# Personal signatures



## Stephen (Mar 31, 2006)

I'd like to pose an idea . . . ok . . . I am posing an idea . . .

As Lumberjocks, as an internet destination, unfolds and grows, we will all get to know one another, in some instances become friends, but in the main we will share our work, ideas, and experience.

That said, I suggest we develop a nomenclature for signatures. For instance, I am an amateur working in a dedicated personal shop in the mountains of North Carolina. I will certainly take away more than I will, from the lack of experience, leave. I might use a signature like . . .

Stephen (A) (for Amateur)
Mountains of Western North Carolina

Thus no one is going to ask me for technical help, as well they should not, but were I interested in chairs, I would immediately know to turn to Mark in Kansas. He might use a signature such as . . .

<a href="http://www.decoustudio.com">Mark</a> (P-Furniture)
Central Kansas

. . . for your consideration only.

Stephen (A)
Mountains of Western North Carolina


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## decoustudio (May 4, 2006)

I do like your concept. I'm in a yahoo group that is made up of mostly new woodworkers, and I get frustrated at all the bad advice I see printed everyday amongst them. One guy has a an idea that goes against woodworking principles taught for centuries, and several other inexperienced guys say it sounds good to them. And they all electronically pat each other on the back, and head off to make chips and dust.

In some cases I have tried to help by giving an alternate method, or another way of thinking about the problem, or just tell them it won't work and the reasons why not, but in many cases, I get back that they will try it anyway.

I learned in the home shop of my father growing up, as he was a woodshop teacher and master furniture builder. By the time I hit High School Wood Shop, I was ready for some very complicated furniture, but, because of the "system", I had to patiently wait through 2 years of easy projects to wait for my junior and senior years to make furniture. That's ok, my mom still has the nice Ash cutting board, and I dusted off my little cedar jewelry box yesterday in the shop. I use it store my business cards, and brochures out of the dust.

As with my dad growing up, and with the High School teacher, most of us students listened to the teacher explain things, none of us ever questioned him, or suggested other methods, etc., we just listened and acted upon his instruction. The results were that we learned solid woodworking skills that I make a living with today. About the only other method I could see working better for teaching skills would be an apprecticeship program.

When I decided 10 years ago to stop my easy-pay engineering career and pursue what I really was born to do, I could not find a woodworking shop that would hire me. In each case, they felt that at 32 years old, they would either be training a future competitor, or they couldn't see that I was capable. In one interview, the shop owner asked me what side of the line do I cut on when cutting a board…My answer to him was that I would take two weeks vacation from job and work for him for free and at the end of the two weeks, he could make a decision about whether I could handle the work. He didn't take my offer.

To end that side-trail, rabbit trail, or otherwise distraction, as I am not one to turn away from my dreams for lack of a job, I was then forced to do it on my own, a decision that even this morning I question at times.

Late last week, I received word that I was accepted to the Western Design Conference show in Cody, WY in September this year (2006). The knot in my stomach is that I am wondering if my skills are ready to be competitive at that national level. I will know that answer in September. I can hold my own in most cases, but I have never been around a group of woodworkers with such talent and reputation so far.

I don't know whether a "signature" would help with advice seeking and giving or not. I do like this lumberjocks format, where I can easily click the name and see the photo and description of the person I am hearing from, or writing to.

I know I am rambling, it is early for me yet. Looking at your nice face in the picture while I type, you're just an easy guy to write to, so I am writing, whether it all makes coherent sense, or not.

With that being said, I would not have known about the chair making school down in your part of the woods, had you not recommended that resource for my chair making adventure, so please continue to offer help.

thanks,
Mark DeCou
www.decoustudio.com


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## Stephen (Mar 31, 2006)

Mark . . .

Awwww shucks . . . 

Shop classes, next to gym, were ALWAYS my favorite even when the teacher was lacking in the instructional arts or basic woodworking skills. In 7th grade shop my teacher was a blithering idiot, and lucky for him and all of us, we used only hand tools. I took a wood shop class in summer school from a brilliant teacher who understood both shop arts AND a kid's need to create. He was also a talented craftsman. I don't remember his name, but I remember him patiently showing me time after time, how to, and the importance of, squaring stock with a block plane, an end vise, and a try square.

After being discharged from the service in my my early twenties, a very, very, long time ago, I was given a fairly complete set of antique hand tools from which I fashioned an endless supply of three-legged milking stools, step stools, and other simple, but useful wooden devices. I do not have them anymore. I lost them in a divorce! She actually made it an issuein the settlement that she got my tools . Oh well . . . that was then and this is now.

Enjoy your day!

Stephen
Mountains of Western North Carolina


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## 2 (Feb 26, 2006)

Stephen,

thanks for starting this topic. As I mentioned in my recent email to you I'm already working on the side-wide signatures which should be stored in the lumberjocks' profiles…

I want to keep it very simple and straightforward. Instead of allowig muliple lines signatures I'm tending more to *simple one-liner* - because I hate those long signatures on the mainstream forums since they are too distracting. The most important part of any discussion (be it project or topic discussion) is the actual content, not some long repeating signatures.

So the solution I'm suggesting would enable each lumberjock to set his own one line long signature so your example would look like this (when displayed under the comment for example):

-Mark DeCou (P-Furniture), Central Kansas, www.decoustudio.com

-Stephen (A), Mountains of Western North Carolina

I like your suggested format so I may use it as the best practice.

This one liner will ensure nice little signature in the text flow and for more info reader can always click author's picture or link as Mark mentioned.

Let me know what you think about this, please.. I'd like to have this feature ready next week.


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## Stephen (Mar 31, 2006)

Hey Martin . . .

Works for me! Enjoy!

Stephen (A), Mountains of Western Northn Carolina


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## 2 (Feb 26, 2006)

Stephen, Mark..

signatures are working! So go to your profile, set your new signature and save the changes.

Your signature will appear *automatically* under your project stories, comments, forum topics as well as replies.

Here's mine:


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## Stephen (Mar 31, 2006)

Lemmesee Martin . . . my new Signature's in place . . . lemmee post and see what happens, eh?


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## Stephen (Mar 31, 2006)

Well! Whadaya know! Pretty slick Buck-O!


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## 2 (Feb 26, 2006)

Congrats to your new LJ signature, Stephen (A)


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## RobS (Aug 11, 2006)

Checking mine….


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