Michael Milligan
Sapling
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A few days ago there was a thread started here about "Bad Advice on the Internet". I don’t care about the hows, whos, or whys, but unfortunately that thread quickly spiraled off topic--to the detriment of all. I’m just sad that the good things that were said are now lost. It’s an important topic to me because I began bonsai through the internet, not books or clubs like many others. Moreover, I think that a growing portion of the bonsai community will take up the passion in this way.
Let’s try this again. I would love to see this thread produce good advice on how to give good bonsai advice over the internet. So here I will start everything off with some text that I posted on the initial thread:
Bad advice is certainly in very large supply and variety. Just thought I would say that most people do mean well and there is no need to be too harsh here.
That being said, I have though of this topic many times, and have seen discouraging advice given often (ie "congratulations on getting your first bonsai! Now take it out of the pot, put it in the ground and forget about having any fun with your tree for at least a couple years"). I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is not the way to encourage a new person to enjoy and learn from their first tree. It's is great advice for growing powerful trunks, but bad advice for getting a new person learning and exited.
Ask ourselves, are we giving advice to feel important or to encourage and support people new to a hobby that all love?
Bad advice is not just the stuff that kills the trees... it's also the stuff that kills a new person's interest in the tree.
Michael
Let’s try this again. I would love to see this thread produce good advice on how to give good bonsai advice over the internet. So here I will start everything off with some text that I posted on the initial thread:
Bad advice is certainly in very large supply and variety. Just thought I would say that most people do mean well and there is no need to be too harsh here.
That being said, I have though of this topic many times, and have seen discouraging advice given often (ie "congratulations on getting your first bonsai! Now take it out of the pot, put it in the ground and forget about having any fun with your tree for at least a couple years"). I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is not the way to encourage a new person to enjoy and learn from their first tree. It's is great advice for growing powerful trunks, but bad advice for getting a new person learning and exited.
Ask ourselves, are we giving advice to feel important or to encourage and support people new to a hobby that all love?
Bad advice is not just the stuff that kills the trees... it's also the stuff that kills a new person's interest in the tree.
Michael