BajaNomad

Baja affinity

Osprey - 7-6-2005 at 08:58 AM

Maybe we?re expecting too much too soon. These kinds of forums are still in the experimental stage. Por ejemplo Take the Gringo Gazette. It has a southern and a northern edition. Naturally the news, stories, ads, announcements are aimed at Tiajuana, Ensenada, Los Cabos. You won?t find much info on out of the way places, small villages, lost missions or Loreto fishing reports.

Most of the 1700 members who do not live in Baja California don?t have much opportunity to visit the southern state ? time and distance means that if they wanted to read a Gringo English language newspaper they would pick up the northern edition and enjoy reading about that area. If you turn that fact into electronics and posting it seems us Baja retirees are in a very small number and those in the southland even smaller.

Soo folks who post about surfing trips in the Punta Banda area won?t draw my attention and my stories about the joy of being retired, snorkeling way down here in Cabo Pulmo will go unread. When you add in the demographics of all the people who have the time and inclination to post, their love of things Mexican, their love affair with whatever Baja California they have found, there is not enough affinity to call them ?a group?, ?a club?. I look on with amazing pride in humanity when I see how many close and lasting friendships have arisen from such a tenuous commonality.

Nothing really in common. That?s the real reason a thousand or more people are silently lurking out there, mildly interested in the dialogue, wondering when someone will post a a little snippet with Baja California flavor or information they find cute, informative, evocative, etc. The longer the experiment lasts, the more interest it should draw. It is a forum tailor made for the timid ? any format that can make their fingers move on the keyboard, reach out to others will surely change their lives for the better; broaden their perspectives, enhance their social skills. It?s important that members not ?hog the board? ? it?s really not that important what they say, it?s important that they give others, especially newcomers a chance to begin, to get involved, the make a start.


Never give up, never give in.

Bruce R Leech - 7-6-2005 at 09:12 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Osprey




Soo folks who post about surfing trips in the Punta Banda area won?t draw my attention and my stories about the joy of being retired, snorkeling way down here in Cabo Pulmo will go unread. When you add in the demographics of all the people who have the time and inclination to post, their love of things Mexican, their love affair with whatever Baja California they have found, there is not enough affinity to call them ?a group?, ?a club?. I look on with amazing pride in humanity when I see how many close and lasting friendships have arisen from such a tenuous commonality.


Never give up, never give in.


Osprey I think you could be wrong here. I think lots of people are reading yours and other good posts here and that is what eventually draws them to come down and check out the southern part. I don't think there are many people that don't check out an Osprey Post.

yankeeirishman - 7-6-2005 at 09:58 AM

John Steinbeck's Sea of Cortez Expedition was a Bajatastic journey of far away places in Baja. This book years ago that I read, is what got bag pipe to blow its tune, to travel. The stories you post here may be about far away places (in Baja), and that is exactly why I read your stuff?.keep it going?I like the tunes I am hearing!

BajaMagic

bajajudy - 7-6-2005 at 02:30 PM

Here here! or Hear hear!
We all definitely come to this board for very varied reasons.
I live here, love it and dont mind sharing it. The better informed people are who come here, the better their experience will be and some sort of Baja good vibe occurs...that is good for all of us.
I know that I am corny but I have tears in my eyes thinking of all the wonderful people and places that have touched my life since I discovered this unbelievably special part of the world.
Yes it is changing...isnt everything....and isnt it wonderful that it does.
If you are a newbie reading this.....come on down. It will not be the same even tomorrow; forget about next year.
Abrazos a todos!

Sharksbaja - 7-6-2005 at 02:43 PM

Osprey, you have whittled away some of the forum cyber-bark thus revealing your passions for Baja and others. There are, however, many attractions inherent with message forums.
This one not only crosses cultural and sociological boundaries, but it also generates more interest through our/your abilities to capture an audience and stimulate dialog across the board. Inasmuch you also witness extreme behavioral reactions. This is to some a misuse of the forums purpose. I degress as I feel the dialog although skewed away from topic does not necessarily translate into a permanently damaged entity. These "affinities" are what hel-ps motivate peoples feelings, ideas and thoughts be them negative or not. You see, it is not about black and white like some discribe, it's about the whole color spectrum. You have the ability to display more vivid colors for us to see, Osprey, more like a Peac-ck! Thanks, I get your message.