Where are all the zoo nerds?

Brum said:
If you start a thread that has already been discussed then someone, probably Chlidonias, will direct you to the appropriate thread! ;)
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that's my job! :p

Brum said:
I personally have spent the past few weeks reading a variety of old travel threads and zoo history threads even though I've read them before because sometimes there's little things you've forgotten.
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I do that all the time. A fun thing to do is to go to "Members Online Now" and go through the pages until you see an interesting thread title that someone is looking at. I find all sorts of fun stuff from the past doing that.

Brum said:
If I'm honest though I'm waiting on Chlidonias Goes To Asia Part 4! :p
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hey, you start up the collection and I'll go anywhere in Asia to look for anything you choose. I only need a few thousand dollars. Round up forty Zoochatters to donate £50 each and you'll get your thread! :p
 
Chlidonias said:
hey, you start up the collection and I'll go anywhere in Asia to look for anything you choose. I only need a few thousand dollars. Round up forty Zoochatters to donate £50 each and you'll get your thread! :p
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Bugger that :p we need Chlidonias Explores Europe next time round!
 
I personally think that births, deaths etc of animals should be reported in the appropriate news thread, as personally I don't have Facebook (and have no intention of joining in the near future), and I'm not daily going to go on over a hundred zoos websites, and most days find nothing of interest. I've never visited Dudley, and doubt I will make a visit in the next few years (sadly), but I'm still interested that two Lynx have been born (https://www.zoochat.com/community/posts/885234) I wouldn't have found this out if it wasn't for Benosaurus posting it, so I think its a valuble resource having people posting certain zoos news.

I keep on just going to random pages from a few years ago, and many of the discussions do seem more interesting then some of the current ones (although recently I have found some interesting, like the shrew noted above).

When I first joined I admit I created a lot of stupid and pointless threads, and now I post less new threads (and the ones I post are mainly snippets of news which I just happen to stumble upon); also I will be eternally ashamed of the Angry Post thing :o.
 
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Chlidonias said:
The bit about "not wanting to upset zoos" is an interesting one too, and seems to occur only with specific zoos. I dislike it. The forum isn't SuckUpToZoosChat.
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No, but you can understand a poster who receives info confidentally from within a Zoo, perhaps e.g. from an employee, being reluctant to then divulge it publicly on here, so breaking the confidentiality and also potentially losing the source of further information in the future.

However, the p.m. option is always available for people if they want to ask further questions about things that are hinted at, but not actually revealed on here. Failing that, another option is to just to have patience and wait, as the information tends to get revealed eventually. I'm not overly keen on Facebook. The zoo ones are pretty useless for asking anything but the least intrusive questions and not expecting too much by way of answers.
 
Pertinax said:
No, but you can understand a poster who receives info confidentally from within a Zoo, perhaps e.g. from an employee, being reluctant to then divulge it publicly on here, so breaking the confidentiality and also potentially losing the source of further information in the future.
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I can understand re things learned in confidence but it now seems to extend to things that would be pretty obvious to anyone visiting who was interested enough to notice.
 
Macaw16 said:
I keep on just going to random pages from a few years ago, and many of the discussions do seem more interesting then some of the current ones (although recently I have found some interesting, like the shrew noted above).
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I've noticed on other forums I've been on that for a certain period there is a wealth of information of interest, forty of fifty years of collective knowledge and experience being brought to the table, the excitement of being able to meet with like-minded people that was much harder before the internet. There then comes a point where a lot of the obvious discussions have been had, the knowledge and experience is all there out on the table and the new stuff is being experienced by everyone and the excitement wanes…
 
I've always been on here mainly for the news on Zoos/animal collections that can be collated from here. Of course one gets drawn into many other interesting discussions too. But I've noticed how even with just e.g. the UK Forums, news, or the volume of postings on it, is often cyclical- with busy periods and quiet periods, and that its not merely a winter/summer related thing I don't think. Fortunately, zoo news is a constant topic that never gets boring as a subject or ever really dries up. If I am away from the site for a few days, as I have just been, the increased back-up of posts is always welcome for a news junkie like me of course.:)
 
I've been heartened by all of the replies on this thread and in a way this discussion has become a microcosm of what ZooChat is all about. Some silly replies that are irrelevant; many decent conversation points; and several well-written, thought-provoking responses. In fact, the entire past week has seen a rise in traffic on this site and it must be summer as zoo nerds around the world are preparing for regular zoo visits, road trips and the opening dates of many new exhibits. It is the best time of year to be a zoo nerd, unless perhaps you live in the southern hemisphere. :)
 
I find that the general appeal of using the forum and of posting has decreased significantly - mostly due to reasons outlined by others above. The politics, idiocy and abrasiveness which surround some threads is highly off-putting, and as such we’re sometimes less encouraging to others as we used to be, which might be interpreted as a lack of interest.

