No-hijack response to siding thread.......

[CatsPaw]

Since this is actually off topic to the recent siding thread, it seemed appropriate to start a new thread.

For your convenience.....[start of rant]

This is one of my pet peaves when it comes to these forum thingies...someone asks a question about something and starts getting responses. I would have to say that 99% of these are well meaning and are offered as opinions only.

Here's my pet peave. Whenever there is a thread that could have some controversy about it, sure enough a chicken little shows up. Chicken littles are people who unfortunately have had some direct and often times bad results with the subject matter. Unfortunately bad things happen, we can't prevent them, etc., etc. No one ever wishes bad things on others......well most of the time.

What gripes me is that instead of simply presenting their opinion and maybe a few facts about those bad things.....what you get is a LECTURE as if you've committed a felony or you'll die instantly or something.

I usually don't disagree with what they're saying, it's how they say it. If I said I love peanuts, sure enough some one will chime in and start telling me about how their neice or someone almost died from eating peanuts and that there should be more warning labels on peanut products and everyone should get paraniod about how many products are made with peanuts and GMOs are the bane of society blah....blah....blah.

I asked about the garden dust Sevin once...sure enough a chicken little showed up and started telling me how I should never, ever use sevin 'cause it kills bees....yadda entire hives yadda bees pollinate yadda.....Yea, bees are bugs. sevin kills bugs. bees will die. I wasn't wanting to wipe out the entire bug population of the world. I wasn't planning on breaking out the crop duster to see if I could rid the planet of bugs. I will be using sevin in the future AND I will be careful about it's use.

People glom onto something and it becomes their focal point and crusade.

All I ever want is some opinions and some consequences so I can be more careful about how I do things. And I try to get across that my opinions are based on what I've experienced or my locality but never imply that my opinion is the only one.

I don't want a lecture intended to imply I'm a bad person for doing what I'm doing or whatever. I really don't care what anybody thinks of me or what I do. Chicken littles simply waste thread space.

[End of Rant]

My suggestion to chicken littles is DON'T LECTURE. State your opinion and your concerns...maybe something like..."Oh, I had a relative [injured/died] from that because of [insert cause/short version]. I would be careful of [this or that]" Not a list of statistics, instances, causes, chemistry, physics, laws and lectures. I don't HAVE to listen to my parents any more, I'm all grown up.

[Jim S.]

(My tongue is firmly planted in my cheek here...)

Thank you for your crusading lecture about not lecturing folks. I am glad you have strong opinions about people who have strong opinions.

Heheheh.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I just wish that folks would notice that the so-called chicken little folks often have had a true disaster in their family, and they are speaking from experience and concern for others.

[doohap]

Originally Posted by Jim S.

(My tongue is firmly planted in my cheek here...)

Thank you for your crusading lecture about not lecturing folks. I am glad you have strong opinions about people who have strong opinions.

Heheheh.

[Ardie/WI]

Me thinks that cabin fever is hitting someone. (And not our beloved Mod either!)

Seriously, (Yes, gang, I can be serious!) learn to roll with the punches and take everything with a grain of salt. It isn't plasma!

[CatsPaw]

Well, gee Jim, I guess I can't advocate less polution and fuel efficient cars because I drive.

And Rose which do think would be a better response to the following hypothetical thread.....

X: I'd like to add more horsepower to my car. It has a two barrel carb on it now. Would a four barrel help?

Response #1: Do you really need more horsepower? You know what they say speed kills. My 80 some year old grandfather was hit by a speeding car when he was walking through the same cross walk he had been crossing for decades. It took him three days to die. Basically his body was shattered. We were on vacation and suddenly my mom had to go back home. We, as kids, didn't understand and when we got home grampa was dead. You really shouldn't add any horsepower to your car.

OR

Response #2: A four barrel would give you the extra power. I just hope you choose a safe and legal place to test it out.

And in case you're wondering, response #1 is true.

[patnewmex]

There are so many things more that I could say but I think that Jim S. said it best.

*******
Thank you for your crusading lecture about not lecturing folks. I am glad you have strong opinions about people who have strong opinions.

