Encouraging new or newer ePlaya participants

[Raoul]

Another semi-newb here. This year will be my second burn, but I have spent many more years reading, researching and attempting to get at least a vague picture of what I could expect if the opportunity to attend was ever there. ePlaya has been the best resource by far, snark and all. In fact, I think the snark is what makes this board as good a resource as it is...no sugar-coating, no bullshit, but plenty of good advice and helpful comments for anyone who shows at least a modicum of effort in having tried to find the answer for themselves before tossing out the question. Sure, there have been times I have withheld a post due to the possibility or snark immolation, but have stumbled across other great posts in my subsequent perusals...posts I never would have seen had I asked my question and immediately received a polite and helpful answer.

ePlaya helps those who help themselves.

And now...

[media]

[Elderberry]

Fast learner

[maladroit]

Another semi-newb here. This year will be my second burn, but I have spent many more years reading, researching and attempting to get at least a vague picture of what I could expect if the opportunity to attend was ever there. ePlaya has been the best resource by far, snark and all. In fact, I think the snark is what makes this board as good a resource as it is...no sugar-coating, no bullshit, but plenty of good advice and helpful comments for anyone who shows at least a modicum of effort in having tried to find the answer for themselves before tossing out the question. Sure, there have been times I have withheld a post due to the possibility or snark immolation, but have stumbled across other great posts in my subsequent perusals...posts I never would have seen had I asked my question and immediately received a polite and helpful answer.

ePlaya helps those who help themselves.

This duplicates my experience...I lurked ePlaya and listened to burner friends for years before finally getting a chance to go, and created an ePlaya account. I still did some things wrong (in my own estimation) but having spent a lot of time around mission-focused people in general, snark felt like another tool people use to accomplish a common goal. In this case...the common goal being making sure everyone is prepared and not going to fuck things up for everyone else.

[Drawingablank]

I agree snark has its place. I love it. The burn wouldn't be the same without it. It can be a great learning tool and I am not for turning this into a rainbow gathering care bear board.

Yet a lot of the shit I'm seeing on eplaya lately is not snark. Snark is witty, snark is funny, snark is not just being flat out mean for the sake of being mean, and that's the way a lot of the "snark" is sounding to me lately.

Granted, things don't always translate well over the internet, so some of it is coming across other than intended. A good reason to contemplate what we write before hitting Submit.

[Eric]

One thing to remember is that the vast majority of people who visit ePlaya are lurkers (Hi lurkers!) - there are less than 20 registered users on as of right now, but ~70 "guests". That means lots of people are looking and learning, even if they never ask a question, which is great.

Some further tips for lurkers or newbies with questions:
use this format to google questions and only get replies from eplaya: site:http://eplaya.burningman.org(space)(search term/s)
It will cut your search time in half, and get rid of all the crap that's on the web when you type "burning man" into the googlebox.

Examples:
site:http://eplaya.burningman.org figjam cooler
site:http://eplaya.burningman.org "easy meals"
site:http://eplaya.burningman.org shoes
site:http://eplaya.burningman.org playa AND weather

Also, if you let us know that you've researched a question but can't find an answer it cuts the snark way down. You show you've done your own groundwork, which is something we really admire (basically something as simple as "I've been searching for this, but I don't quite understand how the opening the bread bag every day thing helps" shows research. Don't do that one however, it's been answered )

[DrYes]

Snark is witty, snark is funny, snark is not just being flat out mean for the sake of being mean, and that's the way a lot of the "snark" is sounding to me lately.

Yes, this, with an emphasis on actually being witty and/or funny. Snark is closer to laughing with than laughing at, though has a bit of the latter, admittedly.

[maladroit]

Yes, this, with an emphasis on actually being witty and/or funny. Snark is closer to laughing with than laughing at, though has a bit of the latter, admittedly.

Snark is encouraging someone to laugh with you at themselves.

[FIGJAM]

SNARKY= Seems Nasty And Right Knowing You

[FIGJAM]

In defaultia, if you have an idea, everyone say "WHY".

Why would you do that.

You can't do that.

What makes you think you can do that.

Who told you you could do that.

Here, and on the playa, I want to be the "why not" guy.

"What do you think of my idea?"

"Why not, and how can I help you DO THAT!!!!!!!!"

[MyDearFriend]

Thanks, FIGJAM. I am going to take your WHY NOT and run with it.

WHY NOT be that be that 70 mph blast of wind?

WHY NOT be the inescapable dust?

WHY NOT be the insidious desiccation, the relentless slide from baking to freezing, the uncapped rebar, the empty water bottle, the blinding glare and the blinder darkness?

WHY NOT be real as fuck, here as there???



Personally I am horrified by uninformed questions. No source of external guidance can prepare you to adapt to the ever-changing conditions out there. You need to educate yourself. Plan your Burn, burn your plan, be ready to do your own thinking on your own feet or wheels or whatever you've got; yes you can!

We care, here, we really do care. But I do not think we need encourage random folks to participate here, because, if they can't face up to a carefully moderated message board then they are not ready to face what's out there. The playa does NOT care, does not forgive, and does not give second chances. People, however, and ePlayans in particular, do care, do forgive, and will help.

All you have to do to earn my respect, here as there, is to participate as your true honest self. Speak your mind. Do your thing. And don't expect anything but honesty from Burners.

Courtesy is mandatory here on ePlaya. Fuck yer day!

[The Rod]

Uninformed questions.

