Knot exam paper... test your current knowledge!

Mark Gommers wrote: I lost track of anything meaningful and coherent quite some time ago.

Quoted for posterity.

I wondered how a thread on knots had gotten so popular... This is fascinatingly off-putting!

Mark Gommers wrote:Military users engaged in tactical lead climbing to infiltrate areas ...

Dude! This is awesome shit coming from the land down under!
I think you have a knack for fiction perhaps you could make a career out of it. I am thinking Sly's Cliffhanger meets Mechanic wrapped up in Eiger Sanction. With heroes eating vegemite and avocado sandwiches and washing it down with Fosters. Oh, there must be crocodiles as well.

Per the perp Mark Gompers:I was also under the impression that gravity affects all classes of user groups who employ life critical knots in their safety systems?

The père is rudely forgetting about the space force. They're international heroes. Read a book. Interestingly, you don't see astronauts using many knots in space. Maybe the 0-g knots are behind another PACI password and NASA also offended Merk so he wouldn't share with them? Sure gravity affects everyone, but not equally. 

I know I should really stop but how many opportunities do you get to talk to your heroes? My apologies to Jim and Fran for antagonizing him and the excessive notifications but I'm pretty sure he had no real intention of "sharing PACI intellectual property" with you for commercial use/at all. 

He's basically the mall ninja of knots. If anyone ever gets through this thread on a lark, I highly recommend reading this. Same type of content but from a different forum.

per Amarius:

I think you have a knack for fiction perhaps you could make a career out of it.

Thanks. I've enjoyed the fiction, waffle and spray from this topic thread!
By the way, I've seen lots of special forces dudes undertaking lead climbing for tactical operations.
It's awe inspiring to watch.
Lead climbing with the CTOMS 'quickie' and 6.0mm diameter 'rope' is an eye opener.

Here is a photo of a special forces dude attempting a famous climb called 'Kachoong' at Mt Arapiles.
I watched him attempt it a few times while wearing his assault rifle and belt kit...he couldn't pull around the lip of the roof.
So he removed his kit and attached it to a piece of 'pro' - then succeeded.
His 'second' unclipped the rifle and belt kit from underneath the roof later.
I guess this is evidence of the military engaging in tactical climbing training?
I would assume that the laws of physics and gravity apply to these guys? Maybe they have rules in place for tails on life critical knots?
Mind you, this is of course pure speculation on my behalf...

I guess you must feel really embarrased and a bit ashamed to have made such an ill informed remark Mr Amarius?

 

per Aidan:

I know I should really stop but how many opportunities do you get to talk to your heroes? My apologies to Jim and Fran for antagonizing him and the excessive notifications but I'm pretty sure he had no real intention of "sharing PACI intellectual property" with you for commercial use/at all.

Thank you Aidan for tapping out meaningful words on your keyboard - it is energy well invested.
And thank you for vilifying me - I enjoy being made out to be the villain.

As for sharing PACI intellectual property - I generally don't respond in kind to infantile remarks - which (when you think about it) is reasonable to understand.
Also, I'm no expert on anything. I can barely haul my body out of bed in the morning let alone scale a vertical cliff using fall protection equipment.
Because I am a lowly useless climber, my opinion doesn't really matter.
Based on posts in this thread, I have formed an impression that a person has to climb hard routes to become a knot 'expert' so people will take you seriously.

Mark Gommers wrote: This is a reversal of the onus of proof.

Thank you for your forum courtesy, and profoundly meaningful post PWZ !
Your brilliance is overwhelming - and I'm not sure where to turn now?

Do you have anything else that is meaningful and worthy of this forum topic?

Mark Gommers wrote: Thank you for your forum courtesy, and profoundly meaningful post PWZ !
Your brilliance is overwhelming - and I'm not sure where to turn now?

Do you have anything else that is meaningful and worthy of this forum topic?

Sir, you are annoying. That is all. 

per Noah:

Sir, you are annoying. That is all.

Sir, maybe you only read the last 1 or 2 posts - then selectively chose to vilify while ignoring the real perpetrators?
But thank you anyway...I enjoy being made out to be the villain :)

Mark Gommers wrote: 
I guess you must feel really embarrased and a bit ashamed to have made such an ill informed remark Mr Amarius?

 

Damn, I feel so ashamed, I am going to burn my keyboard! 

So how many of us think that Mr Gommers doesn’t actually know the answer to his quiz?

I used to climb with US Army Ranger, a training sergeant based near me in Germany. Appalling knowledge and skills but his mental attitude and willingness to take groundfalls and go back to try again was admirable though probably not conducive to long climbing career.
Through him I got a nicely paid part time job giving the normal Rangers refreshers on their mountain combat course (had to be DAV qualified instructor but English mother tongue).
Kinda entertaining a few weekends a year, we tied in with 4" tails, well they did as I use a rethreaded bowline.

Mark Gommers wrote:I generally don't respond in kind to infantile remarks

Saving this for later. 

Also, I'm no expert on anything. I can barely haul my body out of bed in the morning

Might I suggest a 3:1 pulley system? I imagine there's some PACI content about that if you can get a password. Heard the person who runs it is a bit of a kook though.

I have formed an impression that a person has to climb hard routes to become a knot 'expert' so people will take you seriously.

This isn't true. Climbers don't need to be knot experts and climbing hard won't make one a knot expert anyway. Knowing about the subject matter and actually engaging with fellow forum members is how you'll be taken seriously. I think most of the climbing questions were a riff off of the asinine line of questioning you directed at Fran on page 1 or 2.

Instead of "taking your ball and going home" the first time someone questions your assertions (which contradict a number of reliable sources) and arguing that gear manufacturers don't know about knots but you do (while simultaneously saying you aren't an expert?), try answering the questions and defending your claims with information instead of personal attacks ("Are you challenged in some way?") and references to hidden documents. 

