New Member in San Jose, Ca - Orchid Board

Rick Barry · #1 01-31-2007, 04:21 PM

Hi,

My name is Rick Barry. I live in a condominium in San Jose, California and grow my orchids under lights, in windows and outside on my patio. I've been growing orchids for about 15 years. I'm most interested in Paphs, but (typical of most orchid growers) I also have a mixed assortment of other genera.

For years I was a member on the Orchid Guide Digest (and even before that, the Orchid List Digest). For some reason I no longer receive the OGD, though it is apparently still operating. I sent multiple e-mails to the owner but never received a response. Ultimately I gave up, but I still check the archives occasionally to see if there is anything worth reading.

I recently registered with SlipperTalk as well as the Slipper Orchid Forum. There was a message on one of these forums regarding the Orchid Board, so that led me here.

I've found that most forums devolve into a rather awkward form of chat room, which I find pretty tedious, but I am always happy to read anything that is well thought out and intelligently written. Photos, of course, are always worth a look. I have taken many digital photos myself, and am happy to share them with other growers.

I've found that every online forum has its own unique set of social dynamics at play. It seems that there are always certain members who come to dominate the dialogue, and this can be detrimental to the overall health of the forum. The degree to which this is true on this forum will determine whether I will become an active participant or just another lurker.

Here's hoping for the best!

Regards,
Rick

Ross · #2 01-31-2007, 04:40 PM

Welcome, and trust me, while there is a group dynamic (as you so well described) we are very varied. We have members from all over the globe and people participate as they choose. We have reps from several growers who frequent this board and we have a chat that used to be tolerable but has changed to something a lot more dynamic. While I realize you are seaking your own environment, try this one out for a while and see what you think. Welcome!

Tindomul · #3 01-31-2007, 05:30 PM

Hi and Welcome to the Orchid Board. I feel like Orchid Board is being interviewed, but no worries here, I have the upmost confidence in Orchid Board. I am a post hog, but I like nothing better than to see those who don't post much to post more. Chat around here can get silly, but when it comes down to helping someone with their problems, we hop to it.
Now, you will find that Orchid Board loves to see its members share all kinds of photos(family friendly ofcourse), so go ahead and share yours if you like, I for one, would love to see some more orchid photos.

Ross · #4 01-31-2007, 08:02 PM

Yeh, Tin likes to post a lot!

cb977 · #5 01-31-2007, 08:51 PM

Hi Rick and welcome to Orchidboard

I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised once you see what we're all about here. It is truly a community of friends interested in both helping and learning from our fellow members.

We have a nightly chat, starts around 8pm est. We always have a great conversation and most of the time, those conversations are about orchids. We do, on occasion, have those nights where it's just fun to be there for no other reason than...it's fun to be there

I hope to see you around the board. With all of your experience, I'm sure you'll be a great asset to our OB members.

terrestrial_man · #6 01-31-2007, 09:55 PM

Welcome Rick to THE BOARD!
It sounds like you have alot of experiences that you can share with us about your orchid growing adventures. This is a great place to fraternize and there are alot of in-the-know but not in-your-nose people here! So continue to speak out as boldly as you are and you will find others doing the same thing! OMG!!

Marty · #7 01-31-2007, 11:06 PM

Welcome Rick. You'll feel right at home here. One of the things that we've all been working on is healthy information exchange. No dictatorships or picking on other members. We all very much frown on BS posts and arguments are kept to a minimum. We tend to diffuse situations before they escalate. So far OB seems to be very balanced. For the most part it's a very mature group that hangs out here.