Survivalist Types

Every now and then we tend to group types of Internet
survivalist. I thought it would be entertaining to put a short list
together as I have seen them over the years and kind of think of them.
This thread is not directed at anyone in particular and if you see
yourself fitting the profile, it shouldn't be as a surprise.


*Average Joe*

This is by far the most common survivalist on the Internet. Joe
basically never considered himself a survivalist until he read
the Internet. Or endured some kind of crisis. Joe tends to see
self-preparation as simply logical. Joe prepares for the most likely
and mundane before preparing for EOTWAWKI. Joe has fire alarms,
CO detectors, a fire plan, a communication plan, some food and water
preps, home defense plan for common crimes, and decent to fair short
term power outage plan. Average Joe usually has excellent information
as he has read and considered a lot of information. However he isn't
one of the more entertaining personalities on the internet.


*Pete Repeat*

Pete can be found on most forms. Never writes any of his own material.
Just reposts articles or emails from other forums. Often leaves the
original writers email adress, along with the group name, and the
advertising at the top and bottom.

*Jeremiah Johnson*

Jeremiah is one of the oldest posting survivalist types and is
typically
found on the sites which have been in existence for ages. He sees
survival
through the rose colored glasses of 1840 and the classic mountain man.
His solution to most things leans towards minimal technology and
nature.
Jeremiah tends to shun technology and high tech gear. The fact the
average mountain man was lucky to live beyond age 35 is totally lost
on
him. All he needs to survive is a good knife. This is a loner type or
in
very small numbers. Though Jeremiah believes in guns as a defensive
weapon by far his tactic preference is guerilla in nature or avoiding
confrontation. Long-term food production, farming/husbandry, isn't on
his list of priorities for nature will supply his needs.


*Click and Zip*

This person is certain to post in Incredimail, or HTML. Very often
with a decorator background, and a photo at the bottom of the email.
This person never deletes the old text from the bottom of the emails.
Seldom writes a full sentence of new text. When two Click and Zips
have a conversation on an email list, the emails get up to ten pages
long, and may take as much as 50 to 100 KB of data space. Where a
plain text, properly trimmed email would take 3 to 5 KB, and one page.
Very often, reading two Click's emails, you'd think you were standing
next to two teenagers at the mall talking into cell phones.


*The Hermit *

The Hermit too is one of the older Internet survival types. This is
the
classic loner approach to survivalist. Having voted, camapigned, and
worked in the primaries he still sees no change for the better. So,
now, Hermit is in his
cave, compound, or bomb shelter while the
world goes to hell around me. He totally ignores that no man is
island.
His approach to society is to withdraw from it completely. Unlike
Jeremiah, the Hermit usually depends on long-term food production in
his
planning but not bartering. This type also favors the gun however
usually defensive only with a stratagem of shoot them first and let
God
sort them out. The Hermit usually gets along pretty well with the
Jeremiah on the Internet and is often found on the same sites. They're
there primarily for knowledge
but not really teach others for others don't fit in their personal
plans.


* Bottom Out*

This poster learned to use computers on bulliten boards, usenet, or
the old AOL. As such, he types his new text on the bottom, and people
have to scroll past several generations of indents and old forwarding
notations to get to his new text. Which is usually two or three words.



*Mr. Conspiracy *

Mr. Conspiracy has some secret knowledge
only known to him about this master plan to enslave human beings in
one
way or another. Often the source of knowledge is the Bible, but not
always. He often uses the words "They" and "Them" to describe
the unknown masterminds of this dastardly plan. He has a real problem
with authority and almost incapable of teamwork. Mr. Conspiracy is the
first to throw up the flag of revolution but probably the last to ever
partake. His take on survival is based on paranoia and fear. Nuclear
winter, a massive asteroid strike, civil war, government oppression,
and
EOTWAWKI in general are typically favorite topics. Given enough data
this guy would believe we didn't land the moon. Paranoia is his life
and
his tool. He's a very entertaining read on the Internet but really
offers little actual preparation information.


