Hi Steve I am not sure there are too many more as we use to say welcome to Goy an awful lot more than we seem to now? But more questions seem to be quite poorly phrased now, and perhaps we dont get as much feed back

i agree Steve can`t understand why they dont join GoY more often than not it`s difficult to really understand what they are actually asking,think it has changed the run of things on our beloved GoY :~)))))

I think sometimes people don't want to join because they think they will be bombarded on their email with spam and advertisements. Although I haven't noticed anything like that coming from GoY, to these people I would say: if you are worried about it set up an email account specifically for use on commercial websites (that's what I did), and then join, because GoY is alot of fun!

I agree with you Steve and it's annoying.
The person/guest asking the question almost never responds so we may aswell be talking to ourselves, there's no personal feedback from them at all.
Also, the 'way' they speak in their five or six word sentences makes them sound so rude.

(Sorry, but that's how it comes across to me ).

Agree Totally Louise, It's all getting out of hand, and I think they should be stopped ! When there's more than one after the other They don't even show up in sequence on the front page

seems to me that if people can just walk in here and get answers to their questions "why should they bother to join" they are getting answers anyway.

Another observation i have made is, the appalling spelling and simple grammar mistakes there are, people should slow down when typing and do it correctly instead of bashing away at the keyboard and pressing enter and leaving others to discipher what its supposed to say.
Anyway i will end for now, i have been shut out of other forums in the past for speaking the truth.

Have fun, i'm off to Harrogate wood show today, yippeeee......

Hi all iv noticed lots of Guest Questions 2 !! U do know its your free decession 2 give answers dont u ?? I mean maybe they dont have the time 2 commite 2 GOY & want 2 just ask what they need to know when they need 2 know it ??? GOY is a free Gardening site & has some great Knowledgable Members like yourselfs :) I 4 one would be lost without your help & im sure all Questions many GOY members/Guests get answered dont go wasted Jac :)X

dear robin hood I promis to do better' don't want you sending little john around,lol as for talking strate good on you' let us have more of it '

I think Peter & Ajay are still experimenting with this whole 'Guest' business. I agree that it has really changed GoY for the rest of us and I now check the site once or twice a day rather than having it in the background just about all the time. The guys really want feedback on how we feel about this so send them a comment.
Steve I also agree that folk need to take the time to type correctly rather than expecting the rest of us to translate what they are saying - this has already been written about on another question.

I think what's getting peoples backs up, is that the questions are coming across as rude and ill-mannered.

I would be what you class as 'old school' and the way that someone asks a question - or indeed says anything - is immediately 'visible' in the way that they write.
So, when a five or six word sentence/question is written ..... red rag to a bull :-/

I realise that Peter & Ajay are experimenting with lots of new ideas for the site, but I don't think this one is really working. It is a bit disconcerting to be talking to someone anonymous who will dissapear as soon as they get their question answered, it takes away from the friendship feeling of the site, and I do agree about the way the questions are asked sometimes also no feedback which is always good as I am sure we all like to know the results gained from our advice.

That is certainly a problem for me too Louise... There are ways and ways of asking a question, I'm remembering that person from, I think, B & Q who came on demanding info for a test and wasn't at all polite and then took the huff when we objected.

So 'Guest's' if you happen to read this please try to phrase your questions in such a way we will want to help you. Remember that the majority of us are UK based and don't necessarily know the common names of plants in the States or elsewhere in the world. We are gardeners so, by our nature, we are friendly souls but if you rub us up the wrong way we get offended. Perhaps most importantly the more info you put into your question, the more likely it is that we will be able to actually answer it!

I gather from a message I received from Ajay that more changes are planned for today.

I agree with all the above and has lost the reason why I carried on with GoY after asking my first question... sad...

..... and perhaps a please and thank you, in there too.

Can I say that in theory the guest question might not be such a bad idea?
By testing with one question might more join than not?

1)If they could only ask one question then have to join for any more?
2) Design a question format that they have to follow
3) How can we expect good grammar and literacy from them when we dont always practice it ourselves such as this page demonstrates and I mean more than one here?
4) Have an option for them to say 'this question has been answered thank-you'.

I do not think the site should be anti poor literacy though.

