Am I spam?

[ibenick]

EDIT: Thank you for participating in the poll, I will not be posting the trip report excerpts anymore. No need to beat the horse any further. :mrgreen:

It has been brought to my attention that some might consider it to be spam to post a short excerpt of a trip report followed by a link to continue reading it on my personal, non-commercial blog.

Kind of like what I did in these two threads:

http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?46562-Ryder-amp-McPheters-Lakes-Uintas

http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?46646-Cottonwood-Canyon-Narrows-amp-GSENM-March-2009

So what do you think, is it spam? Personally I think it is still valuable to have the trip report linked here on Bogley so people can use it and so it can be included in the trip report indexes for when Bogley members are planning trips, etc. But that's just my opinion, what do you think?

[Don]

I wouldn't consider this spam. The location can be indexed as though it's a Bogley TR which makes the information, even if it's on another site, useful to Bogley users. Maybe you could include a few more details similar to the example below but I don't see your TR as lacking or spamming the way it is.


[Trip Report] Goblin Valley (04/25/2010)

When: 04/24/2010 - 04/26/2010
Where: Goblin Valley State Park, Utah
Nearby City: Hanksville/Green River or 30miles north of Hanksville or 49 miles southwest of Green River
Weather Conditions: partly sunny all days, Mid 70s, No precip
Hiking Mileage: 2+ miles (no destination)
Time: 3+/- hours (depends on the person and how long they want to explore)
Source of Beta: self (=exploration), or Website (like Climb-utah.com or Zionnational-park.com, etc), Book: Kelsey '98: exploring the Swell, or Secret, etc.

[oldno7]

I don't consider it spam, but I rarely click on a link to another site.

[ibenick]

I wouldn't consider this spam. The location can be indexed as though it's a Bogley TR which makes the information, even if it's on another site, useful to Bogley users. Maybe you could include a few more details similar to the example below but I don't see your TR as lacking or spamming the way it is.

Good idea. Thanks Don.


I don't consider it spam, but I rarely click on a link to another site.

I totally get that and I figure that a lot less people will end up looking at them for that reason.

[denaliguide]

i rarely click on links to view photos. i find it annoying. don't consider it spam either. you aren't trying to sell me anything.

[ibenick]

Too bad I can't add options to the poll. Sounds like "I don't click on links" and "It's a little spammy but okay" would have been good choices as well.

[DOSS]

Not spam... but I don't click on links for trip reports :)

[ibenick]

Judging by the statistics I would say a lot of people don't click on the links. For the two TR's listed above I have about 3-4 times as many views on Bogley as I do on my own site and thats considering some have come from other sources. I'm actually pretty happy with having less views especially if those that really want to see it still can. I figure if someone isn't interested enough to click on a link then they probably wouldn't have found it worthwhile anyway. I really just wanted to find out if the cross posts are welcomed or not.

[trackrunner]

1100+ posts before you started this. clearly you are a contributing member of this form and not just trying to drive traffic to your blog or website so not :spam: IMO.

if you wanted to get people to click you could provide some of the best photos and a short write up to give a good idea of the blog post. those that don't want to click you blog link can still enjoy some of your TR.

[accadacca]

Looks like there are a few other Bogley snobs on here too. :lol8:

I rarely click on links (TR's, Photos) outside Bogley too. It's just a pain. It really depends on what your objective is. Do you want people to see/use/share your pictures and information. Do you want to generate clicks/sales on your Amazon ads.

If its participation your after, you'll get more by including the full report on Bogley. Other members with blogs do the same thing. They let Bogley users participate on Bogley and their blog friends or those on the blog network participate on the blog. Once you create the post on your blog it's really just a copy and paste of the code and post title.

I thoroughly enjoy your TR's and I'll personally be torn on my snobbery if you start posting teasers. :haha:

[ibenick]

It really depends on what your objective is. Do you want people to see/use/share your pictures and information. Do you want to generate clicks/sales on your Amazon ads.

I wouldn't have Amazon ads on my site if I didn't want people to buy stuff through them but it's not at all my primary motivation. For the most part I just like posting trip reports, especially when it leads to new friends to go on trips with. I also like the community here on Bogley and I want to stay involved and contribute. I just don't want to post my full TR's here any more. It's a combination of things... the main driver was how Sombeech behaves in the Political Arena. If he were anyone else it wouldn't bother me much but since he is one of the primary owners/operators of the site, it inspires me (and others) to not support the site with content. Nothing personal against him, it's just the way he likes to troll those not like him. The second big reason is what has happened in years past when some other bogley users decided they wanted to remove their content from the site. Apparently that's not allowed? :nono:

I had actually decided for a week or so that I wouldn't post anything at all on Bogley anymore, that I would just become one of the many people who take from it and never contribute anything. But I like a lot of the Bogley peeps and I like participating and interacting with them, online and in-person, hence why I am back.

So I think I'll keep posting the abbreviated TR's with the link if people appreciate it, if not, it doesn't bother me to only post it on my blog. I don't really care if I get 100 views on it or 1000. Honestly, I think I would prefer 100.

I will say that if I were the owners/operators of Bogley I would try a lot harder to encourage people to provide real content and create an environment where people want to post their TR's because that, in my opinion, is where it's at. </soapbox>

[accadacca]

Sorry to hear that you've been frustrated. You do own your content and have the ability to edit, delete, etc...just like you've done. Bogley is simply a vehicle for sharing it with others. Bogley is about sharing information, meeting new friends and planning trips in the great outdoors. That is the reason it was created...straight from the horses mouth. It will continue to serve that purpose for those that choose to use it for it's intended purpose.

