A note to self and a note to fellow forum members regarding this forum

SeaEagleCoins

This morning, I posted the following to another thread...after rereading it, I decided it deserved it's own thread...for whatever it's worth...



Note to self---

Remember... do not turn to the general forum for advice or feedback on anything...unless it is specifically to learn about some detailed aspect of numismatic research I am unable to locate in my library.

There are enough posters here with common sense and no "holier-than-though" airs...and I can turn to those sensible folks, if needed, thru PM function.

There are way too many yahoos and pitas on this forum for me to bother bringing out any details of my business transactions... too many who are always too quick to find fault in and judge another's actions...


Note to forum members---

If you are a person I have yet to meet and/or do any trading with... and you feel that you are above reproach and in the privileged position of being able to judge people and tell them what they should do... if you fall into that category... PLEASE take note of my handle here on this forum and if you should ever see this name on a sign at a show...please keep on walking... I have no time to deal with pitas nor the desire to suffer fools.

If you are nice, friendly and open minded I am eager to meet you... if you are belligerent, judgemental and unfriendly ... well...I wish you no harm but please stay away from me...it's a big world and there's plenty of room for everyone...

...(it would be so much nicer, though, if everyone could just be nice)

Thank you...

Respectfully...

...Larry Greenstone
Sea Eagle Coins






edited to add this addendum...also in a subsequent post...
I sincerely hope that no one on this forum (or anywhere) is so divested of the ability or willingness to be friendly... that they would consider themselves in the category of "one who should pass by my table"... really...

Right after posting this thread, I received a PM questioning me...that perhaps my tone might alienate some forum members. Yet, I was most impressed by the fact that this person chose to Pm me rather than post his questions to the thread. This opens up discourse.

Sure...this thread is not "coin related"... yet it's subject does address the ability of all of us here to enjoy a friendly "meeting of the minds" to share and discuss this wonderful hobby we all have in common.

Of course, we will not agree on all matters... yet I believe it would serve us all well to stop the mean-spirited attacks... the quick jumps tp judgement...sorry...but some of the folks here (as in life) have a tendancy towards rudeness... I do not wish to entertain such behavior...

This is not a judgement of the individual...rather, it is of the attitudes and behavior...

My general attitude...is not to judge...not to argue... instead I seek to open up communication so as to perhaps, reach a friendly accord with all those I meet.

MMR

BRAVO!

TwoSides2aCoin

Nice one Larry. Spoken from the heart.
PM sent , in jest.

Joe

InternetJunky

rgCoinGuy

While I understand the thoughts, and I posted in that thread on the same "side" as you, I would disagree.

Posting in the general forum can be fantastically fun - as long as you have a thick enough skin and can weed out the good and the bad.

If everyone on this forum had the same opinion about everything, why post for other opinions or thoughts?

braddick

I had to go look a word up, but otherwise, like your style!

Interesting thread and strategy.

Thumbs up to you. (Yes, that's my thumb.)

crazyhounddog

I like this ! I like this a lot ! You da man!!!! This is just the way I feel about this forum . Thank you for saying it so perfect....

garsmith

<< <i>While I understand the thoughts, and I posted in that thread on the same "side" as you, I would disagree.

Posting in the general forum can be fantastically fun - as long as you have a thick enough skin and can weed out the good and the bad.

If everyone on this forum had the same opinion about everything, why post for other opinions or thoughts?

>>




I was going to say the same you just need a thicker skin. There are really very few bad eggs here, most of what you see here that seems to be belligerent is just jests between friends.

SeaEagleCoins

<< <i>

<< <i>While I understand the thoughts, and I posted in that thread on the same "side" as you, I would disagree.

Posting in the general forum can be fantastically fun - as long as you have a thick enough skin and can weed out the good and the bad.

If everyone on this forum had the same opinion about everything, why post for other opinions or thoughts?

>>




I was going to say the same you just need a thicker skin. There are really very few bad eggs here, most of what you see here that seems to be belligerent is just jests between friends. >>




I do agree with this...to a point...

