Yik Yak

Starfish

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Joined
Mar 23, 2016
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15
So I started reading after hearing about it on here. So is morale usually that low this time of year anyway or is it worse due to the new Comm and rules? Lots of back and forth about another firstie just now being separated. Is all this normal or just hyped up on the anonymous forum. So many saying not to go and they won't affirm and will transfer. Please shed some light. I understand they are bitter college kids under a lot of stress but doesn't sound like the WP leadership I have been reading. About my whole life .
 
It's normal. I read the USNA one the other day. Sounds like things haven't hanged much! Well accept A/C, they have freakin air conditioning! One thing that is true about the military of all ranks, all over the world... They like to complain. When they stop, that is when things scary. They are complaining on an anonymous form and just venting. They will affirm and stay. Retention rates have climbed at SAs, not dropped over the decades. Also it's the end of the year, they are tired and want the year to end. At a SA rumors run rampant and they don't always see the big picture of why things are being done. Some of it will make much more sense once they get out in the operating forces.
 
Just letting off steam anonymously. They will affirm. This is normal as they are finishing up classes and preparing for TEEs.
 
A wise boss once told me, "your people are always going to complain. Look at how serious their complaint is and set it in context. That will tell you the real climate."

The Service Academies - bad place to be, good place to be from. They go from 4/c all in a confused rush with shining eyes, to been-there-done-that cynicism, to cannot-wait-to-get-outta-here to excitement about what comes after the butter bars are on.

Fast forward 30 years, and the tears pour down their faces as they retire from active duty in USNA's Memorial Hall, and they can only remember how great it was. And how much they complained!

The witchin' (forum courtesy) and moaning are absolutely normal. Mids and cadets will always have opinions about the state of their Academy, and morale, and that will carry over to whatever military unit they join. As Hoops noted, that's the military way. It's tribal custom.
 
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I can't tell you much about previous years, but most people are just upset at the amount of A/C weekends. A/C weekends just mean you can't leave until later on Saturday if at all. On these weekends there is some type of training, even if you aren't tasked with the training you still can't leave. A/B weekends are free weekends. We haven't had any this semester (but there was an opportunity to leave for Easter weekend). On top of that there has been a lot of unpopular decisions. There's been way more complaining than ever, but mostly from yik yak. I suggest staying away from yik yak for the most part. Just focus on preparing and most importantly enjoy the remainder of high school and any summer break you get.
 
Just my two cents for new parents...yik yak is for the cadets and with that...there is no reason ever for a parent to log in. I think it was elsa who was quoted as singing...'let it go...let it go....' :) Really...it is a cadet thing...
 
I would stay away from Yik Yak. Yes, things here are worse then they could be. Some decisions have been made lately that have cadets mad, and with that they'll take their anger out on Yik Yak. Is it worse then the past? Sure, but not much. Cynicism always goes up and down. When General Thompson showed up, people were freaking out then too. Some of the things posted are valid points (#FREEWILLY) but some are just cadets being too sensitive. The reason I'd say to stay away from yik yak is there is no need to expose yourself to that negativity now. In a couple years when you're a yuk or a cow and jaded then you can embrace it. Enjoy it while it lasts, I'd say.

That said, I'm a cynical cadet so take my opinion with heaps of literal/figurative salt.
 
Imagine complaining without Yik Yak. It's the port-a-john literature of the Internet. If it was really something serious enough to fix, then someone should actually stick their neck out and risk their reputation to raise a complaint or use their Cadet Chain of Command rather than hide behind their anonymous screen and hope that the communal bellyaching will reach a critical mass that warrants a response. In lieu of that and appealing to a generation of Internet crusaders, maybe the Supt should start a website for complaints/petitions and promise to address any petition that receives at least 5,000 cadet signatures (sarcasm intended).
 
As an old timer who has been around USMA for 30+ years I can tell you that the discourse of malcontent on being a cadet has not changed one iota. But now there is social media so it can easily be published. Don’t worry about it.
 
I must admit that I signed up, just to see what it was all about. I read the feed for about two days, and then disabled my account.
It's young adults venting and complaining in a "safe" way, without much fear of retribution.
That being said, after reading several posts, my overall thought was, "Suck it up, buttercup!" Good grief.
Not worth even checking into. Let them have their place to vent.
 
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Also, for any considering using Yik Yak as a venting place...it is not fully anonymous. It is traceable. Keep that in mind before posting something you may regret later.
 
Also, for any considering using Yik Yak as a venting place...it is not fully anonymous. It is traceable. Keep that in mind before posting something you may regret later.
This is so true! If only I could give this 100 up votes!

It keeps track of yak karma, probably using your device's unique id (sort of like an ip address). From there, well, not hard to figure out who's using the device.
 
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