Seriously, why the off-topic "preaching" ?

[Homer]

Recenty a new member posted a question about dehydration and was greeted with the following responses:

why did you buy another hatchling? why didn't you rescue an older one? they are much hardier and they don't give the incentive for people to keep breeding these poor things.

So your first tortoise is a Sulcata? You chose that one out of all the species?

How does a "specific" post about dehydration open up the door for judgmental responses about sulcata ownership?

I understand that any opinion can be let loose in the debatable section. But why do some members feel they have the need and the right to berate newcomer's when they make a specific query as to tort care?

I do not believe that it is correct for members to judge when a post is on a very, very, specific topic.

I know this forum has appointed moderators, but I was unaware that there was also a panel of "judges."

Brian

 

[egyptiandan]

Your right Brian that shouldn't be happening. By all means when someone sees a thread or post where it looks like people are "jumping" on that poster for what they have by all means report that post to a moderator (there are buttons in the bottom right of a post to report it)

Danny

 

[sammi]

I agree as well. If they chose a sulcata as their choice of species, it should be their business as to why, and no one else should question them. We do not know, and cannot always know their circumstances.

 

[Crazy1]

As a Moderator I would like to say we need your eyes and help. There are many many posts daily and it is sometimes difficult for us Mods to catch them all. So Please as Danny has stated report them by using the "Report" button so it will show up as soon as we get onto the forum.
Thank you in advance to all of our great members for helping to make this the best forum we can make it.

 

[Kayti]

I think that member was being judged more for his poor care of his torts. His first one died, and then he got a replacement without doing the proper research again. In addition, he was pretty dismissive of the advice he was being given.
I didn't want to scare the guy off, but I certainly understand why someone would call him out on his series of very poor choices.

---

I just went and read what has happened in the thread since last night, and it appears that he is taking our advice! So, I take back most of what I said. Telling people what they are doing wrong is good, judging their choice of tortoise, especially when you don't know the whole story, bad.

 

[-EJ]

It's called indoctrination...

You usually don't see such comments from long time experienced keepers even though they probably feel the same way.

When a new keeper does a web search they inevitably come up with specific organizations which pretty much preach certain aspects of tortoise keeping. One of those aspects it the dreaded Sulcata... the thought is burned in and the new keeper carries the ball... and the fire spreads. 1 tells 2... 2 tells 4... it gets out of controll there.

This is the kind of thing I try to cut off... let the owner decide if a particular animal is right for them whether live in Alaska or the Sahara.

 

[egyptiandan]

"Calling a person out" never helps the situation that a poster is in now (with a tortoise they already have). It may help a person thinking about getting a tortoise, but it never helps when a person already has said tortoise.
The only thing we can do is give the best advice we know of to help any poster. We can only hope that poster puts that advice into action. We though can never "force" a poster to change what or how they are doing anything, we can only give the advice we hope they will take on board.
That at the end of the day is what all posters who are giving advice should strive for, The best advice they know and a pleasant attitude to get it all across better.
"Geting after" a person only makes them defensive and closed to new/different ways of doing things.

Happy Holidays

Danny

 

[alfiethetortoise]

I think that member was being judged more for his poor care of his torts. His first one died, and then he got a replacement without doing the proper research again. In addition, he was pretty dismissive of the advice he was being given.

I have seen many people jumping on bandwaggons. And, who exactly are you, or anyone else, to say that he was giving 'poor care' to his tortoise? Wasen't kid was only 13? And i dont think he was being dismissing, he was just saying that, as a 13 year old kid, he couldn't afford huge vet bills.

It shouldn't matter how people get their tortoises. People can 'suggest' what is good and what is bad, but ultimately it's up to the tortoise owner. If they are asking for help then surely they should be allowed help.

I think that many people on this forum forget that at one point in our lives we have all made mistakes. If someone is asking for help, then they are trying thier best. They don't need a guilt trip.

 

[Kayti]

I think that member was being judged more for his poor care of his torts. His first one died, and then he got a replacement without doing the proper research again. In addition, he was pretty dismissive of the advice he was being given.

I have seen many people jumping on bandwaggons. And, who exactly are you, or anyone else, to say that he was giving 'poor care' to his tortoise? Wasen't kid was only 13? And i dont think he was being dismissing, he was just saying that, as a 13 year old kid, he couldn't afford huge vet bills.

It shouldn't matter how people get their tortoises. People can 'suggest' what is good and what is bad, but ultimately it's up to the tortoise owner. If they are asking for help then surely they should be allowed help.

I think that many people on this forum forget that at one point in our lives we have all made mistakes. If someone is asking for help, then they are trying thier best. They don't need a guilt trip.

I think you read the wrong thread, and you didn't read the rest of my post. Also, I didn't 'guilt trip' anyone. I gave him care advice.

