+jollybgood Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 I spent the weekend reading through several dozen threads and catching up on things. Reading so many threads back to back I noticed a disturbing trend. On countless occasions a newbie would ask a question, make a proposal or try to spark some disucssion only to be slapped down by other members. (sometimes rather viciously). I know it can be annoying when the 'new guy' proposes a rule, complains about crappy trades, or posts a 'new idea' which has been suggested hundreds of time before. I see it as unbridled enthusiasm for a new found sport. Why not welcome such people into the fold? Markwell them if they aren't up to speed on topics that have been discussed before. Point out that caching isn't all about trade items. Find out where they are coming from. In short, being friendly. What I've seen however distrubs me. People being needlessly rude and even hostile toward newbies. Sarcasim. Double-Teaming. I guess what I really noticed was a lot of unwarranted responses to what seem like harmless posts. I guess I just don't get where this elitist attitude is coming from. When I was new I used to ask a lot of questions. I'm sure some of them were stupid or had been asked before. But I don't recall anyone jumping down my throat. To the contrary. I always found the members here would go out of their way to help. I hope I'm wrong and this isn't a growing trend. But I was wondering if anyone else had noticed the same thing? Jolly R. Blackburn http://kenzerco.com "Never declare war on a man who buys his ink by the gallon." Quote Link to comment
+Mopar Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Jolly B Good:I guess I just don't get where this elitist attitude is coming from. When I was new I used to ask a lot of questions. I'm sure some of them were stupid or had been asked before. But I don't recall anyone jumping down my throat. To the contrary. I always found the members here would go out of their way to help. I hope I'm wrong and this isn't a growing trend. But I was wondering if anyone else had noticed the same thing? I think the reason you (and most other new people) never notice it, is because even with your "unbridled enthusiasm", you also took the time to try and answer your questions yourself. You took the time to learn how things are done. I'm sorry, but how can you propose sweeping changes to any system when you haven't bothered to take the time to learn the system you want to change? People who start off posts with "I tried looking for this, but I couldn't find the answer...." or "what is the best way to do X?" tend to get lots of help. People who start off with "I don't really care what any of the experienced people think, I just want my own topic...." or "I have never actually done what you people are talking about, and I haven't bothered to read the guidelines concerning how it should be done, but I'm pretty sure I know more about it then the people who have, so here's how it SHOULD be done", should probably expect to get sniped/stomped/flamed/whatever. Tae-Kwon-Leap is not a path to a door, but a road leading forever towards the horizon. Quote Link to comment
+The Leprechauns Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 This concern arises regularly. See the Stop 'Stomp the Newbie' thread from January. I would take you to task for not running a search prior to posting, but I hesitate to stomp the famous geocacher. x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x Some mornings, it just doesn't pay to chew through the leather straps. - Emo Phillips Quote Link to comment
+MountainMudbug Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 I've noticed this.... I don't post nearly as much as I'd like to because of this. Forums are for asking questions, getting opinions, generating new ideas, etc. Didn't teachers used to say "there are no stupid questions" ? Quote Link to comment
+Mopar Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 quote:Originally posted by MountainMudbug:I've noticed this.... I don't post nearly as much as I'd like to because of this. Forums are for asking questions, getting opinions, generating new ideas, etc. Didn't teachers used to say "there are no stupid questions" ? I don't think legit questions, opinions ideas, etc, are the ones getting "stomped". The ones that are getting stomped are the ones that have no or little geocaching experience, yet come into the forums telling the guy who has been running the site for 3 yrs he isn't doing it the right way. Or telling the volunteer cache approvers (most of whom are ranked among the top cachers in their regions and donate many hrs a week they could be finding caches so others can hide them) that they are doing things wrong. I think here, just like any place else you go in life, if you walk in with a combative, or know-it-all attitude, your gonna put people on the defensive, and get a like attitude thrown back at you. Tae-Kwon-Leap is not a path to a door, but a road leading forever towards the horizon. Quote Link to comment
