Browse Forums Bugs & Suggestions 1 Apr 18, 2007 6:56 am Hi This is a great site - but it is sooo quiet in here. I suggest that there should be qualified experts in every sector (maybe there are and I haven't see the info)... So people can ask real questions and get real answers. Everyone can add opinios or alternatives of course. There used to be a site http://www.askme.com (??) which had a similar format - registered experts with lists of qualifications and star ratings given by the people who had their question answered, where you could ask a specific person a question in their field. Anyway - as I say great site but could do with a lift. Ed Re: Suggesting Ask the Experts [Done] 2Apr 18, 2007 7:59 am That'd be nice, but what can we do ? I think it's just a case of trying to get the huge number of 'lurkers' to sign up and start posting. After all, we may not be tradesmen, but everyone lives in a house and has some experience with them. Pooled together, even that is a huge amount of knowledge to share. Re: Suggesting Ask the Experts [Done] 3Apr 18, 2007 9:50 am Hi Ed….
What you’re suggesting sounds great of course! But where do you suppose these experts in their fields will come from? I’m a professional designer or 13 years with my own business, and I also run my partners business four days a week as well. To get into this forum every day on and off can be extremely time consuming thing for me. PLUS I am giving out FREE information to you all that normally costs my clients $88.00 per hour as a consultation! Who do you suppose will pay us for our time to be here to answer questions all day long, at no charge? Also I have read some GREAT information and feed back from the people in here to each other. I think everyone is pulling together really well, and supply each other with excellent information. This is a public forum; it does not promote itself as being the be all and end all of information givers. After all…..you are getting it for free…??? Internal and External Building and Colour Consultant Online - Worldwide http://www.denovoconcepts.com Re: Suggesting Ask the Experts [Done] 4Apr 18, 2007 10:19 am Well said Michelle, I have to agree with you.
Like you, I spend large amounts of time involved with online forums such as this, and freely offer my own experience and advice. It could well be argued that I could spend this time better in other pursuits. But something compells me to keep doing so. Maybe it's because I'm an information junkie, and by immersing myself in training and topical forums, I find I can keep building on my knowledge and so improve the service to my customers. My wife has exclaimed that she can't understand how someone can be so compellingly immersed in carpet cleaning and such as I am! (I run a carpet cleaning forum and am in associations and such). Anyway, I think its great that there ARE people who are passionate enough in their respective occupations to share their knowledge and experiences in this way. Ed, it'd be nice to have more experts as you say, but a forum by nature can't necessarily be relied upon for 'expert' information. Like most things in life, if its free, don't expect too much. All the personal feedback and comments from other consumers is perhaps equally valuable anyway. I like to think though, that the universal principals of reciprocation work well here, and any energies I put in here can be rewarded by receiving other valuable info in fields in which I have little or no knowledge. So sure, I'd encourage any experts out there to jump in and invest in the think-tank here! Cheers! Ash. Re: Suggesting Ask the Experts [Done] 5Apr 18, 2007 11:14 am You might be suprised how many "industry related professionals" actually do participate in this forum.
I am an Industrial Designer with over fifteen years experience in exhibition, shop fitout and kitchen design...and I know of quite a few other guys with their own specialties who also frequent this board. I post when I feel there is something of value I can contribute to somebodies questions or commentary, but I don't make a big issue about my qualifications - it should be pretty obvious by my input (along with my signature). The other guys have all made a good point about the amount of time it can take providing meaningful contributions to this site, but of course it also gets our names out there. This can cut both ways, so in my case I (mostly) try to demonstrate a certain amount of restraint and not use this board purely as a publicity medium. Professionally it is important to me for the information I provide to be correct and on topic - especially as at the end of the day I need to be able to stand behind anything I post on such a public forum. Maybe not everybody shares this view, but if you look closely you will find that there are already a number of specialists dispensing some vefry useful information when called upon. Cheers, Earl Re: Suggesting Ask the Experts [Done] 6Apr 18, 2007 12:09 pm Also, this is a very active forum, compared to many.
If I don't come here for a few days and look up all the new posts, I will be reading the resultant posts for an hour or two. Ed, please contribute to whatever area you have some experience or opinion in. Everyone will benefit. Re: Suggesting Ask the Experts [Done] 7Apr 18, 2007 1:10 pm You guys said it all....
Its a "free" sharing of information, nothing more, nothing less. Matt Re: Suggesting Ask the Experts [Done] 8Apr 18, 2007 5:14 pm I have learnt so much from this forum - great information from the experts and invaluable knowledge from following other peoples highs and lows whilst building. I'm sure experts from every field would be happy to help advise for their going rate per hour. I'm not expecting that - I'm finding a wealth of information for free and I appreciate it. Thanks to the experts and the home builders for sharing! Re: Suggesting Ask the Experts [Done] 9Apr 18, 2007 8:47 pm Michelle Hi Ed…. What you’re suggesting sounds great of course! But where do you suppose these experts in their fields will come from? I’m a professional designer or 13 years with my own business, and I also run my partners business four days a week as well. To get into this forum every day on and off can be extremely time consuming thing for me. PLUS I am giving out FREE information to you all that normally costs my clients $88.00 per hour as a consultation! Who do you suppose will pay us for our time to be here to answer questions all day long, at no charge? Perfectly Stated Michelle, To be honest, I've learned more in here from people who have gone through the trials and tribulations of "doing it themselves" than I have from the professionals. That's not to say that the experts aren't helpful, quite the contrary, but people who have done their own thing tend to talk without using all the 'jargon' used by the experts...makes it a bit easier to understand Without all the little things I have picked up from the 'amateurs' I think I would have struggled a bit with the bathroom reno. Also I have read some GREAT information and feed back from the people in here to each other. I think everyone is pulling together really well, and supply each other with excellent information. This is a public forum; it does not promote itself as being the be all and end all of information givers. After all…..you are getting it for free…??? If all you can see are obstacles, you have lost sight of the goals Re: Suggesting Ask the Experts [Done] 10Apr 22, 2007 9:36 am What you’re suggesting sounds great of course!
Thanks - so let's do it... But where do you suppose these experts in their fields will come from? I’m a professional designer or 13 years with my own business, and I also run my partners business four days a week as well. Me too - 20 yrs in General Management of large companies... 2 businesses and a family. To get into this forum every day on and off can be extremely time consuming thing for me. PLUS I am giving out FREE information to you all that normally costs my clients $88.00 per hour as a consultation! You already do enough Michelle - it's not about the people here it's about making this a place where more people come to find answers and more people give answers - not more time from the few. Who do you suppose will pay us for our time to be here to answer questions all day long, at no charge? I expect that people would derive satisfaction and some business opportunities... you get to show your business credentials here and that is good free promotion - if more people visited your exposure would be much greater. ..... After all…..you are getting it for free…??? And I thank you!!! I also give.... I totally agree with everything you have written. Thanks again for your always excellent input and advice. I really enjoy reading your posts cheers Simeon 1 3274 I work with owner, he/she is my man on the ground and I instruct them when to visit the site and take photos and I have other tools in the bag. 4 15023 Ardo That is so funny! I wonder how many people know who Larry Haun is these days. I have a couple of young guys we call Mo 1 & Mo 2 who run a crew of 6 boys and… 9 15433 |