I give - can't do it any more

[bloomz]

I seem to spend half of my time here on this new member forum and am giving notice that I give up. I am resigning my position as faux gatekeeper.

If someone shows up that I need to know about, like particularly an astute order gatherer - someone please let me know. I gotta put this forum on ignore now before I go nuts (short trip - right around the corner)

OK - more nuts.

Last night I marked 185 unread posts as read - I hope I didn't miss something good.

And welcome everybody, and your dog, if you have one.

as matter of fact - here's some unasked for get aquainted advice - please pay particular attention to the last 3 sentences:

Welcome to the board!

You'll find a wealth of information here, but here are a couple get aquainted tips.

There is also a helpful Search link at the top of every page
Search Query section
Search for Key Words;__________________________
You can us operators here such as and or +, or you can enclose the phrase in double quotations marks "search terms" to find the entire phrase.
Below that is the Advanced Search Section

Search Options section - advanced search
Select which "Forum" to search in at a time, or at all.

For example, "wire service" I would only search in the "Wire Service" section.
Many people that are new here seem to have a common theme, frustration with the wire services. Believe me, this has been discussed hundreds of times, and it's doubtful that anything new will come from further discussion of the exact same topics that has't been already beat to death, repeatedly. Do a search, you will find discussions from before - add to an older post if you feel the need rather than starting a new one.

That's the basic way, you can limit further by using some of the other "Drop-Down" menu's like if you know the thread you are looking for is only a week or so old, etc....

Now that you have a list of threads you've searched for, do not just click on the thread you want to read. Instead RIGHT click on the thread and select "Open in New Window" This will pop up a new window with that thread in it, leaving your searched list intact for you to go back to.

The purpose of the "Search" is to offer a member the opportunity to research his/her question better. There is so much information from past threads that you may never see because that member is no longer here, or doesn't see your new post, or just won't respond to the same question. So use it to your advantage and enjoy the board! View this funny and informative film about posting and searching?BR>http://uploads.ungrounded.net/188000/188612_Posting.swf

Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the forum. At the top of every board there are threads that are tagged as "Sticky" These threads are "Sticky" because they contain very important/valuable information about the forum and everyone should read them.

Following these simple tips will help keep the board pertinent, and eliminate the large numbers of S-O-S posts that we get here on a daily basis, thereby making this board the valuable useful tool it can be.

But we don't want the valuable, golden money making info threads to be lost in the sea of chaff.....

and please don't just be a lurker but an active contributor!

 

[Erlene]

Bye, bye Jonathon.
Me too (oh no, not another me too!)

 

[greatflowerlady]

maybe you could train me to take the gate!!!!LOLorttopor

 

[Victoria]

What a shame.

V

 

[Connie]

I'm still trying to read all of the intro posts, but if I open one and it says, registered user, I often move on without reading. It is a trial to read each one, but we are the ones who asked for a system to keep our FC a forum for professional florists. We must continue our participation if that is our desire.

IMHO, not so Humble anymore.

 

[Erlene]

I understand your position, Connie. I was not a fan of the new member intro process to begin with.

I've particpated as much and as long as I can, I hope you can understand my position.

 

[CHR]

What a shame.

Yep.

We didn't have these extra duties until a certain someone basically insisted they be created.

I was not in favor of the process from the get-go.

I've moved this thread to Chat so applicants can't read it.

Added: I want to clairfy that I've never felt hobbyists and part-time home-based designers with little or no training should be a part of our mix, but the extra added work to keep them out takes a lot of time.

Would be nice if the folks who voted to create this process actually helped with it.

 

[wildflowerschicago]

I understand your positions!! Is there a secret number of voters or posters that elect or refuse membership? If there were, then once that number had been met, maybe the rest wouldn't have to worry about it. When I see a new intro with 2 pages, I will usually just skim over the initial post and maybe 1 or 2 replys, but I don't post. Who needs 3 pages of welcomes?!?!

Maybe there would be a way an applicant could be marked controversial...and up for further review?!?!

Someone suggested, in another thread, that there be a review committee. We could take turns being the proverbial gate keepers in teams of maybe 5 or 6. Each "bouncer" term could last 2 months and then a new team would take over. The team could be made up of 3 active members and 2 lurkers (to try and get them into the mode of participation). Just a thought! I hate seeing people discouraged!!!

