Let's Maintain The Quality of the Forum

[mudlight2]

Hey!! If this forums only problem is repetitive questions. Then it is not doing that bad! I believe the quality is just fine. I'm sure there is some sort of solution that would help with these questions. However it will not stop these questions. I do not see it getting any worse than it is with the repetitive questions. Do any of you guys see any other problems on this forum besides that and maybe punctuation?!.:;"',{}()

[Patriot76]

Recycler, thank you for the thread. Been off line for a while, to busy learning and teaching. A few thoughts for consideration:

Met a guy that has been scrapping for 30 years full time and has a lot of knowledge to share. He was hired on my recent project because of his knowledge. We have gone round and round about torches which is the only thing I have the advantage on. When I asked if he was a member of SMF, he did not understand the internet. If I can teach him how to access this site he would seem like a newbie. Two minutes after teaching him how to use the Petrogen torch, he was off and running. He has no formal education, but showed me how to booby trap our non ferrous metals. He can look at steel and tell you what it is. He knows where silver and gold is located in electronics, but cannot tell you how it works. Lesson: Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, explore the strengths and build on the weaknesses.

The man that owns the latest project introduced himself as a newbie on this site and asked questions discussed many times before. He had more knowledge than he let on and set us up. He was more interested in perspective than knowledge. Moral of the story, you never know who is on the other side of the screen. Always assume you are a teacher and hook anyone visiting to stay for the long run.

Just another perspective.

[Sirscrapalot]

Skippy was a odd combo of spam & troll, Jord. lol. He was actually amusing at time, an others...you wanted to use the hammer on him. Like most trolls, he eventually went away to cause rage elsewhere.

Mud I agree with you. What few issues we do have, are small.

I like new blood, it brings change, and a new way to look at things. Saying that..I'm not going to link stuff every time someone asks. I will point you to where you can find it, but ya gotta do some of the work yourself. If your thirsty, I'll give you a beverage from the cooler, but I won't drink it for you. Ok maybe some beverages I will..but my point stands! ha ha! Plus..it's job security for Mech.

Sirscrapalot - He looks as though he's been weaned on a pickle. - Alice Roosevelt Longworth

[BRASSCATCHER]

The man that owns the latest project introduced himself as a newbie on this site and asked questions discussed many times before. He had more knowledge than he let on and set us up. He was more interested in perspective than knowledge. Moral of the story, you never know who is on the other side of the screen. Always assume you are a teacher and hook anyone visiting to stay for the long run.

Full article at Scrap Metal Forum: http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/day-l...#ixzz2wA6q1nkM

To be honest I am not sure how I feel about what he did? What "perspective" was he looking for? Did he get his answers and now is he done with us and the forum? Sounds like he could have contributed some knowledge here and given us HIS perspective on things. He could have accomplished his goal without signing up and without asking questions he already knew the answers to.
In my opinion he sounds like a yard owner that wants all the info but never gives any out.

Sounds like one helluva business partner you got there. Maybe your the next one on his list of set ups?

[Patriot76]

The man that owns the latest project introduced himself as a newbie on this site and asked questions discussed many times before. He had more knowledge than he let on and set us up. He was more interested in perspective than knowledge. Moral of the story, you never know who is on the other side of the screen. Always assume you are a teacher and hook anyone visiting to stay for the long run.

Full article at Scrap Metal Forum: http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/day-l...#ixzz2wA6q1nkM

To be honest I am not sure how I feel about what he did? What "perspective" was he looking for? Did he get his answers and now is he done with us and the forum? Sounds like he could have contributed some knowledge here and given us HIS perspective on things. He could have accomplished his goal without signing up and without asking questions he already knew the answers to.
In my opinion he sounds like a yard owner that wants all the info but never gives any out.

Sounds like one helluva business partner you got there. Maybe your the next one on his list of set ups?

