With respect to Charity's message on "search bar works": I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I find the search engine at Garden Web one of the least useful of all the internet forums I frequent.

I did not respond to Charity's post with the above negative comment for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is that I don't like to "rain" on people's parades, especially the 'parades' of new members. However, I cannot believe that Charity's thread won't get a response sooner or later. The circumstance we find ourselves in is that not only do people have to read Charity's post, they have to read THIS ONE in order to know not to post on Charity's. Then there has to be another post to prevent posting on this post, Ad nauseum.

We simply need "stickies". It really isn't too much to ask.

Paul

This forum is slightly barren in terms of functionality but I suppose it has worked for a little while now.

As far as the community sticky project of not posting to threads with information to be preserved to keep them that way they should be noted at the top of the post "PLEASE DO NOT REPLY IN THIS THREAD" along with an explanation as to why.

Now when they do get their inevitable reply a simple copy and paste can resurrect them into a new body.

This could actually work quite well where when new information is added to the faux sticky the old one is posted to and falls with the new taking its place.

Paul, why don't you just be the one to de-flower Charity's post?

And Nexev, you're right....it has been around a little while.

Anything can always be made better. But complaining about what we've got is just counter-productive.

Harummpphh!

chuckiebtoo2

I agree with what everybody already posted.

So we Subject the post "Welcome, PLEASE DO NOT REPLY IN THIS THREAD" It is yelling but I"m OK with it. Possibly use italic instead? Then instructions on how to do a search of the the forum. Possibly on how to do a Google search including the word "gardenweb"?

In the same welcome/starter information tacky post can we also include our list of abbreviations?

If it gets bumped, no problem, we got lots of blank posts still.

Have no other forums figured this out yet? Are we the only ones who care?

chuckiebtoo2: I sent you a message if it worked.

Hi everyone,

In regards to a sticky posts, this is something that has been available on all forums for awhile now. I think stickies are very effective and helpful to newbies, but I also think that we need to be careful about the type of information that we add to this post. Information such as abbreviations or FAQs are great. And, while it doesn't hurt to direct others to a search engine, keep in mind that if new members don't post to the forum -- because they were asked not to post, but search instead -- the forum will never grow and benefit from new blood. Yes, it can be annoying when the same questions are posted over and over again, but you can certainly just ignore those posts. What would be very helpful to this forum would be the creation of a series of FAQs that we can link permanently on the forum. If someone is interested in helping to add to them, I can give you access as an editor. Here is an example of one of our FAQs - http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/afrviolet/. Helping to create a series of FAQs is fun and fulfilling project for everyone on the forum.

In the meantime, I can still create a sticky if you can let me know what you'd like to put in the post.

Any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Best,

Tamara
GardenWeb Community Manager

EQ2...I did receive your message and am looking at it now. I'll reply tomorrow.

cb2

Kind of funny what my simple post has spawned.

@Paul - I agree the search engine is no Bing or Google, but I found ample info when I used quality key words.

Long live my post at the top of the forum!

Here is one vote against stickies. I look for new posts at the top of the list. Stickies at the top of the list will make it harder to find the new posts. The search functionality is there. I don't think we need a sticky post telling us it is there.

I'm kinda STUNNED!

Am I the only one that saw Tamara's post!

GOOD GRIEF. We've been begging for a "stickie" for as long as I have been on this forum. Tamara offers to make one and her post is just IGNORED!?!?!? What the heck?
YES TAMARA! WE WANT A STICKY! MORE THAN ONE!

I am not the one to tell you what threads need "sticking", but there are those here - even in this thread - that assert that there is a wealth of information for the 'hunting', and they should be able to come up with at least a few suggestions.

Again, I am simply agape at Tamara's post being completely ignored. SHEESH!

I'm beginning to understand why Garden Web ignores the whines of the vermicomposting subforum.

