It’s big news today. Countries are hacking into sensitive websites, some media outlets publishing fake news stories, trolls on social media trying to influencing elections and generating discord among the populace. The liberals and the conservatives both agreeing our way of life is at risk. And yet no one asks the question, “Why is it that people can be influenced so easily?” Why are people not skeptical of things they hear, see, or read? Why don’t people do a little research instead of just accepting someone’s opinion or fake news report? Perhaps the problem isn’t fake news or trolls.
Perhaps we have become our own worst enemies.
I was thinking about this when I realized that some of the popular posts on this blog reflect the same lack of skepticism or skepticism in the face of the facts.
Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.
― Edgar Allan Poe
This blog doesn’t allow reader comments. There are a few reasons for this. First and foremost, I don’t care what readers think about the content, whether it is positive or negative.
Secondly, blog comments need to be managed against spammers or inappropriate language. Managing anything takes time. I don’t want to invest my time monitoring comments. My time is better utilized by managing my inventory or recreation time.
Lastly, comments use up server space, that is they use up a bunch of electrons, and using a bunch of electrons uses energy (electricity). A couple years ago the Semiconductor Industry Association predicted that by 2040 computers will use more energy that the current global output. A somber thought. I don’t necessarily know that their predictions are true, and it isn’t a personal call to action since I work hard reducing our energy use to save money as the main driver, and decreasing our impact on the environment as a benefit. I do know that our society has become consumers of technology without regard to the increasingly evident repercussions.
So how do I know that some of the popular posts here lack the critical skepticism that causes the panic we now have about fake news and internet trolls influencing people?
The Ping-Back
Inside the caverns of a website or blog is an administrative page. This is heart and soul of what people see on the internet. The Admin area creates how things look and work. This is where the author enters the information that will be published for the world to read, assuming one doesn’t live in authoritarian states like China or North Korea.
Also in the Admin area are pages where the actual computer programing code resides, along with tools to optimize search engine optimization for the internet software crawlers and robots used by search companies such as Google. For example this area captures the number of readers who visit the site each day, week, month or year. It also similarly tracks the number of pages that are viewed. Along with this it knows which websites (including social media) have posted a link to any local content – this is “ping back.”
Normally I just ignore ping back information. However, if I get an unusually high amount of traffic to this site, I get an email warning and then I will investigate because I am concerned about hackers. For example, a little over three years ago, I posted an article about my new Six Moon Designs Deschutes Cuben Fiber shelter. The next day there were over 2,000 visits to that post, much more than any post ever in a single day. The ping-backs showed that a Facebook page had linked to the article. Now, not being a Facebook member, when I clicked on the ping-back it took me to the Facebook main page, not the page that created the link. Perhaps if I was a member of Facebook I could have gone to the original link, maybe not. I don’t know how Facebook works, nor do I care; and I am certainly not going join Facebook to find out. I really didn’t care who linked to the article anyway. However, since it was a fairly new shelter on the market, I was confident that there was just conversation about the shelter itself.
Normally when I click on one of these ping-backs, it takes me to the actual website page that created the link back to popupbackpacker. Usually it is an internet forum or social media site such as reddit where people are discussing a subject and someone posted a link to my blog. When I get a lot of ping-backs, I will often visit its origin. Thus, I get feedback from online conversations. I mostly ignore them unless I have posted incorrect information. Sometimes these online conversations spark an idea for an article that might be of interest to my readers.
Let’s take a look at the two most visited posts since I started the blog with the number of views as of today.
- The Search for the Holy Grail: Waterproof Breathable Rain Gear 59,352 views (published on Aug 20, 2013)
- State of Charge: Your Camper/RV May Be Killing Your Battery Bank , 43,024 views (published Dec 4, 2013)
This year the most popular post has been
- Tire Pressure Secrets for Camping Trailers & Tow Vehicles 15,309 views (published Oct 19, 2016). There wasn’t much interest in the post until this year with 14,507 views so far this year alone.
The Search for the Holy Grail: Waterproof Breathable Rain Gear
Most of the feedback has been very positive. The sources of the ping-back are usually conversations about the “best” waterproof and breathable rain gear.
In that post I stated:
Some thoughts on rain gear…
There is no perfect rain gear.
What works for me may not work for others. Of utmost importance is the fact that each of us have a different physiology, hike at different speeds; and each trip varies in weather, temperature, and terrain. Each of these variables contributes to different kinds of rain gear solutions. Like so much other backpacking gear, the hiker will need to learn from experience what works best for them. You won’t learn it here, or anywhere on the Internet, or in a book.
