awww drat I wanted to see what he looked like. Any chance on trying to post aother picc???
I'd really like to see him...I love fishy pics *hehe*
Oh my gosh......People, come on....we all need to realize that everyone has opinions and they are not always going to be the same.
We need to quit letting everything that is said, whether directed directly at us or whether we feel that is was, get to us personally.
I don't agree with the way Mr. Nicholson tried to get his point across, nor do I think it was the appropriate thread for the opinions to have been brought up...but he has a valid opinion and it shouldn't be thrown back in his face like it doesn't mean anything.
Personally I don't think whether you buy bettas or not that the stores will quit selling them. You aren't going to get every mother out there to stop buying bettas after she let's it die from lack of care and has to run to the store to replace it before her 4 yr old finds out (which is why, if you think about it, there are so many that look soooo alike). If you stop buying them...they will just pile up on shelves and be flushed when the new shipment arrives. If you buy them they will just be replaced when the next shipment arrives. They normally have a standing order for the same amount of fish everytime the order comes in.
If people want to rescue them...who cares. If they don't think you should..who cares. It's all a matter of personal preference and choice. They don't have to rescue a betta or like that you do it....you can rescue as many as you want and you don't have to like that they don't like you doing it. It's not going to change either of your opinions on what you feel , want, or like...and vice versa.
And to sit here and argue about it is doing nothing more then driving wedges between members and causing disharmony throughout the betta board. What's going to end up happening is people are going to continue with the way this has been going lately..and they are going to disable this section..like they did the "general" section. And I , for one, do not want that to happen. I enjoy coming here..regardless of what is said. I feel like if I chose to read it..then I don't really have a reason to "*****" about it and such..although giving your opinion is ok IMO. Just people need to re-read what they have typed and try to make sure what they've "expressed" isn't directed at any one person..and even if it is..that it isn't directed in a demeaning mannor. It would make it more enjoyable if every thread didn't have someone going off and telling each other off. You could simply say...I don't really think rescuing every betta is going to be fruitful..instead of making the rescuer feel like they have done something stupid. 1 word can make the difference in a readers conception of what you are trying to get across to them.
I don't think we would suggest the same route of actions to our children to exercise in school as has been exercised here lately on this board. We all need to think about that. And blaming this on Kelly is just ridiculous. She isn't here 24 hours a day and can't step in and leave comments on every thread that ends up needing locked. That's just how modding is. You do your best to stay indiscriminate and just end things before (or after..should you not be able to catch it while it's happening) escalate any further then they have at teh point of the locking. They really don't need to explain why they lock threads..that is their job...to end arguemnts and riffs. Personally I think after they lock a thread it should be deleted..so it can't be read anymore after that. That way there is less anomosity created by folks who read the thread and didn't get to post their 2 cents..and then create more threads like the closed ones...that stir people up even more.
Look at it this way. Mods are pretty much stuck in the middle. If they choose sides they will get ripped on..if they don't choose sides they get ripped on. it's a no-win situation for them. So that is basically why you won't see alot of mods giving input on closed threads. It would do them no good, except make them appear to be taking sides..either way. And then they woudl get ripped a new one for that as well.
Threatening to ban, banning for short periods of time, or indefinate banning is how modding works also. There is no other way to "warn" people that post then to do this. You can't pop their hand with a ruler, or tell their mother...you have to have some logical "punishment" to back up a threat...and that is...either you stop doing whatever it is you've been warned not to do..or you will lose your posting privileges (banned)..it's quite simple.
When adults act like children they need to be treated as children and punished. And being banned (for any amount of time..or even being threatened with it) is somewhat like a teacher making you stand at the chalk board with your nose in a chalk cirlce. It's embarassing and generally speaking it teaches the child a valuable lesson..that either they quit doing whatever it was that they were told not to do..or they will be punished.