Its sad that some get distracted from that purpose and I am really sad to see you in that group. It's happened before and it will happen again. At the end of the day you have to do what makes you happy. You know the old saying, YOU choose to be upset or unhappy. I really believe that. Your choice.

[ibenick]

Its sad that some get distracted from that purpose and I am really sad to see you in that group. It's happened before and it will happen again. At the end of the day you have to do what makes you happy. You know the old saying, YOU choose to be upset or unhappy. I really believe that. Your choice.

Actually, I think the political forum is a blast and I don't mind getting into it with people in there. I'd be sad if it went away. I just think Justin goes way over the top considering that he runs the place, that's all. Maybe he needs a new alternate identity that no one knows about, MoBro perhaps?:gents: Then he can stealthily go down there and tell me what a retarded, immoral, gay-loving atheist I am and it wouldn't bother me a bit.

[Sombeech]

Wow dude.

[tanya]

I don't usually click on links, but made an exception for you. You are a real member of our group and post often!

Scott likes to use Summitpost. I usually put my link after I do a short trail report with photos. Your site is who you are and what you like to share.

You can't do polls? Is it only moderators? I thought anyone can.



You boys all need to stay out of the BASEMENT!!!!!

I have one debate groups left, use to have 4 of them and it's not fun to moderate at all! If you think its bad to be moderated guys, it's far worse to have to play moderator. Trying to use alternate ego's would just end up in embarrassment the first time you mess up. Everyone here is adults. It's a shame that kids never grow up except in fairy tales or we would not need to be moderated.

You guys can make up some robot moderator. Total set of rules and it will zap you each time you mess up. No human emotions involved. lol

[ibenick]

I don't usually click on links, but made an exception for you. You are a real member of our group and post often!

Scott likes to use Summitpost. I usually put my link after I do a short trail report with photos. Your site is who you are and what you like to share.

You can't do polls? Is it only moderators? I thought anyone can.

Thanks. I was able to make the poll to begin with, I just can't seem to edit it after the fact. Looks like the spam votes are starting to catch up so it may not be necessary to edit.

[ibenick]

You do own your content and have the ability to edit, delete, etc...just like you've done. Bogley is simply a vehicle for sharing it with others. Bogley is about sharing information, meeting new friends and planning trips in the great outdoors. That is the reason it was created...straight from the horses mouth. It will continue to serve that purpose for those that choose to use it for it's intended purpose.

I should also mention that I'm very happy that this is the new policy here on Bogley because when I read what Sombeech wrote in this thread from a couple of years ago, it made me think you'd have to be an idiot to post anything substantial on here.



Unfortunately at the time, he started deleting all of his Trip Reports, and we just can't have that. It left a lot of threads partial, with a lot of comments and replies. So, rather than deleting his account, we just put it on "hold". He can't log in at the moment. I thought he would like to come back eventually, and start back where he left off.

He has our email address, and at least the admin@bogley.com ... None of us have heard from him though. I'd like him back, and if anybody has contact with him, please talk to him and let him know we'd like to have him back.

Now, on the subject of deleting a member; it's useless, it's a waste of time, and deleting a member's complete content is kind of disruptive to the flow. You have to accept that if you use our services here for free, we technically have the right to your content that you post here. Even if you paid for a membership, we would still be able to control your content. You may think we're getting greedy for content, but we all know the rewards for having a place to post our photos.

Now we're not going to be jerks about it, and we've deleted members in the past, but we're getting too old/busy/tired of going through a member's every post and deleting their stuff. If you want to leave, just change your email address so you won't see notifications from the forum. You also have the choice to not log in anymore.

[tanya]

just throw a few photos up from the trip report and link to your blog at the bottom for those that want to read more. Most of us just look at the photos while working. I think you just put one up, but 3 makes us happy. lol We are a hard lot to please.

If that is spam guys... can you tell me why?

[accadacca]

What year was that posted? It must have been on our old software. It was a major pain back then to go through and delete specific posts just because somebody got mad. We had that happen a few times. Somebody decides to let someone influence their attitude and then they come to their senses and change their mind after a couple weeks. We just didn't have the time to delete stuff for them and that post was probably out of frustration. We had some crazy requests back then. It does muck up the threads for everyone too. We have full time jobs and burning the midnight oil on this kinda stuff ain't my cup of tea.

I certainly don't have the time to babysit on Bogley. Its a thankless job for the most part. Kinda like being a cop...you only hear the bad, even-though everyone is benefitting from your service. I come here to relax and kick off my shoes. That's why I avoid the drama and stick to reading great trip reports.

[Scott P]

Not a complaint, but an explanation (since you posted on one of my other threads):



Once you create the post on your blog it's really just a copy and paste of the code and post title.

Well, no. It used to be, but no longer.

The problem is the time consuming way of adding photos. In the past all you had to do is cut and paste from another forum/site and surround the images with image tags (if they haven't been already). Now you have to reload each one individually.

I usually add my TR's to SP first because it's the forum I used most often. In the past, I could simply cut and paste them to either 14ers or Bogley. The only thing that had to be done is to surround the photo url's with image tags. Once I did that in either site (14ers or Bogley), it was just a 30 second cut and paste from one to the other. Now you can't do that. All photos have to be re-added individually to the Bogley report. It has made a 30 second task into one that could take up to an extra hour.

For me, it's just easier to write it in one site and link it to the other rather than have to go through all that twice.

I sure wish it was possible to bring back the simple image tags rather than the current "insert image" function.

Once again, this is just an explanation on why I switched to linking reports rather than posting them and not a complaint. Eventually I'll have the past ones posted in Bogley format, but it will take a while.

