Newbies

[RCW]

My 3rd summer season driving orange, and 3rd year on OTT.

Is it just me, or do we see many more newbies (i.e., "my first post here") asking some pretty complicated questions, then we never hear from them again?

Many of you guys put a lot of time and effort into helping with the first response or two, and the newbie is gone; never to be heard from again.

Whether written or not, a main mission of this site is to help our brethren.

I'm happy to so as well; but many times my only valuable advice is getting WSM. (I'm consistent!)

It all gets to Coach's Sticky about forum etiquette more than anything else!

Is it more frequent this year that these guys are here and gone?

If it is, it could also be a compliment to OTT being an on-line authority for Kubota tractors, and it's just some of the newbies have bad manners!!

 

[Daren Todd]

I've noticed a similar trend. I guess it's time to reiterate that if you've recieved help, stick around and help someone else out Be sure and post the outcome and solution, even if you end up taking it to a dealer. The solution will help someone else out and could potentially avoid a trip to the dealer for someone else

I was talking to another member the other night. He brought up a pretty good point. On another site, the people tend to have a really hard time thinking outside the box. And rip apart someone who may suggest something outside there comfort zone. The correct answer is "this" and nothing else

Whether it's making something green work with orange or red and so on. The folks on OTT have some great talent, with a gitter-done and make it work attitude. And even though we get a bunch of people asking and running, we still have a great bunch of active members that take the extra step to help a brother or sister out

 

[Grouse Feathers]

It's definitely disheartening when someone starts a thread with a question, receives 24 responses and never acknowledges ever reading any of the responses.

 

[RCW]

Thanks, Daren. Maybe its not just me.

I'm still a newbie. I don't have much to offer, but try to help when I can, and try not to guess, and send somebody on a wild goose chase!

When I do offer advice, I don't need an answer for my ego - sometimes it justs helps to know what works, and what doesn't!! That's the MORE important part!

 

[RCW]

It's definitely disheartening when someone starts a thread with a question, receives 24 responses and never acknowledges ever reading any of the responses.

Seen those, too.

Pisser is the guy that gets 2 technical responses with parts diagrams, and GONE!!

Again - me bitchin' some, but like you and Daren said, seems more of it.

Will the next newbie needing direction to a WSM come up - I WILL point that out!

 

[Kennyd4110]

It happens on EVERY forum, about EVERY topic. They come, get what they want and never return...I call them "drive by posters" and/or "Hit and Run Posters".

There is NOTHING you can do about it, it aint never gonna change...

 

[olthumpa]

. . . the people tend to have a really hard time thinking outside the box.

I used to work for a company where everyone in the department, 81 people, would meet once a month for a one hr meeting. After that it would divide up into 3 - 4 groups for what they called brain storming sessions where a problem was written down on a blackboard and any and all thoughts no matter how ridiculous they might sound or be way of from the problem trying to be solved were written down without any comments about their usefulness or outlandishness. This would go on for about 20min. after which they were all gone over, again without any negative comments. This process at first might sound silly, stupid and a large wast of time and money. After doing it several times the light went on and I realized its value.

From one of these sessions, that was not for a problem that was being addressed for my benefit, two of the things that were written down were IHOP and bath soap. From these two seemingly crazy and unrelated things I was able to transform a job that took 2 calendar weeks to complete, about 20hrs of work and no other similar job could be done at the same time into a process that took 10 to 15 min. to complete and you could complete multiple jobs within that 10 - 15 min.

From that experience I have learned to never dismiss any suggestions as ridiculous, trivial or unrelated to what I am trying to accomplish. You never know what that suggestion might spark and lead you.

 

[Grouse Feathers]

RCW
You didn't even mention that 90% of the questions could have been answered by doing a search. They join OTT to ask a question that a little research would answer, get up to two dozen responses and then leave without any acknowledgement. The posters with real problems usually stay around and interact so they can get help resolving their problems.

 

[D2Cat]

We are living in a time of "gotta have it now", and social media. Put the two together and you have folks who get online and get some information and gone. It's all about themselves, what's in it for me.

Oh, why am I typing this.....I gotta get back to FB!

