hello and possibly goodbye!

Hi all,
As others have, I am introducing myself. Have been frustrated with my shaving experiences for years now and slowly working my way up to brushes, pre-shave oils, etc to improve things. Now I'm onto straight razors. I am learning a lot from the wiki and reading dozens and dozens of posts and trying to make sense of it all.

I think I will end up just being a lurker and not asking questions, as I am pretty sure I have already managed to post something that mods and others will find annoying. But I'll be around and thanks for all those (including the mods!) that provide such great information on this forum and contribute to the wiki.

k.

If you are referring to your RTFM rant in the other thread I don't think you need to worry about it. We have all been newcomers and suffered the same confusion and frustration in trying to make sense of it all. OTOH, after going through the learning curve some members volunteered hours to put together a FAQ and the info in the SRP Wiki as a resource for new and veteran members alike.

Many members answer the same questions over and over in spite of it being largely available in the fore mentioned formats or in the forum search option. Some answer cheerfully, others less so and still others say RTFM. :) Hang in there and keep at it and we'll see which of these alternatives you will take once you've got the learning curve done and are happily shaving with a straight razor. :tu

Welcome and excellent idea. What did the great Abraham Lincoln say?...

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."

I give up, what's a RTFM? Or Who's a RTFM?

Kaiyen, some of the mods can come across as being a bit humor challenged, so what you have preceived may not be imagined, but keep asking away. Moderator rants are always fun to read. :)

:beer2:

Read The Farking Manual

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bruce

I give up, what's a RTFM? Or Who's a RTFM?

Kaiyen, some of the mods can come across as being a bit humor challenged, so what you have preceived may not be imagined, but keep asking away. Moderator rants are always fun to read. :)

:beer2:

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

Welcome and excellent idea. What did the great Abraham Lincoln say?...

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."

---

And I realize that my post may make myself appear a fool for now but hopefully not forever. But I will try to remain relatively silent (I have been putting questions into existing threads rather than starting my own).

This is a great resource. And as someone who has "graduated" from multiple other forums due to saying the same thing over and over I understand the frustration and honestly do my best to prevent me being the one to cause it.

anyway. take care.

:boohoo:

My advice to you would be:

1. Do the ethical thing, instead of the aesthetic. If you say you're not going to post, quit playing up the martyrdom and just quit posting. Otherwise, post away but drop the "I'm just a persecuted but well-informed newbie" tack... martyrdom attitudes will not make you friends in real life or online.

2. Continue to read, and understand that there is no objective "This is right" razor. There are some "This is wrong", but beyond that we can't tell you exactly what you should buy. There are many, many choices but they should not be paralyzing. If you have really been reading here than you should understand that from a reputable vendor you cannot go wrong- have fun! If you have a severely type-A personality that needs a 'right' answer for this, perhaps some reading on pluralism or a trip to your friendly local counseling agency is in order.

3. Don't insinuate that the sets vendors sell are inferior product- they aren't- especially if you haven't purchased anything. You need to quit complaining that it is so terribly confusing, and then turning around and acting like you have the whole game figured.

4.Slartibarfast is one of the wisest guys I know.

5. Welcome to SRP. The experience will be what you put in to it. Your attitude affects your perception, and others responses to you. Think Heisenberg.

kaiyen, if you've got questions ask away. Some of the stuff isn't in the wiki or the faq and some of it isn't easy to find in the search archive. Many members here have no problem answering questions ...... some of them enjoy it. Also there being more than one approach you'll find differing opinions and that is always interesting. Right way, wrong way, my way sort of answers. Rarely a dull moment on SRP. :)

kaiyen,

We have done well indeed. By chumming the waters we have landed a Developer and two Moderators. Good work, good work, indeed. :)

So keep asking away about those things mysterious, worrisome or of concern or curiosity.

One of these days I'll read the Wiki and then I'll know everything too. Until then, we un-cognoscenti are pretty much in the same boat, chumming away, trying to catch that perfect answer.

welcome aboard and good shaving,

:beer2:

Thanks Bruce. :-). Not sure what you're thanking me for is a good thing, but at the very least, tongue firmly in cheek, thanks.

Benjamin - interesting use of the uncertainty principle. however, I doubt any amount of description of myself either via revealing questions of expository writing would provide sufficient data for even inferential analysis. But I get your point and like the reference.

This is going to sound like I'm trying to be a martyr but I really, really was not trying to do that. The forum urges people to say hello. I wanted to do my part. I am generally an active person of forums. But I was trying to say that I probably will just be quiet and read. In fact, I am now violating my decision to not write more in this thread in order to just let it die but only because I want to make sure that I say a couple of things:

1 - people will respond however they wish to what I say. I know that. I accept that. If I come off as whining then I apologize, truly. I do have my opinions on how people should treat each other on forums, though.

2 - As far as I can tell, Slartibarfast was defining what RTFM meant. I do not believe I have made any commentary against him. My perception is that he was merely defining it, not telling me to do it. As far as his reference to Lincoln, I was agreeing with it. I am acknowledging that I am making something known (whether that I am a fool or not is to the reader) but that I will in general try to remain quiet (current post excepted, of course).

3 - I don't think I have insinuated anything negative about the various vendors' products, have I? I honestly have no idea where that is coming from. I apologize if I said anything like that.

4 - I do not, by any means, have anything figured out. That's why I wrote the other post. I was empathizing with the OP about how hard it is to get started and get through all this information. I don't have anything figured out, and if I said something that suggested as much, then I apologize.

okay. I now promise to adhere to my earlier promise which I just broke :-).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kaiyen

T
3 - I don't think I have insinuated anything negative about the various vendors' products, have I? I honestly have no idea where that is coming from. I apologize if I said anything like that.

---

I apolgise. I had credited you with some very unbecoming statements made by another new member in the starter set thread. You haven't said anything of the like.

Where are you from? There are a lot of guys around the globe on here...

I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area (actually by San Jose), in California. I just wasn't sure about randomly contacting people that are listed on the map, that's all.

It's very, very clear to me that there is a strong community of people (and vendors) that really care about this art and craft. I really would not disparage any vendor or its products. Phew.

There are quite a few guys- helpful ones- over in CA. I bet one of them will be happy to have you visit. :)

Welcome aboard!

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

"get help getting started; Discussions on; Discuss; etc." These are the invitations as they read on the forum designations.

There are really no good reasons to receive an angry reply except perhaps in heated arguments of the "conversation/;)

Coming from a mod is embarrassing at least, I say.

Proud and ego'd young men such as ourselves are happy to tell you how the cows crew cud.

Any question asked here should at least get two answers and pray they be opposed. Eventually such paradox will lead you to understand that only you are able to decide which is right.

Start small, ask clever questions

Quote:

---

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

---

Dude, Seriously! :)

Really...I just like reading Obie's posts. They are very poetic and floral in their prose. Thank you Obie.

Maxi

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maxi

Really...I just like reading Obie's posts. They are very poetic and floral in their prose. Thank you Obie.

Maxi

---

My dear Maxi:

You are most welcome. And thank you for the kind words.

Regards,
Obie

Quote:

---

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

---

I'm with Obie!

Quote:

---

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. :)

:beer2:

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!