Hello folks,
Since this last thread has come up I've also had something I need to get off my chest.
No worries, it definitely is not directed at anyone or anything in particular. Or maybe it is... Either way, if you could bear with me for a few minutes to explain...
A close friend of mine and I were talking to each other a few weeks ago, bouncing ideas off each other about the chase-community in general and came up with an idea.
How open would everyone be to possibly create a social network specifically focused on safety and education for storm chasers?
There really isn't anything out on the web that specifically focuses on this and I can see it being something very beneficial. We have the Storm-Track forums, we have the Eastern Wx forums and probably hundreds of chasers out there that desperately want their voices heard, just dying in attempt to teach or educate.
It's getting to a point nowadays, that we are seeing newer and younger chasers on the road. While this isn't a particularly bad thing, I, personally, feel that safety should be priority one when jumping into this "hobby." And it really is a component that is being severely overlooked by many.
This interactive web-site or "social network," we have visioned, would include seasoned, veteran storm chasers that would be willing to interact with young, new chasers to educate... not only the proper techniques of storm chasing, but safe strategies, ettiquette, and items that can increase your purpose. CPR or emergency response training, for example, could be an item or two that could be discussed. The site/network would not be focused on sharing pictures or videos, who saw what, when, how, or how many... We're purely envisioning a place that new chasers can visit to find answers.
We're not quite sure how to approach the idea right now, since it is very early in the process. But, for now, we're just looking to see if the more seasoned, veteran chasers would be willing to partake in something like this.
We've both already established several rules... No personal photos or video's will be allowed, no personal "statistics" will be allowed, no forecasts would be allowed, and that the site/network would be strictly moderated. We don't want just another weather forum.
We want this "network" to only be about the safety component to chasing and educating, in general. For example, providing a new chaser answers to questions like "What would be the safest approach to a right-moving supercell?" Or "What kind of radar tendencies should I look for to avoid large hail?" We would also like to encourage scientific discussions. Not to confuse new or younger chasers getting into the hobby, but to teach them proper verbage and processes.
Of course, we don't want a boring FAQ list, either. We both really want an interactivity between the newer chasers and those that have been doing this for years and years.
We don't necessarily want to focus on any particular group of chasers, but we've agreed on a "definition" for what we want to consider "seasoned or veteran chasers." We would prefer to have folks that have, at least, chased 10 years and have a respectable track-record. What I mean by "respectable track-record" is someone that has provided reliable reports over the years, someone that is highly regarded in the community, and someone that has, at least, been certified and re-certified through Skywarn a minimum of three times over the course of their storm-chasing career. Given that Advanced Skywarn Training courses occur several times a Spring, every year, and nearly country-wide, we don't feel that this is asking too much. We would also prefer chasers that have amateur radio licences. Again, we don't necessarily want to single a particular group out, but personally, I've found that folks that have these credentials tend to take storm chasing much more seriously than the typical chaser. We want folks that really want to share their experiences and lessons to teach and educate.
Once again, we're currently in the very early stages of possibly setting something up and merely want to guage interest in a venture of this sort.
If this sounds like something you may want to take part in, please let me know through a PM or E-mail. At that time, I can definitely send more information.
Thanks for your time and consideration!
Since this last thread has come up I've also had something I need to get off my chest.
No worries, it definitely is not directed at anyone or anything in particular. Or maybe it is... Either way, if you could bear with me for a few minutes to explain...
A close friend of mine and I were talking to each other a few weeks ago, bouncing ideas off each other about the chase-community in general and came up with an idea.
How open would everyone be to possibly create a social network specifically focused on safety and education for storm chasers?
There really isn't anything out on the web that specifically focuses on this and I can see it being something very beneficial. We have the Storm-Track forums, we have the Eastern Wx forums and probably hundreds of chasers out there that desperately want their voices heard, just dying in attempt to teach or educate.
It's getting to a point nowadays, that we are seeing newer and younger chasers on the road. While this isn't a particularly bad thing, I, personally, feel that safety should be priority one when jumping into this "hobby." And it really is a component that is being severely overlooked by many.
This interactive web-site or "social network," we have visioned, would include seasoned, veteran storm chasers that would be willing to interact with young, new chasers to educate... not only the proper techniques of storm chasing, but safe strategies, ettiquette, and items that can increase your purpose. CPR or emergency response training, for example, could be an item or two that could be discussed. The site/network would not be focused on sharing pictures or videos, who saw what, when, how, or how many... We're purely envisioning a place that new chasers can visit to find answers.
We're not quite sure how to approach the idea right now, since it is very early in the process. But, for now, we're just looking to see if the more seasoned, veteran chasers would be willing to partake in something like this.
We've both already established several rules... No personal photos or video's will be allowed, no personal "statistics" will be allowed, no forecasts would be allowed, and that the site/network would be strictly moderated. We don't want just another weather forum.
We want this "network" to only be about the safety component to chasing and educating, in general. For example, providing a new chaser answers to questions like "What would be the safest approach to a right-moving supercell?" Or "What kind of radar tendencies should I look for to avoid large hail?" We would also like to encourage scientific discussions. Not to confuse new or younger chasers getting into the hobby, but to teach them proper verbage and processes.
Of course, we don't want a boring FAQ list, either. We both really want an interactivity between the newer chasers and those that have been doing this for years and years.
We don't necessarily want to focus on any particular group of chasers, but we've agreed on a "definition" for what we want to consider "seasoned or veteran chasers." We would prefer to have folks that have, at least, chased 10 years and have a respectable track-record. What I mean by "respectable track-record" is someone that has provided reliable reports over the years, someone that is highly regarded in the community, and someone that has, at least, been certified and re-certified through Skywarn a minimum of three times over the course of their storm-chasing career. Given that Advanced Skywarn Training courses occur several times a Spring, every year, and nearly country-wide, we don't feel that this is asking too much. We would also prefer chasers that have amateur radio licences. Again, we don't necessarily want to single a particular group out, but personally, I've found that folks that have these credentials tend to take storm chasing much more seriously than the typical chaser. We want folks that really want to share their experiences and lessons to teach and educate.
Once again, we're currently in the very early stages of possibly setting something up and merely want to guage interest in a venture of this sort.
If this sounds like something you may want to take part in, please let me know through a PM or E-mail. At that time, I can definitely send more information.
Thanks for your time and consideration!
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