I feel that please and thank you have gon for not all' but a lot of the younger generation, I wonder if this happened about the time they were told to call their teachers by their first names'' familiarity breeds contempt, thank you for taking the time to read my views.

Well i know 4 a Fact My Spelling/English is Awful & i do type In text a lot which sum members find hard 2 understand "My Apolgies " Jacxxx

Guests are not able to add a comment to our responses, or to any blogs etc. P&A are working on this situation and they have already made changes which have helped - like the slightly different coloured avatars for each guest, which shows that it isn't the same person constantly asking questions.

The location of questionners is also an innovation - and a helpful one. We should be flagging any 'daft' or incomprehensible questions, and contact P&A if we have any other thoughts to improve this area - it's up to us to let them know, folks! More changes are on the way, I do know that.

Denise - you should definitely put forward your good ideas to P&A!!! :-)))

Thanks Spritz didnt know guests could not respond make sense now?

Why are you apolagising Jacque!!!! No need.. I think this Question has opened a can of worms and needs to go!!! Im flaging it..

Cliffo just read your contribution well done you can do it when you have to so more of the same please?

I have never known you to be rude Jacque in fact quite the reverse.

I like reading the slightly ' oddball spelling and phrasing etc.' especially from folk like Cliffo and Jacque its sort of 'their character' its the abrupt "I want" or short terse sentence saying very little that irritates me
(I hope you both don't mind but I look forward to reading your comments :~)))))

I disagree YoungDD it has opened up a valuable discussion on how we feel about 'Guests' and the current way they communicate, or don't, with us.

Some of their questions have been good MG?

Yes thats True Drc theyv been fab & iv added lots to My GOYPedia Pages cos they r of a help :)

Same here Jacque -just worried about throwing the baby out with the bath water?
A guest question must stop a lot of the the one question joiners we never hear from again?

Do u Noticed even some people who do join as Members dont stay !!! Browse the "Newest Members" its found on Members main page ul see what i mean Drc :)

will do J

:)

Hi folks,

We are working hard to get this right. In the mean time please feel free to use the hide and show guest questions option we have just added. We have also just implemented Drc726's first suggestion and welcome even more feedback/suggestions via the contact us link at the bottom of the page.

Thanks for that Ajay

Thanks for keeping us all updated Ajay.

Yes there have been some good questions from 'Guests' and some poor ones too. I experience GoY as a community i.e. part of my extended family... I get to know folk, listen to their problems, suggest solutions, share their joys and their tears. I guess like most folk I'm not that keen on change in my life, but I do understand what you are trying to do Ajay. Whilst this is garden chit chat and fun for us to you and Peter it is a business and to get good advertisers you need to have a very high number of clicks each day.

Thanks, Ajay - and for listening to us!!

Well, as I think Jacque said, we are not forced to answer any questions - not that I'm likely to because I don't know anything. There must have been 'good' and 'poor' questions from both guests and members alike. I'm sure I've asked questions which appeared quite inane to the very knowlegeable amongst us, but if you don't ask you don't find out. I think politness is the key.

Ginellie any questions you have asked have been phrased in a polite manner. Unfortunately some of the guests (not all by any means) have been, shall we say, a little abrupt in the way they worded their question. This can lead to a feeling of being used, I recognise we don't have to answer any question posted but how are folks going to get answers if we don't? In other words if we ignore al guest questions we will soon have unhappy visitors to the site who will definitely not join GoY, so it is a tricky one.

And I'd add, although I'm an articulacy and literacy freak myself, I don't mind at all when people don't spell properly or punctuate well on here - we're not all strong in the same areas - I might be able to spell like a demon, but ask me to work out a fraction and I'm instantly converted to total idiot. As long as I can understand what's being asked, that's fine by me, bad spelling or not. However, I think some of the Guest questions, the 3 - 5 word ones, were a wind up, and some of them were clearly exam or coursework questions, rather than a "genuine" question. And it seems we have acquired new members through this facility, or am I imagining that - guess Ajay could confirm or deny that one.

Young daisydee, why do you feel a whole can of worms has been opened, it was merely an observation which many others have now spoken openly about, it was not intended to cause confrontation.
This sort of question should be asked, otherwise we all creep about thinking of what should be said rather than saying it, its good to see people offer opinions on the subject.

