I go there, have for a long time , Bruce aka Brutal Dreamer is a good friend of mine it is his site ..

I use all three of these sites and love them all in different ways. Plus, at times like this you have alternatives.

In my opinion RV-Orchidworks is easily the worst orchid forum. You're not allowed to link to any commercial orchid websites...so no linking to the OrchidCulture.com website or the OrchidSpecies.com website...two of the most useful orchid websites on the internet. You're also not allowed to link to other forums and not even allowed to mention any orchid vendors. Plus, the advertisements on RV-Orchidworks are excessive.

I find it has some exteremely good & interesting threads to which I have subscribed too.
To be honest I didn't know all that epiphyte78 says above.... & I never looked either, as I go on that board & others to spend time reading about other people's(that are not necessarily here) experiences about growing orchids.

I use a RSS reader for these forums so it is easy to just read the posts I am interested. I follow orchidsource and orchidsinteractive. They have less traffic than this but I found knowledgeable and generous people there.

rv-orchidworks I second epiphyte-78. It is a bit frustrating that you can't share a good vendor or the source for a nice plant.

There is one guy from Vietnam that posts very nice photos of his trips to the jungle with orchids in situ, but apart from that I do not find much there.

Once I asked a question about cultivation and I received a rude PM from a member asking me sarcastically if I wanted to turn their forum into orchidboard...

which I am not sure what he meant.

I really like rv orchidworks. The pictures are great, you have some great people there, I've learned quite a bit reading the posts, and there are some real experts at orchid identification. I have found information at rv that I haven't been able to find anywhere else. I don't really mind the rules. Perhaps they are what makes this site unique and if so, I wouldn't want to change them.
Leafmite

I had joined RV-orchidworks, but only posted once when I discovered that my posts (as a newbie) had to be mod approved. I also find the "rules" for posting a bit excessive. But as a lurker there I do think it is a nice forum with knowledgable people and I picked up some good info. Rules are good, but there needs to be a happy medium, which is why I did not become an active member. It's a nice forum overall, but there are other forums (like here and a french forum I like) which better meet my specific needs.

Maybe I was a bit too harsh - due to the harsh response I got there months ago. Rules are rules but rules are not always good. It is ok to block spammers and sneaky advertiser but not being able to share sources is a handicap. anyway I am more interested in sharing cultural experiences rather than mostly reading compliments to someone blooms./ (which I like but I appreciate way more when someone posts photos of their successes with horticultural info as well!). We are all here for learning and sharing knowledge. anyway some great in situ photos here -

Photo diary from my forest trips to see orchids - Page 78


and some other guy from SE Asia has an amazing jungle like garden

Well, I guess I have really caused this thread to venture far afield... sorry. Because this forum is more unrestricted, within reason, that so many of us enjoy being here. Many of the liberties we enjoy here are important to making any forum strong and worth visiting and OB has them, IMHO! We post our pictures, our comments and knowledge without fear of being censored, edited or reviewed prior to posting. We have just as many knowledgeable well-intentioned participants as any other board out there. We have members who post some amazing high quality pictures who jump at the opportunity to help others less skilled. I have had some of the most educational interactions with others on this board; most recently the tremendous assistance with my recent bout with Erwinia. The wealth of knowledge and the ability to get educated without the fear of intimidation is a joy to behold on OB!

I am one of the people who has been banded from RV-O because of the uncompromising rules and regulations attached to the use of that forum. I have written Bruce (Brutal Dreamer) numerous times at his university email and he hasn't the courtesy or respect to return a note in an effort to resolve our issues. Gin, with all due respect to you, I know/knew he is your friend, but people don't treat others in this manner. What prompted this action isn't the issue here. What is important is the greatness of OB and the members who come here everyday that make it the wonderful oasis of friendship and knowledge that it is for all of us.....


Now we return you to your regularly scheduled program.... :biggrin:

Yeah, I have also been banned off of RV OT! I agree that the rules are just way too ridiculous, and I regret joining, because after getting banned, I cannot even go onto the webpage or anything under their site, no threads, no nothing!