+Frolickin Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 quote:Originally posted by MountainMudbug:Didn't teachers used to say "there are no stupid questions" ? That applies to children. When adults gather to learn, it is expected that those adults shoulder some of the responsibility for their learning. Disregarding the searches/Markwell of a topic indicates that one isn't really interested in the opinions of the members. If one were, he would read what has been discussed previously. Should there be a new twist to a subject, then it would be from that POV in which one would begin a new thread. Sigh . . . all boards seem to degenerate over time. Fro. ________________________________________ Geocaching . . . hiking with a purpose Quote Link to comment
+hoys Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 quote:On countless occasions a newbie would ask a question, make a proposal or try to spark some disucssion only to be slapped down by other members. (sometimes rather viciously). This is an unfortunate trend found on almost all boards that are not heavily moderated. In the beginning of the forum, everyone is a newbie and everyone can talk freely. However, eventually, as people "live" in the forum long enough, those who have been around long enough get a sense of ownership toward the forum and can resent newbies coming in and not knowing the unwritten rules and pecking order that has been established. Those who can offer the newbie the most help and support are often the least likely to do so. Generally, there are a few people who develop a good list of previous threads that they keep handy. When a new topic pops up from a newbie, they will post a link to that thread with a gentle nudge to go skim through the thread to get some historical perspective. That way, the wheel doesn't get reinvented all the time but the newbie has a chance to propose an original suggestion, and know it is original. Markwell established a bit of that here. That is generally the best forum etiquitte IMHO (in my humble opinion). After all, there are thousands of posts in the archives and searching can be a hit-and-miss proposition on forums. Quote Link to comment
magellan315 Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 I really don't think there is any serious newbie sniping going on. The reason one this seems to be the case is because the vacation cache thread is being beaten to death by one particular cacher who seems to have trouble understanding that the rules that cover it are not going to change. While this thread does come up on a regular basis, this time its is becoming very protracted and creating spin-off threads by other new cachers. Quote Link to comment
+georgeandmary Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 quote:Originally posted by MountainMudbug:. Didn't teachers used to say "there are no stupid questions" ? As a teacher I can tell you there are plenty of stupid questions. Teacher: "Everyone open your book to page 232", teacher then writes the page number on the board for all to see. Student: (usually the same student) "What page was that?" george Wanna go for a ride? Quote Link to comment
+Bilder Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 Well if it will make you feel better I will say this.... I am a newbie with only 15 finds (hopfully 19 after today) and I still know squat. I have been looking at the different containers I have found to see what works well and what does not. I have 3 hides and 2 went smoothly. The third I messed up the clue and it conflicted with the coords I posted. I managed to fix the problem and the cache was found just a few hours later. I will remember that error and not make the same mistake again. I tend to lurk more than post simply because I see others posting most of the questions I have. All I have to do is sit back and I get all the answers I need. I have posted a couple questions only to find the answer 3 minutes after I post the question. As for suggestions I have none. Just be friendly to us newbs. We all have to start somewhere. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have never been lost. Been awful confused for a few days, but never lost! Quote Link to comment
+MountainMudbug Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 quote:Originally posted by MountainMudbug: Didn't teachers used to say "there are no stupid questions" ? Color me stupid. Quote Link to comment
+geopug Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 Speaking as one of those newbies, looking at the messages from the past few days, things are looking a little combatitive on these boards. I would only suggest to the veterans, that yes many of these things have been discussed before, but with media attention and word of mouth geocaching is growing fast. Things change, and it's probably a good thing to revist many of these issues and think about what is best for the sport in the future. Just because something worked great in the past, doesn't mean that it will continue to do so in the future. Got to admit however, it's working great now because I'm hooked Quote Link to comment
