Does anyone feel the same??

[An*Gel]

I haven't been here long but Ive had mixed experiences. Ive definitley had some brilliant feedback and helpful comments but I would say that im certain that if you've not got the "right" product your definitley "skitted" or "slated". My Cumbrian slang !!

Ive read posts from new starters in the industry and in business asking what people think they should use, stating that they would like to start off with x or y brand but because it isnt A or B brand some quite high up Geeks slate it. I wonder do they forget how hard it is to start out in the industry? A little empathy and support would be better than, "You must buy this or clients with think you're unproffesional" would be better.

Just my opinion
Locus xx

Maybe I'm a bit thick, but I've never seen anyone slate another product.

I do feel, though, as someone that has been in this industry for many years, most of us have tried and tested most Nail products, so we know what we're talking about when we recommend certain brands... it's not that we are trying to put any others down, but some new nail techs just want to use the cheapest and I for one, know that if you buy cheap you pay twice, so you're better off to go for a good quality product from the start.

The thing is, we DO remember how hard it was to be a newbie and I wish I had known about this site when I started out, because I could have saved myself a lot of time, energy and money. (although, that said, I loved every bit of it )

 

[VikkiNails]

Use the search function, title your threads as informatively as possible, have a nice attitude and treat others as you like to be treated yourself :green:

This is what i am trying to get across here, You hit the nail on the head. ( excuse the pun)

I think that some people have read this thread in a manner which it was no way intended.

I am not here to cause bad feeling, nor am i here to 'nit pick'

I have the right to air my opinions as much as anyone else, and as i stated, i have had the opportunity to converse with techs on different products, techniques and experiences. For which i am grateful to salon geek, and all the geeks who sail in her!

All I was hoping for is that my thread may be a little 'Thought provoking' to the minority who seem to use the site to boost their own ego's by belittling others who may not be as experienced.

Fair enough, dont sugar coat it, its a mean world after all, but dont be rude and derogatory towards others either. x

 

[wonderwoman]

I like the thread, as it does bring up some of my personal peeves!! Im quite a laid back chick and find some of the questions reguritated all the time! I actually just switch off sometimes!

I love salon geek, i first joined in 2005 and rejoined earlier this year and felt i could contribute more. I dont have a problem with any geeks but get annoyed with the responses some topics geeks have. I think its good we have a varied responses and opinions.

But the search option gives out so much information that is already there. Cant we discuss the ever changing industry guidelines or innovative ways to help each other or new techniques....but its always i cant blend or whats the best company etc

I think its harder to contribute to salon geek if you are a newbie, as many do ask: how do i do this im a complete novice or i need help with my homework etc I used to go in and out of salon geek all the time till i knew i could be of some great use, but i dont think i know everything, i just read a book or go on a course till i know i may just need to ask someone! I just think it would help if some geeks did use the search facility more often! xoxo

 

[VikkiNails]

Maybe I'm a bit thick, but I've never seen anyone slate another product.

I do feel, though, as someone that has been in this industry for many years, most of us have tried and tested most Nail products, so we know what we're talking about when we recommend certain brands... it's not that we are trying to put any others down, but some new nail techs just want to use the cheapest and I for one, know that if you buy cheap you pay twice, so you're better off to go for a good quality product from the start.

The thing is, we DO remember how hard it was to be a newbie and I wish I had known about this site when I started out, because I could have saved myself a lot of time, energy and money. (although, that said, I loved every bit of it )

I agree with you totally, that cheap products are not always the way to go, and its not the geeks that are saying, '

I have tried X, Y & Z and in my opionion X is better'

that I am aiming any critisism at, Its the ones that say

'Dont use X its rubbish' ....then state that they have not used it them selves.

There is having a valid opinion on a product and making an uneducated assumption!

Thanks to all the geeks that can see my point here, I am not slating salon geek, far from it, I am however slating people who feel its their job to belittle others products and experience.

I understand that text can come across in a way it was not intended ( blimey i have learnt that lesson by this post! ) haha.

But I think even someone with half a brain cell can tell when people are being intentionally rude.