Here's the thread being discussed, btw:
http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-11007-page-1.html

 

[-EJ]

I don't know about you but I'm still makin' em.

I think that member was being judged more for his poor care of his torts. His first one died, and then he got a replacement without doing the proper research again. In addition, he was pretty dismissive of the advice he was being given.

I have seen many people jumping on bandwaggons. And, who exactly are you, or anyone else, to say that he was giving 'poor care' to his tortoise? Wasen't kid was only 13? And i dont think he was being dismissing, he was just saying that, as a 13 year old kid, he couldn't afford huge vet bills.

It shouldn't matter how people get their tortoises. People can 'suggest' what is good and what is bad, but ultimately it's up to the tortoise owner. If they are asking for help then surely they should be allowed help.

I think that many people on this forum forget that at one point in our lives we have all made mistakes. If someone is asking for help, then they are trying thier best. They don't need a guilt trip.

 

[alfiethetortoise]

Sorry, i think you misinterpreted my post. I wasen't suggesting that you were guilt tripping anyone. I was trying to illustrate that this, in my opinnion, was an example of people jumping on bandwagons.

 

[Kayti]

Sorry, i think you misinterpreted my post. I wasen't suggesting that you were guilt tripping anyone. I was trying to illustrate that this, in my opinnion, was an example of people jumping on bandwagons.

You quoted me, and then said:
"And, who exactly are you, or anyone else, to say that he was giving 'poor care' to his tortoise?"

But okay.

Also, the poster was not a 13 year old boy, and nothing about a vet was mentioned, so I still think you're talking about the wrong thread...

 

[Rhyno47]

I was not "berating" "forcing" "geting after" or "jumping on" the person for what they did or said. I wanted to know why, after 1 hatchling died, would they buy another and put it in the same conditions and environment as the first? I am glad for the tortoises sake that the owner is asking what they can do to help. So many sulcatas are being bought by people from pet stores and being given horrible info and end up dying or being given to an animal shelter.

Since this is in the debatable topic section I suppose I can give my opinion. I "think" that a 13 year old should not own a sulcata or anything that will get bigger than they are. If a person bought a dog and it died from bad care and they were going to buy another I would tell them to rethink their decision.

This site is for the "care" of tortoises and that is why I voiced my opinion. I dont think that I should hold back my opinions, that I only have for the sake of the tortoise, because someone might get offended. Problems dont get solved when everyone has the same viewpoint. People need to have different ideas and they need to stand behind them and sometimes it takes some convincing.

---

...Seriously

 

[Kayti]

But if you voice your opinion too harshly, then the poster gets scared away from this forum, and their second hatchling dies.

I think it might be a better idea to voice your opinion in debatable topics threads, not care advice threads, especially for a new member.
That said, I totally understand why you said what you did, and I agree with you 100%.

 

[Rhyno47]

Thank you. I wasnt being harsh. The only way someone could think that is if they read it that way.

 

[alfiethetortoise]

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-10969-page-3.html I was thinking about this thread, i guess i readsom many threads sometimes it is difficult to keep track....

I realise this is a sensitive area, but often animals just die. Perhaps it is due to incorrect care, but perhaps it id not. It shouldn't matter if its a hatchling, or a sulcata.

The 13 year old boy didn't own a sulcata. But since this is a debate, why shouldn't a 13 year old have a sulcata? And if a 13 year old shouldnt have a sulcata, why should he own any tortoise? I am sure that somewhere in the world, there is a very happy sulcata being cared for perfectly by a 13 year old kid....

 

[egyptiandan]

That attitude is fine Ryan, if they were contemplating getting another sulcata after the first one died.
The thing is they weren't comtemplating, they already had bought another sulcata. So asking why they did that didn't asnwer their questions and doesn't help the sulcata they already have.
There is a difference here

Danny

 

[Laura]

So is the person who asked for help still here or was he scared away?

 

[-EJ]

My money says it went like this...

'Hey dad... check this out. This is the advice that I've been getting of the net.' Dad being curious as to the panic that has been started in the house by the sons actions on the net... decides to check it out. The dad reads through a few posts and then turns to the son. 'Son'... the dad says... 'These people are certifiably nuts.' The son... having the respect for his dad as he does... decides his dad is probably right... and seeks help elsewhere.

...that's what I think

So is the person who asked for help still here or was he scared away?

 

[Kayti]

My money says it went like this...

'Hey dad... check this out. This is the advice that I've been getting of the net.' Dad being curious as to the panic that has been started in the house by the sons actions on the net... decides to check it out. The dad reads through a few posts and then turns to the son. 'Son'... the dad says... 'These people are certifiably nuts.' The son... having the respect for his dad as he does... decides his dad is probably right... and seeks help elsewhere.

...that's what I think

So is the person who asked for help still here or was he scared away?

Nope, they're still here