Good Morning!

Most mornings I have a routine, browse the internet while I drink my cup of coffee and get ready for the day, I am one of those that is up at 4AM most days, whether I like it or not so typically have some time to kill before I need to get busy with any real work. I try to stay away from mainstream news as that's simply a great way to ruin your day, before it even begins. There are few moments in time where my head isn't to some degree focused on fishing, so naturally it's sites like these where I typically wind up... If you haven't seen the article with the link to the YouTube video about the young man starting his lemonade stand to save up money to open his own bait shop, it's a must see, sure to brighten your day!

This morning I was reading an article here on the site about this being the 30 year anniversary of the website, it also mentioned the fact this site is and has been one of the pioneers of digital media in the Bass angling world, which first and foremost is awesome, congratulations on that for sure. This got me to thinking though, many of you are old enough to remember when we didn't have such things like cell phones, a functioning internet, fishing forums, social media, etc... My first encounter with what I guess one would consider social media was the old AOL chat rooms, there used to be one or two that were supposed to be focused on fishing, but in reality it was mostly the same group of folks that liked to fish, just on there shooting the bull in a Friendly manner. I don't think I ever once saw arguing or anything of the sort. Then came the forums, seemingly there was a huge boom of anglers using the internet to learn about fishing, show off their catches and in time, the feuding began. Some forums had a lot less than others and many, all in all were a pleasant experience. Then came Facebook, Instagram, etc... and it really seemed to take away from most forums, many have shut down that once existed and pretty much all of them have less use than they did in their haydays. The only one I ever visit anymore is this one, and I honestly have been spending more time on here as of late than likely ever before. Nonetheless, these forums played a huge role in shortening the learning curve for anglers, when I was a kid, I remember going to the movie rental store and renting every fishing VHS they had, I would sit for hours watching the likes of Al Linder, etc... and would literally take notes, more detailed notes than I ever did for any school projects, LOL Nowadays, the amount of information out there is staggering, far exceeding what I had available as a kid, but has that been a good thing for angling? One could argue that it has added to the toxicity of our need for instant gratification in modern society. That being said, the constant need to outdo your fellow anglers by posting more and better photos on platforms like Instagram has most definitely done far more harm than any amount of information would ever do. We have lost a lot of the mystery that angling once had and if you so choose, you can really hurt your ability to explore new waters as nowadays, you can probably find a detailed video on how to fish your favorite lake on YouTube, complete with aerial images, etc... Seemingly we explore with our fingertips more so than actually going out and adventuring like was once common practice, at our roots, anglers are but explorers with a fishing pole in hand, are we not? Is this what is missing in modern angling that is leading to less and less people doing it?

There are a number of Facebook groups that exist that have largely turned into nothing more than a glorified excuse to argue with others, the last time I went to one of the groups I am a member of, it was comment after comment, guys fighting over eating Bass and folks that do so, etc... Just so much raw anger, which you see that more and more in modern society. You also have to take into account, many of those accounts we now know might not even be humans, it's insane to think about how much time human beings waste every single day, arguing with bots or some person sitting in a far away land with no other goal than to make folks mad and cause chaos. As if that wasn't enough, we now have AI, which has created a scenario where we don't even know if what we are seeing anymore on social media is real. Crazy stuff!!!

All things considered, what social media has become has really lost its luster for me and I suspect others are of the same ideology. I might be a Dinosaur in this thought process, but to me there is something much more special about the written word than a video on YouTube, it's sad to think that 20 years from now, we may not even write any longer, ever. My Stepdaughter was never even taught cursive in school, most printed angling publications nowadays are more advertising than content, the last few years, it has even seemed like writing may be a thing of the past.

To the point, have we come full circle where social media is on its way out? Maybe well managed forums like these will be the new norm once again, or do you think folks will sputter out and become so self-involved that in time, the only form of anglers helping anglers will be where they stand to make a buck with a YouTube channel or something along those lines? While I don't foresee printed magazines ever coming back to where they once were, I do hope a hybrid system like a site of this nature is going to become much more coveted, especially as AI and angry people continue to destroy the legitimacy of most social media.

They once said in a song that video killed the radio star, they forgot the part where it went on to kill everything else too, LOL

Anyways, just some random thoughts on this fine morning. Thoughts?

Sincerely,

The artist formerly known as Goby... "New site software allows you to change your username. "

Agreed with a lot of what you’re saying. I only watch local news & that’s just to catch local weather. I’m fine not knowing the latest of what’s going on in the world & not a fan of politics.

This site is my main source for bass fishing related topics. I used to frequent fishing forums for the state of MS, but they eventually shut down. I’m not a fan of social media either.

