Bonsai Mirai Live

[MACH5]

This is the main thing I am struggling with. Last night there was a session on azaleas with Peter Warren. I asked a question that was very specific and directly related to what he was talking about at that very moment. My question was never asked, but instead we got to hear a question about whether people create deadwood on an azalea.

This is all under Kendal that for better or worse filters through the questions and picks and chooses the ones to get answered. Not sure if its her relative inexperience that sometimes chooses beginner questions over ones that are perhaps more insightful and/or thoughtful? I have had the same experience. Sometimes they get picked and sometimes not.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

This is all under Kendal that for better or worse filters through the questions and picks and chooses the ones to get answered. Not sure if its her relative inexperience that sometimes chooses beginner questions over ones that are perhaps more insightful and/or thoughtful? I have had the same experience. Sometimes they get picked and sometimes not.

Perhaps one solution might be - you can't ask a SINGLE QUESTION for the first hour, unless it is directly related to EXACTLY what the instructor is doing at that very moment - and it is asking for clarification or additional information related to exactly what is happening? Then you end the live stream with a Q&A about the specific topic? (no off-topic questions allowed?)

Also I think Kendall may be choosing questions that are "interesting" because she is trying to help create an interesting stream(?) I think she is being put in an awkward/difficult position as a moderator because she is trying to make people happy. Perhaps if there were more hard rules about questions, it would go more smoothly.

 

[chicago1980]

Perhaps one solution might be - you can't ask a SINGLE QUESTION for the first hour, unless it is directly related to EXACTLY what the instructor is doing at that very moment - and it is asking for clarification or additional information related to exactly what is happening? Then you end the live stream with a Q&A about the specific topic? (no off-topic questions allowed?)

Also I think Kendall may be choosing questions that are "interesting" because she is trying to help create an interesting stream(?) I think she is being put in an awkward/difficult position as a moderator because she is trying to make people happy. Perhaps if there were more hard rules about questions, it would go more smoothly.

Recently the Mirai team has been starting with telling viewers to stay on topic and discuss what is happening in front of them. As a tier 3 member I do see value in the weekly Q &As as my questions are directly answered. I generally don't ask questions during the Super Tuesday.

Also, the chat function reflects people willing to pay $30 a month to ask questions, not the level of their skill.

Sometimes the questions are a bit tedious and show a lack of depth on the subject, but for $30 it all seems worth the investment.

Also, people ask the same questions alot!
I'm still learning and appreciate the platform as an additional resource.

 

[coh]

I've been a tier 2 member for several months and recently upgraded to evaluate tier 3. I'm not sure how much longer I'll keep it, mainly for the reasons already stated.

In addition to repetitious questions, same people asking lots of questions, skipping questions - Kendall often only reads part of a question. I've had this happen to me and it really made the resulting answer a lot less useful than it could have been, since Ryan didn't have all the information. On the other hand, I did email them and told them the question was only partly asked and answered, and got back a nice informative response from Ryan directly.

I know they are talking about setting up a library which contains a listing of the topics covered in each Q&A, kind of an FAQ. That might help cut down on repeating questions that have already been answered, but of course will rely on people doing some of the legwork themselves. If there's one thing the internet has taught me, it's that people don't like doing that (or they think they shouldn't have to).

Maybe one solution would be to only allow 1 question from each participant, until everyone has had a question answered. Sometimes one person really dominates the sessions by asking 3 or 4 questions one after the other. And maybe the questions should be screened by someone with more bonsai experience. At some point I'll probably put together a list of suggestions to send them. If everyone on this thread does the same, perhaps they will move toward a better system.

Another suggestion would be to post a definitive list somewhere of what Ryan considers "elongating species". That seems to be asked every week.

Aside, does the set up remind anyone else of the Howard Stern show? Starring Kendall as Robin Quivers. Her voice and mannerisms make me think of that for some reason.

