My Thoughts About These Forums...

[Azaezl]

I could use some more patience I suppose, but like I said, this post does serve to prove my point to a certain extent. This now has triple the posts than my posts from the past few days...


And thanks to Azaezel for your agreement!

That's because alot of people feel passionately about the forum as a whole and will defend it and it's members if they think someone thinks it's not a helpful / great place. As already said if you ask a specific question about the disease velvet for example even though there may be 100+ members online at the time none of them may have any experience with it so don't want to risk giving bad/incorrect advice. I'd still try to advise and give links to sites / posts or whatever that have useful information. patience really is the key with posts you just gotta wait it out I'm sure you'll get a satisfcatory answer evetually. Tell you what if you ever need advice on anything just drop me a PM and I'll try and help you as much as poss

 

[Fredox]

I'm rather new to the forum but not new to fish keeping. I almost feel with a post count as low as mine is I shouldn't post advice. I've been online almost every day since I registered reading away and only tend to visit the sectors of the forum I'm interested in and have been tempted to post on a few occasions and not done so because of a lack of forum time. So it's not just people not giving advice perhaps there are more like me that feel like they shouldn't.

 

[raptorrex]

for a general fish forum, there are few, if any, that even touch TFF for the quality and breadth of information disseminated. true the more specific forums may give, or seem to give, information more freely. but the number of people who have chance to read and answer your questions, will be, very often, far less.

i can see how dream lists may seem pointless to some. but these things tend to run and run, often being reignited by any newbies, with enough nouse to spend time reading as many old posts as they can, adding their wish and setting the whole thing off again.
however i feel that the Christmas present bragging, is potentially the most important. these threads often give rise to more threads related to the use and effectiveness of said present, a resource that is of use to everyone, even newbies. being such a large forum, the breadth of these presents is vast, offering information that is, often, just not avaliable anywhere else.
this is not to say your impression of this type of thread is wrong, i am simply pointing out how, in mho. these things, can and do, benefit the forum as a whole.

the problem with stocking and new keepers, i fear, will never be solved. but it is fair to say that research, should be the basis for any stocking, if you are new to the hobby or not. as such if experienced keepers point out miss matches in the type of stock, or the size of tank used, it should be no surprise. on a public forum such as this, if these errors are jumped upon. being told you have made a basic/stupid error in your stocking or tank size, is far from nice, but in the main, for this forum, it is really little more than fair comment. now if you have a genuine reason or some information that says different to the comments from any poster, then fight your end, and make your point. sadly if you are keeping a silver shark or RTBS in a 20ukg tank. saying you will buy a bigger tank when the fish needs it, will not wash. lol for those two fish, it was too small, moments after the fish was born.

 

[vinylman]

I'm rather new to the forum but not new to fish keeping. I almost feel with a post count as low as mine is I shouldn't post advice. I've been online almost every day since I registered reading away and only tend to visit the sectors of the forum I'm interested in and have been tempted to post on a few occasions and not done so because of a lack of forum time. So it's not just people not giving advice perhaps there are more like me that feel like they shouldn't.

Being a newbie here doesn't mean that you're new to the hobby, though. Personally, if someone asks for help/advice, I don't look at their post count. I've just seen that I have nearly 1000 posts, but if someone with ONE post wants some info that I can pass on, I wouldn't think twice about it. I still think this is the best place to come for info/advice.

 

[Aussie_Dog]

I gotta go with the OP here, as I can see what she (he?) is saying. A few days ago, I asked a question (about tanks being level and how to fix a leaning tank) and I got only one response. I make it a point to include everything I think may be necessary when I ask a question, right down to the size of the tank and the amount of inches the tank is off by. But only one response came. When I posted the same question at another forum (Petfish.net), one I thought was less frequented as this one, I got a LOT of posts. Over two pages, in fact, and most with helpful ideas on how to fix a tilting tank (so my tank is now leaning up the right way). Personally, it surprised me, as I've always seen this forum as one with great ideas and information (which is true), and the other forum just a step below. I always saw this forum as being HUGE, as in, lots of posters and lots of advice. So this surprised me (and honestly, it disappointed me as well). But this forum, while giving great advice, is just as one other poster said it. It seems more focussed on chit-chat than actually giving out good advice.

 

[blakenkayla]

I agree also. Some people will give good helpful advice, and some like to be rude or not give you an answer to the question you asked. I've seen a lot of people being rude to others and also to myself.

 

[Luketendo]

I try to help a lot mainly in the general sections. Even though I don't know much compared to most, quite a lot of thread I can solve.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

I gotta go with the OP here, as I can see what she (he?) is saying. A few days ago, I asked a question (about tanks being level and how to fix a leaning tank) and I got only one response. I make it a point to include everything I think may be necessary when I ask a question, right down to the size of the tank and the amount of inches the tank is off by. But only one response came. When I posted the same question at another forum (Petfish.net), one I thought was less frequented as this one, I got a LOT of posts. Over two pages, in fact, and most with helpful ideas on how to fix a tilting tank (so my tank is now leaning up the right way). Personally, it surprised me, as I've always seen this forum as one with great ideas and information (which is true), and the other forum just a step below. I always saw this forum as being HUGE, as in, lots of posters and lots of advice. So this surprised me (and honestly, it disappointed me as well). But this forum, while giving great advice, is just as one other poster said it. It seems more focussed on chit-chat than actually giving out good advice.

