Demise of PortlandHikers

[Grannyhiker]

Eeek!!! Too many posts!!!

Actually, many of us had a 6 year head start on kepPNW.

May 28, 2008 is the date we switched to the then "new" software, in which all the older data was lost. I actually joined in June 2006. This forum started in May 2006. To the best of my knowledge, all the "top ten" posters with the May 2008 join date joined in the summer of 2006.

I can't believe this thread has gone to 14 pages!

[jdemott]

Good grief! I'm number 83--time to put on my boots and go hiking instead of sitting at the keyboard posting.

Seriously, I have learned so much participating in this forum. I am very grateful to all who share their experiences and knowledge. I figure the only way to express my thanks is to share what little I know in the hopes that it will be useful to someone. I'm always pleased when I see (from the stats on my photo-hosting site) that someone has been checking out an old trip report from a year or two ago because it makes me think someone is doing a little searching and may have a more enjoyable trip themselves as a result. I hope that all of you who take the time to post likewise know that your contributions are appreciated and useful--they make this site what it is.

My goal is to keep hiking and to meet any and all of you out on the trail. Maybe I need to get a button.

[Excursionista]

Strange that I stopped by here for the first time in almost a year, and I find a thread with the forum up in arms.

I don't usually shit where I eat, but I don't eat here anymore because of two reasons:

#1 - There are really only a small handful of users on this site and a ton of lurkers. The lurkers lurk because they can get info without having to participate. The amount of participation is equal to a small room full of self-important narcissists patting themselves on the back for being intolerant hikers.

#2 - There are some real jerks on this forum. I'd use more accurate language but I'm better than that. I've been attacked for my views on this forum - in fact, by tacitly allowing libel, the admins and TKO are equally as guilty as that one ignorant fool. And don't try to PM me and find out what I'm talking about. I won't name names. But if you accuse me of something illegal and immoral simply because you disagree with my politics AND you have no reading comprehension skills AND a small but vocal minority of users defend you... Well, then I have no need to contribute to your little self-congratulatory website. I can get the beta I need without even logging in.

The fact is, this is an insular community that wouldn't survive half a second in the larger digital age. I'm a member of other very specific internet forums with thousands of active members that actively encourage freedom of speech and open contribution and expression of alternative views. This place could be like that. Instead it's a relative few excluding the rest. I can tell in the year I've been gone that hasn't changed. And that's too bad. There are and there were some good people here. Unfortunately, the values changed over the last 6+ years.

I'm not posting now just to raise a stink. At one point I was a regularly contributing member here. I've hiked with some of you, had photos in the calendar, had great conversations and shared a bunch of information. But there's one proof that this forum is inconsequential - in Portland (or SW Washington or whatever), in one of the country's hiking meccas, this form has only attracted a few thousand unique users over the course of its existence. There's no reason for that - except for a highly ingrained and deeply rooted insularity and exclusiveness, and a complete misunderstanding about how to build a community of engaged users (when there could easily be ten times as many).

But thanks for the occasionally helpful trip reports, and sorry for those of you who care more about hiking than you do about politics on some small corner of the internet. Maybe one day it'll change. As for me, I'll be out doing trail maintenance without authorization, hiking off trail and on closed paths, and making an Abbey-esque nuisance of myself in defiance of authority and in celebration of my ability to hike wherever the hell I want and say what I want and smoke and drink what I want and leave no trace what-so-f'ing-ever. Cheers!

[Splintercat]

Thanks for spreading your sunshine, Jason! In posting this screed, I think you've nicely underscored why the forum was always an awkward fit for you.

Cheers! (and closing the topic on this happy note)

Tom