Nice try, have you any information on the topic or how about some more qwips. I live in California…and no I am not a tree hugging lefty…not that is a bad thing. And being new to the FWW site I had no idea of the range.
So do you have something constructive or are you one the chat rooom hooligans that rome cyber space looking for gratification.
Replies
Oh dear, Coach, this has gotten off to a bad start, hasn't it? Richard Jones (SgianDubh) is a woodworker extrordinaire, well published and quite a big help here at Knots when he has time to stop by. Yep, he causes his share of trouble, but in good spirit for the most part. When I first "met" him here at Knots, he was living in Texas I believe, but has since gone back over the pond. Here's an article from a few years ago as an introduction.
http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/ezine/archive/55/todaysww.cfm
We have many memebers from places other than the US incliding Israel, Australia, Great Britain, eastern Europe, Mexico, South America to name a few. It's truly a global group.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 3/2/2007 11:28 am by forestgirl
Coach,
Welcome to Knots. Sorry that you got off to a slippery start with Sgian Dubh. I recommend that you take heed to the words of forestgirl (above). Richard Jones (Sgian Dubh) is one of the most knowledgeable and most helpful folks on Knots. His work is of the highest quality, and he is a nice guy. He's been quite helpful to me.
You are new to Knots. My suggestion is that you read a lot of the threads. Soon you get a feel for the place. After a short while, you find out who the "regulars" are, and you get to know them by name. There are a few who are pretty crusty, but you haven't run into them yet. When you do, it's best to relax. Escalation is always a bad thing here.
You don't see many "fights" here on Knots. The SysOp steps it when it gets personal, and that's a good thing. He too is a nice guy, and he hangs back before he asks for order.
So I recommend a slow and easy introduction of yourself into Knots. As someone recommended, it is good to introduce yourself by telling folks the type of woodwork you do, how long you have been at it, what your special skills and interests are, etc. Then, they know better how to respond to you. There is no doubt that Knots has its own "culture". It is very hard (impossible) to change that culture. And it is usually best, when entering a new culture, to look around and see how best to fit in.
One guy came in a few month ago, and made a lot of posts in a few days. I could see it coming. I wrote to him, and urged some moderation, but escalation was his way. He dropped out after a month. I hope you stay around.
If someone says something that gets to you, it is best not to answer them on-line. There is an option when you go to post your response, in which you can answer that person by email and it only goes to that person. I believe that most misunderstandings are best handled like that.
Coming on strong against Richard will not win you a lot of friends. He is definitely not a "chatroom hooligan". I was really taken aback by your comment. Knots is a very civilized place. If I were you, I'd apologize to him via aprivate response, and work on building a good relationship with him. You'll find him to be one of the best sources of woodworking wisdom around.
Have fun. Welcome to the Knots world.
Enjoy.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Never been much for chat rooms or any such thing...like I said I answered a poll and now I have had 20 some hits...most positive...thank you for your help.
I was raised to be polite to everyone when you first meet them...how well you do this or that doesn't buy a ticket to be rude to people....having been a Coach all these years does cause one to react in a certain manner to someone who is rude.
Helpful is what you and others are and it is much appreciated. You seek understanding and common ground...ie polite to others...in my classroom full criminals we work from a point of respect....respect is earned and then returned.
I respect you for being forth coming...thank you.
"If I were you, I'd apologize to him via aprivate response... " If recollection serves me right, Richard does not accept email via Knots. I'll be a contrarian and disagree with your suggestion that when someone rubs one the wrong way, s/he respond by email. It's much more productive, IMHO, to find a way to respond in public that defuses the situation. It's good practice, LOL.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Forestgirl,
Sorry it has taken so long for me to respond. I am at Big Sky, Montana and have not had any access to computers or newspapers or any contact with the outside world. I will return to the normal world in three days. This morning, someone let me borrow their computer for a few minutes, so I saw that you wrote.
You said that you disagreed with sending back a private message if someone gives you grief. I guess that either way would work. Two times since I have joined Knots, people have written to me saying that they were upset with something that I had said. Both of those times, I replied by private email and the situation was rectified immediately. Both of the parties misunderstood my poor attempts at humor, and were satisfied with an explanation.
I don't get into discussions in which folks seem to be "on the edge". No fun. I'd rather hang around with excellent woodworkers who are a bit more laid back. Life is to short to get angry about how one chops a mortise.
