AOh mind games! My favourite kind. They only work if the target joins in
AOh my! Mind games! My favourite! But they only work if the target joins in
Maybe I'm thick skinned or maybe it is just the sort of mind set that people have when they join but I have never felt like a newbie, even at the start. I am not an expert (hobby baker) but I make some great cakes and have been playing around with icing for years. If I feel that I can offer advice I do and mostly it will be no less knowledgeable or relevant than that from people who do cakes as a living (I deliberately choose not to do cakes for money as I can make far more money working and don't want to burn out). Having said that, though, I am not going to get upset if someone calls me on advice because if I am wrong I would rather be told so that I can learn. If I want to know something I research and then ask. This forum is no different to most of life. People will get out of it what they put in. The world owes you nothing and if you are old enough to have left school then you should not expect to be spoon fed. Note that I exclude our real youngies there but I have noticed that most of them have been pretty good at trying to research first, anyway, before they ask for help.
ATTITUDE is what makes you fit in to a place or not, I believe.
all these ulterior motives--no more target practice
let's just bake something and roll out the fondant while you still have healthy hands--
yes what cazza said and mimi seconded all in favor YES and it's carried/buried --
please
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Maybe I'm thick skinned or maybe it is just the sort of mind set that people have when they join but I have never felt like a newbie, even at the start. I am not an expert (hobby baker) but I make some great cakes and have been playing around with icing for years. If I feel that I can offer advice I do and mostly it will be no less knowledgeable or relevant than that from people who do cakes as a living (I deliberately choose not to do cakes for money as I can make far more money working and don't want to burn out). Having said that, though, I am not going to get upset if someone calls me on advice because if I am wrong I would rather be told so that I can learn. If I want to know something I research and then ask. This forum is no different to most of life. People will get out of it what they put in. The world owes you nothing and if you are old enough to have left school then you should not expect to be spoon fed. Note that I exclude our real youngies there but I have noticed that most of them have been pretty good at trying to research first, anyway, before they ask for help.
ATTITUDE is what makes you fit in to a place or not, I believe.
Bravo! 
Especially the last line!
But what is the topic? What constitutes an expert? Or why some people don't fit right in to the forum within the first month?
What is the topic? Newbies not being welcome? What is an expert? WHY there is an underlying impatience with newbies?
I thought that was what everyone was talking about? I must have missed something.
It did derail for a bit, but and everyone laughed, but then it has been back on for the last page.
"..................Having said that, though, I am not going to get upset if someone calls me on advice because if I am wrong I would rather be told so that I can learn. If I want to know something I research and then ask. This forum is no different to most of life. People will get out of it what they put in. The world owes you nothing and if you are old enough to have left school then you should not expect to be spoon fed. ................"
cazza1: yup. All the super duper outstanding businesses, inventions, and discoveries, have been created by those who are willing to go far and wide into the unknown. Man up, cowboy up, put on your big girl panties, and GO FOR IT. Seek Knowledge.
This is my take...if you want to offer advise or instruction or a technique, then do so. But do it without the expectation that you will be thanked for it. And don't take it personally. This is the internet. I agree, it comes off as being grateful and polite when thanks is offered. However, in some cases, a "thank you" may not be forthcoming and it's NOT because someone was rude or ungrateful. It's because LIFE happened. The kids got sick, someone died, cake disaster happened, whatever and frankly you've forgotten you asked a question and it's 6 months later and you don't realize you forgot to go back and update the thread or thank the person that sent you the link to the tutorial that helped you with your cake. I would say this is probably the exception rather than the rule, but I don't think not receiving a thank you should prevent you from offering advise. If you get one, great. If not, then move on to the next thread. Just my opinion...
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This is my take...if you want to offer advise or instruction or a technique, then do so. But do it without the expectation that you will be thanked for it. And don't take it personally. This is the internet. I agree, it comes off as being grateful and polite when thanks is offered. However, in some cases, a "thank you" may not be forthcoming and it's NOT because someone was rude or ungrateful. It's because LIFE happened. The kids got sick, someone died, cake disaster happened, whatever and frankly you've forgotten you asked a question and it's 6 months later and you don't realize you forgot to go back and update the thread or thank the person that sent you the link to the tutorial that helped you with your cake. I would say this is probably the exception rather than the rule, but I don't think not receiving a thank you should prevent you from offering advise. If you get one, great. If not, then move on to the next thread. Just my opinion...
I don't think anyone here doesn't know there are situations where life happens, but it also only takes about two whole minutes to log on and type thanks. I don't think feelings are being hurt - no one is upset. It's annoying. And I think consistently not getting thanked is a perfectly good reason to stop offering help. Why do it if it's not appreciated?
Just my 2¢ worth on the newbie half of the conversation...I've been a member for a few years now but am mostly a "lurker" - I read and read and read, but rarely post. My status as "newbie" or "junior member" I interpret as not a reflection of my abilities but rather my level of active interaction on the site (not just reading invisibly) - absolutely no hurt feelings with the labels.
Even as a non-expert (and perhaps especially so), I would expect to put in at least little bit of effort to answer my own question before posting to ask someone else to answer it for me. So...I can see the frustration when reading a post from someone asking questions that could be easily answered if they'd spent just 5 minutes reading other posts first. However, I think the more experienced we all get the more distant that memory becomes of being new and needing direction - any direction - and not even knowing where to start.
