Things That Irritate You on the Forum

[Great Argus]

{Note from mods - this thread split from here: Things That Irritate You in Life}



This one's going to be a bit controversial, but young Zoochatters. If you've got good information to share and can do so maturely then I have no objection at all. But I'm getting annoyed by all the recent unnecessary speculation, unhelpful threads, and frequent immaturity. I went to look at some of the North American population threads today and I had to keep double checking what was real and what was speculation. Several threads of late really don't provide much value, they're on random topics that really aren't discussion worthy or necessary. There's been several duplicate threads of late as well. I've seen multiple threads end up with inappropriate posts now, this is not the place for that, it's not social media. Several members as well as the mods keep trying to encourage appropriate forum behavior and it's typically just ignored. Zoochat isn't standard social media to post anything and everything, it's supposed to be a semi-professional forum for zoos and wildlife. It's not there for posting inappropriate jokes or random subjects.
It's getting frustrating and can tell there's a fair few other members who feel similarly from their replies and comments.

 

[IndianRhino]

This one's going to be a bit controversial, but young Zoochatters. If you've got good information to share and can do so maturely then I have no objection at all. But I'm getting annoyed by all the recent unnecessary speculation, unhelpful threads, and frequent immaturity. I went to look at some of the North American population threads today and I had to keep double checking what was real and what was speculation. Several threads of late really don't provide much value, they're on random topics that really aren't discussion worthy or necessary. There's been several duplicate threads of late as well. I've seen multiple threads end up with inappropriate posts now, this is not the place for that, it's not social media. Several members as well as the mods keep trying to encourage appropriate forum behavior and it's typically just ignored. Zoochat isn't standard social media to post anything and everything, it's supposed to be a semi-professional forum for zoos and wildlife. It's not there for posting inappropriate jokes or random subjects.
It's getting frustrating and can tell there's a fair few other members who feel similarly from their replies and comments.

I'm a younger Zoochatter but I understand what you mean. I often get annoyed by others my age and younger for some of the things they post on here. One of my biggest pet peeves is consistent bad grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Like c'mon guys, you are using a phone or laptop so it really isn't that hard to search up the spelling or correct grammar of something before you post. Another thing is the meaningless posts that consist of a single word or phrase such as "ok" or "thanks" or "yes" or "you're welcome." It's pretty much just spam at that point. You can just like the post!! You don't have to reply with a singular word or phrase unless someone is asking a question or something like that. And lastly, there are some people who pretty much do not contribute to the forum at all and just participate in things like fantasy zoos. Now I'm not saying that fantasy zoo threads are bad, it's just if that's all you do on ZC you really aren't doing anything meaningful on this site. Now I want to make it clear that I am by no means saying that I'm super mature and only post news or something either. A lot of people know I like to speculate a lot, especially on the elephant threads, but other than that I try my best to post appropriate and mature things. Also, I'm sorry if this post offended anyone. I'm just putting my opinion out there and I'm not trying to be mean or anything.

 

[OstrichMania]

it's just if that's all you do on ZC you really aren't doing anything meaningful on this site.

Everyone on this site has a choice about what forums they post in, what threads etc. Somebody who doesn't post on other forums isn't 'less worthy' or 'not meaningful', they just want to do what they like to do. What's the problem with that? It's still giving the website a new member and more activity on the Fantasy Zoo forum, which I can't really see as a bad thing.

 

[KevinB]

And lastly, there are some people who pretty much do not contribute to the forum at all and just participate in things like fantasy zoos. Now I'm not saying that fantasy zoo threads are bad, it's just if that's all you do on ZC you really aren't doing anything meaningful on this site.

Please just be a little more careful with blanket statements like this about certain types of contributions.

Not everyone has the opportunity or the knowledge to participate in many discussions or post a lot of zoo updates, and news posts can generally only be made once. Many people are also inclined to read more than actually post. Some people also just really like the fantasy zoo stuff, and for some people participating in those topics may actually be quite helpful.

