SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMUNICATING ON THE NET

[bill phagan]

Please reference &quot;sprinkler&quot; forum started by Gator.......some ideas for posting:<p>1. Think before you post....POSITIVE comments are helpful. Negative ones are not.Remember, if you're slinging mud, you're losing ground!<p>2. Post as if you were talking to the person face to face. Aside from the fact you may be 5' and he/she 6'4&quot;, your comment may be offensive. You don't know this person, their background, etc.<p>3. When you post, assume your mother, child or grandparents would be reading it. Would they be proud of your comments? Are you proud of your comments? Four letter words may be out of place on a professional forum. Good and help are also four letter words.<p>4. Keep things in perspective. Don't assume the &quot;poster&quot; is being negative or disrepectful. Don't over react by taking things out of context.<p>5. Stick to the discussion. Enuff said?<p>6. If you are having a bad day, don't take it out on the group. Pet your dog before you start.<p>Have a nice day!

[Eric ELM]

Great post Bill. I think this should be in spot so all can read it at all times. Maybe it can be set up so this post pops up every time someone adds to a discussion or starts a new one. <p>----------<br>&lt;a href=&quot;http://pages.prodigy.net/eric.erickson/&quot;&gt;Eric@ELM&lt;/a&gt;<br>

[Lanelle]

Great idea (I know that's a four letter word), guys. Maybe a shorter version could be used. It might make people stop and think before over-reacting. <p>----------<br>Lanelle<br>

[GrassMaster]

Hello Everybody:<p>Bill Phagan wrote & I Quote:<p>1. Think before you post....POSITIVE comments are helpful. Negative ones are not.Remember, if you're slinging mud, you're losing ground!<p>5. Stick to the discussion. Enuff said?<p>6. If you are having a bad day, don't take it out on the group. Pet your dog before you start.<p>Well Bill is right & most of us want it that way too!<p>If you can't function in a #1 manner at all times when posting, then Please leave out the #2.<p>Because all it does is ruin it for everybody else. Sometimes I think these guys think that only a handful of people see this & they don't relize how stupid it makes them look.<p>I really think they don't understand that when they belittle someone that they really belittle themselves.<p>What if everytime they go cut a Doctors or Lawyers lawn, that they are laughed at because they cut grass? <p>You know what I think, I think they think that & thats why they act the way they do?<p>I think we should start a support group for these guys, they need help too!<p>Maybe we could talk to Chuck & get a seperate Forum for the people that think they are Upper Class Commercial Lawn Care Pro's. Then they could just slug it out at the forum, because they couldn't do it in person.<p><p><p><p><br><p>----------<br>GrassMaster - Home: www.lawnservicing.com<br>My Start Up Page www.lawnservicing.com/startup/

[PINEISLAND1]

Great post!<p>And while were at it,I would add...<p>-let them ask any question they want, any time without being educated about search procedures. You can search through the archives all day, and thats great, but many of those responses are from the regulars back three months ago or more. We have probably doubled in size since then, and if the questions are not re asked we will never hear the responses, or potential responses, of hundreds of new people.<p>Keep asking, and keep posting, and keep learning!!<p>This site is awesome!<p>----------<br>Tom<br>

[Charles]

So what you are saying Mr. Phagan is make the forum a bland and boring as you can. Great Idea!!! The forum is growing at break neck speed. Why try to fix something that ain't broke? We have been through this discussion before. People don't go to car races to see them go around and around.... They go to see them wreck.

[AB Lawn Care]

I agree with you 150% bill!!!!You soon realize who really is a professonal on this fourm after reading their posts.You can make a million a year in this business but that still does not mean you are a professonal!This is a place to improve our business skills and learn from others in the business.I would love to see no off topic post and trash talk and insults!Let's all just try to get along and be professonals!Thanks for the post bill!<p>----------<br>from:Adam<br>AB Lawn Care

[Evan528]

1 million a year.... perfessional or not.... your doing something right!