Fakk 2 Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 Being a computer instructor, 1 thing I have found when teaching is people don't always know where to look. When they see a forum they know they can post too. Some (not all, but some) do not know you can search past threads, and to search through ovewr 2000 forums on a phone line takes more time than if you just ask. That is why people ask questions that were asked before. When I first came to this site I am new, I admit it. I didnt come making comments about how to change yet I was how I read treated badly because I chose a handle that I have used for 14 yrs that was close to someone elses. rather than asking me to change I got an attitude. I changed it none the less, but while still reading through posts I do see a divided community, those that were here for some times, and anyone new that enjoys what they found at this site and wants to help make it a better community. I do agree there are some new people that are just rude, but I have seen many posts that had unwarranted attacks. I bought a GPS. Now I get lost with style. Quote Link to comment
+IV_Warrior Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 quote:Originally posted by MountainMudbug:Didn't teachers used to say "there are no stupid questions" ? Yeah, but that was just to boost the self-esteem of the stupid kids. Nothing to see here, move along. Quote Link to comment
+cachew nut Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 I was treated rather poorly as a newbie too. Looking back, my questions or suggestions were not out of line, some of them were actually pretty good, if I say so myself. Ok, maybe not all, but most. I may have gotten different responses if I had been around a bit longer, or had a higher find count, but by then I probably wouldn't need to ask the questions. Since then, I have gone out and found twice the number of caches in half the amount of time as it took these so-called experts who snubbed me. I'd be glad to share any knowledge with any newbie who is willing to ask. Quote Link to comment
Tahosa and Sons Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Mopar: "I have never actually done what you people are talking about, I can still remember when you did it to one of my questions. And I wasn't even a newbie, all I did was ask for some advice. Say Jolly this will probably be a good topic to watch. I can smell the smoke now. Tahosa - Dweller of Mountain Tops. Quote Link to comment
+El Diablo Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 Just like our moms used to say..."If you can'y say something nice, then don't say anything at all." That rule could apply to a lot of oldtimers out there. Probably me too. El Diablo Everything you do in life...will impact someone,for better or for worse. http://www.geo-hikingstick.com Quote Link to comment
+Nurse Dave Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 I don't Markwell and I don't mind new folks asking the same questions I did when I started. I do however get really tired of them not reading the quidelines and then posting threads asking what's wrong with the cache they didn't get approved or the new folks who have become experts in a month and feel the need to spread their quesionable "wisdom" to just about every figgin' thread. ---Real men cache in shorts. Quote Link to comment
+jollybgood Posted July 6, 2003 Author Share Posted July 6, 2003 quote:Originally posted by magellan315:I really don't think there is any serious newbie sniping going on. The reason one this seems to be the case is because the vacation cache thread is being beaten to death by one particular cacher who seems to have trouble understanding that the rules that cover it are not going to change. Wow! The truth is I haven't been following the Vacation thread (Just read it after your reference to it). It didn't seem to be anything I was personally interested in. I had no idea it had gotten so heated over there. At any rate, that particular post wasn't really what prompted me to start this thread. I haven't read the entire thread yet (I'll be back) Jolly R. Blackburn http://kenzerco.com "Never declare war on a man who buys his ink by the gallon." Quote Link to comment
Tymanthius Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 Here's my take on newbie sniping - and it has nothing to do w/ geocaching.com as I'm BRAND newbie here: This happens on ALL boards that last any time. Go look at slashdot.org for a really good example. Some of it is true sniping, usually unwarranted. Some, which seems warranted by the 'attitude' of the newbie, isn't. This is b/c many newbies are also new to netiquite(sp?), and don't know how to cause their text to carry emotion. ex: You look like a monkey. Vs You look like a monkey Completely diff if you take them out of context, or don't realize the two ppl know each other & joke back & forth this way. And then, it often works the other way - the newbie feels like he was chewed out b/c he doesn't know how to read personality into the reply he rcv'd. I apologize for the long post, but this is an area I have exp. in, even if I have 0 in geocaching.com Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 Overall the forums seem to be much better than they were when I dropped out the first time. Better is relative. Quote Link to comment
