Non-newbs

RSedan said:

i understand how obnoxious it can be to some ppl when a new person joins an old forum.

i just read a comment about "how this board used to be"... since i haven't been here very long at all (i mostly lurk, anyway), what are some vet tips/ comments/suggestions/pet peeves, etc. etc.

i'm not using this site as a place to make friends, just for info... so just be honest.

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I take it you just read my response stating how MacRumors has changed?

Regardless if that was the quote, I wouldn't call myself a vet, but I spent several years on MacRumors before I even joined as a member.

Personally, my biggest pet peeve is when there are several threads in a row discussing the same exact topic. The search field is your friend. Obviously stay away from trolling and spamming but other than that this site can be very insightful. I have had many helpful experiences from the great community that is available to speak with.

BTW Welcome to MacRumors!

I don't know how it used to be, I've only been here since 08/12, BUT I have been contributing to forums like this for years. I spent years at iLounge.com and have 6000+ posts until I got tired of talking about the iPod and sold it.

Everywhere is the same, there is AN ETIQUETTE FAQ to forum-ing am sure somewhere.

Am used to newsbs, no problem, but I like everybody to remember we don't get paid being here to answer your questions, so be patience, don't be a noobs by saying "300 reads and not a single reply?" We don't owe it to you, and you are not paying to post your questions. If nobody replied means you have to re-think what you are asking, maybe you ought to spend time Googling a little first. Maybe your post is too freaking long nobody has time to read long posts, maybe your sentences run together without pause (brain dump).

But I like these forums, I get everyday men's view of things. You go to Apple.com/forum and the employees there give you the Company line, refer you to generic info that one already knows rather than answering specifically what users are asking. Hate that.

That's all.

Been a member since August 2012, but I have spent a lot of time in here discussing topics and helping answer questions. Like you, before I joined, I spent time lurking the forum before joining.

Some of my pet peeves:

- Trolling and Spamming
- Several threads about the same topic

Other than those two I like it here, this is a great and informational place for all things Apple and even non-Apple. Also, it can get quite fun in here around the time the new iPhones and other Apple products are announced and released.

RSedan said:

i understand how obnoxious it can be to some ppl when a new person joins an old forum.

i just read a comment about "how this board used to be"... since i haven't been here very long at all (i mostly lurk, anyway), what are some vet tips/ comments/suggestions/pet peeves, etc. etc.

i'm not using this site as a place to make friends, just for info... so just be honest.

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Basically - the community was "better" years ago before the huge influx of iPod/iPhone people, circa 2003ish. The "Newbs". Back when apple had a 0.5% market share, and Steve Jobs had been on the job for 4-5 years.

More friendly, less trollish.

Trolling is the act of "baiting" someone into a response, with inflammatory posts. "Screwing with them" with posts that are intentionally bad, either a genuine opinion or a fake one. It's mean, and can rip a good community apart.
For more info, check out urbanDictionary.

My major issue is those that feel they need to blog here on MR and those that come asking advice on color, size ect ect. I mean ffs, make a decision on your own when your spending so much money.

Too many pre pubescent booger munchers own Apple products these days.

That's the problem.

I'm a newb as well, having only joined eight months ago. I've learnt a lot here through using the search facility and reading current threads that interest me also.

I have noticed a sharp rise in the amount of non-Apple users who camp here using the forum as their own blog, telling us every single detail of their choices why they don't use Apple at all. I guess that's trolling. Just don't feed them and one can hope they will get excruciatingly bored and leave of their own volition.

Generally, I've received a lot of genuine support when I've asked for assistance and I hope you end up enjoying the community here as much as I do.

One of the things that I love so much about this place is that everything from Espresso coffee to possible MacRumours are covered, and passionately too.

itsmemuffins said:

Too many pre pubescent booger munchers own Apple products these days.

That's the problem.

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I generally agree with your point.

Now about the image generated by your descriptive phrase...

Some of the best people...

spyguy10709 said:

Basically - the community was "better" years ago before the huge influx of iPod/iPhone people, circa 2003ish. The "Newbs". Back when apple had a 0.5% market share, and Steve Jobs had been on the job for 4-5 years.

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So basically the first year and a half of the forums was the good times?

Shrink said:

I generally agree with your point.

Now about the image generated by your descriptive phrase...

Some of the best people...

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One does pick a winner.

itsmemuffins said:

One does pick a winner.

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Hey, did you go to the same elementary school I did...that's the last time I heard that joke!!

Shrink said:

Hey, did you go to the same elementary school I did...that's the last time I heard that joke!!

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My pre pubescent booger munching persona has been exposed.