Paul

pskvorc: "GOOD GRIEF. We've been begging for a "stickie" for as long as I have been on this forum. Tamara offers to make one and her post is just IGNORED!?!?!? What the heck?
YES TAMARA! WE WANT A STICKY! MORE THAN ONE!" Love the capitals, yes.

pskvorc: I'm changing your name to Dave.

Tamara = HAL

Hello, HAL. Do you read me, HAL?

"I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do."

Please remember we are all slaves here. While our efforts may a bit help us, our efforts a lot via advertisement harassment and other methods mostly help support our slave holders. Yes. Sir. What do you want us to post about now Sir? How can we get you more clicks Sir? I am pretty sure I have simply educated my master on how exactly to make me a better slave.

Long live Garden Web.

I generally don't search Garden Web. When I do, I am not optimistic about the results I get. I have searched Google and wound up finding results on Garden Web (most recently for composting dog waste. Garden Web had better information than any other site).

What I usually do is drop in and look at the list of recent topics, looking for the few at the top of the list with posts that I have not read. If there are sticky posts, the posts I have not read will be pushed farther down the list. If an unread topic is too far down the list, I assume I have lost interest in it. A bunch of sticky posts at the top of the list will make discerning which topics to read a little harder.

I think what gwTamara has offered that we want to jump on is a FAQ page. That assumes, of course, that we can all agree on what should go in the FAQ.

One sticky -- not multiple. The idea is to just include pertinent information (as little or as much as you'd like), but not clog up the top of the forum, so that new posts aren't lost. Ideally, creating separate FAQs to live in FAQ Land would be best but doing a 'mini-FAQ' in the sticky is also fine. FAQs help bring others to the forum via outside search.

Here are some examples of stickies from other forums:

Kitchens

Seed Exchange

Amaryllis and Hippeastrums

Harummpphh!

Here is a link that might be useful: Algorithms 101

This post was edited by barbararose21101 on Tue, Jan 27, 15 at 9:47

no comment

This post was edited by barbararose21101 on Tue, Jan 27, 15 at 9:49

I have searched for specific posts that I knew had specific keywords, and did not find them. The search is god, but far from perfect.

Maybe what we want is one sticky post that has a short FAQ that includes links to pertinent web pages, including a larger FAQ.

There you have it. A single sticky that begins with a link to the FAQ then continues with a summary of pertinent information would be a great resource for new folks coming along.

I agree that stickies can become a pita when overused but scrolling past one thread isnt a big deal.

Tamara, thanks for speaking up and offering to set up this subforum with access to a broader scope of tools to organize information. Barbara, kudos to you for your willingness to do the legwork. Looking forward to vermiFAQ

Says Nexey: "I agree that stickies can become a pita when..."

For those familiar with the "Abbreviations" thread, "pita"="pain in the ass"
in Vermicomposting as well as everywhere else.

cb2

tsk

This post was edited by barbararose21101 on Tue, Jan 27, 15 at 9:50

Barbara, you mentioned above
_____________________________________________
The way I use the forum now is to check in each morning after I have deleted a hundred emails asking for money.
_____________________________________________

Many dont care to expose their email (I certainly would not mind sending mine to you but see no need to have it placed permanently in my profile) and still more would participate in helping something like this on the spur here and there so it might not be the best to shut down talking openly here in the forum about subjects for the FAQ or composing it.

Plus talking about this here would generate a little action in this forum which wouldnt hurt, just thinking out loud here and you can certainly handle it any way you wish.

After reading lots of previous posts, I conclude that FAQ on this forum are not useful.

This post was edited by barbararose21101 on Tue, Jan 27, 15 at 9:55

This is a quoted ! paragraph from the Kitchens sticky that Tamara linked us to:

"Note, however, that you will probably have better luck searching if you use Google (or similar search engine) than if you use the Forum search function. When using Google, to limit your results to Garden Web, include the following in your search criteria: ***site:ths.gardenweb.com"

As far as what to include in a vermifaq Barbara I would suggest starting with a short note on the importance of earthworms in the fertility of the planet. Then on to basics, types of worms and their difference. Methods of keeping as in 'indoor/outdoor' and some notes on feeding as far as what to feed and what not to feed. I am sure there are plenty of other things folks will come up with to add here.

