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dameon692002	Leaving Messages Behind... Nov 7 2011, 2:20 AM EST \| Post edited: Nov 7 2011, 2:20 AM EST Can't forget leaving behind a message, just in case somebody needs intel on a place... a lot easier on their group to read ready intel, than to send a scout on recon. Of course, when SHTF, there won't be time to scrawl a lovely word of welcome, but whenever would certainly be appreciated... I know I would... XD As to the kind of message... definitely something simple: like my dad used to say, "Keep It Simple, Stupid". My grandparents were around during the Depression... before Grandma went totally bugnuts, she used to talk about the hobo codes that would sometimes be etched on the gateposts outside a home, or on a railroad track outside town. Similar systems have been around for a long time. The ninja of Japan used coloured grains of rice, which they'd drop at certain points in the field. Heiroglyphics were deliberately placed on tombs to warn and ward off intruders. even popular zombie culture has picked up on this trend, with some games including a person's attempts to spread a message to potential visitors with the use of graffiti. If we could agree on a quick, easy system that would be simple enough for people not in the know to figure out, that would solve a lot of problems for a lot of people... Post reply 3 out of 4 found this valuable. Do you find this valuable? Do you? Keyword tags: None
Randyofpirate	1. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Nov 7 2011, 9:37 AM EST \| Post edited: Nov 7 2011, 9:37 AM EST thats actually a really good idea. Never though about getting together to come up with a message system. Post reply 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you find this valuable? Do you?
dameon692002	2. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Nov 8 2011, 10:53 AM EST Actually, after posting this, I saw the page with the flag-system and the different hazmat signs on it, and I was thinking signs like that would be a good start... signs like that are pretty-much universal, anyway; which gives us the added advantage of communicating vital information to foreigners who might be in the country when SHTF... Thanks for the reply... Post reply Do you find this valuable?
ZombieSurvival101	3. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 7 2012, 1:35 PM EST \| Post edited: Jan 7 2012, 1:36 PM EST It's weird, I was thinking about this just now! If S ever does HTF, I would personally scrawl messages on scrap paper, and tape it to the door or wherever possible new owners would enter the real estate. Something along the lines of; "LOOTED. HAS MANY Z'S INSIDE. VERY MESSY. NOT HABITABLE." or "STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. GROUND FAILING. DO NOT ENTER" Maybe one or two for your existing BOL, just to deter a few people. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
BigLoki	4. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 7 2012, 2:37 PM EST \| Post edited: Jan 7 2012, 2:37 PM EST We were playing around with a system on another thread. It would likely only make any sense to the people in here, but it was still an interesting idea. Just use 3 numbers, they reflect the area in a brief sum up. 1st number : Size of area (1-5) 1 being a small town, 5 being La, New York, ect. 2nd number: Remaining survivors (1-5) 1 being barren of human life, 5 being a thriving human population 3rd number. Threat level (1-5) 1 being safe to pass day or night, 5 being turn back without an army. so a simple spray paint of 3 2 4 and a bio hazard symbol or something (hadn't gotten that far) Will tell you that you are approaching a fairly large area, with very little human beings, that is extremely dangerous. Those are the basics. If you are in a small group, scavenging may not be a very good option for you there, and you have no need to cross through. Just an idea, it can be improved on or scrapped. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
Zee-Man	5. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 7 2012, 7:47 PM EST \| Post edited: Jan 7 2012, 7:47 PM EST @BigLoki Yes this is good. I would expand to a fourth category. This makes it reminiscent of hazmat right-to-know labels. Its a tiny bit easier to draw using spray paint etc. Using only numbers without a format begs the question of whether it is random numbers or a sign. http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa339/Curragio/HoboSign.jpg The symbol could be modded in simple ways to make it useable for different situations House http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa339/Curragio/HoboSign3-1.jpg City/Town http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa339/Curragio/HoboSign2-1.jpg Industrial site http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa339/Curragio/HoboSign4-1.jpg Read the symbol top down left to right Small town, large group, medium danger, loads of zombies Arrow provides directional sense. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
SasquatchJim	6. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 7 2012, 8:13 PM EST \| Post edited: Jan 7 2012, 8:13 PM EST "No zombie is safe from SasquatchJim!" Post reply Do you find this valuable?
