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# of post to level of completion?

bret

bret

Well Known Member
I see some on here that built there aircraft and only have 50- 150 posts? I am new ish on here (and so glad I found this site) but how is it that these folks can be a member on here and post so few post. I have so many questions and have gotten many answers, but..are these folks supper smart and don't want need to ask all the question, too shy?
 
I have posted more after the build then during.

Reason..smart:confused:..just the opposite!

I knew so little about building I just used the search and always found my answer from all these experienced builders!

Yes, occasionally I didn't understand what was being described, but since I had a couple local guys to bother :D I would ask them for clarification.
 
Bret, I've wondered the same thing before. There are some builders on the forum that are more of a 'taker' than a 'giver'. For myself, I should now be a little more on the giving side since I've been going down this road for quite some time & have learned (and still learning) quite a lot. I try to be cognisant of needing to offer more than what I do. No doubt, I ask lots more questions than I answer. As you've probably figured out, there are some extraordinary 'superstars' on this forum that freely give valuable information. And I do a lot of takin' from them.
...and a reminder here for everyone, don't forget to make your contribution to Doug for his efforts in keeping this forum up & running.
 
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TX7A said:
Bret, I've wondered the same thing before. There are some builders on the forum that are more of a 'taker' than a 'giver'. For myself, I should now be a little more on the giving side since I've been going down this road for quite some time & have learned (and still learning) quite a lot. I try to be cognisant of needing to offer more than what I do. No doubt, I ask lots more questions than I answer. As you've probably figured out, there are some extraordinary 'superstars' on this forum that freely give valuable information. And I do a lot of takin' from them.
...and a reminder here, don't forget to make your contribution to Doug for his efforts in keeping this forum up & running.
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Yes you are right, that contribution is being made this payday!
 
I'll admit to a bit of shyness. Well, maybe it's bordering on social phobia.
I did most of my talking on my build blog.
Whenever I had a question or issue my first stop was the search button. The search button never failed me, sometimes I had to reword the criteria, but it always came up with two or three good threads. I usually felt like there was no need to contribute any further to the conversations.

There were numerous times when a thread would flare up that covered exactly what I needed to know, at just the right time.

Hmmm. Maybe that's a good reason to start new threads and post on topics even when they've been covered before. It's good to see that other current builders are at the same point in the build and have the same questions and issues that you are facing.
 
I have a hard time finding questions that haven't been asked....so far. :) (Especially using google for more advanced searches along with "site:vansairforce.com")
 
TX7A said:
Bret, I've wondered the same thing before. There are some builders on the forum that are more of a 'taker' than a 'giver'.
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That's a bit unfair isn't it? Perhaps it's because some of us finished our airplanes before the VAF Forum was here. I helped more on the old Yahoo group and mailing lists. It's been six to ten years since I worked on most of this stuff. I just don't remember the details, but if you don't get an answer here and ask me specifically, I'll go find the answer for you, if I'm able.

Most of us are trying to 'pay it forward' as best we can. The number of posts that we have on this forum is a poor indicator of that. I assure you, that if you walked into my hangar and asked for help you'd get it, and the same applies to most of the folks on this forum. Even folks that have more airplanes flying than they have posts to this forum.
 
Being a mechanic for a long time now, I have learned early off, there is no dumb question and you better ask, or risk making a dumber mistake or taking twice as long to do a task. And vice versa, if I stumble across something I will call my co workers over to say, check this out, what were they thinking when they designed this? I still think that a mechanic slept with a wife of a designer and takes it out on us by putting common fail items in an unaccessible location. So I post my mistakes (I know I will make them), and hope to save someone some money.
So again....glad to be here, and I know that one day....one day, I will finish my dream project!
 
Birkelbach said:
That's a bit unfair isn't it? Perhaps it's because some of us finished our airplanes before the VAF Forum was here. I helped more on the old Yahoo group and mailing lists. It's been six to ten years since I worked on most of this stuff. I just don't remember the details, but if you don't get an answer here and ask me specifically, I'll go find the answer for you, if I'm able.