 

[Lizi]

I understand your positions!! Is there a secret number of voters or posters that elect or refuse membership? If there were, then once that number had been met, maybe the rest wouldn't have to worry about it. When I see a new intro with 2 pages, I will usually just skim over the initial post and maybe 1 or 2 replys, but I don't post. Who needs 3 pages of welcomes?!?!

Maybe there would be a way an applicant could be marked controversial...and up for further review?!?!

Someone suggested, in another thread, that there be a review committee. We could take turns being the proverbial gate keepers in teams of maybe 5 or 6. Each "bouncer" term could last 2 months and then a new team would take over. The team could be made up of 3 active members and 2 lurkers (to try and get them into the mode of participation). Just a thought! I hate seeing people discouraged!!!

Now that sounds like a solution.

There are so many people asking to be new members and sometimes by the time I get to them they have already been approved. Most times within one day.

 

[Erlene]

The natural evolution of the original process took care of those that didn't belong. If they got red dotted too much they were out if I understand it correctly.

If the red dots didn't get them, they eventually went away when they didn't get what they needed from the board.

I realize many don't want to have a preponderance of home based businesses or total newbies to the industry, however we all have to start somewhere.

How many people here know I got my start in the business by buying a flower shop? It's true. No degree, no special training, no design classes, just a desire to own a business, the confidence in my abilities to build a business and to learn what I needed to learn and experience in managing people and processes.

If I can make a positive contribution to our industry, I'm sure some of the home based businesses and new to the industry owners can as well.

(Whew, that'll teach me to stay up all night again, sorry for the rant!)

 

[CHR]

I realize many don't want to have a preponderance of home based businesses or total newbies to the industry, however we all have to start somewhere.

How many people here know I got my start in the business by buying a flower shop? It's true. No degree, no special training, no design classes, just a desire to own a business, the confidence in my abilities to build a business and to learn what I needed to learn and experience in managing people and processes.

If I can make a positive contribution to our industry, I'm sure some of the home based businesses and new to the industry owners can as well.

Amen!!!!!!!!! Some of the contributions of our non-designer but business savvy members (who happened to have purchased or opened a florist) have been tremendous. There's always a lot to learn, and new, fresh ways to approach a topic.

 

[Erlene]

Amen!!!!!!!!! Some of the contributions of our non-designer but business savvy members (who happened to have purchased or opened a florist) have been tremendous. There's always a lot to learn, and new, fresh ways to approach a topic.

The interesting thing is, along the way I've become an alright designer. About half the photos under the Rosemont Weddings are of my work. I love wedding work.

 

[bloomz]

Yep.

We didn't have these extra duties until a certain someone basically insisted they be created.

I was not in favor of the process from the get-go.

I've moved this thread to Chat so applicants can't read it.

Added: I want to clairfy that I've never felt hobbyists and part-time home-based designers with little or no training should be a part of our mix, but the extra added work to keep them out takes a lot of time.

Would be nice if the folks who voted to create this process actually helped with it.

Geez, so sorry for caring and wanting to make it better here.

I guess I'm the only one who has noticed quality dropping with quantity. :dunno:

 

[Twila]

OK..here's my take on it for what it's worth. I was reading all the intros. I asked how the voting process worked, because it seemed that even before I got a chance to read about someone, they magically became a "Registered Member". My questions never really got answered. Then we started the whole questionaire process...and hardly any of the new people answered the questions....it got even more confusing. But they were still magically "Registered Members" very soon. So I guess we were supposed to go do research on those applying-yet I didn't know how or why I should do the leg work.

Somewhere along the line, we were asked that the "new people" refrain from the voting process so that those that have been on the board the longest had time to qualify the new people. Not sure if I was considered a new member of not, so I decided not to vote anymore cuz I haven't been a member too awfully long. Sorry to misquote, but that is my recollection of what was asked. I continued to read the new intros still, out of curiosity, but didn't vote. Practically every one came without answers to the questions. I finally gave up reading the intros. Honestly, I haven't read an intro in weeks.

If things are now different, maybe I'll go back to reading them again. Am I supposed to vote or what. Could someone clarify for me? Thanks

 

[Beth]

I never voted either, cuz I have even less experience in the field, and on the board. But it seemed to me that the approval process was so very fast!! Hardly gave the applicant time to respond. JMO

 

[Carol Bice]

As usual, there are more than two sides to every issue and I can identify with most of them.

