ocram
3
Foreign lurkers are here ...
Daos,
There are many foreign members here at The PuristS, and I'm one of them.
It's not always easy to express yourself in English (and I'm using the capital 'E' intentionally) so there are times in which you feel the impulse to write but suddenly stop.
Why? Because it takes some time to check your sentences, to be sure you're not misunderstood, to try to avoid puns, etc. and often it's so late that your eyes keep closing and eventually you end up loosing your "inspiration" and quit.
I'm grateful to all the members here, I've learned most of what I know here. For instance, there are many technical terms I can spell only in English. Now go figure the face of an Italian seller of watchmaking tools trying to understand an Italian-speaking person talking about 'stud' and 'collet' instead of pitone and virola 
But I digress.
The point is, I love this place. But I success in sharing my experience and opinions just once or twice per year. I know it's difficult for you all to feel the emotions of someone lurking all the time. But I assure you, there's plenty of love, appreciation and participation even from us foreign, more silent than we'd like to be, lurkers.
Cheers
// ocram
Getting The Most From PuristSPro Or: How I Learned To Stop Lurking And Love Posting
For anyone who is lurking out there and wondering if you should make that initial post on PuristSPro, this one's for you. Interactions in cyberspace still retain some level of mystery and, frankly, scariness for me. I'm that person who was wary of online ...
That's a true Moderator's Post, Daos.
As always, very well written, Sister. I will only enhance one thing you said, which is the most important, to my eyes. The share is the beginning of the richness, of the knowledge. Lurking is good, indeed, but sharing your emotions, your feelings, your kn...
Nicolas...
...you are too nice to me. I cannot ever imagine being knowledgeable enough to moderate anything! I count myself ahead of the game if I can successfully "moderate" my laundry basket from week to week! Truly, you are one of the people in our virtual villag...
;-) . . .
. . . looking forward to finally meeting you in person this weekend, Daos . . . warmest regards, Art
I look forward to seeing you as well, Art.
I will be bringing you a small gift of music, which I hope will not be redundant in your collection. Until Saturday, my friend. Cheers, Daos
Posting on PuristS
Hello Dao, I, for one, am glad you started posting. How else would I have learned of the fabulous and delicious Philippino restaurant in Eagle Rock that's right in my back yard. Thanks for sharing your experiences with all of us. Cheers, Frederick
Hi Frederick!
Thanks for the note! I was just talking with some friends about Fiesta Sa Barrio and thinking I was overdue for a visit! I'm glad that you enjoyed it! There's TONS of good eats in Eagle Rock and Glendale. It is always nice to correspond with you! I hope y...
WOO HOO!
You go, girl! Thanks, beautifully said. Wow, between you, Ginger, Ping, ATM...we "gearhead geeks and freaks" will be tamed and civilized yet... ;-) Looking forward to our next meeting, TM
Hopefully not TOO civilized...
Thomas! I like my "gearhead geeks" a little freaky! Thanks for the note, and your continuing mentorship. I'm glad I finally made it to the party! Safe travels, and I likewise look forward to our next meeting. Remember, the sushi's on me next time. It's a ...
Just make sure TM doesn't order any squid guts
I tried a tiny piece when he ordered a fish guts dish, and on my god, that was one of the foulest things I've ever eatten before :P Almost as bad as stinky tofu! LOL Cheers, Anthony changed fish guts to squid guts This message has been edited by AnthonyTs...
Nothing could be less appetizing than stinky tofu!
With all due respect to any stinky tofu lovers out there, but that was one food product I cannot imagine eating again -- and this from a girl who has eaten everything from live octopus to still beating cobra heart in a shot of whiskey! Yikes! Daos
Great encouragement, Daos,
to those unsure of committing. I've often directed people I meet that have some interest in watches to check out this site if they want to learn about watches. Sometimes the anonymity is good in that it affords one to mask their "inexperience" or limited ...
Bob, I have no doubt I'll be seeing you in Hawaii...
...one of these days. I just cannot stay away from the islands for too long! I agree that the moderators and general members are what make this site great. I always appreciate your comments, and look forward to reading you. This place is really about the ...
Yep! This site is all about people who have a common interest...
or, should I say, passion? Watches are made for wrists and "just so happens" both men AND women can wear them. It doesn't discriminate and transcends ALL barriers! Look forward to meeting you one day! Until then, aloooooooha! Bob
Excellent exposure, Daos...
And well written. Congratulations my friend. I recognize that this is my home, I was received here some time ago and here I´m tried excellent. I must admit that for me is an honor and a privilege to belong to this family. To this Purist Familiy Thank you ...
