It's been too many years since I took the time to re-connect with this creaky old forum. The big social platforms are easier to use, look nicer, have a much larger audience, and have sucked the oxygen out of small independent forums of many kinds, including this one.

But this independent forum - and others like it - are rare indeed, because they exist simply for the benefit of the forum members. You're not the product here, there's no "monetezation" of you and what you do here. There's no tracking cookies. There's no "please subscribe" pop-ups. Yeah, it's "retro" - and that's what is drawing me back in. This place exists because it's just neutral ground to talk about the stuff that we like to talk about.

So I'm going to re-invite some friends to come here and re-awaken the art of civilized conversation, if I can.

As long as the old stalwarts remind ETS will endure!

Mr. Ritter has been incredibly generous in keeping this forum online, which I'm sure costs him real money.

I agree with the sentiment of "not being the product being bought and sold." There are a number of curiously oddball and highly useful forums where I am active, and which push back against the worst tendencies of the billionaire bro shmoes.

Revitalizing this forum would be a long hill to climb. Then again, it might be old enough to be retro or vintage or analogue -- if we could catch the right wave.

Cheers folks!

We all appreciate it. I don't come here every day, but when I do, I always find something interesting or educational.

I try to check in every few weeks or so. It is not as active as it once was, but it endures when others have fallen by the wayside. There is something to be said for observing the experiences of like-minded individuals.

I used to check in here everyday but that is a waste of time nowadays. Nothing happens here anymore; might as well erase all together.
Even if I had something to post I have lost the interest to do so here. I do it on bushcraftusa and bushcraftuk. And facebook.

BCUSA is still pretty lively! But I still check in here almost every day.

I'm certainly open to suggestions as to what we could do differently.

LOL at some of the comments above. Membership on this forum never cost a single penny. So please, no whining. If a member wants to stir up new action, they are welcome to step up and make the substantial effort required to make that happen. It takes a lot of active posts and SEO. Be the change you want to see.

Regarding "might as well erase all together," I don't like the lazy online trend where discussion boards vanish into the ether forever. This is a little bit like burning libraries. Erasing history impoverishes us all.

Thanks to our long-serving volunteer moderators for putting up with us all these years. Cheers!

Hey folks. I think my post above was particularly grumpy and angry -- I should have been more diplomatic in my language. The ideas were right, but the tone was not as respectful as I would like. Mea culpa.

Beautiful old past
Glad this forum still exists

I have seen this talk on several local forums that diminished and disappeared, leaving behind sighs of sorrow.

What brought me here today is a bit funny

There is a water leak in our house. Fixed it a few months ago but it is leaking again. It leaks from my (married) son apartment's kitchen in the upper floor into my daughter's room in the ground floor.

This time it is more complicated. Last time the plumber broke the wall of the empty kitchen and fixed it. Now, kitchen is not empty and the son's wife will not like seeing her new kitchen torn apart. Not to mention my daughter upset because of her room messed up for the second time. Plumber is also embarrassed of unsatisfactory job and reluctance of the newer more difficult job. To top it all, my wife's grumpy comments and continuous asking (what are you doing about it ??).

I decided to have a break: visit a SURVIVAL forum called ETS.
LOL

Good to see you around Chisel!

Thanks Chaosmagnet
I hope everything is fine with you and yours

Although no one is asking for it , but I'll talk what I am doing these days. Every morning I have a "patrol"-like walk around the house, backyard etc. Partly as an exercise and partly checking if everything is OK. This is how I discovered another leak in the water pump that feeds the water tank on top of the house (that is how we store water in my corner of the world). Houses get old like us, LOL. They need constant attention.

One of the best home-projects of last year is a backyard sitting area that contains a fireplace. So far my son have used a few times for bbq and I intend to use it for baking bread and pizza.

Projects around the house should serve double purpose. In good times, they should provide fun and relaxation. In SHTF times they should help provide alternatives. So, in case blackout we can use coal and wood to cook on fire.

Weather has been hot and humid in July and August.
August is ending and weather starting to cool down in the morning. This allows me to have morning coffee in that area.

Have a good time everyone.

*Sitting on my porch with a cigar and a glass of Irish whiskey*

"I don't always visit a preparedness website . . . but when I do, it's Equipped to Survive."

*Takes a long drag on the cigar, and a sip of Tullamore Dew*

"It's where I go when I'm not being the Most Interesting Man In the World."

Doing well overall. Lots of work drama along with an abrupt change of employer. The young Magnets ain't so young any more and are off doing their own stuff. Mrs. Magnet is traveling this week so I'm staying home to prevent the Puppy of Unusual Size from eating our couch.

Funny thing about preparedness regarding Eldest Offspring: The battery in Eldest's car went flat and she was calling me while asking around for jumper cables. She had jumper cables, back in her apartment.

"Kiddo, you had to put the jumper cables in your car to bring them home from the store. Why did you take them out of the car?"

Her response was not appropriate for this forum.

"Well, take a look underneath the cargo tray in the back, and tell me if the jumper cables I bought you when I got you the car are still there. I remember showing you, too."

Another inappropriate response was enjoyed.