Just how representative are we?

[Athy]

I do not have a CWF sticker, indeed I was not aware that I could get them, though I remember their being proposed some time ago. I have probably passed lots of members without knowing who they were. One or two keen avatar spotters have sometimes hailed me because they've recognised my purple and cream boat, such moments are most gratifying though they do tend to happen when our boats are travelling in opposite directions reasonably swiftly, so exchanges of greetings tend to be brief!

Paul NL, comments about spelling and grammar tend to be aimed at people whom we know are articulate and educated, because they've made a howler or because their fingers are not having a good relationship with their computer keyboard that day. Sometimes a new member joins who obviously does have problems with writing coherent English; I think that most of us recognise that and don't try to take the weewee.

Edited March 4, 2014 by Athy

[MtB]

CWF cannot be 'representative' as on any given subject opposing views are usually expressed.

 

On the other hand, on any given subject this seems to be a damned good place to read pretty much each and every possible point of view. So rather than being representative, it's a very good place to educate yourself on a subject in order to develop an opinion of your own.

 

MtB

[magnetman]

And a place to learn a whole load of new acronyms

[Athy]

And a place to learn a whole load of new acronyms

....or dismiss them as irrelevant and read past them because one doesn't know that they mean. I tend to look on them as sneezes interrupting otherwise sensible sentences.

[carlt]

CWF cannot be 'representative' as on any given subject opposing views are usually expressed.

Surely that means it is representative of all boaters and their widely differing views?

 

If only one view is expressed then it is not representative.

 

Quite what use that is is debatable though.

[Rebotco]

 

I'm pretty confident you cannot make a direct correlation between whether somebody lives aboard or not and whether that makes them more experienced and knowledgeable about boating sorry.

 

For one thing I am sure there are some leisure boaters (some of whom are members here) who must travel on their boats at least as far (if not much further) than some live aboard boaters travel in any given year, Alan Fincher and Naughty Cal spring to mind as two contenders......

 

I beg to differ.

Of course there are always exceptions, but that does not invalidate my broader assertion.

It seems self evident to me that folk who live on the cut 365 days a year are likely to have more knowledge and experience than those like myself who can only manage, say 20 - 30 days a year.

[MtB]

In my experience of talking to boaters I'd say, albeit with some notable exceptions, the CCer liveaboards are usually reasonably well informed about most boating matters. Marina dwellers tend to be the complete opposite, very broadly speaking.

 

 

MtB

[Wanted]

I don't need a sticker, I can oft be found running up the tow path shouting 'I'm Wanted, I'm Wanted!'

 

Nobody stops to say hello tough...

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

 

I beg to differ.

Of course there are always exceptions, but that does not invalidate my broader assertion.

It seems self evident to me that folk who live on the cut 365 days a year are likely to have more knowledge and experience than those like myself who can only manage, say 20 - 30 days a year.

Yes,I possibly aggree that those people living on the cut 365 day a year may have more knowledge,,of the cut,,

But I dosnt necessarily mean they have more knowledge of say Boats,or Boating,or Boat systems ect.

I livaboard,& have done for 26yrs,,but know very little about the cut/canals.

And even less about my interpretations of CCing ect.,I'm still learning.

[Guest]

Yes,I possibly aggree that those people living on the cut 365 day a year may have more knowledge,,of the cut,,

But I dosnt necessarily mean they have more knowledge of say Boats,or Boating,or Boat systems ect.

I livaboard,& have done for 26yrs,,but know very little about the cut/canals.

And even less about my interpretations of CCing ect.,I'm still learning.

This is pretty much my point.

 

The activity of boating covers a huge range of issues that does not just not cover matters related to living on a boat.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Absolutely DH,,& MTB

That's why it's important to have a place like this forum,so all sorts of people,from all sorts of lifestyle backgrounds can post an opinion on any given subject,,some are going to be right,,some not so right, But it gives the reader some info so they can make sense of it all in there own minds,,just like anything else in life.

now I'm off for a Pancake.

[Penelope]

I didn't know you could get a sticker!

 

I really like this forum, it is better than a FB page to me because I can source loads of info on loads of topics all in the same place.

 

I think some people do have a point about the cross section of views on debatable subjects being rather narrow, but that doesn't lessen the fun in reading them, it's all information at the end of the day. Not many places even on the Internet to read up to the minute news as it is happening on our waterways.

 

I have joined a number of FB groups relating to canal boating and the only one similar to this forum for variety of topics discussed and up to the minute info is London Boaters.

[matty40s]

When on my boaty travels, which at the moment are few, I can count the number of forumites I meet on one hand, excluding banters.

