Arrogance on this board

[O.T.Hill]

I have heard veteran officials, association administrators, etc. speak over and over about the need for us to work to attract more new officials. There just are not enough good officials to go around. Ultimately, this hurts the kids who are playing the games, and that stinks.
However, when I read some of the responses to the seemingly innocent questions/comments posted on this board by those less experienced officials who are just trying to learn, I am disgusted.

If you "veterans" on this board who like to respond with putdowns and insults don't have anything positive to contribute, why don't you just let it go? It sure doesn't take long for you guys to jump in and pile on. Hell, I don't think a few of you ever leave the chair parked in front of your computer.

I have posted a few questions on this board and got some good advice. I guess my questions were educated enough that I was spared the sarcasm, etc. I can envision you guys who do this as the same kind of umpires who bait players and coaches and who love to toss those who DARE to question your judgement. Officials like that are not any more beneficial to the game than the inexperienced guys you berate.

Now, go ahead an rip me. What else would I expect ?

[RLG]

AMEN. Well stated.

[Justme]

Originally Posted by O.T.Hill

I have heard veteran officials, association administrators, etc. speak over and over about the need for us to work to attract more new officials. There just are not enough good officials to go around. Ultimately, this hurts the kids who are playing the games, and that stinks.
However, when I read some of the responses to the seemingly innocent questions/comments posted on this board by those less experienced officials who are just trying to learn, I am disgusted.

If you "veterans" on this board who like to respond with putdowns and insults don't have anything positive to contribute, why don't you just let it go? It sure doesn't take long for you guys to jump in and pile on. Hell, I don't think a few of you ever leave the chair parked in front of your computer.

I have posted a few questions on this board and got some good advice. I guess my questions were educated enough that I was spared the sarcasm, etc. I can envision you guys who do this as the same kind of umpires who bait players and coaches and who love to toss those who DARE to question your judgement. Officials like that are not any more beneficial to the game than the inexperienced guys you berate.

Now, go ahead an rip me. What else would I expect ?

OT:

Why would you expect anyone to rip you? Didn't you say that you have received some good advice on this board and was spared the sarcasm?

Sounds to me like you might have wanted to be ripped and receive sarcasm.....why else would you post just to pick a fight with everyone?

I'm sure that someone as bright as you appear to be would have considered that some of the questions asked by "non-veterans" might have been to provoke a negative response (kind of like your post).

You aren't going to change a poster's responses to meet your ideal of a 'good' response, so what are you to do? Just speaking for myself, if I were disgusted by what I read on this board I wouldn't subject myself to it any longer.

[O.T.Hill]

I agree with you that my last remarks made it look like I was trying to provoke others. I actually just expected a lot of sarcastic responses to my post.
I really do value this board. But, I guess I just got fed up with what I perceived as arrogance by some.
Thanks,
O.T.

[bobbybanaduck]

i see arrogance on here directed at "newbies" when they ask questions that have been beaten to death already. a simple solution to this would be for said newbie to scroll down a bit and see if his question has already been answered. before posting an identical question 4 days after someone else reposted the same question that was beaten to death a week earlier, do a little lookin' around. or, post away and feel the wrath.

[Chris_Hickman]

I have to agree. I read some of the stuff here and laugh. There are some big egos on this board. I take most of it with a grain of salt. I have worked with a couple of internet umpires over the years and they are terrible on the field, but they are big talkers on the boards. However I have read useful information on this board, but I could live without the arrogants. Chris

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by O.T.Hill

IHowever, when I read some of the responses to the seemingly innocent questions/comments posted on this board by those less experienced officials who are just trying to learn, I am disgusted.

When less experienced officials who "are just trying to learn" post, I rarely see issues from anyone. However, when less experienced officials act like they have the knowledge that comes with ten years experience, and then demonstrate they don't know diddly, or when those less experienced officials who are to freaking lazy to either buy a rule book or open one post, they seem to get what they have coming.

Now, go ahead an rip me. What else would I expect ?

I dunno what you expect, but I haven't seen anyone who demonstrates effort or a willingness to learn get ripped. Why should you be any different?

[ozzy6900]

One of the problems was already stated - posters do not look up any information and we end up repeating ourselves over and over. This is one of the few forums where the search actually works.

