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Chernobyl's 'stalker' subculture

calvertjournal.com

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Re: Chernobyl's 'stalker' subculture

#61

Post by thaumasiotes »

cjsawyer wrote: post #3
Zababa wrote: post #2

Website seems to be down: https://archive.is/vGC6C Anecdotally, I've visited Chernobyl and I remember seeing somewhere a few empty cans and an empty vodka bottle. Both looked pretty recent. I've also seen the bus that's photographed. There was something inside, the thing with a cardboard cover and metal rings where you can put pages inside (It's called a "classeur" in French, but I can't find how it's called in Engli…

It’s a “3 ring binder” or just “binder”

While I agree that the item is ordinarily called a "three-ring binder", and that it always has three rings, I would not call one with a strange number of rings a "three-ring binder". The name hasn't become that opaque.

Re: Chernobyl's 'stalker' subculture

#62

Post by res0nat0r »

Koshkin wrote: post #57
whatever_dude wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's a reflection of the culture from the general area. Russian sci-fi, for example, tends to be heavily introspective (Roadside Picnic, Solaris, etc). While most other western/American sci fi is more about extraordinary world building/future scenarios. To a lesser or different degree, you see the same approach in videogames, software development, etc.

Nitpick: Solaris (the story) is by a Polish author (S. Lem).

I think most everyone associates Solaris in this context with Tarkovsky.

Re: Chernobyl's 'stalker' subculture

#63

Post by reaperducer »

cdirkx wrote: post #12
ethbr0 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Three ring binder" maybe? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_binder

Curious that there are two replies here calling it a three ring binder explicitly, while if I think about it I have only seen them with two or four rings. According to the wiki article: "A few years later three-ring binders became the standard in the United States"

Where I grew up, there were two-ring binders, three-ring binders, and four-ring binders.

Two-ring binders clamped at the top of the sheet.

Three-ring binders clamped at the left side of the sheet.

Four-ring binders were plastic instead of metal, and were a geared mechanical slider. One brand was the Trapper Keeper. ("Trappers" being the folders that matched them.)

At some point, the plastic four-ring binders switched to three rings to match the holes pre-punched in the loose leaf paper. But you could still get paper with 2+4 and 3+4 holes pre-punched in the left side that would fit multiple binder configurations.

Re: Chernobyl's 'stalker' subculture

#64

Post by [deleted] »

Zababa wrote: post #2

Website seems to be down: https://archive.is/vGC6C Anecdotally, I've visited Chernobyl and I remember seeing somewhere a few empty cans and an empty vodka bottle. Both looked pretty recent. I've also seen the bus that's photographed. There was something inside, the thing with a cardboard cover and metal rings where you can put pages inside (It's called a "classeur" in French, but I can't find how it's called in Engli…

[deleted]

Re: Chernobyl's 'stalker' subculture

#65

Post by spoonjim »

ethbr0 wrote: post #25
boomboomsubban wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In US school, we were generally required to have a three ring binder every year for class. Like with #2 pencils, we're vaguely aware other types exist but virtually never encounter them.

And I'd assume they're called "X ring" binders, as opposed to just binders, because "binder" is a fairly generic term. As for the number of rings: first mover advantage and network effects. Paper is produced with three rings. Teachers buy three ring hole punches. Soon binder manufacturers target the most common standard. All other standards die off. I have seen and used four ring binders in America. But three ring wa…

The highest form of the art is found in Japan with 20 and 26 ring binders.

Re: Chernobyl's 'stalker' subculture

#66

Post by ethbr0 »

spoonjim wrote: post #65
ethbr0 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And I'd assume they're called "X ring" binders, as opposed to just binders, because "binder" is a fairly generic term. As for the number of rings: first mover advantage and network effects. Paper is produced with three rings. Teachers buy three ring hole punches. Soon binder manufacturers target the most common standard. All other standards die off. I have seen and used four ring binders in America. But three ring wa…

The highest form of the art is found in Japan with 20 and 26 ring binders.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41sow2N%2Bi...

The mind boggles.

3 rings: provides redundancy over 2 ring

4 ring: additional stability and redundancy

... 26 ring? At that point, you almost have more hole than paper. Is there a reason?

Re: Chernobyl's 'stalker' subculture

#67

Post by jamestimmins »

henriquez wrote: post #40
jamestimmins wrote: post #11

The piece about possibly coming across killers as they buried a body feels like quite the buried lede…

It might be poor opsec to elaborate too heavily about a time you witnessed organized criminals concealing a murder.

Yeah that's a good point, especially if he wants to keep his guide or local contacts safe.

Re: Chernobyl's 'stalker' subculture

#68

Post by spoonjim »

ethbr0 wrote: post #66
spoonjim wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The highest form of the art is found in Japan with 20 and 26 ring binders.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41sow2N%2Bi... The mind boggles. 3 rings: provides redundancy over 2 ring 4 ring: additional stability and redundancy ... 26 ring? At that point, you almost have more hole than paper. Is there a reason?

You have to try it. It is such a joy. The pages turn like butter and never tear out. You can lift the entire binder by a single page. The paper size feels much more human-scale. I exclusively use J-Binders for my notes.

Re: Chernobyl's 'stalker' subculture

#69

Post by nr2x »

version_five wrote: post #5

The article talks about Roadside Picnic, the Russian sci-fi novel where the Stalker term was coined. I learned about this book on HN and highly recommend it.

book is amazing, movie is amazing, but much different than the book - really awesome all around.
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