Nobody here will just take your word for it when they're trusting their or their clients' lives to your advice, nor should they. 

Per Mr Dixon:

So how many of us think that Mr Gommers doesn’t actually know the answer to his quiz?

Thank you for this meaningful comment and contribution!
I'll save you the trouble of asking or confirming with 'us'...
Its not 'my' quiz, and if I hypothetically don't know the answers to the knot exam - does this make me a bad person?
And even if I do know the answers to the knot exam, should I feel obligated to share said answers with people such as yourself?

per Aidan:

Knowing about the subject matter and actually engaging with fellow forum members is how you'll be taken seriously.

I am only a hobbyist/enthusiast knot tyer - but I heard that the day you die is the day you stop learning :)
As for 'actually engaging' with forum members to be 'taken seriously' - once the insults and childlike behavior commenced, I was just along for an amusing ride to nowhere.
Sort of like this response - its just another response to more infantile remarks.

I think most of the climbing questions were a riff off of the asinine line of questioning you directed at Fran on page 1 or 2

I don't recall intentionally directing anything 'asinine' to any person that displayed decency and courtesy.
And in terms of the definition of 'asinine' (def: extremely stupid or foolish) it's your posts which fit within this broader definition.

Instead of "taking your ball and going home" the first time someone questions your assertions (which contradict a number of reliable sources)

I didn't know there was a ball.
And even if there was a hypothetical 'ball' - I don't recall going 'home' with it?

I usually respond to technical questions with a technical reply - provided it is framed respectfully and courteously. I also try to gain a full understanding of the question before replying.

and arguing that gear manufacturers don't know about knots

I think you might be reading challenged or filling in your own gaps.
What i do recall stating is along these core concepts: The core business of manufacturers who produce fall protection PPE is (wait for it) - design and fabrication of consumer products.
I'm willing to go out on a limb and suggest that knot tying and/or developing knot theory is not a PPE manufacturers core business.
Now - if this comment is sufficient grounds to launch personal attacks - I am happy to be the assumed victim/villain.

but you do (while simultaneously saying you aren't an expert?), try answering the questions and defending your claims with information instead of personal attacks

Interesting remark.
I didn't know that I was making any 'claims' (which 'claims' are you referring to?).
The first part of this sentence is an 'oxymoron'.
As for the allegation of 'personal attacks' - it is not I who fires such volleys or slings personal insults. I merely reply in kind to those that choose to behave poorly (as you are doing).

In analyzing your comments - it leaves an impression of malice.
If you really think about the underlying reason for all of your posts - it carries a consistent theme of malice.
You read some typed words on a LCD screen - your brain triggers some kind of emotion - and you feel compelled to act with malice.
After typing your comments - it gives you a feeling of satisfaction.
You feel that you have performed a noble duty...to sling insults ...which provides you with some ethereal feelings of power and fulfillment.

You will probably feel compelled to tap more words on your keyboard in response to this post.
I look forward to continuing this discussion with you.

per Vincent:

OP reminds me of the homeschooled kids I knew growing up.

Was malice the underlying reason why you chose to post such an infantile comment?
Am happy to be the object of your intended malice.

per SinRopa:

No...but you have to admit that to a lot of us, it seems weird that you’d helpfully post the test and offer it out to the community as a way of improving our knot knowledge,

Thank you for your post SinRopa.
It appears to be a comment rather than a question?
So you are commenting that you thought I was helpful by sharing a knot exam paper... is that correct?
Like - just a little bit of a nice guy for making the effort in the first instance?

but then refuse to release an answer sheet.

Ahhh - we come to the underlying motive behind your post.
But I'm unhelpful (or a naughty boy) because you think that I 'refuse' to release an answer sheet?

Hmmm, lets see.
This last past of your commentary presumes that an alleged 'answer sheet' exists.
What if there is no 'answer sheet'?
Would that impact upon the underlying reason for you making your post in this topic thread?

Also - you assume that there is a 'refusal'?
Would you say that the absence of an answer sheet and a refusal to share it (if it hypothetially exists) is suffcient grounds for abusive behavior?
Is any form of abuse to be tolerated?
Or is abuse only tolerated in the electronic social media domain?

For example, is abusive behavior tolerated in USA classrooms or in USA workplaces?
Or (in the USA) is abusive behavior tolerated only in the electronic social media domain?

And - if there was a hypothetical answer sheet - if you were in my shoes - and had various forms of abuse and insults thrown at you from random people tapping on their key boards - would you feel duty-bound to respond in kind? (ie despite the abusive and insulting behavior - still accede to such people's wishes and provide a hypothetical answer sheet)?

per SinRopa:

This appears to be another post that is actuated by malice:

Lets examine your argument...

That’d be weird, as you said it existed, but that you were “unwilling” to release it.

Curious.
Where are the alleged typed words on a keyboard where I stated that an 'answer sheet' actually existed?
I am very interested to learn about this...have you got proof that such a thing even exists?
Again: Even if such a hypothetical answer sheet does exist - why would I care to share it with people such as yourself?
Is there some legal requirement for me to accede to your demands?

It all seemed very civil and appreciative until you took it off the rails after Fran asked a legitimate question...

Curious.
Which typed words on a keyboard are clear evidence that I "took it off the rails"?
I didn't know that I 'took anything off the rails"?

And are you a self-appointed judge and jury - where you can decide if something has been 'taken off the rails?'
And if you are qualified to act in such a capacity - does that grant you powers to behave poorly?

SinRopa, we can continue to play this game for as long as you continue to make infantile posts.
I'll just keep replying in kind.

It probably wont be long till the forum moderators step in and shut this topic thread down (I hope).