Actually it quite the opposite. He would give you the shirt off of his back and has financed many of his ex-employees business ventures. I do not know if he visits the forum now or not. I have to assume he does, so I will not mislead members about my position or project. He leads by example. He will ask questions and if you do not assume he already knows the answer, you will be down the road. If you are honest and say you do not know, he will give you the chance to find the answer. If you try to BS your way around it, he will know.

The perspective he was looking for was someone still learning, willing to improve, and honesty. We connected because I was honest about how the local farmers provided insight and knowledge. I did not take credit for knowledge I did not have, but gave credit where credit was due. As far as sharing knowledge, many of the things I have shared on the forum have been provided by him. He made me promise I would not give him credit. Therefore in my posts when you see "I learned", "I was informed", "I just learned this" "we are thinking about this", you can assume he was the source of information. Maybe or maybe not, you make the decision.

Bottom line, he looks for individuals that are not caught in the box. He wants creative, honest, and goal driven individuals that can keep up with his pace. It does not matter what skills you have, only the skills you are willing to obtain. He is very knowledgeable and driven. When you make a decision you better be able to back it up with facts. Bottom line, he is down to earth and wants to find others like him.

Sorry, the intention was not to redirect the thread, but just to answer a question.

[BRASSCATCHER]

Thanks for clarifying Patriot.

[jimicrk]

The top level scrappers most likely don't want to here about the vacuum and computer found in a dumpster for like the 5000th time
particular when there working on a bid for $ 200,000 .



Full article at Scrap Metal Forum: http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/day-l...#ixzz2wAFTOJ6s

So is someone here forcing the top level scrappers working on a $200,000 bid to click on a thread titled "I scrapped my first TV today" or "I found 10 dollars worth of cans in a dumpster today!"?
I'm sure they skip over those threads and read or answer ones that will benefit them and their business deals.
My thread I update at times probably seems "stale" to more advanced scrappers but it was created to try to help others identify certain types of phones and other telecom equipment. I will continue to post breakdown pics in hopes that it might help others.
SMF is an awesome forum and a wealth of information. It is a public forum and will continue to have the same issues as any other forum. The good thing is there are always people willing to help the newbies with repetative questions and the patience to help the ones with questions that seem obvious or stupid.
You guys are awesome.

[TheRecycler]

Recycler, thank you for the thread. Been off line for a while, to busy learning and teaching. A few thoughts for consideration:

Met a guy that has been scrapping for 30 years full time and has a lot of knowledge to share. He was hired on my recent project because of his knowledge. We have gone round and round about torches which is the only thing I have the advantage on. When I asked if he was a member of SMF, he did not understand the internet. If I can teach him how to access this site he would seem like a newbie. Two minutes after teaching him how to use the Petrogen torch, he was off and running. He has no formal education, but showed me how to booby trap our non ferrous metals. He can look at steel and tell you what it is. He knows where silver and gold is located in electronics, but cannot tell you how it works. Lesson: Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, explore the strengths and build on the weaknesses.

The man that owns the latest project introduced himself as a newbie on this site and asked questions discussed many times before. He had more knowledge than he let on and set us up. He was more interested in perspective than knowledge. Moral of the story, you never know who is on the other side of the screen. Always assume you are a teacher and hook anyone visiting to stay for the long run.

Just another perspective.

I'm with you Patriot and you perspective sheds new light and will regarded.

[TheRecycler]

In Response to Jord0690 :

1st: Is the actual amount of members a problem?

2nd: Wouldn't they have to post during this education? (Ha ha I'm funny!)

3rd: I have to respectfully disagree due to the fact that in having something like this implemented we would lose out on the contributions of individuals who have helped us all out at one time or another - despite not having their PHD in English. After all - the point of conversations and the sharing of ideas is to be understood, isn't it?

Julie, having a Ph.D in English is not all that it cooped up to be. I'm helping a doctoral student right now on editing and clarifications, it's a royal pain in the a$&

[TheRecycler]

As one of the relative newbies...

