Try looking at the pictures and the location. There is a definite resemblence.

Now I'd really think a poorly selling author and someone who appears to be without a job could appreciate the need to live within a budget. FMARS is in the arctic at a recognized Mars analogue site. Volunteers and a small organization can not afford the time off or the massive funding to support a year round base in such a climate. MDRS is a less accurate analogue while still having many useful similarities that is far more accessible. The short stays do leave something to be desired in terms of simulation fidelity, but anyone that expects volunteers to give up income for 2.5 years to fully simulate a Mars expedition is just plain nuts.
Since hab volunteers are actually working scientists and engineers for the most part with real world jobs and responsibilities they would never consider indulging in such cultish behavior as EP and Barry would prefer.

I don't expect a lot of good to come from such a project and have no intention of participating in it, but there is no harm in others who do see potential in trying. At best it will make small steps forward in understanding certain issues. The point is NASA is not addressing many of these issues so even small scale amatuer efforts do have the potential to advance our understanding. Chris and others have listed much information on actual work done and this is always ignored by EP, Barry, and even Don. Successes in such modest efforts may also bring greater funding for more rigorous and significant projects such as the Mars Gravity Biosatelllite Project which Barry and EPO always ignore. The habs are privately funded and no one here arguing against it has ever been forced to pay a dime for it.

Regards,
Mark