Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"Cat(h)" wrote in message

This is usenet,
after all. However, my experience of URG is that it is an
exceptionally mature and really good newsgroup, with focussed
contributors generous with sharing their experience and expertise,
little feeding of trolls and practically no entertainment of the
occasional headcase who inevitably cross-posts or passes through.

Yes it IS usenet and we are all used to trolls. However, what does
one do when the headcases become one of the "regular contributors"
and that headcase gives bad advice or is mixes in trolling along with
some garden advice?

I've pondering this long and hard and I've decided to just killfile
but I do have some sympathy for those new to gardening who, through
lack of any reasoned/unreasoned response to that poor advice, may take
the info onboard and act upon it.

We covered this ground in a previous thread? and never reached a
satisfactory conclusion. If the regulars killfiled "the nuisance" then there
would be no one around to defend innocent new posters against bad advice or
threats. I think Mike Adams also covered the point "Why should newbies
believe me or you rather than someone else.
Perhaps the best solution is to just ignore a certain poster and never make
a direct reply.


It is quite possible to challenge the bad advice someone gives without
engaging them in a slanging match, and that does a great deal less harm
to the credibility of the group. Do bear in mind that a newbie to the
group and/or someone who is not a proficient gardener must know to
exercise caution with any advice received on usenet. And how likely is
a newbie to feel they have just been put right by someone who gives
them the right advice, but then feels compelled to add "Don't listen to
her, she talks rubbish, and anyway, she's ugly" (?!!??)
FWIW
Cat(h)