Since ‘the great purge’ I’ve been posting a fraction of the number of photos which I used to, but with relatively recent difficulties in uploading more than one photo at a time I was almost entirely put off posting photos. I imagine that for a while this has meant that members short of time or motivation have not used the gallery to upload more interesting photos, and the quantity of interesting material in the gallery has decreased to varying degrees. I find that whereas a search for ‘new photos’ would have previously offered a lot of material for discussion, it’s now rarer to come across anything of much interest apart from a nice portrait every now and then (unless Maguari has just returned from a holiday :p). Likewise, in the forums it’s become less common to come across very interesting information or discussions, but this could have been nearly guaranteed on a more frequent basis previously.

I agree with others that this phase isn’t much worse than previous occasions, but there are more weak points than there have been before so perhaps that’s why it feels so much more noticeable.
 
I for one can see exactly where snowleopard is coming from over the content being posted these days.Now I will admit over the years I have been guilty of I know something you don't know,but many times I have not been able to say just what because I was told in confidence,but I have always tried to point people in the right direction to come up with the correct answer,but even that at times has resulted in what some people would term abuse towards me either on the forum or in private,none of which bothers me as its not my fault if those people are not trusted by people in the zoo world to be told stuff like,the stuff I very often get told on my various travels.These days I only tend to post when something needs correcting,but certain posters just post such crap that I have to bite my tongue over what they say,as I know it will get me in trouble again,but I have to thank them for that as it has started to push me back to taking more of an interest in Railways again,which those on here that know me best will know has always been my first true passion,yes zoo's have always been not far behind and over the last 10-15 years have pretty much pushed Railways,out of the picture but these days I now try to fit in a Railway with any zooing that I do.Which I know is a bit tough on people that sometimes travel with me that are just interested in zoo's,but just every now and again they get to see something interesting like the worlds fastest Duck as a result of the passion in Railways!!

Over the last few years I have noticed that if you post news about a Lion,Chimp or Orang you can get 10-20 replies to your post,but if you post about the arrival of some obscure little rodent at a place,in the past people would comment and say thats great news these days its bugger all as its not a Chimp,I think its very much a fact that there has been a change in the type of users on the site,and that those of us that don't always follow the species that Joe Bloggs has heard of have slowly stopped posting,as you just start to feel that its pointless posting the news as people just don't seem to want to know on here anymore,hence why I just tend to tell people stuff via private these days,as I know then that they are interested as they have taken the bother to contact me to ask about something.

I will continue to post pictures to the gallery of my travels,and will still help to sort out any Walk and talks at Chester,but I am even taking a back seat from that as well as I have got sick of being messed about by certain users on this site saying they will go and then pulling out at the last minute,with lame excuse like I had to go shopping or I couldn't get there on public transport!!!

So at present it looks like I will be spending more time playing trains,you never know I might even start taking control of a shovel again as its been more than a few years since I last did it!
 
@ZooGiraffe - When I was traveling to visit zoos for my southwest USA zoo book, I found a great railroad photo opportunity (attached). It took a bit of post processing to get it the way I envisioned, but it is one of my favorite images, both to myself and to the friends and customers who have seen it.

Also the photo that has BY FAR gotten the most play and shares on Facebook is a train photo with elk in snow that I took at the Grand Canyon. It is posted on ZooChat here: http://www.zoochat.com/729/wapiti-fleeing-train-397129/
 

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@ Arizona Docent cracking shot of the bridge over the years I have seen quite a few shots like that from over the pond,thanks for the link to the other picture I have no idea how I missed that when you posted it in the first place,unless i got bored of going through the same tiger been photographed in about 20-30 different positions on the same day!!
 
There has been a lot of discussion on Zoochat lately about losing interest in Zoos etc. My dad died on Jun 2nd. Anyone who has talked to me on here knows he has been disabled and bad sick for a long time. My Dad was the one who encouraged my love of animals and took me to every zoo in the Southeast. My Dad was my best friend. Today being the 4th of July it was the first major holiday without him. That combined with a raining day had me feeling a little down. My mom's 1st cousin had her mom (my great aunt) in our area today. She invited us to the Tennessee Aquarium on a day trip today. It is only about an hour from my house here in Northeast Alabama. Perfect thing to do on a rainy day, plus she is a kindred spirit in being an animal lover.

Anyway as I spent time today in the Aquarium obviously I enjoyed myself. It wasn't my first visit but my first since the new building was completed. Such a great aquarium. But the animals today were weirdly secondary. I found myself watching the families. Families of all types. All races, orientations, and combinations were seen just enjoying time with their familes. And they were all enjoying the 4th in peace. I am not ashamed to say I believe in God. I firmly believe he knew I needed what I did today. Going to the aquarium today wasn't just a fun holiday, it was good for my soul. It was good for my peace of mind.

So if you have your parent or your child close, hug them. Have a happy fourth.
 
tschandler71 said:
There has been a lot of discussion on Zoochat lately about losing interest in Zoos etc. My dad died on Jun 2nd. Anyone who has talked to me on here knows he has been disabled and bad sick for a long time. My Dad was the one who encouraged my love of animals and took me to every zoo in the Southeast. My Dad was my best friend. Today being the 4th of July it was the first major holiday without him. That combined with a raining day had me feeling a little down. My mom's 1st cousin had her mom (my great aunt) in our area today. She invited us to the Tennessee Aquarium on a day trip today. It is only about an hour from my house here in Northeast Alabama. Perfect thing to do on a rainy day, plus she is a kindred spirit in being an animal lover.

