Why do we bother rant
- Thread starter Don S/V ILLusion
- Start date
Sailors, in general, are a pretty friendly bunch. When I was starting out there was always a grey haired old goat willing to help if I asked, and happy to let me figure it out on my own if I didn’t ask. Now that I’m the grey haired old goat I’m happy to do the same when I can.
I’m sure in real life the conversations would be smoother - Internet forums can be awkward.
I’m sure in real life the conversations would be smoother - Internet forums can be awkward.
My take on it is that if someone gets snarky, just click away and do something else. Look at another post. Read the paper. Life's too short.
If I asked the question, I do try to reply to everyone who answers. I'm sure I don't manage always, especially when a reply is occasionally very much off topic, or has little content. But the latter 2 things don't offend me.
I like to think of a thread more as a conversation between people sitting around chatting, rather than as a closed logical system where a question has been posed, and the only proper response is a direct answer from those who are 100% sure they know the answer. I'm pretty sure others don't see it that way, based on the number of times the phrases "off topic" or "hijack" come up, but to each his own?
Finally, I really like posts where the OP either posts a series of pictures to illustrate the problem they're trying to solve, or sometimes just the work they're doing (when they're not really asking for advice). They're just way more interesting to read. (Who doesn't like looking at pictures of someone else's boat?) So I try to do that when I start a thread.
See how I veered off topic there?
If I asked the question, I do try to reply to everyone who answers. I'm sure I don't manage always, especially when a reply is occasionally very much off topic, or has little content. But the latter 2 things don't offend me.
I like to think of a thread more as a conversation between people sitting around chatting, rather than as a closed logical system where a question has been posed, and the only proper response is a direct answer from those who are 100% sure they know the answer. I'm pretty sure others don't see it that way, based on the number of times the phrases "off topic" or "hijack" come up, but to each his own?
Finally, I really like posts where the OP either posts a series of pictures to illustrate the problem they're trying to solve, or sometimes just the work they're doing (when they're not really asking for advice). They're just way more interesting to read. (Who doesn't like looking at pictures of someone else's boat?) So I try to do that when I start a thread.
See how I veered off topic there?
Someone up above touched on what's for me a sore point. Ask a (real) question on this or other forums and you're likely to get one or two useful answers and about 5 times that many answers that say, in effect, I've never dealt with that myself, but it seems to me that.... or, I don't know, but I imagine that..... or, Can't say for sure, but I think I read somewhere that... or, Any good local canvas shop (or outboard mechanic or fiberglass guy) should be able to help you with that [even though I don't have one of those, or I would have gone there already!] Maybe some of those answers are an indirect way of saying, Stupid question!! I wholeheartedly agree that real answers deserve a real response. But as for the other answers, well, that's the internet, I guess.
Agree totally with the original rant and I've always found this forum to be incredibly helpful (and I do my homework before asking a question), and always respond. But, I do also agree there are many posters who completely ignore the original question and want to bring their single piece of knowledge and expertise to every single thread, relevant or not.
I do find it numerous when owners ask some seemingly clueless questions…but I guess I have asked some pretty clueless questions too (hopefully mostly in the past). I didn’t think that they were clueless or lazy at the time….
Hopefully some of those owners become experts in their boats, and can provide the next wave of new owners some guidance.
Is this what the poll was about? Worst written I have seen. Not clear what it was asking…
With this thread as context, my answer seems correct…”made us a bit lazy”.
Greg
Hopefully some of those owners become experts in their boats, and can provide the next wave of new owners some guidance.
Is this what the poll was about? Worst written I have seen. Not clear what it was asking…
With this thread as context, my answer seems correct…”made us a bit lazy”.
Greg
I ask clueless question because I am clueless..... Seriously my sailing skills are lacking way behind my sailor and mechanical skills.
What is do I think that I do well when ask a question is posting pictures and illustrations. I try my best to answer questions that are asked. I am also willing to take advise.
What I feeling as frustrating I folks that do not do the same.
The ones that make me laugh are the “where is my…?”
I spent many weekends crawling all over my new-to-boat so I could find key systems and understand how my boat was set up.
Greg
I wish everyone did that Greg
From my old Coast Guard small boat days, that omission seemed to be the primary cause of most of the rescue calls, not all of which ended happily. Somebody buys a boat, loads up the family, counts the life vests and hits the water. No clue where or how to secure an open thruhull, deploy an anchor, rig a reef or where the battery shutoff or fuses are. Add the occasional “ why doesn’t my bilge pump work?” and it’s Darwin’s Law time for the family.
That some seem so cavalier about basic functions and operation is evident in the questions they ask which prompted me to post about this since it’s obvious they “don’t know what they don’t know” about seamanship and if I or we tell them, they either never read it or never bothered responding or following up.
Nothing better than tinkering with a boat!
But not everyone is so inclined.
Greg
If someone else wants to reply, let them. Move on.