[Cirrus2000]

Hey Scott, you can still use the tags around a valid image link. You don't have to use the "insert image" thing - as long as the address is a real photo, it will work with the tags around it. Here's one: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/S1F-FiEy2II/AAAAAAAAU7k/w-YGUQdTIbY/s720/scan0018.jpg

and just with the tags:

[img]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/S1F-FiEy2II/AAAAAAAAU7k/w-YGUQdTIbY/s720/scan0018.jpg

Ah, the Pixies. 1989, record store appearance with about 40 other people. Sweet...

[accadacca]

Hey Scott, you can still use the tags around a valid image link. You don't have to use the "insert image" thing - as long as the address is a real photo, it will work with the tags around it. Here's one: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/S1F-FiEy2II/AAAAAAAAU7k/w-YGUQdTIbY/s720/scan0018.jpg

and just with the tags:

[IMG]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/S1F-FiEy2II/AAAAAAAAU7k/w-YGUQdTIbY/s720/scan0018.jpg

Ah, the Pixies. 1989, record store appearance with about 40 other people. Sweet...
Yep and actually its easier than that when copying from another blog or news source. You can highlight the photos along with the text. Drag your mouse across them just like you would when you are copying text. Then simply past that into Bogley. Usually you'll have to preview your post and fix the spacing, but it is very quick. You can copy and paste images and text all in one chunk like this in Firefox and other modern browsers, I haven't tried in in IE yet. Can somebody verify? Below is Scott's latest TR that I copied and pasted from SP. It took about 30 seconds. :cool2:

Introduction

This trip report is the summary of a Mount Shasta Trip which took place between August 11 and 16 2010. My wife Kimberly and I ended up on this trip from what I would consider to be unusual circumstances. Little did we know that the beginnings of this trip would shake us to the core and would change our lives forever.

In contrast to other trip reports, this story is as much about what happened before and after the mountain as what happened on the mountain itself. I have intentionally waited until Valentine’s Day to post this story.

This is the story of Love, Bombshells, Heartbreak and Mount Shasta.

http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/654722.JPG (http://www.summitpost.org/north-side-of-mount-shasta/654722)
http://www.summitpost.org/images/layout/abby/magnify.gif (http://www.summitpost.org/north-side-of-mount-shasta/654722)
The north side of Mount Shasta as seen on August 15 2010.

Beginnings

The roots of this trip stem from our big REI Dividend we received in March. Since I have most of the outdoor gear that I need, I also had a bunch of unused REI gift certificates that have been given to me over the past couple years (birthdays, Christmas, etc.).

I had my heart set on a new pair of skis, but while visiting the REI I couldn’t find any I liked and I was disappointed. The clerk asked if I wanted to look at anything else, but I told him (and only half jokingly) that I already had as much gear as the REI store had. He then suggested that we spend our dividend on an REI trip. In my head I dismissed the idea as preposterous. I already knew that those types of trips were expensive and that I wasn’t a very big fan of guided trips anyway.

Not long after the above event, Kim and I discussed doing something for our anniversary in August. Because we weren’t quite as shorthanded on our summer project, it appeared that this might be the first year in several years that I could actually get our anniversary off work, if but only for a few days.

Since I didn’t know how to spend our dividend, just for the heck of it, we looked at the REI trip offered for the year. We noticed that there was a Mount Shasta Trip right around our anniversary. As mentioned, I’m not that big of a fan of guided trips, but the Hotlum-Bolam had been on my list for a long time. Kim hasn’t done much snow climbing over the years (she is nervous on glaciers and steep snow), but she feels comfortable doing it on a guided trip.

Maybe going on one of the trips for our anniversary wouldn’t be such a bad idea since we could kick back and let someone else do the hassle and planning for our anniversary and could make it a more laid back trip. Furthermore, using your dividend nets a big discount on the trips and our dividend and it just happened that our gift certificates were enough to pay for the entire trip for one person and part of the trip for the other. We also had two discounted plane tickets we had to use. The trip also left a couple of days after our anniversary so we could kick back in a romantic hotel somewhere for a couple nights before we joined the group to climb the mountain.

What at first I had dismissed now sounded very appealing. The stage was set. We were going to Mount Shasta!

http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/698655.JPG (http://www.summitpost.org/creek/698655)
http://www.summitpost.org/images/layout/abby/magnify.gif (http://www.summitpost.org/creek/698655)
Part of the pretty creek near the Northgate Basecamp.

The Bombshell

Now that our Mt. Shasta was booked, the only thing left to do was to get a release signed by our family doctor (required by REI). It was actually kind of annoying to have to get one since we were pretty active and we put off visiting the doctor for over a month. I had to visit the doctor for another reason (allergy meds), so we scheduled an appointment to get the release taken care of at the same time.

The doctor checked me and quickly signed off on the release. It was now Kim’s turn. The doctor said that her heart did not sound good at all, but she told him that it’s just a heart murmur and that she had had it for a long time. He told us that her heart was really loud and that she must get it checked before he signed off on anything. He then referred her to a heart specialist to get an echocardiogram.

In order to go on the trip, Kim got her echocardiogram from a hospital technician and we waited for the results. We got a phone call from the heart doctor and he wanted us to come in for a talk. He wanted to explain the results to us.

The doctor started out by asking Kim certain questions; “Do you have problems climbing the stairs?” “Do you often feel faint?” and various other questions.

Kim explained that she actually climbs mountains and that we were here so she could get signed off on going on a climbing trip. The doctor was pretty shocked that she was even able to climb mountains and hadn’t been feeling any symptoms due to Kim’s “condition”.

