Dear Newcomer To The Forum

[system 4-50]

Welcome to the forum.  I can say this without knowing you  as everyone is welcome to the forum! 

If you are asking about a problem, the following thoughts may be useful:

 

There are some very good technical experts on here who are usually happy to offer advice, but they do need sufficient information to work on. After you have typed in the basic details, sit back and ask yourself, "what have I assumed they know?".  For example, if you are describing an engine problem, have you said what type of engine it is?  Our experts not unreasonably get tired of saying please give us the whole picture not just the crisis element, over and over again to each newcomer.  Pictures are usually helpful where possible.

 

Ok, you've communicated the problem.  You will get a variety of responses.  Some will just be welcoming you.  Some will offer simple suggestions of the obvious - they are keen to help because they feel for you, but they don't have the technical knowledge.  Some will be experts and will offer precise advice. And, rarely, somebody will respond who is technically au fait but wrong.  The other experts will usually help to identify these.  And some will make fun of your problem, or the solutions offered, or anything really.  This is likely if you accidently drop an amusing typo into your text.  This is an attempt to lighten up the forum and not aimed at you personally.  Don't take it to heart, just ignore it.

 

You will probably take some action in response to the suggestions, which doesn't completely resolve the problem.  Now is the important bit.  The temptation is to relay lots of new information about the problem without answering the questions raised by your helpers.  This hacks off the helpers who get tired of saying "tell us about the …" repeatedly to the same poster.  Don't get offended, many newcomers do and then leave the forum.  Just provide the information or explain why you can't.  If you are working on getting the info, say so.

 

Finally, you will solve the problem, possibly with the help provided on the forum, possibly with 3rd party help.  Please come back to the forum and let us know how you did it.  We do like to know the outcomes, and sometimes the forum learns from the result.  The forum is not overly judgemental and will not jump on you if it was something silly you did.  We have all committed that sin on our boats at one time or another.

 

Happy boating!

 

 

[Bee]

Too right. Had a metallic knocking that speeded up as the revs rose, obviously something major inside the engine. Big bills, weeks of work. Turned out to be an engine mount needing adjusting. Then there was overheating engine, that was a loose wire on the back of the temp. gauge. And that banging under the counter, that was a surprisingly small branch.

[Chris Lowe]

I've pinned this.

[MtB]

Also, if you have arrived here because you are thinking of buying a boat to live on and are doing your research, you are not the first! 

 

Whatever your question, it will have been asked here before, probably many times over. Look at the top right hand corner of every page here (on a computer, but not so sure about on a phone), and you'll find a search box. Have a check to see what other threads exist covering your questions.

 

If you ask a question that's been asked (and answered) eight million times already, you may get a bit of ribbing but don't take it to heart. 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 13, 2023 by MtB

[LadyG]

Another thing is that annoys the forumites is that the OP (Original Poster) writes up his problem but, not expecting immediate response comes back a few days later to a list of increasingly heated responses, usually requiring more information!!!!!!

So if he could mention that he is no longer on the boat , (will be back next weekend) / does not know how to post pictures / or other technicality, this could help. 

As a regular poster, I know who are the experts, so I start reading their posts firsts, newbies don't have this advantage. Some posters get annoyed when the thread drifts off topic, but this is the nature of this forum, it bumps the thread. Generally the answer will be found in the first few responses.

Edited June 13, 2023 by LadyG

[Puffling]

It might also be helpful to indicate

a) your whereabouts

b) your skill level

c) your budget

if these are not stated or obvious from your post. Forum members have an annual summer school in mind reading, but not all are completely competent in the art.

 

For example: I know nothing about boat engines but am okay with a screwdriver and know about basic mechanics; I'm moored near Rugby and have about £500 to spare on fixing the issue

[LadyG]

8 minutes ago, Puffling said:

 

 

" I know nothing about boat engines but am okay with a screwdriver and know about basic mechanics; I'm moored near Rugby and have about £500 to spare on fixing the issue"

You have much to learn, Grasshopper:

BOAT = Bring Out Another Thousand

[enigmatic]

This is an excellent post. You could probably add in that you might get replies much quicker than most Internet forums, and sometimes people are so wildly helpful they end up turning up at other forum user's boats!

 

Though it feels like it could do with a companion "dear regular contributor to this forum" post. Dear regular contributor, please be aware that the new forum user is not aware of your long history of actually helping people, so they might think your request for a photo or asking if they know the rules is taking the mick just as much as the four or five other posts in the thread asking if their boat is painted white and from London or if they got all their information from idiots on YouTube, or they might not see it at all because by the time they get back from work the thread is four pages long and the latest posts are an unrelated argument about the CRT and "another newbie ran away". If that person pops back to post an angry response towards all the "idiots", it is possible they didn't mean your suggestion to check the oil level or consider a mooring was the idiotic bit, and not the person laughing at their typo or accusing them of being a cheapskate with no respect for the rules and they might even listen to other advice you have to offer (especially if you start by advising them to ignore the silly comments)

 

Or if your intention is not to help, perhaps you would have more entertaining arguments with more willing participants who positively relish being provoked in the politics forum

Edited June 13, 2023 by enigmatic

[matty40s]

I'm looked to save money and live aboard a boat, I work in Camden, why are my batteries not working my fridge.

[Mad Harold]

11 minutes ago, matty40s said:

I'm looked to save money and live aboard a boat, I work in Camden, why are my batteries not working my fridge.

