Late hello

[treecreeper]

I've just spotted this 'hello' forum. It seems I should have entered a post here before starting any other threads. Apologies for the breach of etiquette. In fact I have already started two threads and had the pleasure of encountering Hedge Witch, Lance Morgan, Tiggrx, Volence, Gill Catton, Shirl and Jdoherty.

I love WAB already, not least for the friendly and civilised tone of the discussions. It is not always so. About a year ago I discovered Rogersmushrooms, run by wildlife photographer and author Roger Phillips. Unfortunately I arrived in the middle of a furious argument between two posters. I forget what the original dispute was, the identity of a cortinarius or something. But it had got personal and they were calling down curses on each other in the most unmycological language. Others were pleading with Roger to intervene but alas the saviour did not come. I did not stay for the final issue. Possibly the combatants eventually fell apart exhausted. Then just recently a new member posted a picture of a jelly fungus for comment. An existing member suggested a species. The newcomer said he was not convinced. I'M NOT TRYING TO CONVINCE YOU was the snarled reply. I'M JUST MAKING A SUGGESTION. Touchy! The newcomer, evidently a gent, was embarrassed into muttering an apology and withdrawing.

But I digress. A brief self introduction: I worked in computer programming for 29 years and wangled an early retirement. I'm too young to be really retired so I intend to look for work ....later. My main interests are botany and mycology but I read any books I can get hold of on British mammals, amphibians and reptiles. I have just in the last fortnight started on birds but may have started with an ornithological faux pas. I joined a local naturalists' society, all birdwatchers, and went to one of their indoor meetings a couple of Fridays ago. I asked some of them about taxonomy and subspecies and they just stared at me. It was only on the way home I realised I had been sunconciously thinking of birds as plants, rooted to one spot and creating local and distinct populations. Birds, of course, move around and breed widely. A difficult concept for a botanist. I hope they're not still sniggering at me.

So I hope I will fit in to the peaceful and contented village that is WAB. I hope to accumulate some electronic friends and contacts but haven't worked out how to go about this. Do you join the groups? If I click on 'Group Memberships' it looks like I am only eligible to join 'WAB Volunteers'. This sounds like I'll be obliged to help dig a frog pond....

[sunnydale]

Hello Treecreeper. An interesting read, thank you!

A warm welcome to WAB. I hope you enjoy getting to know us and I'm sure you will make many 'cyber-friends' along the way. It's easier than you think really....
If there's a member who you wish to offer a friendship request to, simply veiw their profile page where you will find a box with all their current friends listed. There will be a 'Befriend (name of whoever you've chosen) link to click on at the bottom of this box. Click and follow the instructions from there!

Hope that helps.

Tracey

[Ollie]

Hi Treecreeper and a warm welcome from me. Sure you will find this a very enjoyable place to spend some time.

[ellen h]

Hello and welcome to WAB
ellen

[Hedge Witch]

Hi treecreeper, for various reasons I LOVE you already

Thank you!

And welcome

Hedge

[Deer Stalker]

Hi Treecreeper.

[treecreeper]

Thankyou for all these welcomes!

I've just thought of another nice thing I can say about WAB. There is no obvious evidence of moderators in jackboots stifling the discussion. This is not true of all forums. I also belong to one called Studentroom which you are allowed to join as a former student. I use it for the maths sub-forum. Just last week I posted a humourous little piece about some amusing scientific illiteracy in the morning paper; an ad for a solar power generator where they had confused energy with power. I was waiting for my mathematical friends to chortle along with me when the post just disappeared. Then I received an email with the terrifying title YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. It was from one of the moderators. He had deleted the post because it was 'not maths'. There was even an itemised charge sheet which listed the offence as 'inappropriate spamming'. I was fined 3 electronic points and told I would be banned if my total reached 10. I sent a reply asking him why he did not simply move the post to the physics forum. No answer. The injustice so wrankled that I made another politely worded post - a mere electronic raised eyebrow - asking if other participants had had posts deleted. Within two minutes that post disappeared and I was fined another point!

[Hedge Witch]

Originally Posted by treecreeper

Thankyou for all these welcomes!

I've just thought of another nice thing I can say about WAB. There is no obvious evidence of moderators in jackboots stifling the discussion. This is not true of all forums. I also belong to one called Studentroom which you are allowed to join as a former student. I use it for the maths sub-forum. Just last week I posted a humourous little piece about some amusing scientific illiteracy in the morning paper; an ad for a solar power generator where they had confused energy with power. I was waiting for my mathematical friends to chortle along with me when the post just disappeared. Then I received an email with the terrifying title YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. It was from one of the moderators. He had deleted the post because it was 'not maths'. There was even an itemised charge sheet which listed the offence as 'inappropriate spamming'. I was fined 3 electronic points and told I would be banned if my total reached 10. I sent a reply asking him why he did not simply move the post to the physics forum. No answer. The injustice so wrankled that I made another politely worded post - a mere electronic raised eyebrow - asking if other participants had had posts deleted. Within two minutes that post disappeared and I was fined another point!

WOW, power-crazy or what, LOL

[treecreeper]

Originally Posted by treecreeper

.... Within two minutes that post disappeared and I was fined another point!

I forgot to add, the charge sheet for this listed the offence as 'Disputing a Moderator's Decision'

[diggleken]

Hi Treecreeper, welcome indeed, you power-crazed leftie subversive.
Enjoy!
Ken