I read the beginning of this thread and wondered- wait, are they talking about me? Yes, I tend to ask more questions than I answer. Yes, I am more a "hobby scrapper" than a "professional". Yes, I tend to have a slightly different take on things than most here and yes, I've never had the time or energy to become a "veteran" on any particular forum I read- it probably won't happen here either. I can't muster much in the way of authority or wisdom other than to say I've been participating in online communities in one form or another for about 25 years- my first email account was routed through a VAX mainframe at Cornell University back in 1988, and I've been a "netizen" ever since.

Given those meager credentials, I offer a few observations:

First, I have been impressed with the general "positiveness" and camaraderie exhibited in this forum. While I am sure there is an "old guard" of posters and moderators here, I have never felt like I didn't belong- a testament to the tolerance shown by the "elder" members and a judicious moderation of the site (for better or worse, moderators are like drummers- the better they are the less you notice them).

That said, I agree with some of the posted comments that with growth comes adjustment. There is nothing wrong with promoting and enforcing a particular "mission statement" for the site (so long as everyone knows what that is), but success and popularity is a double-edged sword- the more people find and attempt to utilize this resource, the more off-topic, oddball posts you're going to have to wade through. It's simple statistics.

Third, let's be honest- searching previous posts for some particular bit of information isn't always that easy or straightforward. Yes, someone is always going to ask a question that has been covered again and again, and they ought to have done a little searching first. I myself read through all 52 pages (at the time) of Ewasted's thread in the buying section to try to get a grip on what's what in the e-scrapping business. But do you *really* expect people to do that? I mean, really? Search for any common or ambiguous term and you get pages and pages and pages of posts to wade through. No, this site doesn't present itself as an easily-accessible "wiki" of all things scrapping, but sometimes I get the impression from the old-timers that they really don't appreciate the overwhelming (and sometimes contradictory) amount of information available here. Spammers are spammers, but you have to cut a little slack to the newbies wading into years and years of posts, personalities, and changing markets and technology.

Fourth, another "let's be honest" point. There is a certain dynamic tension here between education/information and business. On the one hand, people want and ask for information on how/what/when/where to scrap a certain item and generally they can find their answers here, mostly. On the other hand, scrapping is a business and living for many on here who, quite reasonably, don't want or need any more upstart competitors. I myself come from "academia" where generating and sharing data is the whole point- there is no profit motive. "Sharing data" in the business world is, unless done in very specific ways towards very specific ends, counterproductive to the point of self-defeating. With that in mind, I have seen a lot of questions mostly kind of answered here, often with the suggestion of "search through previous threads for the answer". And yes, most of the time the topic has been covered in one way or another, but I sense a certain (and very understandable) reticence to "spill the beans" by answering in a full, direct, immediately practical manner.

To wrap up, I'm not one to criticize this forum- it is, as others have noted, one of the most pleasant, interesting, funny, and useful ones I've come across. The growth in its popularity is both a testament to its value but also a test for its regular inhabitants. Do you want an exclusive social club? A business-insider's newsletter? A place to promote ethical and healthy practices? A compendium of scrapping knowledge? All of these things? Just wondering...

cheers,
tbg

Hey Bugguy, well written like a true scholar, punctuations and all.

[KzScrapper]

Julie, having a Ph.D in English is not all that it cooped up to be. I'm helping a doctoral student right now on editing and clarifications, it's a royal pain in the a$&

I thought you were a math teacher??? And English too??? Scrapping must help to balance your brain out and keep it in check.

[newattitude]

Actually it quite the opposite. He would give you the shirt off of his back and has financed many of his ex-employees business ventures. I do not know if he visits the forum now or not. I have to assume he does, so I will not mislead members about my position or project. He leads by example. He will ask questions and if you do not assume he already knows the answer, you will be down the road. If you are honest and say you do not know, he will give you the chance to find the answer. If you try to BS your way around it, he will know.



