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View Full Version : Location, location, location...please.


john_ny
07-23-2010, 02:54 PM
When I read the thread, here, about the members list, it reminded me of an experience I recently had with the list. I had wanted to attend one of the tissue culture workshops that Dr. Carol Stiff has held in various places around the country. A couple of them were cancelled because they didn't get enough people signed up. Then I noticed there was one scheduled for Rutgers University, in New Jersey. This is just a little more than a half hour drive from my home, so I really wanted to see this one go. (It, also, was eventually cancelled, for lack of sufficient participants.)
I offered to help by sending PMs to members in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I went through the entire list and only got about 65 names, out of the thousands on the list, because most people did not list a location. There were some pages where, of the 30 or so names on the page, not one had a location.
Not having locations made it difficult for me, but it also makes it difficult for people answering questions in threads. An answer to a question about overwintering certainly would be different for someone in Florida than it would be for someone in Manitoba.
After a while, I noticed that some of the names I had, had joined a couple of years ago, and never posted again since then. The 65 names now became 25. Some did say, "Find me on the map", but that's too time consuming.
So, please, everyone, review your profile and add your location and/or zone. Thanks.

LilRaverBoi
07-23-2010, 03:35 PM
Yeah, I find it helpful in answering people's questions when they have their location and zone listed. Especially in a plant-related forum, location and zone are important details to have listed because care needed varies widely with location/zone.

If anyone is unsure of how to add these details to your account, let me know and I can list some instructions out.

Abnshrek
07-23-2010, 03:45 PM
Them having the location is a whole lot easier than searching threads or their introduction where they may or may not say where they are from.. lol :^)

sunfish
07-23-2010, 03:52 PM
Hear Hear

Dean W.
07-23-2010, 04:07 PM
I agree!

coast crab
07-23-2010, 07:10 PM
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As far as I'm concerned, if you can't be bothered to add where the hell you are you shouldn't be allowed to even post here. What's the big secret??? It sure has kept me from responding to questions.

Russell

saltydad
07-23-2010, 07:12 PM
Some may hesitate to put their location out of privacy concerns, but remember we don't want your address, just the town and state! (Unless you have a lot of bananas ripening, in which case we may stop by in the middle of the night for a snack. :ha:)

coast crab
07-23-2010, 07:23 PM
Who, and why, would someone be hesitant to list their location out of "privacy" concerns? What concerns? If you're that paranoid do us all a favor and go find another forum. I get sick of these "mystery people". I have better things to do with my time than cyber stalk someone, and I'm sure everyone else here has a life too. Bryan, you're a moderator. I'd love for the org registration to say "this is the info we require - so we can help you". If they don't want to provide it, go away.

Now I'm going outside to go pee on something.

R

saltydad
07-23-2010, 07:32 PM
Hi Russell- I put that in as one who is a recent victim of identity theft. The advice I received from the police was not to put much identifying info online. That is why I wanted to reassure folks.

Abnshrek
07-23-2010, 07:38 PM
Hey Howard if you see I'm on map in timbuktu and no location listed I have nanners.. lol :^) But I'll still give you directions. lol :^)

coast crab
07-23-2010, 07:41 PM
Kidding aside, I do understand that identity theft is a very real problem. I just don't see how it applies here - what harm can there be in listing a city, state (or country) and a zone?

R

john_ny
07-23-2010, 08:15 PM
very good responses. I'm not saying anyone has to subject themselves to identity theft, or anything, but does anyone really think that by saying (my screen name, which can be as phoney as anything) and I lve in zone (XX) that my ID will be stolen? Just say I'm in zone (XX) or in Superopolis, IX

LilRaverBoi
07-23-2010, 09:39 PM
Bryan, you're a moderator. I'd love for the org registration to say "this is the info we require - so we can help you". If they don't want to provide it, go away.
I'm a mod, not an admin. That's Jarred's department....I have no control over what announcements say, what information is 'mandatory,' etc.

I would say if you're paranoid of your actual location, at LEAST put your climate zone (which is easy enough to look up). Also, putting a state doesn't really help someone track you down. I don't even feel the least bit unsafe by having state AND city listed.