He brought out the test results from the echocardiogram and explained them; “ Kim’s aortic heart valve is 0.77 centimeters. It should be 3-5 centimeters. She has severe arotic stenosis”. Kim asked, “so, what does this mean; and does it mean that we can’t get signed off on the Mt. Shasta trip?”; at which the reply was “it means that she is going to have to get an open heart surgery very soon and that climbing really strenuous mountains could be fatal”. “Her heart valve is really leaky”. “We will run some more tests, but you will probably have to get an open heart surgery within a year”.

We were both shocked and it was all very frightening. The doctor scheduled more tests (echocardiograms, CT scans, being poked, prodded, etc.). I have to admit that at least a few times when I was out of town for work, I had to cry myself to sleep because I was so worried about my beautiful wife. I was heartbroken and scared and I wished that she could just take my heart and not have to go through this.

After several more tests over the next few months, we were told that because Kim was in such great shape (besides the heart) that she could go to the “basecamp” on Mount Shasta, but no higher. Kim did ask about climbing various other mountains sometime in the future (naming ones that the doctor, who has climbed several mountains would be familiar with, such as the high Andes or even and Kilimanjaro with someone else carrying the packs), but she was told that those days are probably over. The mountains weren’t what we were worried about though; we just wanted a list of all of the things she wasn’t supposed to do. The doctor also told her that as long as she was feeling well that she should continue to excersize and to even go hiking at an easy pace in order to stay in shape. She just couldn’t do anything where she would be breathing really hard and she shouldn’t ever carry much weight. Of course this meant that our lives would change forever, but it was a relief that she should be OK.

Although Kim’s heart condition was severe, because she isn’t feeling any symptoms the doctors decided to wait to do the surgery for up to a few years. Because of the risk of the surgery itself and because of her age and the fact that titanium heart valves only 30 years, she was told that the surgery shouldn’t be performed until it was absolutely necessary. It was also a relief to hear that the symptoms aren’t something that will happen all of the sudden , but that they will happen over time. It is inevitable that she will get really sick and when she does, the heart surgery will be performed then. In a way, she wished she could get it all over with now, but it was not to be.

http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/698658.JPG (http://www.summitpost.org/kimberly/698658)
http://www.summitpost.org/images/layout/abby/magnify.gif (http://www.summitpost.org/kimberly/698658)
This is Kimberly taking a break on the approach to Mount Shasta on August 13 2010.

August 11-12: Getting There is Half the Fun?

August 11 (the date of our 17th wedding anniversary) finally came. We were to fly from Hayden (CO) to Denver to San Francisco to Redding (CA). When we got to San Francisco we learned that our flight to Redding was cancelled! After a few hours, we waited on standby for the next flight, but it took off without us. There were no flights until the next day and this was not good news. We already had the romance package booked in the Red Lion Inn, the nicest place to stay in Redding. We were really looking forward to it.

Kim stayed near the ticket counter and I ran to the Rental Car area to see if we could rent a car in order to still make it. There was one car rental place that still had cars available so I waited in line. When I got to near the front of the line, the person in front of me rented the last car. I was disappointed, but when he made a phone call to say that he got a car, I overheard that he was headed to Redding.

I asked him if he had room and if we could pay for a ride. His name was Brandon and he was very sympathetic to our situation since he was rushing home to get to his wife for his wedding anniversary! Furthermore, he was travelling on business and his company was covering the rental car and that we were more than welcome to join him. I offered to pay for all the gas and was thankful for the kindness. There was also another girl (Elena) in line that was trying to get to Redding as well. She had been away from home for a long time and she was trying to get back to Redding to visit her family whom she hadn’t seen in a long time. She would join us as well.

I called Kim on the cell phone and we all met in front of the airport to head off to Redding. All five of us, plus lots of luggage (including our climbing gear) piled into a Toyota Matrix. It was crowded, but it didn’t matter since I was next to Kim. We had planned to eat a nice anniversary dinner, but since Brandon was trying to get home to his wife for his anniversary, we would miss it. We were just thankful to have a ride. We stopped at a gas station and got some fries and a hamburger at Wendy’s which was to be our anniversary dinner. We arrived in Redding very late and bid farewell to our new friends.

The next day we took the Greyhound Bus to Mount Shasta (town) We were originally planning to stop in Weed and take another bus to Mount Shasta from there, but the bus driver was nice enough to drop us off right in Mount Shasta.

The next day (August 12) was spent having fun, relaxing in town and of course admiring Mount Shasta (the volcano). That evening at the Cold Creek Inn we met the other people whom were going on the climb. We spent the late evening packing everything up.

August 13: Northgate Basecamp

After a gear check that seemed to take way too long, it was time to head for the mountain! We rode with (another) Scott and Julie to the trailhead and it was 12:30 PM before we finally set off up the mountain. It was sunny and rather hot and dusty. We stopped for a break every hour (we wished they stopped a little more and that we had an early start), but we made it up to camp (9400 feet) at 4:30 PM. The weather was good (but warm!) under perfectly clear skies and the camp was in a beautiful setting. Even though we duck taped her feet, Kim got a few blisters as well (I was the only one in the group who didn’t).

http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/698654.JPG (http://www.summitpost.org/dusty-and-hot/698654)
http://www.summitpost.org/images/layout/abby/magnify.gif (http://www.summitpost.org/dusty-and-hot/698654)
The approach to the north side of Mount Shasta can be surprisingly hot and dusty in the summer time.

http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/654714.JPG (http://www.summitpost.org/approaching-mount-shasta/654714)
http://www.summitpost.org/images/layout/abby/magnify.gif (http://www.summitpost.org/approaching-mount-shasta/654714)
Approaching the north side of Mount Shasta.