What I have noticed with eplaya is that it seems many users on here approach every new user and post as though every question is uninformed. Kind of like how LEO's are trained to enter any situation as though any suspect could be armed and dangerous. I see a lot of people 'round here who sure seem to get a kick out of telling other people that they are wrong.

The current thread on solar chimneys is a great example, where we have 4 people telling the OP that it wont work when they actually have no fucking clue what he's actually talking about.

[MyDearFriend]

I see a lot of people who get a kick out of telling other people that they are wrong.

The current thread on solar chimneys is a great example, where we have 4 people telling the OP that it wont work when they actually have no fucking clue what he's actually talking about.

Poseurs. Poseurs are a problem everywhere. I hope the mods are as alert to those who give uninformed advice as they are to those who make rude remarks. Or maybe they are! Not having ever engaged in either type of bad behavior, I have no personal knowledge about this, and should probably STFU now.

[^Rhino!]

I see a lot of people who get a kick out of telling other people that they are wrong.

The current thread on solar chimneys is a great example, where we have 4 people telling the OP that it wont work when they actually have no fucking clue what he's actually talking about.

Poseurs. Poseurs are a problem everywhere. I hope the mods are as alert to those who give uninformed advice as they are to those who make rude remarks. Or maybe they are! Not having ever engaged in either type of bad behavior, I have no personal knowledge about this, and should probably STFU now.

MDF, you're right, they may be a problem. I have seen great mods at this venue also, who are extremely alert.

My problem is that someone will trip my trigger concerning something that is covered in my areas of professional expertise, and then I turn into a threadzilla and go apeshit on them. I need to be more patient at times.

[forty_eight]

i frequent a few different forums and eplaya isn't entirely unique in regards to snark towards n00bs

though, having said that ... snarkiness I like; sanctimoniousness not so much.

[forty_eight]

I need to be more patient at times.

you could even try just moving on and not making it about how much you know about dirt or whatever

that could work, too

lol

[Simon of the Playa]

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2 ... sarcastic/?

[goathead]

Review all previous issues of Piss Clear, Black Rock weekly.

google it

[Ratty]

Take a look at the thread Simon just posted.

Despite being the lingua franca of the Internet, sarcasm isn’t known as a sophisticated form of wit or a conversational style that wins friends. From the Greek and Latin for “to tear flesh,” sarcasm has been called “hostility disguised as humor,” the contempt-laden speech favored by smart alecks and mean girls that’s best to avoid.

interesting article

'sarcasm is better used between people who have a trusting relationship'

[Simon of the Playa]

its much more interesting if you read the whole thing instead of just picking out the shit you want..

"But new research by Francesca Gino of Harvard Business School, Adam Galinsky, the Vikram S. Pandit Professor of Business at Columbia Business School, and Li Huang of INSEAD, the European business school, finds that sarcasm is far more nuanced, and actually offers some important, overlooked psychological and organizational benefits."


oh wait, was that too sarcastic?

im sorry....













not.

[Netty58]

Take it on the chin, newbies (that's me). It's all about learning and sharing. And realizing that a simple comment or insight or criticism could be the thing that saves your ass (or your eyes or your feet). I didn't pay enough attention about footwear last year. Had a pair of canvas boots with a rubber toe cover. Those toe puppies stopped bending but my feet continued to. Result was some quite spectacular nail bruising that took a year to heal...though I kind of enjoyed looking at them all winter. I had the pleasure of selling my tickets to a first-timer this year - well it made me kind of sad. I'm so excited for him. I decided to go off on a different adventure this year. Thanks to all of you who have smacked, cajoled, eye-rolled, wtf'd, and continue to use every nuance of the English language to pound home to us new folks just what it takes to Burn. Here's to next year!

[lucky420]

You are wonderful ^^^ and I hope your adventures take you far and wide

[Netty58]

Why thank you Lucky420. I know I must have met some of you at the BDV M&G last year but I was still in a whirl. Come to think of it, I was in a whirl all week. I am off to Venice and Florence. Planes, trains, automobiles, boats and feet all involved.

[tatonka]

[theCryptofishist]

Why thank you Lucky420. I know I must have met some of you at the BDV M&G last year but I was still in a whirl. Come to think of it, I was in a whirl all week. I am off to Venice and Florence. Planes, trains, automobiles, boats and feet all involved.

I hope you're staying in the lagoon, and not the Venato, and fuck, I miss Venice, and I was only there three days. If you want to report back, keep a mental whatever of how many bridges aren't very steep, and don't have only stairs as an option. And by "keep a mental whatever" I really only mean the most cursory of surveys. Because, you know, I'm just a crank on the internet and you owe me nothing.

[Meat Hunter]

Fishy,

I was in Venice just after my hip replacement and I cannot remember bridges with steps. I do remember a good many with steep ramps.

I could be absolutely wrong. But, that is my recollection.

[theCryptofishist]

Fishy,

I was in Venice just after my hip replacement and I cannot remember bridges with steps. I do remember a good many with steep ramps.

I could be absolutely wrong. But, that is my recollection.

Oh, they have steps. Check Google maps. But often both steps and ramps. I really do mean to print out a largish map of Venice and do a google maps street view visual survey and decide from there.

Just how awkward is a recent post-hip replacement body?

You can treat that as rhetorical if you don't want to answer.

[Meat Hunter]

Fishy,

I must have been more recovered that my memory allows. Or, it could have been that my guide led us bunch of ol' folks over the easier routes.

Probably, a combination of both. That was eight years ago and time does blur ones memory, especially mine.