I don’t do social media other than view an occasional instructional video. I’m good with just reading a couple forums like this one.

I do however like smart tv’s, and my smart watch. Bought a new car, it has way more tech then I care to understand, can’t imagine what it’ll be like getting another new one in 10 years when I’m 80, going to have to hire a pilot.

4 minutes ago, padlin said:

I don’t do social media other than view an occasional instructional video. I’m good with just reading a couple forums like this one.

I do however like smart tv’s, and my smart watch. Bought a new car, it has way more tech then I care to understand, can’t imagine what it’ll be like getting another new one in 10 years when I’m 80, going to have to hire a pilot.

I will admit, I am a fan of my smart TV, I had never owned a TV in over a decade until the possibility of lockdowns came about when Covid began, we bought one of the last TV's the local appliance store had, I don't watch a lot of TV, but there are a few shows my Wife and I enjoy... I like YouTube a lot as well, some great stuff on there we would never know or see if it wasn't for some very dedicated content creators. If you ever need to fix your vehicle, there is almost certainly a video on how to replace that part or whatever, not everything about video or technology is bad for sure. While I don't love seeing smaller lakes named on videos, etc... all in all, I think there is a lot of good fishing content on there as well, just don't want to see it completely replace written articles is all.

We took our nieces to Disney a few weeks back and we rented a Chevy Suburban to take everyone down there in. I got about a mile down the road and the thing started trying to drive itself, had me all kinds of confused and almost wrecked it LOL Way way too much technology for me... Not to mention those giant screens on the dash so many cars have nowadays really kill your ability to see well at night... I did like the cruise control that automatically controls the distance you are from the car ahead of you, that was nice...

Social media is nothing but a toxic soup of misinformation and hatred that is leading to the decay of society.

Best to just avoid it completely.

FYI I do not consider an outdoors forum to be mainstream social media. Especially one like this that has guardrails in place to prohibit it from turning into other ones I won't name.

20 minutes ago, gim said:

Social media is nothing but a toxic soup of misinformation and hatred that is leading to the decay of society.

Best to just avoid it completely.

FYI I do not consider an outdoors forum to be mainstream social media. Especially one like this that has guardrails in place to prohibit it from turning into other ones I won't name.

I definitely agree it has become quite toxic. It definitely didn't used to be nearly as misleading, this whole AI stuff has really really increased that, I read that many entities are intentionally spreading as much false information as possible in an effort to slow the development of competing companies AI systems. So now we have gone way beyond just the political BS to everyday normal stuff that is being misrepresented. Kinda scary or concerning at the least...

Your point about arguing with bots or paid-to-sow-chaos people in other countries hit home. I think there's a lot of that. Way too much of that.

I also miss fishing magazines and magazines in general. I've written for scores of them, but they're nearly all gone. I used to be the travel writer for Canoe & Kayak magazine and I had two columns with them, one where readers would tell me why they loved a particular boat and another about paddling with a pooch. I also did features like this one, which was nominated for an award:

https://www.mensjournal.com/travel/wrong-canoe-right-stuff

Because Canoe & Kayak no longer exists, the story was transferred to Men's Journal, but my byline wasn't.

Anyway, I agree that gentility has been broadly lost and I attribute much of this to the fall of the gatekeepers. There have always been angry people, but editors used to only publish readers' reactions that were civil. Now, everyone gets to publish their words, even bots and dedicated agitators.

Bass Resource works because of the mods and it also works because of Glenn's gentle guidance.

@Peninsular You said what I've been thinking for a long time. I'm glad you said it because I wouldn't have the words like you. Thank you!

In my opinion this social media crap is gonna get worse. It is ruining our world. Too many people don't have the critical thinking skills or the ability to think for themselves to tell the difference between right and wrong, truth or lies.

It's hard for me to be optimistic anymore.

I have a lot of thoughts but in this rare instance, I think simplification might benefit my message.

Social media is a mirror. Yes a mirror can hurt - especially when you don’t like what you’re seeing. But mirrors aren’t evil - they just reflect what’s already there.

Are mirrors dangerous? Hardly. But sometimes what we see is overwhelming and unsettling - what we do with that feeling is what counts.

Social media is a choice just like sugar or occasionally looking in the mirror and what we do with the information is also a choice. I think it’s just shining a light on exactly how unsavory the world has become.

Social Media has become a backed up sewer for cowards, keyboard warriors, and troublemakers to show off without even revealing their real names if they choose. People use foul language, lie, and make remarks about others while knowing they won't get sued or punched, safely hiding behind a keyboard; I'm only scratching the surface.

I applaud Bass Resource for having rules and enforcing them.