After setting up camp in the late afternoon and early evening, there was a snow school before dinner. Since we had to get up early the next morning, we went to bed pretty early, but I couldn’t sleep, partially because the wind picked up and was flapping the tent all night and partially because I had a lot on my mind.

http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/668711.JPG (http://www.summitpost.org/mount-shasta/668711)
http://www.summitpost.org/images/layout/abby/magnify.gif (http://www.summitpost.org/mount-shasta/668711)
Mount Shasta from our camp at 9400 feet.

August 14: Summit Day

Today was the big day, but I was sad that Kim couldn’t join me. I gave her a kiss and we rolled out of bed for a 2:30 AM breakfast. The stars were wonderful this early and we just happened to be here during the Perseid Meteor Shower. What perfect timing for a climb and what wonderful timing for perfectly clear skies!

After breakfast (and being treated to several shooting stars) we quickly packed up to climb the mountain. Scott (the other Scott) had apparently pulled a muscle the day before and decided to stay behind. I had packed up the night before and had time to kiss Kim goodbye and to tuck her back into the warm sleeping bag.

It was a beautiful night (morning) for climbing and the shooting stars were impressive, but my mind just wasn’t on the mountain. I kept thinking of how much I loved Kim. I could put one foot in front of the other and could bury my axe in the ice, but my mind was on her. I was distantly aware that the sunrise was beautiful, but for some reason, it also seemed a bit lonely and I was a bit detached from all the beauty that was around me.

http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/698656.JPG (http://www.summitpost.org/sunrise/698656)
http://www.summitpost.org/images/layout/abby/magnify.gif (http://www.summitpost.org/sunrise/698656)
The sunrise from high on the Hotlum-Bolam Ridge.

Gradually the weather became warm and bright as we (I was on the rope with Julie and Nick guide) and Mike, Kammi and Natalie guide were on a separate rope) trudged up the steep ridge. The steepness was sustained, but never that icy nor was it overly steep. We were above all the crevasse obstacles and didn’t have to cross any crevasses on this route. I hoped I didn’t bother the rest of the group too much, but I did talk about how much I missed my wife when we stopped for a break. Even though I have climbed many mountains alone and was attached to others on a rope, I have never felt so lonely on a climb.

http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/654718.JPG (http://www.summitpost.org/hotlum-bolam-ridge/654718)
http://www.summitpost.org/images/layout/abby/magnify.gif (http://www.summitpost.org/hotlum-bolam-ridge/654718)
High on the Hotlum Bolam Ridge.

After a traverse and a steep gully we could unrope. Mike and Kammi were younger and in better shape than us, but I was feeling really good at this point and asked if anyone would mind if I could run ahead and catch them. I was told that I could and did just that.

http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/698660.JPG (http://www.summitpost.org/looking-northeast/698660)
http://www.summitpost.org/images/layout/abby/magnify.gif (http://www.summitpost.org/looking-northeast/698660)
Looking northeast from near the summit of Mount Shasta.

I summitted with Mike, Cami and Natalie and while eating a snack and enjoying the view we waited for Julie and Nick. I sat alone part of the time and spent a little time taking photos of the others and of the view. For some reason I can’t comprehend, I turned down the offers from the others to take a photo with my camera of me on the summit. The others didn’t have a working camera, so I took photos of them.

http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/698659.JPG (http://www.summitpost.org/summit/698659)
http://www.summitpost.org/images/layout/abby/magnify.gif (http://www.summitpost.org/summit/698659)
This is Julie, Nick and Mike on the summit of Mount Shasta.

Although I was perhaps in not quite as good of shape as at least a couple of the others on the mountain, I was (perhaps selfishly) in the mood to get down the mountain. I prodded a bit to be able to glissade down the mountain (I am very accustomed to glissading down steep slopes), but I wasn’t allowed (I was disappointed, but I understand why they don’t like people to do it). Finally half way down, the prodding paid off and I glissaded down the mountain. I was ahead of the rest of the group so I climbed back up the mountain in a few places to get some more rides back down.

I was very happy to see Kim when I was finally down the mountain and we gave each other big hugs and kisses. While the rest of the group rested, took naps, or chatted, Kim and I built little rock hearts around camp with the letters “S+K” in them. I was very happy to be married to such an amazing and wonderful woman. After building several rock hearts, we chatted with the rest of the group before dinner and bed. It was another very windy night with a little rain.

http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/698404.JPG (http://www.summitpost.org/from-the-mount-shasta-trip/698404)
http://www.summitpost.org/images/layout/abby/magnify.gif (http://www.summitpost.org/from-the-mount-shasta-trip/698404)
Rock Hearts.

August 15: A Return to Civilization

We awoke at 6:45 AM and packed up the bulky tent, which was a bit challenging in the strong winds. It sprinkled a little bit and after breakfast we hurried down the mountain. We left camp at 8:30 AM and were back to the vehicles at 10:30 AM where we said goodbye to our new friends.

Scott and Julie offered to give us a ride back to Redding so we wouldn’t have to wait for the Greyhound bus. We bought them dinner along the way.

The next morning we flew back home.

Aftermath and the Future

After the initial shock of Kim’s heart condition has worn off, it has become easier to accept for the both of us. Much of the initial worry has gone away, but I don’t look forward to the time when she will get sick (which is inevitable) and I know that she doesn’t either. Still, we have faith that when the time comes, that she will get through it and we both know that I will always be there for her.

