Re: [BASE813] The BASE Zone
Hi,
I'm not a BASE jumper and I don't intend to be one, but I read the posts at "The BASE Zone" on a regular basis.
In my opinion I would like "The BASE Zone" to remain at Dropzone.com forums... the name tells it all: "The BASE Zone"... so I don't see any problem of confusion with "Skydiving"...
After all, you guys (BASE jumpers) use a parachute, don't you?
The big difference is that skydivers use aircrafts (planes, helicopters, balloons, etc.) to jump from and those are not fixed (static) objects... they are moving (even balloons are not completely static)... on the other hand, BASE jumpers jump from fixed objects (B.A.S.E.)... but they jump and they use a parachute... at least for now

.
Keeping this Zone is also a way to educate and to avoid misunderstandings regarding BASE jumping, of course respecting always the common sense rules that you guys have regarding things as simple as not to mention places, showing photographs that would allow to identify a place, or so.
You guys are a community... you have a number to identify your achievement: BASE XXX... anyone with common sense knows that and there's nothing to be done against... actually, that's not the issue here.
By removing this Zone here, the problem you refer to won't get solved by itself... actually I think it could even get worse, as that "gray" zone between skydiving and BASE would persist and the misunderstandings would probably get bigger... after all, regardless this BASE Zone at the dropzone.com forum continues or not, you can always have your restricted groups where you allow only those you wish.
So far, I have found this BASE Zone educational, have learnt a lot more about BASE and BASE jumpers, and I see no reason to remove it from dropzone.com at least until you BASE jump with a parachute.
Even if all the BASE jumpers would agree to remove this BASE Zone here, would you be able to forbidden someone else to talk about BASE? Probably not. I by keeping it here, you áre able to remain in control of the talk and discussion. It's better to be an insider and remain in charge...
For example, if you ask me if it would be adequate to have a BUNGEE jumping forum here, I would say "NO"... they jump, and from fixed objects, but they don't use a parachute... and I'm not calling them BASE jumpers... or skydivers either.
I think the final outcome of having this BASE Zone here is far better than the final outcome without it... this is not BLiNC and everybody reading here (at least those more regular on that) knows it.
For example, CReW is here at dropzone.com forums and the problem never came up... they skydive out from the airplane, but when they come through the door most of them come already with their PC in their hands to through out... it's a different type of skydiving... their skydives have very little freefall (most of the times)... the same as for Accuracy... there are many events regarding Parachuting that don't have too much skydive... on the other hand their purpose is more headed towards the canopy control work rather than the body control while freefalling...
For example paraglider pilots are not skydivers... or parachutists... or BASE jumpers... because they don't jump... they leave from their exit points with their paragliders already inflated and ready to start flying as soon as they "take-off"... the canopies they use are not parachutes in the
strictus sensus of the word... a parachute is a canopy to stop your freefall, even when that freefall is one second... even with static line you have a parachute deployment and you achieve a certain rate (speed) of freefall (a small one, but still one...)... while paragliders are not made to stop a fall but rather they are done specifically to glide and remain flying, sometimes for hours, something that is not achievable with parachutes.
I would say that this dropzone.com are "wider" related wuth "Parachuting" rather than just "Skydiving" itself.
By removing this BASE Zone, I think that both the BASE community and dropzone.com will get poor, because it would be lost an opportunity to "educate"... after all, most of us come to these forums to learn... not to through stones to each other... and when this last happens, there is a moderator, who is in charge to keep things of track according to the goals that have led to its creation.
It's just my opinion and sorry for posting here as I'm not a BASE jumper.
Take care out there and...
Blue Skies!