33 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I have a lot of thoughts but in this rare instance, I think simplification might benefit my message.

Social media is a mirror. Yes a mirror can hurt - especially when you don’t like what you’re seeing. But mirrors aren’t evil - they just reflect what’s already there.

Are mirrors dangerous? Hardly. But sometimes what we see is overwhelming and unsettling - what we do with that feeling is what counts.

Social media is a choice just like sugar or occasionally looking in the mirror and what we do with the information is also a choice. I think it’s just shining a light on exactly how unsavory the world has become.

I definitely agree with this, I would just add that over time, the manner in which folks have interacted with social media has most definitely changed. Not all bad though. It also doesn't really take into account a large number of users on said platforms are now, fake. Yes, you can choose to be altered by that or not, but it most definitely makes it straight up weird to me anyway. The fighting, etc... you can most definitely just browse right past that, but the fake part is just really out there to me and makes me have more value in something like a site like this that is actually managed. I guess that was the real meaning of my post, amongst the rambling lol

If we are going to use the mirror as an analogy, modern social media would be more like a fun house mirror lol

Another reason why I really, REALLY like this site and the people who frequent BR. What a great topic to explore...thanks @Peninsular.

Media is so interesting, fascinating, and scary...all at the same time. I don't watch legacy media news any more. About the only TV I do watch is sports, mainly football. Oh, I do hang with the wife and watch a few streaming series we are interested in.

I am very careful what information I do consume, and where it comes from.

Mark Twain's quote keeps resonating in my ears...

"If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed; if you do, you're misinformed."

4 minutes ago, Peninsular said:

I definitely agree with this, I would just add that over time, the manner in which folks have interacted with social media has most definitely changed. Not all bad though. It also doesn't really take into account a large number of users on said platforms are now, fake. Yes, you can choose to be altered by that or not, but it most definitely makes it straight up weird to me anyway. The fighting, etc... you can most definitely just browse right past that, but the fake part is just really out there to me and makes me have more value in something like a site like this that is actually managed. I guess that was the real meaning of my post, amongst the rambling lol

If we are going to use the mirror as an analogy, modern social media would be more like a fun house mirror lol

I’d say the world is a fun house unfortunately. 😢

Social Media: Have we come full circle?

The first true social media platform, Six Degrees, was launched in 1997,

followed by influential platforms like Friendster and MySpace in the early 2000s.

It's hard for me to believe that this deal is anywhere close to full circle.

It's not even 30 years old.

I have socks older than that.

🧦

A-Jay

One advantage of social media is you get to know your fellow posters over time. For example, I know where @Pat Brown and @Lottabass fish. Pat has sent me overhead photos of one of his fishing holes and I've seen dozens of photos of where Al fishes. So, when I view their many big fish, they're in context, so that when they opine, their opinions are weightier. Specifically, Pat fishes pounded, public water, often from the bank, so when he catches an eight, nine, or ten-pounder, that bass doesn't compare to a DD caught with FFS at O.H. Ivie from a tricked-out bass boat. Al fishes from a dinky boat, which he launches at the end of a pasture road, but he has a track record of landing beautiful fish trip after trip after trip, in hot weather and cold.

Contrast this with a guy who posts at Instagram with zero context. Anyone with deep pockets can throw money at a guide to put them on big bass. Anyone with deep pockets can buy the electronics that work as shortcuts to finding bass. Not everyone can consistently catch big bass in city ponds or from dinky boats. Knowing the back stories of Bass Resource anglers tells me who catches bass the old-fashioned way, who have eeeaaarned them. And this is a big advantage of social media.

13 minutes ago, DaubsNU1 said:

Mark Twain's quote keeps resonating in my ears...

"If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed; if you do, you're misinformed."

As a retired journalist, I don't think that most people understand what journalists do. In short, we listen. We find a source, listen, record, and report. If it's an important story, we confirm that source.

P. S. - A website like Bass Resource also tells us the latitude of where bass are caught and that's vital information. A six-pounder I catch only equals a six-pounder caught in Florida on the scale, but not in rarity, which is why In-Fisherman gives its Master Angler awards to 6.5-pound largemouth caught in the north, but to win the same award, you have to catch a 10-pounder in Florida. You guys know I live in Maine, so weigh my fish accordingly.

18 minutes ago, DaubsNU1 said:

Mark Twain's quote keeps resonating in my ears...

"If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed; if you do, you're misinformed."

Times and technology change. People don't. I try to keep my focus on my final destination and not worry much about worldly stuff. It's a peaceful way to roll.

