How long have you been visiting the Cove Forums? Vintage Cove!

How Long Have You Been Visiting The Cove?


  • Total voters
    64

Kevin Mader

One of THE Original Covers!
Staff member
Admin
#21
Hey Marc,

I just wished I had found it sooner. It would have made my first registration effort much easier.

The Cove is an important tool in my toolbox. The folks here have made me look a whole lot smarter than I am by giving terrific guidance and advice over the years. The Cove is a great example of Cooperative Learning, and it is this cooperative learning that makes us all a little better.

Comparing it to other forums out there, the ease of navigation, flexibility of format options, and in general, a great bunch of contributors makes this site hard to top! Thanks for making it happen in the first place and continuing to make it happen.

Regards,

Kevin
 
Elsmar Forum Sponsor
E

energy

#22
My Fix

At my last ill-fated place of employment, started there in September 2000, I searched the net for ISO related websites. The Cayman Cove came up and I’ve been here since November 2000.
One of the hardest things for a new member to do is make that first post. Swallow that nervousness and do it.
The second hardest thing to do is to separate the wheat from the chaff. As a newbee, some of us tend to be quite prone to taking advice at face value and not looking at the practical applications of such advice. Some suggestions were someone’s opportunity to display their mental superiority over the masses without a chance of implementation in the real world. Personally, I gravitated towards the working stiff that posted sparsely and when they did, it was good usable stuff. The ability to send Private messages and regular e-mail was, sometimes, more valuable than the regular threads. The unsung heroes, to me, are the members who refrain from daily posting and offer assistance behind the scenes when they think it’s really needed. There’s quite a network of activity that occurs simultaneously as other members are posting in the Forums. The names remain Private because that's what it is. Private. I can't say Thank You" enough to those members who have used that method to assist others without the fanfare. You know who you are. I can also understand not wanting to engage the "Critic's Panel".:confused:

I also have to thank Marc for allowing me to stay on when things spiraled out of control. You’ll notice that I don’t assume complete responsibility for past breaches of what has been determined as “bad” behavior. There were reasons, but this weak mind couldn’t articulate them in a manner acceptable for some. We’ll leave it at that.

The Cove is part of my life, now. I look forward to logging in and always use the “View New Posts since your last visit” function. As I said, I read them all. Some quicker than others, because I’m not interested in Sick Sigma. :vfunny:
If for some reason Marc decides to call it a day, I will miss the Cove and those acquaintances that have helped me to understand why we do what we do and how to do it better. But, I retained some of those important e-mail addresses, just in case. Long live the Cove. :agree: :smokin:
 

Mike S.

Happy to be Alive
Trusted Information Resource
#23
Marc said "If the Cove forums have helped you, please take a minute and click "Post Reply" and tell me how."

Let me count the ways... Well, let's just say "lots of ways".

My first post was a question. I thought I knew the right answer, but I had no one readily available to bounce the question off of. Finding the Cove gave me that opportunity in spades! In one post I could "bounce" my question off of hundreds of brilliant quality pros of differing experience, perspectives, and philosophies. I never see any question posted here that doesn't get some kind of answer or response. I am positive any Q question I have in the future will get a satisfactory answer here. And it is free, so no wrangling with management over 'cost/benefit analysis' for purchasing a subscription to something. What more could one ask for? That, as someone else said, is one VERY powerful tool for the old toolbox.

It is a confidence builder to see that your thoughts on something are shared by others, or, if they are differing, that you can learn the error of your ways or at least look at a different perspective and realize there are several "right" ways to skin the proverbial cat. Remember back when you were doing algebra homework and you solved a problem but you had to wait until the next class period to see if you had the right answer? If you found you had the right answer, it was a confidence booster right off; if you had the wrong answer you at least got to see how to do it the correct way, so it was a win either way.

Sometimes I don't even realize how much I don't know. I've long felt that in a strange kinda way, the more you learn the dumber you feel you are as you realize more and more how much you don't know. Issues are brought up here that I never thought to ask. The Cove is quite thought provoking.

There is also a sense of accomplishment that comes with helping others with a problem. As a bonus, answering others' questions forces you to stay sharp, do a little research, and go into issues you otherwise might have forgotten about. The Cove helps keep me from getting too rusty.

Finally, I feel I have made a few "friends" here. While we may have never shared a beer together in person, there are folks here whom I would be happy to imbide with.

