why are people so serious about their newts?

[peter81965]

...and make people feel like they don't know what they're talking about.

Surely, whatever our level of expertise, when we seek advice it's because we don't know what we're talking about?
Of course, there are some hard and fast rules regarding the basic care of the animals, but one of the good things about a forum like this is that it allows people to pool their ideas in problem solving- allowing each of us to draw on a vast wealth of knowledge and experience , helping us to approach problems in ways we might never have thought of ourselves. There's a lot of free expertise ,advice and moral support available here, and one thing is for sure, not one of the members was born with an innate knowledge of the subject. It's all about being open to learning. That ultimately enhances ones enjoyment of any passtime/ hobby/ vocation/ obsession.

 

[mzchief]

i voted less than 10%.

i did read this forum before i went ahead and allowed my boys to buy newts as pets. if i commit to keeping a pet, it's my responsibility to provide the best care for them. because of this forum, i felt confident i could look after newts and knew i had support here if it was needed. to me that was very important.

it's obvious who are the seriously keen caudata keepers here and i have a lot of respect for them. i'm walking in here knowing naff all - but, i'm also seriously willing to learn. i'm pleasantly surprised at the tolerance of others to help out those newbies with far less knowledge. so kudos to the regulars here.

the idea of a forum is interaction and discussions so of course questions are welcome, that's why there's a help forum. from what i can see, it works. but there are care sheets and a search facility here too. so general info is available if you look. i guess some regulars may get fed up with answering the same questions, or providing the same link time and time again and might well be a bit sharp, but at least they have answered. there's nothing worse than being ignored.

that's my two penneth.

i talk too much and love to use emoticons :talker:

 

[kiathepooch]

I treat my newts/salamders with the same care/time/effort as my dog/ferrets mainly because they rely on me to look after them and bring me lots of enjoyment...and because I'm odd?!

As to comments on posts,the majority of the time they are ok and part of it is down to it being written as others have said-but it is common knowledge/accepted on the Internet that capitals=shouting so when a reply is full of capitalised words it does come across that the person who's typed the comment is being aggressive?

 

[SkinksGalore77]

Re: take a breath....

Ok... so you live for your newts and salamanders, what gets me is that I bet that most of you don't care for the well being of other animals. How about that chicken or cow that was raised in inhumane conditions and killed for your pleasure? Everyone has different priorities, "let him who is without sin cast the first stone". Be respectful to those who have little or no knowledge these animals, they may lead more saintly lives then you in other areas.

I find that very offensive, obviously I love herps(reptiles & amphibians) but that doesnt mean I dont care for other animals. I love and respect all of nature and its beautiful inhabitants and I work hard to put as little a negative impact on the environment and all animals as I can. I donate money to WWF on a regular basis and I have volunteered at animal shelters and reptile and amphibian stores. Aside from my herps I have 3 wonderful dogs that I take extremely good care of just like I do with all my pets. Yes I eat meat but that doesnt mean I dont care about the cow or chicken or pig it came from. One reason I feel so strongly about these animals being taken care of properly is because they are not treated with the same respect as most other animals by humans who arent educated simply because they are so small or they dont seem as "human" to people who dont take the time to watch them and see how big a personality they can actually have. I have had salamanders with just as much personality as my dogs. I am not trying to be rude I just want to get my point across, and if I came off as rude I apologize but please dont accuse me or other members of not caring about any animals but caudat's just because were members of this forum. Why would we come to a caudat forum to talk about anything but caudat's. Please be respectful of the members on here, we may lead more saintly lives than you think.

 

[Red Eft14]

Yeah I understand.They are probably trying to help and not sound rude but because its threw the internet you can't see peopel emotions and how they want to use there tone but sometimes I do feel that they are being mean to me but I ignore it and take it as a helpful tip lol.

 

[esn]

I voted less than 10%. I feel that the only time I've ever seen snippiness or rudeness is in defense of one's own animals or opinion. Usually any of that is over the well being of an animal. Most any other time the answers are courteous and respectful of those who are new to the caudate world like I am. The most I've ever seen people fired up is on the copper axolotl debate, and on people refusing to use sand instead of gravel.

 

[Kaysie]

Please keep in mind that this thread is 4 years old. I don't think the OP comes around much.

 

[Molch]

funny thread. The results point out the need for another kind of survey:

"Why oh why are people who post on internet boards so danged sensitive?"

oh, and...
I wuv my newts. Der my wittle frends.

 

[kiathepooch]

Please keep in mind that this thread is 4 years old. I don't think the OP comes around much.

Lmao!i usually check the date before I post too,my bad.


Sent,using the power of my mind.....

