Am I just cranky?

[W1ngz]

Need to vent a little, and stop shaking my head at some of the stuff I see. I'm sure there's other people on here that feel the same sometimes...

I don't expect anyone to know everything, or a newbie to fully understand all of the nuance that comes with managing a successful tank, but as I scroll through the list of new posts I sometimes get discouraged seeing posts from people who seemingly won't even try and help themselves. All of their answers need to be spoon-fed, and every slight problem or twitch seems to completely confuse them. The seach tool or google are a totally foreign idea to that particular crowd.

Am I the only one who sometimes has to stop myself from suggesting that their best course of action would be to just sell their tank and find an easier passtime?

The coffee wasn't ready when I got to the office this morning, maybe that's my problem.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Need to vent a little, and stop shaking my head at some of the stuff I see. I'm sure there's other people on here that feel the same sometimes...

I don't expect anyone to know everything, or a newbie to fully understand all of the nuance that comes with managing a successful tank, but as I scroll through the list of new posts I sometimes get discouraged seeing posts from people who seemingly won't even try and help themselves. All of their answers need to be spoon-fed, and every slight problem or twitch seems to completely confuse them. The seach tool or google are a totally foreign idea to that particular crowd.

Am I the only one who sometimes has to stop myself from suggesting that their best course of action would be to just sell their tank and find an easier passtime?

The coffee wasn't ready when I got to the office this morning, maybe that's my problem.

Part of being a newbie. realize, reefing invites a lot of impulse and people who literally dive in at the spur of the moment and run the tank like a freshwater tank.
This is why we are here. . . . . we can offer help and advice and hope they absorb it with a grain of salt and do as suggested.
If not- failure was their destiny.

 

[Tiger Brown]

Yes, you are cranky, however, that does not make your wrong. If a new member asks a question I will often times suggest they use the search function or read the stickies at the top of forums. The amount of information I have gleaned from using that search function is massive. Most questions have been asked and answered over the years and it is all available to us, I love it.

Having said that, I know it is important that we are kind to new reefers and treat them with "kid gloves" a little at first. This does make sense as I believe from what I have seen the moderators post in the past that they would rather a new person feel comfortable enough to stick around in hopes that they will gain enough knowledge to A) Be self-sufficient and thus able to help themselves and others, and B) Gain enough comfort and base knowledge to use the Search function effectively.

Self-directed learning requires intrinsic motivation that just not everyone has right away. Not to throw shade on the younger generation, but they are used to immediate answers to things, I earned a bachelor and a masters degree before Al Gore invented the internet or a cell phone. That is a nightmare scenario these days.

 

[W1ngz]

Yes, you are cranky,

Thanks for confirming that ;Smuggrin

You may be right though, and it doesn't just apply to reefing, there's a growing epidemic all over the place of people who just won't even try to solve their own problems and are always looking for someone else to fix things for them.

Drives me nuts!

 

[GThompson]

Hey, I may have found a post that I belong in !! I do wonder sometimes if common sense is a dying thing of the past. And no matter how mundane a question is, I will make an effort to answer it if I know the answer.

 

[lakai]

Just help or don't. Not necessary to have any feelings about it. There is no obligation to say anything and probably better if it bothers you and Let someone else help them. Telling someone to go through a 100 page thread to find what they are looking for isn't really helping. Often times people are looking for help for a very specific situation that might not be within the general discussion.

 

[New&no clue]

So as a newbie I will say this. I have read all the articles in the "Beginner Topics" area, yes all three pages of articles. Plus I have read the majority of article on areas that I have started in, I don't have corals yet so I haven't read those yet. I have watch the vast majority of BRS videos. I go onto the Tank Emergency forum and read the threads just so if I have an issue come up I may already have seen it before and have an answer. I Google almost everything multiple times. I spend a good deal of time at my LFS just ask questions, they know by now that 9/10 times when I come in it's not to buy anything it's just to get their opinion... but I also ask questions on here, a lot, and the reason is because there is so much information out there, sometimes too much, and a lot of the information is conflicting. I ask this community because when I read an article, google a question, or talk to the very nice lady at my LFS I am getting one persons opinion and what has worked for them on their specific tank. It is amazing to me how 100 people can have beautiful thriving reef tanks yet everyone do things differently. So sometimes I ask questions to see if there is a consensus on a topic. Sometimes I ask because I looked it up and was utterly confused by the answer and was hoping someone would explain it better. Sometime I ask because i just need validation that I'm not totally screwing everything up.