Everyone has the right to participate in the threads they choose to. As long as members obey forum rules and are civil and reasonable, I do not think value judgments have to be made about the worth or value of other members' specific contributions. f people don't like the fantasy zoo stuff, that is fine by me, but in that case please just stay away from it and don't be judgmental about people who do like it, especially not with harsh terms like "not meaningful".

Personally since I have mostly stopped using social media and tuned out from much of the news, I have posted little news, and updates are also few and far between. With my gallery postings also having ground to a temporary stop lately most of the posts I have done lately have been fantasy-zoo related. For me personally the fantasy zoo stuff is actually rather fun and helpful in the sense that it helps me to relax and distract myself from things that might be harmful to me.

 

[aardvark250]

The problem is fantasy zoo member most often do not obey forum rules. I'm not saying all fantasy member are a harm to zoochat, but there are more than a few younger member that not only are being inappropraite in the fantasy forum but in some more serious discussion too. Sometimes too much of "non-content" post can be quite annoying to say the least.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Somebody who doesn't post on other forums isn't 'less worthy' or 'not meaningful', they just want to do what they like to do. What's the problem with that? It's still giving the website a new member and more activity on the Fantasy Zoo forum, which I can't really see as a bad thing.

The problem arises when someone joins the site *solely* for the Fantasy Zoo area, has no interest in participating in the wider community, deliberately acts immaturely and posts largely in text-speak..... and of late we have had a sizeable influx of posters doing precisely this, with a corresponding decrease in the overall standard of posts on the forum due to their conduct when they do post elsewhere on the forum.

There *is* merit and value to be found in the Fantasy Zoo section, as @KevinB notes, but it has unfortunately been getting thinner on the ground as the original intention of the sub-forum has been lost.

 

[KevinB]

The problem is fantasy zoo member most often do not obey forum rules. I'm not saying all fantasy member are a harm to zoochat, but there are more than a few younger member that not only are being inappropraite in the fantasy forum but in some more serious discussion too. Sometimes too much of "non-content" post can be quite annoying to say the least.

The problem arises when someone joins the site *solely* for the Fantasy Zoo area, has no interest in participating in the wider community, deliberately acts immaturely and posts largely in text-speak..... and of late we have had a sizeable influx of posters doing precisely this, with a corresponding decrease in the overall standard of posts on the forum due to their conduct when they do post elsewhere on the forum.

There *is* merit and value to be found in the Fantasy Zoo section, as @KevinB notes, but it has unfortunately been getting thinner on the ground as the original intention of the sub-forum has been lost.

Reading these and other arguments I now understand better the issue many members have with the fantasy zoo section, and I apologize for my earlier defense of it, which was probably inappropriate and unwelcome.

Given these complaints I have made the decision to immediately completely and definitively halt all of my fantasy zoo work. The stuff I do is probably also contrary to what the forum was intended for.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Given these complaints I have made the decision to immediately completely and definitively halt all of my fantasy zoo work. The stuff I do is probably also contrary to what the forum was intended for.

There's no need to do that - if the fantasy section provides you with an important source of mental strength that's a good thing and one we wouldn't want you to forswear.

 

[KevinB]

There's no need to do that - if the fantasy section provides you with an important source of mental strength that's a good thing and one we wouldn't want you to forswear.

I don't want to contribute to a problem or be posting content the site is not intended for or that is found undesirable.

 

[Bengal Tiger]

Reading these and other arguments I now understand better the issue many members have with the fantasy zoo section, and I apologize for my earlier defense of it, which was probably inappropriate and unwelcome.

Given these complaints I have made the decision to immediately completely and definitively halt all of my fantasy zoo work. The stuff I do is probably also contrary to what the forum was intended for.

Don’t do that, remember, so long as you are following the rules in the forum, you are fine.

