saginawhxc
Well-Known Member
Just to be clear, I absolutely consider myself a rookie tortoise keeper. I acquired my first tortoise less than a year ago and in that time, thanks to this site, I have learned so much. I personally think my knowledge level is way ahead of the curve for how for how little time I've owned tortoises, but I will be the first to acknowledge that most people who think they know more than others are often wrong.
A member here recently enlightened me on the existence of a Facebook group for Sulcata members, but I was appalled at some of the information flying around there. Some owners weren't bad, some were good, some were obviously members here, but some were giving downright awful advice. The majority of the photos posted are of tortoises that are pyramiding or starting too.
In the couple of weeks I've been a member there I've spent an awful lot of time answering people's questions in the manner we would answer them here. I feel a little unsure about this though. I'm confident of the info, but feel like I haven't earned the right to give advice yet. I feel like my answers give the impression that I have WAY more experience than I actually do. I'm afraid that one of these days someone will challenge my experience and all I will be able to tell them is a guy on the Internet told me how to take care of tortoises. Who am I to tell people that have been raising tortoises for years that they are wrong? What right do I have to claim a level of knowledge that is based almost purely on the experience of those I have never even met?
One of my least favorite types of people are those that claim expertise, but don't have the experience to back it up. Somehow I've become that guy on the subject of tortoises.
Anybody else ever feel the same? How do you handle it? What is the proper approach to handling discussions about tortoises outside of the forum?
A member here recently enlightened me on the existence of a Facebook group for Sulcata members, but I was appalled at some of the information flying around there. Some owners weren't bad, some were good, some were obviously members here, but some were giving downright awful advice. The majority of the photos posted are of tortoises that are pyramiding or starting too.
In the couple of weeks I've been a member there I've spent an awful lot of time answering people's questions in the manner we would answer them here. I feel a little unsure about this though. I'm confident of the info, but feel like I haven't earned the right to give advice yet. I feel like my answers give the impression that I have WAY more experience than I actually do. I'm afraid that one of these days someone will challenge my experience and all I will be able to tell them is a guy on the Internet told me how to take care of tortoises. Who am I to tell people that have been raising tortoises for years that they are wrong? What right do I have to claim a level of knowledge that is based almost purely on the experience of those I have never even met?
One of my least favorite types of people are those that claim expertise, but don't have the experience to back it up. Somehow I've become that guy on the subject of tortoises.
Anybody else ever feel the same? How do you handle it? What is the proper approach to handling discussions about tortoises outside of the forum?