Are we as good as we think we are?

I have seen this from the other side as well, I'm on other forums in areas that I'm not experienced in

Yes this is good for the sole.

and I've occasionally got responses like
"Just add ABC to the XYZ"

Yes been there got that. However if you reply and say something like, "sorry I am very new to all this could you say exactly what ABC is". Or better yet "sorry but I have Googled ABC and it can be sevral things, which one do you mean exactly"
It is a little pantomime dance we all have to do to establish what level of help is needed. It is important to understand both the question and the level of answer required.

Story:-
Little girl asks her dad "Where did I come from", dad asks mum to explain, mum takes girl into a quite room and, having prepared for this day, takes out the books, diagrams and goes through the full facts of life works, including the video. Then she asks her, "and why did you want to know?"
"Oh", says the girl "my friend Jane comes from Birmingham, and I wanted to know where I came from."

:slight_smile:

....... in my experience people with above average intelligence such as most on here tend to lack good communication skills,

Smart folk don't write purdy good. Makes prefuct senility to me.

cjdelphi:
There's a very sarcastic undertone which runs deep through the staff here...

Hey, AWOL! They're talkin' about you over here!

I'm not. AWOL and I have had our disagreements about servos, but despite my accusation he was slow to help, I don't think that is true. He contributes a lot here. Considering what you all are paid, let the one without sin cast the first stone, and I am as guilty as most.

There's a very sarcastic undertone which runs deep through the staff here...

Hey, AWOL! They're talkin' about you over here!

Like I'm going to take notice of that.

Staff? Not even hired help.

Quote
....... in my experience people with above average intelligence such as most on here tend to lack good communication skills, on forums which is a medium that one cannot easily judge emotion or intention of the written word so easily you find that this causes a bit of an attitude, some forums are much worse then others, honestly the attitude I see on here is one of the worst I have seen in a long time!

When someone asks a question eventually someone will respond back with a very cut and dry answer, if that person then tries to expand on that answer here it either goes unanswered or you get back a response that pretty much mirrors the first one without addressing it.

Is this justified?
Do we need to look at ourselves?
In other words is it him or is it me (us)?

Well, it's him, obviously.
Look at the structure of those sentences. Dreadful.

:stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

SurferTim:
@Grumpy_Mike: It is not you. You have the most inappropriate username here. :slight_smile:

You just haven't seen him get going lately...

:wink:

/we like you as you are, GM... :smiley:

I think sometimes that a lot of frustration comes out of the member rating system.

If someone asks a question, I tend to ignore their indicated ranking (newbie, junior, full etc) and try to probe their level of expertise.
Sometimes the probing is taken as condescension (by members with more experience than their ranking would suggest) and sometimes triggers an adverse reaction - "if I knew that, I wouldn't be asking the question - I'm a noob".
Both reactions are equally valid, and I try to tailor my responses from that point onwards.
Sometime I fail.

(My ranking was once "newbie", but it just meant I hadn't been a forum member for very long)

Hey, AWOL! They're talkin' about you over here!

I think it's me.

No! I am Sarcasticus!

OK, you win.

@PaulS: I like reading your stuff. You did have a way of coming across a little short, but I think you do good, considering the amount of questions you have answered. And look at all the money that made you! LOL :slight_smile:

This is my all-time fav:

I think he was a bit short also.

....... in my experience people with above average intelligence such as most on here tend to lack good communication skills, on forums which is a medium that one cannot easily judge emotion or intention of the written word so easily you find that this causes a bit of an attitude, some forums are much worse then others, honestly the attitude I see on here is one of the worst I have seen in a long time!

When someone asks a question eventually someone will respond back with a very cut and dry answer, if that person then tries to expand on that answer here it either goes unanswered or you get back a response that pretty much mirrors the first one without addressing it.

This reminds me of https://www2.bc.edu/~radinr/Management_Humor/jokes.htm
Best regards
Jantje

PS: I'm just wondering how mister Sarcasticus and mister "short and bold response" have such high karma's.

I'm just wondering how mister Sarcasticus and mister "short and bold response" have such high karma's.

Me too.

I'm not a fan of karma - I'm the sarcastic sod who writes terse replies (not very karma-worthy) and chides noobs for not using code tags, but mops up after spam raids (often before anyone else reports it) and moves misplaced posts to areas where they might attract more focussed attention.

well
There must be people who appreciate what you are doing.
And I'm sure one of them :smiley:
Best regards
Jantje

Hey, I'm proud of my +1 karma - leave it be!

:wink:

Hey, I'm proud of my +1 karma - leave it be!

Nope.

It seems like this thread is attracting comments from those that do most of the heavy lifting across the forums and therefore should be the ones who are reading rather than responding to the thread. Ideally there should be responses from newbies rather than those with thousands of posts to their credit.

Speaking as one who is more a receiver of help than a giver I can see how a new comer may be daunted by the fray. However while this may scare the thin-skinned off, one can soon get the message that unless you follow the guidelines of posting (summarised in point #6 of Nick Gammons Posting Guidelines http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,97455.0.html) and do some homework first, you can expect to get a serve from forum members. I find a source of amusement is to look for posts from some unsuspecting noob which breaks most of Nicks guidelines and read the acerbic and withering invective that subsequently rains down on the OP from some of the luminaries in this thread as well as some other notables . Some recipients retort, slamming the culture of the forums but most take it on the chin and learn from their mistake. In doing so it sets the tone for the forums and keep them tight, and informative.

I have been one the receiving end more than once and have learnt without bearing a grudge. However, in the interest of welcoming all, maybe the more experienced should view the number of posts of the OP before responding. Firm redirection should be order of the day, but sarcasm should be directed only at those with a few posts under their belt.

Being a member of forums on other websites, I find the Arduino forums well run and the members helpful and intolerant of fools. Judging from the number of posts under the monikers of most of this threads participants I am amazed by the time and effort put in by some of you without any thanks. (I never know whether to post a "Thanks" to one of my posts that has been resolved; artificially bumping it to the top of the forum without any additional information. What's the etiquette?)

Anyway, thats my two cents worth but while there are many "high-posters" in one spot I just have one recommendation......

A while ago Grey Nomad let slip some of his past history in electronics and what he had worked on. I don't think that I am the only one fascinated by the "old world" of valves and early electronics that some of you have been involved in. It was only when I went to the Raspberry Pi website that I found out more about Grumpy Mikes experience and background.

In the interest of promoting the depth of the knowledge pool of this forum as well as providing some interesting reading (and threads), would it be good to get some of the older members to post a speil on their previous experience (without breaching their privacy)?

(I never know whether to post a "Thanks" to one of my posts that has been resolved;

Thanks are always welcome. From the answering end you are never sure if that last suggestion fixed the problem or prompted them to give up.

As to the backgrounds if you click on a name in the right hand side of a thread you are taken to the profile page. Many of us have web sites that are recorder there, often giving more information.