanes. But not the planes' own batteries which are probably made of same technology by the same makers, only 1,000s times heavier and much more dangerous.