I'm sorry you're frustrated with us, I promise the majority of us are not trying to frustrate you. In fact the majority of us totally look up to you and hope someday we can be you.

 

[Aquanautical]

Hanging around on the internet will make anyone cranky lol! But just remember most newbies are good people and well intentioned, don't let the few bad ones ruin your opinion on all of them.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

You can't fault a person for jumping in without full knowledge of what they're actually getting in to.

I personally get heated when I read regurgitated replies from people with no understanding of what they're passing on.

Perhaps there needs to be a button next to the "like" button that indicates that the post didn't contribute to the thread (much like this post -ironic, I know) maybe that will deter people from posting just to post.

 

[W1ngz]

So as a newbie I will say this. I have read all the articles in the "Beginner Topics" area, yes all three pages of articles. Plus I have read the majority of article on areas that I have started in, I don't have corals yet so I haven't read those yet. I have watch the vast majority of BRS videos. I go onto the Tank Emergency forum and read the threads just so if I have an issue come up I may already have seen it before and have an answer. I Google almost everything multiple times. I spend a good deal of time at my LFS just ask questions, they know by now that 9/10 times when I come in it's not to buy anything it's just to get their opinion... but I also ask questions on here, a lot, and the reason is because there is so much information out there, sometimes too much, and a lot of the information is conflicting. I ask this community because when I read an article, google a question, or talk to the very nice lady at my LFS I am getting one persons opinion and what has worked for them on their specific tank. It is amazing to me how 100 people can have beautiful thriving reef tanks yet everyone do things differently. So sometimes I ask questions to see if there is a consensus on a topic. Sometimes I ask because I looked it up and was utterly confused by the answer and was hoping someone would explain it better. Sometime I ask because i just need validation that I'm not totally screwing everything up.

I'm sorry you're frustrated with us, I promise the majority of us are not trying to frustrate you. In fact the majority of us totally look up to you and hope someday we can be you.

I've seen a few of your threads, and the effort you put into informing yourself and getting clarification shows. I wish everyone would put in 1/4 of the initial effort you seem to when they need to know something!

 

[Hitman]

Thanks for confirming that ;Smuggrin

You may be right though, and it doesn't just apply to reefing, there's a growing epidemic all over the place of people who just won't even try to solve their own problems and are always looking for someone else to fix things for them.

Drives me nuts!

It’s the new generation sadly.

 

[Silver14SS]

Just help or don't. Not necessary to have any feelings about it. There is no obligation to say anything and probably better if it bothers you and Let someone else help them. Telling someone to go through a 100 page thread to find what they are looking for isn't really helping. Often times people are looking for help for a very specific situation that might not be within the general discussion.

Search noob! :).

Life is too short for me to be worried about the same questions being asked over and over. If any users are particularly grating, the ignore button has been a great solution for me.

 

[Hemmdog]

I will always try to answer questions on here if someone posts them. If I don’t know the answer I’ll ask questions that will uncover information so someone even more experienced can help answer the question.
If people ask questions on Facebook i tell them to come here, if they don’t, it’s a lost cause. I can’t believe the horrible advise I see daily from some reefing FB groups.
I have a bone to pick with those dang YouTube reefers to. If your learning the hobby yourself, PLEASE don’t try to educate others and preach your methods/food/equipment to others when you don’t even know if they are good methods long term to begin with.
If I hear one more time; that current USA lights/wavemakers are just as good as ecotech’s, but more affordable, I’m going to lose it.

 

[Katrina71]

You would be shocked at what some big box stores tell people. They have no idea how wrong they have been steered until something dies. We were told a horseshoe crab was fine in an 8 GALLON tank. Luckily, I found out how bad that was. I sent the company a scathing email, and refuse to shop there.

 

[ruegaroo]

I'm a newbie that has asked some dumb questions on here in the heat of the moment. Especially after hours when I'm not sure where else to go. I guess my thought process at the time was "Wow, this is happening pretty fast and I'm not 100% certain what I should do since this issue was not anticipated. Maybe someone on the forum could knock some sense into me. That's partially what it's there for, right?"

I usually like to do research myself instead of bothering others but sometimes you gotta just swallow your pride and face the facts that you can be stupid sometimes. I apologize if I have contributed to your crankiness.

