My turn.
My name is Tim Drag. Also, the admin(timdrag) on fig.yuku.com. I thought I would chime in to provide you with my perspective and why I leant my technical knowledge to the worthy endeavor that is and will continue to be fig.yuku.com.
I am a newbie. I freely admit it. I jumped into this hobby with both feet and I look forward to increasing my knowledge and understanding. It may surprise you to know that a newbie is intimately involved with the creation of the site. But I want you to see my perspective.
When I joined F4F only 6 months ago, it was a much different space. People tended to respect opinions. People openly shared their figs, thoughts and opinions. People respected eachother and respected our common thread, the fig. Where we are now is not where this was when I joined.
Allow me first to debunk some of the comments above. Fig.yuku.com is not a "loyalty" issue. Did you cancel your GW membership when you came over to F4F? I see many familiar names over there that post on both sites. It's not sacrilege to belong to another site to discuss figs. I for one will still look at this board.
It is not a "respect" thing. How could you not respect Jon and what he is doing here? Jon was one of the first "trusted sellers" on fig.yuku.com and I hope Jon will join to discuss the F4F Foundation and keep us informed about the trees and cuttings he has for sale. Jon is also a member of GW, so we hope he is willing to join fig chat and contribute.
It's not conspicuous timing as has been intimated on this site. There is nothing "in it" for anyone. We have nothing to sell, nothing to gain. The discourse was not a preemptive move in any way shape or form.
Now, here is my perspective.
New Members: New members rock! I think i've been one of the few who has gone out of their way to defend new members on this site. You were all new at some point. For some reason over the last 6 months the discourteousness shown to new members has been reprehensible. Members have gone so far to call newbies "demanding" and refusing to share their time, expertise, and cuttings with new members. I may have missed some PM's but i've tried to share what little surplus plant material I have. Are many new members going to "hit and run" sure. But today's new member is tomorrow's "old head". Their rooting method may become the new norm. Their unknown fig in their backyard may be the best tasting fig on the planet. If you don't encourage new members, you will miss out on a lot. IMHO some of you have forgotten that. I want to encourage new members to contribute and not be shunned.
Respect the Fig!: All of us are "plant people". You kind of have to be since you are on a chat board to talk about figs. The disrespect shown toward the fig here boggles my mind. The cultivar of the fig you grow is important. The etymology of names is important to the cultivation of figs. People on here seem to have forgotten that. How does a name not matter? Why don't I just call everyone "Bill" and "Jane"? Why have people like Condit, O'Rourke, and others spent decades researching and identifying figs? Because names matter. People have become so ambivelant to the naming of figs that if it continues, who knows what strain will be original. Members of late seem to be just applying whatever name appears to be correct for their fig. Not researching. Not comparing. Just naming. It's wrong. The response that "names don't matter" makes no sense. Do you grow a jujube and call it an apple becuase it kind of tastes like the other? Imagine if as a succulent grower if names didn't matter? The cornerstone of Fig.Yuku.com is to preserve cultivars. We are not going to reclassify, just accurately preserve what is already out there. If it is unknown, it will be called unknown. The primary reason for a "trusted seller" list is so that a member will feel confident that they will get what they buy. If you want LSU Tiger, you will get LSU Tiger.
Oversight: I don't think you need to have an over-moderated board. But you need some sort of moderation. Objective, honest moderation. Many of the problems complained about in this thread can be solved with active moderators. Incorrect information can be corrected. Spammers and fake sellers can be immediately removed. There was a recent issue here with a member having 2 usernames. The free flow of information is a blessing, but the free flow of bad information is a curse.
You are welcome to disagree with me. I'm interested in other perspectives.
As a former Division 1 football player, I spent my formative years learning the importance of teamwork, respect, selflessness, communication, and doing the right thing. I carry that into my personal life and my career. They used to be here. I hope they come back. I felt helpless that I couldn't change the path. That's why fig.yuku.com exists. There will be no bullying. There will be no stymying of free thought. Fighting will not be tolerated. Figs will be explored and respected. We will look for members to substantiate information if need be to keep information as close to factual as possible. I hope you'll come over, take a look, and talk figs.
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