homework and research -- google is your friend!

[paillo]

a suggestion for newbies, which i hope everyone will take as a constructive suggestion and not as a criticism. i see many, many excellent questions from newbies, and oldies as well, that call for thoughtful answers that can't easily be found in a google search.

but remember, google is your friend!!!

if, for example, you want to know if it's possible to make a clear soap, you could google 'recipes clear soap'. you will find dozens, if not hundreds, of clear, concise and helpful tutorials, recipes, definitions and links to videos.

this is a WONDERFUL forum of experienced, knowledgeable, helpful and giving soapmakers more than willing to share tips, tricks, support, and enthusiasm for your efforts. but, as there is donor fatique, there is also basic questions fatigue -- from questions that could easily be answered by doing a little basic homework.

also, it's nice to have a little bit of basic info on who you are, e.g., hi, i'm xxx from xxx, i've been reading this forum for a while and have a question. (by the way, there is no stupid question, but homework is a good thing). please check out the Introductions section of this forum, it's a great resource.

hope others will chime in with constructive suggestions for newbies. maybe we could have an FAQ section? a newbies section in the forum for those who are just starting out and haven't done a lot of research yet? that might be a good avenue for mutual support. i'm always going to be a newbie in various areas, and i would happily read and participate in such a forum section.

yours truly,

the grinch

 

[coco cooks]

I'm a newbie and totally agree. I find there are excellent tutorials on this forum and the search feature is a great help. I feel there is so much info on the internet and with a Goggle or Bing search just a click away.
I try only to ask questions after I haven't found an answer to my question.

 

[jennikate]

I like that idea i am a fan of FAQ sections no matter what the topic. I read the faq on my work website just to see what info is aval there to people considering our service.

 

[dagmar88]

http://www.smftutorials.com/

 

[krissy]

i never even saw the FAQ section there before, lol

could there be some other basic questions on there like what is gel? with maybe some really good examples of gel and partial gel and non gelled?

 

[paillo]

i never even saw the FAQ section there before, lol

could there be some other basic questions on there like what is gel? with maybe some really go examples of gel and partial gel and non gelled?

hah, i never noticed the faq section there either! seems like it could be broken down into topical chunks for easier reference, but there's some great information there! would be a lot of work to put together a basic reference section -- do we want to go there or provide useful reference sites?

 

[ikindred]

I am a not a newbie but compared to others on this forum, I am relatively new to soap making (one been at this addictive habit for almost 2 years) and as a newbie, I do try to research the internet as much as possible for answers to my questions but please remember, google is your friend but there is alot of misinformation out there as well. For instance, the other day someone was on here and had made soap from a recipe she found online and the water content was too low and the lye content was too high. She would have never known this was a bad recipe just by looking at it so she made the recipe and then when she experienced problems, she asked questions.

I have found this forum very helpful but I referred a friend here who was looking to make soap and candles, when she posted questions, she said she felt like the "old timers" were rude and snippy to her. I have not had that experience but I don't want to discourage anyone from asking questions...because I thought the purpose of the forum was information sharing.

I do however understand that some people just don't want to do the leg work for their soaping and want others to provide all of the information which can be a little frustrating! That is my two cents, and I hope I didn't offend anyone.

 

[busymakinsoap!]

I completely agree with Ikindred.

I am a newbie, but I am also a researcher. I have spent hours on the internet and I have trialed many, many recipes.

Sometimes though the internet is a little vague, and as far as recipes I found very few available.

I have asked some questions that may seem silly to others on here, but it wasnt because I hadnt reasearched first.

I actually find this forum with other newbie questions to be where I have learnt the most. I have sat down and read post after post after post, Im trying to make my way through them all lol! and every time another 'problem' comes up I use the search tool.

Maybe I have been wrong is assuming that this is what this forum is for? But if not to ask questions then what??

 

[AmyW]

I think this is directed more towards the questions that show the poster obviously didn't do any research before hand.

 

[paillo]

I think this is directed more towards the questions that show the poster obviously didn't do any research before hand.

that was TOTALLY my intent! questions and answers are the lifeblood of this forum, and it's one of the main ways -- if not the main way -- all of us learn from one another. none of us should feel intimidated by asking questions, no matter our level of experience. and it's true that there is a lot of misinformation out there on the web. i, for one, just really appreciate those who make an effort to find answers to *really* basic questions before posing them here.

 

[Dennis]

I think this is directed more towards the questions that show the poster obviously didn't do any research before hand.

Hi, my name is Eldronaveaux and I want to make soap. My cousin used to do that and said it was fun. What do I need? I have some windex and car polish. Hope I don't have to spend any money! Can you help me? Thanks in advance!

:shock:

 

[JackiK]

I, too, did days of research on the internet and found most of the information vague, at best. I was so excited to find this site. My first post, as a NEWBIE newbie, got almost no response. I'm sure because it was information I could have searched a little more for.

HOWEVER, when I use the search function on this site, I get scads of stuff that doesn't help me at all. I think that's when newcomers tend to ask questions that the seasoned veterans may get irked about.

The internet tends to make it sound like it's so simple and easy. As I now know, it's not. There are so many variables. Again, reading on this site has made it easier to know what to expect and how to make adjustments.