+Breaktrack Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Tymanthius:Here's my take on newbie sniping - and it has nothing to do w/ geocaching.com as I'm BRAND newbie here: This happens on ALL boards that last any time. Go look at slashdot.org for a really good example. Some of it is true sniping, usually unwarranted. Some, which seems warranted by the 'attitude' of the newbie, isn't. This is b/c many newbies are also new to netiquite(sp?), and don't know how to cause their text to carry emotion. ex: You look like a monkey. Vs You look like a monkey Completely diff if you take them out of context, or don't realize the two ppl know each other & joke back & forth this way. And then, it often works the other way - the newbie feels like he was chewed out b/c he doesn't know how to read personality into the reply he rcv'd. I apologize for the long post, but this is an area I have exp. in, even if I have 0 in geocaching.com Kudos, you have probably hit a very big nail on it's head in your own way. Others in here have said some things that match the situation as well: attitude has a LOT to do with it. Anyone, newbie or otherwise, who posts in any forums without taking the time to get a sense of what's going on, and how, or where this sport has come from, and has an attitude when others try to gently guide them (especially those who have been there before and made the same mistakes) they are not going to be treated kindly, just a fact of life. Most of us try to mess with them with humor, but alas, along with attitude they usually come with very limited sense of humor as they don't recognize how people in a partiular forum kid with each other. Like the man said: "What we have here, is a failure to communicate." But, as we cannot assign a "night in the box" for having an attitude, and I mean an unwarranted attitude, then a kind of sanction is exercised that is actually quite harmless and can only affect you if you let it. A form of protest is made by those that are truly willing to help, give advice, and answer questions when asked with sincerity. Lately, there have been those who, it appears I'll grant you, do not seem to think there is any value in simply asking a question without expressing an immediate negativity about what the possible answers are! That amazed me. Well, I know my little poll was taken completely the wrong way and it was shut down before I got a chance to straighten out what the original intent was, but that's the nature of the beast. While trying to illicit responses that might lead to teaching something, it degenerated into a "vent" and was closed. So be it. The point of the story is: "If you don't want to have stones thrown back at you, then don't throw stones in the first place." Every action will result in an equal and opposite reaction I believe is the other one, LOL.... but I'm no physicist, that's for sure. Heck, I'm not even that much of a Geocacher, but I know what I like... and it's you guys...lol. "Trade up, trade even, or don't trade!!!" My philosophy of life. Quote Link to comment
twoball Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 I think just by these posts you can tell who the elitists are.As a newbie myself I found it shameful that someone could cast judgement on others about a question they have asked looking for help.It would seem that there is only a few humble enough to genuinely have a concern about helping those same said newbies and at the same time promote the sport and not themselves.Leads me to question who are the beer swilling dog kicking kid neglecting wifebashers? don,t touch my dog there he doesn,t like it Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 I realize that some "old-timers" may get frustrated answering the same questions repeatedly. How many times can you answer questions like "Which GPS should I buy?", "What kind of stuff goes in caches?", "What do I do if I run into another geocacher at a cache?", "I have my GPS, now where do I start?", etc... without getting a little annoyed? Well the answer should be every time. As long as there are new people joining this sport there will be questions like this. If you're tired of answering them, just ignore them. Or you can do what I do. Have some stock answers to the usual questions in a text file. Then when question comes up for the 250th time, you just cut the answer, paste it, edit it a little and you're done. No need to stomp the person, chastize them for not using the search feature (they may not even know it exists), or otherwise put them down. Now those newbies with 12 finds who come here and tell us how we should play this sport, challenge long (or recently) established rules, or practices and generally act like they know better, deserve what they get. But I think its important that we distinguish between this type and the earnest beginner who just wants to learn something about the sport. "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry Quote Link to comment
+woodsters Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 I wasn't going to bother even to post, but I will throw my own .02 cents at the chance of getting "sniped" whether one feels I deserve it or not. I agree, attitude does have a lot to do with it. But, on the other hand, so does respect. All that I ask is that respect be given. I can take all the criticism, remarks and whatever you want to give, as I can dish it back out. But, it's not necessary. I do not make it a point to go around and make fun of people, downgrade them, or ridicule them and expect to be treated the same. I will however, become defensive when those things happen. I will agree that there is a lot of geocaching knowledge to learn from the "old timers" here. But I believe there is a positive way of teaching and leading others. One is by example. While I