New Members with large number of posts--- thoughts?

[Octo2005]

I don't post often, but I love to read threads, live vicariously through others diamond journey and love to look at beautiful jewelry. I have greatly appreciated everything that I have learned from PS and all of the help that I received when I did my upgrade so I am certainly not an authority here or in any position to judge other posters knowledge, but I am I the only one that has noticed several new members with posts in almost every thread?

I am concerned about the impact this has as a place for knowledge seekers and the huge impact it could have to credibility of advise. When I came here for help, I relied heavily on the advise and opinions of people responding to my threads and to knowledge I gained in reading prior posts on topic. Of coarse, everyone can have a different opinion or preference but is it still good advise? I alway made it clear that I was not an expert if I chimed in with a comment/opinion.

 

[AGBF]

but I am I the only one that has noticed several new members with posts in almost every thread?

...​

Of coarse, everyone can have a different opinion or preference but is it still good advise?

I assume you are talking about posts on Rocky Talky? Have you posted this same topic there? It might be a good idea to do so since not all the posters who post there come here and vice versa.

My own opinion is that newcomers will probably not be so stupid as to be guided by know-nothing blowhards, but it always helps if the people who do know something come forward and say what they know when they hear a lot of malarkey being spewed! Not terribly long ago a very "old" poster came to a forum here in Pricescope Café and privately told some of us about someone on Rocky Talky who was talking a lot of garbage. All it takes is a word. Anyone can question anyone else and ask for the opinions of experts if he is concerned that bad advice may be being given.

Thank you for caring about this issue, which affects all of us.

Deb

 

[Matata]

I am I the only one that has noticed several new members with posts in almost every thread?
I am concerned about the impact this has as a place for knowledge seekers and the huge impact it could have to credibility of advise. When I came here for help, I relied heavily on the advise and opinions of people responding to my threads and to knowledge I gained in reading prior posts on topic.

Are you referring to posters in RockyTalky? I hope that newbies who come here for advice don't rely solely on the comments in RT but also do their own research using the plethora of written information and tools available here. There are only two ways I can think of to curb the enthusiasm of new prosumers whose zeal gets ahead of their experience and knowledge -- more experienced prosumers correcting them when mistakes are caught; some sort of requirement that no one can give advice until they've been here for a certain period of time, have passed a rigorous test and received an official avatar badge of some sort to denote they have sufficient experience to give accurate info (not feasible).

It is the responsibility of buyers to do independent research and confer with vendors prior to making a purchase. The prosumers here are to provide guidance and education that, coupled with the aforementioned, will hopefully lead to a successful and satisfactory purchase.

 

[Karl_K]

yep, and its a good thing in RT as long as there are some old hands to help out when corrections or additions are needed.
I post better information when needed and occasional praise when they are right.
The new hands are tomorrows old hands.

I was once one of those post all the time new hands who drove a lot of old hands nuts.
Actually in all the history of PS I think im one of the worst ones! LOL

Now get off my lawn!

 

[Ariadne_Theia]

I think it's a good thing tbh. A lot of us don't feel expert enough to give any advice in RT and the seasoned posters can get really burnout helping 5+ new threads a day. For awhile, new threads would take a day or two to get a response and some op's had given up at that point. So I think the more people who post, the better. (I've been trying to contribute more on threads about things I know about)

 

[John P]

yep, and its a good thing in RT as long as there are some old hands to help out when corrections or additions are needed.
I post better information when needed and occasional praise when they are right.
The new hands are tomorrows old hands.

I was once one of those post all the time new hands who drove a lot of old hands nuts.
Actually in all the history of PS I think im one of the worst ones! LOL

Now get off my lawn!

I don't often post in hangout but, as a fellow curmudgeon, I very much agree with Karl on this.

 

[Austina]

Wow, if there was ever a post to put new people off posting .................

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I'm willing to bet that those new posters have their heart in the right place. It's also possible some of them come here to find a place to fit in because they don't have many friends IRL. Perhaps they don't have much of a voice otherwise, just some possibilities.

I think someone coming to the forum could easily enough figure out who the regular better informed posters are and take their advice more into consideration than some of the newer members. Just my two cents.

 

[Octo2005]

Wow, if there was ever a post to put new people off posting .................

That is not my intention at all. I never I meant to imply that people shouldn't post until they reach a certain criteria/level of expertise. I would never dissuade someone from posting just because they are new to the forum. Also, being new doesn't necessarily mean that they are any less knowledgable than the "old-timers" or trade experts.

