Seeing this from both the new member side and a person who has been here for a while, I would like to clear up why people get flamed for mentioning certain topics.
When I had heard that there was a Zombie Survival Handbook I bought it and read it; and I enjoyed it -- it does have some good ideas and nice perspectives. The book is the reason that I searched the internet for a site dedicated to zombie survival and preparedness. Upon finding this site I was eager to learn from the others here, and upon lurking I found that this book along with some topics generated lot of aggression. After being here for a while I can see and feel the reason. The issues are not with the book itself but with the newer members that think that a website full of people who have immersed themselves in zombie lore for years, have somehow overlooked it.
Nothing angers someone as much as when they are discussing the beginnings of a plague that could wipe out human existence as we know it, only to have someone come in and mention how the virus already exists and is named Solanum. This is like professors discussing time travel possibilities only to have a student on the first day of class smugly state that "time travel machines already exist" and that "The Time Machine by H. G. Wells proves it." There is nothing quite like someone jumping in and killing a good conversation with ignorance. That the book the "fact" was quoted from is fiction is only one level of ignorance, but to not recognize how it insults the intelligence of the person that began the conversation is another.
If you have any information on "new or current" diseases that could cause an outbreak by all means bring them up in a forum post. Discuss them, but always use the search function to see if one of us beat you to it. If you want to discuss without being flamed, discuss it in a forum in a respectful way, as one wishing to encounter a number different perspectives.
Other topics that are equally enraging are:
- Best or Worst Weapons
- AK47
- Katanas
- FUBARS
- Crowbars
- Zombie Biology & Existentialism
- Looting
Best (or Worst) Weapon
The reason for the rage over the use of the "best" weapon is the fact that everyone is different, and it has been hammered home hundreds of times. On top of the fact that everyone is different, we are all going to be in different scenarios and will have to make do with the tools at hand. I am a big guy I could functionally use a 45 lb. dumbbell as a weapon, but I don't advise it for everyone. However, someone may be new and, having played the game "Dead Rising," may have enjoyed using a dumbbell as a weapon and come on the site claiming that it is "the best weapon for a zombie apocalypse." This is just as absurd as stating any weapon is the best, and someone is guaranteed to point it out.
AK47, Katana, FUBARS, Crowbars and all other specific weapons
An AK47 may be your favorite gun, but it cannot be the "best" gun, as not everyone can use it due to physical limitations, experience, availability, and availability of ammunition. A Katana may be your Favorite sword -- it looks cool to you, and has been glamorized by movies -- however, the look and the function of something may be different. If you do not shell out a lot of money for a high quality sword then the reliability may be questionable and knowing how to use one efficiently takes time. Granted, anyone could pick up a sharpened sword and do damage to something (grab the dull end swing the sharp end, jab with the pointy end) but without taking time to know the strengths and weaknesses of your weapon, you should not claim it is your preferred weapon, and you still should never claim it is the "best" weapon.
A classic book may seem to be an absolutely worthless item to have on you come Z day. One may ask themselves “how could I kill a zombie with that" but we are talking about survival. thus there are multiple uses for a book from entertainment to toilet paper or fire starting, also depending on the size it could be used a a makeshift shield against attack (I would much rather shove the spine of a book in a zombie's face when trying to get past it as opposed to just hoping I am fast enough).
Zombie Biology & Existentialism
When someone starts a zombie debate with “the only type of zombie that could exist” and proceeds to disregard all other possibilities for zombies as ridiculous. There are many types of zombies described on this site they can generally be broken down into two categories, the “28 days later Zombie” (AKA runners, sprinters, or living/Rage Zombie) and the “Romero Zombie” (AKA shambler or walking dead). One can have preference as to which they believe is more likely to exist, but disregarding someone else’s opinion on the subject is rude, as they are currently humoring yours. I have seen these arguments break out into full on wars that both sides end up taking personally and the whole thing ends with all parties involved looking like morons. The fact is we are preparing for something that has not yet happened -- a cataclysmic event -- to suggest it will happen this way or that is like saying "the world will end by falling into the sun; but anyone that thinks the world will end by falling out of orbit and away from the sun is stupid LOLZ."
A few other things that are annoying and will get you flamed:
Referring to Magazines as "clips" (this was what got my first seal of disapproval from The Mighty Sanchez.)
Double Posting
Double posting is annoying and there is no excuse for it. There is an edit button for a reason. Editing your information will move you to the top of the "Recent Posts" block, but this is preferable to looking like you cannot form correct sentences. Additionally, if someone has already responded to your post, it may throw off the flow of the conversation for a few replies but it is worth it.
Defending Your Opinion Excessively
You must remember: people can agree to disagree. Just because someone does not have your views, be them political or not, there is no reason to take it too personal. I have seen new people insult the admins and the admins graciously do nothing more than state that we are arguing opinions and point out how the person can be wrong. It also makes you look like a douche bag 99% of the time. This generally goes with the above best and worst debates.
Excessive Content
Occasionally there is a user that is so incredibly happy with finding this site that they decide to use all the functionality possible in one day and post as many posts as they absolutely can and we find the "recent post" area filled with the above topics and transgressions. The points you get from posting really don’t matter. Don’t compare points with other users, the points that they have doesn’t mean that they posted quality topics or documents.
Not Reading Elite Posts
Some people take hours of time writing down information to help people, please read it. If you are not going to read it then don’t comment on it. Nothing quite shows disrespect such as blatantly saying "I know you spent the last few hours spell checking and writing a large document for my benefit but my time is far too valuable to spend reading it so I am just going to say, 'wow that’s too much to read right now LOLZ good post'"
Quality Reading for New Users
Last Words
In closing, I think I speak for everyone when I say we are happy to have new users that are intelligent and want to bring something new to the table. If you want to discuss anything in the above lists there is no problem with it, just research on and off the site and try to bring something new to the forums or at least present old ideas in a new way. If your idea is not new find the old post that encompasses it and comment on it, do not start a new thread when one does not need to be started. Read all the pages of text before you post, sometimes it can be a pain but it is better to post at a later time being fully informed than posting quickly and getting made fun of for it.