Well, I for one am having fun reading all of your responses, and for whoever said, this post is not the way to make 'fans' on here. I am not out to upset nor impress anyone, Just to give my views and be as honest, helpful and friendly as i can!

xx

 

[persianista]

Of course there are disagreements on here, generally it is quite a happy forum, and is supportive of people starting out.
Sometimes newbies don't hear what they want to hear, or argue that their college teacher taught them something different.
Some of the regulars on here have been in the trades for many years and know their stuff, newbies don't always respect that.

On the hair forum, we all use different colour systems, some are wella, some l'oreal etc, but you don't find us having rows about "whats the best". So I find this continual shellac v gellish and cnd v eaziflow rows rather silly and tiresome.
Generally in our trades, if you are using decent stuff, it is the skill of the operater that counts, not the tools. (£1000 scissors will not make you do a great cut, skill and a £100 pair will achieve a better result)

So I can appreciate that newbies don't know that there has been a million shellac lamp threads, a hundred "I want a salon, a clientele, but I only have thruppence" threads, and a hundred " I home dyed my hair black now I want to be white blonde", but search through first, as I get ratty at keep typing the same old same old.

Also, remenber that you are dealing with pro's. We are trained, qualified and experienced. By negating this, you risk rath. You cannot be a hairdresser in 6 weeks, a nail tech in a day, or a therapist in a month. Suggesting you can is rude, and a slap in the face for real professionals who have invested time and money.

So when newbies complain that I am rude and blunt, maybe they should re-read their question from a different angle.

 

[smooth]

And so many new techs, Replying to comments on threads they have made saying 'sorry, I just wanted some help, looks like i have come to the wrong place!'. After being almost ridiculed for asking an innocent question!


x

I know which thread you are talking about for this one!! Anyway, yes it is not just you, I answer threads that are on here not just associated to what I do now (aesthetic nurse prescriber) but it's because I know the answer with having had a salon and employed therapists in the past. I have been on the end of a geek who was just vile but I never let it get to me, not associated with professional opinion, just very personal comments, I just kept thinking "you fool".

What I find quite funny is I give actual medical facts and the bt response is mostly "but this is what I was taught". My reply is then always based around the fact that whoever trained them is not medical so hasn't taught you this as you don't seem to know this is the true answer. This is the actual answer and this is the reason why, obviously not done in a derogatory way, but I either get no response back or another reply arguing the point for an incorrect answer.

Just keep replying positively to threads and ignore the other comments. x

 

[pennijar]

Everyone feels, an outsider at first no matter what web forum you are on, forums are made up of individuals, each with their own thoughts, humour etc. When I first joined I felt much the same and I even had a couple of run ins with peeps with different opinions, but the help and advice I received was brilliant, the knowledge available is beyond compare, if you don't like a reply then ignore it. Product wise everyone has their own favourite, it is up to each individual nail tech to find the system that works best for them.

I have been away from here for years (not through anything or anyone on here but personal reasons) but I know within a couple of weeks, I will have caught up with what has been happening in the nail industry, and if I have any questions they will be answered, maybe I will look stupid, but hey, I know I will get honest opinions. from peeps with far more knowledge than I will probably ever have.

Just take the rough with the smooth and you will benefit greatly and remember everyone has bad days. even You.

Joan

 

[InnerCalm]

I am a newbie and have loved reading the forum daily - I am from the massage side of the business but I even found myself getting a little, tiny hint of passion for nails & beauty!!

I have thought of questions and considered asking some of them - more as a way of starting up conversation than anything desperately serious - but have shyed away since reading some of the comments from other people's threads.

I have become superb at searching the forums to find my answers but this means that I seem to have contributed very little to the actual forum itself (a bit of a lurker!)

I would love to feel like I could have a thought between clients and pop on here and make a forum post and then come back later to see the opinions and what not. I would hate to do that and come back to a barrage of 'search the forum' 'write a blog' postings. My little heart would sink and I would feel like standing in a corner to think about my actions.