Finding out about her condition was a result of almost freak circumstances (more specifically booking this trip). In some ways, finding out about the condition in this manner could have saved her life. At the very least, it could have saved her heart from damage and now we know that we have to be very cautious in planning our trips.

It is obvious that any big mountaineering trips are out of the question for us. In the past we talked about doing things such as the big remote peaks in the Andes (or even Aconcagua since it is [or was] the highest mountain which she has [or had] any interest in climbing). We almost did end up going on an Aconcagua trip a couple of years ago. Another freak coincidence (namely the airfare taking a huge jump the day I was going to buy the tickets) prevented us from going on that trip. It is scary to think about what could have happened had we ended up going on the trip.

Kim can’t do things like carry a huge pack, so even many moderate adventures are out. Although it may sound disappointing that we can’t do any of the trips such as the above, there are no regrets. Before we met, Kim hadn’t even been to the top of a mountain before. I consider myself very lucky that she even has had the patience to go with me to so many of the places we have been. We have had such good times together and she has enjoyed the ride as well. Being married (and having kids) is the best adventure I have ever had.

The questions that some have asked are along the lines that if I will still go to some of these places I have dreamed of without Kim. The answer is that with just a few exceptions that I probably will not. Last year’s medical bills were over

[JP]

I just think Justin goes way over the top considering that he runs the place, that's all.
Maybe he needs a new alternate identity
and tell me what a retarded, immoral, gay-loving atheist I am and it wouldn't bother me a bit.
What difference does it make if he calls himself "The Angel" and the content stays the same? Somebody needs to lighten up and get a thicker skin :popcorn:It's the Internet, no?

http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/kevinholman/WindowsLiveWriter/AtidbitontuningsomeSelfTuningthresholdmo_B435/image_8.png

[ibenick]

In retrospect, I shouldn't have brought up the fact that I think Sombeech goes way over the top in attacking the users of his site. My apologies.

Looks like the not spam votes have won but the margin isn't nearly as large as I would have hoped so I think I will not post the excerpts here. Any of you who would like to see my future TR's, you know where to find them (link in my signature).

[Scott P]

Yep and actually its easier than that when copying from another blog or news source. You can highlight the photos along with the text. Drag your mouse across them just like you would when you are copying text. Then simply past that into Bogley. Usually you'll have to preview your post and fix the spacing, but it is very quick. You can copy and paste images and text all in one chunk like this in Firefox and other modern browsers, I haven't tried in in IE yet. Can somebody verify? Below is Scott's latest TR that I copied and pasted from SP. It took about 30 seconds.


Boy, do I ever feel dumb.:oops: I've been making it much more complicated than it is.:oops: I'm glad I found out about it though, even though it does make me feel a bit foolish.

I still leave my post in this thread up instead of deleting it in case it might help someone else out.

Anyway, I'm leaving for a snowshoe trip with my son, but when I get back, I'll have several trips posted in Bogley format.:2thumbs:

[accadacca]

Boy, do I ever feel dumb.:oops: I've been making it much more complicated than it is.:oops: I'm glad I found out about it though, even though it does make me feel a bit foolish.

I still leave my post in this thread up instead of deleting it in case it might help someone else out.

Anyway, I'm leaving for a snowshoe trip with my son, but when I get back, I'll have several trips posted in Bogley format.:2thumbs:
Hey no prob Scott. I was thinking that we need a tutorial video showing this little trick. Its not really something you would know about unless you've tried it or your a geek like me.

Have a great trip and weekend. :2thumbs:

[Iceaxe]

I rarely click on links (TR's, Photos) that lead outside Bogley.

My thoughts on spam are.... if you have to ask.... it probably is....



In retrospect, I shouldn't have brought up the fact that I think Sombeech goes way over the top in attacking the users of his site. My apologies.

Mod Hat ON!

Just an observation.... When Bogley began there were a dozen other sites offering the same content... the thing that made Bogley different from everyone else is that Bogley is not always politically correct and offers a bonus "entertainment value" not found on other outdoor forums.

I know that is not everyones cup of tea, and some members have left over that fact. But in the long run that recipe has proven to be really popular and is one of the main reason Bogley was able to distance itself from other similar forums.

Bottomline.... the "edgy" format attracts a lot more members then it scares away..... :cool2:


Mod Hat OFF!

We can only please one person a day around here.... Today isn't your day.... Tomarrow doesn't look good either! :haha:

[stefan]

I rarely click on links (TR's, Photos) that lead outside Bogley.

My thoughts on spam are.... if you have to ask.... it probably is....



nah ... he's just gauging where folks draw the line and about their proclivity to explore links offsite. but it's been made clear, including by you, that if one is a frequent participant on bogley, it's cool to post links to one's site, even if it is a pay-per-view site.

[ibenick]

Indeed, to each his own. I can respect that.

I've got to say that it's really ironic coming from you, Shane. Most of your TR's are a picture or two linking back to a place where you have to PAY to look at the information. Seems a little more spammy than what I'm doing. Not faulting you for it, just pointing out the irony.

[Iceaxe]

I've got to say that it's really ironic coming from you, Shane. Most of your TR's are a picture or two linking back to a place where you have to PAY to look at the information. Seems a little more spammy than what I'm doing. Not faulting you for it, just pointing out the irony.

Who said I didn't SPAM?!?

It certainly wasn't me.... promoting my website is one of the reasons of why I'm here. Can't be more honest about it then that...

There is no irony at all.... what I said was "if you have to ask you already know the answer...."

[Iceaxe]

nah ... he's just gauging where folks draw the line and about their proclivity to explore links offsite. but it's been made clear, including by you, that if one is a frequent participant on bogley, it's cool to post links to one's site, even if it is a pay-per-view site.

