Member titles are NOT equivalent to experience.

[Shadeflower]

Ok wow 5 pages worth.
I have to admit I had just received a message from a fellow member telling me he was activly trying to get me banned so I was on the defensive and I see I misinterpreted the post - orchis, it seems you were just the victim of what I have also been through and were possibly pointing this out but I think I misinterpreted things.

From my limited understanding I have seen some people like to use growing information to prove they know what they are talking about, compared to using pictures to show results!

It takes years to show results in the orchid world. It takes a couple of weeks to read up how to grow them.

I think that is where I see this statement come into play

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

The "completely meaningless agrandisement of some individuals" I don't quite understand.

ie some people having to prove their knowledge through growing information.

It is hard to judge sometimes if someone is doing this or if they are writing something to help out the community.

I have to admit I have been a victim of this phenomena a bit myself in the past as we all want to prove to the world what we have learnt but I have recognised this mostly just stemmed from subconscious jealousy I think which can happen. It's a strange hobby that is not as calming as I thought it might be when I first started, from pests constantly wanting a nibble to orchids dying to disease or forgetting to water them one week and the forum stresses trying to learn how to care for them. The one thing that surprised me the most is the unseen work that goes into growing orchids we don't see in the background like watering and regular repotting. But also buidling shelves, terrariums, greenhouses etc.

Once one has gotten to a certain point in growing the satisfaction then comes from being able to flower ones orchids well. One seeks less approval as ones own orchids are all saying they are doing well by flowering regularly.

Anyway, have a nice weekend everyone. Overall I do mean well

[wisdomseeker]

Originally Posted by camille1585

I'm actually a bit surprised to see that it appears that quite a few people want titles/flowers/whatever to reflect on actual member expertise. Even 'back in the day' when forums were a big thing, I don't think that way ever fully the intention. Here are a few points that come to mind:

• As a note, the forum owner/ chief admin is the one who determines what the titles are, how many there are and the post count steps between them.
• Titles can have a motivational purpose: it can incentivise new members to continue participating in the forum. Same thing applies for the flowers.
• Titles can have more practical purposes : each tier can be allotted certain privileges. For instance, you need XYZ number of posts to be able to edit your post, post photos, post links... This was one way of limiting spamon the forums.
• If we really wanted titles to indicate expertise, then the forum owner could have chosen to use vbulletin's reputation system, where members can gain and lose reputation based on how their posts are scored by other users. Members who have the ability to affect reputation (also determined by the owner/admin), will either give or take aways points by approving or disapproving with a post's content. However this can potentially be a very divisive 'tool', and it's implementation in a forum should be well thought out beforehand.

I may be wrong, but as a long time moderator/admin on this forum, I get the impression from this thread that there are a lot of folks who are unhappy or not satisfied with the forum

Am I correct by stating this Board has 44,241 members, and this thread has only 51 posts?

I Joined OB to get away from the type of things stated within the bullets you posted. As to opinions and responses ~ FAIRORCHIDS seems to put it all into perspective: "We have some members, who like to post a lot, and others who tend to hold back. However, there is no meaningful way to give more weight to individual postings".

If a member is truly concerned with the experience/expertise/or quality of the words of another - all they have to do is click on a members username and then click 'find all posts'. It requires some time and effort to read through those posts (some members have thousands). YOU can decide for yourself (and make your own decision about what you think). Sometimes it becomes very evident where the not so good advise/contention/drama/and the fanning of the flames, comes from.

[SADE2020]

Originally Posted by camille1585

I'm actually a bit surprised to see that it appears that quite a few people want titles/flowers/whatever to reflect on actual member expertise. Even 'back in the day' when forums were a big thing, I don't think that way ever fully the intention.

I may be wrong, but as a long time moderator/admin on this forum, I get the impression from this thread that there are a lot of folks who are unhappy or not satisfied with the forum

I can help to replay since the conversation is getting on a different path..... I'm not from the group that holds back clearly

@Camille I'm very happy with the forum and with the Moderators 😍

I am also, very happy with all the members that are not that happy, with the fire makers, the more technicals, the impulsive, the negligent, the always right, the silents, the sweets, the passive experts, the real no need title seniors, the newbies, and the funny ones! Cuz, community means ALL, and we are all different.

As long as there is a high average of respect and consideration, I'll be happy.

What I don't care or like is to be "judge" or have the pressure to be relevant because I am here to have fun and learn from orchidsfans not from floral biological experts.


I am going to get some 🍿 popcorn too... See you later!

[Ray]

I think part of the issue is folks assigning motives to others.

I am one of those with a high post count. Some view that as me having expertise (experience, maybe, as I posted earlier), others see that as me trying to show off or run the forum - all of which are untrue.

1) I like to talk. Even via the keyboard.

2) I enjoy discussing orchid growing. I learn a lot in these discussions, even after almost 50 years of growing.

3) My mother was a teacher, and I taught labs and classes in college, so sharing info with others has become part of my being and is important to me.

