While I think that the "FAQ" as outlined by swanoir was presented tongue in cheek ('the humus'), many of the subsequent comments and/or links to threads that could/should be included in a FAQ were presented in a more serious tone. And maybe they do make sense as a foundation to a real LD forum FAQ. But I've also sensed something else in these comments that may contribute to the apparent lack of communication between new posters seeking advice and those that regularly frequent this forum and offer it. And that is that the long checklist provided by Miss R must be (or should be) answered in detail before posting. Well, of course not! But it is definitely something worth reviewing and giving some thought to. This checklist, or something very similar, is what most designers utilize when first meeting with a prospective client. It gives them a feeling for what the client wants to do with the property, how they intend to use it, what they hope to get out of it and how much effort (time/$$) are they are intending to put into it. Hopefully, reviewing an outline or checklist such as this could help to refine and focus some of those blank slate questions and even educate those new posters totally unfamiliar with the process the degree of complexity, the number of variables and exactly what is involved in the formulation of a landscape design. Even DIY landscape texts intended for the homeowner with no previous design or landscaping experience offer similar checklists to get one started thinking about the process. Obviously, this is overkill for those questions that are more issue-specific, but I think very appropriate for those that are much broader and far less focused.

Thank you for the compliments. I do love working with photos and experimenting with collages, different backgrounds and different fonts. (It avoids having to do housework - don't tell our clean freak friends - Ha...you know I'm secretly envious!) What I did to make this page was make 6 separate pages. Each was saved and treated as if it were one picture in photobucket. I have a program where I can work with pictures - do you have one of those? If I'm just doing one regular picture, I open it in the program then save it back to my picture file selecting the size. I pick between 800 to 1000 for the width. The other measurements are on their own. With "My page", The 1st was the "house". I opened it in the program. I selected the background color I wanted (and kept it through all 6). I added the 2 pictures and put the text above it. It was at 1500 thingies. Page 2 was the pets, 1500. Page 3 the Begonias, 1500. Page 4 the daylilies, 1000. Page 5 roses, 2000. Page 6, the balcony, 2000. As you can see, I didn't really know what I was doing exactly as far as the size went. I suspect that 1000 would have done for each of them but I'm not sure? I was thinking - who knows's what I was thinking! Anyway, after they were saved in the picture file, they were already the correct size for Photobucket. I uploaded them in there all ready to copy onto what ever message you choose. Someone (I think Marsha?) told me about this a while ago. If you save your picture in the large size you can't seem to control what it will look like when it ends up on the forum. What I did then (have I lost you yet?) is go to the place where you'd be posting a message in response to "Re: My Page Challange" on the forum. I pasted all 6 pages from Photobucket and viewed them just like you would if you were going to submit them. They looked ok so I copied all the hyroglyphics (I KNOW this is spelled wrong), opened the place where I edit "My Page" and pasted it. It worked. I erased the part where it was a response to the "MY Page Challenge". I supose the first drawback would be if you don't have a program with the ability to work with pictures and add text. If you don't, I can tell you what mine is. The basic thing was free but I upgraded it by 25 dollars and have never been sorry. Hostabuff, I do really love where I live and am thankful for it every day. I love sitting out in all the different areas because they are all so unique. The courtyard is intimate, filled with hostas, cool, quiet and magic. The view side is open and dramatic. It's hot over there all summer and I love to soak up the heat and cool off in the pool. The pictures barely capture the awesome quality of it.

but that leaf shows no damage from the bug that is on it ... does it???? except maybe some poop ... i do mind repeated questions .. that are the same as a post 3 down .. that is not cool ... if you arent keeping up.. why should i waste my time with giving the same answer over and over again ... and i hate the questions that are something like this" i want to propagate hosta.. please discuss the entire process from start to finish.. i mean really.. and while i am at it.. why dont i do your homework.. and carry you to school on my back.. and stay to spoon feed you lunch while i am at it ... you get stuck on something.. i will help.. but if you are too lazy to even do some basic research.. pshaw ... it would take me 2 months.. to clean my kitchen.. to be proud enough to show you a pick of it .. lol .. its very deep dark blue.. and it works.. because with the sliding door .... plus a window over the sink.. and south facing.. any other light color.. is nearly the Apocalypse .. you nearly needed a welding mask to go in there when the sun was out because its so bright ... ken

Here again. :>) Interesting to see how the Computer Help forum has made such lasting impressions on the users, even though those impressions are varied. About Spike: I very much appreciated the way he ran the forums. They were his, and he had every right to make the rules; just as we made rules for our family. My first venture on the web shocked me when I saw the foul language that was used on different sites. Spike's rules included no profanity, and "no religious or political" comments, and yet some posters came up with these ridiculous ways to get around that. Remember pr@yers, and G@d? d@mn, and carp? So juvenile! As Bob said, being sent to Disney wasn't done on a first offense, but multiples could get you banned. I had no problem paying the $15 (and I believe at first it was only $10) and never understood why some others did. There were those who cried hard times and "just could not afford it." What? They could afford to buy a computer, and pay for the internet, and their cigs and Pepsies, but not for all the help they got here? Somewhere I have a picture of Spike and his wife, that was taken at a KT Gathering. It was posted and I copied it. Anyway, here are some of the things I found in my box of scratch paper. On one piece of paper was even part of an email to Ken about a problem I was having with Gmail. It is dated February 22, 2006, and has his email address. He wished me Good Luck! Check these out, if you are interested. I think they are all still good. http://www.vmirror.com/copyrght.html http://www.glyphs.com/forums/load/cafe/msg0911545711181.html http://www.vmirror.com/ http://www.e-zine-list.com/ezines/027/4029.shtml http://www.glyphs.com/forums/load/cafe/msg0911545711181.html Sue