Joel_B Senior Member Joined: 9 Oct 2007 Posts: 1,823 Location: Pacific NW Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Astra Mega II Grinder: Mazzer SJ, Virtuoso Vac Pot: Yama 5 cup Drip: nope, french press Roaster: Behmor, WP, BBQ drum
Posted Wed Apr 11, 2012, 3:15pm Subject: Re: Dealing With Cross Posting and Newbie Questions
Cross posting on other forums, kinda don't care either way. I'm a rule follower by nature and do as the owners suggest. Cross posting on the same forum I've seen cause issues. There are different people posting answers to the same question, same people posting in both thread. It provides confusion to those who follow the board.
Regarding search, I'm a little torn. Even when you search, you may not come up with the right info. Sometimes you don't know what to search for. There's times I knew specifically what to search for and still had trouble locating the information. I also woudn't expect someone to sift through a fifty page thread to find the answer. But at the same time, to do no research, ask the question and then expect answers. People give the answers because they enjoy sharing their knowledge of a hobby. It feels good to help someone along the way. What doesn't feel good is for someone to expect you to take your time to answer when they aren't willing to put any effort in themselves. This doesn't mean strictly searching either, but expecting to be an open encylopedia at will. I'm a mod on another forum and it's amazing how many times the answer to their question is literally the post above theirs. I'll still give the answers, cuz the "use google" never really sat right with me. So while i agree if you have the answer why not just give it, I understand the frustration of being asked the exact same question 10 times a day.
BodieWavejammer Said:
I don't bother with the super anal retentiveness H-B offers. Super scientific, wannabe home baristi................
I rarely visit HB anymore. The techno talk, all about graphs and numbers, etc. just doesn't jive with my passion for coffee. The more into this hobby I am, the less I worry, and the more I just make coffee. But what also doesn't jive with me is name calling. I can understand why someone would walk away from HB with a bad taste in their mouths. Expressing that and name calling aren't the same. Sorry.
Coffeenoobie Said:
I personally would like some sticky posts at the top of each section that has the FAQ. I look for FAQ's when I join a board. Like the one posted every time someone asks the freezing question. I am sorta trying to write one for the I have less than 1000 dollars and I still want espresso post. Since I just went through that myself recently.
Having some go to stickies A) reduces the amount of repeated questions than can clutter the board. B) it gives memebers a go to for answering questions and giving advice. The forum I mod on has a sticky for most major issues. Get asked enough times the same question I know it's time to make a new one.
Posted Wed Apr 11, 2012, 4:34pm Subject: Re: Dealing With Cross Posting and Newbie Questions
I think the OP has issues with H-B. This thread was opened only to give an opening to attack that site. I think both sites are decent and friendly. This site is the better forum for the un-researched question.
Neither site is appropriate for venting about the other.
I chew coffee beans with my teeth while gargling with 195 F water to enjoy coffee. What is this "coffee brewing" device you speak of?
Actually I'd have to agree with you on that! In a home setting that is, where most variables can be controlled within reason and where time isn't of the utmost importance. BUT throw most good home baristi into a commercial environment and all bets are off.
No need to resort to that now, it's hardly fair or indicative of the wealth of actual helpful and friendly people on that site (or this). You don't have to agree with them, but going for the low blows harms your credibility more than them.
I don't agree with, nor do I really understand H-B's rule on offsite cross-posting. Membership blends on different sites, sure, but I think the web has enough bandwidth for an eager poster. Those that have read it before can skip the topic and move on. But, that's H-B's rule and not my business to argue against.
The newbie thing is a tough topic to broach. I'm all for good netizen etiquette - search first, ask questions that remain - but if people are still out there using IE6, one can bet there will always be some percentage of web users whose Google Fu is weak. Still, there are times when it is obvious the topic poster isn't interested in doing the legwork, as evidenced by some of those Which Machine? type threads that pop up, when the first page of the Espresso Machines forum already has three or four in the same vein. Those are the posters that get tiresome, but the reality is that most of those threads has an entirely subjective solution. Even if we decide to advise two different newbies to buy, say, a Preciso and a Lelit, the method of divining that solution will be different, because these are folks who often know little about their needs. Will a FAQ help that? Maybe, but I imagine we'd still see an awful lot of haven't-looked-don't-care-help-me-buy-something topics. It might be worth a go, but it would of course require fairly regular revision as new machines or models appear.
We as a population are not all coffee geeks, nor are we all intelligent and discriminating consumers. Research is key to most purchases I make, but I know plenty of people who buy based on advertisement or peer suggestion, with little independent input. CoffeeGeek will definitely always get new users that would prefer to have something handed to them on a plate than to have to compare boiler sizes, reviews, numbers. If there were only one best machine for $x, or Buy This And Learn type of kit, our role as influencers and teachers would be lessened. The reality, we know, is different.
That said, I am surprised the advertisers on this site haven't quite caught on to that yet. There's a perfect sales opportunity here for a banner ad that says "First time buyer? Try the Blahblah Machine and Grinder combo, from Sellstuff Mart!"
EricBNC Said:
Neither site is appropriate for venting about the other.
Posted Wed Apr 11, 2012, 5:15pm Subject: Re: Dealing With Cross Posting and Newbie Questions
SteveRhinehart Said:
That said, I am surprised the advertisers on this site haven't quite caught on to that yet. There's a perfect sales opportunity here for a banner ad that says "First time buyer? Try the Blahblah Machine and Grinder combo, from Sellstuff Mart!" Agreed.
Doesn't matter what a banner says, someone considering the equipment in the banner will post asking about the potential for espresso NIRVANA with said equipment pairing.
JasonBrandtLewis Senior Member Joined: 9 Dec 2005 Posts: 6,098 Location: Berkeley, CA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Elektra T1 - La Valentina -... Grinder: Mahlkönig K30 Vario -... Vac Pot: Yama 5-cup Drip: CCD, Chemex Roaster: No, no, not another...
Posted Thu Apr 12, 2012, 7:45am Subject: Re: Dealing With Cross Posting and Newbie Questions
RapidCoffee Said:
Apparently you think it's fine to post and repost, even on the same forum. I consider it a waste of everyone else's time - the sort of behavior I'd expect from a troll, not a valuable participant.
Looking through some of your other posts, I'm surprised you haven't been called out before.
Posted Thu Apr 12, 2012, 4:03pm Subject: Re: Dealing With Cross Posting and Newbie Questions
I am surprised that the level of discussion in this thread has degraded to this extent. There are insulting, personal attacks as well as enough off-topic nonsense that it should have been stopped long ago. Mods.. this needs to be dealt with.
Joel_B Senior Member Joined: 9 Oct 2007 Posts: 1,823 Location: Pacific NW Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Astra Mega II Grinder: Mazzer SJ, Virtuoso Vac Pot: Yama 5 cup Drip: nope, french press Roaster: Behmor, WP, BBQ drum
Posted Thu Apr 12, 2012, 4:10pm Subject: Re: Dealing With Cross Posting and Newbie Questions
Yeah it's a shame. Some good coversation is in between some of it though.
FRCN, instead of just calling attention to the "nonsense" help us get it back on track! What's your take on the cross posting and repeated "newbie" questions?
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