If I hadn't found this site, I would have given up weeks ago. I truly appreciate the help I've received, but have noticed some snippy attitudes. That's true with any forum, so I just ignore it.

To those of you who have been helpful, you're a Godsend, and I thank you very, very much.

Jacki

 

[cwarren]

I think this is directed more towards the questions that show the poster obviously didn't do any research before hand.

Hi, my name is Eldronaveaux and I want to make soap. My cousin used to do that and said it was fun. What do I need? I have some windex and car polish. Hope I don't have to spend any money! Can you help me? Thanks in advance!

:shock:

I agree these are stupid.
as you all talk about people doing research before they ask questions... and some people being snippy... re-read what you have written...............

I bought stearic acid to use 3 months ago - I thought you melted it and added it to oils.. every batch I made has chuncks ( I'm guessing stearic acid) I have searched how to incorperate stearic acid, stearic acid and everything I could think of .. with no answers --------- because I feel it's a stupid question I dont ask how to do it ........ Stop telling people what to ask and what not to ask !!!!!! if you don't like the question ignore it

 

[krissy]

I think this is directed more towards the questions that show the poster obviously didn't do any research before hand.

Hi, my name is Eldronaveaux and I want to make soap. My cousin used to do that and said it was fun. What do I need? I have some windex and car polish. Hope I don't have to spend any money! Can you help me? Thanks in advance!

:shock:

I agree these are stupid.
as you all talk about people doing research before they ask questions... and some people being snippy... re-read what you have written...............

I bought stearic acid to use 3 months ago - I thought you melted it and added it to oils.. every batch I made has chuncks ( I'm guessing stearic acid) I have searched how to incorperate stearic acid, stearic acid and everything I could think of .. with no answers --------- because I feel it's a stupid question I dont ask how to do it ........ Stop telling people what to ask and what not to ask !!!!!! if you don't like the question ignore it

wow! that sounded so rude! i think asking for a general FAQ that features simple but often misunderstood topics like gelling or ash or DOS is a good idea. there doesn't have to be a topic about them every time a newbie runs into a problem if there is a FAQ like that.

also it was just an idea. not an attack against you or any one else who has questions. no one was being snippy or rude, just making suggestions. and i took Dennis' comment as being silly, not attacking anyone or being rude.

the only way a question becomes stupid is if it is left unasked. if you did your research and havent found an answer then ASK THE QUESTION. i dont mind questions and i am sure no one else does either. if you had asked your question about stearic acid maybe you and some others would have gotten an answer. or maybe you would have found the info you were looking for if someone had asked it before.

also there is nothing wrong with having a go to place with answers to questions that prevent repeated asking of the same question.

that's *my* opinion anyways.
whether there is or is not an added FAQ with more info, that newbies ask, that is fine with me and most of us i would think. after all this thread was started to HELP not make people upset.

 

[Relle]

LOL, Dennis.

 

[Dennis]

Sorry I got involved in this thread.
I too am a newbie and have for weeks read all I could find before attempting my first batch. I found this site and approached with what I thought to be a degree of humility and respect for those with mountains of experience. This is a great site with wonderful people who are most helpful. My comment was meant to be humorous, perhaps a tad sarcastic, over the top for sure so to not be mistaken as serious and to further define what was meant by questions that obviously indicated no research had been done. It was not my intent to offend and I should know that my sense of humor is not always obvious through a keyboard. I am sorry that it was interpreted other than as intended. Now, on to soapy stuff.

 

[c.a.p.]

I think a basic FAQ would be most helpful. I realize this may be a big task, but in the end, it may help the forum as a whole. Perhaps the mods could develop a committee to review the most often asked questions and use that as a basis for the FAQ.

I search for info in this and another soap forum. I use google for many things, but not for recipes or instruction. I've found too many giving misleading or incorrect info.

I find the "search" feature here difficult to use. Maybe I am missing something, but I honestly don't know how to use the search feature adequately when I have more than one word. I've tried using quotes, but that doesn't word. Can someone give me a hint?

 

[SilverFox]

I, too, have a difficult time using the search function. Maybe I'm missing it, but many forums you can search the title of a thread, not just content.

 

[JackiK]

Sorry I got involved in this thread.
I too am a newbie and have for weeks read all I could find before attempting my first batch. I found this site and approached with what I thought to be a degree of humility and respect for those with mountains of experience. This is a great site with wonderful people who are most helpful. My comment was meant to be humorous, perhaps a tad sarcastic, over the top for sure so to not be mistaken as serious and to further define what was meant by questions that obviously indicated no research had been done. It was not my intent to offend and I should know that my sense of humor is not always obvious through a keyboard. I am sorry that it was interpreted other than as intended. Now, on to soapy stuff.

Dennis,

Those of us with sick senses of humor sometimes get misunderstood. I knew immediately that you were joking.

Jacki

 

[photoshadows]

Dennis, I think it was clear you were joking. Besides, anyone who's read some of your other posts would already know you've got a GREAT sense of humor.
As for this whole topic, I feel like I should stay out of it other than to say the "Search" function is not the greatest. Every time I try to find something I get what feels like tons of results and very few are relevant. That's not to say that the "I saw some handmade soaps at a craft fair and now I wanna do it" comments aren't frustrating, but I just ignore them unless I feel like I really can help the poster in some way.