Final say (I promise! Think I'm past my allotted few pennies' worth now 
): I think as a whole CC-ers are very good about encouraging and praising at least the attempt if not the final outcome - most of the community is very accommodating and helpful, and I hope the OP and others can see past the very small percentage of less-than-welcoming posts and keep coming back to CC. I've seen others' work (and submitted my own!) that was clearly "newbie" work - maybe rough, needing better attention to detail, etc. but having the courage to post knowing you're not an expert can be the most rewarding experience if you try to give and receive feedback constructively. I've been the one to ask the "silly" questions (yep, the answer was there I just didn't look hard enough) and also gotten to be on the other end trying to offer advice.
Just gotta remember: long-time CC-ers might need a smidge more patience and new guys need to pony up a bit more effort before asking common questions.
Whew! All that typing gave me the munchies. Let's see if there are any cake scraps in the fridge. There ARE? Why yes, 11:47p.m. is an excellent time to wrap up the night with a few bites. Anyone care to join me? 
Happy posting!
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"....... My status as "newbie" or "junior member" I interpret as not a reflection of my abilities but rather my level of active interaction on the site (not just reading invisibly) - absolutely no hurt feelings with the labels.
cmalin3 maybe people simply don't understand this point that you make, it's thoughtful on your part to explain it.
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I believe the "status" has everything to do with how many times somebody posts and has nothing to do with cake knowledge.
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This completely. I know a stark-raving LUNATIC that joined a site, had a crappy product, asked for advice, cried about how mean everyone was, got tons of helpful advice on every topic under sun, got heir post count WAY up whining and moaning and learning, then turned around and started dispensing advice to newbies as if it were first-hand knowledge. This person kills threads by flipping their lid, stirring the pot, and get they get deleted.
This completely. I know a stark-raving LUNATIC that joined a site, had a crappy product, asked for advice, cried about how mean everyone was, got tons of helpful advice on every topic under sun, got heir post count WAY up whining and moaning and learning, then turned around and started dispensing advice to newbies as if it were first-hand knowledge. This person kills threads by flipping their lid, stirring the pot, and get they get deleted.
I don't know who you're talking about, but there was someone like that I use to bump up against when I first started posting here. I don't mean the part about how she got her post count up because I wasn't here for that. But she was a "forum expert", meaning she didn't get her expertise from doing cakes, but from reading the forum. She would say the craziest things because, lacking real experience, she wasn't able to discern which posts were correct or worth repeating. And she'd bitterly defend her completely wrong points. It would have been funny, except people believed her.
I've seen that on my reef forum, too. People who think they're experts because they've read advice on a forum.
There is a lot of beneficial knowledge that comes from the questions, comments, criticisms, and discussions on these forum threads. It's like watching a rose bloom sometimes. Little by little the petals start to unfold, and open up to a full blown flower revealing so much information.
The tiniest little bits of knowledge that is so routine to you and mostly disregarded after repetition, is often a great leap of understanding for me. A reader only has to look at your creations to see that the proof is in the pudding.
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There is a lot of beneficial knowledge that comes from the questions, comments, criticisms, and discussions on these forum threads. It's like watching a rose bloom sometimes. Little by little the petals start to unfold, and open up to a full blown flower revealing so much information.
The tiniest little bits of knowledge that is so routine to you and mostly disregarded after repetition, is often a great leap of understanding for me. A reader only has to look at your creations to see that the proof is in the puddin
you're on a roll tonight, my friend
A
Original message sent by SystemMod2
Keep it on topic, or I'm locking it.
The moderators are as useful as a chocolate fire guard:evil:
Seriously, it's obvious your only real intent is to get this thread shut down and deleted. I sincerely hope that doesn't happen!!!!!!!
Please CC'ers don't respond to that last post! There's value in this thread that shouldn't be thrown out because the OP is a spammer.........
oh wow a moderator-they do actually excist -I thought you had gone the way of dinosaur for the use you seem to be. But then perhaps you are part of the CC mafia too. Just supporting the great USA reputation for being friendly before you get your guns out and shoot an innocent bystander. This is most defiantly the most ****ty forum I have ever been a member of.
The moderators are as useful as a chocolate fire guard:evil:
fwiw mods are international volunteers and this is the absolute wrong thing to say about them-- i'd recommend you edit or delete that asap--
they have an impossible job are much appreciated
ADoes my response really look as if I care. THIS member for one has had enough of the crap that happens here. There are lots of wonderful people on here who have a lot to offer but the CC mafia rule here. It is just another USA gang land where you get mugged for speaking your mind
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oh wow a moderator-they do actually excist -I thought you had gone the way of dinosaur for the use you seem to be. But then perhaps you are part of the CC mafia too. Just supporting the great USA reputation for being friendly before you get your guns out and shoot an innocent bystander. This is most defiantly the most ****ty forum I have ever been a member of.
The moderators are as useful as a chocolate fire guard:evil:
Just wow.
I had been kind of watching and following your posts. I hadn't quite decided if you were just daft or were truly just trying to stir up a big ole mess. Now, I gotcha number.
You did manage to waste some of my valuable time and energy. No more.
What a waste.
Does my response really look as if I care. THIS member for one has had enough of the crap that happens here. There are lots of wonderful people on here who have a lot to offer but the CC mafia rule here. It is just another USA gang land where you get mugged for speaking your mind
Quote: Oh rubbish! Your magic has no power here. Now be off before someone drops a house on you!
/snicker
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