Newbies on this forum - rather long, and maybe comet-like ;) (Read 1169 times)

We are busy but we want to help. So the question gets answered with a fully adequate 3 word response. I would have searched for "shoe miles" or "shoe milage" or "shoe lifespan".

Yes it was. By the way....is that 300 easy miles or does speedwork & racing wear them out faster?

Part of the problem is that we DO want to help. And we have helped. We have answered the same question over and over again. But we are busy and just don't always have time to rehash the descriptions we have previously provided and which a simple search might find. But we want to help. So where is the balance? A question was asked and I gave an answer.

I would say the balance would be that if you want to help and have already answered the question maybe post a link to that thread and point the newbie to the search option. I know this will get old too but not everybody has used a forum before. The first forum I joined I asked some really stupid questions right away. I didn't think about searching because it was more convenient to get my specific question answered instead of sorting through all of the search results. Once I figured out the answer was there and got used to the way the forum was set up it was easy to search and I didn't get flamed. I rarely ask a question on forums now because more than likely my question has been answered. I am a member of a Ford forum where the senior members are down right mean. http://fullsizebronco.com/if you want to check out what harsh flaming is. The problem with the flaming is that as mentioned before...newbies are afraid to stick around. They would rather go someplace else to get their answer and not be bashed for asking. I haven't been here that long but noticed just recently the increase in shortness with repeat questions. It doesn't bother me...and I actually enjoy a good ribbing on occasion...but the newbies probably take it to heart and will leave. I like this site a lot and I would hate for it to become a stale site because nobody wants to stick around because of the poor attitude. Just my two cents...and I am glad someone is bringing it up..even if it is a comet. <insert car,="" dog="" or="" large="" ball="" of="" burning="" gas="" here=""></insert>

I think the balance comes by not answering if you're frustrated or tired of answering the same question over and over. Let someone else pick up the slack, share the load. .

I think that is what everyone is driving at.

But can you answer correctly and completely, if tersely, if you are frustrated or tired? Must the post be devoid of humor?

I started a new topic to answer a question JK asked in the thread 'How many miles before I replace shoes?' because I didn't want to hijack that thread again, where the topic has changed enormously since I last read it. OK, It took me a long time to answer this, as I'm on the other side of the big pond, and I slept during the biggest part of the ongoing thread (as most of you are doing now ), and I see the subject has shifted completely since yesterday evening... Nevertheless, trying to be serious and... (oh my God, I do have to take some more English classes, I don't seem to be able to express myself in a clear way). OK, trying to be serious and kind of boring: Yes, of course newbies have a responsability too... But I'm sure I'm not the only one that's not a native speaker here on the forum, and I can imagine that sometimes I won't be able to search with the correct keywords to find what I want to know... But my point is this: I was on this forum two years ago (when it was only a few months old), and came back here last week to find some backing and motivation after nearly a year of inactivity on the running front, and I just noticed that questions that were eagerly discussed by a lot of the forum members (music, when replacing your shoes?) in 2006, now were answered with a picture of a car or of a 'fire-ball', that didn't have any cue for the non-knowing newbie. Yes, I do understand that after being together on a forum for years, inside jokes do develop, and yes, I know that part of the attraction of forums is just that feeling of 'having things in common that you find nowhere else', but I missed the welcoming atmosphere to newbies that was so appealing to me two years ago. Yes, I did understand the mixed feelings that arose towards some newbie asking for moderators after the reactions on his question, but when I saw the same 'comet'-reactions on yet another thread, it gave me the feeling that some of the older members just wanted to stay in the same old company, the same old circle, and that newbies weren't welcome anymore... Trying to summarize (which is extremely difficult for me, even when speaking Dutch' ): Yes of course, newbies have the obligation to 'look further than the length of their nose', as I would say in Dutch, but, on a forum called 'New to running? Come here to get help from more experienced runners', I would expect that a question would be answered by more than just some inside-jokes within the first few answers (OK, short answers were provided too, but 'shy people' might be scared away nevertheless.) No, I don't want to say the forum isn't welcoming anymore, but it felt strange to notice that exactly on a forum (running 101) that said 'new to running, Come here to get help from more experienced runners', newbies seemed to have to be carefull not to ask too obvious questions (that's where newbies are for, isn't it?). And many newbies will think their question is very pertinent and is probably never asked before I suppose. On the other hand... it IS important that the forum stays interesting for the experienced members. When they don't visit the forum anymore, newbies won't get answers from experienced runners after all. So, maybe a sticky post on top, titled 'Before asking a question', containing links to the most FAQs? (modified to correct some linguistic errors )

Ever heard of the Arrowhead Stadium? It is one of the loudest stadiums in NFL, and that's how much applause this post gets. Well said, well done. Modified to add: I am not a Chiefs fan.

That's so boring! How do I announce I am a newbie and start a dialog that way? How do I get attention and get to know peeps by passively reading? BTW, anyone know good socks to wear?

I'm sorry, but I fail to see how posting a picture of a comet is offensive. Look, people have differing perceptions, plain and simple. Just because you are new to running doesn't mean you should be treated like a little kid. If you ask a question, find a response to be unhelpful, ignore the poster and said response. If you find a thread and don't want to answer the question, then don't respond. Christ in a race car. I understand the OP, and I agree to some extent. But it's coming across now as some people asking others to just not be themselves. It's that sort of thing that makes me hesitant to post in certain forums. I'm going back to my hole now.

I cannot explain the nude Burt Reynolds picture, nor do I want to try. And the bizzare in joke fell flat anyway. Interestingly, the comet joke is very very recent. I think it was introduced less than two weeks ago, so nobody really is in or out with that joke. My answer about the bathroom would actually be three words too : "down that hall". Oops, my bad, the joke was introduced 3 weeks ago - http://runningahead.com/forums/post/8d180ca59e7a4800b85ad1560f534874#focus