I know what you mean, Emilio!
PPro is much like an extended family! I feel privileged to have witnessed your triumphs, such as the acquisition of your gorgeous vintage Fifty Fathoms, if only in photo essays. We are thousands of miles apart, yet the excitement of a great catch like you...
Excellent Daos!
Well done Daos! I often meet some lurkers at events and when the subject of lurking comes around I always hear that thePuristS.com and PuristSPro.com are too intimidating due to experience and knowledge of our members. But once you realize how fun & easy ...
I was intimidated at first...
...and I can understand why people might feel that way. The depth and breadth of discussion on our boards is beyond anything I have encountered on the other sites I've visited. After you scratch the surface with a post or two though, you quickly realize t...
Well said and beautifully written.
The best way to learn something is through involvement. For lurkers out there, so what if you make a mistake or have a wrong opinion? All of us made (and still do) make mistakes. This is what makes the conversation and the education fun! Thank you Daos, f...
darling Daos, perfectly eloquent as ever.
i wish i had the ability to express myself better. i came to this forum whilst researching my dream watch, the Freak. i didnt lurk very long as i had questions to ask and was welcomed without any reservations. most of the members are a world apart from me...
Thanks, Graham!
One of the highlights of my brief time here on PPro has been getting to know more about you, Wales, and your thoughts on watches, amongst many other topics. I hope lurkers will be moved to post, but at the same time I accept that we must all come around t...
dont knock it until you've tried it Art:)
i do find it worrying that Andrew has kept this pic of my calloused and well travelled foot, but i'm sure it was for the detail of the speedmaster attached. i can always get tips from my sons football coach who was an ex squaddie called Mark, but is now a...
There is no other watch-related website that …
… has a Foot Shot Friday (FSF). Perhaps we should start something innovative? This is one of the more memorable Speedmaster shots, Graham. A 44 year old watch with a 44 year old foot. It makes me smile whenever I think of it, so you have done your ‘job’ w...
Good grief, Charlie Brown!
Graham in a skirt?! Is this what the kids are doing in Wales nowadays? You guys crack me up! Cheers, Daos
Thanks, Jon...
...and I appreciate the kind words. It's true, we all should try not to live in fear. Mistakes will be made, but IMO interactive learning is the best! I've gained a lot of knowledge from you, the other moderators, and general members, so for that I'm than...
Foreign lurkers are here ...
Daos, There are many foreign members here at The PuristS, and I'm one of them. It's not always easy to express yourself in English (and I'm using the capital 'E' intentionally) so there are times in which you feel the impulse to write but suddenly stop. W...
What is foreign?
ocram, The Internet is worldwide and PuristSPro / ThePuristS are both very international. Our members come from more than 100 countries on most continents ( we still don't know if the scientists on Antartica are checking in). The moderator team is spread ...
Ocram, I appreciate your willingness to reply...
...and first let me say that your command of English is excellent. I hear you, and I am humbled everyday by the ability of our many international PuristS who converse so fluidly in a written language that is not their own. That feat in itself is to be app...
Damn, Ocram, your English is much better than mine
I' better join the Lurkers Community! Best, Nicolas
Aw, Nicolas, your Franglish contributions are infinitely more charming . . .
. . . than the most exquisitely crafted posts by those of us for whom English is our native tongue . . . really and truly. With great admiration, Art
This time I agree ....
with you , but other than your English, you are almost perfect to lead a moderator life: wide and diverse collection, nice human being, good photography, etc. Yeah, considering my grammar (I hate past, present, future tense, and we don't have that in Indo...
Thank you, Cen...
...for never being afraid to post and share your ideas. I always appreciate your unique viewpoint, and feel we are better off as a group for it. Cheers, Daos
Not a freak, Cen …
… an important part of the interesting tapestry we weave here. Always enjoy reading your contributions. A
Sorry Nicolas...
You have to have fewer than 50 posts or haven't posted in a year to join the Lurker Community. I would give you the link to our forum, but so far no one has made any posts there yet... ;-) O
I can completely relate to how you feel.
I feel like it does take some time to come up with a response that sounds intelligent. There are a lot of members here who are extremely eloquent and articulate and basically, I don't want to sound stupid or silly in front of them. However, I try to block...
Thanks, PinkPanther!
We always have a good time together here on PPro, don't we? I always enjoy reading your posts, and appreciate your note on this one! Cheers, Daos
I second that!