*Combat Wombat*

Mr. Wombat appears to post only when he can infalme or be offended by
someone. Often picks one or two forum members (typically Average Joe
or Jeremiah Johnson) to do battle. Seldom or never engages newbies in
combat, cause he's too busy trying to be the expert they worship. Uses
a variety of tactics, but the tip off is being highly offended when
anyone asks for evidence of his claims.

* The Gear Whore *

Gear sees the answer to all survival issues as equipment
or
gear. He usually has the best of the best brand name based on what
someone told him on the net was the best or the coolest image. Having
and collecting the gear is often more important than using it and
typically he's long on advice and short on practical experience. His
BOB
is typically at superhuman strength weight load. Although you can
typically count the times he's used his gear on one hand, he's quick
to
be the expert for after all he has the gear. Although he can quote
specification after specification on gear, he tends to fall short on
the
mundane such as cooking or even making a fire for there is little gear
involved. The Internet feeds the Gear Whore's ego and he seeks
attention
and approval of his approach.


* Lurker *

This fellow may be on many different forums. Seldom meets anyone in
person. Can be any level of preparedness, but we'd never know.


* Rambo *

Rambo sees survival as the gun. He typically has the state of the art
tactical hardware including weapon systems and vests but wouldn't last
a
week should Walmart close its doors. He lives for the invasion and
ultimate warfare. He looks towards this ultimate warfare as almost
romantics dream that he desires above all else. Oddly he is hardly
ever
a veteran. Rambo tends to lean towards weapons training almost to
exclusion of all other preparations. Although this site has had its
share, the majorities of Rambos is typically on the newer gun sites
and
often don't post in the Survival sections due to the mundane topic
matter. Rambo's favorite color is camo. Rambo's solution to survival
is
the gun and he doesn't even realize that if he implemented his plan
the
odds would be very high that he'd be shot on sight or hung from a
tree.


* Comic *

Seldom posts, but when he does, it's to post a joke.


* The Poser *

This is the most dangerous type on the net. The Poser is totally
convinced he knows the secret to survival and is the expert based
primarily on what he has read and not what he has lived. He is the
ultimate pretender for he believes it. They are the hardest to expose
unless you meet them. He won't be comfortable outdoors or using his
gear. He typically will have too much gear, and often the finest
tactical hardware. If this guy went hunting one day, he's the
expert. If he goes camping, he's the expert. Since his experience is
primarily on the Internet, he's one of the first to start his own site
or take a dominant role in a new site on the web. They tend to be long
on advice but seldom if ever actually meet
people. Usually a couple times they will since they believe their
expertise is real. After that they decline due to the negative
reactions. Anonymity is his ally and as he realizes the extent of
this
anonymity, his experience at least on the Internet becomes more
extensive. He seeks attention and admiration above all else even at
the
sake of reality. The Poser is often caught up in his lies and exposed
by
others. Posers often pretend to be authority figures, such as military
or police or fire department.


* Single Focus Sam *

This internet creature comes in all different colors. But, only one
color per Sam. This person only comes into the conversation when it's
his favorite topic. Sams come in Bugout, Weapons, Food, Water,
Shelter, or any of a bunch of colors. When the only tool in your tool
box is a hammer, every problem begins to look like a nail.


* Farmer Bob *

Way too few of this sort on the web. This is the guy who has dirt
under
his fingernails. He isn't planning for survival but living it on the
farm. He visits the Internet for tidbits of information but really
doesn't have time to spend a lot of time on the web. He's a fountain
of
information. If he's on the web, he tends to be all over it but seldom
a
notable web personality.


* Soldier of Surrender *

SOS is the fellow who packs up and leaves, often at the moment when
things are going well. About the time the forum is really busy with
activity, and things are getting interesting. The fellows are busy
debating and discussing, and a lot of learning is going on. At this
moment, SOS decides that the forum isn't "polite enough" or some such
standard. Sometimes just shuts down the forum, but usually gives
ownership to someone else.