Some photos in the first few paragraphs would be great too and there are plenty of folks here who could really help out there.

Later in the FAQ it could go into more depth on the above and expand on it then go into the Q&A that can be gleaned from those question posts.

End up with a listing of links to reference material. Might even suggest early on near the top to refer to the links at the bottom of this document for further information as many may not even find it.

Again, just thinking out loud here to try and help with ideas. Any and all of the above is wide open to your interpretation.

Most important thing here, have fun with this. If it gets to be like writing a book or you begin to get pulled in too many directions just follow your instinct without forgetting the have fun part.

Hi guys ! Nice to be back on my favorite forum now that mobile internet key is working again !

I can see that Santa came in advance under the name of Tamara, bringing the opportunity of stickies ! Great news, thanks GW !

As a newbie, who was in the grips of anguish last year when getting some worms, I learnt a lot here, but it took time. Obviously it's great fun to read everything, but what I would have liked to find is a sticky about raising worms in a bin (Chuck wrote great lessons some time ago in a step by step method) and raising them outside (mendopete, nexev, and pvkvork are the specialists with different kinds of worms and climate).
Then perhaps a sticky about tea (barbara comes to mind).
And all of you guys can then add some comments.

However it's great fun not to find the answer straight away and to read through the archives.

I guess those not obsessed with worms and who just need a quick answer will appreciate stickies and it will save the pros here to answer the same questions again and again.

What I greatly appreciate here on GW is the great quality of information. People are very helpful. They take the time to answer and explain and share their knowledge, that was acquired through education and/or experience. And when I've asked a specific question, some people whose name I'd never noticed came and answered. Once I asked about cutting and composting a willow, and got all the info needed. Why is it there are no people like that around me in real everyday life ? You guys should all gather in a nice piece of land and start a utopia ;-)

Anyway I take the opportunity to thank GW which is, in my opinion, the best site on the web, the quality being due to the posters here who are amazing people, not only kind and helpful, also smart and knowledgeable, and on top of that very funny.

Harummpphh!

This post was edited by barbararose21101 on Tue, Jan 27, 15 at 9:57

barbararose21101, A kind poster here once told me what to do to get rid of those advertisements. I followed the simple instructions which were something like click on the button, that says do not automatically open advertisements, and poof, they have been gone ever since. Maybe google my name, garden web, advertisements. It has made surfing garden web possible. With the advertisements it was not possible.

The gardenweb god said, "Yes, it can be annoying when the same questions are posted over and over again, but you can certainly just ignore those posts." I think it was, though I could be wrong, it has been a few months, pskvorc who said we could not ignore those posts as that is why we were here. Unless he said the exact opposite and it was somebody else that posted that. I forget which. GWTamera, when we do ignore those post, the original posters come back and yell at us. I'm talking posts where they... "I just got worms. Tell me what to do step by step." A poster that takes any type of tiny step... we are all over that post helping.

pskvorc, I was slowly typing my reply to the gardenweb god original post. When I posted mine I immediately saw yours. We crossed posted. Once again our thoughts on a topic were similar. I agree with that post.

This post was edited by equinoxequinox on Fri, Dec 19, 14 at 19:32

I'm not a worm person but:

"Yes, it can be annoying when the same questions are posted over and over again, but you can certainly just ignore those posts."

has been said on every popular forum on this site. That's because there are a lot of newbies coming in because this site is the bee's knees.
A brief post to a FAQ (if you don't have one, make one) or a particularly patient member who is willing to collect particularly informational posts and send people there will help keep the site great (I go to the tomato forum which has tons of commonly asked questions, and there are nice people who guide that questioners to their answers.

chuckiebtoo, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7DJaX5N2vo

I do sort of agree with sbryce about not really wanting to scan past a sticky multiple times a day. It sounds great until it is stuck there like a wart we can't shake off. Forever.