 

[rockm]

Perhaps one solution might be - you can't ask a SINGLE QUESTION for the first hour, unless it is directly related to EXACTLY what the instructor is doing at that very moment - and it is asking for clarification or additional information related to exactly what is happening? Then you end the live stream with a Q&A about the specific topic? (no off-topic questions allowed?)

Also I think Kendall may be choosing questions that are "interesting" because she is trying to help create an interesting stream(?) I think she is being put in an awkward/difficult position as a moderator because she is trying to make people happy. Perhaps if there were more hard rules about questions, it would go more smoothly.

I find all this funny. I used to teach skiing waaay back when at local mountains in Va. People can be pretty stupid, think they're better than they are, or simply haven't got a clue about what the trail marker system is all about. Mix all that together on a triple black diamond slope and you get broken bones, long hilarious stories of personal calamity and even a death or two.

I think there is some of that cluelessness or willful ignorance in this kind of instruction. Beginners getting onto advanced slopes because THEY CAN and no one calls them on it. They not only are a physical danger to others, they also gum up decent skiers' paths and (God help us) the lift lines (ask me about later some of the hilarity that ensued at those some time)

Some of the ski slopes in my area when I was teaching began implementing a simple 'can you turn?' test at the top of lifts leading to advanced slopes. An instructor stationed at a pinch point on the trail asked you to do a simple parallel turn. Most beginners didn't even know what that meant...Can't turn your skis parallel or even understand what was being asked?, you were politely told to "exit THAT way" which was a path to the bunny hill....

Lift tickets were $35 back then--a lot of $$. People didn't complain when they weren't allowed to try and kill themselves.

Maybe some sort of quiz before being allowed onto more advanced tiers would help, but it would also cut into the revenue stream...

 

[R3x]

I don't think this issue has anything to do with Ryan, per se. I think it is just a sad statement of the world we live in. People don't want to learn - they just want to be fed information. It's like the kid in class who sits in the front row and before the teacher even starts the lecture the kid starts raising his hand and asking questions.

Years ago, I was assisting a visiting master from Japan when he was working on a client's trees in his yard. As I was helping him, I asked a single question about what he was doing. He responded "In Japan, an apprentice does not ask - he watches and repeats." I didn't ask another question for 8 hours, LOL. And I found that I learned a lot more if I just kept my mouth closed and assumed that everything he did had a reason for doing, and that by observation I would figure it out.

If they have a stream on bald cypress, I don't start the stream by spamming the chat channel with questions. I don't own a bald cypress and I have zero experience with the species. Instead I sit quietly and watch the stream and learn. There have been several streams where I haven't made a single comment in the chat channel. Too many people don't have any experience and they start out by spamming questions with whatever tumbles into their heads. I'm not kidding when I say that the stream might only be ten minutes old and already there are ten beginner questions in the queue from people who have zero experience with the topic at hand. Shut up already and watch the stream!

This was very different from what I expected. I thought that the Tier 3 members were going to be more advanced, and that the chat channel was going to have a side "advanced" conversation going on while we were watching the stream. This is definitely not the case.

I know what you mean. There are some suggestions here that could improve the situation. Also Ryan can take some precautions to prevent such things happening. But he has to know first that his valued customers (and I believe he values customers a great deal) have those issues and disappointments so he can start tackling them.

 

[tstrum]

I'm a tier 2. Have any of you tier 3 members liked the extended-cut videos posted?

 

[chicago1980]

I'm a tier 2. Have any of you tier 3 members liked the extended-cut videos posted?

I have reviewed these several times.

 

[tstrum]

I have reviewed these several times.

Any good? I'm curious if I'm missing out not seeing them, if there's critical bits of knowledge that are "make or break" in my learning.

 

[R3x]

Any good? I'm curious if I'm missing out not seeing them, if there's critical bits of knowledge that are "make or break" in my learning.

That would depend on your current knowledge and ability to apply it. I'm watching Ryan's videos (and other's as well) for 3 years almost daily. Still new things to learn. I'd bet in every Ryan's video you'll find at least 3 new things that would be beneficial for you.