I don’t even really talk about Macs/iDevices on here anymore!

RSedan said:

i understand how obnoxious it can be to some ppl when a new person joins an old forum.

i just read a comment about "how this board used to be"... since i haven't been here very long at all (i mostly lurk, anyway), what are some vet tips/ comments/suggestions/pet peeves, etc. etc.

i'm not using this site as a place to make friends, just for info... so just be honest.

Click to expand...

I think what people are referring to is possibly the way the people here were.

When I joined, it was right before iOS took off, it was a Mac forum. Since then its become an iOS forum, with the Mac stuff being less prominent. This irks people who've been here a long time.

On top of this, there is a silly debate between 'reasonable' people and people who seem to be either bat-crap crazy or trolls. For example, if you look in any news article that mentions an Apple competitor, you'll have a mix of 'loyalists' slagging the competition off and 'haters' (I despise that term) defending the competition. Then there is a (small) group of people who look at both sides and try and keep it fair and balanced. Sadly the voice of this third group is often lost.

We do seem to have a shift in maturity too. Take a look at any Google thread and half of it is filled with the childish 'google sell your information' nonsense. The other half full of people trying to actually explain how Google operates, with it falling on deaf ears.

The only thing a new person to the forums can do is try to be logical and sensible, and ignore the silly comments. Especially when someone starts bashing on about how the 'Apple haters' or 'Android haters' are 'out in force'. It's all silly mind games, trying to provok a reaction.

Basically just assume everyone here is a Troll. That's the only way you can really browse these forums anymore. It's a shame really, this used to be a great place, but the combination of 'troll-bate' articles hitting the frontpage, and the influx of new members has caused a rift that cant really be fixed.

rmwebs said:

I think what people are referring to is possibly the way the people here were.

When I joined, it was right before iOS took off, it was a Mac forum. Since then its become an iOS forum, with the Mac stuff being less prominent. This irks people who've been here a long time.

On top of this, there is a silly debate between 'reasonable' people and people who seem to be either bat-crap crazy or trolls. For example, if you look in any news article that mentions an Apple competitor, you'll have a mix of 'loyalists' slagging the competition off and 'haters' (I despise that term) defending the competition. Then there is a (small) group of people who look at both sides and try and keep it fair and balanced. Sadly the voice of this third group is often lost.

We do seem to have a shift in maturity too. Take a look at any Google thread and half of it is filled with the childish 'google sell your information' nonsense. The other half full of people trying to actually explain how Google operates, with it falling on deaf ears.

The only thing a new person to the forums can do is try to be logical and sensible, and ignore the silly comments. Especially when someone starts bashing on about how the 'Apple haters' or 'Android haters' are 'out in force'. It's all silly mind games, trying to provok a reaction.

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as someone who kicked it here on the reg back in the day, thanks for this.

rmwebs said:

Basically just assume everyone here is a Troll. That's the only way you can really browse these forums anymore. It's a shame really, this used to be a great place, but the combination of 'troll-bate' articles hitting the frontpage, and the influx of new members has caused a rift that cant really be fixed.

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Gosh, and I thought I was being so subtle!

People can reminisce about the "good old days" or they can wax poetics about the success of the site now. In the end this is just a website; it was once a community. The effort exerted trying to change it back to what it once was is better used some place where it will be more appreciated and rewarding. In other words, times changed, people most certainly changed, and whatever anyone has ever told you before was likely a bunch of BS. Whether you're a new member or an old member, you're a number and maybe a name to people here and no one really matters on a website, try not to be fooled.

People will moan about the place being more iOS focused that it used to be, but since Apple are more iOS focused than they used to be (before the iPhone basically), and Apple's target audience for their products slowly becomes more average-consumer focused, it makes sense for this place to follow the trend.

Most of the time, this is a battle ground for Apple's tech vs Samsung/Microsoft/Google's tech, and since heated debates fuel more posts, it isn't as if such debates are discouraged with the amount of news posted here about what Apple's apparent competition are doing.

Unfortunately, as much as I'd like to say this place is entirely friendly, helpful and well balanced; there are obviously them who are misinformed, have no clue what they are talking about or are just trolls. My advice here would be to have a great time debating and discussing, whilst hopefully helping some people with their problems along the way, but don't be trollbait. A lot of the discussion here is opinion based, and most people tend to think their opinions matter the most or are true.

Whatever happens though, one thing will remain true. Safari is snappier.

My own experience is that most of the unpleasantness rests in the entirely hypothetical threads -- "What do you think Apple will do next" etc.

Stick to the facts, and humble opinions about real things, and it all works swimmingly.