Searching for members by state or country

[SpclK]

Please let me know if this thread belongs here, and move it to where it should be if it isn't. Thanks!

I'm a newbie of a little over a month, even though I've been a lurker for a few years. I'm thankful people didn't have to be a member in order to search through threads to find what we're looking for.

I have some questions that are specific to my state and environment within/outside my home and have been looking for members located in my state who can shed some insight. It seems as though the search engine to look for members looks only to see if a particular state is listed in the member's ID. For example, search for Ohio, Wisconsin, and Florida and see what you get. Is there a way to search for members by the state or country they're located in? If there isn't, can it please be added? I'd greatly appreciate it!

Members and Mods, please leave feedback on if you feel this could be a useful addition and whether this could be possible. Thanks!

[Diane56Victor]

More coffee Nurse!

[Ray]

Unless it is a feature that is simply not turned on (I doubt it), that would have to be a software rewrite, and 1) I doubt the developers have done that, 2) would probably mean some cost to have it done, 3) it would mean that every member would have to populate those fields. Many have not, and some might not want to share that info, and 4) Marty, the owner of the board is very "hands off", so likely wouldn't take it up.

Frankly. I'm not certain of the utility. You can simply make a post: "Hey! Anyone here from the Dayton OH area?".

[WaterWitchin]

What Ray says is pretty much spot on. Isn't an option, and wouldn't be an option to write it into the program used.

Also not sure what purpose it would serve from a standpoint of questions that would be specific to your state or environment. For example, I live in northeastern Kansas in zone 6a. And a totally different overall environment for growing orchids than western or central Kansas, also in zone 6a. Ohio goes from zone 5b to 6a to 6b. That's the "outside" part.

The inside part... my environment in the house wouldn't match cultural conditions of a neighbor's house. I don't think drilling down your questions that way will be productive from a growing of orchids standpoint.

As Ray says, you can just ask the question Hey, anyone from the Dayton area? Better question would be Here's my cultural environment...anyone else who grows or has grown or knows how to grow in one similar, then ask your specific questions.

[Orchid Whisperer]

1. In top menu, click 'Members'.
2. On Members page select 'Search Members'.
3. Select 'Advanced' option. From that you can search based on various criteria, including geographic ones.

[neophyte]

Thanks, Orchid Whisperer – I didn't know that myself!!

SpclK - if you are looking for members to connect with, you can definitely try the Member search or just make a post. I think if you are simply looking for growing advice specific to your conditions, it may be more worthwhile to search not by location but by USDA Hardiness Zone or specify your growing conditions in a post.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

1. In top menu, click 'Members'.
2. On Members page select 'Search Members'.
3. Select 'Advanced' option. From that you can search based on various criteria, including geographic ones.

True, but many members don't share location or zone. The search only brings up members who have chosen to input them.

[AnonYMouse]

[camille1585]

I don't have much to add to the good info above. I do think the bet way to get information is to create a thread asking for folks with experience in your conditions to help out.

The problem with relying on the search function is that not everyone fills in the location field, people can fill it in differently, and you may overlook members which lived for years in your area, but have since moved and changed their location.

It's also good to give some specific info in your thread on your growing conditions. Someone in the same city as you may have completely different conditions. This can be old versus new building (drafts, isolation which affects temperature fluctuations), window orientation, presence of trees that shade your house/windows... So with your growing info people from other areas sharing the same conditions can also give you some input!

[Leafmite]

I live in Ohio (south of Akron--belong to the Greater Akron Orchid Society). I try to limit the number of orchids I grow to around forty, now, and I grow mostly Cattleyas, Angraecums, and random miniatures/small orchids. Recently, I decided to try a pair of Phaius orchids (no idea why when I try to avoid large orchids).