My post was not aimed specifically at ibenick.... my post was more a statement about my thoughts on spam in general.

It's well known that one of the reasons many knowledgeable people participate on Bogley is to promote certain ethics and agenda's, in addition to pimping products and services. All are a form of spam, its just that some forms of spam are more subtle then others. Bogley is where the people are, so if you want to be heard this is where you post.

For anyone that cares here is the current official Bogley position on Spam (http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?38666).

[stefan]

My post was not aimed specifically at ibenick.... my post was more a statement about my thoughts on spam in general.

It's well known that one of the reasons many knowledgeable people participate on Bogley is to promote certain ethics and agenda's, in addition to pimping products and services. All are a form of spam, its just that some forms of spam are more subtle then others. Bogley is where the people are, so if you want to be heard this is where you post.

gotcha ... i attach a connotation to the word 'spam' which is that it is unwanted.

[tanya]

It's not spam when you are someone that contributes to the group and posts often. Linking to another forum however is more touchy. Site owners get possessive. I have had 4 so I know, but again when that person is a constant contributor I see no issue with it. Still I rarely visit links just because it takes so much time.

It's not spam giving links to your site to help people if you have a helpful site. What are you going to do? Give links to a lesser site? :lol8: Those with websites that have spent many, many years, lots of time, and money making their websites and even though they might get a few bucks they do it because they enjoy sharing what they love to do and they have something worth sharing. My youngest is so money oriented, he would never think of giving anything away. I told him I would leave him my site in my will and he starts thinking of ways to make money with it. :nod:

Most of us give a specific link to a specific page of help, even though in almost every case if that the person looking for info goes to google they are going to come up with that same link if they know what they want to find.

Why do you think Bogley wants those same people here? It's not because our wonderful, charming pain in the butt personalities. It's because we have put so much time and effort into writing about the outdoors and we can help people and give info all the time.

Like symbiotic parasites we are. :lol8:


Everyone that has some sort of site should have it in their signature. That's what they are there for right? So we don't have to keep writing our site url over and over. :bandit:

[tanya]

EDIT: Thank you for participating in the poll, I will not be posting the trip report excerpts anymore. No need to beat the horse any further. :mrgreen:

It has been brought to my attention that some might consider it to be spam to post a short excerpt of a trip report followed by a link to continue reading it on my personal, non-commercial blog.

Kind of like what I did in these two threads:

http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?46562-Ryder-amp-McPheters-Lakes-Uintas

http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?46646-Cottonwood-Canyon-Narrows-amp-GSENM-March-2009

So what do you think, is it spam? Personally I think it is still valuable to have the trip report linked here on Bogley so people can use it and so it can be included in the trip report indexes for when Bogley members are planning trips, etc. But that's just my opinion, what do you think?


I thought we were done long ago picking on you, and now targeted pay per view sites. :lol8:



BUT! That 10 to 13 vote confuses me too. I don't get it?

Conclusions I saw where....

1. People don't like to click on links, so lucky if anyone reads it. We are lazy.
2. But if you want to post like that its no big deal. Did I miss something?

[tanya]

"With regards to spam.... Those who provide value and participate in Bogley on a regular bases are allowed to promote outside interests, provided they keep it within reason."



That solves it for good! Everyone on this thread is a valued and participating Bogley person! :clap: There for WE ARE NOT SPAM!




I really feel I am spamming this thread by having the last 3 posts. Could someone put them all as one. lol


On 2nd thought most of us are too lazy to read a post that long. lol

[stefan]

uh oh, tanya's post made me reconsider. (i think i misread in haste)

oxford dictionary says

spam


1 (Spam)trademark a canned meat product made mainly from ham.
2 irrelevant or inappropriate messages sent on the Internet to a large number of recipients.


http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_us1292742#m_en_us1292742

so i'm back to disagreeing with shane and agreeing with tanya ... not spam

[tanya]

But! That quote I made was Shane's from his link above in this thread. :lol8: Not that I ever like to agree with Shane.





You are cute. :wink:

It's those dang long posts! Takes time to read so we scan. lol

[Deathcricket]

I wouldn't have Amazon ads on my site if I didn't want people to buy stuff through them but it's not at all my primary motivation. For the most part I just like posting trip reports, especially when it leads to new friends to go on trips with. I also like the community here on Bogley and I want to stay involved and contribute.....*Snipped cont* ..... So I think I'll keep posting the abbreviated TR's with the link if people appreciate it, if not, it doesn't bother me to only post it on my blog. I don't really care if I get 100 views on it or 1000. Honestly, I think I would prefer 100.




Looks like the not spam votes have won but the margin isn't nearly as large as I would have hoped so I think I will not post the excerpts here. Any of you who would like to see my future TR's, you know where to find them (link in my signature).

I demand an explanation. I'm so confused.

1. You first claim that you are doing this for the love of trip reports and don't care a thing about your trip website traffic.
2. You get several replies that indicate people hate the "teaser" format and don't click on your links.
3. Accadacca kindly then shows you an amazing way to copy your blog over that only takes 30 seconds.
4. You then chastise Iceaxe for doing the same thing as you, even though he likes getting paid for his content and has never said anything different.
5. You then state you will no longer post trip reports at all because half the people don't go to your website, which even you don't seem to care about. And you have a viable solution to make all your viewers happy.

