[pct-l] Is Pocketmail "semi obscure?" -- was: New On-TrailList?

[brick@fastpack.com (Brick Robbins)]

At 03:12 PM 4/11/02, Paul Magnanti wrote:
>  I will just humbly say that I honestly believe that most
>hikers will not be accessing e-mail through any
>device, and by extension e-mail based announement of
>trail conditions.

At 04:09 PM 4/11/02, Ronald Moak wrote:
>How large a percentage used pocketmail? I'd guess between 25% to 40%.
>Virtually everyone I was hiking with either carried one or used a friends
>device. My on pocketmail device probably got more use by others than by
>myself.

"Virtually everyone" sounds a lot like "most" so Ron's observations 
disagrees with Paul's belief.

All tech bashing aside, someone on a long trip away from home LIKES to keep 
in touch with friends and family. Email is one more way to keep in 
touch.  I know my priority in town was "food - phone - food -post office - 
food -shower." Talking with family came before everything but eating 
(unless it was near PO closing time.) The pocket mail is just another way 
of keeping in touch, plus is keeps your journal.

I attend some classes at a local community college, and almost every 
student (but me) has a cell phone. College students today are used to be 
constantly in contact. That is NOT going to change on the trail......

Since many thru hikers are young, so I'd expect more communication toys on 
the trail...


--
Brick Robbins                       mailto:brick@fastpack.com