I can't comment on social media as a whole, I don't participate in it other than my 2 - 3 month per year I spend here. I'm still working and really don't need employers or anyone close to me, for that matter, snooping in on me. Just stay in my lane and let others have their day on the "interwebz". That doesn't mean that I don't maintain an eye or ear out as to what's going on in the world around me either. I'm not that insulated, quite the contrary. I still think it's important to at least have some knowledge with current events.

You do you ppl

I've been on forums or groups of one type/purpose or another since 1998 or 1999. Topics range from fishing/rod building and hunting to photography, scuba diving, lawn care, sports, and others. I think the first was actually an email dlist for flyfishing before forums (like this format) were available. I have been in various specialist facebook groups (local/regional forums, product specific stuff, etc). In my 25+ years of doing this, a couple things I've learned:

1- People will be people. In society you have a broad range of people and like noted above, the internet is just a mirror of the people in the real world. There are tons of great people. There are also a bunch of jagoffs.

2- The group, the moderation, the rules, and the transparency all make the difference. Just go on any 'unmoderated' place and look at people's behavior when there are no checks and everyone is 'anonymous'. Heck, look at how some people behave in well moderated forums (and how quickly some people get booted in those places) to see what's "possible". Maybe the first best example I experienced was rodbuilding.org. Rule #1 is that you must you use actual first and last name. It is amazing how well people behave when your real name is put to what you are writing. Strong moderation like here or Upland Journal (hunting forum) is great. A few forums I used to partake in (and a lot of the facebook groups I joined) do not have that and I don't go there anymore.

3- Decide what you want from the place you're putting your time. Are you looking to learn something, help someone, kill time, stir trouble? There's a forum for that. Want to get wound up about something and argue with someone? Want to show off/brag about your 'thing' be it a big fish, fancy truck, or perfect score? There's a place for that. For me, I don't want any of that. I have no time for the negativity or trolling. I want to be in a place where good people are helping others and sharing experiences. I've stopped going to a bunch of forums and left a bunch of groups because of the crap it turned into. And I'm happier for it.

@casts_by_fly, thanks for your post.

Dumped everything but here. This is well moderated and really nice people on here Really enjoy talking to people on line about Bass fishing. The F B groups turned into trash and AI. So let’s keep BR real. Love it here

I don't know....I'd say not circular....nor linear. 90s USENET and ICQ had antagonistic morons, too. They just couldn't reach/affect as many weak minds as today's platforms. I've always been pretty full-on libertarian for most things, but I do appreciate some moderation in e-spaces since civility and respect aren't nearly as universal as I think they should be.

I've met some good friends through social media so it's not all bad. I only follow fishing though and it's mostly locals. On the water I tend to stay far away from other fishermen so without the online space I would probably have zero fishing friends.

My first social media site was a dirt riding one in So Cal until it went to facebook. Same with a few more I was active in. My wife tells me about the stupid/mean things people or bots say on other sites and I don't go there. Thanks Glenn.

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

As a retired journalist, I don't think that most people understand what journalists do. In short, we listen. We find a source, listen, record, and report. If it's an important story, we confirm that source.

This is how a journalist should be, most that have any notable platform today seem more accustomed to shocking headlines and skewing information one way or another. 9/10 a quick google search can discredit most of what I read and if not give it a few weeks and it will be discredited. It's nearly impossible to get truthful and unbiased news and reports anymore.

I had about 3 paragraphs written out that I just deleted...I'm going to pull a page from @Pat Brown book on this and keep it simple.

While we gained a lot of rubbish with social media and the rise of youtube we have also gained a lot of valuable information from it. World news, influences, the latest Kardashian information is almost always a waste of time, especially in the age of AI. On the same side, how to perform car maintenance on your specific vehicle, bass fishing techniques, shooting skill information, gardening information, home improvement, etc. has gained us infinitely easy access to skills that would take hours, weeks, months to learn when you either had to scour books or find the right person to talk with.

That, is also the downfall and what I believe contributes to the slums we see throughout social media and how people behave towards one another. With how easy it is to look up stuff we no longer rely on our neighbors, communities, etc. for learning and help. It's filled a hole while creating another. Erode the human part of it and we get what we have been seeing. I'm relatively young, but still plenty old enough to see what its been doing.

I’ve never done the social media thing. If this is considered social media, it’s the only social media platform I am a part of. Im generally not a social person so to be on social media just to socialize with strangers is the opposite of a good time to me. Throw in politics, keyboard badasses, and now AI slop, social media seems like it was designed specifically as a Jar11591 repellant.

But when I first came across BR some 15 years ago, I immediately joined and felt like it was where I belonged. And Glenn and the mods have kept this place up perfectly. This site and community is such a diamond in all the poop.