I have been lurking for a long time and check in to read threads every day or two, because I have found it more interesting and intelligent dialogue than social media these days. I read both the Hangout and Rocky Talk and appreciate all points of view and feel that they are vital to the conversation. I have however, noticed that there are a few posters dominating the threads lately. It was just an observation. Not trying to single anyone out or implying that rules need to be changed, I was just wondering what others thought.

 

[Octo2005]

I assume you are talking about posts on Rocky Talky? Have you posted this same topic there? It might be a good idea to do so since not all the posters who post there come here and vice versa.

My own opinion is that newcomers will probably not be so stupid as to be guided by know-nothing blowhards, but it always helps if the people who do know something come forward and say what they know when they hear a lot of malarkey being spewed! Not terribly long ago a very "old" poster came to a forum here in Pricescope Café and privately told some of us about someone on Rocky Talky who was talking a lot of garbage. All it takes is a word. Anyone can question anyone else and ask for the opinions of experts if he is concerned that bad advice may be being given.

Thank you for caring about this issue, which affects all of us.

Deb

Hi Deb!

I have not. I was mostly making an observation and absolutely agree that newcomers should do their own due diligence and not rely on the advise posted by others.

I don't want to single people out or start a big thing, I was just sharing my thoughts and wondering if others had noticed. I have noticed that some of the comments have been called out as bad advise.

 

[Octo2005]

Are you referring to posters in RockyTalky? I hope that newbies who come here for advice don't rely solely on the comments in RT but also do their own research using the plethora of written information and tools available here.

It is the responsibility of buyers to do independent research and confer with vendors prior to making a purchase. The prosumers here are to provide guidance and education that, coupled with the aforementioned, will hopefully lead to a successful and satisfactory purchase.

Thank you Matata

I absolutely agree.

 

[Octo2005]

I think it's a good thing tbh. A lot of us don't feel expert enough to give any advice in RT and the seasoned posters can get really burnout helping 5+ new threads a day. For awhile, new threads would take a day or two to get a response and some op's had given up at that point. So I think the more people who post, the better. (I've been trying to contribute more on threads about things I know about)

I agree and I am by no means an expert myself. It is a forum for conversation and have noticed that experts have chimed in with corrections. Everyones opinion is welcome and valid.

 

[Octo2005]

yep, and its a good thing in RT as long as there are some old hands to help out when corrections or additions are needed.
I post better information when needed and occasional praise when they are right.
The new hands are tomorrows old hands.

I was once one of those post all the time new hands who drove a lot of old hands nuts.
Actually in all the history of PS I think im one of the worst ones! LOL

Now get off my lawn!

I agree with you 100%. I didn't mean to open a can of worms.

I had just noticed on RT that a few newer members had been rather prolific in the threads as of late and I was wondering what others thought. For myself, it kind of bothered me. On my journey for a new stone, I poured through everything I could find on the forum relevant to my diamond search. Noticing this new flurry of activity by some members just made me wonder, when going back and reading old threads it might not be apparent that the 1000's of posts a member has all occurred in a few month time span.

 

[AGBF]

I agree with you 100%. I didn't mean to open a can of worms.

Oh, please, don't be afraid to open a can of worms! if no one opened cans of worms, there would be nothing to talk about and no one would be informed about anything. You are very welcome to post here and everywhere else on Pricescope! Don't be afraid by all the "pushback". One gets that when one speaks here. it doesn't mean that what one says has gone unappreciated!

Hugs
(((Octo2005)))
Deb

 

[AGBF]

Wow, if there was ever a post to put new people off posting .................

Maybe so, but they will get over it, Austina. I don't think Octo2005 said anything egregious! This is the Internet, after all. If one is talking out of one's hat, someone may notice.

Deb

 

[Karl_K]

Right under peoples user name:
Messages:
135
Joined:
May 23, 2016
Its pretty easy to tell who has been here a long time even if they have a lot of posts.

There are a lot of things that don't require a lot of diamond knowledge to answer.
Many people have started out answering setting questions, some only do that.
A lot of time its a matter of fashion which some people like me are clueless about :}
It is awesome they post, they are needed.
Another example:
Someone ask what about ? colored diamonds.
An answer like I have a ? colored diamond and love it. Or many people have ? colored diamonds and love them.
Color is personal preference.
Have you or your SO looked at different colored diamonds?

It doesn't have to be super technical a lot of the time if someone wants to help others in RT!

 

[Austina]

I'm sure it wasn't her intention, but as a newbie myself, and having been a member of numerous forums over the years, you have to start somewhere. It certainly doesn't help if you're made to feel that your opinion isn't as worthwhile as long term posters, or you're treated with suspicion because you respond to numerous posts.