Another problem has been the three or four trolls that have been posting here. You also have to admit that when a newbie comes in and in less than a week starts telling us how he works at the adult level, well you have to wonder.

Take yourself for instance. Your tally shows 15 posts yet you are telling us our faults. Some of us have double and triple what you see in the tally. Because the site has been re-done several times and each time the tally resets to zero.

Your points are valid ones and I too am an offender. I pull no punches, I tell you exactly how I feel and some people cannot stand that. Too bad for them!

Anyway, as one who has been around here since the days of the billboard, let me say that we (the veterans) are still here despite trolls, despite know-it-all's, despite jerks wearing "newbie" cloaks and despite ourselves! We'll keep posting and you keep reading. Jump in when you are ready but be fore-warned, if you deserve to get hammered, you will. If you survive and learn from it, you will be a better umpire for it.

[DG]

Originally Posted by O.T.Hill

I really do value this board. But, I guess I just got fed up with what I perceived as arrogance by some.
O.T.

15 posts on this board is way too soon to be fed up. If it is the RATS will devour you.

[waltjp]

What's an appropriate number of posts before someone can be fed up? All the post count shows is how prolific you are at posting.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by waltjp

What's an appropriate number of posts before someone can be fed up? All the post count shows is how prolific you are at posting.

And how much you're willing to contribute, to a certain degree.

[lawump]

Dumb posts are dumb posts, and don't usually take the time to respond, and I agree that one "veteran" simply posting something along the lines of "this has already been discussed...look at old threads" should suffice (rather than negative attacks).

However, when a "newbie": (1) starts a thread which asks a question, (2) gets correct responses from numerous different "veterans", AND (3) then proceeds to argue that all us veterans are wrong (or simply refuses to believe we are right)...then this "veteran" becomes agitated.

[JRutledge]

If you do not like the site, do not come to the site. One skill of being good at anything, is knowing who to listen to and who to ignore. If you are turned off by certain people, do not pay them much mind. Not everyone is going to say things you like or respect. That is the case here and that is the case when you umpire.

Lighten up my man. It will be alright.

Peace

[Tim C]

I have been called discourteous, egotistical, profane, caustic, condesending — and worse. And that's just by Carl!

But no one has ever called me "boring."

And that is the key.

I am much like that one instructor at every five-week professional camp whom all students hate or fear. I can accept either emotion.

Why?

Because you can't touch me. You can't compete with me. I may not always be right. But I am never wrong!

See, I don't care about "how" people take me. I tell it like it is and let the chips fall. "Where they may" to finish the cliché.

On the internet everyone is brave in front of a keyboard. I have offered time and time again to fly to someone's hometown and settle face-to-face ... all have decided to run, to hide when I make that offer.

But that is expected since the plain truth is that all umpires overrate their abilities, and internet umpires, on the average, are worse than average umpires.

"Tee, why can't you be nice?"

I am caustic by nature. I heard Carl just mutter in the background, "No kidding!"

I manage millions of dollars of projects every day. I can't take a moment to be weak, and the same goes for when I umpire.

I am not a "group hug" guy.

I want to be measured in each game I umpire, each project I run, each business decision I make. I lay it on the line every day.

That is why I don't have much attention span for poorly trained umpires.

Notice I did not say "Little League umpires" or "new" umpires.

There are idiots who post on the internet and prove they are little more than a dolts.

Again, I'll say it:

"People can't touch me."

There are few 'internet umpires" with the experience, umpire resume, abiity to umpire, and talent to write that story as well as I.

You might ask: "Gee, isn't that quite an egotistical statement?"

It would be if anyone could disprove it.

See my issue is: I work hard at everything I do.

I work hard at writing an informative and entertaining column. I work hard at preparing for the umpire classes I teach. I work hard at each post I make.

So, I ask: "why do you expect to get ripped?"

You feel that in your ultimate wisdom that you have stumbled on what's wrong on this site.

You have that right.

You just need to recognize that not all people are boring and mundane, not all answers need to be uplifting and warm and each poster can establish his verisimilitude by his complete body of work.

Regards,

[Tim C]

The infamous PWL intoned:

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They say reading is a good way to help fall asleep. Read this post before you go to bed and you should have no trouble going to sleep. I could barely hold my head up halfway through it.

Thanks for the infomercial......ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ"
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God, I hate it when it is this easy.

King Dolt got here faster than even I imagined.

Regards,