There is perhaps a need for thick skin... here and in this world... yet there are times when I feel that some of the abrasiveness here ( and in the world in general) diverts us from more important discourse.

I sincerely hope that no one on this forum (or anywhere) is so divested of the ability or willingness to be friendly... that they would consider themselves in the category of "one who should pass by my table"... really...

Right after posting this thread, I received a PM questioning me...that perhaps my tone might alienate some forum members. Yet, I was most impressed by the fact that this person chose to Pm me rather than post his questions to the thread. This opens up discourse.

Sure...this thread is not "coin related"... yet it's subject does address the ability of all of us here to enjoy a friendly "meeting of the minds" to share and discuss this wonderful hobby we all have in common.

Of course, we will not agree on all matters... yet I believe it would serve us all well to stop the mean-spirited attacks... the quick jumps tp judgement...sorry...but some of the folks here (as in life) have a tendancy towards rudeness... I do not wish to entertain such behavior...

This is not a judgement of the individual...rather, it is of the attitudes and behavior...

My general attitude...is not to judge...not to argue... instead I seek to open up communication so as to perhaps, reach a friendly accord with all those I meet.

PerryHall

<< <i>This morning, I posted the following to another thread... >>



Larry---I must have missed this other thread. Do you have a link or thread title?

pennyannie

The world is full of all kinds, you seem stressed, take a short break enjoy the day and have some fun.

tahoe98

<< <i>While I understand the thoughts, and I posted in that thread on the same "side" as you, I would disagree.

Posting in the general forum can be fantastically fun - as long as you have a thick enough skin and can weed out the good and the bad.

If everyone on this forum had the same opinion about everything, why post for other opinions or thoughts?

>>




.......good point, rob.

SeaEagleCoins

<< <i>The world is full of all kinds, you seem stressed, take a short break enjoy the day and have some fun. >>






Really?

Not stressed at all...

Just goes to show...a fine example of how we each have differing perceptions... by opening up lines of communication and not jumping to conclusions... we can gain a deeper and more meaningful understanding of each other and the vast array of perspectives we each have to offer to the whole...

If anthing, I am in a deep, introspective mood today... and OK with it, I might add...

cinman14

I would like to make a suggestion.. If you don't want to hear negative comments and only want your ego stroked..

Don't post stories on a "public" forum describing how you bought a 5000 dollar coin for melt...

SeaEagleCoins:

<< <i>Remember... do not turn to the general forum for advice or feedback on anything...unless it is specifically to learn about some detailed aspect of numismatic research I am unable to locate in my library. >>



That's the best advice you could have given yourself.... I am glad it doesn't apply to the other members...

But you should live by your advice.....

ksteelheader

There are those who post here that never want to meet me, even though they already have.

pennyannie

LOL

A large percentage of things typed on these types of forums would never be said to peoples faces in person. You can take on any type of personality that you feel like. I did not say 100 percent, you and others can be exceptions

You are right in this is not the place to air specific types of businesss transactions.

NumbersUsacom

I enjoy the diversity of respones on the forum. Sometimes they seem to get a bit of attitude, (instead of "Bit O Honey"), but most seem to take a breath and either appologize or just shut up and move on for the moment. This is how we all learn to live and let live. The ups and downs make us human, but humans trying to improve.

RedTiger

I'm not sure of the point of the thread. Yes, there are jerks on this forum and every other public place on the Internet. There are also those who share their knowledge freely in a civil manner. There are those that are here to learn and show respect.

Most complaints on the forum give a skewed view of the story. There have been a few instances where the other party is also on the forum and they get to tell the other side, When both sides are presented, I'd say 80% of the time, the original complainer is often more at fault for any miscommunication or misunderstanding than the second party. I keep this in mind when I read any stories on the forum, that I am only hearing one side. That if that particular person has a long history of forum complaint threads, it is more than likely that this is another story in the 80%.