It's a great resource (sometimes invaluable) I don't feel unwelcome in the slightest - but I do feel like I am tiptoeing around the forum in my slippers incase somebody catches me :lol:

Claire

 

[Passionate]

I'm a newbie to salon geek and the whole beauty industry. The amount of tips I have picked up on here have been brillant... I actually dont know where I would be if I hadnt have picked them up!

At the start I did feel a bit stupid asking such simple questions but no other geek has made me feel stupid for asking them which is great, hopefully that will continue!

 

[kimi1101]

One time I posted a thread asking that although I wasnt trained in hair extensions, could I still go on to do weave extensions in the salon because I had practised it on my friend a few times.

I got ripped apart. I was hurt that people were implying that I was crazy to think that I could do it without training.

More than a year later...I look back and think I was crazy. I hadn't thought about it at all, and instead of my fellow Geeks just jumping at a chance to be a cow to me, they were SAVING ME from making a fool of myself and potentially getting my butt sued off.

Sometimes it seems people are being rude and mean but they really just are being blunt and saving you from falling flat on your face.

Just my opinion on the thread. xx

 

[Carlalouise]

I dont even know why you care enough what others think to put this thread on if youre that thick skinned?
forums are for professionals, not for moaners?
maybe youve come to s.g for the wrong thing?

You've just proved their point!! lol:green:

 

[Catherine S]

This is a forum though. It relies on activity - on new content being added constantly. If people didn't keep asking the same questions over and over again, industry-relevant discussion would be cut by about 65% I reckon, for there's very little discussed in the hair, skin or nail forums that hasn't at some point been asked before.

If new content and user activity fell so dramatically, salongeek would lose some of its search engine rankings, would see a fall in traffic, would receive less revenue from its banner ads, blahblahblah.

So in a way, the constant recylicing of questions helps support the site and provide a great platform for the really helpful articles and discussions that do go on.

To sniff at these 'newbies' coming along and asking questions is kind of like treating your customer with distain who just comes in for a quick trim, or your cheapest ever manicure, or whatever.

Yeah, they're not making you any great profits, yeah, they're not appreciating and making use of your skills, and yeah, they're kind of wasting your time. But they're your bread and butter, tiding you over so that your business stays afloat for that lady who walks in wanting the £350 hair style job, or the massive spray tan party, or.. you get the picture.

No one disagrees with the fact that the true value of this site comes from the well-informed articles and advice of the experienced professionals, and not the same 'silly' little questions of newbies that are asked several times per week. But what keeps this site so alive and growing all the time, is the forum and how active it is. For that I think salongeek will always need its newbie questions!

If you're annoyed with seeing the same question asked for the third time in a week, I suppose you could always just not answer it. I'm sure somebody else would step in?

 

[Verve Designs]

I just wanted to add that all the advice on this forum is free and comes with no obligation. I also think, however, that some people do feel obliged to answer questions- whereas I think if you don’t like the question, take a step back and don’t answer it, rather than potentially upsetting someone!

There's a heck of a lot of people who get opinion and fact confused (I’m guilty of that myself)- but then there's also a lot of people who take it all personally.

This is a business forum- take any trolling or arrogance with a pinch of salt, but bear in mind that 10 years ago you just couldn’t get free and instantly accessible advice at your fingertips from some of the top people in their own industries.

This is rather contentious opinion I admit (and I’m playing devil’s advocate slightly), but if you’re getting upset by faceless people on the web, are you hard-nosed enough to be a success in business?

 

[edinburghlass21]

This is a forum though. It relies on activity - on new content being added constantly. If people didn't keep asking the same questions over and over again, industry-relevant discussion would be cut by about 65% I reckon, for there's very little discussed in the hair, skin or nail forums that hasn't at some point been asked before.

If new content and user activity fell so dramatically, salongeek would lose some of its search engine rankings, would see a fall in traffic, would receive less revenue from its banner ads, blahblahblah.

So in a way, the constant recylicing of questions helps support the site and provide a great platform for the really helpful articles and discussions that do go on.

To sniff at these 'newbies' coming along and asking questions is kind of like treating your customer with distain who just comes in for a quick trim, or your cheapest ever manicure, or whatever.

