SAVE THE ORCHIDS!!

[Pantsonfire]

I'm a "newbie", but yet I KNOW that there are lots of native orchids in the USA. It seems arrogant and condescending for this thread to stray so far from its original topic.

This has become the new thread topics...

"You're a Newbie? Well you don't know nothing!

"THIS is what you should care about, not THAT!"

Tell it to someone else, I'm outta here.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Pantsonfire

I'm a "newbie", but yet I KNOW that there are lots of native orchids in the USA. It seems arrogant and condescending for this thread to stray so far from its original topic.

This has become the new thread topics...

"You're a Newbie? Well you don't know nothing!

"THIS is what you should care about, not THAT!"

Tell it to someone else, I'm outta here.

There is no need to get angry. You have a right to not like a thread, but there's no need to be quite so rude about it. You may know about the existence of native orchids, but I can assure you that there are 'newbies' who don't. Even for those who do know, King pointed out some examples of orchids growing in the USA that I didn't know about.

I just reread this thread, and still don't see where you get your new 'thread topics'. Maybe some people have strong opinions, but IMO it's far from being what you describe. I actually enjoyed reading and contributing to this interesting thread.

[harrywitmore]

I really don't think anyone is trying to be arrogant or condescending. But, sometimes we are all in a mood and things strike us in the wrong way. I know it has happened to me and it was me not the people that posted.

So, I completely understand your reaction and I also hope you come back.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Pantsonfire

I'm a "newbie", but yet I KNOW that there are lots of native orchids in the USA. It seems arrogant and condescending for this thread to stray so far from its original topic.

This has become the new thread topics...

"You're a Newbie? Well you don't know nothing!

"THIS is what you should care about, not THAT!"

Tell it to someone else, I'm outta here.

Man! Chill out!

Who's arrogant and condescending?

Me?!

I assure you when I started the hobby and even in the first five years of being in it, I knew jack diddly about native orchids. I didn't even know they existed! Hell, I only recently in the last 5 yrs of being in the hobby have had a basic understanding of how many we really have! I didn't even know California had any, until I was told by the father to the owner of Santa Barbara Orchid Estate. This was my first realization that Epipactis gigantea even existed.

You wanna know something...and this is gonna be a real kicker!

Your state of Nevada has native orchids! Yeah...

I didn't know that until some time last year! That's right, the year 2009. Talk about obscure!

So am I being arrogant and condescending to myself and others like me?

I must either have massive self esteem issues or be pretty masochistic in order to do that (sarcasm).

Wow! What a load.

I didn't say everybody doesn't know. I said some people didn't. Am I wrong? What, so I'm not being sensitive to those who don't know? So, what you're telling me is that I was an idiot newbie for not knowing in the past and that other newbies should know too, because if they didn't, then they're idiots as well?

What's your point?

I never intended to insult those newbies who did know. At least I didn't think so until now!

I never intended to insult those who didn't know either.

In fact, I never intended to ever insult any level of hobbyist!

I also never intended to say that nobody should have any hybrids. How much bs is that!

BTW, I have owned some hybrids. I still have a few. And I'd like to think that I've helped many people here on the OB with their hybrids. I also think that some photographs of hybrids that members on the OB have posted are beautiful.

So if you want me to be blunt...you have no argument!

If you want an apology for me hurting your feelings, then I'm sorry, I sincerely apologize. But I'm not sorry for trying to put together as solid of an argument as I can for what I believe should be done in true orchid conservation.

You're free to attack my arguments. However, you're not welcome to attack me personally without just cause and thinking things through thoroughly. In this respect, I think you owe me an apology.

However...

Whether you choose to apologize or not is up to you. I won't hold it against you, ever. I understand what it means to save face.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

It may be absurd to answer an old thread, but I guess it wasn't a complete waste of time either.

I was referring to the premise of the original post, not to replying when someone revives an old thread.

Camille,
Re: Hybrids vs species. It's different horses for different courses. Don't take it personally.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Andrew

I was referring to the premise of the original post, not to replying when someone revives an old thread.

Noted.

[Rbeitle]

I certainly hope I didn't offend anyone as well. I have no problem with hybrid orchids or the people that keep them. I just have an interest in species orchids with the hope that some day I can contribute to the conservation of a species or two. I hate the thought of not being able to go out in nature and see plants and animals where they belong but it is a reality. As far as the post changing topics I believe any conversation changes topics and evolves. This is the beginner forum. People should post things that are considered common knowledge. I knew there were orchids native to north america but I didn't know the genus names of these. Now I have something to research. I urge King and everyone else to post any information that is considered common knowledge because I may not know. I have two goals to acheive on this forum, to meet new people that share my interest in orchids and to learn more about the hobby, I hope I didn't jeopordize this with my remarks.

