I did not see a Lounge Forum but Dear Terry.....

Terry -

THANKS for making this forum a great place that is OPEN to all members !
I have learned some great answers on some oddball questions and do enjoy reading and learning on other threads...


I recently joined a forum that was very knowledgable...HVAC forum, but even simple *just for reference* questions get you flamed as they tend to just want to keep the knowledge amongst their trade...

THANKS again for making this a great place where it's

>>>I recently joined a forum that was very knowledgable...HVAC forum, but even simple *just for reference* questions get you flamed<<<

You didn't join a pro. forum by mistake did you? A lot of forums have rules that you have to be in the trades to post; they will cancel your post.

I agree the Terry's forum is one of the best, you only get shot down if you post something stupid that dosen't help keeping it civil.

Pro Orientated but this specific sub forum was *residential hvac*. Clear rules spell out no DIY and no pricing. I just ask basic HVAC questions .....as I was planning a large upgrade and I like to walk into every situation as informed as possible. About 80% of the threads I have posted on there, I get a 1 liner obnoxious reply , saying *sounds like DIY*.. I make it clear in my OP that I am seeking questions as I am just looking for *knowledge* and they seem to just put up their airs and replay *sounds like DIY*....

I see it all the time, I don't understand someone posting on a DIY forum and getting hostile because someone asks a DIY question, got me.

We've all been there at some point.
When I bought my first new car, I was selling real estate.
I had been working in a bicycle shop for years as a mechanic. However I hadn't done much with cars. The new car was a Fiat 124 four door sedan. The oil filter was oversized and since it had solid lifters, those needed adjusting every so often. I quickly became annoying asking how to do all these things on my own.
In a few years, by asking questions and reading repair manuals, I was able to move on to engine rebuilds, tranny's , clutch replacements, valve jobs and brake jobs.
Most of us that are even slightly mechanical, wind up doing as much as we can ourselves.

I've been asked plenty of times to quit running this forum and and to quit letting out our trade secrets.
These are the same plumbers that come to your home and sell you junk because it's easier.
I get comments like "I've been selling the same brand for thirty years, and none of them work."
Sweet, they know they're selling you junk, and they don't care.
I try to change that. I believe that if we pool knowledge, we won't be making the same mistakes for thirty years.

I try to read some of the other forums, but it's kind of like going back to grade school. A lot of patting themselves on the back for being plumbers, but that's about it. Too many times they seem clueless when a homeowner posts a question. Many of the answers don't work. I don't know whether they are purposely misleading them, or if they just don't know the answer. Either way, it makes for boring reading.

I think the plumbers here are truly trying to help. It's in their nature.
If you see that some of the plumbers are from your area, I can try to get you their contact information.
It's only fair that they get some local work out of it for all the help they give.

I'd like to second that THANKS to Terry and the other Pros on the board. As a very mechanically inclined individual who prefers to do it my self for various reasons, it's great to have a place where you can get information from people who know the right answers and can help.

I know the forum the original poster is mentioning. I myself find that I just try and search through past postings to find my answers. I think it is more pro oriented, so I refrain from posting.

This place I think is the best of both worlds. You don't want a forum with a bunch of DIY homeowners guiding each other! OMG...I can only imagine.

20 month old fast forward thread bump.

Another big thanks to Terry for making this forum OPEN for all peoples alike.
Another BIG THANKS to all the PROS that contribute and pass on their knowledge.

I'm not much for words, but I appreciate it all.......

I don't enjoy the "pro" forums because they are often just full of themselves. Now, we have our 'putty vs silicone' debates, but they will open a thread about "flat rate vs TM" and that will go on for a week. I could go on and on. This is just the 'friendly place' and I like it!

chefwong said:

Terry -

THANKS for making this forum a great place that is OPEN to all members !
I have learned some great answers on some oddball questions and do enjoy reading and learning on other threads...


I recently joined a forum that was very knowledgable...HVAC forum, but even simple *just for reference* questions get you flamed as they tend to just want to keep the knowledge amongst their trade...

THANKS again for making this a great place where it's

Click to expand...

Sounds like you are referring to the Usenet newsgroup where Stormin Mormon is the only nice guy, but gets treated like a bumbling idiot there and gets no respect at all.
its an alt. something. HVAC? I used to read it often and found it very amusing


And YES, THIS is a great place

Edit:
Guess I did not read everything before I posted this above, but its the same kind of place on Usenet.

I've been to that AOP HVAC forum before. They can be quite hostile, and it would be easier to take out a second mortgage than to get into the pro section. Actually, I mostly understand their reasons.

This is a great forum, and thank you to all of you pros for sharing knowledge! Maybe some day I'll even understand wet venting...

We do our best to inform, joke around, and try not to take ourselves too seriously here.

We're only grumpy some of the time.

Terry Love and Gang -

A Thread Bump for myself but for a big Shout Out to TL again.
I hope this forum remains friendly without No Heavy Handed Moderation .

Terry said:

We do our best to inform, joke around, and try not to take ourselves too seriously here.

We're only grumpy some of the time.

Click to expand...

I don't know, I'm pretty serious

IF the rules spell out NO DIY, why are you surprised when they do not answer you? DIY means "do it yourselfer" and that is what you are. regardless of why you are asking the question. We do tend to be 'jealous' of our knowledge, therefore we do NOT tell you everything we know.