Define Newbie

[Ristof]

I have just been reading through a few posts and I was wondering what defines a newbie or how long do you need to be in the fish keeping industy before you become more then a newbie.

I have been keeping fish for 4yrs now and I have a tank with fish that I don't class with newbie (2 discus) but I still feel I am one with the knowleadge I know.

So what truely defines a newbie so that when the term gets used here we have an idea of whether this person has just started or has been doing it for a number of years

 

[Tolak]

It's more the amount of experience in a given length of time, then the length of time itself.

 

[Birdie]

So what truely defines a newbie so that when the term gets used here we have an idea of whether this person has just started or has been doing it for a number of years

I don't think there is just one answer to your question - if I have understood it correctly.
Newbie is used to refer to someone new to the forum - and/or as someone new to the hobby. Usually I think people mean the latter. Further, there isn't one, single, definitive point in terms of time or experience, I don't think, at which you switch from "newbie" to "experienced"

A newbie *here* in terms of the title under an avatar is simply an indication of how frequently the person has posted on the forum (less than 30 or 50 posts, I think - can't remember which) and that may or may not be commensurate with their knowledge of fishkeeping. So being a newbie to the forum doesn't mean that one is a newbie to fishkeeping. Just as a person who has posted enough times to be a "leader of the fishes" may or may not be talking out of somewhere much further south than their mouth every time they post. One thousand posts in three weeks all of them absolute rubbish - or even sensible questions - does not of itself negate one's newbie status other than in the sense that it changes your board title

There are many, many members here who, like yourself, come to the forum as anything but newbies regardless of what their title might say. That generally becomes pretty clear pretty quickly through the nature and quality of their posts - and if they are active on the forum, the newbie label under the avie will be gone soon enough anyway.

Finally, of course, although generally everybody is learning all the time, and none of us knows everything, it is possible to have years of experience in something ( not just fishkeeping) and yet to have learned next to *nothing* from them.....I don't know if I'd exactly call them a newbie though.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

i agree with birdie

to me i'd just count a newbie (to fishkeeping) as someone who is just learning (or only knows) the basics really, learnt a bit about cycling, bit about maintenance, bit about a few species then your a newbie. Move on from that to be competent in the basics and your not a newbie anymore IMO

 

[Phaedra]

Newbie- One who knows the basics (or more), has a small amount of experience but is willing to learn. An off-shoot of the derogative title "noob" or "n00b".
N00b- Someone who knows very little, doesn't care to learn more, or is blatantly ignorant.

That's how I define newbie anyway. Considering how much there is to learn about fish keeping, I'll probably be a humble newbie for life!

 

[doresy]

I have often wondered about that. When classified as a newbie because you have only just joined this forum or just don't participate in posting does not give a clear indication to a members knowledge level. I, for instants, participate quite often.....oh all right then, very often This shows, in fact, that I know lots if my 'fishes' score under my avatar is to be believed . Granted, I know a lot more than I did before I stumbled accross this forum (and I thought I knew lots then!) but I am nowhere near an expert

I have (and I am not alone here) given my opinion to a particular subject or problem to a (classified) newbie only to have a reply which obviously tells me this guy/girl is already out of my league!

A real newbie, for example, could be quite capable of success even in marine if he/she follow procedure correctly. None of this is rocket science which is what makes fish-keeping so appealing.

Lastly, I don't think you should be classified by which fish you keep. After all, a high tech' car does not make you a better driver.

 

[tetraqueen]

I have been here a couple of years. I write from very knowledgeable to absolute trite but people do respond and give value to my little life. I would never like to be an expert as they are expected never to fail. I am delighted to read forums from those that dare to keep great fish and those like me who adore their what seem basic fish to others.

Someone that arrives to the forum can have many years working in their on fish shop and I dont mean the kind ith chips and can offer fabulous reads however the newbie can save many fishes lives if he/she takes time and also writes something that makes us think.

The young the old the inexperienced etc should in my opinion all be welcome if we upset anyone its usually over fish and after all thats why we are here not to get medals for being experts.

 

[Ristof]

One thing I never thought of was the name given under your name with posts given.
THis is not a good indicator because some of these post may not be for help but something other related.
I have been keeping fish for 4yrs and my posts are low because I have only just come back here because I have now a steady tank running and wanting to help others.

I just want to point out I have never cycled a tank and I have 3 running at home.

 

[screamingdonkey]

Not really to do with fish, I know, but here is where the term originates from I believe

any person with less time in Vietnam than the speaker
www.duprel.com/usmcgeocitiespaid/militaryterms.html


Again, not particularly to do with fish (although it can be applied to fish), this is a quick Google trick for finding the definition of something for those who don't know it already.

Go to Google, type the following -

define: parallelogram

This is just an example, of course. Replace 'parallelogram' with whatever word you're looking for and make sure 'define' is in lower case.

Apologies for hijacking the original post....

 

[Dave Spencer]

Lastly, I don't think you should be classified by which fish you keep. After all, a high tech' car does not make you a better driver.

I think you sum it up quite well Doresy.

However, high tech cars do make us more attractive to the opposite sex. That`s why I have huge CO2 cylinders and oodles of horse powered overfiltration under the bonnet of my tanks. I literally have to fight the chicks off with a pointy stick.

To get back on track, I know a bit about planted tanks but am still a relative newbie at it, and I am just starting to consider a nano reef at which I will be an uber newbie.

Dave.