PR said:
Rarely log in here and post comments as some comments are very negative, especially to relative new comers.
Forums are there to use or not to use as ones sees fit once one becomes a member of it.
Either one can participate in the discussions or use the forum like a book just reading the posts to gain information either way it is up to the individual to decide how they want to use the forum and post or not post when a thread comes up they are intrested in.
Quite a few so called "new comers" are not new at all but established posters in "diguise" some of us old hands usually spot this at some point and may be the reason it appears some of the comments are negative.
Quite a few new members join just to ask one or maybe two questions that they are seeking answers to then never post again while others use the forum as a sort of social club or debating chamber, and quite a few have met up on sites and become firm friends through the use of the forum.
The forums members are its greatest resource and with many hundreds of years caravanning between them with technical experties and experience, members who do not ask questions or participate in the forum are the ones who miss out on this resource.
I do wish there had been such a thing as a forum when I started out most of the information gained at the time was from family or friends most of it wrong as I seem to remember, any problems were sorted ad hoc and mistakes learned and recified as ones experience grew.
I am sure many learned in the same way and it is this experience that is on tap for the newbie to have access to all they have to do is "ASK" however if some of the answers are conficting "as peoples experiences are different" or not what the questioner expected, don't be too supprised as this is still valuable information in it's self.
However one wants to use the forum is up to the individual conserned but dont take a bit of banter between some posters as hostility of any kind it is just that a bit of banter.
colin