Topic: POLL: Tell us how old you are. - Totally anonymous

[galfert]

Why the poll? Because I thought it would be good to get an idea of the representative age groups of the people that are interested this forum. Some people have their age showing in their user profile, others don't and want that privacy. This poll lets you chime in privately, so that we can count heads and get an idea.

It seems to me that this weather stuff might not be appealing to the younger generations. Is it because younger generations are less likely to have a home? After all you can't exactly put up a weather station if you live in an apartment, or at least it would be difficult.

So the reason for the poll is to see how true and how balanced age groups are that come around here.

What can we do to appeal to younger generations? Certainly younger generations are into their gadgets like Ring doorbells and Amazon Alexa, smart light bulbs and switches, and Smart TV's...etc. So why shouldn't a weather station fit in their lives? This is just speculation on my part. Perhaps this poll will have us all reflect if we need to worry or not about the younger generations.

Either way I think it will be interesting. Remember nobody can see what you answered in the poll above.

[gwwilk]

Sixteen votes so far, and nobody has been under forty-five.  Interesting.

[miraculon]

Sixteen votes so far, and nobody has been under forty-five.  Interesting.

I thought that Ham radio was the only thing suffering from the old guy syndrome. Looks like it applies to weather, or at least to the wxforum membership.

Perhaps the younger folks are mostly renters, etc. and don't have a place to put up a station. Or, careers, kids, etc. don't leave much hobby time.

Greg H.

[rdsman]

When my children were younger, they were always fascinated by anything that I was working on.  They were eager to learn and participate.  But over the years I was eventually replaced by Facebook, Twitter and Candy Crush.   They are all under 45.

 

[Jáchym]

I "lower" the average

[vreihen]

Get off my lawn, kid...and turn that noise that you call music down!!!!! 

[ocala]

I "lower" the average

Yeah Jachym, go hang out those other kids.

[ValentineWeather]

I just became eligible for SS...

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

Just hit 72 ,,, means I'm only Half-Gross.

[gwminor48]

I'm so old I fart dust!

[Jim_S]

I'm in the most, "popular" age group (but I can still ski). Very interesting topic, thanks for posting!

[Jstx]

I agree with y'all: many younger ones either can't conveniently put up a PWS or don't want to.
I offered a PWS to one of my daughters and SiL (early 30's), but when we surveyed their new mcmansion, found that the lot was kind of small, with close neighboring houses in a now filled sub, trees, a valley-like elevation (sort of cutoff from some wind directions), and not really a very suitable location for a PWS. Up at roof level maybe, but so far up as to be almost inaccessible (grade puts rear of house ~three floors up). And the formerly very small town they are in used to be out in the country, with mostly acreage homes, it is now almost all built out into a small city. They like it though, raised in the country and couldn't wait to get out to uni, grad school, and the big city. 

[ValentineWeather]

This poll is interesting for sure, no 18 to 25 years old's yet.
So the older generation has more enthusiast, it's not even close.
I wonder why is it because the younger generation with technology just take everything for granted and never experienced getting the weather forecast by a newspaper or looking in the newspaper for Yesterday's temperatures?  Or listening to the AM stations at night to see what the weather was doing in Casper Wyoming dead of winter?

[DRoberts]

A very interesting topic. Thanks.

Posting on a forum may be one reason why there are fewer youngsters. I mean maybe just not something the younger age group does. I don't know. It isn't the only interest that is changing though. Like conversing at the family dinner table.

I think everyone's responses have some accuracy. No one answer is best.

[Jim_S]

FWIW. My son in law (25 to 35 group) is very excited about my weather station and wants one too but they're in an apartment now. Hopefully, someday, they'll be able to afford a house. For some perspective my first (serious) girl friend bought a house (circa 1970) for $4,500. It was a simple two bedroom "cracker box" with no basement, not in a great location but not a dangerous one either. I feel sorry for today's kids.

[CW2274]

One of the huge benefits of being a vet was the VA loan, which meant you only needed $1 to put down on your (VA approved) house, which is exactly what I did. Had it not been for that, I have no idea when I'd been able to buy. Don't know if it's still a perk or not.

[miraculon]

FWIW. My son in law (25 to 35 group) is very excited about my weather station and wants one too but they're in an apartment now. Hopefully, someday, they'll be able to afford a house. For some perspective my first (serious) girl friend bought a house (circa 1970) for $4,500. It was a simple two bedroom "cracker box" with no basement, not in a great location but not a dangerous one either. I feel sorry for today's kids.

A couple of online inflation calculators are showing $4,500 in 1970 as being worth $29,193.40 or $29,965.71 now. Gotta love fiat currency. Just print more....

Greg H.

[Jstx]

ValentineWeather and DRoberts,
I think that the youngsters are just so immersed in what they think is 'subservient technology' (that most of us here know as 'the surveillance apparatus', eh?), with which they can obtain almost any information, including local weather, that they don't have much interest in doing it themselves. Kind of like how 'games' and VR are taking over them (and younger, like the grandkids), in iieu of the actual reality we all lived way back when.