As has been rightly pointed out, people don't have to accept advice, and the written word can't convey the tone in which something is meant, but I've seen some pretty hostile posts lately towards a particular newbie.

I'm only here to ogle the bling

 

[liaerfbv]

I don't care if new members post all the time. I was recently called out because I've been a member for 10 years and "only" have 1,000 posts. I say what I want on threads that I'm interested in and don't post when I don't have anything to add. If a new member wants to give advice, fine. Like said above, this site is full of so much information and if they rely on 1 person to buy something... well that's on them. I've seen several people be really rude to new posters lately and I don't feel like you need to have 30,000 posts to tell someone to stop being an ass.

 

[AGBF]

I've seen several people be really rude to new posters lately

I do not like rudeness. I believe that people should attempt to be polite.

I don't feel like you need to have 30,000 posts to tell someone to stop being an ass.

I agree. I am am not sure who has advocated having to accrue many posts before calling someone an ass, however. (On the other hand, calling someone an ass is a bit rude.)

Deb

 

[Octo2005]

I'm sure it wasn't her intention, but as a newbie myself, and having been a member of numerous forums over the years, you have to start somewhere. It certainly doesn't help if you're made to feel that your opinion isn't as worthwhile as long term posters, or you're treated with suspicion because you respond to numerous posts.

As has been rightly pointed out, people don't have to accept advice, and the written word can't convey the tone in which something is meant, but I've seen some pretty hostile posts lately towards a particular newbie.

I'm only here to ogle the bling

I second that!

I am a newbie myself and would never intend to dissuade someone from sharing their opinion.

I have also noticed the hostility in recent posts and it just got me thinking/wondering, nothing more. I never meant to judge or tell people that they can only comment if they have met "x" criteria. I appreciate the interactions and mostly civil discussions on PS and love to learn more about one of my passions.

 

[Octo2005]

I don't often post in hangout but, as a fellow curmudgeon, I very much agree with Karl on this.

I agree with Karl also. Several threads have gotten a little hostile in RT lately and it started me thinking. I hadn't seen the topic discussed and felt it was worth a conversation. Never meant to imply that newbies shouldn't post or don't have anything valid to offer, I am a newbie myself.

By the way, I have seen many of your posts and have never felt that they were surly or coming from a negative place. I have always found your info direct and very educational.

 

[Octo2005]

Right under peoples user name:
Messages:
135
Joined:
May 23, 2016
Its pretty easy to tell who has been here a long time even if they have a lot of posts.
Absolutely! But researching through old threads it is not always that apparent. Would you think differently of a posters knowledge on a topic if they joined in 2008, and then had 5000 posts by 2009? Reading a post in 2017, I wouldn't know that unless I went through your profile and read all of your posts. Not saying that frequent comments are bad, I was just thinking out loud and reflecting on the many hours of threads that I read through in research for my stone.

There are a lot of things that don't require a lot of diamond knowledge to answer.
It is awesome they post, they are needed.
It doesn't have to be super technical a lot of the time if someone wants to help others in RT!
Your observation that many threads are not diamond knowledge based is certainly correct. Every single member is important to the forum and has value to add to all discussions. As others have pointed out many of us like to lurk quietly along the sideline and some of us like to share our opinion freely, one is not better or more qualified than the other.

I feel that I may have worded my original post to strongly, and I apologize if it came across judgemental or implying that just because a poster is new they have nothing valid to add to the discussion. I was merely noting an uptick in new poster activities and some recent hostile posts in RT and wondering what others thought on the subject.

edited for typo

 

[Dancing Fire]

Octo
FYI, the liberals here speaks in higher volume b/c they are the majority here...

 

[Bonfire]

@Octo2005 I think the implication was judgmental and did have a sting to it.
It seems like you are back pedaling now because you didn't get the approval you were looking for. It's nice that you apologized . No one should be made to feel like they are unworthy of contributing to any discussions on these threads because they are new or don't have a large number of postings. More tolerance and less intimidation would be recommended. My 2c

 

[AGBF]

@Octo2005

I think the implication was judgmental and did have a sting to it.

Just for the record, I did not hear this at all.

Deb

 

[Bonfire]

Perhaps I found it more judgmental because I don't see why anyone should point out that a newbie's voice has less value. And OP found it something that needed to be commented on? To welcome others to agree that it's an annoyance? Is there some competition in the number of posts one has before you have PS cred? I'm not meaning to fan the flames, I just find it disappointing.

