Ausbonsai what to expect

[Pup]

This has been bugging me for sometime. I am often portrayed, as a grumpy old tyrant, that does not worry me. I am however concerned that what is being expected of the site, and the many practitioners of Bonsai and Penjing that frequent this site.

There are many that are newbies as they label themselves, there are many that are intermediate, there are also many ( though participation levels are low for these Masters not my word but a western concept ) experienced growers stylists technicians.

What do you want from your participation?. To be told the truth or have your ego stoked!.

When material is put up for evaluation, is it worth an experienced grower telling a poster the truth, so the poster is offended and puts it away, never to try and improve there knowledge or the tree.

I have said in the past and will again in the future, sticks in pots can be turned into Bonsai/Penjing. With guidance, so it brings us to the question what do you want from Ausbonsai.?
I have again in the past said, that I am willing to help anyone, be they a newbie or more advanced or even that elusive ( master ) as we are none so good we cannot learn something.
I even watch Garden shows because if I only learn a mistake it is some thing learned.

I do however get annoyed, when I am asked the same thing, about the same subject over and over, that has been covered.
When this forum was created by the administrators, they put in a search feature in, and it will find what you are looking for.

All it needs is a word that has been used. Like wiring or potting mixes, or pruning junipers. Or bottle brushes when to re pot.
Type it in and it will show many posts with it there. Then just read till you find what you want.
THEN when you have done that, ask your questions. Because you will have a better understanding, of what you are asking.
Then Ausbonsai has helped you. Also you will have helped yourself which is very satisfying.

Steven asked if we need a newbie page, I said no because I believe all the newbie questions are there and have been answered. You just have to look for it,

So I again ask ? what do you want from Ausbonsai help, or having it done for you, because if you do not do it you are not learning.

Just a thought I know I have heard it before Pup

[rowan]

Here is my opinion Apart from the fact that most searches in forums, all forums, are notoriously bad at finding what you want, I am in another forum unrelated to bonsai that went through an argument like this where experienced members began to tell every newbie with a question to search it instead of helping and answering the questions. It ended up where conversation just ceased because there were already answers for all the questions so there was no more to discuss. Eventually all the old-timers gave in and now it is a vibrant forum again.

Really no-one forces you to read or answer questions that you don't want to and everyone thinks that their problem is personal to them so want personalised answers. I really don't mind answering the same questions over and over. It can actually get me thinking about new responses and fixes at times.

I hope this makes sense as it is a bit of a ramble.


Rowan

[Pup]

I read from this, that I should just go away and leave it for more patient people. Who are willing to do it all for them eh!.

[Handy Mick]

Ha Ha two grumpy old men having a biff

[Craig]

I can see this thread getting heated
I understand what both posters have said ;
When i started Bonsai, i made it my job to research what i was looking . i watched all of the dvd's from all of the local public libraries(far and wide), i read all of the books i could find on the subject of Bonsai, and i mean all, there wasn't a book in any library i didn't read. I also read books about the type of trees i was interested in growing , so as to learn what they like/dislike and where they naturally grow etc. My personal feeling why some people don't reaserch is that they are just LAZY. Now i agree that just about all search functions on forums are NOT very good at all, but Google works wonders, I've really only had a pc for a couple of years but nowdays google is my fist choice.

Nobody should be made to feel like

that I should just go away and leave it for more patient people

, they should just go away and i've seen what you're talking about on other sites

where experienced members began to tell every newbie with a question to search it instead of helping and answering the questions. It ended up where conversation just ceased because there were already answers for all the questions so there was no more to discuss.

but feel if someone wants to reply to a topic, thats their choice and their right , just as it is someones right to ask stupid questions,.Your right you see the same questions over and over , i just smile and sometimes i might reply or other times i just move on and hopefully someone else will take care of it,, if the OP is too impatient they could always RESEARCH what they want to know.


What i expect from AusBonsai is ,, nothing, it's a great place to pick up very helpful information , see different trees styled by some very good Bonsai growers, anything else is a bonus As they say patients is the key and i guess that applies to replying to topics and newbies alike.. i myself have learnt a great deal from this site by slowly sifting my way through different sections. It all takes time. Regards Craig

[kcpoole]

Hey Pup I can agree with what you say and sympathise, but also agree Rowan

I think as long are there are forums, there will be the same issue.
Some people prefer to ask as searching can be "too difficult" and return far to many hits ( this will only increase with time too). Efficient Searching of online forums and topics is not really a thing that most take to easily. It can be sometimes hard and time consuming wading thru the many post

I think the easisest way to get a basic level of info out is to have a series of (locked ) threads that can be readily referenced as a "Basic guide". the idea of locking them, is so that they do not grow to epic proportions with every ones ( sometimes conflicting) thoughts and opinions
Possibly they can be linked to online videos ( Bonsai Farm? ) to show the topic.

We can then easily and politely point the Newbies at these so they can learn the answers to the simple questions that continually get asked.

the other form of disseminating info is a Wiki. These are linked documents and can be setup easily. the old Bonsai Talk one was often referenced by me and Others I know

Ken

[NathanM]

Personally, I don't really mind people being critical of my trees. I have only been doing bonsai for approx 3 years and have much to learn. I don't take it personally, and certainly have no ego to stroke.
The other reason I frequent Ausbonsai si to meet, talk to and hopefully make some friends who are also into bonsai

[Sean M]

As a self confessed newb I'm quite happy to go off and do all my own research and pick up a tree and give it a hack, in fact its what I've done on all bar 2 plants so far. The two that I did post up here with questions due to my lack of experience ended up with, don't bonsai it and treat it like any other one of that type. To me thats a little negative but I can understand the frustration of people asking the same questions without research. My big problem would be that if I posted a pic of a Bonsai I had worked on after doing all this research by myself and one of the so called masters (or anyone) were to turn around and tell me its crap (without some constructive critisism and how to improve it) I'd be willing to travel the distance to punch them in the suiseki's. But really I guess it comes down to personnal preference if you want to contribute. At least this forum doesn't jump on people for spelling mistakes!

[Guy]

I have many questions.

[blkrota]

Hmm what i ask of ausbonsai??

More pictures of quality work

[Ron]

In the past I've administered quite a few forums using phpBB and I think its search function leaves a heck of a lot to be desired.

I personally use this on most sites I want to search

xyzabc site:https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/forum

where, of course, xyzabc is the search parameter.

Google search can simply be added to a phpBB site as well:

https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... &t=1344605

[Handy Mick]

What do you mean Ron?

[Andrew Legg]

As a self confessed newb I'm quite happy to go off and do all my own research and pick up a tree and give it a hack, in fact its what I've done on all bar 2 plants so far. The two that I did post up here with questions due to my lack of experience ended up with, don't bonsai it and treat it like any other one of that type. To me thats a little negative . . . . . . I'd be willing to travel the distance to punch them in the suiseki's. But really I guess it comes down to personnal preference if you want to contribute. At least this forum doesn't jump on people for spelling mistakes!

Hey Sean,

You missed a " ' " in "that's". Oh, and "personal" has one "n". Just thought I'd point it out. Hope that's OK and you don't take it personally.

Cheers,

Andrew

[Leigh Taafe]

Hmm what i ask of ausbonsai??

More pictures of quality work

I would love to see this too. Techniques used to get good trees in shape, not just a picture of a good tree. I have started taking pictures of long term projects that I have been doing here at home. When I get some results from what I am doing, I will post the progression. I hope others will also do this. Would be great to see some progression and pictures of techniques being used by other experienced artists aswell.

[Andrew Legg]

On a more serious note . . . . I think that this forum will attract people of all types. You will get the Pups, the Rowans, the Craigs, the Ozzys and the Andrews. We are all different in the way we do bonsai and in what we expect from, and how we contribute to this site. You will get proactive people and you'll get lazy people. You'll get generational differences as well, where (and here I shall proceed with wild generalisations) the older generations would typically take more time to work things out themselves, and the younger e-generation just wants a quick fix. You'll get those that are fully immersed in the world of bonsai and those that got given a gift and just want the basics to keep it alive. They want a Google answer, a one liner. That's just who they are though. Is it wrong? Perhaps, or maybe not. It certainly is a different requirement.

My feeling is that you need to cater for all sorts. Those that want people to help themselves must simply ignore those that don't, but must not get discouraged to the point of not contributing. I guess what I am saying is contribute where you feel comfortable, but live and let live. Allow many different types of people to make use of this forum in parallel. Nobody is forcing anyone to interact with anyone else. If I see a post on Ficus, I ignore it as I don't find them interesting as bonsai. Sure there are beautiful specimens out there, but as a species they simply don’t float my boat. Same could be said for different types of people.

What do I want from Ausbonsai? I guess it is simple really. I want lots of images and progressions. I want photographic details showing interesting and non-standard techniques. I want to be stimulated (Bodhi's recent Cedar post is a fine example) and I want to be able to ask questions that I can't find answers to in my books. I use the search function, and find that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I want an open, honest, positive, constructive and informative e-bonsai experience. I seem to get that a lot here.