[at-l] Choosing the best information sources:

[wb4pan@mindspring.com (Charles Davidson)]

Yup,

=09Dang Jack, This is worth framing. Then we can refer to it every time tha=
t Maroon is brought up! hahaha. It does point out my biggest problem with W=
ingfoot and that is his CENSORSHIP of information on a hobby that I love. C=
apitalism is good but I hate to see it interfere with free exchange of info=
rmation on such an individualized hobby that is dear to many of us. Gee I w=
ish I was as eloquent a writer as you Jack. Hey write a book, or two.

chase
> >     That being said, I feel compelled to enter
> > into the on-going discussion
> > about where folks should go to get the best
> > info on the Trail, and on how to
> > prepare for a thru-hike.   The following
> > comments are directed primarily to
> > the folks who are busy planning just
> > that---their first long hike on the
> > A.T.
> >
> >     First off, congratulations!  You're
> > embarking on a great adventure, and
> > it probably must seem to be a very complicated
> > one.  Luckily, there's a ton
> > more quality planning/preparation advice out
> > there than there used to be,
> > provided you know where it is.
> >
> >     Secondly, you've come to a good place.
> > This List frequently veers off
> > on some rather odd tangents, and frequently
> > wanders far off the Trail, but
> > sooner or later it comes back, and when it
> > does, there's a pile of quality
> > information here---the accumulated mileage of
> > folks on this list, including
> > untold thousands of miles on the A.T., means
> > that in posting questions here,
> > or just lurking in the shadows, you're liable
> > to learn a great deal.
> >
> >     The main reason I hang out here on this
> > List, and on similar sites, is
> > to help folks with their planning---once upon a
> > time, a great many folks
> > helped me, and I enjoy returning, or trying to
> > return the favor.  Nothing
> > makes me happier than to run into someone on
> > the Trail who I've corresponded
> > with, or someone who's kind enough to tell me
> > that in some small way I
> > helped them with their planning.
> >
> >     That being said, I spend a great deal of
> > time on the Internet, almost
> > all of it on A.T. sites, and I'm frequently
> > asked where people should go to
> > get quality information.  (Incidentally, I've
> > posted a list of some of my
> > favorite sites on the General Forum at
> > www.whiteblaze.net under the thread
> > "Selected Internet Resources."  I encourage
> > interested parties to check it
> > out, and I further hope other folks add their
> > own favorite sites they think
> > are useful).
> >
> >     I'm frequently asked why I don't include
> > Trailplace (www.trailplace.com)
> > on my lists of suggested useful sites, and why
> > I don't advise people to
> > check out that address.
> >
> >     There are many reasons.  Sadly, the fact is
> > that I feel bad about
> > suggesting a site that I feel has flaws so
> > profound that it crosses out
> > whatever the benefits might be.  In brief,
> > while I have a great deal of
> > respect for the vast knowledge of the site's
> > administrator, and while I
> > freely acknowledge the contributions he's made
> > to the long-distance hiking
> > community (especially in so far as producing
> > the Thru-Hiker's Handbook,
> > which was, for many years, the best work
> > available for those planning to
> > thru-hike), I have regrettably come to the
> > conclusion that there's a
> > fundamental problem with this site, which is
> > that its raison d'etre is to
> > spread the thoughts and philosophies of its
> > creator, with little or no
> > regard for the opinions of others, and that its
> > creator unfortunately feels
> > that his voice is the only one worth hearing
> > when it comes to speaking
> > about, or for, the A.T. and the Long-distance
> > hiking community.
> >
> >     Sweeping statement, I know.  And why do I
> > feel this way?  First off, it
> > troubles me that the site is anything but
> > interactive; unlike the old
> > Trailplace, the present incarnation permits no
> > disagreement or criticism
> > whatsoever of anything said by the
> > administrator; unlike the old site,
> > comments must be vetted and approved before
> > being posted, and are subject to
> > editing and censoring; repeated posts that
> > distress the administrator or
> > ones that have the temerity to question or
> > criticize his opinions result in
> > the author being banished from the site.  In
> > short, this site exists to
> > spread the opinions and philosphies of one
> > person and one person only.
> >
> >     I feel this is a tragic mistake.  Thousands
> > of folks have thru-hiked,
> > and no two have done it exactly the same
> > way---there's ALWAYS room for an
> > open discussion or a difference of opinion.
> > Whatever the issue or
> > question----gear, scheduling, how to hike or
> > why----there's always going to
> > be a variety of opinions and they all deserve
> > to be heard.  I find it very
> > troubling that a site that wishes to be
> > considered such an authoritative one
> > is so loathe to risk airing the opinions of
> > others.  Without trying to be
> > insulting or mean, I have to say that this
> > mindset displays both arrogance
> > and insecurity:  Someone who has conviction in
> > their thoughts and ideas
> > should be willing to discuss or debate them; an
> > idea that can't be defended
> > is most likely one that is one that isn't worth
> > much, yet on Trailplace,
> > which views itself as the most comprehensive
> > site on the web for planning
> > and preparing a thru-hike, there is simply NO
> > room for debate or discussion.
> >   Critics and opposing voices are stifled,
> > admonished, warned, and
> > ultimately banished.  "Editorials" are
> > published, but not rebuttals or
> > alternative viewpoints.  Links to other sites
> > are given, but not truly
> > useful ones (such as www.atconf.org or
> > www.aldha.org) that might offer
> > conflicting or differing opinions, or more
> > likely, are sites belonging to
> > individuals or organizations that the
> > Trailplace administrator has
> > quarrelled with in the past.  And this last, to
> > me, is unforgiveable.
> > Insisting that his site is the only one that
> > people need is extraordinarily
> > conceited, and purposely NOT informing people