 

[Opacum]

That's it: I SNAPPED! Well, it was me or them. I was tired of being treated like a man-servant. "No, Carlo, we like our earthworms cut at a 45 degree angle into 1/8" pieces; No, Carlo, our floating islands should face more South; No, Carlo, that tie doesn't go with that suit your wearing..." Well, enough is enough! I have sawed all the legs of their recliners almost all of the way through so that when they get out after their morning swim to stretch out: Blammo! They'll fall over on their heads. They don't appreciate me! Who else would put those stupid little umbrellas in all of their Mojitos? That's it, I quit! I see them staring at me with those dead salamander eyes, plotting, laughing... But I'll show them... I'll show them ALL! My dog is so much easier! He only tells me to hurt people... I'm sorry, what was the question again?

 

[Jenste]

Opacum....you made my day!
Thank you!

 

[Opacum]

You are quite welcome, Jenste... I think a little levity goes a long way when things get too tense. Of course now all of the salamanders are huddled together whispering, and every once in awhile one of them looks in my direction and smirks... I'm watching my back today...

 

[suztor]

... sometimes I do feel that they are being mean to me but I ignore it and take it as a helpful tip lol.

I second this.A lot of it is a matter of perception and how you choose to view the advice or comment.

 

[Kaysie]

As a person who is (frequently) accused of being snippy, I'll say this in our defense. Some moderators/members with more experience post dozens of posts a day. I cannot tell you HOW many times I've responded to threads that say "omg my axolotl has fungus", and I cannot begin to how annoying it can get answering the same questions over and over. It makes me want to smack my head twice as hard when information is offered, but the individual refuses to read/heed it. So that's why some posts can be snippy.

 

[yellowpebble]

i agree. No snippyness needed if they would just look through the forum for the 100 other threads called "omg my axolotl has fungus"

 

[Logan]

I believe another common problem is those of us who focus on amphibians as a hobby usually have a different perspective to those in other pet hobbies. I have had many friends that don't understand why I won't breed two species of dendrobates together to get some crazy color. When I defend my stance they usually feel like I am talking down to them. The fact is some of try to do right by the animals and others may just see them as a cool thing and aren't as concerned with making things exactly how they should be. Those hobbyists usually may ask for advice but in the end they just want the answer they want to hear. These cause little bits of misconceived rudeness but really we are just offering up our opinion. I hope I didn't go off in the wrong direction but this is a wonderful place to learn and really the most respectful forum I am a part of.
Logan

 

[kiathepooch]

i agree. No snippyness needed if they would just look through the forum for the 100 other threads called "omg my axolotl has fungus"

Lmao!this reminded me of a recent post.
Also when I've search for things on google,as my phone app doesnt always bring up all the search results on here,the first results are threads from here and you then have the option to search all of Caudata......it's like a lot of people now havent got the gumption to search for things themselves anymore.
Maybe it's an age thing,that or I just like researching the hell outta stuff before I ask questions...

On this site is there a "newbie please read" section of its own in the axolotl section...though then the problem would lie in-would they read it....



Sent,using the power of my mind.....

 

[Kaysie]

Kia, that's why the stickies are so frustratingly ineffective. People are just too lazy to find the answers to their own questions, and just want you to tell them. It's an immediate gratification society we live in now.

Logan, there's also the obvious split on the forum here. There are those who are here for science, and those who are here for cute pets. Sometimes, these two groups come into contact, although most scientific folks fear to venture into the axolotl forum where the majority of the "OMG it's so fluffy!" mentality is centered. When they do, the fluffy group takes offense to the no-nonsense demeanor of the scientists, and call them rude. Scientists, generally, have awkward social skills and cannot comprehend why someone's offended.

 

[Jake]

Please keep in mind that this thread is 4 years old. I don't think the OP comes around much.

If I remember correctly that person was banned.


Anyways, while we're still on the subject, I have also been accused of leaving snippy replies or "attacking" people or just being rude in general. I don't sugar coat all of my posts here. As has already been mentioned people are given advice and don't take it and then wonder why things are going wrong. They also read emotion into what is being said. If they met me in person they'd know I'm nice to most people around me.

Then again, some of these users wouldn't know a nice person if they smacked them upside the head!

 

[SludgeMunkey]

Re: take a breath....

I am probably in the top ten on the list of "snippy and rude". In fact I could care less.

I learned long ago that in internet communication, most of our language nuances are not present, and therefor left to interpretation, which is often wrong. (Which is why I advocate the use of "Smileys". No other way to express a lot of things in English without them.

