If you have a WWing website

[charlie b]

Like many here, I've got a woodworking website with some useful info. And like many of you, I get e-mailed requests for more details or help with doing something. I try to answer all the e-mailed questions, going so far as to create special illustrations, take digital photos, clean them up and add text to describe things etc.. Perhaps one in ten people asking for help will take the time to even let me know they got what I went out of my way to create and e-mail to them in a timely manner.

Had four of these this week .

Just venting a little.

charlie b

[mike]

a big thank-you Charlie! I am one that does appreciate your knowledge and wonderful tips that you take the time to post! Keep up the good work. We all just get busy and sometimes we forget our manners. So I thank-you! Mike

[Tom Plamann]

I hear you well Charlie.

It's got to a point I almost do not even want to write anymore. Instead of sending long detailed answers as in the past, I make it short knowing I will not get an acknowledgment anyway. I don't mind helping, I'm just surprised at the lack of appreciation.

At least you get 1 out of 10 to respond.

Tom Plamann

[N Hurst]

As more of a consumer than a producer of said advice (though I haven't yet contacted anyone directly for specific help), could I humbly ask that those who post in here who do have personal WWing web sites post their URLs so I and others could check out what's out there?

I often find that personal sites are easier to navigate and comprehend than the larger sites that sometimes make assumptions as to either skill or the equipment of the people reading them.

-nhurst

[Swingman]

You're a better man than me, Charlie Brown ... I thought that was what the wRec and apbw were good for, and we all know how many (un)grateful bastards there are around here. ;)

That said, I have perused your site more than a time or two and hereby thank you for the realized intent/content.

[Enoch Root]

Ditto... I spent quite a lot of time there (but never sent an email...).

er

[Joe Barta]

I hear you. It's largely cultural and the impersonal nature of the Internet.

Cultural in that we live in a bit of a gimme, help me, do for me culture. We EXPECT that there are resources avaliable to us to make our life easier. Why offer thanks to that which we are due?

And the impersonal nature of the internet causes us to forget that there are real people on the other end of that box. It's not people... it's just "the internet".

Mark Twain wrote that every human action, no matter how generous, is ultimately self-serving. Very often we give... and hope to get appreciation or satisfaction in return.

At any rate, have faith that your efforts are indeed appreciated... even if the beneficiary doesn't take the time to expressly tell you so.

Joe Barta

[Joe Barta]

Actually, there have been times I offered something on the Internet and people have taken the time to thank me.... and *I* didn't take the time to thank them for their appreciation. Surely I'm on the slow road to hell.

Joe Barta

[Tom Nie]

Charlie, your posts are always interesting and I appreciate them. Don't believe I've made any email requests but sure hope I never not thank someone.

TomNie

[Morris Dovey]

| Like many here, I've got a woodworking website with | some useful info. And like many of you, I get e-mailed | requests for more details or help with doing something. | I try to answer all the e-mailed questions, going so | far as to create special illustrations, take digital | photos, clean them up and add text to describe things | etc.. Perhaps one in ten people asking for help | will take the time to even let me know they got what I | went out of my way to create and e-mail to them in a | timely manner. | | Had four of these this week . | | Just venting a little.

Charlie...

One in ten is pretty good. My web site log recorded over 340,000 hits last year and I got four "thank you" e-mails.

One of the pages hit fairly frequently has a request for feedback - which produced three responses.

I don't think the problem is with you.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[Teamcasa]

Charlie, We create websites for many reasons. Mostly to promote or product, point of view, service or as a resource. I always said, "You knew the job was dangeous when you took it!" Websites are that.

My personal website teamcasa.org promotes my house building for the poor activities. However, one of the most active pages are the ones on latrine building and the free plans. The plans have been downloaded several thousand times and I have only been thanked 2 or 3 times. However, I did not put them up to be paid, prasied or thanked. They are there to help others and to inspire others to help the very poor.

Dave

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[Larry Bud]

So why do it anymore?

If you're taking the time to go through all this, at least put it up on your site for others to see, rather than just one guy.

[J T]

Thu, Feb 9, 2006, 1:06am (EST-3) [e-mail] (charlie=A0b) doth legitimently rant: Like many here, I've got a woodworking website

Different generation I guess. I've never asked you for anything, probably never will. But, if I ever were to, you can bet I'll let you know I got it, and will thank you for it.

JOAT Don't believe everything you think.

[Leuf]

Would you prefer to wade through 340,000 thank you emails?

-Leuf

[Joe Barta]

Not sure if you do have such a thing on your site, but if you make a request for feedback and ideas, and give people a means to easily do so, you might get some replies.

If you believe that silence implies consent, all those emails you're not getting may mean that folks are quite happy with what you offer.

Actually, the acid test is whether people will PAY you for your offerings. If people will part with $$, then you have something ;-)

Joe Barta

[Morris Dovey]

| Morris Dovey wrote: | || Actually, I'd rather have critical feedback | | Not sure if you do have such a thing on your site, but if you make a | request for feedback and ideas, and give people a means to easily do | so, you might get some replies. | | If you believe that silence implies consent, all those emails you're | not getting may mean that folks are quite happy with what you offer. | | Actually, the acid test is whether people will PAY you for your | offerings. If people will part with $$, then you have something ;-)

Joe...

Every page has an e-mail link with a pre-cooked subject line so I can see what people were looking at when (if) they decided to send a comment or suggestion.

As to the parting with $$ part, some (not ever enough) actually do. My project for today was to order the last of the materials to build a

3-1/2 axis CNC joinery machine that I'm hoping will improve the sales picture.

Have patience, I'm slowly working my way toward the CNC drilling machine. :-)

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[charlie b]

I wasn't expecting any acknowledgement of posts to any threads here. I'm talking about personal e-mail. requests for help which require a bit of time and effort to provide. And I'm not even expecting thanks. I just want to know if they got the info and did it answer their question adequately.

I'm not trolling for 'thank you's or trying to increase the hits to my website - don't have a counter and have never checked the site statistics. I just want to know if what I sent was ever received and, if so, did it give them the info they were looking for (or - for which they were looking. - have to keep the grammar police happy).

charlie b

[Lyndell Thompson]

Charlie, I have been too busy to put up my own site or to view yours (I will get to both someday) but I do have a thought for you. I get asked to do a large part of my entire families maintenace issues. I was complaining about fixing everybodys sink, roof etc. and someone said you don't get it do you? I replied I guess not. They said: "Favors are not meant to be repaid, they are to be passed along" I asked what does this mean? They said the people you are helping cannot repay you cuz they don't have the skills you require to be helped. But maybe for example they will run into someone who needs their taxes prepared cheap or free (and they are tax professionals). You don't directly benefit from this but..........as they are considering this request, they remember the time you came late at night and installed a new water heater for them. They think I should try to help this person. What you have done is help increase the pool of kind-hearted souls out there. In your case many people cuz you have a website. Just food for thought. :-) BTW I enjoy not only yours but everybodys post. Keep the kind-hearted pool strong! Lyndell

[mac davis]

Charlie... I like Derrell Feltmate's pages...

the bottom of each, there is an email link ( mailto: ) where he says something like "If you make one please let me know how it turned out."

I don't know about others, but I've used his email link several times to let him know that I tried his idea or to thank him for his help..

We all do web sites for different reasons, but it's always nice to know that someone got something useful there..

Mac

[mac davis]

Lyndell... IMHO, you've just described Karma.. Mac