have been the butt of this instance, I have seen it done one others considered "newbies". Someone remarked here that new people are going to continually join the sport and come in here. It's not going to get any easier. Someone mentioned "markwelling". That's a great idea. The forums are here to ask questions, just as it states on the website. It doesn't say to search the forum to make sure your question hasn't been answered before. If that was the case, then there would no longer be a need for the forum as you could make it a FAQ. Just as Briansnat pointed out, people are going to continually join the forum and ask questions, like what's the best GPS? Netiquette. I've been around the internet and forums a lot longer than probably some or maybe many of the old timers. Does it make me any better, no. I do know the unwritten rules of netiquette. But I do know that sometimes things are said in a way that some may think it says something else. But I feel it does not serve as a warrant for accosting. People misunderstand people all the time. I imagine I do. Words can get misinterpreted and do. If you think that there's a chance that you did not understand me or that I perhaps misworded what I was trying to say, then let me know politely. I apologize if I have stepped on your toes. I apologize if you do not agree with me, my opinions, my ideas, or the wording I use. But please do not ridicule me if you disagree with something I say, or other people with only a certain number on their profile or a join date. A lot of people jump out of the arena here because of it. Many won't say anything because of it. I know that I've been personally told by someone that they won't be back on unless it's of importance. That is sadly wrong and they do not deserve to feel that way. Once again, I apolgize for whatever you feel I've done wrong. Brian Wood Woodsters Outdoors http://www.woodsters.com [This message was edited by Woodsters Outdoors on July 07, 2003 at 07:07 AM.] Quote Link to comment
magellan315 Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 I thought the Vacation Cache thread had been CLOSED!!! Just let it go Woodster, go caching, instead of having to be so defensive every time you post. ENOUGH ALREADY. People are going to disagree with you and maybe if you stopped trying to get in the last word people would be more patient and reasonable when you post You should have taken your own advice and not posted. Your vacation cache posts have atagonized, created animosity, ect. Instead of giving things a few days to settle down you started up, again. You may have an insight on ways to improve Geocaching, but no one is going to listen if you keep challenging everything that is said. I have no doubt that I will be immediatly be flamed, don't bother, not coming back to this thread. [This message was edited by magellan315 on July 07, 2003 at 07:00 AM.] Quote Link to comment
+Mopar Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 Starting off a post with a thousand words of off-topic material (pretty much the same 1000 words you've already posted 30 times before in another thread before it was locked) before getting even close to the current topic is probably a good way to get sniped. Tae-Kwon-Leap is not a path to a door, but a road leading forever towards the horizon. Quote Link to comment
+woodsters Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Mopar:Starting off a post with a thousand words of off-topic material Yes you are right, and I edited my post above. Brian Wood Woodsters Outdoors http://www.woodsters.com Quote Link to comment
+Mudfrog Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 I havnt posted that often here and havnt experienced any flaming, bashing, and/or too much criticism. I asked some of those imfamous newbie questions as well and was helped tremendously. Maybe its that my posts are just too boring in the first place, I do agree with some of the others when they say that "sniping" is going on more these days. There are some rude and "know it all" newbies, no doubt about that. But i have also seen some other threads where someone got bashed for no reason! Quote Link to comment
+BruceS Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 As a relative newbie in the forums with less than 100 posts I have experianced no sniping at all directed at me . And if I got sniped I might get upset and go find a few caches to relieve the tension instead of whining about it. Quote Link to comment
+Mopar Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 quote:Originally posted by BruceS:As a relative newbie in the forums with less than 100 posts I have experianced no sniping at all directed at me . And if I got sniped I might get upset and go find a few caches to relieve the tension instead of whining about it. Go ahead, you dadgum newbie! REPLY! I double dare ya! Tae-Kwon-Leap is not a path to a door, but a road leading forever towards the horizon. Quote Link to comment
