I don't think it's a gender thing, either. If you come here disguising your real intentions, it doesn't take very long to get found out.
Wanna be a schmuck and remain one is entirely up to the individual.... guy or gal. Anyone can turn events around, but when you have close to 100 posts with 95% of them feeling the same way..... it's quite obvious that someone is doing something wrong.... or at least barking up the wrong tree.
I've seen and have been part of threads where someone gets a feeling started and the whole community here tends to follow suit. Kinda like a feeding frenzy. To me, that indicates a tight community where we all look out for each other. However, there are those that think it's a mob rule kinda thing and is wrong. We're all responsible for what we do and have the ability to agree or disagree with anyone.... anytime. Should someone start a movement or have strong opinions about something, I'd expect the rest to follow their own instincts or moral judgments in posting. You can't go around blaming everything on a certain individual or a group of members, based on your own feelings.
I don't see any resemblance at all to the thread of the Decal Girl vs. this one. Besides that Decal Girl hasn't really returned and she wasn't bashed in the least. So, as for people leaving because of being told the truth, that's baloney. They leave because the want to leave and/or realize they don't fit in with professionals. Some people just come here for a specific reason and leave.
If you stumbled onto a forum about radio type airplanes and didn't have an ounce of knowledge about it.... will that forum teach you every step of the way about building the plane to the workings and how to build a transmitter and receiver because you're making a living at it or it's a hobby ?? That's the difference..... this place is not for hobbyists and quite frankly, it's been riddled lately with complete novices that don't have a clue about business, communications, knowledge on equipment to be bought or already purchased, what anything means in the sign world and what works and doesn't work in this trade. Not to mention where to buy a single item, what items are for what, obtaining permits, proper insurance and the proper working conditions of a business.... not a hobby.
I'm sure some of you know this, but how many of you people running a business out of your house, garage, basement or out building on your property are 100% legal ??
In Pennsylvania, it is against the law by the IRS, government regulations, insurance and zoning boards to run a sign shop out of your home and meet all the regulations. If you are a regular home owner or live in an apartment, you can have paint laying around, brushes, thinners and other chemicals like poisonous weed killers, insecticides, ink for you printers and all kinds of stuff. No law against it and supposedly, you don't know what potential problems exist having all this stuff around and regular home owner's insurance will cover you. The moment you claim to be a business, that all changes.....completely and totally..... if you are running legal and give your insurance company and zoning officer all of your information. You now must keep certain chemicals here and not open and children can be no closer than so many feet form tools and other dangerous objects. Closing up for summer air conditioning and winter heating also traps a lot of fumes in your house which can't be good for anyone if the authorities have such strict rulings for the same business in a proper place of business. OSHA won't allow you to operate even a jig saw, now that you are legal. Do you have fire extinguishers and smoke alarms, eye washing stations, proper ventilation for a business... or only a home ??
This is the difference between wannabee and professional sign people. Again, I know there are a lot of you working this way and are probably 50% to 75% legal, but what if something goes wrong ?? Can you handle it if the insurance company comes in and says.... oh, I didn't know you did that also. You're not covered at all for that. Sorry. How 'bout when the zoning officer comes by and says, shouldn't you be manufacturing or light industry to be working around with some of these tools ?? Oh, and let's not forget when the fire marshal stops by and says..... why aren't those chemicals in explosive proof rooms or where are your explosive proof lights and/or switches ??
This is why these kinda threads don't do squat whether you are on the giving end or the receiving end of things...... these newbies haven't a clue as to what they are getting into and when you start telling someone what they need to do, they tell you to shut up and they're gonna do it their way anyhow.
So, a simple '
welcome from..................' and give them enough rope to hang themselves is my approach. Now, sit back and watch the fireworks.
There's ton of advice on this thread. Are you blind? You want to focus on the negative that's your choice. Think of it more as a wake up call. Really.