A Little Winge

[trampas45]

I, recently, read a thread regarding bird feeders and decided to add my tuppence worth. Unfortunately something was mentioned that i did not understand. When I read the thread again the thread originator had quoted me and sent a reply. His reply seemed rather condescending and did not clarify the piece that I had not understood. I in turn replied to him in rather short shrift.
All I ask is that members should try to realise that some of us are just starting out on the journey into the natural world and some are more clued up than others. If an element of snobbery is added into this site then some people will become disillusioned and will not progress further for fear of being alienated.
Not all of us are in high paying jobs and can afford expensive equipment. What may appear cheap to some is a luxury to others.
I'm sorry that I have had to write this but I have seen things that I do not like. I love being a WABer, I want to stay a WABer.

[eeyore]

my advice for whats its worth is that if you see something you dont like , tell a mod by using the report post button at the top left of each post.

replying in short shrift is something that i'm very prone to , too but it doesnt really help in the long run - my knuckles have been rapped a few times for it i'm not afraid to admit - better to rise above it and let admin/mods sort it out

that said you are dead right about the need not to make assumptions and to answer queries politely , but not making assumptions is a two way street - its also important not to assume that just because someone has or reccomends expensive kit that they are necessarily rolling in it or that they dont know what its like to be hard up - some of the folk on here who have expensive gear have saved long and hard for it in some cases even extending to taking second jobs specifically to pay for an item they really want for their hobby.

[trampas45]

Originally Posted by eeyore

my advice for whats its worth is that if you see something you dont like , tell a mod by using the report post button at the top left of each post.

replying in short shrift is something that i'm very prone to , too but it doesnt really help in the long run - my knuckles have been rapped a few times for it i'm not afraid to admit - better to rise above it and let admin/mods sort it out

that said you are dead right about the need not to make assumptions and to answer queries politely , but not making assumptions is a two way street - its also important not to assume that just because someone has or reccomends expensive kit that they are necessarily rolling in it or that they dont know what its like to be hard up - some of the folk on here who have expensive gear have saved long and hard for it in some cases even extending to taking second jobs specifically to pay for an item they really want for their hobby.

Fair comment.
It's just something that I needed to get of my chest.
Thanks for your words of wisdom once again.
May the roads rise to meet your feet and the wind be always at your back.

[StuartDH]

It's a bit of craft trying to communicate in forums without offending people or taking things the wrong way. Don't worry about it too much. We get a million visitors a year on WAB and with 17,000 members we're bigger than most towns so you going to find people of all types. If anyone is genuinely offensive then feel free to report the post to mods and we'll take a look.

I read the thread and, to be honest, I didn't detect anything in the posts by other members that was particularly offensive...saying that you maybe hadn't understood the question seems to be a fair comment and I notice that the other member was even newer than you to the site. Anyway, not worth getting too bothered about, but if you think that you went over the top in your reply then it wouldn't do any harm to apologise in the thread.

Just one thing I noticed about your post in the thread and some others on the site...it was in capital letters, which is often used as a way of shouting in forums and so it rarely comes across as friendly.

[tigger]

I must admit I do have some sympathy for Trampas45. Acronyms seem to be used on the internet all the time (and in general conversation and text messages).... I'm still not sure what LOL means....

For some of us that weren't born in the age of the text message, please write stuff out in full... then there shouldn't be any confusion.

Thanks. TTFN (see what I mean!)... Jane

[pressld2]

Hi Tigger,

LOL traditionally means "Laughing Out Loud" although a fairly large number of people think it means "Lots of Love" and often use it in that context.

Dave P.

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by tigger

I must admit I do have some sympathy for Trampas45. Acronyms seem to be used on the internet all the time (and in general conversation and text messages).... I'm still not sure what LOL means....

For some of us that weren't born in the age of the text message, please write stuff out in full... then there shouldn't be any confusion.

Thanks. TTFN (see what I mean!)... Jane

Hey Jane...
I had to ask a WABer what LOL meant (I thought it meant "lots of love" (and found that a bit creepy on a website...).
Then I had to ask same WABer what ROFL meant also...
Live and learn eh?
Sorry.
LAL. eh?

Doug




edited.
Ah. Yet again. Just read another message before mine, in this case Dave P's.
Note to self - READ WHOLE THREAD!

[smartie]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

Then I had to ask same WABer what ROFL meant also...

I still don't know, but I've never been brave enough to ask

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by smartie

I still don't know, but I've never been brave enough to ask

It means Rolls On Floor Laughing, so I'm told, Smartie.

On the subject of little whinges, I'd like to point out one, if I may. (nothing to do with this thread though).

Definitely is spelled like that. WITH AN I!!! (as in Finite).
In no way shape or form is definitley spelled definately. EVER!
Seems to be an epidemic of "Definatelys" on WAB these days...

Don't believe me?

Very grumpy, tired old Doug.
I think I'll retire to bed...

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by smartie

I still don't know, but I've never been brave enough to ask

roll on floor laughing

the other common one is

lmao = laugh my (rude word) off

ocasionally used together if something is really funny - as in roll on the floor laughing my oooo off ROFLMAO

---

other common ones are

btw = by the way
imo = in my opinion
imho= in my honest opinion
ime= in my experience

there are also a host of less pleasant ones such as GAL = get a life and numerous featuring the letter F but hopefully no one will see or use these on wab

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

It means Rolls On Floor Laughing, so I'm told, Smartie.