give-n-takes Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 Yes, I am also a newbie. I'm not sure when a person gets officialy beyond the "newbie" stage. I will say this, when I got my GPS I didn't have a clue how to do a couple of the basics and posted a HELP! message on the page. I did receive a couple of replies, and it gave me a little info, enough to be able to get through it all and be successful. I have noticed some pretty rough, or should I say rude responses to others and that really bothers me. This isn't a bashing sport of any kind to my knowledge, and it certainly doesn't look very good to outsiders or those that are new /interested in the sport. I've yet to really join a club, or a organized huntdue to time, but also due to a lot of hesitation. I don't know if I really want to after some of the stuff I've read. I would like to have others to hunt with, but right now, until I feel a little more comfortable, I'll go by myself. Quote Link to comment
+mtn-man Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 quote:Originally posted by BruceS:And if I got sniped I might get upset and go find a few caches to relieve the tension instead of whining about it. The drive to your nearest cache would be relaxing as well I'm sure. Quote Link to comment
+The Leprechauns Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 quote:Originally posted by give-n-takes:I've yet to really join a club, or a organized huntdue to time, but also due to a lot of hesitation. I don't know if I really want to after some of the stuff I've read. I would like to have others to hunt with, but right now, until I feel a little more comfortable, I'll go by myself. Hello give-n-takes, and welcome to geocaching in Pennsylvania! When you are ready, you'll find that the NWPA Geocachers are one of the nicest groups around.... very sociable with a busy calendar of picnics and other events. And very few of them post in the forums. Separately, I'd also like to observe that people who might come across to some as rude and abusive in the forums are not necessarily that way when they're enjoying a geocache hunt in the field. Finally, I would just like to discourage people from sniping at BruceS the forum newbie. For him, "a few caches" has a special meaning. Tick him off, and he's likely to go off and log every cache in Oregon just to calm down before eating dinner. x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x Some mornings, it just doesn't pay to chew through the leather straps. - Emo Phillips Quote Link to comment
+mtn-man Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 quote:Originally posted by The Leprechauns:Finally, I would just like to discourage people from sniping at BruceS the forum newbie. Watch out Leprechaun, you don't want me to get my flamethrower out on you do you?! Quote Link to comment
+BruceS Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 quote:Originally posted by The Leprechauns:Finally, I would just like to discourage people from sniping at BruceS the forum newbie. For him, "a few caches" has a special meaning. few should really be FEW, kinda like FTF (First To Find). FEW - Finds EveryWhere Wow my 100th posting... hmmm did not give me the same good feeling as finding my 100th cache. Quote Link to comment
+sbell111 Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 quote:Originally posted by BruceS:...I have experianced no sniping at all directed at me.Of course, many of the people posting have either met you and know that you are a good guy or are merely in awe of your find count (I am in both groups). You also don't post to enflame situations. You are an asset to the forums and geocaching in general. I'd elect you geocaching Grand Poo-Bah, but I don't think you would have time for the formal duties. Quote Link to comment
+geomaineiacs Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 What was it that everyone used to be taught? "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." If you don't like a post or poster, move on without comment. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 quote:This isn't a bashing sport of any kind to my knowledge, and it certainly doesn't look very good to outsiders or those that are new /interested in the sport. Please don't confuse the sport with the forums. I think too many people do. I've heard of people who considered ending their participation in geocaching because of something negative they encountered in the forums. That's kind of like saying you're not going to watch football anymore because you don't like the tone of the callers to a radio sports show. Remember, there are many thousands of geocachers who enjoy this sport without visiting these forums (I think they're the ones who keep trading down caches ). You'll find sniping, bashing and negativity in this forum, just as you will in any Internet forum or newsgroup. You'll also find a community of people here who enjoy the outdoors, geocaching, sharing stories, jokes, tips, what have you. But like any discussion forum, if you have a thin skin, you'd best stay away. "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry [This message was edited by BrianSnat on July 07, 2003 at 09:59 AM.] Quote Link to comment