Regards Ryan

[HeidiN]

King (and Andrew for that matter),
I think it's not what you said, but your "tone" which can easily be miscontrued through the ole Internet. I've often read your posts in my time here, and while informative, they also carry a " You should really have known this" tone.
Don't change it if it doesn't bother you, but don't be suprised if it bothers a few more people in the course of things.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by HeidiN

King (and Andrew for that matter),
I think it's not what you said, but your "tone" which can easily be misconstrued through the ole Internet. I've often read your posts in my time here, and while informative, they also carry a " You should really have known this" tone.
Don't change it if it doesn't bother you, but don't be suprised if it bothers a few more people in the course of things.

HeidiN I think you're right.

And I want to set the record straight.

However it may appear on the internet, for me, it's not about, "you should've known this".

I think people are hurt because I sometimes sound too elementary.

Sometimes I start from square one. Some people find that offensive and condescending.

Honestly, in my opinion, sometimes it's best to start off at square one. For me, sometimes it's review.

Hell one of my best friends knows that I'm hardcore into growing orchids, but he slipped up one time and said to me when I was admiring his parent's Cattleya, "Yeah, it's pretty big. That's a Cattleya." All I did was smile, I wasn't mad at him at all. My other best friend reminded him gently, that "Oh, he didn't need to be told that, he already knew that." We all laughed it off. It wasn't terribly offensive or condescending. Are we still friends? Hell yeah we are!

I'm also aware that hobbyists of all levels use the OB. Just because some super experienced person is on the OB doesn't mean I should write responses to people who are just starting out from square one in a way that leaves the beginners in the dust.

This is a beginner's forum!

Then there have been times when I've lost patience when it appeared that people did not want to give out their cultural information when they're asking for help for whatever reasons.

It was later pointed out that sometimes people do not know what kinds of cultural information to give out in order to receive the proper help.

I'd like to think that I've made efforts to adjust to this.

Perhaps it's also when I highlight certain words or phrases.

Let it be known, I'm not too keen on internet lingo and why people use bold faced letters and uppercases. I sometimes break the rules of internet lingo! Heck! I didn't know what the acronyms IMAO, IMO, and IMHO meant until sometime late last year when I decided to finally stop being clueless about it and look them up. I didn't know what "xoxo" meant until 2007! Even worse, I didn't fully realize that typing letters in all caps on the internet meant that I was "shouting for emphasis" until sometime in the fall of last year after watching someone's comedy routine! I still have yet to know what boldfacing letters on the internet really means in internet lingo!

Why was I not aware of this? Because for the longest time, I didn't really need the internet. I was not an "AIM or AOL junky" like my little sister was. I wasn't a "chatroom junky" for any period of time. It wasn't until libraries started to be inconvenient to gather information from and some started to close down that I was using the internet much more extensively!

I'm honestly only actively using three forum websites. One for terrestrial orchids. The OB. Then the last one is for the Travel Channel show, Ghost Adventures. Other than that, I'm not an active member on Orchid Geeks. The first two are the longest running.

When I highlight words or phrases, I'm not necessarily always "shouting for emphasis". It's all in context.

More often, those highlighted words or capitalized letters are used to emphasize the important stuff from the non-important stuff. It's much like the highlighted or italicized vocabulary words you'd find riddled all over a textbook. Especially if the text I'm posting is long!

I certainly don't enjoy walking on eggshells, but I certainly don't enjoy hurting others either.

So whatever the myriad of permutations of why people think I'm a condescending jerk is, I can't cater to all of it. I'm doing my best, and if I'm still a condescending jerk for trying to be considerate, then I can't help that.

But, thank you HeidiN. You're a doll.

[got ants]

So whatever the myriad of permutations of why people think I'm a condescending jerk is, I can't cater to all of it. I'm doing my best, and if I'm still a condescending jerk for trying to be considerate, then I can't help that.

Wow!!! I haven't been online since my mac died a week ago. Just can't miss this drama.

King, it's one thing to be taken wrong for one's misinterpreted postings, but another to respond to it. Don't let yourself get caught up in it...K?