 

[RCW]

We are living in a time of "gotta have it now", and social media. Put the two together and you have folks who get online and get some information and gone. It's all about themselves, what's in it for me.

Oh, why am I typing this.....I gotta get back to FB!

D2Cat - - -

Wow - so true. Never thought of this aspect.

You might find my Facebook page my kids set up for me 5 or 6 years ago.

If you find it, let me know what it says. Haven't seen it since then........

My wife and 3 kids are on it though, all the time.

Might be on to something............

 

[OldeEnglish]

D2Cat - - -

Wow - so true. Never thought of this aspect.

You might find my Facebook page my kids set up for me 5 or 6 years ago.

If you find it, let me know what it says. Haven't seen it since then........

My wife and 3 kids are on it though, all the time.

Might be on to something............

Facebook will rot the brain, I can already see how it is changing kid's lives. Met a few old guys in a bar that worked for IBM a while back. They had a device that would block cell reception within a certain radius of the device. They would laugh at people in the bar sitting by themselves glued to their phones and flip the device on and watch everyone scurry around looking for service . It was quite entertaining, but the thing that made me laugh is they said today people communicate like monkeys, with their thumbs. . So true!

I must say everyone on here is very friendly and willing to help any way they can compared to other forums like others had said. Extremely talented individuals on here that are very inspiring. It's amazing to see so many people bypass the READ ME sticky that links the manuals. Still everyone is friendly enough to give them the links, maybe it's because of the new spoon fed society we live in now.

 

[sheepfarmer]

I must say everyone on here is very friendly and willing to help any way they can compared to other forums like others had said. Extremely talented individuals on here that are very inspiring. It's amazing to see so many people bypass the READ ME sticky that links the manuals. Still everyone is friendly enough to give them the links, maybe it's because of the new spoon fed society we live in now.

I think that this is the crux of the matter....no one reads things labeled " read me" and that lists rules as an included topic. It almost guarantees that it won't be read to label it that! What makes me think that? I taught adult very bright students for 35 years, and it was required that a professor provide the students with a course syllabus that listed the requirements of the course, what the required reading was, when the exams were to be held and so forth. Did the students read this very useful material? No. They would rather ask me in lab the same things. It took me too many of those 35 years to realize that they were looking for the human interaction, and that no matter how carefully I wrote that syllabus, they would still ask me when the exam was. When you have a hundred or more students it tends to make you cranky, but that is the reality, and at least they wanted to talk to me.

So no matter what wonderful material is in a sticky or available in a shop manual, people will still ask their question without trying to figure it out themselves, and I can sympathize with the need to "talk to" a real person. It is pretty scary to be out in your barn looking at this big hunk of metal that isn't doing what you thought it should.

That said, there was a much greater "me first" attitude in the grown up children raised by helicopter parents in recent years than the ones I remembered when I first started to teach. Dunno how that will turn out.

I hang out in the forum because I appreciate that there are so many people that like to help folks with problems. Pretty great I think.

 

[D2Cat]

sheepfarmer, you are so correct in your evaluation of folks not reading what would seem to be very important information to them.

We have some rental property and use a lease to provide a clear understanding of responsibilities of both parties. It's easy to read and understand, no "legalese". I go over some of the items with them, not all.

Almost every tenant calls to ask where to send the rent check, or am I coming to pick it up. My name and address is in the text of the lease!!!! It's near the end, so it tells me they haven't absorbed the message.

Many treat a forum much like the lease, "When you coming to solve my problem?" Then gone.

 

[85Hokie]

Daren said :

"I guess it's time to reiterate that if you've received help, stick around and help someone else out "

I would have to agree! I often find that people DO not talk more about how their tractor is behaving AFTER someone "fixes" it for them!

 

[Tooljunkie]

I go and browse forums,a Lurker so to speak. If i like what i see and get a few questions answered or problems solved i generally join and donate. Money well spent? I think so.
Seems like the short term visitors that post questions find forums or the internet in general a nuisance. Its an old guy thing. No offence. None taken.
I search, for all kinds of cockamamy things and ideas.

I met an accoutant the other day that couldnt believe his starter could have failed. Considering the dealer said it was good. He seemed unfriendly at first, then after a bit he was fine. Strangers dont always take advice (from other strangers) very well.

