Hello CC, I joined this site awhile back, and only recently started posting on this site. Hence, a newbie.

Some of the things that I have noticed are not really positive.  I will just put it out there, some of the things I have read are quite rude.

If a newbie asks a question and you feel like you don't like the question, or you don't have time to deal with it by all means, let some one else answer it.

It has been many a time where I had a question to ask and read a post by a newbie that was similar to mine, only to read them get rail roadbed for asking the question not just one but several members.

I initially came to this site for insight, advice, to learn with new trends and techniques, and also to look at the cakes people from all levels of experience have posted.

What I walked away with was wondering, who does that?  How can someone be angry because someone else did not price a cake high enough, or they don't have the skill level that you have, yet they have their own business.

I don't care who's cake got the most faves or how many stars you have under your user name,  I only care about creating cakes and watching other people excel at their craft by sharing ideas, offering encouragement and help if a member asks for it. And for the most part a lot of members do just that.

But a few of you seem bitter, condescending,and down right angry, shesh!,SMH.

life's hard enough people,  I know because I went to school for 3 years, tried to open a business that failed,  and now I'm picking myself up by the boot straps and try it again.

I come here to stay positive and up to date on the cake industry, make new friends, learn new tricks of the trade, and most importantly keep my mind open to new possibilities.

So to all you newbies out there, keep posting, keep learning, and keep growing, so don't leave. We all had to start some where.  There is enough room on this site for all of us.

While I agree with you as a newbie, I can see where they're coming from on some of the threads. For instance when people charge so little that they're giving away cakes, well that actually does hurt the rest of us as it does teach customers that cake is cheap. But could it be said in a more helpful way? Probably.

Or when they ask how much to charge, even though there are a million threads explaining how to calculate how much to charge, but they come and ask someone to do it for them anyway. When you've done the hard work of researching prices and calculating expenses yourself, it is kind of annoying to have people take the easy way out and let someone else do it.

I personally appreciate them sharing their experience and advice with us, although it would be nice if it could come in a slightly more polite form sometimes! 

I've only been on this site for about a year and a half, but I've been baking since elementary school. (Yes, back when we tied up our horses to the old hitching post out front.)  I taught myself how to do just about everything - I'd see a picture of a beautiful cake and figure out how to do it.  I never considered asking someone how to do something - I just didn't have the option.

So now, when someone comes on here and asks how much batter to put in a pan or what temperature to set their oven on or if a certain recipe will work, I'm thinking "Are you totally helpless?  Just do it - figure it out. Duh."  Of course I would never say that, but some things just require a little common sense. And there are some things you have to learn on your own.

I'm really happy that I know a couple of things that maybe someone else doesn't and it thrills me to be able to help them out. And I apologize if I've been less than nice to anyone asking a sincere question.  Don't let it get you down.  As we've all seen on here so many times, if you read a post that's a little - or a lot - offensive, just ignore it. There are a few cranky folks on here, but the vast majority are so helpful and so willing to share their knowledge and expertise. 

AAs a hobby cake maker and very new to all this ( taken up to relieve stress of work ) I feel unable to post a question for fear of backlash, what is wrong with asking a question as above re batter ect isn't that the joy of the the 21 st century and technology? I originally logged in cc for tips and to view all the clever folks cakes not to copy or put out of business, or take advantage of someone else's time and effort put into something. So glad Enga stated this thread as it says everything I have also felt for weeks reading the forum. A few give such great advice but a lot feel it is there god given right to be pick on people.

A lot of people don't know that they are undermining the cake industry with their low pricing.  Some of their customers might be friends and family, or they might say," well I can get it cheaper at Walmart or some other store", and they give in.

To all the people who feel you have to lower your prices or lose business if you, don't, tell them to go to those other places.  I price my cakes by using a master copy of all the ingredients and packaging, how much they cost per lb or per package, and for my time by the hour.  And it is not cheap. 

Tell them if they want a cake that is full of chemicals and preservatives and that has been sitting in a deep freeze for God knows how long, then by all means go. I always tell customer that they can count the ingredients in my cake on one hand. How many ingredients are in the store bought cake. Would you really want to feed that to your friends and family just to save a few bucks?

Your time, your ingredients and your packaging cost money.  We all have under priced ourselves for some reason or another, but we have learned from our mistakes.

I did the same thing before I went to school and had to do inventory on all the products and packaging then cost out each recipe. And believe, me our school charged right down to the penny. Your home or business should run no differently.

I am working on a excel spreadsheet with all my ingredients and packaging.  I really want cake boss but I cant afford it right now.  It is hard work inputting all the data but it will be worth it in the long run

We are all on this web because of our love for baking and cake decorating, and yes there are people who want some one to do all the work for them but there are some who simply don't know.  It would be a shame for them to feel belittled or humiliated because of a few bad apples.

Everybody’s different, some members matter-o-fact posts are offensive to others... to some the long-winded step-by-step hand holding posts are offensive because 'it aint hard to work out'......

