Participation

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If someone posts a recipe for our use, and does not ask for suggestions, I don't offer any. The post was not made to collect change recommendations. We've had members get upset when unsolicited suggestions are made.

On the other hand, if a member asks help in improving a recipe, they are opening the door wide.

I see lots of recipes I would not make. I just don't respond. On the other hand, if I like a recipe and copy it, I acknowledge that.

I try to be courteous and treat others as I would like to be treated.
 
If someone posts a recipe for our use, and does not ask for suggestions, I don't offer any. The post was not made to collect change recommendations. We've had members get upset when unsolicited suggestions are made.

On the other hand, if a member asks help in improving a recipe, they are opening the door wide.

I see lots of recipes I would not make. I just don't respond. On the other hand, if I like a recipe and copy it, I acknowledge that.

I try to be courteous and treat others as I would like to be treated.

And that is an excellent and very admirable way of handling things. I salute you! :clap:

I also try to do the same thing. And what you said about how you handle yourself is all that I was saying….yet you somehow said it in less words than me. Good job!
 
When I first joined here, I was not sure if it was the right thing to do. I'd been on a site where anything went. Making up recipes with the most ukky ingredients you could imagine and when some poor new member would coment, they would be laughed at and ridiculed til they either pitched a nasty fit or just left and never came back. I had taken me over ten years to give the computer a try again. I looked over food tv. Not for me..I found DC, and I read but hung back because I figured I'd get the treatment here..Well, I finally decided to jump in, figuring what the heck, I survived for ten years without a site to visit and could just leave if I needed to. Well, I was welcomed, people were pretty darn nice, yet for a time I still was shy of joining in..Then one day I just up and said hello and a happy birthday to one of the older members here. They answered back and it gave me the courage to jump in more. So, it might seem strange to wish a stranger happy birthday, but remember they might not have anyone else to help them celebrate that special day and you might just find a special person that you will enjoy knowing by holding out your hand. And I understand how odd it might seem and if it truly is not your way of getting to know me or others, just remember you have to break the ice with some of us like I was who was shy and afraid of having someone be rude. You will find more hands held out in welcome than backs turned to avoid you..The warmth here is outstanding and yes there are times when you wish you could just say hey knock it of, but that is NOT often..Reach out, here's my hand
kadesma:)
 
Like I posted in a similar thread.... as a new member... and speaking for MYSELF, I dont feel any changes are needed to this site. Its a great site, the people are friendly, and it has great tips and tricks to learn from. My feelings are not hurt in the least bit if someone doesnt say WELCOME or HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me. Personally.... if everyone here felt obligated to chime in with the Welcomes and Happy Birthdays it would be a bit smothering...... but thats just MY opinion. My point is that not everyone needs that sort of acknowledgement.... or even wants it. Yeah sure, to be recognized by one or two people is nice, but its not necessary to obligate others to follow suit. It seems to me that if I am in the mood for the simple chat that there are plenty of threads just for that purpose here where I can open myself up to whoever I want, whenever I want, as much or little as I want.

Thank for having such a GREAT site!!! I enjoy it very much just the way it is. :D
 
OK, I just read through this entire thread and I have to say, if I were a new member I'm not sure I would be flattered by the portrayal here of "newbies". That alone would impel me to leave.

Come on folks, almost all of us have the best intentions here and no one is out to upset anyone. Keep in mind that what you read as insulting could be read as humour by someone else. I, quite frankly, resent folks telling me what I should and shouldn't do in my posts. Discuss Cooking has set out a Community Policy and if we all follow that we will be fine. The first rule of conduct is "be respectful".

My feeling is generally, "if it aint broke, don't fix it". If any of you feel the need to change how you interact on the site, please feel free. Otherwise, as long as everyone is playing by the rules I think we're doing just fine. Folks get welcomes, folks get birthday wishes, folks get discussion about their recipes. Thats what this place is all about.

Amy, thanks for starting this thread, you certainly sparked a lot of discussion and made people think. Thats exactly the sort of thing we want here.
 
Following on what Alix said - this isn't a "you must do this or you must do that" kind of place - other than you must follow our community policies.

We have always had a lot of new members that never do anything more than sign up. There are a lot of lurkers out there. There are also a lot of people who simply don't even remember they've ever posted anything here. There are also a lot of one-time posters who know they post a question that will stir excitement and then never come back. We have had that even admitted to us by one of these new members. They were a troll and we all fell for it.

This site is what the members make it - we just make sure it stays a friendly place. And I guess some know that we do whatever it takes to keep it that way.

I, personally, think our members are pretty awesome! Thanks guys!!!! :chef:
 
IMO, I don't think that a lot of people are "scared" off the site, they just want their one answer, or they want to search for a few things, and that's it. They don't have any interest in participating nor do they have any interest in contributing overall. They want to find the recipe for say, bolognese sauce, and it's MUCH easier to navigate and search for if you're a member so they join. The people who want to stay long term do so under their own power. They don't, and they shouldn't need their hands held. It's like going to school: you jump right in with both eyes open and what you do determines how others react to you.

Everyone has their own agenda and what they're looking to get out of this site. If someone wants to participate actively, it's their own choice on how they proceed to do so. Like GB said, it's called "Discuss" Cooking. It's not called "Post any crap recipe and we'll tell you that we think it's great even though I wouldn't feed it to my dog."
 
IMO, I don't think that a lot of people are "scared" off the site, they just want their one answer,..

That was one of my thoughts, exactly.

It's not called "Post any crap recipe and we'll tell you that we think it's great even though I wouldn't feed it to my dog."

