Change...

[epleeds]

How about this...  We now live in the "everybody gets a trophy" age.  Everyone is so soft and offended by everything. As much right as they have to CONSTANTLY post, well we have as much right to not like it and be annoyed (however slanderous posts are not ok). Im sorry if you don't like constructive comments, tough advice, or the truth. You find it annoying that people are not "giving you your trophy", tough, get over it. I don't like the gaziilion random posts polluting the boards, but I deal with it. People give Rob (Zygote) a hard time, he's mean, he's a bully blah blah blah... Well, That guy has helped me more than anyone else on here by far. I know he has done a lot to help many others too.. Sure, its tough love when dealing with him, he doesn't sugar coat, and he certainly isn't handing out trophys for last place either. But in the end, guys like him will help you out, and will be HONEST. This is an online forum, I don't care if you do or don't like me, im going to sleep just fine either way.

 

+100

[SDBDRZ]

Its a hobby, hobbies are relaxing things that people enjoy, if it becomes an addiction then that is another matter

 

The forums do create a sense of community and it is good to see people interacting, with more people you get more personalities, some you like, some you don't

the forums need to be taken with a grain of salt.

 

The only thing that I see that is annoying is opinions being given as gospel.  It can be incredibly confusing and frustrating for someone new to the hobby.  As with most things there are some basic fundamental concepts and a lot of gadgets, gizmos, tonics and solutions, some effective, some not so much.  After over 20 years in the hobby (with a few breaks here and there) the only absolute I have ever seen in this hobby is that, in general, nothing good happens fast in a reef tank 

[Origami]

 

I'm sorry I won't ask every question that comes to mind anymore. This is all my fault. I do google a question. And when I get all the same answers I'm happy. But when I get mixed reviews then I ask because I trust people here more then google and books and stores

 

I've been accused of just asking questions and not listening but I do listen and absorb

Joshifer, this is NOT all your fault. In a community of this size and diversity, we face this from time to time.

 

 

But if you're one of those who don't care about forum etiquette, then you get singled out as being a forum troll and let the games begin.

Baloney. This is not a carnival game where you get points for shooting 'em up.

 

 

Either way its not that hard to play nice...really. Don't want to deal with a question, don't respond. Want to deal with it, respond.... Life isn't complicated...but we sure are trying to make it that way here sometimes.

 

... Pay it forward or let it ride.

+1. If you "don't want to deal with a question, don't respond." Simple as that.

 

Sorry for machine gunning, but I'm reading each post and, where I have something to say, I'm saying it, rather than punching out a bunch of MultiQuotes....

 

(Hey, look at that. As a moderator, I can merge posts.)

[treesprite]

I look at repeated noob questions as being more opportunities for me to look like I actually know something. If a couple or more people have already given the same info in responses, then I don't myself respond, but it makes me feel proud of myself to know that I could have.

[smallreef]

I'm all for helping everyone out..and telling people to look something up...but there is a different in being helpful and curt and being rude and beligerant...

[pizzaguy]

Be thankful this isn't reef central. I started on there and within a weeks time I was off for the most part. I got bashed over and over then I found wamas. What a relief. Thank you wamas, I only go back to rc if its a must.

[smallreef]

Lol I only LOOK at posts on RC...yeah talk about hecklers...but that's why I like it here,,, we're not mean...for the most part...

I, like anyone, can get annoyed and short with someone but if everyone does that...then there are no new people, and believe me we need them,lol

[surf&turf]

Be thankful this isn't reef central. I started on there and within a weeks time I was off for the most part. I got bashed over and over then I found wamas. What a relief. Thank you wamas, I only go back to rc if its a must.

 

We definitely don't want to be like those guy's. Wealth of info as well, but must run through a mine field to get it. 

[BowieReefer84]

#1 undisputed fact.  Wamas > RC

 

Without wamas I am very doubtful I would still be in the hobby.  I'm generally satisfied, and for $20/yr I have no doubt I get every cent worth.

[Coral Hind]

#1 undisputed fact.  Wamas > RC

 

Without wamas I am very doubtful I would still be in the hobby.  I'm generally satisfied, and for $20/yr I have no doubt I get every cent worth.

 

I agree WAMAS is better than RC. I only go to RC to buy and sell stuff now. I used to give lots of advice there in the anemone and clownfish section but I got tired of being bashed by people that new nothing of what they were talking about. A good bit of decent reefers have left RC and moved on to Reef2Reef.

 

It's been $20 for the last 13 years that I've been here. Not many other things have stayed the same price over that time span.

[lnevo]

Hi, my name is Lee. I've been on this board for a couple of months now and been part of the action and hopefully seen as a positive contributor. I found WAMAS while researching how to mod my auto feeder. My home forum is Manhattan Reefs and this place is a welcome change. The issues you are all describing are SOP at MR. Hundreds of New Yorkers giving reef advice to each other...you think this past incident was bad.. Lol.

 

I stayed here because of the "sleepy" and respectful dialog as well as the resourcefulness and quality I see in your build threads and also cause Paul comes here too

 

Anyway I know the drama was not the point of the OP, but yes change is good. Sometimes getting off forums and doing something else is very refreshing...i use to be a WoW addict so I can tell you for sure the internet can be a mind suck!

 

My recommendations on making it easier on the newbies would be to have MORE stickies. They are so valuable and I'm sure there are many that come on a forum and do start reading and reading those that never say a word.

