Gone forever?

[Photohunter]

With so many abandoned sites scheduled for redevelopment are we looking at the last generation of legitimate explores? All that architecture and history tossed aside with no consideration for the past. Has an exciting hobby unknowingly become a very important key to preserving a past that would otherwise be gone forever?

[skully]

Good point man.  I wonder what the future will think...  I can only imagine that with the proliferation of technology, people's opinions will change.  Just think about the future.  

Everyone has digital cameras these days.  With memory and hard disk space being so cheap there is an overabundance of images.  Images and media everywhere.  At what point will the entire earth be photographed beyond boredom?  Will people even care about our collections of images?  What about the old structures?  Will people in the near future be so overwhelmed by technology, so wired to electronic devices, that old places don't mean sqaut to them?

Who knows...  You got me thinking though..

[Photohunter]

I want to hope that people will care. I think technology will play an important roll. I agree there are an overwhelming amount of images. This may help at least some of them survive over time. We no longer erect structures that inspire thought, discussion, and desire to photograph. We erect structures that are profitable, cost effective, and functional. Boring.
As these places fade away, pictures and stories to future generations will be something they have never seen before and people will be interested.
I understand that I am nobody but I urge people to preserve these pieces of history. If you don't nobody will.

[PaExplorations]

I am lucky to live in a historic area where people try to save some of the old buildings ie train stations and the like, there are many books full of old pics from the 1800's on up of my town and its so cool to look at them and remember a building or remember when one was torn down, and my favorite is to go and find these places that im not familiar with, if they are there yet ,awesome. if they are abandoned even better, but we need to keep taking our pics and movies so our kids remember....man did tht sound like a capaign speech or what.lmao

[military nut]

ONE GOOD THING ID LIKE TO BRING UP. AS LONG AS NEW BUILDING, STRUCTURES ARE BUILT WE WILL HAVE OLD ONE ABANDONED AND LEFT TO ROT. ALTHOUGH NOT AS MUCH AS IN THE PAST BECAUSE OF THE PREMIUM ON SPACE. BUT FOR AS LONG AS EXPOLRING STAYS IN OUR BLOOD THERE WILL BE PLACES TO EXPLORE AND PHOTOGRAPH


NUT

[donnabhain]

"the last generation of legitimate explores"

Sorry to burst your bubble . . but since the first caveman abandoned his cave for a nicer one there's been someone else exploring what's been abandoned. This generation is not the first, and certainly won't be the last, though organizing teams to blatantly disregard security measures and pilfer sites could just encourage people to tear down such places sooner rather than later, or at the very least encourage them to do more to make such places more secure.

So, what makes someone a "legitimate explorer"? The size of the building they explore?

[metalwitch]

"the last generation of legitimate explores"

So, what makes someone a "legitimate explorer"? The size of the building they explore?

Your heart and soul goes with the territory of exploring.
It's not just building that are for exploring, it could be a cave or a piece of land with the remains of a building.

IMO a legitimate explorer is one who goes to capture the "beauty in the decay".
Someone who's images are captured for all to see, someone who respects the area. Take only photos, leave only foot prints.


Too many times you get people who say they are "explorers", they mainly go in and trash places.

[Photohunter]

I agree. Very well said.

[Rally19]

"the last generation of legitimate explores"

Sorry to burst your bubble . . but since the first caveman abandoned his cave for a nicer one there's been someone else exploring what's been abandoned. This generation is not the first, and certainly won't be the last, though organizing teams to blatantly disregard security measures and pilfer sites could just encourage people to tear down such places sooner rather than later, or at the very least encourage them to do more to make such places more secure.

So, what makes someone a "legitimate explorer"? The size of the building they explore?

To me a legitimate Explorer is one who Takes nothing, and leaves nothing behind, so everyone else after him/her can have the same experiance that you had.  Some people make the arguments that we need to keep/take these things to preserve history, but i know i always enjoy walking into a room i've never been into in Dever and finding papers, or old machines, or keys ect.

The best rule to live by, is leave it the way you found it.  Then if the place is knocked down, secured beyond belief, you atleast know it wasnt because of something you have done.  You did your part at that point in respecting the buildings and history of the buildings and thats what matters.

[MovingUnit]

Damn MW and Rally, I couldn't have said it any better myself.  Totally agreed.

[donnabhain]

"The best rule to live by, is leave it the way you found it. Then if the place is knocked down, secured beyond belief, you atleast know it wasnt because of something you have done. "


Nice! Too bad this isn't a standard UE ethic . . though maybe it is on this forum? I certainly hope so.

[metalwitch]

Nice! Too bad this isn't a standard UE ethic . . though maybe it is on this forum? I certainly hope so.

Again, I don't know where you are getting your info from, but that is a standard of Urban exploration.
Especially on this forum!
The people on this site are very knowledgable in what they  do and know!

[donnabhain]

Again?


Anyway . . seems to be quite a few knuckleheads over at that other canadian forum who think graffiti is an "art form" and that taking whatever they can is a-okay . . doesn't seem to be an abundance of people disagreeing with them.

[skully]

Shit.  I wished I wasn't forced to say this but:

It's the opinion of IB that we have no rules.  The holier-than-though attitude of some "moral explorers" on UER drives me nuts.  
Our rule is that we have no rules.

Now, I'm not saying this to insult the community whom we enjoy very much.  We are not saying that we go out to locations and take things and leave a mess- I'm too old to care as much- BUT we take risks very carefully and assess what the gains are.  

A hypothetical example: If I nudge this door enough so it opens I get to see what's inside...nobody has been inside for 10 years probably.

Another example:  This old tunnel was sealed at the end.  The tunnel leads to an underground (and underwater) passage from the mainland to an island.  I should smash up wall to get to tunnel.  

Moreover, I won't go as far to say we damage or take anything.  You won't finding us telling you folks that though. It's up to the explorer, not any collective "UE community" to set the standard.  I hate when those guys on UER make the leap to say all explorers will be considered theives and vandals.  Who fucking cares?

One more thing.  We purposely and generally do not moderate this forum.  We do have a limit though to how much we will allow to remain on the forum.  If you start giving away too much info, WAY off topic, or talk about doing some illegal then we have to moderate.

With that being said, we won't moderate people's opinions.  That's what makes the world go 'round.  As long as they are respectful to those who are vested community members then I'm cool with that.  I learn alot from hearing other opinions, even really ridiculous ones.  

Skully

[military nut]

case closed