Replace Discussion

[mharky]

right, so it's now nobbers, slappers and flappers... sorted.

[Meat Market]

almost looks like your thread has proved itself, has turned from discussion to moaning/complaining/ one-up-man-ship

probably my fault

but seriously the only problem with orienteering is not the sport itself which is amazing fun, well organised by amateurs and a good test of physical endurance and brain power. the problem is that we look like geeks to the outside world thanks to the words we use and the way we come across. I happen to think that a lot more people would come along if they didnt conceive it as such an anorak sport.

I promise i wont say any more on this

[SeanC]

The problem with saying only nice things is that being negative is sometimes necessary. Meat Market's conclusion seems spot on to me and is a fair mixture of positive and negative.

If orienteering was a high cost activity run by private companies, I suspect it would be better at re-inventing itself to appeal to new generations. I wonder how you can stamp out geeky names and anorak orienteering kit in an amateur sport like orienteering?

In the meantime I shall see who I can persuade to help swipe my d1bber at the next SLOW frolic.

[HOCOLITE]

orienteering?

In the meantime I shall see who I can persuade to help swipe my d1bber at the next SLOW frolic.

ll I can say is it's a good job you don't have a brick

[Kitch]

The problem with saying only nice things is that being negative is sometimes necessary.

Where did I say anything about nice?
happy, constructive, positive I said.

You've got me started now...

Half the bloody problem is that people don't engage their brians. They are too lazy to read what people say and take the care and time to bother understanding it. They jump to a conclusion, hit the reply button and spout off some half baked, ill conceived rubbish.

[Mr. Furness]

fsgkjngfwljk fulrgher fkj ukeruh kerhg ekrjh ekjh ekvjh kfjvflkhdfgb et !!!!!

sorry, bit eager.

[Gnitworp]

Just what I was thinking.

[ifititches]

Kitch how do I "engage my brian"? Do tell (I'd like to do it before I get on my bike to go home tonight)

and...coming from a family of professional horticulturalists, I would defend d!bber. I heard the word used throughout my childhood for an object used by professionals to plant seeds, and some of them were shaped identically to SI cards, whilst some were well-worn rounded wooden sticks with points.Some dictionaries call them "dibbles", but I think you might like that even less!

[graeme]

So what to call a readable-writable electronic device which stores numbers? How about a
"digital information-based bidirectional electronic recorder".

then we'd just need a snappy acronym

Meanwhile, who do you propose my brother (Brian) should get engaged to?

[Kitch]

ahhh...

riddled with irony

[Carnage Head]

Quote: I wonder how you can stamp out geeky names and anorak orienteering kit in an amateur sport like orienteering?

I believe that this is such an important barrier against the growth of the sport. I can't think of any sport (blood 'sports') aside, with a worse public image than orienteering.

So, any ideas on how to improve the sport's image? Or should 'we' all be happy to live with what we've got now, and accept that 99.9% of people will never catch the o bug even if it was 'trendy'?[/quote]

[mharky]

I think orienteering in the UK is just as cool as orienteering in Scandinavia, for example, last weekend we had a UK Relay League, and Sweden has the TioMila, please, check out these 2 galleries and see if you can work out which one was which...

http://www.idk.se/foton/10mila06?page=1


http://www.flickr.com/photos/owls-count/sets/72057594122025292/

Look at each photo and think, would I want to be there?...

[SeanC]

Carnage Head wrote

"So, any ideas on how to improve the sport's image? Or should 'we' all be happy to live with what we've got now, and accept that 99.9% of people will never catch the o bug even if it was 'trendy'?"

Does anyone know of sports/activities that were considered unfashionable/untrendy etc in the past but are fashionable now? Could orienteering learn anything from these examples?

[RJ]

I believe that this is such an important barrier against the growth of the sport. I can't think of any sport (blood 'sports') aside, with a worse public image than orienteering.

You have obviously come to this conclusion from analysing a certain amount of information from your own experience. But it doesn't mean that the entire population is in agreement. In my experience orienteering has a good public image.... so there!

Our problem is that our image and profile are miniscule. We don't have a public image! The number one project must be to promote the sport as hard as possible; sell our image (the image we want to show) as widely, as often and as strongly as we possibly can. Publicity!!!

[mharky]

Our problem is that our image and profile are miniscule. We don't have a public image! The number one project must be to promote the sport as hard as possible; sell our image (the image we want to show) as widely, as often and as strongly as we possibly can. Publicity!!!

You mean like having up-to-date, well presented and properly structured news on the BOF homepage, that sort of thing?