I get emails and comments saying I’m a fake prepper because I’m on Facebook. I am not making this up. Their argument is that having a Facebook account is such a violation of OPSEC that no one can be a prepper and have a Facebook account.
But consider the flip side of their question: Should people on Facebook prepare for emergencies?
Of course they should. Even people on Facebook need to be ready for power failures. Even people on Facebook need to stock up food and water, administer first aid, change a tire, and rescue damsels in distress. Even people on Facebook need to know land navigation, how to purify water, and how to preserve meat.
If you’re not “in the system,” staying out may or may not be a good idea, but for me and the majority the issue is strictly academic. I have a social security number, so I’m already in the system. I have a driver’s license. I have a passport. I have a cell phone. I have an email address. I don’t know how many NICS checks I’ve passed. I’m a lawyer, so they already have my fingerprints, and the judges, the Sheriff, the US Attorney, and the local FBI agents know me or know of me. I have a carry permit, so they have my fingerprints again. I have Class 3 weapons, so they have my fingerprints yet again, in quadruplicate.
It is too late for me, son. [/Vader]
If you’re wanting to get out or stay out of “the system,” then avoiding Facebook is essential. I know and admire an Amish community that is far more “out of the system” than anyone who sends me email saying I need to avoid Facebook. These Amish don’t have email. They don’t even have social security numbers, electricity, or street addresses. They deliver their own babies and their own mail. And I have to admit, they don’t have Facebook.
Staying out of the system is good, and people who are out of the system are glad about it, but I’m not trying to “stay out of the system.” It’s not that I don’t like the off-grid prepper. On the contrary, I admire him almost as much as I do the Amish. It’s just that the people in the system are at greater risk. Even people in the system need to eat, drink, and apply a bandaid. My purpose is to teach those people (and encourage them to learn) to be less dependent on undependable institutions. My purpose is to encourage a paradigm shift in their thinking. A very simple one:
If my regular source of [food, water, electricity, heat, etc.] fails, I will get it by another means [stock, generator, spring, whatever].
This is something you can do. Yes, even if you’re on Facebook.
~SnoMan
It’s the out of touch with reality people that may not like this, but those that take the advice do like it.
Many ways to negate the “facebook handicap”, even for the high profile prepper like SNO-Man! He can simply climb into his UAV (urban assault vehicle) and go completely off-grid and under the radar. Good Luck finding and apprehending him THEN, NWO!!! lol
You Go, SnoMan!
PS: zuck is a pimply-faced little traitorous puke anyway, I’m sure he data mines for the F’eds constantly. That is how he got away with his bogus IPO
i always love the fact that somebody will judge or critize you based on their opinions… like the guy who told me i wasnt a prepper because iv only been doing it johnny come lately.. (5 Years)… Because HE started pre 2K… give me a break….. OPSEC is important as far as im concerned but if we all sucombed to the no talk no tell attitude than great sites like this one would never exist and alot of people who can and do benifit from the information would have nothing…. if you are looking to get of the grid than you might as well bury your head in the sand and stay there. if you are on the net, use a credit card, got a driver lisc. ect…ect…. you are on somebodys list or data base… so who cares if your trying to help the sheeple on FB.. more power to ya….
Good article. My philosophy is to stay plugged in to social media in order to educate, organize, alert, and to provide feedback to the government when they step beyond their bounds. Resistance needs visibility in order to be effective
That is a bunch of BS, the people who think it is such a grave violation of OPSEC are the whackos who are praying for the S to hit the fan so they can say ‘I told you so’. You are in charge of the information you put on Facebook so you can use it without giving any information away. Facebook is just another tool like a knife, shovel, two way radio, how it gets used is up to you but not using when it could help you is just silly.
I’m really glad there are people on FB to give advice, etc, to those of us newer to the homesteading/prepping life. And as you say, once you’re in the system, what’s being on FB going to do? Like you, I have all the govt issued ID. I travel to Africa a couple of times a year for my non-profit and frequently call, text, and email there, so I’m sure I”m already on some watch list anyway. I have a concealed carry permit. Weapons bought in gun stores. I’ve ordered ammo online (cheaper). Because I live in the country now, I get a lot of stuff from Amazon (free shipping with Amazon Prime is a lot cheaper than driving into town all the the time). I won’t be off the system, ever, until the system goes down. So I’m going to take full advantage of all the knowledge out there as long as I can!
Did these extremists who sent you emails and comments, about you having an email account and a social media profile, violate their own rules by having an email account and social media profile to be able to sent you emails and coments?
While I personally do not recommend any of the social media outlets, such as Facebook, etc., in reality it is here to stay. In addition, as mentioned in the article, if you have a SSN, especially been in the military, or any other connection with doing business in America…then Yes, that virgin OPSEC train has already left the station…however, you are responsible for the information you post out there…good or bad, so live with it.
SNOMan, just wanted to say that’s it’s refreshing to see a “prepper” spokesman who is articulate and who thinks rationally. As a fellow “prepper” (damn, I hate these simplistic labels), I get a bit discouraged by some who discredit this mindset with bad communication skills. Good on ya man, and I wish you success in this initiative.
Encouraging more people to be prepared will make for less needing YOUR preps if the ice cream goes through the fan. While I would hesitate to give out my GPS co-ordinates on Facebook, I make no bones about telling everyone else I meet, in person or on line that they need to get their ducklings in a row. If they come to raid my stuff in a SHTF scenario they will quickly realise the folly of that course of action.