If this were ‘smell-evision’ someone would post asking the other members to shower before they contributed to the forum!!

Cold hard kick up the a$$ replies have helped me a lot.

Rainbows and unicorns replies have helped me too.

IMHO it doesn’t matter how it's said as we all say things differently, the fact that someone took the time to answer I’m grateful for, and if I get no replys (or snarky ones) well maybe I should have done a little more research myself before posting. I didn’t get the cold shoulder because I’m new – it’s because I asked a question I could have easily answered myself. Remember many posters have sent the same reply over and over and over again trying to help people – good on em I say! I'd probably just give up and let the post go unanswered!

fom jgifford:

"So now, when someone comes on here and asks how much batter to put in a pan or what temperature to set their oven on or if a certain recipe will work, I'm thinking "Are you totally helpless?  Just do it - figure it out. Duh."  Of course I would never say that, but some things just require a little common sense. And there are some things you have to learn on your own."

I have to agree.  In general, I am happy to share what limited knowledge I have, but, come on, to become an accomplished caker, you must be willing to invest the time and effort into practice and basic trial and error. You must be willing to throw out failed recipes, and not expect to make your first perfect cake in 24 hours.

Each person must develop his or her own unique repertoire and style.  it cannot be handed out on a silver platter.  

LOL Crazy-Gray, I understand what you are saying, and good old  blunt constructive criticism can be a breath of fresh air, and being to nice on the other hand can hinder growth.

What I am talking about is plain old rudeness, for example, "if you don't know how to do something what the hell are you on this site for", types of responses.  Post should not begin or end with "this is my first cake, give me your input but please be nice".  WTH!

My skin is tough as leather, I can dish it and I can take it.  Others might not be as tough.

AMay be I'm too sensitive and some people's responses are just straight talking rather than nasty!

My first cake from scratch was hard as a brick with a syrupy glaze on it, my kids wouldn't even touch it.  But with hard work and determination, I have to say I make a pretty good cake.  And like you jgifford, I started my interest in baking in home economics.  I don't even know if some of young people know what that is or if they even still offer it in H.S.,lol

I learned from trail and error and was pretty much self taught, until I decided to go back to school many years later,  I'm talking about being "the oldest person in my class later".  After being in the health field and countless other nontraditional jobs, it just kept coming back to my love of cake decoration and baking. So I happy with my trade of being a cake decorator and baker.

Still learning and still creating, grateful to my family because they were my guinea pigs.  Happy to be around so many like minded individuals.

I agree on people having their own special ways to help, and maybe some of us should think about the post before we put them up. I know I will in the future.

I don't think I am always right when I post to forums, I am not trying to step on any ones toes that have more experience than I do. It is my opinion and it needs to be taken as just that, shoot even a broke clock is right twice a day. Nobody wants to be scolded like they are children that's all.

Being a newbie on this site and at decorating I look forward to sitting back and reading.  I did not post at first but then figured that the only way to benefit from this site was to interact. Now I am glad that I have taken that step.  However, with all of that being said and having been taught how to cook and bake by my Grandmother and trail and error it is annoying to have what I consider "dumbed down questions" asked.  I would think that common sense would rule the "kitchen"... but that is just my thought process. 

But the bottom line of everything is... I am thankful for all the questions and most especially the answers (snarky or not) because in the long run they help me.

Hi Enga, welcome!  I'm also somewhat a "newbie", though I joined this site quite a while ago.  I tend to read more than I post, mainly because I dont have as much useful advice to offer as other people around here do.

I agree with you on some points, it does seem like some posts/questions get bombarded with some rude/snarky replies.  At the same time, I can also understand why all the frustration behind some of those responses... to an extent.  Not just with this forum, but with several forums in general, people will join and just start asking questions without taking the time to browse through the forum first and see if that question has been asked and answered.  Even to a "newbie" like me, it is frustrating to see.  Of course, the easiest solution would be to just ignore the post and move on.  But not everyone can or will do that.  

I do wonder though, if the moderators can enforce some sort of "you must read and accept these forum rules before you are able to post" type of restriction when first joining the site?  I have seen this on other forums, and it helps avoid some of the repetitive questions that pop up around here.  Such as the "how much should I charge for this cake?" question that seems to get so many people all agitated.  At least this way, people that are new to the site will know HOW to search the site for useful information before asking their questions, and maybe prevent some of the repetitive ones.

Just my two cents.

Hi jenniecake, thank you for welcoming me.  I know I have made a few mistakes posting on forums only to realize that the posts were a few years old,lol. I have learned my way around a little better now.  It probably is a little annoying to be bombarded with repeat questions, maybe some one should start a newbie 101 forum that explains in greater detail how to post on forums, how to upload more than one pic at a time, and how to start your own thread because those are a few of the things that I struggled with on CC.

I am sure it would be welcomed by the community, I'd rather be shown how to to it correctly than be embarrassed because I did it wrong.