I hope the Cove lives on for many, many years. Its existence makes us better as individuals, and it makes the Q profession and business in general better. No one will ever be able to accurately quantify the total benefit of the Cove, but I'll bet it is MUCH greater than almost anyone here would ever guess.

As far as ideas... It's tough to improve from here, but here are a few ideas since you sked:

The search engine that drives the "view posts since your last visit" search etc. sometimes seems to get fooled and will list posts as being new even though they were posted days ago. Don't know if this is fixable or not.

Since unemployment seems to be a problem these days, perhaps a forum thread specifically aimed at helping folks without Q jobs get Q jobs would be helpful. Advice. "Classified" resume postings maybe? Would it get too unmanageable? I don't know -- just an idea tossed out for consideration.

Thanks for the Cove, Marc.
:bigwave:
 

SteelMaiden

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
#24
How has the cove helped me?

it's bretty much impossible to list all of the ways that I have been helped through the cove. But for sure, it is an excellent place to see what others are doing, and realizing that whatever has happened today in my little world, someone else is going through it or has survived it.

There is a huge amount of talent here and a lot of participants kinda feel like family, some of them the kind you admit to, some of them not....Just Kidding, don't take it personnally anybody!

I actually lurked for a number of years before I registered and participated. Stupid of me wasn't it?

Thanks Marc for providing us this space and thanks to all of the participants for the excellent advice, jokes, and day to day sagas of the quality professionals.
 
J

Jim Webb

#25
Thanks

The company I work for started seeking ISO 9001 early in 1997. We were getting close to finishing our procedures when in mid-1998 it was realized our computer system (Wang) would not make the century change. All resources were directed to getting new hardware and replacement software. Our new ERP software obsoleted many of our procedures and related work instructions. We picked up our ISO pursuit late 2000, but other projects stemming from new product design and release to new production equipment over shadowed ISO. To make a long story short, we finally received our registration certificate 1/2/2003, just yesterday. During the process of setting up our quality system I was coming to the Cove, since 1999, to see what other people were doing and suggesting for a sound Quality Management System. I feel the information received here has help provide a sound base for our system. ISO may not be a panacea, but it forced us to look at our processes and improve on them. Thank you, Marc, for providing the world with this forum and thank all of you that post.
 
J

Jimmy Olson

#26
This place has been a valuable resource for me. The help that I have received, both public and private, has been amazing. I only hope that I have been able to help some people and have the opportunity to help others in the future.
 
C

Craig H.

#27
Hi, everyone.

I just realized that today completes my first year on the Cove (registered 1/4/02). It has been great! This is a pretty amazing group.

Thanks, Marc, for maintaining one of the best Quality Learning tools around.

One thing that really took guts was Marc letting the "contemplating war" thread continue like it did, even though I suspect that he didn't agree at all with some of what was said. Even there, it is clear that there are some smart, thoughtful, people at the Cove.

Thanks to my fellow Covers for your thoughts, and your sense of humor!

Craig
 
K

Ken K

#28
This place is like a comfortable pair of shoes. Where else can one come and mingle with some of the sharpest minds in the quality field from all over the world (ok, some of us are not that sharp) and not feel looked down upon for asking what some might say is a stupid question.

It is like a family. I enjoy reading the many ways all of us interpret the same thing. We'll probably never meet on the street, but I think I've gotten to know many of you through Mark's extrordinary sight. Can't imagine a work day without coming here.



Thanks Marc. This round is on me!
 
#29
and not feel looked down upon for asking what some might say is a stupid question
I'm not so certain I totally agree with that statement, Ken. I've seen us get almost abusive to folks from time to time. But Marc, or one of the Moderators normally steps in and settles us down.
 
M

M Greenaway

#30
I dont know how many others out there have felt isolated, even in a large organisation, working in the quality arena. Its a profession of high ideals that reality always seems to fail to reach, to lesser or more often greater extent.

Thank heavens we can come here for a shoulder to cry on, a sounding board, to vent off steam, and to learn.

I find this place much like a religious person might find their place of worship, a sanctury where faith can be restored.

I humbly apologise for the occasional scrap I have got in to, but the other fella started it, honest :biglaugh:

It is my resolution this year to get my posting down as I am hopelessly addicted to this place - thanks all.
 
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