[GrassMaster]

Hello Again:<p>I come here to help others & to learn also?<p>I go to races to see them win, I've never wanted to see anybody wreck.<p>LOL, I see enough people Crash & Burn here.<p><p><p>----------<br>GrassMaster - Home: www.lawnservicing.com<br>My Start Up Page www.lawnservicing.com/startup/

[Charles]

Well just compare the activity of retros site to lawnsite. Why you think they are trying to spice up Monday night football? It lost ratings to the wwf. Because it is boring! This site has to be intertaining as well as informative to make it. It has to flow on it own. We don't need a dictator on here directing the post. We have enough dictators in real life. In hear it doesn't matter whether you are 6-4 or what color you are etc. Thats the way it is suppose to be. I tell you most people who have a life are not going to check back here often just so they may learn one thing out of 50 boring new post. It's a fact that people go to races to party and see accidents and to see the final 1o laps.

[thelawnguy]

bill writes, &quot;5. Stick to the discussion. Enuff said?&quot;<p>Does this mean stick to the subject? Like the header says, Commercial Lawn Care, not How to Post on a Discussion Board. <p>People should spend half as much time responding to questions as they do telling others how to speak and write and spell.<p>Bill

[Guido]

Quoted from Tom @ Pine island or something?<br>:::::Great post!<br>And while were at it,I would add...<p>-let them ask any question they want, any time without being educated about search procedures. You can search through the archives all day, and thats great, but many of those responses are from the regulars back three months ago or more. We have probably doubled in size since then, and if the questions are not re asked we will never hear the responses, or potential responses, of hundreds of new people.<p>Keep asking, and keep posting, and keep learning!!<p>This site is awesome!<p>----------<br>Tom<p><br>TOM, HATE TO SAY IT, BUT I THINK YOUR GIVING SOME BAD ADVICE IN YOUR POST. THE PURPOSE OF WASTING ALL THAT SPACE IS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THE SAME QUESTIONS TIME AND TIME AGAIN. NOW, IF SOMEONE WANTS NEW OPINIONS ON IT, BRING THE OLD POST BACK UP FROM THE DEAD, AND AFTER THEY READ ALL THE OLD ANSWERS AND OPINIONS, THEY CAN NARROW THEIRS DOWN BEFORE THEY REPEAT IT. JUST 3 DAYS AGO I SAW 3 DIFFERENT TOPICS POP UP ON HIGH LIFT BLADES. ALL NEW!! WHY?? AND I'M SURE THE ADMINISTRATION AND MODERATOR SEE IT THE SAME WAY. (THEY PREECH IT EVERY TIME SOMEONE DOES IT!)<br>SO LETS TRY TO STARE THE NEW GUYS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!!<p>Now, my 2 cents about the whole edicate thing. I think 75% comes here to learn and help others, and share info that I have, and the other 25% of me comes here to enjoy the &quot;circus&quot;. Like Charles said, why do you think people stopped using the &quot;other&quot; forum. It wasn't a gradual thing, traffic there just stopped. Theres been 2 posts in the past 2-3 months! It's because the moderator on the &quot;other&quot; forum started deleting posts, editing posts, telling people they can't say this or that. This is a place for us #1 TO LEARN and #2 to relax and UNWIND!! If people are bothered by a certain thing said, don't read it. They don't have to participate in a certain discussion. Its like people bashing Howard Stern or Imus or those guys. They listen because they want to! I'm sure nobody has them at gunpoint to listen to a certain station! If you don't like it change the channel!<p><br>I do agree we should try to be more proffesional, and the spelling sometimes annoys me too, but only when its hard to understand the post like Kirby said before. Well, hopefully this place won't turn into a sancturary because this is why the place is so great! <p>People give honest, uncensored information here, and thats why this place is so succesful. You can't find the real truth in any of those advertising magazines!! This is where its at. And the growing numbers prove it!!<p><p>----------<br>&lt;a href=&quot;http://communities.msn.com/guidosequipmentpics/&quot;&gt;&quot;Guido&quot;&lt;/a&gt;<br>David M. Famiglietti

[PINEISLAND1]

