Yes. EMS is transient, as many of us know, so there are always going to be the newly certified taking interest in EMS forums. By the same token, how many members on this forum who are tenured EMS professionals have disappeared? EMS is a revolving door, and EMS forums are no different. Some drop five or ten posts, ask about scopes, belts, how to find a job, get their balls broken, and leave.
To be honest, when I first certified as an EMT-B, I was as geeked up as a lot of the newbies. I wanted to have the best scope, I wanted to know what the best type of scissor holster was, what should go in the jump bag for my POV, just in case. I was greatly interested in finding a job, what schedules are out there, the types of systems, etc. I would have joined a forum if I had a computer, and if a decent one existed in 2002. I know that every so often a new member starts a stethoscope thread, a "Why can't I find a job" thread, etc. They may simply not realize that there were several parallel threads already existing. It is what it is.
The chat room flirting doesn't suprise me. Depending on where you work, it can be like a meat market: employee-employee, employee-nurse, employee-FF, etc. I've heard some bizarre stories. The most recent was at one place where I used to work: A supervisor was apparently enabling a medic to get high on her own supply. They were apparently knocking boots as well. The medic eventually gets bagged, her FDNY FF husband finds out, kicks her out, the supervisor loses his job, and the two of them were unemployed and shacking up the last I've heard.
