Breeders/ranchers posting on the forum

[Godins Chinchillas]

I know I don't speak for just myself because in the past year quite a few of us had this conversation. I know many of us who have been breeding for many years have a wealth of knowledge to give to new breeders or pet owners. And it bothers me that we feel we can't say anything for fear of being ridiculed or slammed. I know myself I don't post much because I see others get nailed for putting their experience out there.

IDK. It's something that's been eating away at me. Is this the reason why others have bought banners? To have the right to put ads up without contributing to the forum because of the fear of backlash? I've heard yes.

 

[mknoblich1]

I welcome any advice from people that are MUCH more experienced than I am. I think it's a shame that some people don't offer advice because some people are to stubborn or ignorant to accept advice from someone that has more knowledge. People generally are only trying to offer advice for the sake of chinchillas, not be be rude or belittle others. It's so hard to truly know how a person is saying something through text. People need to understand that and read a post two or three times before they reply with something nasty. I hope that other people feel the same way that I do. I think it's ridiculous to be rude to someone that is only trying to offer advice. I posted a pic of my girls last year on another forum and I had a petsmart snack shack in the cage. Someone told me that I should take it out because they are bad for chins. I didn't get mad or feel like it was a personal attack against me for being a bad pet owner. I took it as a learning experience and removed it and thanked that person for their help. I hope that if anyone sees something I post and is afraid to respond publicly out of fear of being ridiculed that you would send me a pm and let me know directly. I know that pm's offering advice are not encouraged because this is a place to learn but not getting advice at all is a shame. People on this site only want to help others be better chin owners. I hope you know that there are people that do appreciate advice and will listen to others that have more experience. I am eager and willing to learn from anyone that can help me give a better and safer life for my chins. Now to get off my soap box.

 

[Dreamlite]

I don't care. Yell at me all you want. Most of the time I don't bother cause 2 or 3 people have already said what needs to be said and I don't like beating a dead horse. And others point blank don't really want the advice so I'm not gonna waste my time. I got slammed a few months ago for asking what to do with a quality violet with a lost pedigree. I sold her as a pet but I have no doubt that certain people will never consider buying from me as a result.

 

[mercynursie]

Honestly I am just a pet owner but I am thankful for the breeders and ranchers input/info.Granted I am an old fashioned fuddy duddy 45 yo but I have a mind of my own and can form my own opinions. If it weren't for breeders and ranchers, we wouldn't have a drop in the bucket of knowledge about these wonderful creatures. I know others may get offended by the harsh truth but if I ask for help or an opinion I really want the truth and honest experience that seasoned veterans ohinchilla owners can give.

 

[Pookinaround]

Eh I may still be considered to be fairly new and all but I never had a problem saying what I think...it is what it is...I just bought my banner for exposure...here is the thing that gets me...people CAN disagree on things and it is perfectly fine it is all in HOW you approach someone else...if people can just learn to be respectful towards one another and not take things personally I don't see anything wrong with having differing opinions...and opinions DO certainly change and evolve...I know mine have...Like runs vs/ pet cages...I changed my initial way of thinking on that subject and now use both on a case by case chin by chin basis...(just using that as an example) I think it is sad if people didn't contribute their thoughts out of fear of getting slammed...this is supposed to be a SOUNDING BOARD to toss around ideas and learn from...

 

[jbcstratton]

I see where you are coming from though, some people just don't want advise if it is not what they believe, no matter how many facts you have, or experience you have, they won't listen.

 

[saphire]

I am with you on this Jessica, I do not bother to give advice on forums for exactly that reason. I don't want the hassle of having to justify my experience with people who will bash my experience over theirs or their believes. I do agree that all experiences are that, and I will take into considertion and refer to in the future if need be.

I am fine with people sharing their knowledge and experience that my defer from mine which only helps us to grow as a chinchilla community, be it pet or breeder on improving continuously.

I always keep in mind that, they are living creatures. From one to another, methods may differ for the same situation. That is true for just about living creature. Otherwise we would have only one antibiotic for everything.

I also don't care to be judged from my experiences, that I share with others so they know better. And experiences are tomorrows knowledge.

So back to the issue, I am with you, don't care to be judged or kicked in the head for my knowledge issued from experiences.

If people choose not to listen, that is up to them. I just don't try to convince anyone of my truth, their experiences will take teach them. Often that is how it goes for non listeners.