 

[Bengal Tiger]

I don't want to contribute to a problem or be posting content the site is not intended for or that is found undesirable.

Nobody said it was undesirable. It was only said that some members there did not act quite appropriately for the forum.

 

[Zooplantman]

The problem arises when someone joins the site *solely* for the Fantasy Zoo area, has no interest in participating in the wider community, deliberately acts immaturely and posts largely in text-speak..... and of late we have had a sizeable influx of posters doing precisely this, with a corresponding decrease in the overall standard of posts on the forum due to their conduct when they do post elsewhere on the forum.

There *is* merit and value to be found in the Fantasy Zoo section, as @KevinB notes, but it has unfortunately been getting thinner on the ground as the original intention of the sub-forum has been lost.

I don't see any reason why people shouldn't join for whatever purpose they have in mind (that stays within Forum rules). This is a big forum with loads of members and loads of sub-forums. I don't need to control other people.
I have never looked at that sub-forum. It does not interest me. Therefore I really see no problem
By all means post there whatever the rules (there are rules?) permit

 

[KevinB]

There's no need to do that - if the fantasy section provides you with an important source of mental strength that's a good thing and one we wouldn't want you to forswear.

Don’t do that, remember, so long as you are following the rules in the forum, you are fine.

Nobody said it was undesirable. It was only said that some members there did not act quite appropriately for the forum.

I am really sorry for overreacting again, I'm just really tired and not in my right frame of mind right now with all the stuff I've been struggling with.

I don't want to give up on my fantasy zoo work, but I just don't want to be part of a problem or of a negative trend on the forum. I also feel a little guilty that I don't seem able to contribute beyond the fantasy forum lately.

 

[OstrichMania]

The problem arises when someone joins the site *solely* for the Fantasy Zoo area, has no interest in participating in the wider community, deliberately acts immaturely and posts largely in text-speak..... and of late we have had a sizeable influx of posters doing precisely this, with a corresponding decrease in the overall standard of posts on the forum due to their conduct when they do post elsewhere on the forum.

Then how is that an issue for the Fantasy Zoo forum, isn't that just an issue of members being immature? Sure, the Fantasy Zoo forum may be a magnet for these members, but this doesn't mean we should ridicule the forum as a whole. These members would still crop up if we didn't have the forum, this is a public forum for everyone after all.

 

[IndianRhino]

Again I really didn't mean to offend anyone. I never meant to say people who like fantasy zoo threads are not meaningful to this site, I was just trying to encourage those of you who only post on these threads to try and post on other threads as well. I'm sure this site wasn't created just for fantasy zoos, and like @TeaLovingDave said everyone should try to participate in the wider community of ZC. I just want to say again that I'm really sorry if this offended anyone.

@KevinB I really hope you don't stop posting in the fantasy zoo forum because of me. I've seen some of your work and it definitely is impressive! I hope you understand what I was trying to say in my original post now.

 

[KevinB]

Again I really didn't mean to offend anyone. I never meant to say people who like fantasy zoo threads are not meaningful to this site, I was just trying to encourage those of you who only post on these threads to try and post on other threads as well. I'm sure this site wasn't created just for fantasy zoos, and like @TeaLovingDave said everyone should try to participate in the wider community of ZC. I just want to say again that I'm really sorry if this offended anyone.

@KevinB I really hope you don't stop posting in the fantasy zoo forum because of me. I've seen some of your work and it definitely is impressive! I hope you understand what I was trying to say in my original post now.

I also apologize if I have offended or irritated anyone. I should probably have thought more about my posts, and I am sorry far that also.

I understand the points you make, and will be thinking about those.

I don't think I will be giving up on my fantasy zoo work, because I don't want to and because it would not be warranted. I am however going to have to put more effort in also contributing in other ways, which in my case will mean trying to get my gallery postings going again.

