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Originally Posted by
theman7676i fnd the site and its members very knowledgeable. i am not sure how a new member like me with 2 post, now 3, all to this same conversation, can ever be of help or value to you jason ...with well over 2000 postings and years of experience....is seems to me its rather the other way around
JD and Rafed said a lot, and in a much more cordial fashion than I'm typically capable. I think you will find if you stick around for a little while, as JD says, people offer out cuttings. I've offered out 3-4 times in the last two years I've been posting. I've seen a dozen others do the same (I didn't come up with the idea, I just borrowed it from someone that sent to me first).
I think it's important to note that what's most valuable to me is not "help" from you, and I want to be clear about that. To me, it's totally about "contribution" (/"meaningful participation").
Random contribution is what makes a community like this strong. Random kindness and sharing is what has made such amazing friendships here for me (with fellow members). That is what keeps the place alive and makes it more special than most other forums I've been a part of.
A person has several options when coming here for the first time. They can do the bare minimum - that is, come to the forum, randomly post asking for cuttings (or PM/email members blindly), take whatever people will hand out, then disappear (it happens often...).
Or they can join in the community - that is, make a new thread to say hello, maybe show some pictures of your fruits or landscape or you eating figs, maybe share some stories about why you love figs so much or what interests you about them (almost everyone here has the same "bug", it's an instant ice breaker). It is actions like this which "build" the community and really open the door. It makes the place more special and interesting to others, in turn, it produces a lot of strength and diversity that isn't found in other online communities.
I think I explained a lot of this in my last email response to you. I hope it makes sense. I'm not trying to kick you in the nuts (to be blunt). Patience and kindness are virtues that a lot of people seem to disregard on the internet, and absence of both have a tendency to degrade, hurt or destroy communities like this one.
Maybe I just think too much about it. I just know, for me, if I have a choice between helping out the member that just joined and made their first post a plea for merchandise (or) helping out a member that just joined and shared with me pictures of their potted plants (even if they are purchased), I'm totally going to pick the person that's creating the new thread and sharing something personal and meaningful every time.
I believe (in life) that you get what you put out. It's the way it should be.
I'll shut up about it now. I've already probably said too much ;)