Maximizing The Internet For Survival Information
Guest Post by Patton
The internet has a wealth of survival information that can give valuable information and training resources for preppers. But how to find the exact information?
Sifting through the millions of websites that offer useful information is always a challenge when dealing with search engines. I believe I’ve found the solution.
I would like to share with our family of blog readers a FREE website that is a WEALTH of information. The website is called SCRIBD.
This website offers all sorts of prepping (and all other) information including, military/tactical, weaponry, first aid, medicine, gardening, cooking,survival, camping, food storage, solar/wind, recipes, etc. – just about ANY and ALL topics can be searched and a multitude of documents will be found that can be downloaded for Free in either .pdf or .txt. format to your desktop or even a mobile device.
Just type in a topic/subject (or even a military document number for example) and you will get a world of information. Probably any type of document or book can be found on this website. It looks as though people contribute (upload)information to the website for anyone to read online or download.
New member scan LOGIN to sign up, and they ask you to create a USERNAME and PASSWORD. On a note, following OPSEC, I created a USERNAME versus using an e-mail address.
I found 99% of documents that I have found on a variety of websites contained on this website, including the same documents that are being sold by various individuals on Survival CD’s.
The website is a bit slow to load the documents you click on, mostly because of file size, but once it is fully loaded on the screen page you can download it.
Once it is fully downloaded, click on “download” button and then a pop-up will appear and prompt you to choose either .txt or .pdf format.
Here is where it gets tricky.
You have to wait for the document title in this pop-up box to display BOTH the name and the file size. Once the file size is shown next to the document title, click on the “Download Now” button in the same pop-up box and you are good to go.
Being able to download the information allows you to place it on your desktop and then save it in a file, burn it onto a CD or put it onto a thumb drive.
This website is the first place you should begin to search for anything you are looking for. I am sure you will find what you need. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
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July 15th, 2010 at 11:20 AM
+1 on Scribd. I have found a pretty good bit on it and I especially like the PDF format. The PDF format is highly portable and a PDF reader exists for just about any operating system out there. The file size of the reader is small meaning you can store the installers (for each OS) with your data without wasting a lot of space.
If you’re storing documents needed post-TEOTWAWKI stick to PDFs or plain vanilla TXT documents if possible.
Another resource I like is Google Books. Thousands of magazines on there, and if you’re interested in antique books on technology 1800-1900s many of the books offered there are available for download in PDF format also.
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July 15th, 2010 at 1:45 PM
Been mining Scribd for over a year now. Old books also available through the internet archive (www.archive.org) and project gutenberg (www.gutenberg.org.)
These are mostly scans of now open-source books from university libraries.
I stopped using peer-to-peer “torrent” websites when I found out they were not strictly legal, but there are a lot of good resources there if your conscience is not as rigid as mine.
I have a Sony Reader and I like to load an SD card up with books and read them that way. Much more comfortable than using my laptop.
If you’re going to search for good sources, I highly recommend the Appropriate Technology series. They made a series of microfiches in the 70’s and 80’s to provide a remote villiage with a full technical library in a shoebox. Most of the content is geared toward the environment in the “third world,” but there’s so much good data and so many good projects that it’d be a mistake not to take a look.
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July 15th, 2010 at 5:19 PM
Dustin, you’re so right. The amount of stuff out there for sale is humongus and mostly unnecessary.
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July 15th, 2010 at 5:23 PM
Patton, I was unable to get the link to work. Are you sure that’s all there is to i, just SCRIBD?
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Patton**** Reply:
July 15th, 2010 at 7:36 PM
The link for SCRIBD website is:
http://www.scribd.com/
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July 15th, 2010 at 6:59 PM
test post
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July 15th, 2010 at 8:10 PM
Sorry about the mistake – I fixed the link.
