# Are you hesitate to post on machinist forums for fear of being ridiculed or make to look stupid?



## HMF (May 22, 2012)

Here is the $62 question: Are you hesitate to post on machinist forums for fear of being ridiculed or make to look stupid?

The poll is anonymous, so your name won't be revealed. Encourage your friends on other machinists' sites to come here and vote. Let's get a good number of responses.

Thanks,

Oz


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## Kennyd (May 22, 2012)

PM=Yes
HSM=Sometimes
HMEM=No
H-M=No

I think you need a "some forums" category in your poll, I can't answer this question digitally.


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## Chucketn (May 22, 2012)

I've been online in one forum or another for about 6 years now. If I get the feeling I'm being ridiculed, the next thing they hear is the slaming of the door on my way out!
If it's a forum, I should feel free to ask any question I need an answer to. If I don't ask, I'll never find the answer. 

Chuck


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## Redirish (May 22, 2012)

What Chuck said!!


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## nctoxic (May 22, 2012)

I agree with both Chucketn and Kennyd.:thinking:


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## lazyLathe (May 22, 2012)

+1 for what KennyD and Chuck said!

Andrew


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## brucer (May 22, 2012)

no
I'm not hesitant to post answers or questions on any of them.. 
I've seen a lot in the 3 different shops I've worked at over the last 25yrs..   

I've seen a lot over those 25yrs of experience and I sure dont know it all, and I dont claim to, I've trained several guys during those 25yrs and i dont mind helping someone if I can..


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## jumps4 (May 22, 2012)

this is the only one i have posted photos in
I didnt get that far in the others
just asking a question was a problem
 I think preticipation in the other sites requires some type of birthright ritual or bloodletting
steve


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## Gary Max (May 22, 2012)

When a hack like me can get help designing and building a pen press you can ask any question that comes to mind.:whistle:


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## Old Iron (May 22, 2012)

I only post on two forums thats here and PM, I don't have any problems on either. I joined PM on 01 of 2008 and here when it first started.

Paul


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## PurpLev (May 23, 2012)

This is what online forums are for - share knowledge and connect more experienced with less experienced among other reasons.

I have no problems posting a question on any forum - since this is the main purpose of these forums. there are no stupid questions, only stupid people asking them 

I also don't have any problem posting an answer- OR - continuing question - or support - for someone elses question as long as I know my post is meaningful. 

I have posted answers a few times and learnt that there are better alternatives and/or that my methods may not be the best from this - if I had not posted those I would have never knew. so it really is a cycle of knowledge sharing that will only work if people WILL post and participate.


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## burnrider (May 23, 2012)

Kennyd said:


> PM=Yes
> HSM=Sometimes
> HMEM=No
> H-M=No
> ...




Good summary. 

Will post a VFD/drill press project here with pictures. Members were great with feedback and ideas. Might not do it on the PM website. This industry went from greasy hands to computer knowledge. That's good, it just brings a different breed of person & machinist into the mix. More hands-on people here.


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## HMF (May 23, 2012)

Kennyd said:


> PM=Yes
> HSM=Sometimes
> HMEM=No
> H-M=No
> ...



You're right- it's done.

Oz


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## tkingmo (May 23, 2012)

I have no hesitancy to post on this site. The other already mentioned site, oh yeah.


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## HMF (May 23, 2012)

Let me explain why I asked...

We have about 1400 people who never made a single post. Zero posts.
We've sent emails asking them to, at minimum, introduce themselves.
In response, we have received either no response, or requests I cannot post.
The question is why? 

I wanted to know if, perhaps, people feel intimidated about posting here.


Oz


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## HMF (May 23, 2012)

shawn said:


> I have no problem posting on any forum. There are two reasons why I think forums can get so nasty.
> 
> 1) People are protected by the anonymity of the web.
> 
> ...



Shawn,

#1 is the reason we ask for real names to be provided at registration. We don't reveal them, don't use them for anything, but it has been my experience that anonymity leads to incivility. There is a rebuttable presumption that people who resist providing their name at registration do so because they want to remain anonymous to avoid accountability, or at least the feeling that they will be accountable if their real name is given.

Oz


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## burnrider (May 23, 2012)

Oz said:


> Let me explain why I asked...
> 
> We have about 1400 people who never made a single post. Zero posts.
> We've sent emails asking them to, at minimum, introduce themselves.
> ...



I think you answered your own question. Wonder what the percentage is for other forums?


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## jumps4 (May 23, 2012)

there are a lot of sites i have joined simply for information
they post to my email all day and I learn a lot from reading them without ever opening the site
I guess it's lurking on their sites but i cant find time to post to all of them
If you post you should reply back to people when they respond
I join tech support sites for products I'm thinking about buying to see If the product is really what I want   nothing as good as other people having problems to make up my mind.
I get posts from a shaper site all day in my email i have never been close to a shaper
will probably never have one... but their methods and tricks and tips work for a lot of things
besides I think shapers are kewl
In short order after coming in here I wanted to be active nice people here
and a variety of topics even a non machining other section
there are probably a lot of people that just read us daily
steve


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## Gary Max (May 23, 2012)

I must of got one the wrong damn bus again-----I though this poll was about this site. :thinking:


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## jumps4 (May 23, 2012)

I thought is was about thinking people are shy is the reason they dont post on what ever site
there I go doing my own thinking again  
I know better....
steve


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## Kennyd (May 23, 2012)

Oz said:


> Let me explain why I asked...
> 
> We have about 1400 people who never made a single post. Zero posts.
> We've sent emails asking them to, at minimum, introduce themselves.
> ...