 

Since joining CWDF in 2008 I have only seen 3 other boats with CWDF stickers. Yes I realise that many may not want to.

IMHO I do not feel we are representative of the wider canal world.

Well , I have seen your boat go past and you weren't on it........

Edited March 4, 2014 by matty40s

[Bettie Boo]

IMHO the diversity of this forum is Brilliant! It doesn't matter what your question or concern is, you will get a wide variety of answers and opinions. Some of these are Very useful, some not so much, loads of humor interjected and a fair amount of camaraderie ta-boot.

 

The real trick is to cruise the forum before jumping in and make you mind up about who seems to know what they are talking about, who "thinks" they know what they are talking about, who wants others to believe they know what they are talking about and those that just stir things up.

 

Loads of members have general knowledge and then there are some with specialist knowledge; thankfully for us novices these people are willing to freely share their knowledge. I really can't imagine the trouble we would have managed to get ourselves into if it had not been for some really good advice received from members of this discussion forum.

 

I think the breadth of knowledge that members of this forum have access to represents many of the different faucets to do with boating; ranging from buying advice, what to look for and look out for, repairs, general trouble shooting, different canal systems and what they have to offer, and where to find out info, and so many links to contacts for every and anything to do with boating.

 

You guys are great, you should give yourselves a pat on the back. IMHO

 

ETA = how does one go about getting a sticker? not that anyone could really miss us coming at them unless the sun was in their eyes

Edited March 4, 2014 by Bettie Boo

[sueb]

I feel many boaters don't use the internet and therefore aren't represented at all.

[matty40s]

I feel many boaters don't use the internet and therefore aren't represented at all.

So how many of the circa 35000 boats registered with CRT owners do you think don't use the internet Sue??

[junior]

I don't have a sticker. I've met loads of forum members in the 6 months I've been on the cut. Not one of them had a sticker.

[matty40s]

I don't have a sticker.

 

edited to add - yes I do, I have a Ski Cairngorm sticker from 1980, something I have dragged through life with me.

....and if anyone's a ski-er, get up there, more snow than any year since the 1940-s above 2200 feet - working out how I can do it myself.

Edited March 4, 2014 by matty40s

[Tuscan]

So how many of the circa 35000 boats registered with CRT owners do you think don't use the internet Sue??

Quite a large percentage I suspect although I have no evidence to support my guess beyond personal observation.

[carlt]

I feel many boaters don't use the internet and therefore aren't represented at all.

That is, of course, a difficult obstacle for the forum to overcome.

 

Perhaps Daniel could breed some carrier pigeons to collect posts from those who choose not to be online.

[b0atman]

This is an open forum with instant questions and answers and is the way to go instead of meetings attended by the hardcore members with out of date news magazines containing members letters with replies in next mag . The control seems to be very good on this forum with just a few idiots determined to change thread of subjects.

Therefore I would say raise a valid question and you will get a reply or opinion from a good cross section of Boaters

[Keeping Up]

Different boaters are qualified to comment on different things. I have met plenty of boaters who have lived on their boats for years but have only passed through one or two locks in their lifetime and have never been further than 10 miles from their usual mooring; I would regard them as being admirably qualified to comment on aspects of life afloat but definitely not qualified to comment on lock maintenance, tunnel etiquette, or maybe not even visitor moorings. On the other hand I have a house as well as a boat so I only spend 6 months of each year travelling, but in that time I travel about 1500 miles a year across the whole system. In the past 45 years I have cruised over 20000 miles so there are some (just some) aspects of boating where I feel that my opinion is valid although in the past I have been told on this Forum that my views count for nothing because I do not live on board.

 

As to how representative this Forum is, I do feel that there is a bias against the shiny boat owner who only cruises occasionally; but despite this it is more representative than any other identifiable group or association, and it does offer a platform upon which anyone may reasonably present their views provided that they are able to defend them against a robust challenge.

[Kiwidad]

I don't have a sticker.

 

edited to add - yes I do, I have a Ski Cairngorm sticker from 1980, something I have dragged through life with me.

....and if anyone's a ski-er, get up there, more snow than any year since the 1940-s above 2200 feet - working out how I can do it myself.

 

I had a sticker, but Matty stole it

[alan_fincher]

I don't need a sticker, I can oft be found running up the tow path shouting 'I'm Wanted, I'm Wanted!'

 

Nobody stops to say hello tough...

 

You should worry.

 

I've turned up somewhere only to have people throw open their hatches shouting "You're not Wanted!"

[kris88]

i think theres a good cross section of internet savy boaters on here, both shiny boats and non shiny boats. But definately more boaters than floaters