For a lot of the specific complaints about actual business transactions, it would be best for all parties to settle in private, like gentlemen or gentlewomen.

Gemineye

I missed all the good stuff....!!!!.....It must have got nuked....

advalorem

I disagree too. I think most of us non-jerks agree that spending time/effort with non-jerks is a waste of time. If it was one or two people that caused a problem, then ignore them. If the site if full of these folks, then maybe the website needs a "ignore" feature added so we can ignore certain users.

Hopefully mankind hasn't fallen off to the cliff where I ever need to post "jerks need not apply with me".

SeaEagleCoins

<< <i>I would like to make a suggestion.. If you don't want to hear negative comments and only want your ego stroked..

Don't post stories on a "public" forum describing how you bought a 5000 dollar coin for melt...

SeaEagleCoins:

<< <i>Remember... do not turn to the general forum for advice or feedback on anything...unless it is specifically to learn about some detailed aspect of numismatic research I am unable to locate in my library. >>



That's the best advice you could have given yourself.... I am glad it doesn't apply to the other members...

But you should live by your advice..... >>




Just for the record...I do try to live by this advice... but i ain't perfect

I did not post this thread to ask for advice ... I did so, mainly, to share my thoughts... and perhaps get a few folks to "think a bit" Imagine that...

...and the thread that started this line of thought was not "my" thread... I was not the one who shared the story about the $5000 deal... although i did post to the thread... and realized that it is ultimately futile to post such things on an open forum such as this... without accepting that it would surely lead to a fiasco... hence... my "Note to Self" and then the thoughts I share in the "Note to fellow forum members"...

anyhoo... back to coins for me... just got in a nice batch of newps that I wish to enjoy...

have a great day everyone...


edited to add this... before I sign off for a while...

I just got a very funny PM... from someone who considers me rude and intolerant... wow... whatever... they wish to never meet me and do not want me to ever make contact with them...oy saluchas(sp?)...

sooooo....I will close down on this thread with this summation... if you are so offended by my posts, that you think I am the problem... then so be it... I still wish you no ill will... lucky for both of us that we have 6 billion people to choose our aquaintances and friends from... or we would have a real tough time in life...

...and again...have a great day everyone...

telephoto1

Note To Self... it is silly to think that when you post a thread (or post to a thread) here, that your subject matter is going to always be of interest to, or applicable to everyone just because you created it... and it's equally as silly to expect that you'll only get positive feedback on a public forum where you have members with divergent viewpoints and experiences. And it is also silly to come back and post a thinly veiled whine-and-pout thread that basically says "I'll never post publicly here again" after you have a bad experience of some sort here....knowing full well you'll post again sooner or later.

cinman14

Whatever you do.. Don't start a "goodbye" thread.....

Bear

The Forum is a microcosm of life.

One must accept the good with

the bad. I wish it were different

but it is, what it is.

AndyMac

One of the great strengths of this forum and this country is the ability/right to disagree. Just because someone disagrees with a posting does not mean that they or you are a bad person. Nor should they or you be silenced. Remember, over 4,000 men and women have given their lives in Iraq and Afganistan so that we can continue and perhaps spread this right. Do not persecute someone for their right to disagree.

TavernTreasures

Well thought out and true accessment by the OP.

I see that some forum members, who think they know it all, have already responded.

SeaEagleCoins

<< <i>Note To Self... it is silly to think that when you post a thread (or post to a thread) here, that your subject matter is going to always be of interest to, or applicable to everyone just because you created it... and it's equally as silly to expect that you'll only get positive feedback on a public forum where you have members with divergent viewpoints and experiences. And it is also silly to come back and post a thinly veiled whine-and-pout thread that basically says "I'll never post publicly here again" after you have a bad experience of some sort here....knowing full well you'll post again sooner or later. >>




Simply amazing what some people can interpret... I do wish we all shared the same mental dictionary... would make commincation much simpler...

No whine intended in my OP here... no intention of leaving... just had some thoughts I wished to share...

I have no silly idea that we will all agree on everything...and sing shambala or anything...