Anyway as I spent time today in the Aquarium obviously I enjoyed myself. It wasn't my first visit but my first since the new building was completed. Such a great aquarium. But the animals today were weirdly secondary. I found myself watching the families. Families of all types. All races, orientations, and combinations were seen just enjoying time with their familes. And they were all enjoying the 4th in peace. I am not ashamed to say I believe in God. I firmly believe he knew I needed what I did today. Going to the aquarium today wasn't just a fun holiday, it was good for my soul. It was good for my peace of mind.

So if you have your parent or your child close, hug them. Have a happy fourth.
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Sorry to hear about your loss, and that was one moving post.



On a different note, most of the people who have posted seem to be saying they hate ZooChat, if it is as bad as you say, why are you still on here?
 
Macaw16 said:
On a different note, most of the people who have posted seem to be saying they hate ZooChat, if it is as bad as you say, why are you still on here?
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I think in most cases you're either:

1. Extrapolating hatred for aspects of ZooChat to hatred of the whole site and/or;

2. Confusing frustration with hate.
 
I follow Zoochat as much as ever and check out most of the Zoo news threads for the UK and Europe , rarely the rest of the world . I also try to look at all photos with comments and new photos ( I do find the endless photos of the same animals in a few zoos totally unnecessary ) .

If I visit a zoo I usually post some photos of what I think was interesting ( recent birth , unusual species , new enclosure ) , not normally portraits of animals as I do not have the skills or equipment of some of the excellent photographers on the site .

I contribute far less to the forums now , usually just a bit of news I have picked up or a brief comment . I do not like what happens on the South Lakes , Twycross and some other forums ( really think these should be separated from actual zoo news ) . I think some people can be more rude than is necessary with their replies . I do not mind our younger contributors , most seem to quickly grow out of their over-enthusiasm .

I certainly do not hate Zoochat and would not want to be without it . When I was a young zoo nerd 50 years ago it was next to impossible to know what was going on in the zoo world .
 
I'm here, the way I use the forum and have always used it is just sort of a low intensity thing. Every week or so I like to lurk around and read posts, look at pictures, maybe the occasional post but basically that's how it is. In genereal I think what it is for people that have left or gone on less is that sometimes they might experience burnout from being too intense in their hobbies.
Mainly though I think it's forums as a whole taking a side to more popular online settings like twitter and facebook.
 
I was thinking about annoying posts, and what is really annoying/ down grades ZooChat, these what I found the most annoying (some as whole posts, some as parts of posts):

- Over USE of bold, CoLoR UnderlinG, Italics and size.

-Random statements which don't benefit discussion; for example in a conversation about Sumatran Tigers in Europe "Flamingo Land has them".

-The use of lol, ROFL, IMO, IMHO, IMVHO, btw etc, which in my opinion down grades the conversation, "I liked the monkeys lol".

-People who post a new thread, and then get in a hissy fit if no one replies after a short (out even long) amount of time.

-When posting pictures put a whopping great image over it for copyright purposes, I think a watermark is fine (as long as it is just white, black or translucent).

-Who hate other people's opinion in a debate; "Your opinion is so stupid, you just hate everything you stupid b***h [or another insult]"

-The people, who when corrected, hate that person and have a hissy fit.

-The people who abuse other posters catchphrases.

-The members who come on here once just to ask for homework help, or those who just ask a question, and aren't coming on because they're fans of Zoos (also those members who try to sell us fake documents).

-Those who think they know everything about everything (nobody, or nothing know everything, probably less than 1% of everything is known to man).

-The people who act all jokily, but get annoyed when other people make (or try to make) jokes, aren't I punderful ;).

-When people assume your atupid, just because you don't know what exactly they are talking about.

-If they abuse those icons you can have with posts, or smileys.

-If people don't give a straight answer when you ask about an incident in the past of ZooChat that they refer to, than just give you a load of nonsense about how you should find it out (like saying to search for it, when the search doesn't work very well always (and I don't have time to go to over a thousand threads the search throws up to find what they are referring to).

-If like me you are a younger user (like me) and the older users think you are immature, when some of the stupidest posts (and members) are from older members.

-When people don't use any punctuation, making it unreadable (I know I have mentioned this before, but I mean no punctuation at all (sorry about that rant by the way).

An example post:


I hate you all, you just rant on about this, your all idiots who don't understand anything just cos that have tigers (like Chester) doesnt mean you HAVE to rant in about a model lol, you all make me ROFL IMVVVVHO :mad::p.... I totally know more than all of you call me Einstein lol when I posted that thread you all totally should of replied Stupid Police! I HATE you all so go away!

Sorry if I ranted :)
 
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