I think my main gripe is when I open Flower chat and someone asks such basic questions that should have been known or learned before ever thinking about being in the industry.

Most of us spent a lot of time and money to learn what we know today. Is it right for us to have to educate them from the ground up? I am always willing to share, but, I feel they are responsible for studying their homework on their own time and their own money like we did.

If they don't do the homework on their own....they will fail anyway.

Those of us who did start from scratch either learned by working for low wages to learn the trade, trial and error (lots of errors) paid money to go to a school, or used our time and money to attend design shows and classes. Those that made it continue to pay money to educate themselves.

Why would I pay $500.00 to attend a three day seminar to learn techniques just so I could pass them on to newbies for free.

A similar scenero applies to my profession as a pipe organist. I paid a huge some of money and spent so many hours practicing to hone my skills

. Then I walk into a church and their thinking is: Since you already know how to play the organ....you should do it for free.
Why would I put in all those years just so I can play for free?

The same thing applies to newbies. I am more than willing to work with and give direction to someone, but, they should pay me for my hard earned knowledge.

This post makes me sound selfish, but, those that know me do know I certainly am not. I just don't know how to express this thought in a better light.

Carol Bice

 

[oaf]

The guy who wore the white hat...will be missed

I seem to spend half of my time here on this new member forum and am giving notice that I give up. I am resigning my position as faux gatekeeper.

If someone shows up that I need to know about, like particularly an astute order gatherer - someone please let me know. I gotta put this forum on ignore now before I go nuts (short trip - right around the corner)

OK - more nuts.


Understand your dilemma,time taken up being a good guy can overwhelm you,but i know i felt a whole lot happier knowing there was bloomzie in our corner,this site is a victim of it's own great reputation,it's crammed full of genuine and learned professionals,and it's a site i enjoy thoroughly.....it's gonna happen that those,that perhaps should not be here,try to get a perch on this site from which to pick our brains or undermine us financially.
AND I FOR ONE THANK,AND WILL MISS BLOOMZIE GUARDIANSHIP.
My testament will read,job well done........can we not twist your arm for a bit more of the same......just till a new custodian or group of custodians ride into town...........

 

[avflorist]

The interesting thing is, along the way I've become an alright designer. About half the photos under the Rosemont Weddings are of my work. I love wedding work.

Erlene, I can relate. I also came into this business when I lost my job as an engineer and bought a struggling flower shop. I learned design through my hardworking senior designer, attending design workshops, and buying/using the aifd books.
When I signed up on flowerchat, I thought everyone who applied had to fill out the questionnaire and I thought if any of the questions were not answered, the applicant would have to wait to be approved. I thought I was approved quickly because some of you know me from the other board. I'm surprised there are members here who shouldn't be, jmho. I've seen so many new intros lately, I sympathize with Bloomz, and you Erlene, that's a lot of new members to go through.

 

[goldfish]

I guess I'm the only one who has noticed quality dropping with quantity. :dunno:

I have noticed that. That's why I feel we need more new people with diverse background and experience.

The main reasons that we now have fewer business-debate is, I think, most oldtimers of FC got tired of repeating themselves. I know what they think for most of the topics I can think of.

I.e., oldtimers basically run of new ideas/topics to talk about. Scary, isn't it?

On the other hand, imagine that FC welcomed a FEDEX delivery guy who is thinking to buy a flower shop. Don't you want to hear from him? I would be VERY interested in what s/he will say. Or dry-cleaner owner, restaurant owner (well, I am one), police officer, or even disgraced politician?

Anyway, it is impractical to try to screen all the applicants. The cost to do the screening would outweigh the perceived benefit, so it won't work.

If we want to make FC a "better" place, there are many things we can do. First, we can initiate a thread. Two, we can respond to a thread. Even if the thread was initiated by a "stupid" question, we can always answer intelligently to turn it into a thread that's worth reading.

Small efforts like that, if we did it here and there, will make FC a much "better" place I'm sure.

 

[coastieflowers]

I'm a fairly new member and I have learned sooo much from this forum. I am buying a pos system and changing the way I do things, from taking ideas I have heard here. I hope to be able to pass on info to others.I appreciate all the ideas I have heard and I hope to contribute to help others.