OK Dave-<p>I see your point. But if the questions never are asked again, or at least brought up to the top of the forum again, new opinions never are brought out, and the forum will also die. I see a new question, and bringing an old one to the front, as basically the same thing. No problem.<p>Many times I skip them too, have been for over a year now, but the new guys will appreciate it.<p><p>----------<br>Tom<br>

[MOW ED]

I think the above six points are an excellent thing for all of us to strive for when posting. It really boils down to the GOLDEN RULE of do unto others as you would have done to yourself. <br>Obviously this is an open forum with 1121 (as of today) different personalities trying to express themselves. If people are upset sometimes they react without thinking. I think if we try to keep the six points in mind it would keep the forum working as it is designed. <br>Just think about how you would feel if you asked a question and someone called you an idiot instead of trying to help. If you think that is the correct way to relate to people then start your own forum.<br>

[AGG Lawn Maintenance]

Well Said AB!!! I agree the trash talk has to go!!! As my Grandfather once said &quot;I am a Mason for 40 years and I'm still learning!!!<br>Its like that in every aspect of life. I've been in landscaping 13 years and still try to learn as much as I can. Thats what this site is all about. Who cares who the scrubs are. Hey we all start from somewhere!!!<br>Travis AG&G Lawn Maintenance

[richard2]

i kinda like rude answers to dumb questions...example- 'i started my lawn service and was wondering how often to sharpen my blades?' some posts earn rude replys! i say put up your dukes!

[Stinger]

I'm with Charles if something ain't broke then don't fix it!
Or do you consider this preventive maintenance Grass Master?
Grass Master states in above post quote: "Bill is right & most of us wan't it that way too", Well, last time I checked this is not Burger King! You say the majority rules, so have they ALL spoken? We have like what 1,600 + members and growing. Please excuse my negativity, but I don't see a current or future problem here at Lawn Site things seem to be running pretty smooth. Those that wish to act in a non gentleman or lady like manner will be known by there actions. I don't feel we need to be consatantly reminded or policed for the rules we all agreeded to upon joining. You will allways get the good with the bad, that's life. So instead of reminders why not try inforcing the rules for once, that alone should be a good enough reminder.

[Administrator]

Well.... This discussion was 3 months old until you reminded us about it. :)

[KirbysLawn]

Originally posted by administrator
Well.... This discussion was 3 months old until you reminded us about it. :)

Stinger didn't. This post was at the top this a.m. with richard2 as the last to post with todays date, however the last post was richard2's 7/8/2000. Some glitch? Or did someone revive it with posting on it then deleting their post?

[Administrator]

I dont think there is a glitch... a member has only 30 minutes to edit a post before its set in stone.. so, that might have happened.

[BUSHMASTER]

i agree as all do in wat bill has said , we are profesionals, if we are going to change the publics prosective about those of us in the green industry then this is a good place to start on your own presonailty make over, if you need it,we are amongst freiends here brothers and sisters, you would never mistreat a true freind.Let work together and move foward , it's only going to get better.

[Edited by BUSHMASTER on 10-19-2000 at 09:23 PM]

[awm]

I value the forum as a source of ideas and
info.I evaluate others ideas and use what
what works for me.Ialso think a lot of lurkers
stay that way because of the double negatives
they see here.Im not interested in anyones
evaluation of my equipment or methods unless
it is intended to be helpful.For cut down
contest i can just hang out with high school
students as they are the best at that form of
entertainment.

[lawrence stone]

Those who have never tried electronic communication may not be aware of what a "social skill" really is. One social skill that must be learned, is that other people have points of view that are not only different, but *threatening*, to your own. In turn, your opinions may be threatening to others. There is nothing wrong with this. Your beliefs need not be hidden behind a facade, as happens with face-to-face conversation. Not everybody in the world is a bosom buddy, but you can still have a meaningful conversation with them. The person who cannot do this lacks in social skills.
-- Nick Szabo

[awm]

Well said.Now as i said before,im only interested
in the forum for how it can benefit me and how
i in turn can be of some help to others.
TM