FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[jorge santos garcia]

Sean

If you will call it selenite because it's the name someone has given to you, whatever we can tell you in here, why are you asking our opinion? ( https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?t=506 )

If you don't want to make a little scratch or put a little drop of acid to try to know for shure what it is, I believe you are not really interested in answers.

There are hundreds of people who read these posts, but only two or three spend their time trying to help you. They are really great experts who have for shure other things to do, so you should be gratefull and listen what they can teach you.

Jorge

[Tracy]

Why is everyone being so mean to Sean? We have had postings appear before where the only information available was what the seller had told the buyer, or where the owner came across something with no information on what it is or where it came from. In cases like this we haven't for the most part been able to help provide answers, but why be so nasty about it this time? Just because Sean believes in crystal healing and as such was unwilling to do scratch and acid testing? He is studying crystallography, trying to learn just as we all are...and in my opinion deserves/deserved better treatment from FMF regulars. A simple "sorry we can't help you" would have been sufficient.

[Debbie Woolf]

I'm with Tracy on this one, regardless of one's beliefs I was taught it doesn't hurt to be polite & friendly, this site & Mindat have strong (rebuffed) views about Metaphysical stuff but why does it deter you from helping someone identify a mineral ? It's not time wasting if you've taught someone something, I've got Selenite & I will always call it that first as that's whats stuck in my mind because a dealer told me it was Selenite but I will then go onto say its also widely known as Gypsum in the mineral world.

Obviously Sean & others will have to learn that if not willing to do the tests then the best hope is a guess/estimate.

[Linda Smith]

Fortunately we have scienitific methods to determine the identification of certain minerals. In wanting to identify a mineral, it sometimes requires using tried and true methods to do so. As a mineralogist I welcome the wisdom of the people on this forum to steer me in the right direction. I feel bad that some people have misinterpreted the help of John as rude. Sometimes we do get weary of all of the hype in regards to the mystical powers of commom minerals that we use everyday in our lives. If quartz is your healing powers, you are surrounded with quartz or the component parts in your everyday windows. go figure.

[Tracy]

For the record I was not speaking out about John's posts, after the original lashing out he was extremely helpful. It's just that at some point the thread became much less friendly than at the beginning. We should not be telling any newcomer to be mindful of wasting anybody's time by asking beginner questions.

I know that 99%+ of the FMF readers take a negative view on mineral metaphysics but don't believe it's appropriate to ridicule/berate people for what they believe in. FMF has a good track record for being friendly and accomodating and it saddens me to follow this thread and to see how unkindly Sean was treated. Nuff said from me on this topic.

- Tracy
(and thanks Debbie)

[alfredo]

Although I am generally polite to mystics, and try to help with their mineralogical questions, I can certainly understand John's frustration with them. The reason why scientists get annoyed with those who believe in the mystical healing energies of crystals is that the concept is demonstrably, incontrovertibly, utter nonsense; easily provable to be bulls' kaka. At best it is the "placebo effect" and nothing more.

Let's compare with the Flat Earth theory. There was a time long ago when humans weren't quite sure whether the Earth was flat or spheroidal, and it would have been polite to listen to opposing points of view. Nowadays only a blithering idiot would still claim the Earth was flat, and polite folk are no longer under any obligation to give the Flat Earth theory "equal time".

[jorge santos garcia]

If you are speaking about what I've write above, let me tell you I don't meant to be unfriendly, and in my post there's not a single mention about mine or others believes.

People can talk and discuss their ideas without been rude or insultuous. At the end, I will keep my opinion or I will accept yours if you gave me the data and proofs that make me change my mind.

My understanding of what Sean said is: "I want your help but I would not do anything to help you to help me and whatever you may decide about this mineral species, for me it is selenite, because that's the name they gave me".

So, why is he asking for help? I believe it is a reasonable doubt, and that's what I've asked him, in a simple way.

To answer to some questions one has to search for information and that means spending time. I'm gratefull to someone that does that without knowing me, even if he thinks my question is basic, and I've learn a lot with them. So, I have never ridicularized people for their doubts in these foruns, 'au contraire', I'm glad to help them when I can.

I believe you have misunderstand my words. Having doubts about someone's will to learn cannot be confused with rudeness or unkindly behaviour.

Jorge