TeaForum.org

Can I bookmark a post?

I've written some longer answers to frequently asked questions that I'd like to easily reference for linking and quoting in future replies, and I'd like to track others' posts that inspire me to try something new, so can review their reports when trying that new tea, etc. We can bookmark topics, but with so many of our topics being serials hundreds of replies long, that's not very helpful.

debunix wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:36 am

Can I bookmark a post?

I've written some longer answers to frequently asked questions that I'd like to easily reference for linking and quoting in future replies, and I'd like to track others' posts that inspire me to try something new, so can review their reports when trying that new tea, etc. We can bookmark topics, but with so many of our topics being serials hundreds of replies long, that's not very helpful.

Just out of curiosity, are you referring to recommended brewing parameters for beginners? If so, I think that deserves a thread on its own. I've been thinking it should be based on "standard" brewing parameters and not dependent on individualized parameters for people who are either super tasters or the opposite. There is a danger to mislead people down roads that may not be ideal for their individual preferences but may be touted as "correct" .

So it will be tricky.

LeoFox wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:56 am

debunix wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:36 am

Can I bookmark a post?

I've written some longer answers to frequently asked questions that I'd like to easily reference for linking and quoting in future replies, and I'd like to track others' posts that inspire me to try something new, so can review their reports when trying that new tea, etc. We can bookmark topics, but with so many of our topics being serials hundreds of replies long, that's not very helpful.

Just out of curiosity, are you referring to recommended brewing parameters for beginners? If so, I think that deserves a thread on its own. I've been thinking it should be based on "standard" brewing parameters and not dependent on individualized parameters for people who are either super tasters or the opposite. There is a danger to mislead people down roads that may not be ideal for their individual preferences but may be touted as "correct" .

So it will be tricky.

You can follow certain topics, but I don’t think bookmarks are available with phpbb. What I do is keep files in Evernote that I can easily access to use as a reference. Other cross device / platform apps that I use are Pages, Notes, Dropbox, Google Docs so notes appear on all my devices.

@LeoFox admin has started a few times a forum, Steeping Guidelines & Methods, discussing brewing parameters for different teas and each time we hold back posting primarily because there are so many variables due to different varietals, growing regions, seasons, and type of teas like green (China, Japan, Korea...), Darjeeling (white, black, oolong), white, yellow, even black/red teas. But if you feel this would be a good resource of course you can start a forum dedicated to this topic.

Ideally it would be best done by someone who is very open minded, neutral, and a lover of many different kinds of teas. At this point I am too biased.

I'm not seeking to create a general FAQ for all tea drinkers....I just want to bookmark individual posts. But since that is apparently not a feature of our software, I'm creating a draft message to myself that I can use for reference. It's not as handy as bookmarks by post, but it will work well enough.

debunix wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:36 am

Can I bookmark a post?

yes, of course.

strictly speaking, bookmarking is a feature of your browser, and you can bookmark anything you can link to.
for example, you can bookmark this link to your post.

to get a link to a post, look at the post's date just above it.

i'm also open to creating "vanity" links to certain topics (or posts, in theory).
for example, teaforum.org/debunix/something

let me know if that's something that could be helpful.

This scammer is still not banned?

LeoFox wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 24, 2021 9:14 am

This scammer is still not banned?

we try to have well-defined, consistently-enforced rules. and we try to ban based on them. as far as i know, he is not breaking any rules. if you feel differently or think you know something we're not aware of, please pm us.

also, is he truly trying to scam anyone? serious question.
if so, can you produce any evidence of this?

if people have a problem with prices, authenticity, or some other aspect of a hypothetical business, i think it's healthy to have respectful, public discourse. but i hope you all keep it respectful. ty

@pedant: apologies in advance if this is not the correct place to ask this (if so, please feel free to move or delete this), but, am I correct in thinking that there are currently no forum rules which expressly prohibit the making of false or misleading claims about products that a person is selling, or proposing to sell?

If so, then that sort of thing would seem to be a matter that falls to be determined according to the discretion of the admins.

Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially in a small community where we can trust the admins to exercise their discretion appropriately; I am just wondering.

I'm not directly interested in the current discussion, though I have been observing it, so I'll leave it to others to discuss it further here or elsewhere, or with you or other admins directly, if they wish.

Andrew

@LeoFox and @Andrew S, i ended up moving the last two posts here.

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hi @Andrew S, thanks for your thoughts.

so far, there are no such rules. you are right.

a problem with such a rule is that we're not necessarily authorities on a given subject. for example, i freely admit that i am not an expert on yixing teapot authentication. therefore, i think it's more productive and fair to let people have open, respectful conversations about vendor offerings and practices. the downside is this creates an opportunity where someone could have buyer's remorse (or potentially even be taken advantage of) if they don't read enough. still, i think this 'free market of ideas' approach is a reasonable compromise overall. if you have better ideas, let us know.

it might be another story if i saw an obvious, concrete example of scamming.

also, i always recommend that people ask questions about what they're buying. especially with big purchases. get opinions from friends and from the public. that's how we all learn together.

pedant wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 25, 2021 2:13 pm

we try to have well-defined, consistently-enforced rules. and we try to ban based on them. as far as i know, he is not breaking any rules.

In any community or society, it is good governance to enforce well-defined rules, as well-defined rules mean well-defined expectation and encourage participation. That being said, rules are 100% human-made, and they can, and should, evolve when appropriate. In the best of cases, they evolve as measured counterbalances to detrimental behavior that are observed. In the worst of cases, they are imposed to provide a veneer of legitimacy to the whims of an autocrat or elite.

While, in the present case, there may be no immediate cause for intervention based on the established rules of the forum, and though I do appreciate the value of refraining from excessive or hasty intervention, the real question, in my opinion, is whether the frequency of behaviors, which would on a case-by-case basis be below the threshold for intervention, at some point becomes problematic. Quickly looking through the forum rules, I seem to see nothing about preventing forum spamming or drowning the forum with posts, and surely this cannot be interpreted as the community being OK with it. Is there a need for an additional rule, and if so what is the appropriate threshold? I cannot say for sure, but it seems to me it is one of these matters where any rule and interpretation will be debatable, but no rule and threshold for intervention may not be OK, either.

For what it is worth, I will note there have been cases of what I perceive as a kind of ad hominem attacks, where expression of opinions is met with statements that one person should be deemed wrong by default because of their (assumed) origin. The fact that one's stated superior credibility is based on claims about where one comes from, what authority one has access to and what one does for a living, all of which to my knowledge are, for now, without a basis in shared experiences or verifiable facts, adds to the picture.

To sum it up, moderation is not an easy job.

also, the rules here aren't set in stone. they can be changed as needed, and we value input!

thank you for your thoughtful response, @faj.

Yes thank you @pedant, @faj and @Andrew S for your thoughtful comments, always good to have constructive exchanges. BTW, we do monitor for obvious spam everyday behind the scenes.