new to forum and thanks

[joshua5]

thanks for helping me with my infested moist crotch; i'll call a certified arborist to see if he wants to take a peak. after reading your replys on decay, i thought i should take a sniff and i'm happy to report that it wasn't too stinky. perhaps this MAY be an indication that my crotch isn't rotten.


after reading the replys to my question, i couldn't help but read a few of the other threads... mr. Sanborn, or anyone else, why is it so common for people to argue so much on this site? no offense or anything, just curious. thanks again!

 

[MasterBlaster]

Yeah, JPS - Why is that???

 

[NeTree]

For the most part, all that arguing is more light-hearted than may first appear, and really does net alot of useful info.

Arboriculture is part art, and part science. In any field where there are things subjective to opinion, well... everyone thinks theirs is right.

Ultimately, tree guys are an arrogant, cocky bunch, but that sorta comes with the nature of the job... ya need alot of cojones to climb 90 feet into a tree and take the top down without skid-marking your undies!

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Its the nature of forums. Expressing an opinion sets one up for all kinds of sniping and biting. Too often it seems to get personal. That is a mystery to me. Would face to face talks get just as tense and confrontational? I doubt it.

Good luck with the tree.

Tom

 

[NeTree]

Amen to that! Hell knows I've been bitten and sniped more than most!

Must be my charming personality...

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Joshua5

About your phrase regarding, what may be viewed as verbal hostility - it stands out, doesn't it.

If you look at the post down the list (today anyway) called "killing a pine tree" - my reply on the second page is relative to what you were talking about.

Some homeowners may be ignorant, or unwise sometimes, but it can't help much to verbally beat them on the head. Embarrassing people is not usually a Dale Carnegie friends winner either.

I visit 3 tree related forums. Of these, accusative (put down) comments occur on 2 tree forums. Most prevalent on this one.
There is one tree forum where character judgements are rare or non-existent.

That last one is the forum I asked my webmaster to add to my own site's links page for next month. That forum sticks to tree issues instead of trying to handle character counseling.

Some people can deal with all the posts here, but since my customers visit my site as well as 45 + other people per day, it seemed better from a protocol angle to leave arboristsite off my links page.

In some ways, when people try "concealing" slang that is not approved across-the-board in society, it can actually degrade the image of not only a forum, but a profession.

Its hard enough to make money in the horticulture profession, but rough language and sloppy protocol only bring down the professional image of tree care and landscape work.

Several of the more refined occupations figured that out centuries ago. Certain "circles" of professionals do a great job at controlling their vocabulary, conversation and writing.

 

[TREETX]

Originally posted by joshua5
thanks for helping me with my infested moist crotch. i'm happy to report that it wasn't too stinky. perhaps this MAY be an indication that my crotch isn't rotten.

Good luck with your problem!!

 

[Newfie]

"Several of the more refined occupations figured that out centuries ago. Certain "circles" of professionals do a great job at controlling their vocabulary, conversation and writing."


Definitely true. And they can also be some of the nastiest,back stabbing, two-faced, dishonest people you are likely to come across. And behind all of their words and smiles they are just as crass and vulgar as anyone else. Don't let the appearance of professionalism decieve you.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

That's why I replied with "concealing."

They have nasties like all the other professions have nasties.

What they have that other several professions don't, is protocol.

Its one skill others can learn.

One etiquette book described etiquette as "avoiding ugliness." It explained that, cussing for example, can offend many people, while conversation without cussing offends almost nobody.

 

[Newfie]

The ability to control their creepiness in the public eye doesn't make them anymore "professional" as in competent at their trade or practice, just more accomplished at deception, not a person I would want to business with, no matter how nice he talked.

 

[NeTree]

Ditto

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by M.D. Vaden
There is one tree forum where character judgements are rare or non-existent.That forum sticks to tree issues instead of trying to handle character counseling.

MD if you're talking about the isa forum, I get plenty of character counseling from one sc guy (I call him Jiminy Cricket to my Pinocchio; it IS constructive), and snidely whiplash words from an old tubby guy, but it has limits and is all in good fun.

That forum is largely dormant--your post on reducing the basswood got too little response, but I hope it was worth your trouble..

There's a lot of shooting from the hip here, like saying "Cut the red oak down now!" before an assessment is made, or like calling flower-lovers tree-haters just because they want to avoid root conflict. That kind of name-calling is a bringdown--armchair mudslinging, really--, but most of my customers would be amused by the acronyms.

But then they've already dealt with me so they're ready for things unusual...