Just turned off by some of the mean-spirited posts I witness here...


But hey...if being ruff n tuff seated behind your keyboard floats your boat... then happy sailing... it's a big ocean and hopefully we can all enjoy our journeys without sinking each other's ships...



edited for spelling...excuse me

Bear

If all human responses could be positive,

perhaps the world would be in better shape

then it is.

bidask

What if belligerent, judgemental and unfriendly people had nice coins to show you for sale?

Bear

I know that it might be considered to be self defeating,

but I would decline to do business with such people. To

me, a pleasing transaction is as important as the coin itself.

That is why I am a collector.

pennyannie

bidask- I would pass and never look back. Now if they are priced at 90 percent off the going rate i could suck up and bear it.

I think the whinney PM's are funny when i get them. At that point you know the sender is worked up over a typed sentence from a unknown person.

SeaEagleCoins

<< <i>What if belligerent, judgemental and unfriendly people had nice coins to show you for sale? >>




All things considered... there are more coins in this world than I could ever want or hope to own...

I made a "rule" for myself when I stepped over to "the other side of the table"...

This is a hobby... I intend to enjoy my participation in the hobby... if it ever stops being enjoyable...I'm outta here... doing business with difficult people is not enjoyable... I get a paycheck to deal with aggravation 40 hours a week... I will not allow myself to be aggravated while enjoying my hobby...



added note --- while I do sometimes get bothered by some of the BS I witness here... I do realize that the nice folks far outweigh the not-so-nice...I wrote the Note to Self as a reminder to "look the other way" when I encounter the unpleasant aspects of this forum...

Konahead

well said!

Buffalode

Two (or more) equally intelligent, knowledgeable and well-meaning people will often draw very different conclusions from the same set of facts. In my experience, the truth rarely resides at either extreme and is most often to be found somewhere between the two. An honest and open-minded discussion is entertaining, educational, and helps us all to find the truth. Unfortunately we too often allow ego, anger, and personality conflicts to overshadow reason. I think most of us have said things in the "heat of the moment" that we later regretted. None of these things are unique to this forum or it's members. Regardless of whatever faults are to be found here, I have yet to find another forum or group of people that equals what we have here, and I am thankful to be a part of it.

thisnamztaken

WinPitcher

You need a good flame now and then, like in the Godfather when Clemenza says that they need a war
every 10 years or so, it cleans up the bad blood. Same with message boards. A good flame is good now and then.






Steve

fcloud

Don't we live in a great country! You have the freedome to disagree and in the end it all works out.

SeattleSlammer

I agree with you about 75% which ain't bad.

I may be a yahoo on occasion, but I don't think I've ever been a pita........what the heck is a pita anyways? Somehow I don't think you're talking about lunch.

For the record, I miss that pretty 66* one-sided monster DMPL Morgan I sold you a couple of years back.

Broadstruck

<< <i>What if belligerent, judgemental and unfriendly people had nice coins to show you for sale? >>



Pass and pick it up when it comes around again.

Boom

stinkinlincoln

<< What if belligerent, judgemental and unfriendly people had nice coins to show you for sale? >>


Theres other fish in the sea.

I kow of several dealer/posters here that I just will NEVER buy from because of this very issue.

19Lyds

<< <i>I missed all the good stuff....!!!!.....It must have got nuked.... >>



Not Really.

BillyKingsley

Larry, I like what you wrote....I believe I understood exactly what you meant, because I have seen much of the same things on the forum. It seems like some people are only happy when they are trying to make other people look bad. I have no real desire to be that person, or to deal with those people...that is why I am hardly on the US coin forum....It's not about who can yell the loudest or the longest, at least to me!

If I can ever get to one of the Parsippany shows, I will be sure to find your table first or close to it....I don't know when that will be, as I either always have something scheduled for that day or when I don't, I don't have enough money to get there! It's a vicious cycle, it is, but someday.

shottaker

Just make sure you always keep an open mind and realize a lot of the people in this hobby are a little introverted or "off". It's a solitary hobby.
But some of the people in this business are downright rude etc and I wont deal with them. If I really want what they have I send someone else to buy it for me.