> > about other useful addresses
> > out of pure spite is an incredible dis-service
> > to people that are anxious to
> > get the most, and the best information that
> > they can.
> >
> >     To sum up, I acknowledge that there's a lot
> > of useful stuff on
> > Trailplace, but it's all information that can
> > be found elsewhere.  Moreover,
> > if one goes elsewhere, one is much more apt to
> > hear Trail information and
> > Trail matters debated, questioned, re-worked.
> > One is much more likely to
> > hear a variety of voices and opinions,
> > including those of men and women
> > whose knowledge of the Trail is recent and
> > timely. (In all this commentary
> > on Trailplace, I find it odd that nobody has
> > pointed out that Trailplace's
> > founder has done little or no long-distance
> > hiking in something like a
> > decade and is woefully out of touch with the
> > contemporary Trail:  Half the
> > places and facilities he visited while hiking
> > no longer exist; half the
> > places that hikers frequent now are essentially
> > known to him only thru
> > hearsay and not due to recent, hands-on
> > experience.  In short, the
> > prospective hiker would do themselves a
> > dis-service by over-relying on this
> > source in that they wouldn't be hearing the
> > comments and opinions of folks
> > who've actually done some solid miles since
> > 1992.
> >
> >     Lastly, the main reason I suggest that
> > prospective thru-hikers be leery
> > of (or better yet, steer clear) of this site is
> > that it's position as the
> > authoritative voice on all things thru-hiking
> > is fundamentally flawed at the
> > outset.  All one need do is check out the
> > introductory page of the site,
> > where you'll find a gushing autobiography of
> > the site administrator.
> >
> >     As other folks have pointed out repeatedly,
> > this bio contains any number
> > of statements that are highly questionable, if
> > not provably embellished or
> > invented:
> >
> >     *The first line of the bio states that the
> > Trailplace administrator "is
> > the guidebook author widely recognized as the
> > leading expert on A.T.
> > thru-hiking."  This is patent nonsense.  If
> > this were once true, it
> > certainly is no longer.  Off the top of my
> > head, I can think of half a dozen
> > folks who know the Trail as well or perhaps
> > better than this man.  His
> > elevation as "the leading expert" is an
> > entirely self-awarded accolade.
> >
> >     *The bio continues with statements
> > regarding the Trail mileage and
> > number of thru-hikes of the administrator; all
> > of this information has been
> > questioned, and in fact, doubted, by many folks
> > over the years.  It is to be
> > regretted that "the leading expert" on the
> > Trail feels the need to embellish
> > his resume in order to maintain his
> > self-appointed position of authority.
> >
> >     *His number of hours of service to A.T.
> > hikers and organizations is also
> > highly inflated, as his service to other vital
> > trail organizations (such as
> > the Appalachian Trail Conference and the
> > Appalachian Long-Distance Hiker's
> > Ass'n).   His connection with these two worthy
> > groups has mainly consisted
> > of publicly disagreeing with them and
> > occasionally threatening to sue them.
> > If he's contributed anything to these groups or
> > their efforts in recent
> > memory, I'll be damned if I know what it is.
> >
> >     *In one remarkable paragraph, he makes the
> > remarkable assertion that he
> > spends half the year on the Trail, and spends
> > other time giving seminars or
> > serving as a consultant to gear manufacturers.
> > Well, if anyone out there
> > has more information on this, I'd love to hear
> > the details, as I wasn't
> > aware he's spoken publicly or lectured in quite
> > some time, and as far as
> > advising gear manufacturers, this also occurred
> > while most of today's
> > thru-hikers were in grammar school.  And as far
> > as spending half the year
> > (i.e., 6 months) for the past decade and a half
> > "on the Trail", well this is
> > ridiculous, unless he's counting trips to the
> > convenience store in Hot
> > Springs, North Carolina, where he used to live.
> >  I, too, am "on the Trail"
> > constantly, even in winter, but walking to and
> > from work here in Hanover
> > hardly qualifies as Trail mileage.
> >
> >     I could go on, but this is getting long
> > enough.  I find it unfortunate
> > that in its very introduction, this site feels
> > so compelled to say so many
> > questionable things, things that are said
> > solely to elevate the position and
> > importance of the site and its administrator.
> > In closing, my biggest
> > complaint about this site is that all too
> > often, it's clear that enhancing
> > the reputation of its creator is just as
> > important as the information the
> > site contains, and regreattably, the facts
> > stated about ther man and his
> > accomplishments are simply not all true.
> >
> >     There are any number of excellent
> > information resources for the
> > prospective thru-hiker, and the prudent trip
> > planner would do well to check
> > out as many as possible.  That being said, I
> > personally do not advise folks
> > to spend time at Trailplace---everything that
> > is available there can be
> > found at other sites, where the exchange of
> > information and opinion is open
> > and unfettered, and where the prospective
> > hikers can make judgments and
> > decisions based on what they hear and learn
> > from a variety of different
> > folks.   Hearing from a variety of voices makes
> > a very great deal of sense,
> > for an obvious reason:  Getting the brunt of
> > your information and advice
> > from one source only is wise only when one can
> > be confident that this
> > particular source is, in fact, the definitive
> > one.  In this particular case,
> > one simply can't make that assumption.
> >
> >
> > Jack Tarlin
> >                                     A.T.
> > 95-96;97;98;99;2000;2001;2002
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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> > _______________________________________________
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> >From the AT-L mailing list         est. 1995
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