Jim_S, the mcmansion is my d's first house, SiL's second/third. My first from the ~same time out in a 'burb w/big lot was $14.5K and seemed like a lot of dinero back then. Today they spend ~$400K+ (w/mtg) and barely blink.

CW2274, both d and SiL are former mil officers, don't know if they used VA, but don't think so (d is mid-mgmt with a major mil-related co. that does mtgs).
Y'all remember that good things like the VA, SS, etc. come from a political side that doesn't seem to be too popular around here?

miraculon, perhaps you might take a few Econ courses, it ain't so simple. Inflation is pretty well a part of growth.
Check out the US Treasury website "Debt to the Penny":  https://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/debt/current to see the National Debt* (which is also tied into all that stuff).
What's neat is that you can specify a range of dates, or a single date. Go ahead, plug in the terms of the various US Presidents (plus or minus of course, as the prez isn't all of it, and it all overlaps some), it might be a bit surprising...to some of you.

* Nat Debt Currently  = 02/19/2019   
[16,185,653,238,798.50 (publicly held, incl foreign held) + 5,855,013,716,281.97 (intra-gov held, IE: SocSec Trust Fund, etc)] = $22,040,666,955,080.47 Total National Debt (a/o Tuesday).

[graculus]

FWIW. My son in law (25 to 35 group) is very excited about my weather station and wants one too but they're in an apartment now. Hopefully, someday, they'll be able to afford a house. For some perspective my first (serious) girl friend bought a house (circa 1970) for $4,500. It was a simple two bedroom "cracker box" with no basement, not in a great location but not a dangerous one either. I feel sorry for today's kids.

A couple of online inflation calculators are showing $4,500 in 1970 as being worth $29,193.40 or $29,965.71 now. Gotta love fiat currency. Just print more....

Greg H.

$4,500 invested in the S&P 500 in 1970 would be worth an inflation adjusted $79,167.15 today. What is that house worth today?

[ValentineWeather]

Was listening to Fox business, they were saying if a person had purchased plain low-interest-rate government bonds annually with the money taken out for SS the average person would have doubled their money over SS by retirement age. Now just imagine if they had invested in something a little riskier.

[gwwilk]

It looks like my cohort just gained a seventh vote.  Way to go guys! 

[WheatonRon]

I guess I should go buy some liquid Geritol. It appears most of the readers here know what Geritol is, but under 50, not likely. And, what popular TV shows did Geritol sponsor?

[GaryFunk]

Get off my lawn, kid...and turn that noise that you call music down!!!!! 

Hymmmm. Old guys unite.

[galfert]

Well this little experiment went better than I planned. I was worried nobody would submit polling data. The results I have to say confirm what I suspected somewhat, as I didn't think it was going to be that drastic. I knew there were older people here but wow.

I guess we have no 18 to 25 year olds. Those college years must be tough with all that studying and/or beer drinking.That category makes sense. But I think it is telling that we don't have as many interested in the 25 through 45 ranges. Really a shame. Just because you can get your weather info by just installing an app does not mean that there isn't anything to learn from the experience of having your own station. It is science and personal experience that is not being embraced. I'm sure some of it is attributed to not being a home owner yet. But I had hoped for better turnout still in these lower age groups.

So I wonder if we need to worry about these younger generations? Or as they age do they get wiser and then become more interested? Well I'm doing my part and my kids still in grade school, I teach them and get them involved in all things I do.

Now I must confess something. I didn't only do this poll because I was concerned for the younger generation and our future with science minded people. On this forum it seems most time people are helpful. But sometimes the stereotypical crotchety old man syndrome shines through. It is a bit of a turn off to younger people. Yes you may feel your way is best or that you know more. But how you express yourself makes a big difference, and you can still convey the same knowledge without sounding so indifferent to others view points or ideas. Sometimes old people are set in their ways and they don't like change. I think you should never stop learning. I also think older people should try to be more accepting to new ways or at least grant others respect for their ideas. I think that is something we should all work on, even myself. Thankfully my kids remind me of this from time to time.

Didnt mean to sound so preachy. What I really wanted to say is cut the sh*t out you old f*rts. I'm slightly kidding. I said that in a playful way as you would say it to your buddy. I consider you all buddies. This isn't in reference to any particular personal interaction. This is in reference to the forum as a whole, even in threads I've read and not participated in. It isn't like it is terrible but I think we can do better.

I'm thankful to be a part of this forum and to all the knowledge it has brought me. I lurked this forum for a few years from time to time without an account. Then 2 more years with an account but without posting to better track what was read and what wasn't. Then I finally got my first weather station last year and I've been active posting since then. I started not knowing anything. Not being a weather person. So just wanted to say thank you all.

[WDoug]

I guess I should go buy some liquid Geritol. It appears most of the readers here know what Geritol is, but under 50, not likely. And, what popular TV shows did Geritol sponsor?

The original Geritol was taken off the market because of the high iron content.  Too much isn't always a good thing.  Maybe that's what kept Lawrence Welk kicking as long as he did. Geritol is still sold, but it's more of a generic vitamin supplement.