I have no problem with guests questions as long as they are sensible. Last weekend was a real problem, lets hope this weekend will be better.

Agreed Janpled... last weekend had a plethora of guest questions to the point that the GoY members seemed to cease to exist! I guess it is question of balance, currently the 'Guest' questions totally outweigh the members ones - this makes me sad but if they end up joining I guess it is all for a good cause, at least that is what I am telling myself :-) AND given my 'druthers I prefer to revert to not having Guest questions at all.

Surely the location of a guest doesn't mean a thing, is it not possible to enter whatever location you like and that's what will show. if this is the case that would mean many of the questions could still be from the same person ??

No because of their email address surely?

I've just changed my location to Vietnam on my profile ?

You're right, you can put anything you like for location, Bluespruce, but I think the point of insisting on knowing a guest's location (by the GoY team) was so that any questions they asked could be answered more sensibly because we knew where they were (climatic differences being important, obviously) rather than demonstrating it was the same (or a different) Guest each time.

I 'think' that there is a way of i.d'ing where an post has come from (I'm sure our IT manager would explain it - in multi-syllable words!) I know that when I check stuff that comes into the FP website I can see and address so, if the guys have set this up right, you can only get one Guest post from any address :-)

Oh and I would still prefer NOT to have guests at all! Sorry Guests not meant to be read as rude to you personally, I just want you to join GoY and then ask your question!

I have to admit most of the guest questions come across more than little detached and bland, so I'm not really in favour.

I decided on Monday that I won't answer any "guest" question at all - unless it's sensible and informative, so about 2 out of every 20, so far! I'd rather people joined and asked, then never interacted again, if that's what they want to do, personally.

i agree with you Bamboo, i cant help but think there is someone playing games out there, so if they have to join first, it may just curb their appetite for questions.

Any 'hacker' would be able to send umpteen questions as a 'Guest' simply by changing their i.d., at least that is what I understand. I still would like folk to have to join before they ask questions personally.

I agree Mg, it means they become part of a/our community .... which is what we must 'all' have liked or we wouldn't have joined up ourselves.
Maybe people who stay as a guest just aren't people who want to 'mix', or should i say 'mingle' ;-)))

That's what we are ...... minglers !!!

Louise hasnt Ajay just said that the guest is now only be able to ask 1 question?

I think so.
It would be nice if they felt inspired to join in though afterwards, by becoming a member :-)

I think thats the idea louise?

Louuise 1 you have given me the word I needed to discribe this site,minglers'' to mix or bring togather in combination,usually without loss of individual characteristics, I hope this reminds with respect the more articulate and literate members.

Mingling's good, Cliffo, but the trouble is, humans have an instinct for "herding" which sometimes causes trouble - herding is about like being with like, with difference not being acceptable, so "mingling" is definitely the one to aim for! And I hope you're not aiming your little reminder at me, there, sorry if I've trodden on your toes anytime.

Bamboo, how could you think anyone would regard you as either articulate or literate xxx :0)))))))

Never thought of that, Bluespruce - but I KNOW I am!

Has anyone located whatever it is so you don't see guest questions? I've looked for but can't find. Not that I will necessarily use but I'd like to see what it says.

Yes, i found it 2 days ago.
Click into the questions section Mg and near the top will be your option to hide the guest questions.

I can't see it either - sorry Louise, posted the same time.

Bamboo how could you think that I would think that of you, we are mates arnt we ,you have held my hand befor now,XXX

Oh well, that's alright then, Cliffo;-))

Eeep we've now got two questions on this subject on the go as Nicky has posted one... And I 'still' can find the way to turn off all guest questions! Not that I necessarily want to :-)

It's in small print under the blue 'ask your question' on the questions page MG.

Nope not on mine it isn't - at least if it is the print is so small I can't see it :-)

I've only just spotted it, Mg. The type really is very small. Take a good look! Get your magnifying glass out! LOL.

hello all, i think its time to close this thread now all seems well,

see you in the other threads

Ajay could you please lock down this thread.. thanks..

Nothing wrong with this thread Steve, a perfectly reasonable discussion as far as I can see.

Steve you can delete the thread yourself if you want to