Y'all have fun.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Good Day Coach,
Can't say I played any serious football, but had a lot of years in hockey at all levels. On any given day, a lesser team could beat another higher ranked team IF everything clicked. Agree?
Life is like sports in many respects - there are those days when we wonder what happened to the expected results. You have done nothing wrong with your original question - absolutely nothing wrong. Mr. Jones reciprocated with a question and the communication after that got a little skewed. Water under the bridge.
The rookie and the senior player got to beating chests after a misunderstanding. Neither meant any disrespect, the words were perhaps ill chosen, but I am positive no offense was meant.
Education never stops, becasue a mind not challenged and strving to learn is wasted. Here on this forum Coach, everyone has something to give and share with the others and there is so much to be be learned. Are you up to the challenge to give and take?
Please put the past behind, and share your thoughts, talents and desire to be a better woodworker with the rest of us. Synergy is contagious. You will find there is so much to be gained on KNOTS and life is too short to carry ill feelings.
Welcome. What's your speciality regarding woodworking? Mine is taking expenive cherry and reducing it to even more expensive sawdust. Glad to meet you.
Bob
I enjoyed your response. Your are quite correct about the aspects of compitition. I have won championships and also prayed that everything would click at least once so we would have at least one win.
To me sports and life are no different at all. If you quit trying to get better you just exist..there are too many just existing. Some exist to impress, others thrieve in obscurity.
True, I am a rookie when it comes to chatrooms, but not in the world of sport/life/woodworking. I make a good living building nice things and teaching my criminal kids how to act in a decent manner. They learn the importance of treating others with respect. I stopped beating my chest a long time ago. A Gorilla beats his chest to get attention, or to intimidate. Confidence is not having to beat your chest.
In College football all the coaches know that when the game starts we will all be under pressure and will say and do things with extreme intensity...not anger. We, as men, leave the field in complete confidense that we are still professionals/collegues and friends, and what ever was said during the game...was during the game. If one fires a shot at another we chalk it up to the game...we never take shots just for spite.
I have learned a great deal in the last 24 hours...mostly about the character of woodworkers...like good coaches most will give all they have to help another coach. It is impressive to see you people ralley to keep the integrity of this forum. I would not intensionally do anything to harm what you have.
Synergy is important, it is an action word. Respect is also a verb...it is earned and then returned. Every truely great player respects the game, ALL the other players on the field and all who partake in the sport.
I am glad that you took time to welcome me. My friends refer to me as the wood butcher...(fondly I hope). My specialty is taking twice as long as it should to get something done. As is exhibited by the length of this reply.
Next time I will not answer the poll question...I will sneek in and look around first to see if there is a spot for me...sorry to have busted in on your conversations...I know better now.
Nice to meet you Bob....and yes after fifteen years of coaching even my principal calls me Coach B
Thanx
Good Morning Coach,
Well I have the utmost respect for anyone who works with young people; regardless, of whether they have learned criminal ways or not. Moulding a bunch of tough lads is l supose like trying to make a sculture out of granite - nothing comes easy but the finished product can be a marvel to behold if given half a chance. Hopefully we all learn very early that everyone is an individual, is unique and has a position waiting for them in society - how they chose to be represented in society is all up to them. A major lesson in life is whether or not to bust through a wall or move quietly and skillfully around it to achieve the same goal.
My coaching invloved rich young ladies whose parents wanted them to learn to be soccer players. The first lesson learned was where to park their attitude and sense of snobbishness. Once they understood the rules of life and the soccer pitch, then we got along marvelouosly. The parents were the bane of my existance, but our team results spoke for themselves over almost 20 seasons. Every young lady that came in to our camp worrying about their hair and nails - 7 years later I am proud to say they exited the program for the most part fine human beings. They respected their opponent, played the game hard and fast and if unnecessarily challenged gave back 2X harder than they recieved and most importantly deveopled their individuality within the framework of the team environment.
It is rare in these modern days that many people are prepared to practice what they preach. I have learned during my several decades of coaching that the young atheletes would watch my every action and word looking for that one mistake, one variance from the game plan and if they found one deviation, they would question my very existance. When the message was clear from the beginning, expectations were stated, the game plan etched in their minds and MY zero tolerance for "eye for an eye" mentality - then the game seemed to flow naturally and the results were usually predictable.
Is wood working any different? Unfortunately I think for most of us, it is. This is not a team sport but rather a solitary existance. The woodworking hobbyist is usually alone in their shop bringing together every possible once of wisdom and many times unlearned skills needed to create a finished project.
I find my self challenged in the spheres of mathematics and physics when pondering a certain "how can I" type problem. My university chemistry classes come back to enlighten me when I estimate the potential properties of various adhesives and finish combinations. But none of my higher education really makes a damn bit of difference when the joint blows out and the finish won't cure because .... So rather than spending the next 30 years of my life to learn how the hard way, I want to know NOW!! This and other forums afford me that pleasure.
So Coach, I find myself taking woodworking classes and I love to learn! :) I enjoy lurking in the 15 or so forums I regularly visit to glean every once of wisdom and experience the sage ones will share with the woodworking community.
One thing has become clear to me and it is that in every walk of life, in every profession and most certainly in those fields of study that invlove creativity, knowledge and experience can, but not always, bring a certain air of snobbishness with it. A inquiring mind is a precious thing to behold and how the "master" or "coach" imparts their advice is as important as the advice itself. It is not easy to become an elites, it takes years of learning and mastering a craft, but how one handles their status and how one disperses their knowledge, well that distinguishes their real character. There was a comment on one of the woodworking forums why Mr. Glen Huey would share all of his finishing knowledge with the public - it could be used against him as a competitive advantage. The comment itself illustrates the problem, Mr Huey is a professional, has lots of skills and knowledge to share and he does it a sense of courtesy and repsect to all - that is the mark of a true professional and fine human being.
The point is Coach, that many of the learned people here are willing to share their knowledge with the rookies, those rookies are people like you and I. The manner they decide to deliver their knowledge to us, whether condescending or supportive is their choice. I also know that everyone, including myself can have a "bad day" and our normal happy, smiley self can and will change - those days are rare but they do happen. So I suspect that most "professionals" will always be happy to help out the needy. I am old enough now that I will tolerate some crankiness, but when pushed far enough I will inform someone when they have crosses the boundry of acceptable behaviour. You sir, have exercised your franchise, your opinion and my hat is off to you.
"The price of greatness is responsibility". "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."
Now if I can only figure out how to rip a 3" thick cherry board on a table saw built for 2-1/4" thick wood? I supose their is an answer somewhere on a forum? :)
Bob
Glen Huey is a good man and has helped me alot..we all have a lot to learn from his straight forward approach. One who is confident in their abilities knows that they are on a life long learning experience. Glen is a master...go ahead and try to do what he does...a multitude of technique never equates to talent. The hardest part of coaching is not screwing up your good players.
When you are a coach you give the players the glory and you cover them by taking the abuse from the community. Anyone who has held a job must be reviewed...we all must handle being critiqued...that's how we get better. If everyone said everthing we did was great we would all be like to people we see on American Idol the first several weeks.
Like you I have tried to injest all the knowledge one can and it has paid off. Always seek the wisdom of the masters...their attitude is the most important...they are not brash, ego drivin, people they are dedicated people who share all they have. They don't need plans from FWW they design and create and exercise that what God gave them with HIS attitude.
Coach-You've spent most of your efforts so far in this forum talking about yourself. While that may even be of interest to some others besides you, when may we expect a woodworking contribution?
I have answered one pole question(an attempt at a contribution) and spent the last two days defending myself. I had a miscommunication with another person WE have fixed that..read all the entries.
But now I am still getting shot at...I have tried to answer everyone who has responded. Some have asked for and received explaination..examples given were from my own background to point to certain beliefs that I had about "preceived" rudeness. Most people who have followed this understand what happened..others insist it is their busness as well.
I have got to meet alot of people..most positive and very helpful...then there those not so positive. I have written alot about the generally high quality of most of the people who have responded.
I have asked questions in other areas as well. But then I have explain what I need and thats kinda like talking about myself as well.
I would love to finish this whole thing and get on with enjoying my new subscription of FWW on line.
Coach-In your response to my comment about you talking a lot about yourself, I count fourteen uses of the word "I" or its synonyms. Please say something about woodworking, just so we'll know you have other interests.
???Splinter "Trying to figure out if i've drunk too much Robitussin" groupie
The funny thing is that I've only just discovered this thread and it's been running for more than 24 hours.
Guys and gals. Leave CoachB alone. A misunderstanding occurred between us. I haven't said sorry, and nor has he, but we've exchanged a message or two. I don't believe there's a need to apologise either way. I think it's probably time to just move along.
I'll continue to be helpful when I feel like it, pugnacious when that mood strikes me, and blunt when it suits me. Hell, I've been doing exactly that on this forum for eight or nine years now. I'm not likely to change until I get senile-- or dead, whichever comes first.
Given time we'll all find out what CoachB is like too. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
"I'm not likely to change until I get senile-- or dead, whichever comes first." Oh dear, hope you don't rush into either state, Richard! <grin>forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Man you guys (and dolls), are one polite crowd! I decided to stick my head in here because I love woodworking and make $$ at it when it comes my way. I'm a regular on the other side of the tracks at Breaktime where bloody noses and black eyes are the norm especially in the political realm. Difference between the trades and their worlds I s'pose. You guys could teach them a thing or two over there but be cautious I warn you.Civilized exchange is a good thing.
"Civilized exchange is a good thing." Trust me, we have our moments, LOL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hey, I resemble that remark!
You guys could teach them a thing or two over there but be cautious I warn you.
I know without even going over there that it's child's play compared to what used to pass for the norm online. When I first got online almost 13 years ago nobody seemed to have considered the idea that having some sort of supervision on forums (especially where politics was "discussed") was a good idea, much less necessary.
Civilized exchange is a good thing.
Agreed! Free speech is a good thing too. Civilized folk figure out how to have both.
Richard,Glad you posted this, 'cause I was about to say about the same (for you) in support of Coach.Coach,from someone who has recently been accused of a too-confrontational approach here myself, welcome. Ignore the recent wave of irritability. Maybe some of the denizens missed their naps. (oops there I go again!)Lately there have been too many self-appointed forum "police" here.Have fun.
Richard,
I asked a question in another thread(is that the right term) about a possible replacement motor for my Jet contractors saw. I was looking at a Baldor cl3515 2hp with 23/11.5 full load amps, completely enclosed...I heard Baldor is good. They sell this in the Woodworkers Pro supply catalogue.
I know there is a lot of motor companies out there and I wondered if you had some knowledge about this type of thing.
Coach,Sorry. I'm not the guy to ask about this. I've never owned a piece of equipment with a Baldor motor. So I don't have direct experience.That said, Baldor is known for high-quality equipment. They are one of the few manufacturers who make motors in which the windings can be wired to accomplish electrical breaking on shut-down.Rich
Thanx, seems like I'm headin in the rite direction
Hey CoachB
Welcome and I am looking forward to seeing more from you.
If I caused you any heartburn, I apologize: if I gave you some food for thought, I am glad. :-) JL
Richard,
Just like the hooligan I knew you were, there ya go, stirring the puddin again.
Cheers,
Ray
Thank you all....means alot....I am done...see ya soon
Y'all don't be long now....
Philip Marcou
Oh, for pity sake! Near as I've seen, you rarely participate in any discussions around here. Now you pop in and harrass a newcomer 'cause he's not talking about what you want him to?!
Coach: Don't pay any attention. There's an orange ignore button below, if you choose to use it.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Ref SgianDubh 34812.19
Prior to my blunder with SgianDubh, my main interest was minding my own business and surfing for tips and tricks that could help me make some more money...I just used 9 m's.
<<< "So do you have something constructive or are you one the chat rooom hooligans that rome cyber space looking for gratification" >>>
The guy asked a question- You don't have to answer it, you can go on to something more your style- No one specifically requested your evaluation of the subject matter-Your rudeness is optional, adolescent behavior- Grow up-
I guess that sticking you nose in is what a chat room is about..take you own advice or is this your style...things have been worked out your are way late.
Coach, the true curmudgeons are coming out of the woodwork now. Pay no attention, LOL!!
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Thank you for your help...Ron mentioned this forum has been going on for a long time..I got the impression from the Mag that this online thing was new for subscribers....obviously not...maybe a short history lesson when ya get some time
Knots has been around for a long, long, long time -- I've been a member since 2002, and I'm considered a newbie by the original crowd. The "paid" section -- the part that you must pay for -- is a pretty new thing, and that's what you read about in the magazine (probably). Includes the "Ask the Experts" forum, and all the video and article downloads and such.
If you have time, hang out for awhile, read the threads that are of interest, and you'll get a feel for the ebb and flow and of people's expectations and quirks <grin>. Hope to see you around!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Thanx for the info...much appreciated.
Sorry, Richard mentioned the forum had been here a long time....
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