 

[OstrichMania]

I never meant to say people who like fantasy zoo threads are not meaningful to this site

Well then, do forgive us but saying this gives the opposite impression:

And lastly, there are some people who pretty much do not contribute to the forum at all and just participate in things like fantasy zoos. Now I'm not saying that fantasy zoo threads are bad, it's just if that's all you do on ZC you really aren't doing anything meaningful on this site.

 

[IndianRhino]

Well then, do forgive us but saying this gives the opposite impression:

I said that people who only post on fantasy zoo threads are not doing meaningful things on the site not just anyone who likes those threads. If you post on that forum and contribute to others that is completely fine and there is nothing wrong with that whatsoever.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

It's still giving the website a new member and more activity on the Fantasy Zoo forum, which I can't really see as a bad thing.

Sure, the Fantasy Zoo forum may be a magnet for these members, but this doesn't mean we should ridicule the forum as a whole. These members would still crop up if we didn't have the forum, this is a public forum for everyone after all.

The point is that having served as a magnet for such members, the problematic behaviour within has increasingly become self-sustaining and self-reinforcing as more and more people join the forum and seldom if ever post outside the sub-forum.

There has always been an occasional influx of younger, immature members as you suggest, but prior to a strong divide between the wider forum and the fantasy forum manifesting, these younger members mixed freely with the community and (by and large) matured over time, learned from more long-standing members and worked out how to behave in a general "rounding-out" process. Those that didn't do so, tended to drift away from the forum in time. Now, younger and more immature members tend *not* to mix with the wider community, with the result that they back one another up and encourage one another to continue acting like that both in the Fantasy subforum and when they *do* post elsewhere on the forum, and the behaviour becomes ingrained. Moreover, I know of several long-standing members who have either left the forum or cut down the frequency of their visits precisely due to their feelings on how the growing immaturity has affected the overall "feel" of the community - which has had a corresponding impact on the aforementioned "rounding-out" process.

Automatically responding to criticism of this behaviour by rebuking people for "ridiculing" the subforum (when they are doing no such thing) is unfortunately the sort of reaction that has helped to perpetuate this behaviour, even if this isn't your intention per se.

 

[OstrichMania]

The point is that having served as a magnet for such members, the problematic behaviour within has increasingly become self-sustaining and self-reinforcing as more and more people join the forum and seldom if ever post outside the sub-forum.

There has always been an occasional influx of younger, immature members as you suggest, but prior to a strong divide between the wider forum and the fantasy forum manifesting, these younger members mixed freely with the community and (by and large) matured over time, learned from more long-standing members and worked out how to behave in a general "rounding-out" process. Those that didn't do so, tended to drift away from the forum in time. Now, younger and more immature members tend *not* to mix with the wider community, with the result that they back one another up and encourage one another to continue acting like that both in the Fantasy subforum and when they *do* post elsewhere on the forum, and the behaviour becomes ingrained. Moreover, I know of several long-standing members who have either left the forum or cut down the frequency of their visits precisely due to their feelings on how the growing immaturity has affected the overall "feel" of the community - which has had a corresponding impact on the aforementioned "rounding-out" process.

Thank you for this response, one that is very clear and one I agree with.

Automatically responding to criticism of this behaviour by rebuking people for "ridiculing" the subforum (when they are doing no such thing) is unfortunately the sort of reaction that has helped to perpetuate this behaviour, even if this isn't your intention per se.

I respect this, but at the same time I think my comments about ridiculing is acceptable when comments like these are made:

The problem arises when someone joins the site *solely* for the Fantasy Zoo area, has no interest in participating in the wider community, deliberately acts immaturely and posts largely in text-speak..... and of late we have had a sizeable influx of posters doing precisely this, with a corresponding decrease in the overall standard of posts on the forum due to their conduct when they do post elsewhere on the forum.

It basically implies (to me, at least) that you're associating someone who is on the Fantasy Zoo forum as someone who is immature. Not saying this is what you mean for definite, but it is the impression I get.