Doesn't make sense at all. I actually read your trip report for the first time cause I thought it was the same one accadacca posted, and it was very good. I would have never seen it otherwise. I don't click on most outside links either. You know how many people post "just updated my blog, check it out on www.XXXX" and I visit and it's total crap? Once I see regular contributers have a blog I would subscribe/visit regularly or whatever. Our user LOAH in the fishing forum comes to mind. Even though I'm not an avid fisherman, he has literally the best trip reports I have ever seen and if he had a blog/website/whatever documenting his adventures I would be all over it in a heartbeat. The quality of your stuff is hella good man, hella good. but it sounds like your ego is getting in the way. Either you love to share your info and you post the entire thing here, there, and everywhere, for everyone to see. Or you are trying to drive traffic to your site and make a little money on the side through ads, subscription, whatever, and are now backing off bogley because it isn't an efficient use/promotion of your time. Either is a perfectly fine tactic, I support both ideals, but when you claim you don't care about traffic and then refuse to not post entire TR's it doesn't make sense. I guarantee you, not one person here is gonna cry that you put the whole TR up.

Hopefully you don't take this as flaming. I just think you're kinda confused about your motivations and I would love to see your great TR's on this site. I think you would benefit the community by being part of a network that appreciates the same things you do and in turn be a great contributor to us. So I want to better understand your motivations for choosing the way you did. I try to be understanding too. I myself don't post a lot of TR's because I hardly wear a helmet and it seems to open a can of worms and be a very sensitive subject for a lot of people. To each his own, but I think if you look better into your reasoning process you might change your mind. Either way I'll still visit your blog from time to time. Like I said before, I hit it by mistake due to accadacca's instructional post, but it turned out very good and I really liked what I saw.
:wink:

[ibenick]

Sorry if I was confusing, as the thread has progressed I've changed my mind a bit about whether or not I would keep posting TR's here but my motivations are still the same.


I demand an explanation. I'm so confused.

1. You first claim that you are doing this for the love of trip reports and don't care a thing about your trip website traffic.


100% true. I like posting trip reports and I don't care about my website traffic.



2. You get several replies that indicate people hate the "teaser" format and don't click on your links.


I'm not bothered by that, like I said earlier, if it's not worth clicking through to my blog they probably wouldn't have found it worth while to begin with. I would think that if its a blog they are familiar with, like if I did it frequently, it wouldn't be as bothersome.



3. Accadacca kindly then shows you an amazing way to copy your blog over that only takes 30 seconds.


I was already familiar with that process. It's what made it so painless to move my posts from here over to my blog. My goal in the blog is to be able to still post TR's but still have 100% control of it. It really scares me when I look through some old threads and how people's photos and trip reports have been treated by the admin of the site. I still want to share with Bogley users, but it's that and the one other thing that make me not want to actually post it on this website.



4. You then chastise Iceaxe for doing the same thing as you, even though he likes getting paid for his content and has never said anything different.


I wasn't chastising him, I was just pointing out the irony in him calling what I'm doing spam since he charges people. I even noted that I wasn't faulting him. And he fairly pointed out that he never claimed not to be spam.



Or you are trying to drive traffic to your site and make a little money on the side through ads, subscription, whatever, and are now backing off bogley because it isn't an efficient use/promotion of your time.


Not at all the case, my biggest motivation with TR's is to keep the circle going. I use other people's TR's to plan trips. I like to post my TR's to help other people. I don't care about the money because it would take one hell of a lot of visitors clicking on links to make that worthwhile. Also, I think pay subscription sites are crap.

When I look at the results of the poll it makes me believe that most people would probably rather not see it. Yes, 10 people say it is spam and 13 people say its not but the way I figure there are several hundred more people who didn't even bother to vote so they probably aren't that concerned either way. Add that indifference to the number of people calling it spam and it made me decide I would simplify things and just not post them here.

And thanks for the kind words about my site and TR's. :mrgreen:

[tanya]

Have no time to read the last 2 post and have to run to Richfield but I just wanted to say....


Promoting [ put just about anything here ] on a forum only leads to people asking for free or discounted stuff. None of us probably mind, but it's not a money maker. :wink:

[Deathcricket]

Thanks for the response, makes a bit more sense :)

I've personally never had a problem with the admins here or felt the need to control the content I put up on bogley in any way, shape, or form. I've met most of them in RL (real life) and really enjoyed their company. So that was the critical puzzle piece I was missing in your logic. My perceptions are completely different than you own. Good luck to ya.

P.S. I love that you take your doggie everywhere. I try to take my pitbull lots of places too, he has a blast as I'm sure yours does. :2thumbs:

[asdf]

i think youre all wrong
what bullshit

[ibenick]

I would be perfectly happy if this thread got deleted or locked down and sent to the basement never to be heard from again. What do I have to do, drop a bunch of f-bombs and start calling names?

[Deathcricket]

I would be perfectly happy if this thread got deleted or locked down and sent to the basement never to be heard from again. What do I have to do, drop a bunch of f-bombs and start calling names?

Wow, you really do have some "issues" with wanting control over threads. Good luck with that. :lol8:

[ibenick]

Wow, you really do have some "issues" with wanting control over threads. Good luck with that. :lol8:

Guess so, huh. But I doubt I'm the only one who's sick of this thread. Nothing to see here folks....

[Iceaxe]

I would be perfectly happy if this thread got deleted or locked down and sent to the basement never to be heard from again. What do I have to do, drop a bunch of f-bombs and start calling names?

This boy has been sheltered much too long. The Internet Hate Machine(tm) will make a man out of him.....

:duel:

[tanya]

Why is it that when some people join. You guys not only click on their blog, their flicker and any other hint they leave behind in the group where they can be found, and even google for every place they might be on the web!?!?!?!?!?































And for some reason 'they' are always female? :haha: