New Members!

I've recently noticed an influx of new members on this site. Normally, someone on a site would welcome new members and advise them to ask any questions they may have in order to learn from experienced tomato growers. After reading comments and questions from many of the new members, I believe it may be more appropriate to say "Welcome! I look forward to learning more from you".

Ted

[KarenO]

I'm pretty new and I have learned a great deal on this site and I check in nearly every day. I am not an inexperienced gardener and sometimes I have chimed in with my "two cents worth" and have felt welcome in the conversation too. The best part so far has been participating in a seed swap where I was so delighted to recieve my package I felt like a kid at Christmas! I suppose many new members are passionate gardeners like me and not "newbies" to tomato growing although, like me, are not in any way professional growers. We can all learn from each other and I would encourage everyone to contribute to the forum as it will only make it better.
KO

[Tania]

Ted, what a great post!

Karen, I am so glad to see you here!

And warm welcome for everyone who joined recently! This is a great forum where we continue to learn from each other and share our experiences, successes and failures.

Tatiana

[KarenO]

Thank you Ted and Tatania! Truly though, the main reason I am here is to learn from tomato experts like yourselves. (ps Tania, I cannot WAIT to try the seeds I got from you!!) spring is such a long way off for me as northern Alberta is hardly a famous hotbed of tomato production. I enjoy the challenge though... haha!
Thanks for the welcome.
KO

[carolyn137]

I'll add another comment about new member intros in TownHall,

Many do say welcome and ask all the questions you want to, and they do, in that welcome thread which is not seen by everyone.

I think it's better to say to the person to please take a look at the different Forums and ask the questions in the Forums, maybe to do a search .

I'm all for all questions and answers being public so as many folks who want to answer can do so, and not that many spend time in Town Hall welcoming new members.

Just something to consider.

Carolyn

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by tedln

I've recently noticed an influx of new members on this site. Normally, someone on a site would welcome new members and advise them to ask any questions they may have in order to learn from experienced tomato growers. After reading comments and questions from many of the new members, I believe it may be more appropriate to say "Welcome! I look forward to learning more from you".

Ted

There is far more horticultural expertise here, both new and old, than anyone could possibly even hope for from any single site! And every type of "expertise" too! From the "redneck genius" that can create something useful from old junk laying around the farm, to the most "high tech" hydroponic grower and everything in between! Same with varieties offered. From a family heirloom where someone simply selected seed from the best plant in their garden for 40 years in a row, to genetic scientists roaming the world for specific genes to add to their experimental lines, and everything in between!

I have seriously become addicted to this site! I thought I was addicted to tomatoes before. I even thought I knew a little something about tomatoes and growing things. Boy am I humbled after being on this site a few months!

You are 1000% right Ted!

[Mischka]

77 new member accounts were reviewed, approved and activated this morning @ 5:20 a.m. EST. I want to thank all of you for making our new arrivals feel welcome and right at home among us.

I know that some will inevitably ask questions that we've already answered many times before but when you're helping someone learn, repeating yourself as often as necessary is always a good deed... and brings you good karma, too.

I've seen other forums "welcome" new members that ask questions by demanding that they use the search feature. While the search feature can be very helpful, it is far from perfect and limited in scope. It's a very good feeling to know that we don't do that here.

OK, it's time to go outside and feed/water my menagerie. It's a balmy 13°F here this morning. The guinea fowl and peafowl are still huddled under their heat lamps, heads tucked under their wings while the geese, sheep and goat are already squawking for breakfast.

Spring can never come soon enough for this Yankee boy.

[OmahaJB]

Just read through the first few threads in that forum. Unless I missed something I didn't see anything wrong with the way new members were greeted. Appeared to just be friendly TV'ers welcoming new members. The new members seem to enjoy the conversation.

[carolyn137]

Well yes, I did say MAYBE do a search in my post above as well as looking at the site, as in looking at the various forums.

I guess it's the first time ever that I did mention a search, but I do think it works well, however, as with Google you sometimes have to use different words in different orders to get a result, that I admit.

My main concern is many saying ask all the questions you want to, which is fine, but with many new folks they start asking those questions in the welcome thread which is perhaps not the best place to ask them IMO, as I tried to explain above.

Carolyn, who isn't plowed out yet, so no snow removal, no mail delivered and no one to take the trash out for pickup today.If anything starts stinking she'll just light more and more balsm incense sticks.

[GnomeGrown]

Ted, Mischka and Carolyn<

Thank you for the warm welcome to Tomatoville!

[peppero]

"We can all learn from each other and I would encourage everyone to contribute to the forum as it will only make it better".
well spoken karen. there is so much to learn. jon

[Doug9345]

Carolyn I took your original post to say teach them something about Tville and get them moved out into the "mainstream" of the site. I thought it was a great idea.

I know what you mean about snow. I spent about 3 hours snow blowing and now I have to spend time out there moving stuff so I can push snow with the track loader.

Originally Posted by OmahaJB

Just read through the first few threads in that forum. Unless I missed something I didn't see anything wrong with the way new members were greeted. Appeared to just be friendly TV'ers welcoming new members. The new members seem to enjoy the conversation.

Yes, newbies have always been cordially welcomed to this site. I was commenting on the fact (based on their comments and questions) that the latest groups of newbies don't seem that "newbie" at growing tomatoes. I believe I can learn as much from them as they can learn from us. They have already caused me to research some varieties and growing techniques I've never heard of.

Ted

[bower]

It sounds like we're in for another wonderful year on Tomatoville, the more the merrier.
Mischka, thank you so much! and kudos for all your work behind the scenes, that makes T'ville free of spam, flame wars, and other wasted energy. The atmosphere here is really cordial, and so much to learn from people with our common interest in growing the mighty tomato, whether new or old hands. It has really broadened my horizons this year to learn about other people's problems, conditions, successes, and projects large and small - anywhere and everywhere!

I hope your spring comes early and heralds a great growing season in 2013.

[OmahaJB]

Originally Posted by tedln

Yes, newbies have always been cordially welcomed to this site. I was commenting on the fact (based on their comments and questions) that the latest groups of newbies don't seem that "newbie" at growing tomatoes. I believe I can learn as much from them as they can learn from us. They have already caused me to research some varieties and growing techniques I've never heard of.

Ted

I understand, Ted. I've gained a lot of knowledge just reading through posts on this site over the past few years. Probably just misunderstood what you meant originally.