Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been posting on this forum for almost a year now. Up until recently it was an amicable forum, with home based amateurs like me through to professional breeders with many animals, all sharing advice, stories and pictures.

Recently however, several of the posts have become harsher, more personal and some are just downright insulting to individuals. I cant tell if there are web trolls posting trying to start a fight or if its just a mis-interpretation of written word, but some posts are getting over the top.

This is supposed to be a helpful forum, and I'm seeing more and more of the regulars / breeders posting less and less. Cant we all just be friends?
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Ross

0.2 Bearded Dragons (1 Yellow, 1 Chris Allen/Sandfire)

Yeah, I agree. I think the overall negetivity combined with the excessive post deleting and bannings of the more passionate (read: helpful, knowledgable, caring) people have given this place a turn for the worse.
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Amanda
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2.0 bearded dragons (Ocho / Domo-kun)
1.0 pictus gecko (Nicodemus)
0.1 kingsnake (Rio)
0.0.1 tarantula (Calcifer)
1.0 ferret (Playstation)
1.0 cat (Wally)
0.1 dog (Tima)

Agree totally on both points

Sean
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Heart Mountain Herps

>
I agree completely. I've had a couple emails about the posts being deleted, witnessed first hand how quick some are to a haughty attitude and the feeling overall in the room is underlying animosity.

I just wish that things could go back to the way they were. Before there were sides and wars and deletions and hatefull attitudes.

I wish I could put into words how much I appreciate what this forum meant to me last year. I hope that it can get back to where it was.

If we dwell on the negative there will be no room for the positive.........

i FEEL SO PHYLOSOPHICAL since I began college....LOL

Oh and by the way, I'm sorry if I've offneded anyone.... Computers can be so impersonal and it is so easy to write it one way and it be read another....

I'd like to buy the room a coke and keep it company.... that's the song I sing... (whistleing on my way out)

Later gang,
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Robert Wood
Tulsa,OK

Give it some time and I bet it swings back around. I've been here for just over a year and I've seen times with tons of conflict and times with no conflict whatsoever. I'm talking extreme on both ends. One month the family atmosphere around here is so thick you'd think it was a reunion of some kind and the next month you'd think satan himself decided to mess everything up!
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Rob Talkington

Yeah, I could agree with that. I've been lurking and/or posting for 3 years and it goes through phases.

Though I do know a few of the better members have nearly left for good.
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Amanda
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2.0 bearded dragons (Ocho / Domo-kun)
1.0 pictus gecko (Nicodemus)
0.1 kingsnake (Rio)
0.0.1 tarantula (Calcifer)
1.0 ferret (Playstation)
1.0 cat (Wally)
0.1 dog (Tima)

I think when you have someone with so much passion about something you are going to have to put up with some heated comments sometimes. Kind of like the love hate thing. The more you care about someone the more upset you become when they hurt you.

It's human nature to let your passion get the best of you sometimes. If it were never taken into consideration how much of a positive difference someone makes or how much they obviously care and have contributed to a cause when judging that same person for one or two times they went over the line, I think the world would be a horrible place.

I think you'd have highly creative, intelligent people keeping all of the intelligence and creativity to themselves because the incredible drive they have, which is what causes great things to happen, gets the best of them sometimes and they get nailed for it.

Well I'm glad these types of people do continue to contribute in other ways and continue to keep that drive regardless of who tries to knock them down. It's people like them we need to appreciate and look up to.
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Rob Talkington

So, so true. It's the passionate ones that make this place so valuable. Yet they are the ones who are leaving because of exactly that, their passion is what makes them a target.
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Amanda
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2.0 bearded dragons (Ocho / Domo-kun)
1.0 pictus gecko (Nicodemus)
0.1 kingsnake (Rio)
0.0.1 tarantula (Calcifer)
1.0 ferret (Playstation)
1.0 cat (Wally)
0.1 dog (Tima)

>>I think when you have someone with so much passion about something you are going to have to put up with some heated comments sometimes. Kind of like the love hate thing. The more you care about someone the more upset you become when they hurt you.
>>
>>It's human nature to let your passion get the best of you sometimes. If it were never taken into consideration how much of a positive difference someone makes or how much they obviously care and have contributed to a cause when judging that same person for one or two times they went over the line, I think the world would be a horrible place.
>>
>>I think you'd have highly creative, intelligent people keeping all of the intelligence and creativity to themselves because the incredible drive they have, which is what causes great things to happen, gets the best of them sometimes and they get nailed for it.
>>
>>Well I'm glad these types of people do continue to contribute in other ways and continue to keep that drive regardless of who tries to knock them down. It's people like them we need to appreciate and look up to.
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>>Rob Talkington
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Robert Wood
Tulsa,OK

Most of the experienced people are here on this board for the right reasons, to help the less experienced. The problem I've seen is that newbies post on here mostly without thought or even looking at the recent posts before them. In a couple of days you'll see the same question asked again and again. It wears the "helpers" out and sometimes posts turn sort of rude. I, myself, have had some run-ins with people on this forum, but its always been about what's the best/most accurate info. on bearded dragons. People often lose sight on this, myself included.

