Are posters here HAPPIER having few men in SS Forums?

[moxies_chickennuggets]

I'm a guy and I found SS through BYC. The reason I came to SS is purely economical. I live on a fixed income and need to stretch every penny and y'all have some great ideas!

BYC is more "social" Than SS is. Lot's of young folks playing games and chatting about all kinds of things! There is also a lot of really good info about keeping chickens and very friendly folks to talk to about chickens and I enjoy it very much. And I would venture a guess that the majority of BYC members are female.

I did not expect that SS would be the same sort of situation. I expected a more mature crowd and I believe that I was correct. Not to say that we "mature" folks can't joke around and actually have a good time chatting with one another, but I get a more "serious" vibe here.

Now, about the "drama". I have no problem with a spirited discussion/debate. I have read many of them here. I have also read some where, IMHO, lines were crossed. I have made a personal decision to not become involved in any discussion, on any forum, that addresses politics or religion. That's just me.

And to reference the OP, I haven't a clue how to get more guys here!!

Yeah...what he said!

 

[FarmerJamie]

What am I and what is my basic philosphy? Even after the explanation I'm still not sure what a "prepper" is. I am here because of desire for self reliance. I try to be prepared for emergencies and and to get through the hard times. I'm not here to prepare for the zombie apocalypse. I don't have the mind set to stock up on guns and ammunition and trade goods. I don't see conspiracies everywhere. Just plain and simple preparedness like in the "olden days".

Thanks dacjohns, I'll add in, having healthier food and knowing where it came from and staying in touch with my roots.

My opinion:
As for "apocalypse prepping", I remember taking a long-forgotten govt studies class where we looked the the IRS tax collection contingency plan in the event of a nuclear war. No matter how "prepped" you are, you aren't going to be protected nuclear, biological, massive natural events. There are some things just get taken way to far in our personal lives, in my opinion. Look through your tool/equipment set - if it got stolen in a "SS" world, how would you replace it? I contend no one can be 100% SS.

There is someone on this forum I don't agree with 95+% of the time, but I do agree with is the idea of not letting this stuff consume you as a person - go enjoy life once in a while.

As far being 'self-sufficient', I prefer to view it as being "more independent". We can longing dream about "more simple days", but go back and look at how life really was then. Child mortality, average life spans, widespread epidemics, etc.

YMMV

 

[Joel_BC]

New people are joining the SS Frorum every day. Glad to see it.

I still think it would be good to have a higher proportion of men posting than we've had in recent weeks & months. Not sure how to encourage or accomplish that, though.

 

[FarmerJamie]

New people are joining the SS Frorum every day. Glad to see it.

I still think it would be good to have a higher proportion of men posting than we've had in recent weeks & months. Not sure how to encourage or accomplish that, though.

I've been here for a while now. I went back and read some earlier posts to try to understand what you're looking for as a goal.

If it's the "traditional man stuff", there are other technical forums that have a wider knowledge base and more general interest. In my time here, there were 2 other men here that I did talk an equipment issue with, but that was a while ago and we had to do research on other sites.

 

[BarredBuff]

Membership is rising

 

[Joel_BC]

I've been here for a while now. I went back and read some earlier posts to try to understand what you're looking for as a goal.

If it's the "traditional man stuff", there are other technical forums that have a wider knowledge base and more general interest. In my time here, there were 2 other men here that I did talk an equipment issue with, but that was a while ago and we had to do research on other sites.

Yeah... Hmm... Well, one of the forums I log onto sometimes is Homesteading Today. They have about 20x the active membership of the SS froum, and they have a good Shop Talk section with a lot of guys participating. Guys also participate in some of the other forums on there.

Trouble is, they do not always look at things (for instance, in relation to tools & equipment) from a cost-effective perspective. And it's easy to understand why this is the case: some of those guys' shops, as evident from the pics they've posted and equipment they discuss, are definitely worth what I paid for my nine acre bush-homestead land, complete with its original buildings, water system, and electrical hook-up! Someone, somewhere needs to discuss the whole topic of self-reliant, skills-oriented living from a perspective other than cushy affluence.

So, yeah, they've got some admirable technicians and very handy guys over at HT, but... :/

 

[Beekissed]

I understand that....it's sort of like discussing chickens on BYC. It is very hard to discuss the subject from a cost effective perspective when you have people chiming in who think it is nothing to drop 5K on a coop and will pay $1200 for an operation on a chicken. Not only will they accuse one of putting a dollar amount on compassion but they will thump their chests and crow about how much compassion THEY show and cost is no issue. Great...I'm happy for them. Not in my reality but....

Hard to discuss things rationally with folks like that.

Someone, somewhere needs to discuss the whole topic of self-reliant, skills-oriented living from a perspective other than cushy affluence.

Couldn't agree more!

 

[FarmerJamie]

Trouble is, they do not always look at things (for instance, in relation to tools & equipment) from a cost-effective perspective. And it's easy to understand why this is the case: some of those guys' shops, as evident from the pics they've posted and equipment they discuss, are definitely worth what I paid for my nine acre bush-homestead land, complete with its original buildings, water system, and electrical hook-up! Someone, somewhere needs to discuss the whole topic of self-reliant, skills-oriented living from a perspective other than cushy affluence.

So, yeah, they've got some admirable technicians and very handy guys over at HT, but... :/

The question here, as it always has been, who defines the parameters/rules for defining "cushy"?

How many tools are required as a minimum? What type of tools? It's very easy to point at workshops or garden toolsheds filled to the brim with every model/size of tools and say "I can do just fine with less than that".

The rub is defining where is the "break-even" point? Even though he's a cooking show host, Alton Brown has a good idea about having no tools in the kitchen that perform only one task. But then again, if all you have is a hammer, all your problems look like nails. How many screwdrivers are the "correct" number and type in your collection?

So again, what is the "basic" tool set needed, is going to be like gardening advice - what works for one situation may not work for another situation.

 

[baymule]

I have really enjoyed reading this thread. i wish there were more guys on here. I lurk mostly, but I value everyone's input and I learn a lot.
Thanks guys and gals.

 

[Joel_BC]

The question here, as it always has been, who defines the parameters/rules for defining "cushy"?

How many tools are required as a minimum? What type of tools? It's very easy to point at workshops or garden toolsheds filled to the brim with every model/size of tools and profess to all with self-adulating pride in "I can do just fine with less than that".

The rub is defining where is the "break-even" point? Even though he's a cooking show host, Alton Brown has a good idea about having no tools in the kitchen that perform only one task. But then again, if all you have is a hammer, all your problems look like nails. How many screwdrivers are the "correct" number and type in your collection?

So again, what is the "basic" tool set needed, is going to be like gardening advice - what works for one situation may not work for another situation.

Interesting philosophical question. I have to say that my remark was off-the-cuff... did't want to define what's right for other people. My post just reflects my own feelings.

I think Beekissed got my point.

I used the shops example as only that: one example of something that bothers me, sometimes, about what's reported in posts on Homesteading Today (as much as I value that forum). Simply that I don't always feel like I fit into that group. For me, it's always been a practical matter of 'live within your means'... I invested in tools when it made sense to me, in order to do what I needed to do.

I don't feel I'm self-adulating, though you can decide what you want about that. There was a time, maybe 15 years ago, when - if I'd had a lot of money - maybe I would have enjoyed assembling a super shop. I didn't have the dough. And now I don't actually care to do that. I just invest in a tool or piece of equipment when it makes sense to me.