[Mountaineer370]

I really do not understand what all the controversy is about. I have been a member of the OB for around five years, and a member of several other non-orchid-related boards for around fifteen years, all of them the old-fashioned discussion forum type, like this one. Different boards provide different titles or other indications of a member's tenure with that board, and all of them give a post count.

Isn't it just common sense to understand that one does not have to submit a resume or pass an entrance exam to join a forum on the Internet? For those who are upset that there are people here who are giving out advice who don't have a PhD in botany or horticulture, or haven't grown orchids for fifty years, how would you suggest that be rectified? What would the qualifications have to be? Who would decide which members get to give out advice here, or what kind of advice they may give?

In my experience here and elsewhere, when dubious advice is given out, other members will point it out. In that way, I guess you can say these kinds of discussion forums are self-moderated (for lack of a better term). Of course we do have hard-working people who serve as official moderators who do a great job of making sure the forum rules are not violated and that everybody plays nice. It is not within the job description of a moderator or administrator to pass judgment on whether every bit of advice given is good or correct. Of course, like any other member, they can and do post in threads with their own opinions/advice.

If there is a person whose posts you do not care to read, this forum has the option of blocking or ignoring them. Or, you can post your own rebuttal to anything you feel is incorrect advice, and others may post whether they agree with you or not. This is how discussion forums work. And we all know that what works for one of us may not work for another. Growing orchids is very dependent on our individual conditions.

Personally, I am just grateful for this and similar forums I belong to. They are disappearing by the wayside as Facebook and Twitter and Instagram, et al, take over. I like the format of these kinds of forums that are divided into topics and sub-topics and then further into individual threads on a particular question, versus scrolling forever on FB trying to find something that interested you that was posted a few weeks ago.

It's pretty simple. If one does not like the way this board works, or the quality of advice given here, or even the number of flowers given out (!), one does not need to continue coming around.

[WaterWitchin]

Very well stated Cheri, and obviously well-thought out in advance. I have also been involved in other discussion type forums as a member and/or moderator since good ol' AOL dial-up was king (horror of horrors, I can still hear that dial up and connect noise in my head).

Correct, Cheri, it's a DISCUSSION forum and a Show n Tell forum. People ask questions, other folks respond, sometimes folks agree and sometimes disagree about advice given. Some folks joke, some are fairly serious. It's a small village of folks with an enjoyment, some a passion, of orchids (and other plants, and pets, and bugs, and fungus, and bacteria, and cute anoles and ugly iguanas, and the best way to trap a mouse.)

As Cheri says, it's developed into a well-broken down by section, subsection, thread. So if one only wants to talk about Phals, Pleurothallis, LED quality, or goats, it's easy to find. Many discussion forums are not nearly as well organized. And it's also not Facebook, Instagram, or Reddit (because I sure wouldn't be here.)

Can we assign expertise? Should we let the membership choose who are qualified by tabulating a vote? Just as in life, whether in person or via cyber, each individual's opinions are just opinions regardless of so-called expertise. And it's orchids, folks. Plants. If you want to be involved in some truly serious, life-changing stuff, read the discussion forums about mental illness, child-rearing, physical disabilities. Join a horse or dog or chicken forum, and see how heated the discussion can get. I've moderated on mental illness forums, child-behavioral forums, and dog forums... this place is a walk in the park.

What's the controversy about? Ummm, folks on discussion boards tend to like to give opinions. Some enjoy getting opinions. Some like to share pride in a well-grown orchid or dog. Some folks like to bitch. Some have too much time on their hands. Some are socially isolated, so this is a place to have a social life. A thread such as this one is outside the normal realm of how do I save this Phal, I think it's fusarium, what's this weird stuff on my Zygo leaf, and thus it gets more attention.

No, Camille, I don't think there are a lot of folks who don't care for the board; otherwise, why be here?

---------- Post added at 09:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:58 AM ----------

PS To heck with the popcorn! Here's Bill Nye explaining that the planet's on Ffire!

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Originally Posted by camille1585

I may be wrong, but as a long time moderator/admin on this forum, I get the impression from this thread that there are a lot of folks who are unhappy or not satisfied with the forum

Camille, I think the OB is just about as perfect as a forum can be, considering it is made up of people, with all their quirks. Don't even think about changing it.

[tmoney]

yeah, this forum is pretty good from my perspective.

i really just wanted to ask, how do i get me summa dem flowers under my name?! in my case the flowers in the title bar accurately represent flowers in real life...

[WaterWitchin]

Maybe ya could bribe Camille into giving ya one of the gold ones she stole from me?

[richardb]

Reading the comments, surely the most meaningful approach would be to abolish all the flower ratings and dubious titles like "senior member" then everyone is on the same level. The mere fact that someone posts frequently is also meaningless be their contributions knowledgeable or sheer drivel. Titles like Moderator or Administrator keep the think ticking over so should remain as they are contacts for running the forum.
Inclusion of country of origin are very helpful to put comments in context - what to do in Florida might be quite different from dealing with the same problem in, say, Norway,