Most of us are trying to 'pay it forward' as best we can. The number of posts that we have on this forum is a poor indicator of that. I assure you, that if you walked into my hangar and asked for help you'd get it, and the same applies to most of the folks on this forum. Even folks that have more airplanes flying than they have posts to this forum.
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Sorry if it was offensive. I sure didn't mean it to be. I was thinking more of current, in-progress builders. And Phil, I do remember you way back on the Yahoo forum. And that's likely because you were in fact, a frequent poster. I for sure was more of a 'taker' early on.
Again, my apologies. :eek:
 
No offense taken. Sometimes I look at my low post count and feel a bit guilty. So, I read through a bunch of posts to try and help and either somebody else has already answered, I can't remember or it's one of 'those' questions (slider/tip-up, tailwheel/nosewheel, 9vs7, or my personal favorite, engine break in and ground running, etc).

We were all 'takers' at one point during our projects, and it's nearly impossible to pay it back so as payment to those that helped us we should help the new guys. I think that most of us do try to do that. Some in different ways. I got a lot of help on my project from guys that don't even know that these forums exist.

I just wanted to make the point that the low post count is a meaningless measurement for anything other than keeping tabs on how many times a person has posted.
 
Birkelbach said:
I just wanted to make the point that the low post count is a meaningless measurement for anything other than keeping tabs on how many times a person has posted.
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Well stated.

There are many ways to support the building community besides posting on VAF. There are other forums, mail lists and user groups and some of the most valuable contributors are EAA Technical Counselors who are not addicted to the internet. ;)

Builders are encouraged to use this forum for information but this is definitely a case where quality is far more important than quantity.
 
Post Count is Meaningless

Sam Buchanan said:
Builders are encouraged to use this forum for information but this is definitely a case where quality is far more important than quantity.
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Absolutely!! It pleasantly amazing to me how many outstanding folks there are that help others build and fly their airplanes - and don't know a thing about VAF. I frequent the place because it is convenient, and I like the software far better than the old Yahoo groups (a couple of which, I still moderate).

But the real world is in workshops and airports - and we need to always remember that.
 
Birkelbach said:
I just wanted to make the point that the low post count is a meaningless measurement for anything other than keeping tabs on how many times a person has posted.
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Darn,
I was hoping a mathematician RV builder would do a correlation study on build time vs number of posts to prove or disprove the theory that one should be in the shop rather than on the computer :D
 
Looking is a contribution!

Just using this forum is a contribution to the website.
Advertisers are looking at the number of hits per month to decide whether this site supports the price of advertising.
Besides an annual contribution to VAF, I have only used vendors from this website.
For my first build I didn't know about this site.....
 
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Well, I would rather be building the 7, but it is on hold for the moment, so I get to do a lot of research in the mean time, here at work......on my break.....A hem, cough, cough...
 
There are many RV builders that have completed one or more RVs and are not VAF members.

Number of posts does not equate to a successful build nor indicate knowledge or skill.
 
Thank you for you observation, However, my original question was how can so many members on here..... anyway, just glad to be here.
 
rzbill said:
Darn,
I was hoping a mathematician RV builder would do a correlation study on build time vs number of posts to prove or disprove the theory that one should be in the shop rather than on the computer :D
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I wish I could be in the shop, well I am in the shop, just not mine, the one that pays the bills, but. when I do have time, which is often, I am going to go out there and grab all the info I can from folks that have done that, been there and and benefit from it. I ask you...have you ever made a mistake or did not know the answer to a problem. A fool will not ask for help and trip, a wise man will ask the question, is that a trip hazard, or am I going blind.....I just made that up, but you get the idea. I am not a proud man.
 
Bret,
VAF is a beautiful thing. Of course I have had questions and used the resources here. My comment was kind of a slam on myself since I recognize that I post more than many users (with the altruistic motive of helping, for the most part) but probably spent too much time entertaining myself here instead of making chips on the floor.
During the 18-24 months my project was on hold (double relo, house design and build) VAF did maintain my sanity though. :eek:
 
OK, WOW! has everyone taken there meds tonight? Take a deep breath, Let me explain in detail WHY I posted this......I have a lot of Questions on how to build something that I have never built before. QUESTIONS, not to go out and bla bla I did this I did that to build up posts.......come on guys, all I am saying is, I know very little and I may have a lot of post by the time I get this built asking Questions of those who know. So, lets count if you want, who is over 1,000 post and WHY?, were you asking questions, or attacking the new guy who knows very Little?
 
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