The problem with things like this though is that people are worried abotu giving the wrong advice and then it all ending badly. I actually looked at your post and was tempted to post that one of my tanks had been set up for about 3 years and was about 1/2 inch out on one side. I didnt post though because I couldn't forgive myself if your tank ended up cracking because it wasnt level and it wasnt fixed because of my advice. Its the same in many situations (at least for me). I have been keeping FW fish for about 7-8 years and marine fish for just a few months. I like to think I know quite a bit about the hobby but unless I'm 100% sure on something I tend to not post an answer just in case I'm wrong.

On any forum you are going to end up with your fair share of (tries to think of a family safe word) umm.... abrasive... people but on th ewhole I dont see to many of these on this forum. I do know of a couple of people on this forum that can often come across as very blunt. However they are normally raising a very good point and as someone said above just dont sugar coat it (and to be honest when you have answered the same question 20 or 30 times it gets hard to sugar coat it). Its not a case of them being nasty, its more a case that they have already told 10 people this week that keeping 3 male betta's in the same tank is a bad idea and writting another essay on it is just a bridge too far.

Edit: Also dont forget just how big this forum is and how many posts are made every hours. People only have so much time to spend on them and for me at least I only pick out topics if the title catches my eye as something that I either could add to or learn from or it is something I have been watching (journals for example). I spend quite a lot of time on this forum during the day (most of my work is done on the phone so I can read while I talk) and I would still say that I only saw maybe 2% max of what is posted.

Edit 2: way to many typos to fix but you get the idea

 

[kribensis12]

I too have noticed the forum has gone downhill. We have had fewer post's, people are being exceptionally rude, some people are just so blunt it is harmful to other's( not the same as being rude), and some people are being purposefully degrading. When i ask question's they are responded with critisizm. It isnt like i cant take critisizm, but it was very unnessecary. I also have noticed that i can post thing's like aggression: http/www.fishforums.net/content/Tropical...309/Agression-/
I get 1 reply, and it says to remove the parrot fihs, i will when it get's to big for the fish and tank, but nobody cared to actually help with the problem. Sorry for ranting,
Krib

 

[Dave Spencer]

Chuka, I have taken a look at your recent posts in the planted section, and don`t really know what your problem is. Which posts/replies do you have a problem with?

Dave.

 

[Esfa]

I agree with the rudeness points. I, too, have noticed alot of people being extremely rude. It doesnt really bother me, but if i was a newbie fish keeper, and set up my tank according to what the lfs told me to do, and then discovered it was a death trap, i would ber ready to pack it all in already. And then to find this forum and ask for some help, only to be attacked by people who think they are better. I would just quit.

I have also noticed people picking at what other people say, turning it around to try and cause arguments. Try to get a better hobby, eh?

 

[funkyhoney]

Yep, I'll agree on some of the rudeness points; I don't post a great deal but I read a lot and help where I can and I think some people are a tad too pretentious in their opinions.

 

[OohFeeshy]

There, is, however, a thing called the whole internet if you're really that desperate for info quickly. In the time it would take to post a thread about, say, plecs for smaller tanks, I could easily have come up with a complete list from various sources like Planet Catfish and Fishbase. Fish for nano tanks? The Minifische website lists everything under the sun by family.

Or indeed, actually ask a proper question that is properly spelt, punctuated and gives even a vague glimmering of assorted essential info that is required to even start assisting.

 

[Chuka1212]

There, is, however, a thing called the whole internet if you're really that desperate for info quickly. In the time it would take to post a thread about, say, plecs for smaller tanks, I could easily have come up with a complete list from various sources like Planet Catfish and Fishbase. Fish for nano tanks? The Minifische website lists everything under the sun by family.

Or indeed, actually ask a proper question that is properly spelt, punctuated and gives even a vague glimmering of assorted essential info that is required to even start assisting.

Thank you for your novel ideas. If you would have read previous posts with some attention, I have already commented on finding information on the internet. Specific information is hard to find and since any old person can post whatever he wants on the internet, information found on websites is often wrong, conflicting with other websites, or lacking in details.

Surely it is from a person who is currently DOING the things you need to know about, that the BEST information can be obtained.

And about spelling... wow. I am pretty sure that it is possible to understand and respond to a question even with punctuation and spelling that is lacking.

 

[Squid]

One comment I would make is that you have fallen into the same trap that many others have. You have been swept along with what is happening in this thread (after commenting on how people respond to this one but not the threads that matter), but have not commented or posted on the stuff that you really wanted to know about.

After reading this thread earlier I thought I would make a specific effort to answer one of your questions in the plants forum so that you thought you were getting some questions answered on this forum. I gave a you a reasonable amount of information, and asked questions so that we could help you more. Instead of progressing that thread so that your questions could be answered, you have also taken the option of responding to this, your other thread, and contributed to yet another topic about users on the forum.

Practice what you preach

Squid