Some folks have no sense of self-reliance. Most sailors do.
Some folks have no sense of self-reliance. Most sailors do.
Exactly! If I wanted to see only direct questions and answers, I would go to Siri or Alexa.
But, I think that neither has the wealth of knowledge as this forum!
I'll suggest that none of your encounters with poor seamanship had any contact with SBO. So, whenever somebody posts something that may seemingly not raise to your standard of conduct, I think the responses at least provide a beam of light toward seamanship. Whether it is acknowledged or not is immaterial to me.
Agree that its the polite thing to do to thank people for taking the time to provide a meaningful and helpful answer to a question that has (hopefully) been asked in an understandable and addressable manner, and provide an update when you've worked the problem. But personally I'm more in @Scott T-Bird's camp in that I don't take offense if someone doesn't thank me or follow up later (though those are the right things to do), I just move on. If nothing else now the time I spent in putting together a (hopefully) helpful answer is forever in the forum to be searched and discovered by someone else who may need the help. That's gratifying enough to me.
I have been on the other end of it when I asked for help, got some good answers, and replied with a short thank-you to the folks who provided the assistance. Someone thought my reply hadn't been effusive enough, bordered on curt, or short, and not at all essentially thankful ENOUGH for the help I'd been given. Mind you, this wasn't one of the people who had taken the time to help me out. i remained polite in my response, but basically explained why my response was brief, and left it at that.
I do agree that the seemingly ungrateful hit-and-run posters might cause some folks to reconsider taking the time to answer questions. That is unfortunate and we as a community are poorer for it. Perhaps the most frustrating are those that clearly make no effort to search these rich forums for answers to very common questions (now that would be an interesting thread - what are the most common questions that have been answered to death, and the links to the best answers). But we all had to start somewhere.
I have been on the other end of it when I asked for help, got some good answers, and replied with a short thank-you to the folks who provided the assistance. Someone thought my reply hadn't been effusive enough, bordered on curt, or short, and not at all essentially thankful ENOUGH for the help I'd been given. Mind you, this wasn't one of the people who had taken the time to help me out. i remained polite in my response, but basically explained why my response was brief, and left it at that.
I do agree that the seemingly ungrateful hit-and-run posters might cause some folks to reconsider taking the time to answer questions. That is unfortunate and we as a community are poorer for it. Perhaps the most frustrating are those that clearly make no effort to search these rich forums for answers to very common questions (now that would be an interesting thread - what are the most common questions that have been answered to death, and the links to the best answers). But we all had to start somewhere.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,888
I have come to understand that this forum provides a venue for all to "Pay It Forward".
While response is always appreciated, need for acknoledgement becomes less important when you consider the first statement.
BE it troll or newbie, if the query interests me and I feel I want to respond, I share. On the other hand the forum is not a classroom. There is no grading. If the query is one that I find offensive, or of no interest I can use the forum to "ignore" the content and relieve the stress such might trigger.
Like a sail, sometimes you need to trim the forum to get the results you desire.
While response is always appreciated, need for acknoledgement becomes less important when you consider the first statement.
BE it troll or newbie, if the query interests me and I feel I want to respond, I share. On the other hand the forum is not a classroom. There is no grading. If the query is one that I find offensive, or of no interest I can use the forum to "ignore" the content and relieve the stress such might trigger.
Like a sail, sometimes you need to trim the forum to get the results you desire.
Love the analogy! And sometimes, when the sails are flapping and annoying, do we love sailing any less? It's a valid question, no? To each their own response!
For me this forum is mostly a learning experience whether the original question / problem is mine or someone else's and regardless if I have tried to answer a posters question or not. My problem with a lack of response from an original poster is that I then might not learn what the actual resolution to the problem was. If someone asks how to fix their issue and gets six different suggestions I would like to know which of the six was the best. Sometimes its about something that relates to my boat and sometimes its just out of curiosity but, on top of a thank you, I think the OP has some obligation to say what worked so I can apply it to my situation. A little selfish maybe but I do get frustrated when watching a thread to see what the resolution was and the OP never says.
re the necessity to learn things - I was spending a lazy day in the marina one weekend when I noticed a large power boat aground. While arranging something suitable to pull them off they asked for directions. We asked if they had charts and they said all they had was a road map. ;-) Probably happens more often than we know. We also asked about how they had failed to navigate the channel which is marked clearly. They ended up asking what those Green and Red things were over there in the water!
I agree with the notion of learning while we enjoy our sport, I believe a certain amount of "Pre-Learning" is mandatory before going out in a sailboat especially if anything larger than a small pond. The areas of medical, navigation and weather are 3 that I put at the top of my list.
I agree with the notion of learning while we enjoy our sport, I believe a certain amount of "Pre-Learning" is mandatory before going out in a sailboat especially if anything larger than a small pond. The areas of medical, navigation and weather are 3 that I put at the top of my list.