Sigh, I guess this is how Todd feels. OK, some of us suck. We're intolerant, impatient, rude, etc. etc. We're HORRIBLE teachers. We fail to precisely match our communication mode to the aptitude of the questioner, and we fail to construct Socratic dialogues that lead him to the truth without arousing his defensive mechanisms. I'm glad you were patient with your niece (or whatever). Good for you. Here's a news flash: I don't come here to be a teacher. Nor does Todd, nor most of the pro or semi-pro makers who bother. We come here to answer questions and help people who actually want help, to learn things ourselves, exchange news, and bust chops. If a newbie asks a question, he'll get answers that are probably accurate and are at the very least free. He says, how do I do X? I say, like so. If he comes back and says I tried what you said and it didn't work, what's wrong, I'll say, did you do Y? And so forth. I'm glad to do that (and I know Todd is, too, he's done it with me), but if I say you do X like so and he says, well, THAT won't work, then I'm gone, it's a waste of time.Kettletrigger wrote: A few months back a teenaged family member asked me to help her pick out a new acoustic guitar, (something that I'm qualified to do). At the guitar store we narrowed it down to two models that fit in her budget. I strongly recommended one, but she picked the other. She had asked for my advice, I gave it, and she decided not to take it. Sure, I felt slightly put-out by the whole experience but I certainly didn't take pains to punish her for not taking my advice. In time she'll either want a better guitar or she won't. As she gets more experience with guitars she may trust my advice in the future, or she may not. I fail to see how my making her feel bad about her decision would cause her to ask for my advice in the future or make her happier about playing guitar in general. Isn't the point of all this to make pipemaking more accessible to all?
I think that teachers should have more tolerance for the ignorant and inexperienced than is being displayed in this thread.
More tolerance for the ignorant, indeed. If a newbie's contribution to our knowledge is that vulcanite stinks and he continues to insist that this is news, that kicks things into the busting chops mode, and if he really wants help with pipe making he can either get over it and hang in there, or not. If he can't take a shot, he should avoid open forums and go find a kind, patient, sensitive pipemaker who loves to teach and won't tell him the truth straight out but will make sure he feels good about himself.
Rad?