 

[JudyB]

And maybe the questions should be screened by someone with more bonsai experience

I think that this would help a lot. She may be picking questions that make sense to her, simply because she also is wondering the same thing, as she has little experience. Maybe she could host, and someone else could vet the question listings.

 

[chicago1980]

It did occur to me that more advance bonsai participants may want to consider a more advance approach to their study. Mirai does offer one on one consultation, and workshops.

It is an interesting idea to apply a structure to participants such as Bonsai 101, 102, and so on, similar to the way Ryan structures his in person workshops. There may be the crux of the situation, if you want that advance study, you may need to participate in his advance seasonal programs.

I look forward to the platforms development and the elevation of the information over time. It does seem over time that the maturation of information will take place.

 

[BobbyLane]

i signed up to tier 2 for a year a couple days ago. very impressive content and worth the price tag imho, the videos are very long, i cant get through one vid in a single sitting, i pause and come back. so much content in such detail. really enjoyed the deciduous focus last night and the work carried out on the field maple, my kind of tree, the beech forest was also very interesting.
just those two vids opened my eyes up to a few things ill take on board in future.

 

[ghues]

Watched the live "free" stream Tuesday night Fall Philosophy, a great one indeed.

 

[coh]

I'm a tier 2. Have any of you tier 3 members liked the extended-cut videos posted?

I've been on tier 3 for a month and a half or so. I'm probably going to drop back to tier 2. Don't get me wrong, there is good stuff at tier 3 but I think the cost jump between the 2 levels is too large. Basically for the extra $10+ a month you get to participate in the on-line chat during the weekly videos (both the regular video and the Q&A). You also get to see the extra (extended cut) videos and can review any of the Q&As.

Right now my biggest complaints are related to the chat and how questions are handled. During the Q&A there is still a tendency for certain users to bombard the chat with too many questions, and they don't filter them at all...just go through them in the order they are received. The other more annoying issue is that Kendal often doesn't present the entire question to Ryan, she'll often just read part of it. This has happened to me several times and it has in some cases the left-out part was something I considered very important. I wouldn't write the question that way if I didn't want Ryan to hear all of it.

 

[tstrum]

I've been on tier 3 for a month and a half or so. I'm probably going to drop back to tier 2. Don't get me wrong, there is good stuff at tier 3 but I think the cost jump between the 2 levels is too large. Basically for the extra $10+ a month you get to participate in the on-line chat during the weekly videos (both the regular video and the Q&A). You also get to see the extra (extended cut) videos and can review any of the Q&As.

Right now my biggest complaints are related to the chat and how questions are handled. During the Q&A there is still a tendency for certain users to bombard the chat with too many questions, and they don't filter them at all...just go through them in the order they are received. The other more annoying issue is that Kendal often doesn't present the entire question to Ryan, she'll often just read part of it. This has happened to me several times and it has in some cases the left-out part was something I considered very important. I wouldn't write the question that way if I didn't want Ryan to hear all of it.

I doubt I would use the chat function. I am too new to have many questions, I am really just trying to absorb all the content. But when I am watching archived videos, I can see the terciary content but am not allowed to watch it. Some of the videos that are exclusive to tier 3 do look extremely interesting, but as you stated, it is a big jump from 2 to 3 price-wise.

Have you liked the extra videos?

 

[coh]

I doubt I would use the chat function. I am too new to have many questions, I am really just trying to absorb all the content. But when I am watching archived videos, I can see the terciary content but am not allowed to watch it. Some of the videos that are exclusive to tier 3 do look extremely interesting, but as you stated, it is a big jump from 2 to 3 price-wise.

Have you liked the extra videos?

Some have been pretty good, others have seemed more like filler. I'd recommend upgrading to the tier 3 for a month, watch all the videos, then decide. You can drop back down to tier 2 at any time.

 

[chicago1980]

I enjoy the tier 3 memberships. I benefit from the Q & A's. Some more than others, as I have questions about Douglas Firs that are difficult to find answers.