 

You may already have these, my Tapatalk doesn't browse stickies well, so please ignore if the threads exist, the following stickies:

 

1) introductions - a place for new people to come on and say hello and share what brought then. Post 1 could have a template of questions to help break the ice..time in hobby, fw? Other pets? Other hobbies?

 

2) Getting started thread. Obviously and you probably already have one...it should be first response to any new enthusiastic forum poster who is asking about the basics.

 

Just my $.02

 

I think this is a great forum, but remember the internet is for porn....tank porn of course, so go do something else if you find yourself on here too much. Especially if its to the point that reading some threads raises your emotional responses. Thats a good indicator that your PH is off balance, go get some oxygen.

[Origami]

Hi Lee. Welcome. I hadn't realized that you were a Manhattan Reefs transplant. And thank you for the contributions that you've already made here.

 

We have two forums already that are for what you mentioned. We have a Welcome and a New to the Hobby forum. We have pinned threads but they are not well organized or in any way comprehensive. Organizing those might be a project that we try to take on.

 

Sent from my phone

 

 

[John Ford]

I've been wanting to ask someone why my cerith snail spewed out neon purple liquid last week...but honestly, who cares?

I'm curious about the neon purple liquid

[AlanM]

Lnevo, good grief. I thought you were sacaballi reef's (Jenn) husband this whole time. I knew her husband was into saltwater tanks too, and something one of the two of you posted at some point made me think you were him. Haha.

 

On the topic. I havent been here that long and obviously have onlyhad a working tank for a couple of months, but I have felt really welcome. Also, I welcome flames. Flame away. I may learn something about the topic or about the flamer.

[lnevo]

Lnevo, good grief. I thought you were sacaballi reef's (Jenn) husband this whole time. I knew her husband was into saltwater tanks too, and something one of the two of you posted at some point made me think you were him. Haha.

 

ROFL!!!!

[rocko918]

I think you all need to get off your high horse, you were once a newbie.

 

If you don't like the question then don't click on it.

Edited September 24, 2013 by rocko918

[lutz123]

I'm curious about the neon purple liquid

Me too! And let me tell you, Google's not much help. I figured he just ate a very small, angry octopus.

 

Belated welcome, Inevo!

[lnevo]

We have two forums already that are for what you mentioned. We have a Welcome and a New to the Hobby forum. We have pinned threads but they are not well organized or in any way comprehensive. Organizing those might be a project that we try to take on.

Point i meant was a single thread to point someone to vs a whole sub-forum that might be overwhelming or hesitant to start a new thread.

 

I too would like to hear more about neon purple liquid....

Edited September 24, 2013 by lnevo

[John Ford]

I too would like to hear more about neon purple liquid....

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I couldn't get it out of my head.. I'm envisioning a radioactive spawning event but maybe I'm just tired.

[lutz123]

Looked just like an octopus inking.  Radioactive spawning event was exactly what I was thinking at the time...especially since I saw two of them getting rather cuddly earlier that day. 

[smallreef]

Are you sure you don't have a cuttlefish hiding in the snail shell??lol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You saw the MACNA pictures of the new captive bred cuttles right?

[londonloco]

I am an avid readers of many boards (WAMAS and TPT daily, RC, NR, CCA, PVAS, R2R, GWAPA weekly).  I do this to educate myself stay up on new trends, I like this hobby, both fw and sw, and want to learn as much as I can.

 

I also get irritated when I think someone is not "doing their homework" ..... but for the most part I keep my keyboard silent.   When I do have something of value to say, I also start to respond, then hit the delete key, I almost did it with this post, but decided to "man up" and post.

 

I don't post much except in my own build thread, but felt compelled to post a few months back in a thread that someone was proposing a different type of social event, and all he got was b/s comments from people,  I posted "surprised to see this on WAMAS".  The posts after mine were "oh, you just don't know him" "we were only teasing", which is fine, but to most of us not in the "circle", it didn't appear that way, would have never known, and that thread could have easily turned people away from the WAMAS forum. 

 

There has been a change in the atmosphere on WAMAS from when I left the sw hobby 5 years ago. But is this any different than WAMAS 5 years prior to that?  People come and go, personalities change, so does the atmosphere of WAMAS.  We just have to be reminded occasionally of the WAMAS mission statement  "To exchange information with one another, thus sharing our collective knowledge on successful husbandry of the animals in our care and promoting education....."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[londonloco]

I've been wanting to ask someone why my cerith snail spewed out neon purple liquid last week...but honestly, who cares?

 

R U KIDDING ME?  I care, please start a thread on this.!!!!

[GraffitiSpotCorals]

I am not surprised this thread turned into what it is. In no way did I want to talk about the newbie stuff. But everyone else did so thsts cool.

 

What I have come to realize could help this board is... ...don't delete your replies! It seems everyone does the same thing I do. Types out a long paragraph and then delete. Maybe this could help perk up everything, or stir up everything.

[lnevo]

For the record, typing a post and then cancelling is a good thing...a lot of times these posts are driven by emotion OR are just redundant saying the same thing others have said. Sometimes its good to hammer out that response and then say...am I providing any value with this post? Will it be helpful? Or am i just adding noise...so overall i would say it's good that people are second guessing hitting that submit button...it's what makes this board different than MR and RC...