Im still glad i found this place, but i dont think i have read a single sticky!

 

[koja]

All forums are just like it is at work . People ask " how do I do this?" Or " how do I fix that?" You answer their questions with specific instructions and what do they do? Go and ask three more people the same thing . They are called "askholes" .
So when I try to help it is just expected that I won't get a thank you or let me know the problem was solved or not .
Just human behavior anymore I guess . Society is going down hill for sure .

 

[skeets]

Ya know, this is one of the many things I enjoy about this site. We have Teachers, engineers, farmers, plumbers electricians, and the list goes on and on and not one of them has ever , well at least in my viewing time, not answered a question that they had first rate knowledge about. And yet with all of this vast net work of knowledge flowing just below the surface, nobody comes on as the know all to end all.
Reading has never been one of my great strengths,( maybe I was never taught the right way to read I duno) I, like so many other may have to read something over several times to get the jest of it. Now with a visual or verbal interaction, dude I got you covered. I understand this is just how each of us are wired differently. At the range there is always someone asking a question or advice about something, when the answer is right under their nose, in a manual or book. I thank the teachers every day that took time to explain things to me, face to face simply because, reading comprehension does not come easy.
OK Im done rambling now,,,, cutting back on the coffee SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

 

[85Hokie]

Y
OK Im done rambling now,,,, cutting back on the coffee SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

why ya cuttin back on coffee ???? Dr.s said (for the 3rd time) that it is good for you.....or sumthin like that ! I find that coffee is good for two things....makes the top and the bottom work a little faster......sometimeS!

 

[mudog88]

You all make great points. Facebook... Where should I even start with that? I had Facebook for about 3 years while I lived in the UK so I could keep in contact with family back home in Indiana. After we returned to IN. I stopped getting on there. I think I got on it about 3 months ago. It just sucks you in, and it's a waste of time so I stopped using it. I found myself ignoring my wife and daughter because some 'funny' video of an idiot hurting themselves in some ridiculous way popped up in my news feed. The short version is, I don't use Facebook anymore.

I also have a confession to make. I didn't fully read the rules on here until AFTER I posted my first question. I did do several searches with different key-words before asking, but I've been on enough forums in the past to know that's general etiquette on any forum to eliminate repetitive posts. I don't think I broke or bent any rules with my first post, but I admit, I should have read the rules FIRST.

I am a fairly competent automotive mechanic. I haven't taken a single vehicle in to a shop to have something done unless I just didn't have the time to take care of it myself. I practically grew up in the garage. My friends and family are always calling me asking me to diagnose a problem over the phone. It makes me feel good, but it does get old sometimes. I tell you all that to say this; I don't know a dern thing about tractors. So, I may ask a question, get a possible solution, then not reply again to another post because I just don't know. I don't intend to ask and run, but I can assure you, I have spent lots of time reading through the forum articles and threads. I try to find new posts that I may know something about so I can throw my $0.02 in, however, generally speaking, I don't know a lot about these Orange power houses.

I guess I wanted to say all of that to give a different perspective as to why it may seem some newbs might be showing up, asking, then go chugging off into sunset on their running Kubota. I know it's not a good reason for all occasions, but it's the situation I'm in at the moment. I'm still a Kubota Newb myself, so I don't have much input. Sorry for rambling on, but I just wanted to say that. Thanks for reading! I am very appreciative of the help I've received so far, and hope that as my experience grows, my Kubota Wisdom will be of some use to others here. Until then, I will have to stick to seat time and asking questions.

 

[D2Cat]

Skeets, you are so correct, we all learn with different processes.

This quote applies to me! I hear and I forget,
I see and I remember,
I do and I understand.

Oh, and I've never been on FaceBook. It would probably be another password I'd have to remember.

And people send me an email wanting me to be a "Friend". How do you respond to that? I don't!

There are some folks on this and other forums that have given me advise way beyond my "pay grade", and I usually thank them on the thread, or send a PM.

I appreciate all the info. I've gathered here, specifically when working on my L305 and B7100. I do get a "kick" out of all the negative comments about how something won't work, or you're taking a great risk working on THAT. Those comments lead me to a better understanding of the person making the comments. (kinda like the ones who obviously never do a search, but ask away)