How do you deal...

[finishfirst]

With Newbies!


haha I know i'm one but seriuosly i read so many posts where th guys have obviously not read the detailing bible thats up here..... everyone is always so nice and I dunno i think it would piss me off to no end if I was a pro detailer or someone thats been here for awhile

[J.J.]

I usually don't read all the threads. It deped upon what the title of the thread is. Obviously the title you chose at least drew me inside.

IMO, a forum is used to educate all those interested in the topic. I have the ability to respond or not. I don't get pissed-off simply because I more educated about a topic than someone else. We all were at one time newbies.

JJ

[Accumulator]

I usually hit the "New Posts" link when I sign on, so I see anything that's come up since my last visit, and a lot of these are the Newbie Qs. I usually scan them and a) try to glean a little clue about the poster and b) see if it's something I feel like addressing. There are some where I think "ohsheesh, go search..." and there are others where I think "this person could use a little help and for some reason I don't mind repeating myself for the umpteenth time..at least not for *them*". It's a purely subjective judgement call.

[PrinzII]

Originally Posted by Accumulator

I usually hit the "New Posts" link when I sign on, so I see anything that's come up since my last visit, and a lot of these are the Newbie Qs. I usually scan them and a) try to glean a little clue about the poster and b) see if it's something I feel like addressing. There are some where I think "ohsheesh, go search..." and there are others where I think "this person could use a little help and for some reason I don't mind repeating myself for the umpteenth time..at least not for *them*". It's a purely subjective judgement call.

Quoted for truth and my own personal practice. On another forum I moderate, folks aren't as nice.

[Accumulator]

Originally Posted by PrinzII

On another forum I moderate, folks aren't as nice.

Yeah, ain't that the truth!?!

Whenever I see the "go search" responses, let alone the really *testy* ones that basically just say the same thing, I think that for the same amount of effort the respondent could've contributed something that answered the OP's Q. That just strikes me as rude, condescending, and petty, and I kinda wonder what makes a person feel they need to do stuff like that If you don't want to waste your time being helpful, then don't waste your time being snotty. Gee, don't *I* sound opinionated about this one

[PrinzII]

Accumulator: That's why I said the following in the Detailing forum of Maxima.org:

Originally Posted by Maxima.org Detailing Forum General Guidelines

Welcome to the Official Maxima.org Detailing Forum. As JBWhitley once said, "With as many times as some of us wash our cars, it might as well be a "mod." Truer words were never spoken. There are some items that can cost as much as or more than some of the Greddys you may have on your Max (e.g. a Sensei Steam Extractor can cost over $1000).

Truth be told, there are a myriad of products out there for the purpose of making your Maxima (or any car) clean and shiny. Many of us can have spectacular results using Nu Finish and Turtle Wax whereas others can have the same results using Klasse, Blackfire, Zaino, or Clearkote. The point I am making here is that we do not need to be bashing the choice of product someone may be using. If it works for him/her, then let it ride. Any thread I see violating this will be closed and deleted without warning.

Another thing is that there is no such thing as a "stupid question" when it comes to detailing. Many of us are not sure of what to use or how to use it properly. That does not give us "veterans" the right to flame someone if they ask a question that is simple to us. We need to be cognizant of the fact that we were once newbies and needed a "vet" to give us a hand. Any thread flaming a newbie will have the offending posts removed.

If there are any pro detailers among us, we encourage sharing tips and tricks. If we can get good results in less time, the better we will feel about doing it.

Another thing I also encourage is sharing/sampling of products. if you have something you would like to share, by all means, share the wealth.

With that said, happy detailing!

Since that has been in place, there have been 0 incidents of telling newbs to search or rude behavior. But then again, if you go here, you'll see why.

[Accumulator]

PrinzII- I like that Guideline Heh heh, I kinda wish we had that role of dishonor here at Autopia

[Accumulator]

PrinzII- Along those lines, here's an excerpt from a group of limited-access forums I visit (but where I've yet to post anything) where, uhm, serious people, are posting about serious topics where misinformation could get somebody killed (bold-facing is mine):

... each forum will have its own personality and level of tolerance for your actions. Some of the moderators are relaxed and others are watching out very closely for trouble. What is the main issue that all the moderators are looking for? The first thing that will get you into trouble is by talking about things of which you do not have first hand knowledge. Reading something on the internet, or in a book or magazine, and then repeating it here will get you kicked off. If you don't have FIRST HAND knowledge of...whatever the subject is about then the board DEMANDS you remain silent on that particular thread.. That doesn't mean we don't welcome you; it simply means that we expect you to keep your mouth shut and just read.

There will be no warnings. You will simply be banned the first time you are out of line...no ifs, ands, or buts.

[BlackElantraGT]

I think this forum is pretty good about noob bashing compared to other forums I'm on. Even if it's a "try using the search button next time", it's usually done in a friendly and appropriate manner on here, whereas on other forums some of the "veteran" members are A-holes with smart@ss remarks.

I think most people on here are friendly and willing to help, as long as you do your part and do your homework also. If you came on this board and your first post was "Hey guys, how do I wash my car?" I'm sure at least one person will tell you to do a search or to read the detailing guide.

I discovered this board almost a year ago, but I lurked for many months doing my research, learning about the different products and their acronyms, etc before I felt comfortable enough to post and say hi, so I wouldn't look like some stupid noob.

[Scottwax]

I turned off PMs because every n00b would PM me asking how to detail their car and all the products they needed.

Seriously, it was that bad. I have over 20,000 posts, and we have a search function.

[BlackElantraGT]

Scott, if I were you I'd do the same thing too since you have celebrity-like status on here

[nitrox28]

Newbies suck!