The perspective he was looking for was someone still learning, willing to improve, and honesty. We connected because I was honest about how the local farmers provided insight and knowledge. I did not take credit for knowledge I did not have, but gave credit where credit was due. As far as sharing knowledge, many of the things I have shared on the forum have been provided by him. He made me promise I would not give him credit. Therefore in my posts when you see "I learned", "I was informed", "I just learned this" "we are thinking about this", you can assume he was the source of information. Maybe or maybe not, you make the decision.

Bottom line, he looks for individuals that are not caught in the box. He wants creative, honest, and goal driven individuals that can keep up with his pace. It does not matter what skills you have, only the skills you are willing to obtain. He is very knowledgeable and driven. When you make a decision you better be able to back it up with facts. Bottom line, he is down to earth and wants to find others like him.

Sorry, the intention was not to redirect the thread, but just to answer a question.

What does that mean? It makes no sense. If he comes on as a newbie and asks a question about say, a computer monitor and I DON'T assume he knows the answer and give him my knowledge politely I'm going to be ''down the road????''

[bigburtchino]

I have a question: Could someone tell me how to find some gold? I want to find it as soon as possible, so I'm waiting! Seriously this site is as great today as it was three years ago. Does it have problems? Could it be better? Can we all say "YES", I say the same things to myself almost daily, if I would just listen to myself more often.

[thebugguy]

Hey Bugguy, well written like a true scholar, punctuations and all.

TheRecycler- I do have a Ph.D., but it ain't in no English! I like to think I can get my point across when I want to, but I have a predilection for using too many commas and a nasty parenthetical expression habit (if you haven't noticed).

I appreciate the "culture" of this forum as much as anything- anyone who can get excited enough about dumpster-diving for computers or stuffing their truck to the gills with free junk to write about it and post pictures on the internet is right by me. The fact that it is an ecologically, economically and morally positive thing to do is just icing on the cake!

cheers,
tbg

[TheRecycler]

I thought you were a math teacher??? And English too??? Scrapping must help to balance your brain out and keep it in check.

My specialty is teaching math, but I have wicked reading/writing skills. I stepped away from teaching because it's one of those profession that no matter how much you do, it's never enough. I discovered the meaning of life, be happy with what you have and your family, and only do things you enjoy, this is how scrapping came along. Can't stand the sound of another boss's voice.

[TheRecycler]

TheRecycler- I do have a Ph.D., but it ain't in no English! I like to think I can get my point across when I want to, but I have a predilection for using too many commas and a nasty parenthetical expression habit (if you haven't noticed).

I appreciate the "culture" of this forum as much as anything- anyone who can get excited enough about dumpster-diving for computers or stuffing their truck to the gills with free junk to write about it and post pictures on the internet is right by me. The fact that it is an ecologically, economically and morally positive thing to do is just icing on the cake!

cheers,
tbg

I get a sense of reward like I'm doing something for the greater good of the environment while making some cash.

[TheRecycler]

I have a question: Could someone tell me how to find some gold? I want to find it as soon as possible, so I'm waiting! Seriously this site is as great today as it was three years ago. Does it have problems? Could it be better? Can we all say "YES", I say the same things to myself almost daily, if I would just listen to myself more often.

Well, if you want gold, digging through computers is a sure bet.

[Jillyenator]

I really hope I haven't done anything to contribute to the OP's concern. Someone please tell me if I have. I try to do as much research as I can, and I also try to contribute as much as I ask.

[TheRecycler]

I really hope I haven't done anything to contribute to the OP's concern. Someone please tell me if I have. I try to do as much research as I can, and I also try to contribute as much as I ask.

I started this post and believe me it's not you. All is well though. Let's move on and all be better at whatever it is that we do. I'm making it a movie night with the family.

[hobo finds]

4."You're all quite short, aren't you?" asked Willy Wonka in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." "Well, yeah. We're children," replied Violet Beauregarde.