I thought I saw your dog 'foaming' at the mouth. :-p
 
IMO, I don't think that a lot of people are "scared" off the site, they just want their one answer, or they want to search for a few things, and that's it. They don't have any interest in participating nor do they have any interest in contributing overall.

That is a distinct possibility when it comes to someone asking a question. But a bit improbable if the new user posts a recipe that they like only to be told it’s not fit for a dog to eat.

Is there anything to be gained from telling a person they used the wrong spice or they had too many carbohydrates for side dishes (if they did not ask for advice that is)? Isn’t that just basically saying “my” preference and opinion is better than “yours”. It’s subjective really. I’m not saying it happens a lot, all in all this is a great site, but I’m not blind to the fact that it does happen.

Statisically speaking, it’s probably low. Look at being struck by lightning, the odds are 1 in 6,188,298 that it will happen......but what if YOU were that one....or someone you loved was that one. Statiscally speaking, it’s not a big deal, not a big deal at all........but to YOU it would be.
 
Last edited:
That is a distinct possibility when it comes to someone asking a question. But a bit improbable if the new user posts a recipe that they like only to be told it’s not fit for a dog to eat.

Is there anything to be gained from telling a person they used the wrong spice or they had too many carbohydrates for side dishes (if they did not ask for advice that is)? Isn’t that just basically saying “my” preference and opinion is better than “yours”. It’s subjective really. I’m not saying it happens a lot, all in all this is a great site, but I’m not blind to the fact that it does happen.

Statisically speaking, it’s probably low. Look at being struck by lightning, the odds are 1 in 6,188,298 that it will happen......but what if YOU were that one....or someone you loved was that one. Statiscally speaking, it’s not big deal, not a big deal at all........but to YOU it would be.

Those are good points Keltin, but speaking for me personally, I look at things (especially in the culinary threads) purely from an objective standpoint. If someone posts a recipe that I wouldn't cook for someone unless I hated them, I won't post that their dish sucks and that from the sounds of it, even Somalian refugees would spit it out. I usually won't even post anything in that said thread unless it specifically asks for comments, suggestions, recommendations, etc. Usually, I may respond back to another poster who replied first, if they posted something inaccurate. If I'm asking for comments(or even if I'm not, it doesn't faze me either way), I'm prepared to hear both positive and negative ones, and so should anyone else. Now if a person doesn't want to hear those negative criticisms, then they shouldn't have asked in the first place (and even if they didn't; it is a public forum after all).

For example, if someone says, "Hey, I don't really care for foams and I think they are pointless."

I'll respond with, "Ok, cool. Have you ever tried them before? If so, how were they integrated with those particular dishes?"

If they were to say, "Oh, because that guy Marcel did it on Top Chef and all the other chefs didn't like him", then I'll tell you that you're an idiot to base your assumptions on other people's opinions, without ever having experienced it for yourself.

If you were to say, "Well, I've had it at a few restaurants and it just doesn't appeal to me. I'd rather have the texture of an aioli or beurre blanc", then cool. That's your preferrence. I don't have any problem with that.

But that's an opinion. It's subjective and can't really be measured. However, there are times that people confuse their opinion with fact (or lack thereof). In those cases, I will make it a point to address it because regardless of it's your "opinion", or whether it's what you "think" or "believe", it's still incorrect.
 
Last edited:
Is there anything to be gained from telling a person they used the wrong spice or they had too many carbohydrates for side dishes

Do you have an example of where this has happened?

I have seen people say that something does not look good to them or that they would change some things around. That is part of discussion.

And to answer your question, yes there is a tremendous amount to be gained from being told that a different spice might have been better or that less carbs and more of something else could have rounded out the meal better. When I first came to this site I did not know a tenth of what I know now. I am thankful for the people who pointed out ways that I could change my recipes. Sometimes they worked and sometimes they didn't, but that is how you learn.

This is an open forum where people can express their opinions. Just because someones opinion is different from yours does not mean that one is more correct over the other. They are just opinions. If someone posts a recipe then they need to be prepared that some people will like it and some will not. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. As someone else said, this is not kindergarten. This is the real world.
 
... this isn't a "you must do this or you must do that" kind of place...

This site is what the members make it - we just make sure it stays a friendly place. And I guess some know that we do whatever it takes to keep it that way.

I, personally, think our members are pretty awesome! Thanks guys!!!! :chef:


Well said, 472666 (huh?) That was what I was trying to say/share. Yes it was followed on the heels of another thread re Admin/Mods should be welcoming folks. I took the approach that member's can also take part. It was not all about welcomes and Happy Birthdays, or why new people may or may not stay. Thanks for putting it so succinctly.:) And, yes, do what 'you' feel comfortable with. How does the saying go? - The success is due to the sum of its' parts. Well, something like that. I was never referring to new members. The point was about enjoying what we already have here. And, I do. (Now if I could figure out where my 65550 (approx) pms came from before the site change :LOL:. I just deleted them, btw - if anyone is having the same prob)
 
Last edited:
.......I have seen people say that something does not look good to them or that they would change some things around. That is part of discussion.

And to answer your question, yes there is a tremendous amount to be gained from being told that a different spice might have been better or that less carbs and more of something else could have rounded out the meal better. When I first came to this site I did not know a tenth of what I know now. ........

Hey, I have to jump in here (BTW Welcome me back folks, ;))! I think there is a great benefit to commenting, tactfully, suggestions on newbies/anybodies recipes....the other less educated but learning members/guests here who will gain from other people's experience, tastes or interpretations. I think that its important to try and be tactful, but I DO think suggestions are beneficial to ALL the users of this site, not just the person posting he recipe.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom