Thread: hello and possibly goodbye!

Originally Posted by Obie

Gentlemen:

Forgive me, but what on earth are you talking about? Reading the posts in this thread has left me confused, much like entering in the middle of a play. I must have missed something. Would someone please explain the first act to your humble servant here? Thanks.

Regards,
Obie

In medias res: isn't that the way the great plays of ancient Greece started? Perhaps we here will witness the beginning of a great dialogue? Or many of us may just be babbling.

This might clarify the Act I a bit

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...t-dilemma.html

Of all the forums I have been on, I think the members and mods here go out of their way to help people, answer questions, or even just welcome people. I think you have found that out from some of your posts asking for advice.

The folks that tend to refer beginners to the wiki have spent countless hours creating the wiki, and continue to refine it. The idea was to have a comprehensive body of knowledge synthesizing the information from hundreds of past threads on various common topics, since there is no such resource apart from old barbers' manuals that are no longer in production. They tell you to check the wiki, because they know it inside out, and know that the answers you seek are there, and you will have more information than can be put on a short post in the thread.

Also, you have to realize that SRP is an international community, and that people may phrase their comment in a more direct or dismissive way than what they intend.

That being said, looking at your posts, while most of them are negative, you have made some positive ones offering advice to other newcomers. I would encourage you to do that. You admitted learning a whole lot from the forum, mostly while lurking, and it really is unfair to "come out of the closet" only to complain about the people you have learned from.

Welcome to the forum, kaiyen. I hope the posts here clarify things for you and help turn your time here into a positive experience for you.

As an individual that does way more reading than posting, I'll throw this out there as a junior member.
If your in a hurry, str8's may not be for you. As a whole reading posts and the Wiki, many members, some older, some not, prefer to view shaving as a pleasure and not a chore. The fact that they can use a crude piece of steel and get probably the best and most comfortable shave they've ever had is one of the finer things in life.
That being said, it is not something you can achieve over night. What works for some, probably doesn't for others. That goes for the shaving, honing, per shave, after shave, etc, etc.
It's largely a matter of what works for you.
The seniors, mentors, honemeisters, and so forth are a very forgiving bunch, not to mention from all walks of life and the International community. What is humor to some, could be an insult to others.
This particular forum, which has a huge Wiki and wealth of information treats everybody the same. "Dude.!! Look it up in the Wiki and quit making sarcastic posts", doesn't appear in this forum. They send you a link instead and rarely take a swipe at you unless you fail to read forum rules or persist in trying to drive a point home.
Abbreviations are just that. Unless you like staring at your phone or email for endless hours, texting and social networking are a large part of current society as it is. Not that I view it in that way, but, look around. No matter what your age is, you have to keep up a little bit with the way current trends are. You have to abbreviate, and for the most part they are simple abbreviations.
Take it for what it is. Huge amounts of information for you to digest and for you to arrive at your own conclusions. Not something cut in stone and works for everyone.
Perhaps your idea of more reading and less posting is a good thing. Experiment and see what you like and don't like, then post a question. This is by far the best wet shaving forum on the Internet where they will cut you some slack before throwing you under the bus, if they ever throw you under the bus.
Use it, enjoy it, contribute to it, and above all, slow down and learn to enjoy the finer things in life. Just like all these individuals have and choose to share it with others!