Why is it so hard for people to read....

[Lilathandra]

So I know I haven't been here a very long time and most of the time I try to look up the answer to my question before I post it. Granted some times I don't but most of the time I do.

But the more I search for the info I need the more aggravated I get at people who do not listen when advice is given!

Seriously you asked about such and such but instead of looking at the links or listening to what people who know what they are talking about you keep going "oh poor me what ever shall I do please answer my question" get a hint THEY DID ALREADY! You just refuse to accept the answer they gave you for what ever reason.

I for one appreciate all that you have done to help answer my questions and give me the info that I needed by linking it so that I could read it for myself. You amazing wonderful people have a heart of gold cause I am sure that by now I would have most likely told them where they could put something in a not nice manner.

Now on the other side I get that new people come every day and they need the info thats great! I for one am so excited to see new people wanting to do right by their piggies. But there is no need to ignore the info that was given to you. Read and read some more. You can never learn enough.

Ok I'm done with my rant now.

[PiBee]

I agree! Sometimes there are old threads that, even with the search, can slip your eye. But some questions (and by all means questions are good!) are right there! There's no need to ask again, when there's a very recent thread with tons of information in it.

[Wildcavy]

I can think of any number of reasons why people don't / can't search the site for answers to a brand-new (for them) question. Some are legit, some aren't.

For folks who refuse to accept a response or responses given to them on a thread, though, I put those in three categories: people who genuinely don't understand the answers, people who are looking for approval for something they know is wrong and aren't getting it, and trolls. Try to be patient with the first, stand your ground with the second, and don't feed the third. But, in every case, be willing to walk away when it gets really irritating.

Not that I practice what I preach. But I do try to take breaks or let a thread go if it is going beyond my ability to stop thinking about it after I log off.

[Elthysia]

This is a pro breeding site right? And my pet shop bought cage is large enough?

Sorry couldn't resist (blame British sarcasm/humour)

Ps for those who didn't read second line of text, or didn't get the British humour, the first line of text was a joke in amused agreement with the OP

[Lilathandra]

This is a pro breeding site right? And my pet shop bought cage is large enough?

Sorry couldn't resist (blame British sarcasm/humour)

Ps for those who didn't read second line of text, or didn't get the British humour, the first line of text was a joke in amused agreement with the OP

That was to funny LOL.

@Wildcavy This was meant for the mainly the second group of people that you were talking about. Not brand new members. I myself did the same thing asking a question that I now see answered almost daily. So I try to make sure to search now before asking.

When I wrote this I had just got done reading another post of someone asking about lice/mites. They never went to the link that was given to them they just kept asking the same question and then only responded to someone who basically told them what they wanted to hear not what the real problem was. That is what drives me nuts. These are people who know what they are talking about yet you repeatably ignore their advice.

[NarwhalsRock]

I agree. I have seen threads by people who want to know HOW TO BUILD A C&C!!!! Really? REALLY?! Some people... I have seen those aggravating threads where the person either didn't read the answers, or it wasn't the answer they were looking for. People will give them great advice, about how to do something, or whatever, and they WON'T ACCEPT THE ANSWERS GIVEN!!!!

/rant

[bpatters]

@Wildcavy , there are two more categories. One is the people who can't be bothered to go to an external link, and want you to retype the information specifically for them, and the other is the people who never read back through their own threads to see what information has been given.

I have all kinds of patience with people in the first of your categories, and none at all with your other two or my two.

[LoriBush]

Well, I'm sorry if my posts about Trixie's sore falls into your rant. I'm a visual learning and I've read the posts but I needed to SEE the ivermectin administered. Just reading it did not make sense to me.

I know that the veterans on here get fed up with the same posts over and over and over, being a mod on a teacher message board, I understand.

Believe it or not, us newbies appreciate the information but we don't appreciate the attitude of some people on here. I've seen other people remind me of the extreme moms on a board I was on when Em was little. If you didn't do like they did, you were a sorry excuse for a mom - cloth diaper, breast fed, baby wear was the ONLY way to be.

Yeah, some people do not know how to use the "search" box. I didn't know what Trixie's problem was until I posted mine and found out. And thank you for your insight. I went back and searched more and more.

One thing you might need to remember is that there are a lot of KIDS/TEENS on this board and being a teacher, I know they need things repeated constantly... a lot of adults do, too.

Anyway... I'm sorry if I am a trigger of your rant. I am hestitant to post questions on here afraid that I'll say something stupid and be belittled by the ones that know all.

[Lilathandra]

Well, I'm sorry if my posts about Trixie's sore falls into your rant. I'm a visual learning and I've read the posts but I needed to SEE the ivermectin administered. Just reading it did not make sense to me.

I know that the veterans on here get fed up with the same posts over and over and over, being a mod on a teacher message board, I understand.