DieClash

Typing posts on a forum is the most awkward and least interpretable format for human communication. 80% of communication involves audible, tonal inflections and body language. We use all of our senses to understand messages communicated audibly in the first person: eye contact, voice inflection, body language and least of all the actual spoken word, wink wink.

In this forum/message board (third-person) format, everything that we rely upon to communicate and interpret messages is pared down to the written word and some clever little emoticons.

It's no wonder that folks misinterpret the messengers' intended messages. And moreover, because of the anonymity of the forum, it's quite easy to bash or belittle a fellow poster/collector/dealer if you misinterpret their posted message (which is the mostly likely outcome given the limitations of this venue). Most folks are not adept at conveying their messages in writing. Smoetimes they are given to grammatical errors and even misspellings!

I interpreted the OPs position as somewhat "offhandish" and I asked him about it in a PM. Needless to say I misinterpreted the intent of his original message. As is all too common on these boards, BTW. This, I believe, is mostly responsible for the escalation that results in flame wars that occur all too often here.

I believe the vast majority of posters here are well-intentioned. Smoe may take advantage of the anonymity of this medium to post rude or even cruel comments at times, that they wouldn't dare say in person, face-to-face!

Consequently, I will take this "note to fellow forum members" at its word and try to think about the receiver(s) of my future messages (posts) before going off half-cokced. And furthermore, I will endeavor not to offend the sensibilities of others. But it's so easy to respond with a knee-jerk reaction smoetimes that is so common here, that it will take great discipline to accomplish my goal. In the interim, apologies in advance if I should offend your sensibilities with a glib or otherwise offending reply.

To prove my good intentions I will from hereafter retire the term "knuckledragger" from my posts that describe those whose political opinions I don't agree with. You know who you are!


Cheers!

oreville

Fellow forum member here;

Noted that OP found this collector the slab of slabs. The magic behind the slab. The instant "guilt trap" when this collector's wife handles the slab (actually a CC Uncirculated dollar) only to see it fall apart into three pieces. The look on the spouse's face was priceless. The look repeated itself after I "repaired" the slab and then she "broke it" a second time. It was worth years and years of needed comeupance.

The most amazing little assembly I have ever seen in my 45 years of collecting.

This OP has my deepest gratitude forever!

JSsson

The OP made a great post and I agree with him. There are a lot of great members here but there is still a lot of negativity and the negativity is something that we can probably do without.

fcloud

<< <i>The OP made a great post and I agree with him. There are a lot of great members here but there is still a lot of negativity and the negativity is something that we can probably do without. >>



Negativity depends on your point of view.

If you agree with someone its positive; if you disagree it is negative.

Bochiman

<< <i>

<< <i>The OP made a great post and I agree with him. There are a lot of great members here but there is still a lot of negativity and the negativity is something that we can probably do without. >>



Negativity depends on your point of view.

If you agree with someone its positive; if you disagree it is negative. >>



I hate to be negative, but I agree with you
(oops...that makes it a positive, right? )

SeaEagleCoins

<< <i>

<< <i>The OP made a great post and I agree with him. There are a lot of great members here but there is still a lot of negativity and the negativity is something that we can probably do without. >>



Negativity depends on your point of view.

If you agree with someone its positive; if you disagree it is negative. >>




If I may...

There can be an agreement to disagree...yet it does not have to become an excuse to display disagreeable attitudes...if you catch my drift... in other words...we can disagree in an agreeable manner


can't we?


in the immortal words of Jack Nicholson...

"Why can't we all just get along?"

InYHWHWeTrust

My selling and buying experiences with Larry have been fantastic. I understand the OP thoroughly, that is why I choose to go through PMs if possible; if not, I just grow some thick skin, get the asbestos suit on, and seriously consider if the question REALLY needs to be asked here.