Everyone is interesting and everyone's got something to say. Let's hear it. Always a pleasure to read your posts Daos, as they contain fascinating information from a wonderfully sophisticated, charming, and downright interesting woman such as yourself. Wh...
Hi, Patrick!
Thanks for the nice note (and PM). I'll be seeing you this weekend, and I fear you'll be disappointed to find that I am neither sophisticated or charming, but rather that I'm just a plain girl from Virginia who's more Darth Vader than Holly Golightly! Reg...
Perception of PuristSPro
Before spending a little time here, my initial perception of this group was a small clique of Robb Report overachievers. Seriously. I think the notion of "purist" along with a forum discussing expensive watches and "purist" lifestyle to many could be noti...
You are selling yourself short, Mrsnak!
"If I can post here, anyone can." Your posts are great! I always enjoy them. I felt a bit intimidated by the site initially, and I too wondered if I really belonged in a group of people who were regularly discussing watches with MSRPs of twice my yearly s...
Not to worry, I don't take myself that seriously
Was just offering my thoughts as to why we may be a smaller group than we should be. The best thing about your post is that it reveals you as a true ambassador for this forum. Even the most hardened forum lurker should be joining up after reading that. BT...
The information on this site is much better than can be found on Robb Report.
I didn't get your Robb Report reference at first, but I think I understand it now. The quality and thoroughness of the reviews done on this website transcends the quality that's coming from Robb Report which still has to resort to using small inserts of b...
Hello Patrick...
I think that his use of "Robb Report Overachievers" is meant to imply the exotic and grail type of pieces that our members found on the PuristSPro and ThePurist websites have. -MW
well worded
thanks for this post, Daos. It took me a while to start posting, and I must admit, I still don't do it often enough. I came across this site while searching for information relating to a watch I was eyeing for a long time, the IWC Mark XVI. One thing that...
Hi, Richard!
I'm glad you are logging on more, as I enjoy your posts, and look forward to reading them. I definitely needed some encouragement to continue on after my first few tentative posts. I'm grateful to everyone here for bearing with me then (and doing so still...
Thanks!
I hope some lurkers have been encouraged to make their first posts somewhere on the forum! Cheers, Daos
PuristSPro lurkers and posting
Very well written Daos! I absolutely agree that posting was intimidating at first, but as many others have pointed out, PuristSPro is a wonderful, respectful and welcoming community. It's been a pleasure meeting some of the moderators and fellow PuristS a...
I look forward to meeting you too!
I'm grateful for the strong local community of PuristS here in the LA area. We denizens of SoCal are lucky in that regard. I do agree that everyone on the forum has always been respectful and friendly. These are some of the key qualities that keep me comi...
Dear Daos
There is no better way and more precise description of telling my exact feelings about lurking, posting and enjoying PuristS Pro community What you marvelously described was my own way into this great friendship on our HoMe Luckily you are far better with...
Damian...
...your "mumblings" contain more wisdom than most. I love what you've written about our time on PPro... " then all borders and differences just disappear and we all stand united in thoughts, emotions and understanding ." This is no small thing in today's ...
Echoes …
Hi Daos, I am late to the party as usual, but I can certainly echo some of the responses of other Purists to your great post. I was a Major Lurker for some time, just soaking up the information and knowledge here. Like many I thought “what can I contribut...
Kindred spirits
I appreciate your note, Andrew, and have always been grateful for the information and fun you've brought to our little corner of the 'verse. I've found several kindred spirits here on PPro with whom I share many interests, and I count you among those indi...
That's certainly on my list of the 100 things ...
... I need to do before I die. Looking forward to it. A
Lurkers
Hi Daos I'm a man of very few words. Just a simple thank you for your posts and hope to see more of them. I will certainly polish up my photography and post more pics for everyone.
:-) Less is sometimes more, VPRegulator!
Thanks for your kind words. I always enjoy reading you! I look forward to your pictures too! I am working on my photography also. Slowly but surely I hope to understand all the features on my simple camera. I've read the manual once already, and still don...
I don't know anything about watches,
I come here for the coffee and donuts. I can't really contribute to any knowledge on this forum, but I can ask very basic questions and try to learn how these ticking things work. I can now appreciate design, fit, finish, much more after spending a few ye...
I have more than 600 posts, ...
do you think I know have how to pronounce those French words? Heck, I don't even know how to pronounce Coultre or Breguet. And I proudly announce here: I don't know sh!t about movement. The most important is: don't pretend you know something that you don'...
Aaah Cen, now you admit it: You were laughing at me! :)))
And you're damn right. Best, Borat.
Don't worry ...