"How did we get your attention now, in contrast to the previous thread ?" Possibly the greatest competition is Facebook. A general search of the gardenweb threads would show which forums were considering the jump.

barbararose21101, "Site won't allow FAQ? in the Subject line." I'm sure posters here can find a work around. F A Q perhaps. or Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). QAF? Possibly the algorithm identifys it the same.

Quite a bit of existential equilbrium around

This post was edited by barbararose21101 on Tue, Jan 27, 15 at 9:52

Que Sera, Sera. (Imagine that was in italic please.) I'm pretty sure the group is pretty well chatted out and the edges are off and most will go along with group consensuses. If we get it wrong the first time we can always go back and fix it. Maybe wrong is way to strong of a word. Maybe like cooking spaghetti we should throw some on the wall and see if it sticks. Maybe some will and some won't.

Boreal definition:

The term boreal is applied to ecosystems with a subarctic climate in the Northern Hemisphere, roughly between latitude 45ð to 65ðN.

This poster is telling us about his location , and . . . ?

I am on page 4 of BW (Boreal Wormer) posts. His email was enabled, so I sent a message telling him we were working on FAQ or Frequently Advised and invited his assistance.
His site has LOTS of LINKS !

And, near as I can tell, there is no commercial (venal) motive.

Also I edited my post on CB's 101 hoping that he'll re edit and
put up what he took down. I sent him a short direct message too.

This also is from BW site. We don't need his permission but I'm sure he'd give it --
to use in a sticky.

Worms are more powerful than the African elephant and
more important to the economy than the cow. -
Charles Darwin

"Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth" - redhen

Here is a link that might be useful: Boreal wormer site

RE: in the beginning...

Posted by sbryce (My Page) on
Fri, Apr 23, 10 at 19:18

Oh, a buy back scheme! Sure, send me a SASE, and I'll toss a few worms in it and mail it back.

Posted by steamyb 7 (My Page) on
Fri, Apr 23, 10 at 21:53

Send this post to ten (10) friends and have good luck for the rest of your life. If you don't, you will die a horrible death! LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: Send me a SASE

I am all for a sticky with some FAQ's and useful information with links. Can we or should we use external links? I think any link needs to be free of commercial interests.

Boreal Wormer has a very nice site with great useful information. Nice documentation on personal wormy experience. What I especially like are the links, which get you to more links. Some, while very interesting and useful, are from commercial sites. Does this matter?

Good luck, have fun, and let me know if I can help.

Pete

That was funny Barbara, sbryce... nice :)

There was several Darwin references in the book Harnessing the Earthworm (Thomas Barrett 1947 I believe).

________________________________________
Of earthworms: "It may be doubted whether
there are many other animals which have played
so important a part in the history of the world
as have these lowly organized creatures."
CHARLES DARWIN
________________________________________

and this was a bit of an eye opener for those who like numbers anyhow.

In some of the soils of England, Darwin found earthworms
in concentrations of from 25.000 to 53,000 per acre, passing
through their bodies and bringing to the surface from ten to
eighteen tons of dry earth annually on each acre of land. Later
investigations carried out by the British Government in a more
favorable location than England, showed an annual volume of
castings averaging more than 200 tons per acre.

Lastly on the subject of Darwin is

The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms With Observations of Their Habits

"that all the vegetable mould over the whole country has passed many times through, and will again pass many times through, the intestinal canal of worms."

The below link has a bit of information on it and the book is linked from there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Man is But a Worm

What do you want in a sticky ?

I sent CB a direct message with the question.
He hasn't replied directly.
However: if the booklet Pete linked to is the same as CB's , that may be his reply.
That would make a good link for a sticky IMO.

