This Millenial wants more out of DG.

typwc. I just scanned all your posts. I did not see one mention of you doing any gardening.
Tell us about your garden experiences.

My gardening experiences are all over the Mid Atlantic Forum.

I have a garden showcase of some of last year's plants here:
http://davesgarden.com/showcase/albums/user/typwc

I also work in the field of plant disease diagnostics.

I'm not a professional horticulturist (I even know how to spell horticulturist) but neither am I a troll trying to stir up trouble.

Threads I've started:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/threads.php?user=typwc

I've edited this post because I remember now that you can't see all the posts I've written, only the threads I've started. Sorry. But your question to me sounds rather accusatory, and I didn't appreciate it. I have done my best to be respectful and cordial through this entire thread.

This message was edited Mar 28, 2014 11:22 AM

Amen, Donna! Just a look at the Communities Forum will show that there are many interests and participants in a variety of subjects with free choice as to which we choose. Imagine what chaos would ensue if everyone in all of those forums could "poke" us when they wanted our attention!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/

I am a Master Gardener through the University of Illinois Extension.

I am an "Expert" in perennials on the "All Experts" website.

I teach gardening techniques to members of the public at my local library and its branch.

On Daves I have posted in numerous forums:

11 pages of threads that I have started (20 per page).

59 pages of posts I have made (19 per page).

49 comments and ratings on Garden Watchdog.

In addition to my profession, I manage two large English style gardens.

You noted that you didn't get any "pushback" about the ability to tag people. Now you do.

Your assessment that there are no features I want, and that I wouldn't want them if they showed up anyway is quite untrue. Numerous features have appeared over the years and I have embraced them.

And referring to people on this thread as crotchety and old will tend get your thoughts dismissed. It's quite rude.

I noticed only a handful of started threads & mostly pictures.
I have 36 pages of starts.

Remember "Grumpy Old Men" movie shot in MN. I am a MN grumpy old man, but I still like to interact with people I know & not every Tom, Dick, & Harry in the world.

Joined in June of 2002 & have loved every minute of it!!

I have a name, too ---
Bernie

Donna,
I wasn't the one who asked for anyone's credentials. It doesn't matter to me if you are the Head Gardener at The White House or if you just grew your first geranium last year. Clearly you are accomplished and that's great. CountryGardens was the one who asked about my gardening experience.

Also, I put old and crotchedy in quotes because people in the thread called themselves old and crotchedy. I would never call anyone old and crotchedy.

I got plenty of pushback on pretty much everything I said in this forum. My assessment, however, was to the collective "you" and not to just you.

I'm done here.

Ok, raising hand here...................I was the one that started the "Old and crochety" and if you remember, I was calling MYSELF that.................nobody name-calling on my behalf. Or being snarky.

Sooooo..........with that being said, I think I will go find someplace to hide. I hate conflict, sorry I started it. Ain't gonna make me swarm after "like" and all that fol-de-rol, but if it comes, no law sayin' I HAVE to use it. Just like the other place..........I ignore it.

Well said.

Several good points (and counter points) have been raised here, and we do listen to what our members would like to see in future improvements. We were around long before Facebook and other social media sites, but they have a vastly larger user base (they're not focused on one audience as we are), and they have vast programming resources. So it's easy for us to take a more leisurely approach to innovations, as we can see what works and what doesn't work elsewhere. I'd like to say our changes will be loved by everyone, but we know that's never been the case. What I can say is that we are listening, and looking at what we can do to make our member's experience as enjoyable as possible. And still no dancing bananas. Or peppers. Or any other fruits or vegetables :-).

WOW! What a wonderful way to discourage someone who has some really good questions, suggestions, and ideas. If new features like a "like" button or a way to notify someone by tagging them in a post via the @ button followed by their name, you don't have to use it. If someone tags you, it simply means that they have a question or something and you answer it at your convenience, not right away. It's not like a text message or alert on your cell phone. It merely simplifies the DMail process. If you're tagged, you can always DMail the person and answer their question.

Interesting take on the suggested tag back ( I know it as an " ear burn" ) feature. That attitude would not have occurred to me.

I've been using such a system for quite awhile and love it. It allows one to be polite and not talk about someone behind their back. It's also a way to compliment people, while at the same time helping newer members. Ear burns appear in the post as active tags, plus they send a personal mail to the user.

For example: Yes, bla, bla, bla... now if you want to see some beautiful examples of X clematis, I remember Pirl has several in her garden. Check out her journal.
The tag to Pirl's name if clicked would lead you to her member page, where you could click to see pictures she has added to the site.

Or: Yes, there is a nice Native plant forum here. Here's a link for you ____. One member Cville_Gardener lives near you and has experience. If she sees this, she might happen to know of a good local garden shop that would carry that sort of thing. You could check out her home page and see pictures of some of her plants and possibly see if she has recommended any shops in your area.

I've been ear burned many many times and ear burned others. It is never a demand to reply, and has never felt wrong in any way. But if I was reading a post later and found my screen name as part of the conversation, that would feel very rude. Everyone knows others may or may not see an ear burn. There is never an expectation of replies from an ear burned member, in any thread.
I find it fosters a bigger sense of community, is helpful to me as a seeker of information, and feels friendlier. More of a group experience.

I feel this site has a lot of great information that simply would be so much more useful if it was linked together better.
Looking at a gardeners home page is not as useful as it could be IMHO. I see gardeners I admire, but it is limited and difficult to make use of all the information they have contributed to this site.

With info linked together better, it avoids some having to repeat and repeat the same thing over and over. Not all of it, but it's cuts down.

So if I'm wanting information on a plant of a group of plants, I thrown to a plant file that then has a mix of good and whacky opinions. If I could access plant info by way of members home pages, I could be looking at only what I decide is reputable information. Or when I read that the plant in question was the most difficult thing ever.. I want to be able to see that persons other comments or home page easily, to verify a little better. What other plants do well or poorly for that person ? The info is here, just not a click away. I think this is the most frustrating part of things for me.

ETA: Ackkk, now there I went and talked about two wonderful DG members 'behind their backs'. I'm going to just hope they both forgive me, because it was automatic on my part. Habit that the system would let them know.

This message was edited Mar 28, 2014 5:08 PM

Terry,

Is there some reason members home pages only have a way to find threads that member has started, not all the threads they have replied to ? That would be more useful, as it's pretty easy to scroll down and quickly see the thread tittle. Then click a thread to find more info.

citybusgardener wrote: