Yep, Pete's analogies do hit the nail. My only disparity is that I would prefer that people interested in learning survival techniques do the work and research it properly. I reckon for most of us, when a person asks a question, the appropriate answer seems to be the one that most directly addresses the issue. As you suggest, the responsibility of the content of the interrogative and therefore the response rests mostly on the individual in the conversation asking the question. It may be a bit presumptuous and challenging for the person addressing the question to attempt to qualify the capabilities of the questioner in order to set the context of the response or otherwise determine if the person asking the question is even qualified to ask it. That would tend to put the questioner on the defensive, at least it would me. I rather prefer to answer questions as directly as possible, though at times this is more challenging. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

This forum is a good place to answer specific questions, or to get help with specific issues, but really I think it is far better and more desirable for a curious individual to go to the source, ala Doug's front page of the ETS website, and get the in-depth information and detail they really need on the subject. That way they are more likely to get all the facts and information they may need, and there's a good chance they will dig deeper and discover even more useful information that they hadn't considered, and which the forum answers may not address. At least then, once they've done their work, coming to the Forum to ask questions won't end up being a continuous iteration of people asking over and over for the same info, which happens from time to time. Once researched, then more pointed questions can be asked in a better context from a more common reference.

I would rather encourage people to make use of all the tools available to them to learn survival skills, and not just take the shortcuts and limit their exposure by asking specific questions and assuming that's all there is to the subject.

Still, as you suggest it is awfully darned handy to have the forum up where someone who is pushed for time or may be confused and needing a little direction can come and ask even the simplest, most basic questions and expect to get the help they are looking for, or at least a good start. Perhaps it is this versatility you are looking to capitalize on more often? I can definitely get behind that effort as well. I was simply trying to answer your question as to why it has been the way it has been. That's not to say the emphasis has to remain the same, so gear oriented. It's just a matter of fact that gear seems to be the issue most people want to talk about here. I don't know as anyone's ever been ignored or turned away for wanting to talk technique, just that it doesn't come up as often for the reasons I cited previously, not that it couldn't in the future. I did not intend my explanation be considered a defense of why it is the way it is. Just more an observation and a conclusion. That's all.

If more folks want to talk about technique, then so much the better as far as I am concerned. I may just learn something myself, as I am prone to do now and then. I would like to see more traffic on the Forum. It makes for good reading when I am bored and want to find something worth doing.

It would be a lot of help if I could post pics directly, but forum mechanics are another issue altogether, and so far I've been able to get by without them. I am happy just to have a place to discuss points of interest.

Hopefully that puts us on the same page. My apologies if it seems I put you on the defensive. That wasn't the intent.

Cheers mate.