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July 15th, 2010 at 9:22 PM
And this is why I read this blog. Awesome, I log in using facebook didn’t even need to make an account a lot of great stuff
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July 16th, 2010 at 12:59 AM
It’s deer seaon. You’re a buck and there’s a place you heard about from other bucks that has a big acorn pile, a salt lick, a watering hole, a bean field, and dozens of does in heat. You haven’t gone there yet and your pals keep disappearing, but the place sounds perfect, so you mosey over to it and start enjoying the offerings. Soon your buck instincts are set on low and you relax. You sample some of this and some of that and get to know the does a lot better. All seems great….until you hear a slight buzzing sound and a bright flash of light. Your buck memory tells you it’s a trail camera and you’ve been photographed. You remember that those bucks which had been photographed in seasons past eventually wind up in the back of a human’s pickup truck. You run for your life, but it’s too late. The trail camera has your picture and there is no way to erase it. You run here and there and frantically try to get away from the area, all in vain. Soon your buck ears pick up the distant sound of hounds and men and they sound excited. Your pulse quickens, you try to hide in the thick brush, but the hounds have tracked you to your hiding place. A man steps forward and levels his firestick at you – in an instant you feel nothing, hear nothing, think nothing. The men heave your still-warm body into the bed of their pickup, the dogs nip at your wound. Next thing you know, you’re looking down from deer heaven and see your head hanging from some bureaucrat’s office wall.
Moral of the story…are you sure Big Brother isn’t monitoring you while you’re at such an enticing place?
Hey, I’m a bit paranoid after our own government admits to monitoring millions of American’s web wanderings. That site sounds great, which is why I’m not going.
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Patton**** Reply:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:16 AM
I guess that you can say the same thing for this blog, huh?
Listen Skunk, if the guv’ment man wants to see what you are looking at it is easy enough. Almost every search engine (esp. GOOGLE) and website that you visit records and places “cookies” on your computer to see/watch what you are looking at, and records your IP address and a host of other info about what computer you are using, etc. Regular cleaning of your cache and internet explorer using your Clean Manager helps. You can also use filters that are available on all seacrh engines that prevent websites for recording your personal IP and computer data.
While OPSEC is very important, and I understand your concerns, or as you say, “a bit paranoid.” If you are that worried I would suggest that you also quit visiting this blog and throw your computer out. Same holds true for your telephone, cellphone, iPod, iPhone, GPS, your car, etc.. Oh, don’t forget all those highway and toll booth cameras watching you, or the cameras in every store. Not much to prevent that except to stay home the rest of your life. But make sure that don’t go out in the yard now, the “drones” may see you, or GOOGLE EARTH cameras. That is unless you wear a Ghillie suit when you go out in the yard.
Getting the information you need to survive/elude/stay under the radar BEFORE the guv’ment men come (which I doubt) may just keep you a few steps ahead of them from throwing your still-warm body in the truck. Trust me, if you happen to own a gun/rifle/shotgun they know where you live and are more likely to be coming for that one day rather than for your web surfing activities.
Freedom and Liberty are lost by those who do not exercise them regularly. You and I are free (for the moment anyway) to visit any websites we choose. However any radical muslim sites are being watched a bit more closely than SCRIBD. That is a given.
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July 16th, 2010 at 2:41 AM
Patton, you seem to have taken my post personally. No need, I wasn’t ridiculing you. I like to point out things that others may not see at first glance. I realize any website can be monitored. I also know that any website as attractive to survivalists as one that provides such a wealth of information will be the MAIN target for Big Bro. Websites like MD’s and a few others I frequent are less likely to draw the same attention, imo.
I did a brief bit of background check on SCRIBD and found that it is associated with Google. It’s founder is a resident of San Francisco, he’s a grad of Harvard and some people have charged his website with the theft of intellectual property. I’m just doing due diligence…so shoot me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scribd
As I say, I’m not looking to rain on your parade, but flypaper can be very attractive to the unwary fly.
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OLD SCHOOL Reply:
July 16th, 2010 at 10:24 AM
Thanks for the info, have enough overseers now without another one.
PREPARE FOR THE WORST AND PRAY FOR THE BEST
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templar knight Reply:
July 16th, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Got to agree with Mr. Cabbage here. I would shy away from SCRIBD for the reasons he mentions, and really wouldn’t be any worse off. Most of what SCRIBD contains can be gleaned from other sites, such as MD’s and others who post a wealth of information, or can be found in used books and publications for very reasonable prices, or can be traded for at used book fairs or even gun shows. I guess this is a little more work, but I love getting out and meeting people who are like minded, and I love giving these people my cash when I find a bargain.
I’m not disparaging anyone who wants to use SCRIBD, as I understand some people don’t have the time to do it my way, and everyone should have their own individual plans.