*******

Since humanity isn't going to change anytime soon, I suggest you think about how forums operate *in conjunction with* human nature. Thread drift is totally natural. It is also totally fine with me if people are passionate about their views. That's part of the FUN of belonging to an oline *community*.

Good luck with everything.

Pat

[CGUARDSMAN]

alrighty then.....................

[bare]

One of my pet peeves are folks that title their threads and don't have a dang thing to say about the subject they titled.

[TNHermit]

I think ya done good!!

[Alice In TX/MO]

Cat's Paw, I see your point, but don't think it applies to the asbestos thread.

I'm going back to lurking.

[Boleyz]

How DARE you Rant against "Chicken Littles"? These "Chicken Littles" serve the very useful purpose of DISCOURAGEMENT.

Don't you understand that if You have an idea that might advance your standing in life and you come here for "Thoughtful Advice" about it, you MUST be discourged from trying it?

After all, it's not fair for you to be building a house/barn/siding/ or anything else if everyone on the forum can't do the same thing.

In fact, you should stop what you're doing immediately and send money to the "Chicken Littles" so that they can build a house too.

Then and only then, will you be above reproach.

Start your next thread with:

"Does anyone think this is a bad idea, because if you do I will send you enough money to do it right and then share the photos with me."

That's the only way to stop the negativity...level the playing field...don't ever have or do anything that anyone else doesn't have or do...

[Rocky Fields]

"I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the end your right to say it."

Voltaire (paraphrased)

You have Sevin dust?

I'd bury it at night and not tell anyone ;-)

[Beltane]

My neighbor didn't know that Sevin killed the bees until I told him...and then he stopped using it. Isn't this a good thing? By asking questions we learn...even if we don't like some of the answers.

[blufford]

Originally Posted by bare

One of my pet peeves are folks that title their threads and don't have a dang thing to say about the subject they titled.

I couldn't agree more!

[Wolf mom]

Dang! Here I thought I had free choice to read a chlcken little message or not.

I also thought I was allowed to address the original topic rather than just follow the thread along wherever it may lead.

How silly of me!

[via media]

If I am in the process of executing Stupid Plan #1 and ask what color to paint the wall, I hope someone with more knowledge and experience would jump in with their two cents and lets me know that the wall may well collapse.

It doesn't matter to me that the question was about paint color; if someone else has tried my plan and it failed miserably, I want to know about it.

Perhaps it's the tone of the chicken little that you don't like? And some people can't bear to be told anything they do is less than brilliant. Personally, I'd rather learn from the mistakes of others.

/VM

[Jim S.]

Originally Posted by CatsPaw

X: I'd like to add more horsepower to my car. It has a two barrel carb on it now. Would a four barrel help?

Response #1: Do you really need more horsepower? You know what they say speed kills. My 80 some year old grandfather was hit by a speeding car when he was walking through the same cross walk he had been crossing for decades. It took him three days to die. Basically his body was shattered. We were on vacation and suddenly my mom had to go back home. We, as kids, didn't understand and when we got home grampa was dead. You really shouldn't add any horsepower to your car.

OR

Response #2: A four barrel would give you the extra power. I just hope you choose a safe and legal place to test it out.

And in case you're wondering, response #1 is true.

Neither is correct.

#1: Whether you have an accident is dependent on your driving skills, not the car's horsepower. Lil puny 113 hp Suzuki cars get in wrecks as often as large 285 hp Cadillacs do. There is no correlation betwen hp and wrecks.

#2: A 4-bbl carb will not add more power to a 2-bbl car unless the cam is also replaced. Otherwise, all you are doing is burning more gas, because you have not changed the valve timing event to accomodate the larger carb.

:1pig:

As far as your OP, my attitude on it is all in my sig.

[Clifford]

CatsPaw.... I understand by your new thread that you do not want anyone to Hi-jack your siding. Perhaps you should be checking with the person who installed it to insure they used the proper fastening method. That will more than likely give you some sort of respit from worry.

Furthermore, talking about hi-jacking, isn't it comforting to know that there have been no hi-jackings or other terrorist attacks since 9/11 here at home? I think President Bush is doing a fine job.

hehehe

[mightybooboo]

Im going with the Colts.

BooBoo