Yeah, they're not making you any great profits, yeah, they're not appreciating and making use of your skills, and yeah, they're kind of wasting your time. But they're your bread and butter, tiding you over so that your business stays afloat for that lady who walks in wanting the £350 hair style job, or the massive spray tan party, or.. you get the picture.

No one disagrees with the fact that the true value of this site comes from the well-informed articles and advice of the experienced professionals, and not the same 'silly' little questions of newbies that are asked several times per week. But what keeps this site so alive and growing all the time, is the forum and how active it is. For that I think salongeek will always need its newbie questions!

If you're annoyed with seeing the same question asked for the third time in a week, I suppose you could always just not answer it. I'm sure somebody else would step in?

In my opinion i think this is well said

 

[MissOwen]

Well i've really enjoyed reading through this thread. I think many of us are a little surprised at some of the replies when you first get involved with SalonGeek. I used to find some replies a little offensive, not aimed at me as i do search, i promise! But some i've read made me thing 'ouch!' :green:

There are a few things i eventually decided though and some of them have already been mentioned

1. How the post is read and how it was meant are often very different (i've been in this situation before, saying something in a light hearted way and having it read as a dig or put down)

2. The very experience geeks who give their time to the site must have the patients of saints to continually answer the same questions so often, but that patience is bound to get pushed too far sometimes, its to be expected.

3. With the huge difference in personalities and opinions on the site, we're bound to get a few heated discussions at sometime or other. Some people arent known for their tact, some are blunt and to the point and have no idea that they are saying anything that could offend others..... you need to stick with salongeek for a while to start to get to know these personalities and take them as they are or avoid them! Just like anywhere in life!

I do think we all need to take a step back and re-read are threads and posts though, i was mortified when something i had written was taken the wrong way and upset a geek, i plan never to make the same mistake again!! Note to self, my crappy humour does not work online (or offline for that matter.....!)

 

[Sarah-Jean]

Maybe there should be a warning at the top of the forum;

"Put your big girl panties on cos you're going to be getting some blunt, honest and occasionally brutal smack advice within!"

:lol:

 

[bombini]

I can see your point.

Yes people probably should use the search button more but if everyone did that we wouldn't have much to answer. Its also confusing if someone finds a thread on search and resurects it to ask a loosely related question then people start answering the original question from 2 years ago !

 

[missymish]

When I first started using this site I did at times feel like I was a bit of a nuisance by being new and asking stupid questions but......

Now looking at some of my posts they were pretty pointless because I could have found out all the information I needed from doing a search!

I have only in the past few weeks really learnt my way around the site and to be honest without salon geek I would not be confident at all about Spray Tanning and the products/equipment etc etc.

Forums can be a bit intimidating for newbies but just persevere (sp)! You just have to take them with a pinch of salt!

xx

 

[gillian w]

When I first started using this site I did at times feel like I was a bit of a nuisance by being new and asking stupid questions but......

Now looking at some of my posts they were pretty pointless because I could have found out all the information I needed from doing a search!

I have only in the past few weeks really learnt my way around the site and to be honest without salon geek I would not be confident at all about Spray Tanning and the products/equipment etc etc.

Forums can be a bit intimidating for newbies but just persevere (sp)! You just have to take them with a pinch of salt!

xx

I think you have made some very good points.I think oldies forget what it is like when you have no knowledge at all but are just excited to be here and maybe it is the first forum you have ever been on and just want to ask a question.

Many who join are also very young i have a 19 year old daughter who is a beauty therapist who on paper is now better qualified than me but lacks my general experience of life etc.

Also we are not all as intelligent or as well educated and allowances need to be made for someone who may not be able to spell that well or know how to use the spell checker but they may be able to do a very good set of nails.

 

[-sophisticutz-]

I can only speak for the hair forum but we do tend to answer questions that have been asked over and over. We go out of our way to answer all questions, including ones that should really be in the consumer forum.

We are, though, to the point with advice. We have stylist and salon owners with a wealth of experience and don't tend to sugar coat.

I agree with Extensionize, you don't often have free advice like you get on SG from time-served professionals.

Why must we have this nanny state, where we have to watch everything we say, lest we hurt someone's feelings?