On the subject of little whinges, I'd like to point out one, if I may. (nothing to do with this thread though).

Definitely is spelled like that. WITH AN I!!! (as in Finite).
In no way shape or form is definitley spelled definately. EVER!
Seems to be an epidemic of "Definatelys" on WAB these days...

Don't believe me?

Very grumpy, tired old Doug.
I think I'll retire to bed...

i'll definutely take that into account in future - difinetely

[tigger]

Glad you told me what ROFL means... why do we have to use them???... ever???? If you can't keep a dictionary of these things in your head (like me...) you end up trying to work out what a post even means before you can reply... in my eyes (and I'm only in my early 40's) it's all very unnecessary.... bah! humbug!

Forums are supposed to be for everyone... young and old... so lets use proper english... PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE? (does that mean I'm shouting???)

Thanks

Jane

[eeyore]

it is interesting to note the different meanings of the same acronym to different people tho - the one that started all this off was GSW = in birding terms greater spotted woodpecker - however if i told my freind terresa that i'd seen a gsw in the course of my day she would definitely be alarmed .... because shes a trauma nurse and in the medical lexicon gsw comes out as gun shot wound

[tigger]

Exactly my point!

There are probably gun shot wounds all over the Wild About Britain Forum.... very messy!

Jane

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by eeyore

i'll definutely take that into account in future - difinetely

RIGHT.
THATS IT.

FETCH ME MY GUN!

Doug

[epops]

Originally Posted by tigger

Glad you told me what ROFL means... why do we have to use them???... ever???? If you can't keep a dictionary of these things in your head (like me...) you end up trying to work out what a post even means before you can reply... in my eyes (and I'm only in my early 40's) it's all very unnecessary.... bah! humbug!

Forums are supposed to be for everyone... young and old... so lets use proper english... PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE? (does that mean I'm shouting???)

Thanks

Jane

you should try and have a conversation with my daughter on msn she say things like <wsg/.@ nhgmlk> and expect me to no what it means i then have to end up phoning her anyway to ask what she just said lol ohps just done the lol thing sorry

[coasty]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

It means Rolls On Floor Laughing, so I'm told, Smartie.

On the subject of little whinges, I'd like to point out one, if I may. (nothing to do with this thread though).

Definitely is spelled like that. WITH AN I!!! (as in Finite).
In no way shape or form is definitley spelled definately. EVER!
Seems to be an epidemic of "Definatelys" on WAB these days...

Very grumpy, tired old Doug.
I think I'll retire to bed...

Just think Doug in a few years time we will Definately all be speaking like this,,,,

Postcard to Granny.......

YO LTNC, HRU?

WL I JST GT BK FRM CRTE. :-( ND WZ XLNT. GT UP2 SO MCH FRU OT D 2WKS. 1ST WK WNT FST. :-(. WNT 2 RSTRN LKN OVA D HRBR, D SCNRY WHR WE STAYD WZ MAZIN :-) I RLXD FRU OT D 2WS. DA WEVR WZ LUVLY AD NA RAIN! ;-) WNT 2D BEACH KPL TMZ ND SPNT MST OFD HOL SUNIN MSLF. ONLI WNT RD NM LOL :$ GT BK 2DYS GO ND AV ALRDY BN SHPIN ND GN 2 WRK ND WNT 2GR8 PRT WZ SAL. <0-). IZA OGNIZIN BBQ 4 AL MI M8S NXTWKD ND WIL B OFF NOTHR HOL IN 2WKS WCH WIL B GD FC, HP 2CUSN.

ATB, BFN XOXOXOXOX


And Now the Translation,,,,,

Hello, long time no see,
How are you?

Well I just got back from Crete (sad face) and it was excellent. Got up to so much throughout the two weeks. First week went fast (sad face). Went to restaurant looking over the harbour, the scenery where we stayed was amazing (smiley face). I relaxed throughout the two weeks. The weather was lovely and no rain! (winking smiley face). Went to the beach a couple of times and spent most of the holiday sunning myself. Got back two days ago and have already been shopping and gone to work and went to a great party was such a laugh. I am organising a BBQ for all my mates next weekend and will be off on another holiday in two weeks which will be good fingers crossed, hope to see you soon,

all the best, bye for now
XOXOXOXOX

How will you manage???

Andy

[The Black Rabbit]

Hmmm.

In that case...


I'm off now.
To scoop my eyeballs out with a rusty spoon.

[tigger]

Can I borrow it after you?

Jane

[StuartDH]

It's one of the reasons why we've got rules in the forums that include things like:

"All content must be in English and not abbreviated texting or slang"

We don't enforce it too heavily, but we have asked some members in the past to not post abbreviations, especially when they're veiled insults

[naturelover]

So glad someone has exsplained this to me at last,i am of the older generation and i have trouble knowing what all these letters mean,i have alway wrote how i speak,i even text the same, then every one knows what you are on about.

[tigger]

Well in the future I'm afraid I will be asking for a "translation" of any abbreviations or acronyms.... they do my head in!

Jane

[NickCantle]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

Hmmm.

In that case...


I'm off now.
To scoop my eyeballs out with a rusty spoon.

lmao

That was a genuine one too