 

[ticklechin]

Its not just breeders/ranchers who get trashed, pet owners get it worse since we just have pets we must not be serious about anything chin. I got a trashing a couple of months ago by a group of breeders here, it does tick you off and you wonder why even bother.

 

[Spoof]

I get tired of saying the same things over and over.

In a way I wish the forum was more open and everyone could post ads - I'd like to see what is going on locally and I feel that this forum is losing way to facebook and other social media groups because of the restrictions. I find myself spending less time here because the same features that keep the spammers out also really hinder new people. (Though thanks to the mods for the amazing job they do - I know it is a lot of work!)

There is definitely a sense of foreboding on this forum. Many new people that purchase chinchillas from me say they are afraid to post anything so never do.

 

[Stackie]

Fact of the matter is, this is an open forum. Anyone can post their advice. If someone disagrees with it, it may be challenged. That is what an open forum is for: a group of people offering advice, debating advice that someone may not agree with.
Forum:
1.place to express yourself: a medium in which the public may debate an issue or express opinions
2.meeting for discussion: a meeting to discuss matters of general interest

Anyone and everyone can contribute their ideas. I don't see why people would be "afraid" of posting- everyone has different opinions. If people are afraid of posting because of people disagreeing with them over the internet...well, frankly, they need to grow some thicker skin. We do not allow outright trashing, belittling, insults etc. You shouldn't get your feelings hurt just because someone disagrees with something you say, which is as far as we let it go. As long as the disagreement is handled in a constructive manner, it can actually be beneficial and maybe both parties will learn something out of it. People need to be open to hearing other views here, and I think that's the main reason people think they are being bashed/slammed. They aren't open to hearing other ideas and when someone questions their advice, they feel personally insulted rather than listening to what a varying idea may be. You also can not convey emotion in text. Many people read things in a tone in which the statement was not meant to be read, leading to more insults/hurt feelings. Breeders/ranchers advice has always been welcomed here - but just because you've been doing it the same way for 20 years, doesn't necessarily mean everyone's going to agree with it and they may very well say so.

As for giving advice to some new breeders/owners...I believe there's some advice that shouldn't be given. For example...self vetting. A person who has only had chins for a few months don't necessarily know what symptoms to look for, what means what, etc. I don't think they should be told how to self vet a problem- they should be told to go to a vet. Though we may read what they post and think we know what exactly is going wrong...they aren't necessarily familiar with the norms of chins yet. They may have left out a crucial symptom, etc.

In a way I wish the forum was more open and everyone could post ads - I'd like to see what is going on locally and I feel that this forum is losing way to facebook and other social media groups because of the restrictions. I find myself spending less time here because the same features that keep the spammers out also really hinder new people. (Though thanks to the mods for the amazing job they do - I know it is a lot of work!)

Spoof, the "contributing member" rule was created as a small protection for our members here. We had problems with Jo Schmo joining the forum simply to post for sale ads, disappearing after posting the ad and never checking the inquiries, or even taking payments and not sending the buyer their product. The 10 contributing posts a month is NOT A LOT OF WORK and can easily be done within 20 minutes. For a free advertising service to a large community, it is actually a great deal...they just also need to be part of the community. We don't do it just to bully people or for a power trip.

 

[tunes]

Tara - I just want to ask, how exactly does it scare away new people not letting them post ads? People who are "new", who post ads, are only wanting to dump their chins and go. They aren't going to stay members of the forum anyway, so where is the great loss?

I also want add, back when CnQ was around, Charles was going to do away with the classifieds completely. He said it was too much hassle to deal with all the bad sellers, etc. We fought hard for him to keep them. We don't HAVE to have a classifieds section here either. It could be a strictly pay to advertise. It doesn't benefit the owners of this forum one bit to have free classifieds. Becky doesn't advertise here. I don't advertise here. Weng certainly doesn't. We allow the classifieds to stand as a perk for the members who meet the requirements and most of the time it's more trouble than its worth because of the complainers.

BTW, since when are you a member of FB? You told me you would never join, so how would you know how many people are on there from here? There is a CnH group on there, but it is moderated by the same people that are on here.

 

[chinsNdobermans]

I feel that breeders/ranchers may approach things in a way that is very different from the average pet owner. We tend to do a lot of self-vetting for things that are not life threatening and we tend to have very different standards of care for our chins, such as not allowing them out to play for an hour a day, etc.