* The Ships Captain *

This is Mr. Bugin is my only plan. Totally dedicated to "The Titanic
Syndrome" (my plan is invincible), he'll have unbelievable amounts of
supplies but about all his planning is lost with the striking of a
match. He's determined like the captains of a ship of yore to die with
his gear if the need calls for it. The Ships Captain approaches almost
every topic except the destruction of his home or the eventuality of
leaving it.


* Mr. Financial *

This guy sees finanical security as the secret to survival.
Historically
he has a good basis for his opinion. He's usually a good source of
information on financial planning but a tad short on anything outside
the home such as wilderness skills or bugging out. He tends to be more
practical with his most likely economic
scenarios.


* Robinson Coino *

With apologies to Robinson Crusoe. Having read Robinson Crusoe, he
remembers the moment when Robinson gave Friday a folding knife, and
Friday became his slave for life. Coino figures he can buy and sell
the world with a bag of gold coins, after the market collapses. Coino
bases his wisdom on present world economy "well, each gold coin is
worth $500" and doesn't realize that after folks get hungry, a bag of
potatoes is worth more than a gold coin. Can't eat gold.


* BOBby *

BOBby is very prevalent on the web. He sees his backpack as the
ultimate
survival tool and only tool anyone will ever need. He realizes the
need
for a prepared lifestyle but lacks the dedication to go beyond a
backpack. BOBby is usually new to the survival scene and not bad guy,
just inexperienced.


* Jaded *

Most posters become jaded with time and then many get over it but some
never do. They have learned to ignore the entertainment value of
survival forums and feel the information repetitive. Simply put, they
are bored. They tend to progress from high entertainment forums to
more
technical forums until they realize they are even more boring. Its
then
they either drop off the web or slowly go back to the high
entertainment
forum. The Jaded will often call for large volumes of technical
information not even realizing that should a forum be nothing but
lists
of information, they'd read it once and never read it again.


* The Newbie *

The Newbie has just come to realize being prepared is a wise thing to
do. He simply doesn't know where to start. Can be recognized by his
high volume of message posting. He's a delicate poster still
influenced by
non-preparation types. Early acceptance or disagreement heavily
influence
his decision to continue posting or not. He tends to approach topics
seen a million times before. Often the Newbie will come into the forum
with a single minded focus, typically on weapons or bugging out. The
Jaded tends to be his nemesis since
they bored with the topics. Either that, or Jaded and Farmer Bob can
help Newbie to see that there is more to survival than just a military
rifle, or a bug out bag. Every Newbie has the potential to be
become
one of the other personas. He is essential, for every fresh eyes
approach to
even an old topic reveals new information. His threads are usually a
wealth of information if you take time to see it for every time you
review the basics, you are actually reviewing your own preparations.
Many of the old forums don't have patience with the Newbie and is why
they are so stagnant. You see survival isn't an elite club but a way
of
life.


* The Heckler *

Last and by no means least is the Heckler. This guy visits the
survival
forums just so he can feel superior making light of others. The
Heckler
thinks most survivalist are nutcases and finds what he perceives as
their ramblings entertaining. He thinks by ridicule he gains Internet
personality status and does not see survival forums as information
sources. They live their lives comfortable in their safe zone
confident
their world will never be shattered and anyone who tries to tell them
it
will be shattered has to be a nutcase. The media often heavily
influences the Heckler or what is popular. Truth be known, they will
probably be the first one loaded on a bus in a crisis.


* Summation *

It's a combination of these personas that give a survival forum its
entertainment factor. It's the core of this entertainment that keeps
bringing people back to read and to post. Otherwise, we'd all just go
to
the library or browse the net for specific topics. Like a soap opera
where you have characters you love to hate, they draw the reader to
come
back like a light draws bugs. For the average reader, its actually an
enlightening experience to realize that the entertainment factor in a
forum is what brings them back to the forum. All of the personas play
a
role.









.

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