Something feels different in here lately

method89

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Maybe its just me, maybe its quarantine but it feels like there is an inordinate amount of posters who are asking questions that they apparently already knew the answers to. Damn you, Corona!
 
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Toddrickfl1

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There's been some suspicious posters that I can't figure out if they're trolling or serious.
 

Tom

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This all seems pretty normal to me. It goes in cycles.

Be patient with the new people. We were all there and the info out in the world is nothing but a bunch of contradictions now. I don't know why you lot decided to listen to us here at TFO, but you'll all agree that your tortoises are better off for it. If we fail to get through to them, its their tortoise that suffers.

Personally, I'm glad they've come here, and glad to at least get the chance to talk to them. I can't even count how many new people have gotten pissy and left the forum because I wouldn't tell them what they wanted to hear. When that happens, I truly don't care about that person's feeling, but I'm haunted by the suffering I know their tortoise is going to endure because I pissed them off. Those thoughts have made me more and more careful and diplomatic over the years. I can't please everybody, but I do want to help their tortoises.
 

iAmCentrochelys sulcata

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This all seems pretty normal to me. It goes in cycles.

Be patient with the new people. We were all there and the info out in the world is nothing but a bunch of contradictions now. I don't know why you lot decided to listen to us here at TFO, but you'll all agree that your tortoises are better off for it. If we fail to get through to them, its their tortoise that suffers.

Personally, I'm glad they've come here, and glad to at least get the chance to talk to them. I can't even count how many new people have gotten pissy and left the forum because I wouldn't tell them what they wanted to hear. When that happens, I truly don't care about that person's feeling, but I'm haunted by the suffering I know their tortoise is going to endure because I pissed them off. Those thoughts have made me more and more careful and diplomatic over the years. I can't please everybody, but I do want to help their tortoises.
People have a Ego Tom, lol.
 

Tom

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People have a Ego Tom, lol.
True. I've been accused of that too. I just laugh because people who say that about me don't know me at all. There is no ego in this for me. I'm motivated by the guilt I feel for doing it wrong for so many years. I get insistent and pushy and argumentative, not so I can look like a cool guy and "win" the argument. I want to HELP the tortoises, and I know what I know.

Ask any of the numerous people here who have shot me down and showed me I was wrong about something. Yvonne, Maggie, Will, Mark... There have been many over the years. I thank them for correcting me.

For new people coming in, I usually don't see ego. I see frustration. Understandable frustration when they find out that hours of "research" led them to the wrong stuff and we tell them that its all wrong and they wasted all that time and money. I'd be mad too, but also glad that I now had the correct info.
 

turtlesteve

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For what it's worth, I've had a positive impression of things recently. Most of the new members I've seen are looking for information and thankful for the help. As time goes on, people are much more accustomed to looking for (and finding) better information online.

I am also frustrated and motivated by lack of understanding. The reason I stick around here is to learn. I especially like to see coordinated effort to get to the next level (e.g. the working groups for Chersina and Kinxys or nest temperature monitoring to understand incubation).

Steve
 

LoutheRussian

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I have been away from the forum for a little while so I haven't been a witness to anything recently. Personally, I owe this community a debt of gratitude and I will be forever thankful that I stumbled into the open arms of this coterie. I was lucky to have found the forum when I did because having no knowledge allowed me to be open to instruction. I feel for the new people that come seeking help on here or Facebook or wherever they land only to be told by 75 strangers how wrong they are about everything. Of course they get defensive or shut down when a vast majority of people lack the tact needed to convey instructions or criticism through text without coming across as condescending, mean or an asshole. Without body language or voice inflection its easy to read something and misconstrue the intent. I am not perfect at it either but I have learned how to criticize and give advice and still be well received a majority of the time. I only wish I could somehow help others learn how to as well. I have come across some incredibly knowledgeable caregivers who could provide so much insight if they could come off less crass.
 

iAmCentrochelys sulcata

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True. I've been accused of that too. I just laugh because people who say that about me don't know me at all. There is no ego in this for me. I'm motivated by the guilt I feel for doing it wrong for so many years. I get insistent and pushy and argumentative, not so I can look like a cool guy and "win" the argument. I want to HELP the tortoises, and I know what I know.

Ask any of the numerous people here who have shot me down and showed me I was wrong about something. Yvonne, Maggie, Will, Mark... There have been many over the years. I thank them for correcting me.

For new people coming in, I usually don't see ego. I see frustration. Understandable frustration when they find out that hours of "research" led them to the wrong stuff and we tell them that its all wrong and they wasted all that time and money. I'd be mad too, but also glad that I now had the correct info.
It takes part of their emotions, they don’t like being corrected in some degree, just my opinion.
 

ManicTurt

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I will gladly accept any corrections made if it means that my tortoise is healthy. I feel worse about some of stupid questions that I would ask! I appreciate all of the patience on this forum. For those that got angry and left, I feel as if that is putting emotion and opinion above facts and the well being of an animal. In my opinion, if you can't listen to anyone that knows what they are doing, you just shouldn't have the animal.
 
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