Cos it's a gas fridge, Numpty. 🎃

[booke23]

4 hours ago, MtB said:

Whatever your question, it will have been asked here before, probably many times over. Look at the top right hand corner of every page here (on a computer, but not so sure about on a phone), and you'll find a search box. Have a check to see what other threads exist covering your questions.

 

True. But to the new member, be aware the search function on this forum is very hit and miss. Better results are usually had by going to google and using that to search the site....type in something like 'Advice for buying a narrowboat canalworld forum' 

[David Mack]

23 minutes ago, booke23 said:

site....type in something like 'Advice for buying a narrowboat canalworld forum' 

Or "site:canalworld.net advice for buying a narrowboat" (ensuring there are no spaces in "site:canalworld.net").

[howardang]

5 hours ago, LadyG said:

.....

As a regular poster, I know who are the experts, so I start reading their posts firsts, newbies don't have this advantage. Some posters get annoyed when the thread drifts off topic, but this is the nature of this forum, it bumps the thread. Generally the answer will be found in the first few responses.

Or maybe I think you meant " I know those who think they are experts."   It all depends on where their field of expertise lies, and some will  give the impression that they are expert and knowledgeable in all subjects. Sometimes a pinch of salt is called for, which is difficult for the newcomer who may take all advice given as gospel. That, of course, can be the issue with forums such as this one. 

 

Howard

[LadyG]

7 minutes ago, howardang said:

Or maybe I think you meant " I know those who think they are experts."   It all depends on where their field of expertise lies, and some will  give the impression that they are expert and knowledgeable in all subjects. Sometimes a pinch of salt is called for, which is difficult for the newcomer who may take all advice given as gospel. That, of course, can be the issue with forums such as this one. 

 

Howard

I've been here five years, so I've sussed out the ones whose advice I would take, the others who can be regular posters are generally on ignore. It's sometime interesting to read the non experts, as they may have a different view.

Some folks have specialist expertise, so they only post when that is relevant.

Edited June 13, 2023 by LadyG

[Jak]

I’ve left the Marina for the first time.  We moored up for the night and all the lights have gone out. Except for one red flashing one and there’s a loud buzzing noise. Help!!

[LadyG]

4 hours ago, matty40s said:

I'm looked to save money and live aboard a boat, I work in Camden, why are my batteries not working my fridge.

If you don't know, no one knows

[matty40s]

31 minutes ago, Jak said:

I’ve left the Marina for the first time.  We moored up for the night and all the lights have gone out. Except for one red flashing one and there’s a loud buzzing noise. Help!!

You've moored to Madame Zizzis back door.....

[Guest]

3 hours ago, booke23 said:

 

True. But to the new member, be aware the search function on this forum is very hit and miss. Better results are usually had by going to google and using that to search the site....type in something like 'Advice for buying a narrowboat canalworld forum' 

 

Absolutely. You have to know quite precise phrases and search terms to get to what you need to know. If you are new here this can often be difficult.

 

This blase 'use the search function' is unhelpful and unwelcoming to newbies. Of course some 'old timers' delight in pointing out that a newbie question has been asked before, often many times? So what? And what if something has changed?

 

If all an 'old timer' can do is say 'use the search function' they'd be better off not saying anything at all.

3 hours ago, David Mack said:

Or "site:canalworld.net advice for buying a narrowboat" (ensuring there are no spaces in "site:canalworld.net").

 

Precisely my point, well proven.

[Peugeot 106]

I’d like to point out that if you ask advice (paid or not) from many “ marine engineers” you can get just as dubious information from them and it can cost you a lot more money. At least on here you are getting more than one opinion and nobody on this forum is trying to make money off you 

[MtB]

31 minutes ago, Peugeot 106 said:

I’d like to point out that if you ask advice (paid or not) from many “ marine engineers” you can get just as dubious information from them and it can cost you a lot more money. At least on here you are getting more than one opinion and nobody on this forum is trying to make money off you 

 

It's actually better than that on here because the opinions get peer-reviewed, and any opinions posted that are dodgy or wrong tend to get contradicted and/or picked apart and explained why they might be wrong.

[howardang]

21 hours ago, LadyG said:

I've been here five years, so I've sussed out the ones whose advice I would take, the others who can be regular posters are generally on ignore. It's sometime interesting to read the non experts, as they may have a different view.

Some folks have specialist expertise, so they only post when that is relevant.

Yes, I think I can safely say similar having been here on and off for 19 years. However, I do detect a subtle change over the years in that in earlier times there was less of the dogmatic responses by some "experts" with more tolerance generally towards newcomers with genuine questions. 

 

Howard

 

 

[IanD]

3 minutes ago, howardang said:

Yes, I think I can safely say similar having been here on and off for 19 years. However, I do detect a subtle change over the years in that in earlier times there was less of the dogmatic responses by some "experts" with more tolerance generally towards newcomers with genuine questions. 

 

Howard

 

 

Maybe the "experts" have got grumpier as they got older? 😉

[Tony Brooks]

Definitely, much less ready to accept questions apparently being ignored - that is if you lot consider me an expert.

[howardang]

24 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Definitely, much less ready to accept questions apparently being ignored - that is if you lot consider me an expert.

In my humble opinion I think you more than qualify for the expert category!🤙

 

Howard

 

 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, howardang said:

In my humble opinion I think you more than qualify for the expert category!🤙

 

Howard

 

 

 

Yup its quite apparent Tony knows his stuff.