Other options:

Anyone write a sticky and let Everyone edit or comment.
If we don't do it off GW, we could do it on GW
with a drafting thread before a post to stick.

CB liked Charity's post about searching before posting a question.
We could ask Tamara to make that a sticky.
Tamara has not answered the question
(which I sent to her email )
that is, "what got your attention?".

I am still searching old posts for the wheat germs in the chaff.

We only indulge CB for his seniority on the site.
We don't have to wait for him.
(He may be visiting vermicomposting operations in Cuba. )

EQ: Your submission is noted & recorded.
"More bedding" is Frequently Advised !
Will you concede cardboard /paper to Horse Manure When Available ? HMWA ?

I do indoor vermicomposting so no to the horse manure. Even if I had some I would not feed it to the worms. I would put in in the garden and plant a cover crop for a year. I'm happy if they just sprinkle a bit of egg carton.

The sticky (if there is ONE) should lead to a FAQ. Anything else we want to link to should be in the FAQ.

I'm still reading old posts and making notes.
Took the liberty of putting up a trial introduction.
Please comment here or: bump it and post what you'd prefer !

Pete: I think I read the link you recommended.
It is general composting rather than just worms ?
The Troubleshooting was good.

Everyone: Any more suggestions for a How To to link to ?

I'm clipping posts that may add up .
Or we could do as Francoise suggested and each write a paragraph on a topic.

Boreal Wormer had a sad ending at last report and hasn't yet answered my question about how goes it now.
While it is true he links to commercial sites, his was not.

BTW (by the way ) I can edit that introduction without bumping it.
So if you offer edits, either in this thread or PM (private message)
probably I'll edit to please. ; )

For example, do you dislike the word vermiphile ?

Pete's great report on HM (horse manure) doesn't need an amen from me.
I'll save my amen for if it needs to be moved up.

THANKS PETE !

EQ: want to post a parallel on the advantages of cardboard and paper ?

Parallel to what?

Egg Carton, Paperboard (soft absorbent gray on both sides), Cardboard Paper Towel Tube, Cardboard Beer Coasters, and Corrugated Cardboard I like especially if they are all shredded or torn. Slick magazine paper, office paper, I do not like although there are certainly vermicomposters having great success with it. Cereal box cardboard can go either way. I usually do not need to use it. Absorbency is the main criteria for me as far as types of paper bedding. My town recycles paper so what I do not use is recycled. Does that fit the bill? It would be great to never have to type it again and again and again.

All is Well as is.

This post was edited by barbararose21101 on Tue, Jan 27, 15 at 9:59

umm. I read a very recent post I think on GardenWeb where somebody wrote extensively on horse manure. I agreed 100% with all of it. Horse Manure Magic it was. I imagine worms would prefer a pile of it better than a bin of shredded cardboard and pureed kitchen scraps. I hope to be providing manure worms second favorite place to live.

to post or not to post that is the question

This post was edited by barbararose21101 on Tue, Jan 27, 15 at 9:58

I bet some people would have no problem telling GW to "stick it".

I almost feel like I am ok with a welcome sticky that periodically sinks. We have a board sticky now that has stayed very close to the very top for 18 days. That is king of the hill to me. I think we already own the high ground without GW sanction. If we were NYC police we would not be arresting anybody or writing any tickets. It feels more: of the people. I'm happy with it. If it, our flag, ever sinks, you or anybody can repost the exact same or same with updates.

I guess we can tell if it is working by people's first posts showing they have a working knowledge of vermicomposting or at least know, I don't know, anything about the subject, thus getting a better first question so we can actually help them a lot quicker and more effectively.

A GW sanctioned sticky is now starting to feel like GW is from New Jersey and a sanctioned sticky (only one allowed!?!?) is starting to feel like cement overshoes.

BUMP

It doesn't matter whether the Welcome stays at the top or not.
Any one of us can keep it on the first page.

This post was edited by barbararose21101 on Tue, Jan 27, 15 at 10:01