BigLoki	7. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 7 2012, 10:21 PM EST I agree it could appear to be random, that's why I was advocating some sort of symbol around it, to signify that it is indeed a message. As I said, it's a work in progress. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
Zee-Man	8. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 7 2012, 11:21 PM EST \| Post edited: Jan 8 2012, 7:45 PM EST A modification on my symbol suggestion. You will need to view the link to understand the following explanations. http://tinyurl.com/7xabczu Reading the symbol top down and left to right A = Resource size B = Living population C = Physical Threat level D = Infected population One of the shapes would be used as a center boss (see the images in my former post). Diamond = Community Square = Dwelling Circle = Industry Filled = I went through there Empty = I went a different way Arrow indicates direction of travel Single barb = resource only Double barb = my direction of travel, add initials to show who This thread is timely since over the Christmas holiday I was talking with my daughter about emergency plans. She is going to college in upstate NY. I wanted her to have a rendezvous point so I could come find her. Before I became enlightened I foolishly told her I would find her at the local "bad place". I updated her on the "bad place", she wont be going there anymore. Instead we are establishing a travel plan. Identifying towns along that plan we will have specific land marks which we can check for messages, and thus know when we have passed each other. As you can see this thread is very apropos for me. I like the number system BL suggests. My X pattern provides a format that is understandable and removes ambiguity. Drawback: A similar system is used by FEMA http://tinyurl.com/7yesd8h Need a simple way to make it unique for us. Edit: The letters were supposed to be variables. Where BigLoki's numbers would be used. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
redcomrad	9. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 8 2012, 1:23 AM EST \| Post edited: Jan 8 2012, 1:23 AM EST "Can't forget leaving behind a <nobr>message</nobr>, just in case somebody needs intel on a place... a lot easier on their group to read ready intel, than to send a scout on recon. Of course, when SHTF, there won't be time to scrawl a lovely word of welcome, but whenever would certainly be appreciated... I know I would... XD As to the kind of message... definitely something simple: like my dad used to say, "Keep It Simple, Stupid". My grandparents were around during the <nobr>Depression</nobr>... before Grandma went totally bugnuts, she used to talk about the hobo codes that would sometimes be etched on the gateposts outside a home, or on a railroad track outside town. Similar systems have been around for a long time. The ninja of Japan used coloured grains of rice, which they'd drop at certain points in the field. Heiroglyphics were deliberately placed on tombs to warn and ward off intruders. even popular zombie culture has picked up on this trend, with some games including a person's attempts to spread a message to potential visitors with the use of graffiti. If we could agree on a quick, easy system that would be simple enough for people not in the know to figure out, that would solve a lot of problems for a lot of people..." me and the boys have a secret code we use for writing messages to each other we assign a random number to each letter simple. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
ArielT	10. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 8 2012, 3:42 AM EST \| Post edited: Jan 8 2012, 3:42 AM EST "This thread is timely since over the Christmas holiday I was talking with my daughter about emergency plans. She is going to college in upstate NY. I wanted her to have a rendezvous point so I could come find her. Before I became enlightened I foolishly told her I would find her at the local "bad place". I updated her on the "bad place", she wont be going there anymore. Instead we are establishing a travel plan. Identifying towns along that plan we will have specific land marks which we can check for messages, and thus know when we have passed each other. As you can see this thread is very apropos for me. I like the number system BL suggests. My X pattern provides a format that is understandable and removes ambiguity. Drawback: A similar system is used by FEMA http://tinyurl.com/7yesd8h Need a simple way to make it unique for us. " It's off topic, but I'm curious what you mean by "bad place". Also, I really like the FEMA floor / room markings for scavenging large buildings for supplies. A marking on a building to indicate whether it's been looted and whether or not it's dangerous might be nice. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
Zee-Man	11. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 8 2012, 5:35 AM EST \| Post edited: Jan 8 2012, 5:35 AM EST THE BAD PLACE Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, Sam's Club and other similar joints. I did not want to devolve this thread into a debate over these places by naming them. Anyone who feels they need to should head to any of the many other threads that deal with it. or save some time and check out http://www.zombiesurvivalwiki.com/page/Why+Wal-Mart+Will+Kill+You PS Im so embarassed, confession is food for the soul, right? Post reply Do you find this valuable?
Oakspar77777	12. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 8 2012, 8:57 AM EST \| Post edited: Jan 8 2012, 8:57 AM EST Any house that is cleared will be looted. Any house that is looted will be cleared of zed. Any marking on a house means it has likely been cleared and looted. What system your group uses won't likely be understood by anyone not in your group, but everybody's marks will mean one thing - this area is pillaged and claimed by someone else. Thus, if you see a neighborhood with marking on all of the doors, you can expect them to have already been picked over for food and weapons at the very least. My group will likely take on a four step process - a mark for a house cleared of zed, a mark for a house stripped of food, guns, and ammo, a mark for a house stripped of tools, hardware, storage containers, etc, a mark for a house stripped of everything other than the house itself. After all, once the clearing crew has cleared the house and marked it with an X, the house should be ready to scavenge, but the high priority scavenge team will still have to be cautious (zombies in closets and under beds would be common as people with bites would want to hide and would turn in their hiding spot). Once the high priority scavenge team has cleared the house (again, food, guns, etc) they would likely put a large O around the X. Once an area was completely cleared (X and O on every house), then it would make sense to bring in the women, children, and trucks to really clear the houses well. (Bedding, clothes and shoes, storage containers, trash bags, hand tools, hardware, plywood, etc) After all, once a house is unoccupied, particularly if it is open to the outside air, it will begin to rot and much that is useful will be worthless in only a year or two. Also - DO NOT OPEN ANY REFRIGERATOR AFTER 48 HOURS OF NO POWER. Sure, they MIGHT have a jar of peanut butter in there - but it is not worth it. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
Bleak_91	13. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 8 2012, 11:21 AM EST \| Post edited: Jan 8 2012, 1:55 PM EST Makes sense, but what if houses are marked and are captured by raiders, bandits, mercenaries, etc. ( this is our territory now! oakspar =P) Post reply Do you find this valuable?