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Patton**** Reply:
July 16th, 2010 at 4:41 PM
Skunk,
I do not take your comments “personally.” I could care less what anyone else chooses to do, or not to do. To each his/her own.
Just remember that we are ALL being watched now – wherever and whenever. You dont have to be “a bit paranoid” to figure that one out.
Have a nice day :-)
Patton****
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Skunk Cabbage Reply:
July 16th, 2010 at 4:59 PM
Yes, you are so right — we’re all being watched, here there and everywhere. I guess I prefer to make it as hard on them as I can without giving up my pursuit of happiness (as you so well pointed out in an earlier reply). They must be getting an eyefull when they watch me, I’ve got to be on all kinds of scary watch lists – NRA, here, other prepper blogs, Cabela’s (lol), WND, Glenn Beck, etc. Yep, I’m one bad apple in the barrel. The fact of the matter is, the watchers should be the ones watched — they are the crooks and criminals. I’m just a nobody trying to take care of me and mine with as little interference from the gov’ment as possible.
Glad you didn’t take my original post personally. I’m here to opine, not to critique. I don’t frequent sites run by progressives and that place had the fingerprints of progressives all over it, at least at the ownership/management level. I don’t use paypal nor snopes for the same reason.
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Patton**** Reply:
July 16th, 2010 at 8:56 PM
To sum up this converstaion, as my mentor said,
“You shouldn’t underestimate an enemy, but it is just as fatal to overestimate him.” (General George S. Patton)
Patton**** Reply:
July 16th, 2010 at 9:03 PM
Oh, and just one more thing. Please remember this:
“When you grill Progressives, they taste like chicken…”
J Gray Reply:
August 1st, 2010 at 3:30 PM
I second that motion… Funny thing is though when I first started to delve into these matters I was so reserved about my movements and that of which I allowed myself to comment or discuss but now as time as progressed I find myself caring less and less about those interested in my opposing views of their own. I think for reason being that if we are going to all be subjected to some cataclysmic event that puts us and our futures in jeopardy I say screw it. Bring it on BAMA for I am woman hear me roar. No seriously if I choose the route of the oppressed and fearful than I don’t stand a hope in the hell to come for it’s going to take a fighting spirit and will that will be able to overcome the corrupt and deeply routed lead we are meant to follow. Here’s to the after life… ; )
July 19th, 2010 at 4:20 PM
I wouldn’t sweat using Scribd. The content is so varied and the traffic is so high that the occasional download of a gardening book or military manual isn’t going to be a red flag for anyone.
If you’re that worried about your profile, download a large variety and then delete the “chaff.”
I mean, do you order anything online? Amazon, Ebay, any of MD’s advertisers? Ever bid on GunBroker? Order ammo from CTD? If you’ve done any of these don’t even blink at downloading a book.
Alternate idea: build a digital camera-based scanner (search instructables.com) and scan all the books you want from friends or the library. IIRC, as long as it’s for personal use vice distribution you should be fine. Just remember to print hard copies for those times when electricity is scarce.
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Patton**** Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 8:29 PM
And I suggest to anybody out there to better download what you need, AND FAST!
Last week 78,000 blogs were “removed” without reason given on “orders” of “some agency” (which will not be revealed: could it be the new Gestapo? (Ve ver just folowwing zee orders)
Nothing about this was reported by the MSM.
Read more here and do some searching on “78,000 blogs shut down” and see what is revealed.
http://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/ClaireWolfe/2010/07/19/testing-the-internet-kill-switch/
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DaveNV Reply:
July 21st, 2010 at 8:49 PM
All I can say is BO and his bunch are trying real hard to take control of the internet and all other communications. If you have any military background that would suggest that you could be a problem, have several hunting or other type of weapons, you are on a list and being watched in some way shape or form. Each time you use a cell phone and use flagged words, you will be recorded. Its part and parcel of this tech age. No it use it to your advantage and smile about it. :-) OPSEC, has to become part of a your life style whether at chosen times or All the time. Its not being Paranoid its being Realistic.
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July 21st, 2010 at 8:53 PM
Patton,
Thanks for the heads up on http://www.Backwoodshome.com
I checked it out. I’ll beback to it again.
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