Awwwww what did I miss?
I have not been a member for very long and I have noticed the odd catty remark and impatient reply to some of the posts. I know there are members on the forum that know waaaaaaay more than I do and most of them will always know more than I do, but each and every one of us started at the beginning. We all asked so-called stupid questions and probably annoyed some more knowledgeable person than ourselves.
I know that I have asked a few lulu's and most people have been very kind (and polite) and have replied to my query. There were the odd one or two that sounded a bit "snotty" but I really don't care about them. Unfortunately in every field there are those that think they are superior to everyone else and have no problem throwing their weight around. The problem with them is that they were also beginners once but have forgotten how scared a person can be when something goes wrong with their pet or when they wanted an answer to a simple question. I have found that these people exist in every field - just look at dog and cat shows - boy can the fur fly!!!
We all have our own experiences and if we see someone is asking a question to a problem that we have also had and solved in the past, we can only add our comments in the hope that it will help in some way. Some other member of the forum may think the question and answer stupid, but the person asking is not stupid at all. Rather ask a "stupid" question than make a mistake that can cost the life of your animal.
There are many "experts with opinions" out there and most of them do a fantastic job answering queries with patience and a genuine interest in teaching a greenie something new. It's those other "experts" that are a pain in the butt!!! I think everyone that offers an opinion should do so with respect and sympathy and if they can't then shut the hell up!! We don't need cowboys on this forum - we are herp lovers and in the herp community we need each other to lean on in times of stress and trouble. So if a person hasn't got something nice to say then PLEASE don't say anything!! We don't need them here.
There is not a single person in the world that is not still learning something new - even those who have had many years of experience. We ALL learn from each other, young or old, experienced or not. So let's stop the cattiness and concentrate on what I'm sure the forum was created for - to teach, to learn, to expand the reptile gene pool and meet people with the same interests.
To those who are considering giving up membership to the forum or others joining for the first time - don't let the odd screwball put you off - there are many others here who have a genuine interest and are always willing to help.
Marion
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