BigLoki	14. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 8 2012, 12:00 PM EST If that's how you want to do, that's fine... I just think it leaves too much for interpretation... "Well that's marked. so it's empty, and free of zombies" That seems a lot to derive from a mark that has no information in it. I like the simple number system, personally, but if it's not generally accepted, it won't work. In all honesty, if I choose to leave a mark, I'll just go ahead and spell it out for whoever's next. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
Bleak_91	15. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 8 2012, 2:04 PM EST \| Post edited: Jan 8 2012, 2:04 PM EST "If that's how you want to do, that's fine... I just think it leaves too much for interpretation... "Well that's marked. so it's empty, and free of zombies" That seems a lot to derive from a mark that has no information in it. I like the simple number system, personally, but if it's not generally accepted, it won't work. In all honesty, if I choose to leave a mark, I'll just go ahead and spell it out for whoever's next." I couldn't agree more... Post reply Do you find this valuable?
Zee-Man	16. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 8 2012, 2:17 PM EST \| Post edited: Jan 8 2012, 2:17 PM EST Each of us surely has our own ideas for marking the territories we will pass through and live in. Perhaps I may never get to California or Virginia. I most certainly will travel through parts of Pennsylvania. It is a comfort to know when I see a column of three or four number that Im probably in BigLoki's neighborhood. I will at least have an idea what that column might mean. I dont think a huge variety of markings is going to serve us very well. Certainly we are not a government, but I would like to think that we could, whenever possible, help each other out. I dont think this thread is about saying my way or your way is the best. I thought it was a beginning of achieving a consensus. Trail blazing has a long history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_blazing Just looking at the gallery in that link you can raise alot of questions as to what the symbols mean. Notice in the text that convergent trails might use the same color blaze. Since we are talking about survival, perhaps that of our species, it would truly be good if some of the survivors could communicate in this passive way. While we are a highly individualistic lot, just our presence here shows that we hope to achieve some common ground. I am eager to see more ideas. Hopefully those ideas will build upon each other and we can arrive at a standard ZSDW trail blaze. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
BigLoki	17. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 8 2012, 4:05 PM EST \| Post edited: Jan 8 2012, 4:08 PM EST I wasn't ridiculing anyone else's system, I was just making an observation. I'm in no way thinking my system is the one, best system. For as simple as it is, I actually did put a bit of thought into it.. 1) Numbers have no language, or region barrier. They are not subject to interpretation, or misunderstanding. "2" is "2" in Guatemala, Sweden, America, or anywhere else. 2) It's fast, and easy to remember. 3 main questions, how big, how many, how safe. I thought of including other things like resources, and the like, but then it becomes convoluted, and complicated. Also moot if it is crawling with zeds, or raiders. 3) It can be done with nearly anything. You don't need to carry a special thing, or find a special color (like with flags and the like). I think it's a system that could be added to if someone wished, but that's the most basic info I believe you would NEED, the rest unnecessarily complicates it to me. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
ZombieSurvival101	18. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 8 2012, 5:28 PM EST \| Post edited: Jan 8 2012, 5:35 PM EST Let's assume we do have a system set up already. A huge factor to it's usability is - How are we going to get everybody to both understand the system and use it too? Getting (most of) the people on this site to understand the system would be relatively easy; make a link on the front page with a flashy picture and we've got it done. But outside of the wiki is going to be much harder, with the whole end of the world thing and all. Instead of numbers, which would take sortof long and would require something besides spray paint (the sprayed area is huge and messy), why not simple symbols (which can be enhanced with numbers should time and resource allow)? / = Cleared O = Occupied with Zacks X = Looted V = Heavily looted (barricading supplies taken, non load-bearing walls cannibalized) Post reply Do you find this valuable?
ZombieSurvival101	19. RE: Leaving Messages Behind... Jan 8 2012, 5:37 PM EST \| Post edited: Jan 8 2012, 5:37 PM EST I'd also like to point out that I didn't mean my system would solve the problem of people not knowing what the symbols mean. Post reply Do you find this valuable?

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