TheFutureOfTrailTalk

“I caught myself wondering about the future of TrailTalk today. It's sort of like those questions you get in interviews when they ask, "what do you see yourself doing in five years?" -- and for some reason, I found myself wondering about the face/activity/strength of TrailTalk five years from now.

I wonder if we will be a comic strip to be enjoyed by many? Maybe a serious editorial column on backpacking life? Maybe a gear exchange and hiking partner board? Perhaps a non-profit club like Sierra or the ATC?

Just curious, my mind wanders sometimes.”

“.'my mind wanders sometimes'
TownDawg

No argument here!”

“I hope its what it is today, a great place to hang out, meet people and learn from. Not to mention quite entertaining!”

“I concur with smiley girl. I have met some really great people, and look forward to meeting more. Also, it is a good site to get bping advice.
Does anybody try to recruit their friends to post on TT?”

“I like the informality of it - a chance to meet people and hike without worrying about membership dues and Roberts Rules of Order (We have Johnston's Rules of Disorder instead).

Things tip to the deep end at times, but right themselves anon.”

“Tahoe, Friends Don't Let Friends Post On TT”

“I think Matt should buy all the regulars Segway scooters. That's like futuristic and stuff.”

“That statement just nailed me at the right time. I have some explaining to do now, to my office commrades.
Why encourage cluttering the place up, right? People find their way here sooner or later anyway.”

“I don't recruit friends. My friends either don't backpack or backpack but aren't internet junkies. I do refer to this site when somebody on another site asks questions and aren't getting answers. Some of them even stick around.

Will the background still be white in five years? Will it load faster so Mel will come back? Is it really TT without bacpac? Why does Tarpy shun us now? Has he really gone to MH instead of TNF? Will Matt go to on demand/permission marketing instead of banners? Will he solve the time warp dilema?”

“TT will probably have a backpacker matchmaking forum by then.”

“Bring back spock! Then we can get some real #&%!$ going!”

“sneeking into my "fields of Heaven" late at night.

Dude, think on TC2 and don't worry about the future of TT.”

“<< laughs at Stikmon's post.. :)..

Naw.. It's hot as heck today in the office, and the coffee was only making my headache worse.. so I came here to see what's new on TT.”

“TT will continue to change as people come and go until Matt gets tired of this site and takes it down.
I was bored last night and looked at some of the year or two old threads. Quite a few of the same people on now were posting then. One thing I noticed was Newgirl was being treated very badly. People were telling her she was stupid, to shut up, and leave TT and not come back. TT seemed to be much more of a "closed club" then. If you weren't one of the cool people, go away. Do a search on "children" to read those old threads yourself. Also read a few posts from a guy named Nigal. Looks like he was "run off". He is a loss to TT.

I think I like the current TT just fine. Most of the a$$s seem to have faded into the background. One thing I will do is try to be nicer to people newer than myself.”

“I agree.. Nigal was one of the kewler guyz who posted here. I do miss his wit.”

“One thing that would be cool would be think messaging. No keyboard you know. I could be talking to my boss, but daydreaming about TT and you guys would get the message. Wouldn't that be cool. I guess it would depend on what I was thinking huh?”

“Nigal was a true loss.

I agree with Stove Stomper,,we need to embrace the newbies a little more......before we haze them.


Sort of like leading sheep to slaughter.

However, I will have to say that simer really hung in there through his ordeal.”

“Even though TT has been around for years, I'm always expecting it to be gone for good. It'll be interesting to see what's been going on after I get back from NZ.”

“Well, the problem is.. is that we have a human tendency to take TT posts as reality.

The nature of TT is not really about human interaction as much as it is a study on virtual internet dynamics.”

“If Matt ever decides to pull the plug, I hope he gives us enough heads up to create a backup.”

“The Lightweight Backpacker website is for sale.
I love the make your own gear forum. It could be gone at any time.”

“Nigal wasn't run off. He decided he didn't want to hang out here anymore.

He still goes on trips occasionally.”

“nigal = where is that boy??”

“TT becomes... a FISHING forum.


(the mind reels)”

“He comes back from time to time”

“nigal is "noahidehiker" (I think that is right) on the other site”

“He is missed.