However, there is certainly something to be said about the experience we bring to the table, and that should be shared. If we all stopped posting here, and just bought a banner ad so we could post classifieds, a great deal of knowledge would be lost.

Disagreements happen in any public arena. Because our lives are so different, pet owners and breeders/ranchers often will disagree on things; it's sad when that disagreement cannot be handled in a respectful manner but sometimes that is the case.

I try to realize that I was a new pet owner once too, and I do things a lot differently now than I did back in 2002. I will give what advice I can and if someone chooses not to listen to it, that's their decision.

 

[jags]

While I give a lot more advise in person, by pm, email and phone I still post here when I have time. Time is a big factor to how much I post here as we do have jobs and lots of animals to tend to. I have seen many bashed for many years and many forums but it really does not bother me as I live by what I have said for many years "There are many ways to do the right things for your animals and not just one right way of doing things. Take all the information you can get and make the best decision that works for you and your animals.

 

[Stackie]

I think a lot of people forget too that this is a forum for sharing the knowledge of care and love for chinchillas and hedgehogs. Like Peggy said- the classifieds are a perk for the members. The forum's not called "Chinchillas and Hedgehogs for sale" - and that's part of what the contributing member rule is here for..to help prevent the abuse of the forum as being used for something it's not meant to be. If people don't want to contribute to what the forum is actually here for...why do they think they're entitled to profit off of it?

There are many ways to do the right things for your animals and not just one right way of doing things. Take all the information you can get and make the best decision that works for you and your animals.

Exactly.

 

[ticklechin]

And it bothers me that we feel we can't say anything for fear of being ridiculed or slammed. I know myself I don't post much because I see others get nailed for putting their experience out there.

If this happens just use the warn button, it will get taken care of since the admins and mods on the forum are active and do care.

 

[Chinmama]

I'm not sure about anyone else, but I've seen it get way nastier and out of hand on Facebook than on here any day. We have rules for a reason, and a "warn" button.

 

[Spoof]

Hmmm... well, give it a few days. Read my original post, and then read the two following posts. Those are pretty critical replies to an honest answer to op's question.

I was read my rights and lectured on the forum rules and called out personally.

This is an excellent example of why people are afraid to join this forum and make comments. Just sayin'.

 

[ChinChiq]

As a fairly new pet owner, I think jags summed up my feelings about this forums perfectly!

There are many ways to do the right things for your animals and not just one right way of doing things. Take all the information you can get and make the best decision that works for you and your animals.

I knew next to nothing about chinchillas when I decided to adopt Luna. A few hours before I picked her up, I found this forum and have learned so much since then. I am able to make well informed decisions about the care of my girl, because I have a vast variety of experienced owners and breeders to turn to. When I got Luna, she was a shy SPCA rescue. With the guidance of this forum and the care of a knowledgeable vet, she is now happy, healthy, beautiful, silly, friendly, energetic...all of the things a chinnie should be!

I think that people need to remember that no one person has all of the right answers. What is right for one chin may not be right for all. One breeder may do things differently than another. Seeing different ideas and solutions from different people helps me to make the right decisions for Luna and for our household. So please keep posting helpful information and ignore the idiots who stir up trouble!

 

[tunes]

Oh give it a rest Tara. I didn't "call you out." I commented on your post. In chat, many times, you stated you would never join FB, that it was a waste of time. Now you state that FB is taking away all the new members. I asked how you could know that.

As far "answering the OPs question." I see nowhere in there where she is complaining about a contributing rule being applied to the forum to post ads. That was you. She wondered if people buy ads so they don't have to post, and the answer that obviously, is yes.

I hate these threads and rarely let them stand because they degenerate into finger pointing and hurt feelings. It's gone from the OP's original post asking a question about ranchers and breeders posting to "well, it sucks that you can't post in the classifieds without being a contributing member and you're being mean to me which is why nobody stays here." That's why these threads end up in the garbage.

So please keep posting helpful information and ignore the idiots who stir up trouble!

What she said.

 

[ticklechin]

Where else can you go for free on a sunday night holiday when you chin is sick and you need help and there is no vet to be found, this forum is one of the if not the most active on the net where people actually know chin care, not one of those forums where all the advice you will get is OMG your chin is sooooo cute, sorry its dying, can't help you there. It can be frustrating, but in the end its the chins we are all here for, that is what people need to remember.