So I decided to share what I have learned over the years — what has worked and what has not worked. Your experience may be different.
In the article I expressed the opinion that waterproof & breathable rain gear is just marketing hype by the companies that manufacture and sell this stuff. I also state that ponchos work for me best because they are waterproof and the material does not breathe at all, however by its design a poncho ventilates well. Only a small percentage of backpackers use ponchos.
Never in the article did I claim I was an expert. In fact, a common theme in my posts about backpacking is that I am not an expert on things related to backpacking. The only thing I claim is that I have been doing it for over five decades, a claim that I have not proven, nor have I presented a bio on how much and where I have backpacked. I have presented nothing to claim credibility.
Another “problem” with the article is I have presented almost no evidence that these garments don’t do what the manufacturers say they do. I did not present how the materials work and what necessary maintenance the manufactures recommend. My experience and thoughts are simple anecdotal comments. No scientific proof. Worse yet, I did not study or present the most current state of the market offerings. Rather, I discussed a few older jackets that are mostly obsolete – no longer available. Lastly, I often state that I don’t buy new stuff. If something works okay for me, I just keep using and ignore any new technology that hits the market.
So really, if someone reads the post, the reader should be skeptical!
State of Charge: Your Camper/RV May Be Killing Your Battery Bank
The post is really of limited value to the average camper. Many people are fine if their camper batteries last for only three years, and if the battery bank gets them through their normal weekend trip without going dead; they are happy campers.
Plus, to achieve the optimum battery charging specifications they will need to buy some expensive equipment. The article doesn’t suggest an easy solution to solve a problem unless the reader really wants to solve that problem and is willing and able to purchase the required solutions.
In the post, I do present myself as an expert. I share that I have professional training and practical experience with 12 volt electrical systems, that I have designed and installed solar systems on three of our campers, I claim that I have done extensive research and testing on 12 volt systems, and I present the battery manufacturers’ specifications on their 12 volt deep cycle batteries, and also present the specifications of several manufacturers of battery chargers and solar controls – pointing out that these do not match – most battery charging solutions are contrary to what the battery makers say is required.
The links to the post are almost universally positive; the person who links to it has usually done a lot of modifications to their campers, and the conversation usually started when someone asked about batteries or battery charging.
In these conversations, it usually comes down to a matter of cost. Many folks say they believe the facts presented, and their purchase will be based on cost alone (what they can afford), knowing that it may not be the optimal solution. And this is absolutely okay. They have made a purchase decision after researching and that decision comes down to money.
The last ping-back post is, well, kind of surprising but predictable.
Tire Pressure Secrets for Camping Trailers & Tow Vehicles
In the post I presented myself as a tire industry “subject matter expert” without any concrete resume.
But that’s okay, because I present data from the tire industry itself, and I present data from the automotive industry – data that is universally accepted.
In the article I don’t suggest specific brands of tires. I only make general recommendations based only on industry load carrying capacity tables and information from the automobile manufacturers’ recommendations for tire pressure and maximum loads. None of this is opinion. It is simply the facts.
For some reason this has caused quite a bit of debate. Those who challenge the information generally say it isn’t what they do, or perhaps their brother-in-law’s best friend who owns a trailer doesn’t do it and he is still alive. Basically, it is an argument from emotion ignoring any factual information.
It doesn’t impact me one way or another, and I certainly won’t go online to debate the subject – I really don’t care what tires someone puts on their camper and/or tow vehicle or what pressure they inflate the tires, unless they have an accident and injure an innocent person(s).
What does bother me is a reluctance to research the facts. Because “that’s the way we’ve always done it” or complete acceptance of a friend or family member’s opinion that is not based on any factual data is disturbing, or simply not understanding what specifications really mean. In the post I shared where one needs to get the necessary information, usually their vehicle’s Owner’s Manual and Industry capacity vs tire pressure tables. I even provided links to the information directly to manufacturer’s websites. At this point, it isn’t my opinion, other than it is my opinion that with any product one should heed the recommendations of the manufacturer. This is simply making an effort to find the truth, or a quest for knowledge.
The tendency for the public to more and more believe of what they read instead of searching for the truth is dangerous for a society. This is how we end up with tyrannical governments; the populace failed to be well educated and did not exercise critical thinking.
In conclusion, be skeptical of almost everything you see, hear, or read. This blog included. If something is presented as fact and it involves how you make important purchases decisions, how you raise your kids, how you vote, or any important life-decision; take a little time and do some research. Research often includes studying opposing views. And once you have come to a rational conclusion, follow it. If every person would just do this, it would mostly eliminate the question I posed early on in this post, “Why is it that people can be influenced so easily?”