Husbandry issues are going to be debated on here because there's no one right way to take care of a beardie.

PS I miss Bennett

"PS I miss Bennett"

WORD.
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Amanda
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2.0 bearded dragons (Ocho / Domo-kun)
1.0 pictus gecko (Nicodemus)
0.1 kingsnake (Rio)
0.0.1 tarantula (Calcifer)
1.0 ferret (Playstation)
1.0 cat (Wally)
0.1 dog (Tima)

To your mother.
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Rob Talkington

ice ice baby . . .

Too cold.
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Amanda
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2.0 bearded dragons (Ocho / Domo-kun)
1.0 pictus gecko (Nicodemus)
0.1 kingsnake (Rio)
0.0.1 tarantula (Calcifer)
1.0 ferret (Playstation)
1.0 cat (Wally)
0.1 dog (Tima)

n/p
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Ross

0.2 Bearded Dragons (1 Yellow, 1 Chris Allen/Sandfire)

That's my understanding, though I think he still looks in from time to time.

Pretty sure he did, I know he was seriously considering it, and I haven't seen him post since he told me so.
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Amanda
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2.0 bearded dragons (Ocho / Domo-kun)
1.0 pictus gecko (Nicodemus)
0.1 kingsnake (Rio)
0.0.1 tarantula (Calcifer)
1.0 ferret (Playstation)
1.0 cat (Wally)
0.1 dog (Tima)

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Joel R

Coming some day.
www.SpikesAndScales.com

This happens every 6 months or so. Very few of the people that were here when I first found KS still post, though most will breeze through from time to time. Just the common life cycle of an online forum.
Scales - Premium Exotic Reptiles

This forum has been a great place. Sometimes there are heated debates, however it is all out of what people think are best for the animals. In the past I have been part of the big debates. I have had numerous arguments with the people that have mostly left (cheri, bennet, wedecking, and others) over all sorts of stuff (uvb, substrate, supplementing, diet, and so on and so forth). I tried to bring an alternate view to the table. I don't look down on them, they don't look down on me. Just trying to give people the story from both sides of the coin. Some of you may remeber the fights, due to circumstances in life I rarely post that much here anymore. I posted several things yesterday, most of which got deleted. Some I agree were bound to be deleted because I was being silly. Others, like the first deleted post about the beardie with the chewed off leg, I think I was adding something to that conversation. There was another that I was borderline, I was goofing off and told someone to go sell a kidney for money to pay for the vet, that got yanked even though It had good information in it with a little light humor. The yanking has gotten out of control and soon this forum will have very few experienced people to give advice. Why spend precious time trying to help people out when the post will be yanked it if causes even a slight bit of dissagreement, or if there is a little humor in it that is obviously humor. Oh well got to follow the higher powers that be or leave, and seems like a lot of people that have been making this forum such a bread basket of knowledge are taking the second option, as the first seems to have a growing head.
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Peace
Derek

I wanted to add to this...I'm sorry for upsetting anyone yesterday. I am a firm beliver in getting Vet care, and am really sorry to offend anyone on what I said. I recently (one week ago today) lost my 7 1/2 year old beardie who was more that just a pet lizard. I have rescuded a total of 3 beardies and all were not cared for by the owners they had. Zatarain was scheduled for euthanazie when I took her, and Cajun & Creole were near death when I got them. I know a good exotic Vet is very costly and not every one can spare the money to take them there. I'm very lucky that my best friend is an exotic vet but she's no longer in practice since she had her daughter. So even though I get free exams I still have to work with another Vet for other things such as lab work. Please understand where I was coming from yesterday. After seeing so many exotics go in and out the door when I worked for this Veterinary hospital it is hard to see people not take their pets in when needed. Most that were brought in were not taken care of the right way because of the cost of owning reptiles. I let my emotions get out of control yesterday and I am So SORRY for that. Please forgive me!!

Hey don't worry about it. Even though some didn't agree with your exact stance, I'd think everyone could understand that your opinions and feelings came straight from your heart. There is nothing wrong with that at all. Nothing to be sorry for.
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Amanda
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2.0 bearded dragons (Ocho / Domo-kun)
1.0 pictus gecko (Nicodemus)
0.1 kingsnake (Rio)
0.0.1 tarantula (Calcifer)
1.0 ferret (Playstation)
1.0 cat (Wally)
0.1 dog (Tima)

Thank you, I do get a tad to vocal & emotional at times, and I will try harder in the future to keep that under control.

It's easy to let our passion take over. Happens to the best of em.
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Amanda
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2.0 bearded dragons (Ocho / Domo-kun)
1.0 pictus gecko (Nicodemus)
0.1 kingsnake (Rio)
0.0.1 tarantula (Calcifer)
1.0 ferret (Playstation)
1.0 cat (Wally)
0.1 dog (Tima)