+MiTuCats Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 Early in our career, we posted a couple of queries. We received prompt, courteous advice from people that even then we recognized as long standing forum members. That prompted us to do more reading of the forums, and we then discovered the "newbie-bashing" trend on our own without having directly experienced it. We made a response to one of the threads decrying this tendency and added that it had made us think very seriously about whether or not we wanted to continue with this activity. We received more courteous and thoughtful responses, again from long standing geocachers and forum members, basically telling us that the forums were not directly connected with the activity of geocaching and that we shouldn't let the opinions expressed therein drive us away from geocaching. That was some of the best advice we've had. In terms of knowing "netiquette", we're not really good at that yet. This is the only forum we have ever participated in, and when we first started we did not realize that one could search for topics. Therefore, we probably unwittingly asked at least one of the "trigger" questions on the forums, but we still received very helpful information. As a result of that, we've tried to follow the example set by those who helped us, often contacting those who ask questions directly via e-mail rather than posting. This tendency may have resulted from some of the "newbie-sniping" we observed, not sure about that. To sum this up, we've never felt that anyone failed to treat us with respect or made us feel unwelcome. However, we have felt uncomfortable reading responses on other people's threads. Thanks to all who have helped us over the last three months and have made sure that our experiences with geocaching have been positive! Despite the fact that we still consider ourselves newbies, we do feel welcome in the greater geocaching community due primarily to the efforts of a dozen or so individuals. You folks know who you are, and we thank you! "Roads? Where we're going we don't need .... roads" --Dr. Emmett L. Brown Quote Link to comment
+Rusty & Libby Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 We have many people ask questions on the Michigan Geocaching forums that say they will never go back to the gc.com forums because of the rude treatment they received. The problem seems to have gotten increasingly worse in the last year. -------------------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends cache locationless! Rusty & Libby's Geocache Page Michigan Geocaching Organization Quote Link to comment
+TMAN264 Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 I see your point Jolly, and in the future I'll try and be nicer. Usually I am nice, unless some one pushes my buttons. Most of the time I am just goofy, like in that huge thread with the 5 word story. I am most guilty of newbie bashing when it came to the dude who wanted to hide caches without a GPS unit. That one really got to me. I'll be good in the future, and maybe my wife will let me go to Gencon in 3 weeks. Make a sanity check. Quote Link to comment
+GeoGryffindor Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 Come on Mopar, let me have it. I have not gotten one single bit of sniping today. PLEASE????? You know I love you Mopar!!!! "Nice find! I must go tell Harry, Ron and Hermione." Quote Link to comment
+mtn-man Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 Watch out Geogryffindor, either you or Leprechaun are going to push me and I am going to have to really flame you like I did to this newbie. I flamed Mopar on that same topic on page 1 too. Don't push me! Quote Link to comment
The Falcon Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 I've found the people on these boards to be A LOT more friendly than other boards I'm on. If you want to see some n00b blood, go read posts in the XBox, or any gamer/tech board! Poster's sexual preferences are called into question quite often, and seem to frequently involve farm animals. Can threads be d/led? Maybe some ppl don't want to read FAQs on-line, so they skip them. ===== It is the tale, not he who tells it." Quote Link to comment
+Criminal Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 I will never bash anyone because they are new or ask a seemingly silly question. I reserve the right to vent my frustration at anyone, new or otherwise, who stomp in proposing more restrictive and/or nonsensical rule changes, or make ignorant statements about supposed environmental damage done by geocachers looking for a cache. If they’re new to geocaching I’ll welcome them either before or after whatever stomping they may need. http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/ Quote Link to comment
+woodsters Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 Geogryffindor, I got a lot of snipes left over that I received. How many truckloads you want? See, I love Mopar too. But, i'm about to take back all the nice things I've said about him in an email to another who got sniped. Of course that email was a few minutes before he got me. It's all good.... Brian Wood Woodsters Outdoors http://www.woodsters.com Quote Link to comment
+woodsters Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Criminal: If they’re new to geocaching I’ll welcome them either before or after whatever stomping they may need. Am I welcome now? It's after....lol Brian Wood Woodsters Outdoors http://www.woodsters.com Quote Link to comment
+parkrrrr Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Woodsters Outdoors:Am I welcome now? It's after....lol Maybe if you'd stop that annoying laughing. It's hard to concentrate with you laughing out loud every other post. Quote Link to comment
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