Insane In The Membrane: Anything And Everything's Fair Game

So now that I have this blog, I can do a whole lot more than just posting replies to threads; I can actually vent my frustrations and say anything I want to without liability. You know, freedom of speech and all that. So here goes my first true blog post:


THE RECENT INFLUX OF NEWBIES

There's no question about this fact: the last 2-3 months have seen an unprecedented surge of new members on this site. I guess it was inevitable given that a slew of sites were forced into early retirement because they were deemed by the feds to be a front for peddling controlled substances. This board's policy of not giving sources or mentioning UGLs turned out to be a life buoy in this tempestuous witch-hunt. Rest assured though, all eyes are on this site and it would behoove one to be wary of what they choose to post.

Now, getting back to the topic of the new members. Of course, it goes without saying that I don't have anything against them: Heck! I was a newbie once myself. However, there is no denying that something is out of kilter when newbie threads/questions are answered by other newbies with terrible, unsubstantiated or naive advice. It's literally like the blind leading the blind. I am not implying that one's post count reflects one's knowledge, but you can pretty much weed out the "real" newbies from the rare educated ones. Of course, as old members, we have to uphold the etiquette in these parts and offer assistance where it is warranted. However, this is hard to do if we are constantly reprimanding newbies for bad advice or have our in-boxes jammed with stupid requests. Furthermore, the ratio of educated members to the uneducated ones are slipping fast in the favor of the latter so the overarching concern here is the general quality of this board, which seems to be declining as I often see so many threads now going unanswered for a long time.

In the interest of preserving the quality of this board, I think a few steps need to be taken before all the old members just throw in their towels and say, "to hell with all this!".

First and foremost, like many torrent sites out there, I think a cap should be placed on how many members can join each week or month. This will control the inflow of ignorance so the older members have time to catch their breath and offer their help productively. Another benefit from this would be the fact that potential members would have to patrol these boards as guests until the quota opens up, offering them a chance to pick up on a few things before starting to ask their first question.

As a corollary to the first point, my second suggestion would be to initiate an invite system with members who have been here for at least 6 months. I know a lot of bodybuilders with great knowledge and experience who don't dabble in "high-tech" stuff like the internet because they don't know where to begin, apart from checking their emails. This will provide an incentive for old members to talk their friends into joining so the ratio of knowledge to ignorance is shored up. The obvious benefit to a new member referred by an old member would be a title other than "new member" (perhaps "referred member", obvious, I know) which would lend some credence to these new inductees right away.

Third, and lastly, all of us oldies need to constantly remind our new members of the rules and regulations of this board while being respectful; but more important than that, we all need to point out that most of us offer advice for free and we are not compensated for spending hour and hours here every week. We're here because we love this place and want to give back. Also, everybody's advice is significantly based on their own personal experiences, so difference of opinions will and often do occur between the mods/vets/monitors/long-time members. I have found four simple letters, "IMHO", often preempts any heated debates that may ensue.

Anyhow, I'm sorry to sound really preachy with some sort of righteous indignation in my tone. To be fair, my knowledge is limited and nowhere near some of the bros on this board. I am willing to stand corrected whenever I find myself on the wrong side of an argument. Also, I DON'T parrot and NEVER offer advice that does not come in part from my personal experience, unless the topic at hand is purely academic or speculative, in which case, I will ALWAYS preface with an "I believe" or "I read", etc...

Till the next post,
Insane