Believe it or not, us newbies appreciate the information but we don't appreciate the attitude of some people on here. I've seen other people remind me of the extreme moms on a board I was on when Em was little. If you didn't do like they did, you were a sorry excuse for a mom - cloth diaper, breast fed, baby wear was the ONLY way to be.

Yeah, some people do not know how to use the "search" box. I didn't know what Trixie's problem was until I posted mine and found out. And thank you for your insight. I went back and searched more and more.

One thing you might need to remember is that there are a lot of KIDS/TEENS on this board and being a teacher, I know they need things repeated constantly... a lot of adults do, too.

Anyway... I'm sorry if I am a trigger of your rant. I am hestitant to post questions on here afraid that I'll say something stupid and be belittled by the ones that know all.

I'm sorry if you felt that this was towards you as it was not. I am by far someone who knows it all. I to ask questions and search almost daily as I still have alot to learn and I am still reading up on all the info that is out there.

To be exact it was about someone who had posted asking if their pigs had lice. They were told to refer to guinea lynx. It was clear they never clicked on the link and kept asking the same thing basically. They chose to ignore everyone's response except for one person who told them that their pig was fine. By ignore I literally mean they only responded to the one person who said their pig was fine. But this is just one example of why I posted this rant. There are tons of other posts about many different subjects that if the poster would have just simply clicked a link or read what was posted then they would have the answer to their questions.

[jm_1234]

@LoriBush -I totally agree with you. I myself just posted about lice and how to treat with ivermectin. I to got a link to a page I just went over and over and over again to try to figure out what to do before I posted. I have pretty much spent the last 24 hours researching every spare moment I have had to figure it out. It is very confusing and I myself am feeling like an idiot posting on here and knowing I am probably getting a bunch of eye rolls. Its threads like this that make alot of people not ask which puts guinea pigs at risk because it makes you feel like a moron for asking. Ivermectin is dangerous so any questions should be encouraged not discouraged by threads like this.

[PiBee]

Just one more thing to add - I don't think personal examples should really be used because as @jm_1234 said, it can hurt peoples feelings and make them feel idiotic for asking.

I mean, like I said above, I know it can be annoying to see the same question or have people ignore help (I'm not speaking about anyone at all in particular), but going into specific subjects and basically specific people isn't needed.

[Lilathandra]

@LoriBush I just read your post about Trixi. For starters it was most diffently not what I was talking about and I hope she is doing much better now. The poor thing. I know it can be upsetting. I used the lice/mites as an example because I myself was searching info in it since my piggies seem to be scratching more than what I think they should. So I was looking for answers. And you are right the link given can be confusing and I am sure that later on I will have questions as well.

@jm_1234 I read over your post as well and again this has nothing to do with you. I hope that all 8 of your piggies get over their issues soon. I am sure that you had plenty of help getting the answers that you need.

This is meant for the people who go (I'm making this up as an example)

How many veggies should my pig eat

answer~ please check out this site

answer ~ They should have a cup of veggies per pig per day

Poster~ But what do I give them?

answer~ you can give them (insert huge list of veggies)

answer~ make sure to give plently of leafy greens

Poster ~ so should I give them kale every day?

This is what I mean. Its clearly not something that you can give them every day. Its on the list of veggies and how much to feed them. Its posted at least once a day. If the poster would have just simply clicked on the link they would have found the answer to their questions.

By all means I think its great that people ask questions I will continue to do so and most likely my answer will be somewhere on here already. I hope this helps to make my point of my rant more clear.

[Xeygwyn]

We are all entitled to our opinions. Some of us choose not to sugar-coat that. A lot of us are not here to make someone feel good about bad decisions - we're here for the pigs. Period. If it seems abrasive, that may be an individual's interpretation. You can't tell tone from words on the internet.

Also, it is obvious neither of you are part of what is being discussed. No one is harassing anyone for asking a question with a valid basis. It is those who do not wish to listen, become belligerent, or ignore the advice given that appears to be the focus here. These people usually stay long enough to be told the correct advice, argue, and then disappear forever. Anyone who comes here to learn is welcomed, as you will see if you check the introductions thread. Medical threads are often followed closely by many people, checking to ensure the pigs get healthy/recover from ailments.

However, repeated questions by the same person, over and over, feigning ignorance or what-have-you, is going to make things short and to-the-point. 'Rudeness', as some might see it. Again, it's for the pigs benefit, not the person.

Just relax, there's no point in being wounded over a forum.

[Elthysia]

I think if read above people have a lot of patience with medical questions because we want all pigs to be healthy and happy, I myself get a little annoyed with the things I posted in my original thread like breeding (is it ok?), buying pigs from stores and saying pet shop bought cages are the ok size. That is not what this forum stands for, and it doesn't take a lot of research to figure that out.

If you need help on any other questions I have found people extremely helpful.

