topic Re: I don't get the Garden thread in SmorgasBoard

I don't get the Garden thread

wasCB14 — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 04:21:00 GMT

I understand the gardening concept...I just don't get how the Garden thread on MF fails to drive participants loony.

For me, it's late August 8. August has been going on for about 8 full days. The Garden thread is 163 pages long.

That's about 20 pages a day...of people saying they won't apply, might get X, or talking about unrelated stuff.

I would think it would be hard to find replies to something you say. Do participants read it all? Skim it?

It would seem pretty inefficient to talk about anything gardening related if you have to read through 3 pages of smorgasboard stuff to get a reply to your post that actually relates to gardening.

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

rbentley — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 04:56:15 GMT

I have to agree with you. Since I discovered this forum in November 2017 I have made a number of substantial changes and have acquired maybe too many new accounts.. I am in the garden until May, 2019, reserving soft pull CLI's. I have looked at joing the garden threads but they do not appeal to me. I do see the appeal of a place that allows regular members to still come here and interact, without being exposed to the temptations to leave the garden. How well that works I don't know. I am glad it is here though for those who need and want it. The number of posts and pages show that it is serving a need.

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

K-in-Boston — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 18:17:12 GMT

It would get rather dull if it was just:

"Hi, I'm K and I'm an appaholic."

- 20 posts of "Hi K."

Consider it a combination support group and safe haven. As for the number of pages:

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/user/myprofilepage/tab/user-preferences:linear-format

Set it to 50 posts per page and the entire thread is only on page 34.

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

MakingProgress — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 20:04:48 GMT

@wasCB14 wrote:
I understand the gardening concept...I just don't get how the Garden thread on MF fails to drive participants loony.

Who said it failed?

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

wasCB14 — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 23:15:21 GMT

I guess talking about NOT getting new accounts and why makes people think too much about credit in general. Safer to talk about fun concerts or gerbil breeds.

Something like that?

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

tcbofade — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 00:09:52 GMT

@wasCB14 wrote:
I guess talking about NOT getting new accounts and why makes people think too much about credit in general. Safer to talk about fun concerts or gerbil breeds.

Something like that?

That IS a part of it, and it DOES have value. (for me, anyway.)

Some of the conversations wander a bit off topic and too far into nonsense land, I'll grant you, but there IS good information there and most of the regulars are as helpful as we can be to the newbies.

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

AverageJoesCredit — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 00:31:34 GMT

I dont get people who dont get a thread that has nothing to do with them should they choose not to participate. I should just start a thread on why do only certain posters only post if it has to do with travel .

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

Remedios — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 03:03:46 GMT

I think you should start a thread about our lost gerbil, AJC. I wonder where that critter crawled up now....

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

wasCB14 — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 05:32:41 GMT

@tcbofade wrote:
@wasCB14 wrote:
I guess talking about NOT getting new accounts and why makes people think too much about credit in general. Safer to talk about fun concerts or gerbil breeds.

Something like that?
That IS a part of it, and it DOES have value. (for me, anyway.)

Some of the conversations wander a bit off topic and too far into nonsense land, I'll grant you, but there IS good information there and most of the regulars are as helpful as we can be to the newbies.

I know there's good info...but it's so large and disorganized I wonder how anyone finds it among the smorgasboard.

For instance, I see a few posts there mocking this thread (and I've kept this FSR)...but I only know the original ~~jab~~ relevant post exists because someone quoted something from ~10 pages before.

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

RicHowe — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 03:20:33 GMT

Blame me. I'm the one posting games, trivia and fictitious sponsors!

The garden is zen. Free flowing thought. Old school bulletin board hijinks circa 1998.

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

wasCB14 — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 03:40:59 GMT

@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
I dont get people who dont get a thread that has nothing to do with them should they choose not to participate. I should just start a thread on why do only certain posters only post if it has to do with travel .

I tend to post on travel topics. Not exclusively, but enough to share a few of my own thoughts.

I find travel topics generally more interesting, rewarding, and useful. Things constantly change with travel cards, so lively and active discussion is important. It's more complex than "get a good cash back card or two and pay the bill on time if you can".

There's also a "division of labor" element. For example, I know airport lounges and the IHG rewards program fairly well and can often give accurate, detailed information. But if I tried to give someone advice about which credit union to go to for a car loan, or when to ask for a CLI from Bank of America, the odds of my giving bad information rise significantly. I don't like getting bad information, nor do I like giving it.