And your two cents are gladly taken because all that change will only add to the richness and diversity found and appreciated on this website
 

I posted like crazy so I could get out of the "newbie" status...  I'm just kidding.

 Sometimes people are not very nice, but that's true of most online forums.  We must be strong and only pay attention to the helpful posts.  It seems like when someone posts something that isn't nice, other people post and it fuels a mean-spirited fire.  

As for the lower-priced (supermarket) cakes, some people just don't have money for CC baker cakes.  It's not that they're cheap, it's just general economics.  A specialty cake is a luxury item and the general public doesn't always understand that.   Sometimes I wonder if CC bakers understand that either...

I too am a bit of a newbie when it comes to decorating. But what I do is search old threads for advice before I post. Well, I try to anyway. But I also do trial and error on my own. And I think more people need to do their own homework before they start selling. What will they do when they have a business selling tons of cheap cakes and are wondering why they aren't turning a profit? Are they going to PM Jason and the countless of business owners that remind them time and time again how to price their cakes, and ask for advice?

I try to refrain from making rude comments, and sometimes I will just move on to another thread like it has been suggested. But I'm glad that some members do remind people that they need to do some homework too. I remember someone asking for a "perfect" recipe for cupcakes that they had never made before but had accepted an order due in a few days. REALLY?

Sometimes some replies do come off as rude, I agree. There are posts I've seen that I wonder why they asked but I keep my tongue and move on. But not everyone will do that. And like Norasmom mentioned, this is common online. 

There is nothing wrong with being new!  We <3 new people!  All of us were new at one time!

Cake Central is no different then any other online community - there are a handful of regular people that spend hours with us every day.  Each has their own personalities and way of saying things etc.  Just like joining any new thing, it may seem intimidating at first but I assure you, most of them are harmless, helpful and extremely valuable in what they contribute.

If there is any negativity we ask that you flag those posts so that they can be dealt with accordingly.

Hello Enga, I'm a newbie as well, when I first started baking my cookie was so thick and hard my daughter use to call it the " sailors tack.," I did not know that CC existed let alone know cake talk. I have no one to mentor me, so I turned to every book and magazines that has baking and flour in it.I also discovered Wilton's Cake Classes in one of our local stores here, needless to say I am hooked. But sometimes ones enthusiasm is not shared by others, so when you ask a seemingly innocent question, they look at you, roll their eyes and look at you like they had never seen you before,oh yes I'd been there, but I did not let that deter me from pursuing a better " cookie", heck I even had upgraded myself to " fruit cakes" Thank you for your time.

I must have a thick skin because after 2 months of being a member I haven't found people overly rude.  Very plain speaking at times, Yes, but then I happen to appreciate that.  And when they are angry it is usually with justification.

AHi I'm a newbie to this site. I've read some of ur posts and I do believe as someone mentioned that the site should have a other forum for new ppl on how to work the site and the most common questions. Some of u do get kinda snippy lol but after answering the question after 20 times it tends to annoy someone. Some do ask some questions that if u think for a minute longer u can answer the question for yourself. OK I'm done talking lol.

I read all of your posts, it is nice t get so many perspectives on the subject. I  see cc in a whole new light.

Hi peppercorns, thanks for joining the forum, we've come a long way.lol  When I first started baking, I was given a cookie book from Wisconsin Electric Company by my Mom.  I asked her if I could make some cookies, she said yes as long as I cleaned up afterwords, that was the beginning of my journey, there was flour, sugar and dirty dishes everywhere but I loved every minute of it. Although life takes us through twists and turns our true passions always find us. I have had so many people tell me, you want to be a Pastry Chef, there is no money in that, you would be better off as a Medical Secretary.  The money was good but it didn't make me happy.  Decorating cakes and baking makes me happy. So I pursued my dream. I am not the most inept cake decorator but life is a work in progress and I learn something new every day.

So follow your dreams, keep learning and practicing your craft, and if I can help and anyway let me know.

To hi lilbaker89, don't ever stop talking, your input is welcomed and appreciated.  So talk, vent, rave, let people know whats on your mind.  We are all on this website to learn and grow as cake decorators and your response might make some one who doesn't voice their opinion feel like it is okay to do so.

I know I sometimes spew rainbows and unicorns but so what, sue me. Life's to short.

You know what sometimes people need a kind word every once in awhile, I tried to start a forum to make new people feel comfortable on this website.

If you feel like you might have been to blunt or a straight forward or simply just straight talking, then maybe that's a sign of guilt.

I will say it again if some one post something that seems to be repetitive or mundane, then by all means keep it moving, all posts don't require your answer.

And life can be quite long when you have to deal with rudeness and snide remarks, but hey, like you said it's a free country.Do what thou wilt.

I don't think it's (mis?) communication, it seemed to get you on the forum for what ever reason, and if it's old, then that tells me it's an old problem that still needs to be addressed. New people as well as old people know when they have been slighted and they know a barb when they here one.

Your response is a perfect example , so thank you so much for your comments, they will be dutifully noted.

No applause , just crickets chirping.