 

[Hitman]

I'm a newbie that has asked some dumb questions on here in the heat of the moment. Especially after hours when I'm not sure where else to go. I guess my thought process at the time was "Wow, this is happening pretty fast and I'm not 100% certain what I should do since this issue was not anticipated. Maybe someone on the forum could knock some sense into me. That's partially what it's there for, right?"

I usually like to do research myself instead of bothering others but sometimes you gotta just swallow your pride and face the facts that you can be stupid sometimes. I apologize if I have contributed to your crankiness.

This is exactly what parts of this form are for. Sometime in the heat of the moment reaching out to someone with a level thought process is exactly what is needed. I have 30 years of experience in this hobby and I still need that assistance from time to time. I think the OP is making comment on the form being filled with the same issues a million times that a non emergency issue is just being beat to death be folks not researching due to laziness. I may be completely wrong but that what I take from the OP statements.

 

[BeejReef]

So as a newbie I will say this. I have read all the articles in the "Beginner Topics" area, yes all three pages of articles. Plus I have read the majority of article on areas that I have started in, I don't have corals yet so I haven't read those yet. I have watch the vast majority of BRS videos. I go onto the Tank Emergency forum and read the threads just so if I have an issue come up I may already have seen it before and have an answer. I Google almost everything multiple times. I spend a good deal of time at my LFS just ask questions, they know by now that 9/10 times when I come in it's not to buy anything it's just to get their opinion... but I also ask questions on here, a lot, and the reason is because there is so much information out there, sometimes too much, and a lot of the information is conflicting. I ask this community because when I read an article, google a question, or talk to the very nice lady at my LFS I am getting one persons opinion and what has worked for them on their specific tank. It is amazing to me how 100 people can have beautiful thriving reef tanks yet everyone do things differently. So sometimes I ask questions to see if there is a consensus on a topic. Sometimes I ask because I looked it up and was utterly confused by the answer and was hoping someone would explain it better. Sometime I ask because i just need validation that I'm not totally screwing everything up.

I'm sorry you're frustrated with us, I promise the majority of us are not trying to frustrate you. In fact the majority of us totally look up to you and hope someday we can be you.

you need to change your handle bc u clearly have a clue :D

I agree with the OP. Great job venting in the lounge and not dressing down a noob!
I think I understand the type of question you're referencing.
I sympathize with people that want to know "what is the best way," particularly when they ask a question they don't realize is loaded. Concepts can be tricky too. It seems so simple now, but understanding how the return pump and overflow balance sometimes just takes a thoughtful explanation.

"How do I get my lights to turn off at night?" You read the manual.

 

[Cherie cook]

So as a newbie I will say this. I have read all the articles in the "Beginner Topics" area, yes all three pages of articles. Plus I have read the majority of article on areas that I have started in, I don't have corals yet so I haven't read those yet. I have watch the vast majority of BRS videos. I go onto the Tank Emergency forum and read the threads just so if I have an issue come up I may already have seen it before and have an answer. I Google almost everything multiple times. I spend a good deal of time at my LFS just ask questions, they know by now that 9/10 times when I come in it's not to buy anything it's just to get their opinion... but I also ask questions on here, a lot, and the reason is because there is so much information out there, sometimes too much, and a lot of the information is conflicting. I ask this community because when I read an article, google a question, or talk to the very nice lady at my LFS I am getting one persons opinion and what has worked for them on their specific tank. It is amazing to me how 100 people can have beautiful thriving reef tanks yet everyone do things differently. So sometimes I ask questions to see if there is a consensus on a topic. Sometimes I ask because I looked it up and was utterly confused by the answer and was hoping someone would explain it better. Sometime I ask because i just need validation that I'm not totally screwing everything up.

I'm sorry you're frustrated with us, I promise the majority of us are not trying to frustrate you. In fact the majority of us totally look up to you and hope someday we can be you.

My feeling is you’re not the type he’s talking about! ;Smuggrin

 

[BeejReef]

It’s the new generation sadly.

That's so true too! Everything is so collaborative, people have become unaccustomed to having to gather the best evidence, make a value judgement, and be accountable for their decision. Everything is consensus-driven. There's no right or wrong, just an agreement on how everybody feels about it.. lol. I'm all for consensus and a variety of opinions, but nothing says "accountability" and "final answer," quite like the prospect of 100's of pounds of stinking, dying beach in your home ;Playful

It must take some getting used to.

 

[Cherie cook]

My absolute favorite is the ones that start out with “should I just quit now?”