I long ago gave up on trying to be nice and/or explaining things in the simplest terms. There is absolutely no need to do so, given that the answers to EVERYTHING are a few clicks away on Google. (Look up" What is the meaning of life, the universe and everything?") I detest when people ask the same old questions over and over and admit in their posts they realize they are beating a dead horse but ask anyway.

Because of all this, and my own misinterpretations of context, I strive to be as blunt and factual as I can be. If need be, I will wait a while while I prepare citations to back my claims. If anecdotal, I clearly state that is is in "my opinion" or in "my experience". Is that snippy? I think not. That is how one properly defends a claim. Cold hard fact. Claims need citation. Opinions do not.

I believe that if one doesn't want or already knows (or believes they know) the answer, they have no business asking in the first place and should be treated as such.

I do not participate here to make friends, have a social popularity contest or, get cuddly with anyone. I am here because I believe in the free exchange of information with other interested parties. It is well known I am self-taught in this and related hobbies long BEFORE the internet even existed. I feel that if my input wasn't wanted, needed, or found offensive by someone, they probably should never post on a public forum and only communicate via PM.

As for the bit about not caring for other critters, that is a fallacy if ever there was one. I care more about critters than I do people. I am certain there are many, many others that feel the same way. Believe me, I stop the car in the middle of the street to help a toad across, but I actually accellerate towards jay-walkers...:rofl: I once was arrested and released for "brutally" beating a man I saw kick a stray cat.

I find it humorous that anyone would be so ignorant as to even think about complaining about caudate enthusiasts on a caudate enthusiast forum. I suggest that individual rethink their flamespray most likely based on the fact they got an answer they didn't want.

Also understand, I take great pleasure in seeing some of the garbage that goes on on web forums. Heck, I've been know to deliberately instigate just to watch as members realize how wrong/misinformed/arrogant they are or get peeved and leave forever. This is usually best seen by comparing the date of the post in question with the date the user was last logged on.(Which anyone can do on this site.)

I myself have been known to take long breaks from the forums, and then complain via social media about the frustrations I experience. That's my advice, either log out and cool off for a while, or find a different source of information. Frankly, I would love to see someone claim there is a better source of free information and advice on this rare and misunderstood hobby on the web. No English Language site anywhere has the years of experience and knowledge crammed into one spot like we do here.Period. Sadly most of it is worthless because a good portion of the membership relies on the long memories of the veterans. (And yes, I am full aware I am just as guilty of this.)


So, in short, if I were still a Moderator (which I am glad I am not. That implies I give a darn about people in my mind or have the social skills to tolerate the denizens of the web.) I would have deleted this thread right away. It is pointless and I feel dirty for even wasting this inordinate amount of time commenting on it.But, when I get to ranting, no one is safe.

I live by my own quote developed over years of fixing other people's junk: "I can fix anything, but I can't fix ignorant, lazy or complacent."

As for social skills, I have tons and hate using them. I am the mushrooms you find in the corner of the pub- a fungi to be with. I can't help it I speak and think 50 times faster than any of you. (Ask poor Kaysie or Dr. Clare, they have talked to me directly and I never shut up....) I prefer to communicate online as it slows things down a bit. People that spend any amount of time with me very quickly get annoyed, but I cannot help that. Online this is a null issue. I suspect that I am not alone in this.

As for the bit on the "Scientists vs. the Hello Kitty Club" I know for a fact that that is exactly how things work on any forum. When you hang out for years, you see the Kitties come and go like my daphnia cultures, but the hardcore science geeks never leave, they just get quietly bored with the HKC. I really dig my axolotls, but after a decade with them, they just aren't as cute and fascinating any more when there are thousands of other "newer" critters to learn about.

I understand there are new people to this hobby every day. I think that is great. What I hate is that they will take the time to answer, reply, argue, and then insult the people that answer their posts and ultimately ignore what was handed to them even though they could have looked it up themselves in less time.

The Hello Kitty Club are easily identified by the following cycle:

1. Make five B.S. ("Cool!") posts just to be able to make a "I want" post on the classifieds.
2. All is quiet for a few weeks until the new package arrives in the mail.
3. Spam the forums up a dozen times a day for a month straight asking all the basics they should have read/set-up/ prepared for before ever buying a pet.
4. Get insulted when their pleas go ignored.
4a. If/when they get an answer, gush with gratitude, then complain it took so long to get an answer and ultimately ignore said information.
5. Post a long, cute lament to their dead pet.
6. Disappear from the community faster than rum in a sailor bar, never to return.

Harsh? Yes. True? Yup.

Test my theory for yourself, just take a look at the member list and compare dates on the number of posts and when last the poster logged in. It IS funny in a sad way.