 

[Octo2005]

@Octo2005 I think the implication was judgmental and did have a sting to it.
It seems like you are back pedaling now because you didn't get the approval you were looking for. It's nice that you apologized . No one should be made to feel like they are unworthy of contributing to any discussions on these threads because they are new or don't have a large number of postings. More tolerance and less intimidation would be recommended. My 2c

After re-reading the original post I can see how it could be taken that way and I never meant to sting anyone. I posted in hangout to engage dialogue and to keep this a general conversation of peoples thoughts. OF COARSE, every consumer should take any online information with a grain of salt, I am just not certain that it is as clear to a new researcher. I am not back peddling, I don't feel that as a newcomer, caught up in the search and everything that goes with it, it might not be apparent to future readers of a thread the level of knowledge of a poster.

For example when I was searching for my upgrade, I spent a great deal of time reading older threads that were on topic, many of which were years in the past and therefor a posters level of involvement/experince at the time of the original thread is not as obvious unless you go through every post that they made. For fancy cuts, there is not as much information available online to a consumer. I take issue with comments that come across as experienced or well studied on topic if that is not the case. I think that as a poster it is my responsibility to make it clear to someone when I comment that I am not an expert and while I may have valuable information to add it should not be taken at the same level of some of the experts who have spent years learning about these things.

As @Austina has pointed out things are getting a little heated with disagreements turning rude between older "pros" and newer members which caused me to reflect on my own experiences. Making me wonder if things that I had read in the past were correct or simply missed correction by people with more knowledge and nothing more. Again, I apologize if my intentions/thoughts were not clear, I was only looking to start a dialogue and share my concerns, I never said that because someone is new that they have nothing to offer. I am also a newbie, but I always make that clear when commenting or offering my opinion on a stone. We also have members that have followed for years with very few posts, number of posts isn't necessarily an indicator of experience level on both ends of the spectrum.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts

 

[FeFeV]

PS is a social space. Just let it be that. I am realizing that even in an online forum it is impossible to escape group-think mentalities. So, you're bothered because newbies have an opinion and state it under RT? I guess the newbies should be "vetted" huh

We're all civilized adults possessing the luxury (if nothing else) to sit around and casually discuss rocks that form in our Earth's mantle. Let's try not to make it anymore complicated than that. If you want something to be "bothered" by how about the North Korean attack threats, Hurricane Harvey & Irma, or the lack of general safety and protection of Black's in America. You choose.

 

[Matata]

Awwww come on peeps, let's presume goodwill rather than malicious intent. OPs question is valid and should be taken as an opportunity to educate. I've seen PSers with thousands of posts give bad/prejudiced advice and those with 5 posts give good advice and vice versa. Perhaps we should all add to our signature lines "Caution: This advice is free and you get what you paid for."

 

[Octo2005]

PS is a social space. Just let it be that. I am realizing that even in an online forum it is impossible to escape group-think mentalities. So, you're bothered because newbies have an opinion and state it under RT? I guess the newbies should be "vetted" huh

We're all civilized adults possessing the luxury (if nothing else) to sit around and casually discuss rocks that form in our Earth's mantle. Let's try not to make it anymore complicated than that. If you want something to be "bothered" by how about the North Korean attack threats, Hurricane Harvey & Irma, or the lack of general safety and protection of Black's in America. You choose.

Agreed, much more important things to worry about in the world.

But I will clarify, that I never said I was bothered by new members voicing their opinion! I am a relatively new member myself. As you mentioned, we are all civilized adults that enjoy coming here to seek knowledge and participate in discussion. Everyone has the right to share their opinion, never suggested otherwise. I did question whether it was clear who you are recieving advise from to the average or casual reader coming seeking assistance with a significant financial decision. I have noticed some discussions that have turned ugly as of late and it started me thinking. I wanted to discuss it with others that enjoy reading the forums in a theoretical debate if you will, which is why I have not mentioned anything specific.

Whether people should rely on comments that are made in PS or not is irrelevant. People do! Look at the number of threads/members that post one question asking for advise on a stone and disappear.

I feel it is a posters responsibility to clairify their level of expertise when offering your opinion as "expert" advice, since date joined/number of posts don't necessarily mean more knowledge. I am not going to name specifics, but their have been members handing out opinions and it has not always been sound advice as corrected by some of the prosumers. I noticed it in multiple threads and on multiple occasions recently and it made me think how often is misinformation missed. Not everyone is as diligent in researching these things, they come here for advise and some take what you say as fact, when that may not be the case. They shouldn't but it happens and we have a responsibility to be mindful of that.