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

Brian_Earl_Spilner — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 05:00:07 GMT

@wasCB14 wrote:
@tcbofade wrote:
@wasCB14 wrote:
I guess talking about NOT getting new accounts and why makes people think too much about credit in general. Safer to talk about fun concerts or gerbil breeds.

Something like that?
That IS a part of it, and it DOES have value. (for me, anyway.)

Some of the conversations wander a bit off topic and too far into nonsense land, I'll grant you, but there IS good information there and most of the regulars are as helpful as we can be to the newbies.

I know there's good info...but it's so large and disorganized I wonder how anyone finds it among the smorgasboard.

For instance, I see a few posts there mocking this thread (and I've kept this FSR)...but I only know the original jab exists because someone quoted something from ~10 pages before.

While my original mentioning of this thread could be considered a jab, I really just posted about it because it tickled me. Ive never seen a thread asking about another thread on here before. The things you bring up have been discussed in there, most recently at the end of July going into August. The current format is what works for the regulars. While it may be confusing at first, everyone is welcomed and people pop in and out as they need. While it may be unorganized and inefficient for what you believe the intention of the thread is, that spider web of a thread has allowed people to build a comraderie which results in an excellent support group. I find myself not only talking about my gardening, but also general life questions. I trust their answers because I've gotten to know them on a more personal level and that's what makes the thread unique.

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

wasCB14 — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 05:37:40 GMT

Your post was first but not one that irked me. "Jab" was not appropriate to describe your posts (others' replies being another matter), and for that I apologize.

I'd have personally been unable (or at least unwilling) to have an actual discussion about it within the thread with all the other noise. So in that sense, a separate thread was necessary!

I get the idea of a support group, etc. It just seems like segregating those posts into several specialized smorgasboard threads each month would accomplish more.

Maybe I just like more organization in problem solving than other people. If I didn't have my credit together, I might feel kind of confused by everything going on there...the place that is supposed to be very helpful.

I guess the idea is to help more in terms of words and encouragement than detailed advice? Or you think detailed advice can be effectively given there *to someone fairly new*?

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

MakingProgress — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 16:41:44 GMT

@wasCB14 wrote:

I get the idea of a support group, etc. It just seems like segregating those posts into several specialized smorgasboard threads each month would accomplish more.

If the Garden thread was sub catorigized I would miss alot. As an example I enjoy how several members share about their days, but if there was a sub catagory for family news, one for job news, one for CLI's , one for changes in FICO scores, etc. I doubt I would keep up with it. With one free wheeling place to go, I can keep up on it all.

I have little to no interest in the travel talk so I just skim those posts. That said if I ever wanted to learn about the travel cards I now know several experts that could help guide me.

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

wingennis — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 15:15:19 GMT

@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
I dont get people who dont get a thread that has nothing to do with them should they choose not to participate. I should just start a thread on why do only certain posters only post if it has to do with travel .

Have a Pepsi on me, Joe!

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

wingennis — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 15:15:57 GMT

@RicHowe wrote:
Blame me. I'm the one posting games, trivia and fictitious sponsors!

The garden is zen. Free flowing thought. Old school bulletin board hijinks circa 1998.

I like your posts. They're the funnest.

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

the_jan_b — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 01:13:20 GMT

@MakingProgress wrote:
@wasCB14 wrote:
I understand the gardening concept...I just don't get how the Garden thread on MF fails to drive participants loony.

Who said it failed?

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

Felony_Phil — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 01:30:11 GMT

The Garden Thread reminds me of when I was on FB. Which is exactly why I'm not on FB anymore.

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

Anonymous — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 04:14:57 GMT

Why does posting in garden thread count towards community rank but smorgsaborg does not?

Anyway I don't go into gardening thread. I like getting new cards every month. Don't see the point of gardening. But seems pretty harmless for them and no reason for me to intrude on their fun.

Re: I don't get the Garden thread

AverageJoesCredit — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 03:14:46 GMT

@Felony_Phil wrote:
The Garden Thread reminds me of when I was on FB. Which is exactly why I'm not on FB anymore.

Lol, the GC is nothing like FB , drama need not apply there. Interesting that you compare it to FB and you no longer are on FB yet you continue to participate in GC.