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wessexmario

Drone Bee
Joined
Aug 19, 2014
Messages
1,095
Reaction score
1
Location
North Wiltshire
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
4
1. Pick a topic and ask a question or make a statement about it.
Don't mention all the facts, otherwise the people replying will have nothing to ask questions or make assumptions about.

2. The first person to reply should be someone who's read a book about beekeeing, preferably one of the historical editions that explains traditional methods in prescriptive detail.

3. The second person to reply should be someone with many years of experience, who has never lost more than one or two colonies each winter.
Their answer should contradict the first reply, as it's good to offer alternate ways of doing anything.

4. At this point some humour should be posted.
It's not advisable to annotate it with an icon, otherwise you'll be giving away the fact that you intended it not to be taken too literally.

5. Someone should then object to one of the previous posts as a personal attack.
No matter that the comment may have been purely factual with no reference to anyone in particular, or was a subtle attack directed at someone else, you just happened to post between the first post and the retort, both of which had nothing to do with you, and you firmly believe that attack is the best form of defence.

6. Posts should then be made to attempt to bring the thread back on topic, but with 83 posts discussing the finer points of trolling and just 8 on the original subject matter, it's difficult to know what the main topic of the thread is.

7. Anyone who's bored with the way the thread is going should take the opportunity to add some information about their personal favourite topic, regardless of whether it's relevant to the original post.

8. All threads should mention matchsticks or queen replacement.
If neither can be justified than a new beekeeping method regarding the topic should be suggested that has neither been completely thought through nor tested in reality.
After all, aren't forums ideal places for brainstorming new ideas?

9. People with low literary skills are given the opportunity to post by using icons such as :yeahthat:, :iagree: or :ohthedrama:
These icons give the impression of being knowledgeable without having to think or type anything.
It also has the beneficial side effect of increasing the person's post count, so propelling them to the exalted forum status of King Bee.

10. Beginners read the first page of a thread and follow it's advice, failing to notice that post 159 on page 7 of 9 corrects all the traditional assumptions made in posts 2 to 25 before the bunfight started.
A month later they return confused to the thread and ask why what they did didn't work.

11. continue at (2).

:spy:
 
Aren't all internet forums like that ?

The one thing we don't have on this beekeeping forum (that I see prevalent on many other 'light touch' forums) are the vicious posts or profanity. It's a broad based forum, as beekeeping is not confined to a specific group of people, but I think the forum personalities reflect the intellect, humour, interests and knowledge of a very wide range of members.

There are some people who can't live with the way it is and it can become irritating at times when arguments about trivial issues start and take over a thread - but you either get over it or move on.

I don't have a particular issue about any of the above ... if you participate in a forum you either join in with whatever contribution you feel able to make or you sit on the sidelines and watch. A lot of people come here looking for instant advice and usually get it .. yes, you have to wade through conflicting and sometimes bad advice to get to the answer - and it usually requires a bit of thinking to get to your personal solution. I think that's no bad thing ?

As for beginners who 'dip in' and take the first answer they get - I think this also reflects modern life .. people Google for the solution to a problem sometimes without the knowledge to know what the problem is - and expect a 'paint by numbers answer' from someone sitting there just waiting to be their fairy godmother and wave the magic wand and put things right. Well, guess what, it doesn't usually happen !

I recognise your post is a humorous look at what this forum is like and most of it is fact based ... but, amongst all of that, it's a forum where I have gleaned so much information and found a huge number of people who are both friendly, highly approachable and knowledgeable about beekeeping that I really would not want to swap it for a sterile, lacklustre, question and answer, beekeeping forum such as another one which I won't name but we all know where it is ...

It's irritating at times ... but isn't that just a reflection of what life is like ?
 
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Does the matchstick have to be spent? Will they reject the queen if they smell the match head?

As one who used matchsticks on a regular and professional basis in my beekeeping I must take this as a personal affront on my expert beekeeping skills .

Yeghes da
































:icon_204-2:
 

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