I sometimes also don't understand what Dr. No, MTF, SJX, and ThomasM wrote. Too dense and wordy for my English level . I even bought an electronic dictionary because of them (need to check whether they were making fun behind my back, u know ). cen@jkt
LOL again, Cen ...
But you didn't have the immense joy to hear my delicious Kazakstan Accent! Best, Borat.
:-) Everyone brings something to the party!
Thanks for your note, Turtletone2! You may not think you bring any knowledge to the forum, but I bet you do. Your participation and passion brings with it some intrinsic value. I enjoy wristshot Fridays as well! It's fun to see everyone's collection. This...
I also want to point out that we do have a TimeOut forum
which is a forum for any topic - cell phone, movies, cars, shoes, vacations, etc. - which anyone can participate in. So those who are too intimated to post anything in any of our watch discussion forums should be able to have some fun in TimeOut Link to T...
TimeOut is always a fun place to hangout!
Thanks for pointing this out, Anthony! MW does a great job cultivating a lively atmosphere over at TO! Cheers, Daos
You strike a chord!
Seems like you have motivated many! Thanks Daos. I like the'warning' Kong
Posts are like potato chips, Kong...
...it's hard to eat (post) just one! BTW I'm still enjoying my fountain pen. Thanks for the encouragement! Cheers, Daos
Superb post Daos !
I hope that it will encourage a lot of visitors to register and to participate ! Fr.Xavier
I hope we will have many new friends...
...with whom we can converse! I'll be happy if even one new participant steps forward. Everyone has something valuable to share with the community! Thanks for your nice note, FX! I always enjoy reading your posts. Cheers, Daos
I have been lurking here for ....
... more than a year before i posted my first comment Daos ..... ..... and now Purists have become like a second home .... ... great post Daos, Moderator-worthy indeed Filip
For me, Filip...
...PuristSPro would not be nearly as much fun without you! I always look forward to your posts, and I like knowing that there is someone out there who loves their Legend Diver as much as I do! Your commentary always brings a smile! Thanks for that, and fo...
Good call, Daos
Those who are worried about making mistakes in posting, you may get a dictionary in front of you. It may help to instill confience in you. Regards Ling
I make grammatical mistakes in my posts...
...all the time, and English is my first language! What does that say about me?! Like I've said before, I'm completely humbled by the fact that there are so many amongst us who can communicate clearly in a language that is not native to them. That's aweso...
Your post resonates within the community....
It has brought forth participation already from those who do so infrequently. You are a catalyst for renewed activity within the forum. tempusfugit
Thank you...
...for the kind words! I appreciate your note and always enjoy reading your posts as well. Let's hope some lurkers will be moved to come out of the woodwork and join in the fun! Cheers, Daos
I hearby dedicate my 500th post on the PuristSPro website
to the spirit of this thread. Really good stuff and hopefully more lurkers will jump on board and share the deck. Thanks to you all for a great ride, looking forward to many, many more. Best to all and Daos in particular, for her inspiration. Tim
Hi, Tim!
Thanks for the nice gesture, and congrats on your 500th post! Time flies when you're having fun. Soon we'll be celebrating your 1000th post! I hope we've encouraged some lurkers to join us on the boards this week. Looking forward to your next 500 posts an...
Make new friends from around the world...
as I sit in the living room of the Purist outpost in Wales, having eaten fresh local lamb, drunk much good red wine, and seen many horological marvels. Great post, sister! Best, Ginger
Say hi to Graham for me!
I have no doubt you are having fun over there! Yes, one of the best things about PPro is making friends in lands near and far. Thanks for the kind words, Ginger! Safe travels! Daos
Hey..that was a GOOD read!
I post much less after I left being a moderator. But I read the posts much more these days. I guess that one big decision I made in 2009, was a desire to see this forum, and others, evolve positively. It did. I see much more diversity, and posts like your...
Hi Bernard!
It is always nice to see you around these parts! Thank you for the kind words! I hope you are well. It is so enjoyable to read your posts, which are without fail simultaneously humorous and informative. Of course, I appreciate how nice it must be for you ...
That's a post I won't forget, Daos.
I know myself a few lurkers who read but don't participate in this excellent forum : I'll send them your post to encourage them to join us. As far as I'm concerned, I totally agree with this phrase written by ocram : It's not always easy to express yourse...
I greatly appreciate you taking the time, Emmanuel!
I am deeply touched that you took time from your day to craft a response to my post. Your command of English is very good! I have said several times how impressed, and humbled, I am by the ability of my fellow PuristS to participate on this forum in a lan...