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"Keyboard Beekeepers" ?

52K views 282 replies 71 participants last post by  Mike Gillmore 
#1 · (Edited)
I participate on a few internet forums covering various topics. All these different forums are inhabited by a wide range of people and personalities, from the newbie to the experienced, from the person efficient with their words to those who write many paragraphs without saying much, from the esteemed to those destined for the ignore list, from the person who relies on facts to the person who freely substitutes dreams for reality, and so on. This is all good and is what makes life interesting.

I am an inexperienced newbie, but I've noticed that Beesource (and maybe beekeeping in general?) seems to attract "keyboard beekeepers," who are people with little to no experience (in some cases not even a full season of beekeeping), but who nonetheless will write reams on how things really are in the beekeeping world.

Some of these people are probably just much smarter than everyone else and have quickly divined all the many complexities of beekeeping despite having spent little time over an open hive. Others may be voracious readers who have consumed such vast amounts of written knowledge that they don't need much actual hands-on experience to be an expert. Still others may be born of multi-generation beekeeping families and simply have decades of beekeeping experience transmitted through their genes making them master-beekeepers at birth.


Am I the only one who has noticed the keyboard beekeepers?


FWIW

--shinbone



:)
 
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#22 ·
"chutzpah"
Isn't that funny. I was thinking about that word earlier today myself and wondered how to spell it correctly. Apparently "Spell Check" agrees w/ you.

Strangely enough there doesn't seem to be a "NKBA". Wonder why that is?

I think that what you are seeing is the effect of mostly young folk, adept at internet communication and newly interested in beekeeping. So, they read a lot from the internet, know everything because they have been reading about beekeeping for two years, and are comfortable w/ e-communication.

Do you suppose this same thing happened when printed books first came into existence?
 
#5 ·
If they dont spell very well they are probably good beekeepers. If they post lots of links or tend to get really "long winded" then they are probably not too experienced. ;)
 
#6 ·
Read something before that basically said "go out and conquer the world when your young and know everything" when you get older your no longer as smart..... I am thinking the same goes with beekeeping I know it has with me.
The other thing that seems to be evolving with me anyway is the ability to type discussions and get your real meaning and thoughts across. Without the facial expressions its hard to tell a question from a declaration.
 
#8 ·
Read something before that basically said "go out and conquer the world when your young and know everything"
It amazed me how smart my parents became after I turned 20!

You're right, GMC. Sometimes it is tough to express yourself w/o facial & arm expressions. I guess that's why the "art" of writing a letter is going (gone) by the wayside. Now everything is an abbreviated text message.
 
#9 ·
I'm on a couple related and unrelated sites. These keyboard experts exist everywhere. You've got the hot and heavy that burn out or get kicked off that show up on other sites. Then you've got the others that's merely want appear more than they are to appear relevant. They can be the same on occasion (depending on their mood or if they've had their meds).

How to tell? For me it's how new you are to the site and how many posts you've already got. If you've got over 6,000 posts and you're around 2 years on the site you may be a lonely keyboard beekeeper. It's a sliding scale of severity but it's a reasonable guide. If they contradict themselves in different posts it's a dead give away. They normally have a few hives and they want to save the beekeeping world with their "knowledge." I feel sorry for the newbee's who fall under their respective spells.
 
#12 ·
If they contradict themselves in different posts it's a dead give away. They normally have a few hives and they want to save the beekeeping world with their "knowledge."
D Coates, very well said, I find this alot lately, as soon as the TRUTH starts to pop up and show it's head the key board jockeys seem to move on.


Hold on... did I spell everything right here.lol
 
#10 ·
I hope I haven't came across as one LOL. Just trying to learn. I do post with my opinion of how I see something but it is just that my view. And if it is wrong that is why I post it so someone can say no come look from this angle LOL. I am picking up a couple hives and a bee suite Friday. Can't wait til spring! Hopefully I can be a beekeeper by next fall we will see though
 
#13 · (Edited)
Shinebone has broken the code here. Should be a 'sticky' to warn newcomers......but our community is a really just a microcosm of life. FWIW, I have noticed plenty of low count posters who are very competent, long time members. Please, slap my keyboard-hands when I qualify as an offender. ;)

P.S. There could be some of this subversion going on as well. Note technique five and some of the 25 points.
 
#14 ·
I think David was working towards a solution to this problem in: http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?291058-Fuller-Disclosure

I believe that this is just part of the internet experience (for better or worse), and is certainly not limited to beekeeping, as it will be found in every internet forum out there. You run into these kinds in every walk of life - from the hallways at work to the auto parts store. However, I do agree that its takes restraint to read some of this and stand by, but the truly rabid ones will argue to their last breath, so I find that there's little point in engaging. However, looking on the positive, we're all individuals and assimilate information uniquely and have the ability to communicate this information uniquely. I have found some value in just letting it "scroll by" and grabbing a rare nugget when they are lofted up.

The cumulative sum of knowledge (real and textbook) contained and freely shared is amazing. I know that I have learned much from the many generous contributors. Thank goodness for Beesource!!
 
#17 ·
I'm a keyboard b-keeper and treatment free too. I type and print pages of "BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB" all day long.

Have a 0% failure rate to boot!

In all seriousness though I think you get a lot of new folks that have read a book or two and done some google searches and are too excited to contain themselves so they post their new-found "wisdom". Seem to see this most often w/ the first year treatment free warre/top bar folks. I know because I was one of them not too long ago but quickly diversified to langs and MAQS for obvious reasons.
 
#27 ·
I think you get a lot of new folks that have read a book or two and done some google searches and are too excited to contain themselves so they post their new-found "wisdom". Seem to see this most often w/ the first year treatment free warre/top bar folks.
Constantly berating the oldtimers. Calling them closed minded, set in their ways….not open to ‘new’ ideas. And a year or sometimes two years later….they’re gone.
 
#19 ·
...but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!

I got really no right to complain about keyboard beekeepers at this moment (see my sig). I'm using BeeSource to get my fixes until I once again have a box (or ten) of bugs to dote over.

I've seen all kind of beeks here with all kinds of ideas, but I haven't noticed any exceptionally loopy types here yet. Or perhaps I'm just not reading the right threads. I have run into a couple of said loopy types in another forum I post at, which is not a beekeeping forum (so not a lot of beekeepers around to challenge them I suppose).
 
#35 ·
LSHonda310,

7.5 posts per day - Check!
Around about 2 years - Check!
Has only a few hives - Check!
Contradicts themselves - Check!
Going to save the world with his beekeeping "knowledge" - Check

Congratulations, it appears you've spotted a keyboard beekeeper.
 
#36 ·
I've been somewhat surprised that it is not worse than it is. There has always been a lot of misinformation about beekeeping and if anything the internet has actually helped although the bee journals generally provide more reliable information. It is important to remember that anecdotes are just anecdotes. Listen to the folks who have kept their bees alive and have consistently produced honey (if keeping bees alive and making honey is your goal) and take everyone else's opinion with a grain of salt.
 
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