I think TT will be doing some ofthe same things it's doing now, providing a way for bper's to exchange ideas, gear and BS a little. Some will come and go, but the sprit will still be there. I know after "the change over" we lost a lot of regulars, for various reasons and that's too bad. They also are missed, but others have come in and have kelt it going. The site will probabley go through a couple of make overs in the future, maybe more advertising or other money generating stuff.


Maybe Matt hits the lotto and sells it? Let's hope that this site keeps going!”

“TT is destined for further deterioration. It took a big fall recently, which wasn't too hard to foresee.”

“what was this big fall you speak of steve?”

“I highly suspect Steve is referring to the 80% rubbage content posted everyday!

Steve you should visit the Buffalo during the break between Christmas and New Years. Jerbear, Tex plus a few other are planning putting a few miles on our boots.

Moz”

“No it's not the trash threads, I enjoy them immensely. I'll get into this later, right now I have to get back to work. Will think about the Buffalo River trip Moz, I definitely need a hike.”

“...but the "80% rubbage" is what makes this place "special".”

“Gee SS, I thought this place was for organizing trips,discussing gear and other bping issues.

Steve,
I hope to see ya in December!
Moz”

“I could probably do without 20% of the rubbish, but you have to take the good with the bad (or go elsewhere).

I think TT has worsened in some ways and also become better in a few. I liked it better a few years ago, but it continues to change and grow, along with the personalities that post here. I hope it'll be around for many years to come.”

“TT has seemed mostly the same to me since i started posting here...but that was only a year and a half ago. i hope it's around for a long time, too...i don't know how i got through life without it! LOL. but for real, i don't think there could be any substitute.”

“Ha Ha Neighbor Mozark, you must be talking about www.backerpacker.com.”

“BOOOOOO, bitpusher!! :-D”

“Hey, just be glad I didn't find another "rubbing" picture...”

“Thank God for that.... :)”

“PedXing is going to buy the page from MATT and it is going to become a Pyscho babble page where amatuer pychologists try to solve each others life problems.

Occasionally there will be a "theraputic" outdoor experience that folks will report on.

Often that theraputic experience will, in and of itself, become fodder for more pychological discussion.








No one will notice the transition.”

“Just some of the events from Trail Talk circa 2018:

Senator Buddha Bear is embroiled in a scandal involving a 23 year old intern. He is supported in his claims of no wrong-doing by his ex-porn star wife of 3 months.

Newgirl introduces her new, Nationally-francised line of home furnishings with the help of husband/producer Ty.

Lizs makes the bestseller list with her latest novel, "The Bridges of Floyd County", the story of a middle-aged Iowa woman who finds romance in the wilds of the Yellow River forest while carrying a pink, foam mattress.

CMB breaks Snow Nymph's world record for consecutive bag nights (14 yrs., 3 mos., 5 days) by 3 minutes. His revelry is short-lived, however, as his head explodes.

Geezr celebrates his 100th birthday by being wheeled to the Alpine Trailhead by his great-grandchildren. He manages to gum some ramen noodles at the post-hike dinner.

Town Dawg is forced to cancel TC20 due to a worldwide shortage of titanium. Plans for "Aluminum Chef I" never get off the ground.

Artex's late-night talk show is cancelled after network executives are pressured by PETA for the "dancing with dead pigs" incident.

Lyra, too, makes the best-seller list with her third edition of "Chicken Soup for the Soul-less, Dead, flesh-eating Zombies".

Chili acts as defense attorney for bacpac, who is accused of mailing letter bombs from a cabin in rural Montana to Green Party Presidential candidate Tom Terrific.
......”

“lee, you're funny! :-)”

“LMAO! aero, that's great. i heart this place...”

“Why thank you kindly Lyra!”

“ROFLMAO @ both Lee and Aero, and that funny lookin' lyra chick!”

“I hope bacpac doesn't drop the soap after his trial.....”

“Aero, in the words of world record holder CMB, that was pimp.

100 years old huh, I guess I'd better start taking better care of myself.”

“I agree with Mozark, LIKE IVE SAID FOR MONTHS KNOW, its getting worse BUT when I blabber about it I get responses like quit whining or some bull along those terms. TT will probably end up as a get your as spammed forum within the next few years! Nothing more than Women tit threads or insult topics. Come on tell me to go else where, (i have)BUT i wont leave a sight I once loved and Im staying to fend off the non-friendly posters that want to deprive us of a true backpacking forum.”

“that's fine, Buddha...you're not getting an autographed copy of my book, like everyone else. boo-yah!”