It will ALWAYS be that way, and there is NOTHING you can do about it. It happens on EVERY forum. As a forum owner myself I/we learned this the hard way early on. Spend your time worrying about things you CAN change because this is one you cannot.


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## BRIAN (May 23, 2012)

I dont post on other machinist sites, also i dont post on clock sites ETC .

WHY BECAUSE THIS IS THE BEST BUNCH OF LADS ON THE NET. 

THANK YOU
 Brian
Apologies if we have any lady members..


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## jfcayron (May 24, 2012)

PurpLev said:


> there are no stupid questions, only stupid people asking them



Mmmh, my take on that is "There are no stupid questions, only stupid people *NOT *asking them"


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## PurpLev (May 24, 2012)

Bill Gruby said:


> You might want to change that first one about stupid people asking. Because someone has the question does not make them stupid, just lacking in knowledge on the subject. Then it's our turn to give them the correct info if we have it.
> 
> "Billy G" :biggrin:




UGH.... I hope this did not come out as anything but a JOKE comment (RE #1) - read the context of my reply - all pointing out that people should post anything so that knowledge can be shared across all levels ... 

agree with you about lack of knowledge and giving if from those who have it - which is what I was tyring to point out.


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## jumps4 (May 24, 2012)

If i cant say the word stupid then I have to delete the about me section in my profile???
:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:
i know off topic i'm sorry
steve


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## burnrider (May 24, 2012)

When I question professionals of 50+ years as machinists, they will tell you they made every mistake in the book and learned by it. Those most tolerant profited from past experience.


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## Mark Lossner (May 24, 2012)

The high degree of civility displayed by ALL members of this site is exempliary. I do not fear that there would be ridicule at the hands of the membership; however, I have nothing worth posting at this time. It is my highest hope that I will eventually contribute project notes and useful knowledge to these forums. I find that I can make things with a fair degree of accuracy and finish; but, none of my projects amount to anything. I have nice machines, yet I am short of time and ideas.

I hope I don't get wiped out for lack of participation.

Mark


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## Tenn (May 29, 2012)

Bill Gruby said:


> You might want to change that first one about stupid people asking. Because someone has the question does not make them stupid, just lacking in knowledge on the subject. Then it's our turn to give them the correct info if we have it.
> 
> "Billy G" :biggrin:



I learned once from an old foreman of mine that there is a distinct difference between "stupid" and "ignorant".

We're all "ignorant" with the definition we "don't know it all"

Stupid is when you know better and do it "again" anyway


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## GK1918 (May 30, 2012)

No Im not although myself im more show than tell.   PM was one of the first I registerd for and never
ever do anything but read posts. Even tried to re-register it says I am.  The only reason to get in
there is to get together with a member that has a Greaves lathe like mine and we seem to be the
only ones on the planet that has one.  My user name and password appears but on the bottom "you
are not allowed to post or do anything.  So Im not a computor geek I mean like my S.B lathe Yahoo
group I just dont like their format ex. someone ask a question it gets re'd to death with new posts
inbetween I just cant seem to follow somebodys post.  Thats why I like this place.  It makes no
difference to me if somebodys green.  Not everyone has the luxury of some kind on night school
course nothing around here, so there are no stupid questions here.  However there is a close off
point as to going into a heart surgions foram and ask how to do surgery on a cat. thats no.
sorry for rambling its raining again. . . .


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## HSS (May 30, 2012)

SwarfMaker said:


> The high degree of civility displayed by ALL members of this site is exempliary. I do not fear that there would be ridicule at the hands of the membership; however, I have nothing worth posting at this time. It is my highest hope that I will eventually contribute project notes and useful knowledge to these forums. I find that I can make things with a fair degree of accuracy and finish; but, none of my projects amount to anything. I have nice machines, yet I am short of time and ideas.
> 
> I hope I don't get wiped out for lack of participation.
> 
> Mark



Mark, that is exactly the way I view this forum. Great bunch of guys and all come across, to me, as civil. However, I make things that I need to accomplish what I'm doing at the time and I don't take notes nor pictures, so I don't post often.

Pat


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## Rbeckett (Jun 1, 2012)

I just read some of the replies and looked at the poll results and found that very revealing.  I had hoped for the results to be overwhelmingly positive for our members to post and ask questions without fear.  As a moderator who took the job to keep our forum clean and well oiled I find this very alarming.  I will warn every one right now that I as a mod will stringently enforce the no BS rule.  If any one finds it neccessary to ridicule or harras another member they are on very very thin ice with me and the administration.  This is what sets us apart from all of the other forums and makes this such a great site to be a member of.  So in other words if you wouldn't say it to a loved one, dont say it here or suffer the consequences.  And I promise there will be consequences for violating our single most important founding principle.  Any one have an issue with this?  If so feel free to PM me and we can discuss it further in private.  Although exceptions to the rule are almost non existant and generally not open for further discussion.  Hope this helps every newcomer understand where the administration and mod team is on this issue.
Bob


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## coffeebean (Jun 5, 2012)

Ive had a good experience on all the forums in relation to things that i have posted. 

i have seen some behavior that i think is inappropriate on other forums. i don't go there very much.

as far as being concerned about what people say on the internet, no. i represent myself as a humble green machinist. everyone, even the most experienced and highly paid expert started where i am at. anyone who treats me in an uncivilized way for being new is just making themselves feel better about themselves. not a real concern for me.

this forum has a very mellow atmosphere as far as i have seen. the admin tries to get everyone involved and treats people with what i see as a fair approach. i frequently stop by to see whats new and have posted some.

thanks for the community, ill be along again. hopefully at some point ill be able to help new people as i have been helped by others.

dave


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