Lastly, remember it is written and the tone of voice is hard to distinguish in text, unlike speaking with people. I myself can sound a bit short with people because I type on an iPad and I hate the keyboard.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, but have a little google/YouTube first. Medical for example, go to guinea linx first and then, if that doesn't answer your question, post it on here

[Zuidy]

I agree with all of this, for the most part.

I myself usually take it upon myself to post after searching and not turning up any results.

I do give the people who ask questions repeatedly some slack though. It isn't always easy to trust a forum's previous opinions from a few years back. Because each person has a different opinion on a way to do things in each thread, the person looking for answers might not trust accuracy of previous postings.

I have done the same sometimes. I try to stick to posting general threads, not about issues, but when I do need specific info I use the search feature.

But their are the times when you need to ask yourself. Mainly about Veterinary and Medical issues, not so much about C&C cages, Bedding, Nutrition, etc..

[spy9doc]

At risk of offending some folks, I'm going to jump in here since this topic is truly a "hot button" for me. I'm sometimes not very patient in my responses. And, it is sometimes easy to misinterpret what is written when you can't see the wry smile or wink that may accompany it.

First of all, I want to give "props" to folks like bpatters, foggy creek cavy, paula, pinky, etc. who are the true veterans of this forum........and yet they stick around to help others who come after them. Why do you think that any of us who are busy professionals stick around after we have gotten the information we are seeking? It's simple......it is called "paying forward". We can't always pay back those who helped us, but we CAN pay forward to those who come after us.

ANY good discussion list on the Internet will insist that you do your homework before posting questions. I personally spent the equivalent of at least two days reading posts dating back to 2006 before I started posting and asking questions. If you have found this forum, then you know how to use a search engine! Even a 5 yr. old knows how to use Google these days.

Do some people really NOT know that there is a "hidden" spell checker built into the forum? Watch as you keyboard.......the squiggly red line will appear under questionable words. Sometimes posts are so full of misspellings that one can hardly read them. This goes along with actually re-reading your post before you hit the "send" button.

It's o.k. to disagree with others........but do it in a respectful manner, and know when to just let it go. You've heard the old saying, "don't beat a dead horse to death"? You'll note that it's not uncommon for me to disagree with some of the "Mods", but we do it in a respectful fashion, say what we think, and then leave the subject.

Speaking of being respectful......the anonymity of the Internet does NOT make it acceptable to sit behind your computer and take pot-shots are people. Remember, you can't erase what you have submitted and it's there forever.

To my knowledge, there are NO veterinarians on this forum and few here are the absolute ultimate authority on any situation. I'm a healthcare professional, and yet I'm far from an expert on cavies. Sometimes what is offered is one individual's opinion........and I stress the word "opinion". There are lots of opinions about how to raise children......and there are lots of opinions about how to raise cavies. Don't just take one person's opinion as gospel........do some actual research and gather your facts.

Along with offering an opinion, it is appropriate to say, "in my opinion; based on my experience; based on advice from my vet; the current thinking is.... Sometimes we forget to use these phrases (I'm no exception) when we post. And if you are new to the forum, use caution when giving advice.......check your facts. And, don't base your opinion solely on what you have read on this forum. I'm also a college professor and I continually tell my student not to accept what I tell them as fact.........look it up. Learn how to research, critically think and evaluate a situation for yourself.

With rare exception, I think that we're all here for one reason: we love cavies and we want the best possible for them. I'm constantly surprised that others are as big a fool for these little creatures as I am for mine. I'm grateful to have a place to come to exchange ideas and to receive support when needed. Thank you to Theresa and the others who make this possible!

[tabikat55]

When I first found this site in Oct 2009, I found it to be difficult to find the specific answers to my questions. I'm not stupid by any means nor am I a youngster. I just didn't realize that one could scroll down a little further on the fourms page and get a specific topic and everything you ever wanted to know about it.

And I like bpatters have been on here long enough to see some real "cut throat" replies that instead of helping the person have turned them away. That is not what this site was intended for nor is it productive. If you run across a post that's in your opinion not worth answering, don't answer it, move on. If we all knew everything about piggies, none of us would be here.

IMO, this thread is sitting on the fence as being harsh to others. Maybe not ment to be, but already there's ppl apologising for their post.

Done with my opinion.

[mufasa]

We are all entitled to our opinions. Some of us choose not to sugar-coat that. A lot of us are not here to make someone feel good about bad decisions - we're here for the pigs. Period. If it seems abrasive, that may be an individual's interpretation. You can't tell tone from words on the internet.

Very true, and sometimes what seems harsh can actually save a person from a worse fate.

I wish I'd come here before I bought Mufasa. I'm sure if I'd said I was planning to buy a pet store pig, I would have been slammed with, "No! Adopt!" posts, and quite probably some of them would have seemed harsh. But you know what? If that had happened and I'd listened, I would have avoided a broken heart when that pet store pig died 15 days later. I'm just so glad I came here soon enough to learn about adoption for my next pigs.

Because of that experience, I try to respond to people who plan to buy from a pet store because I can warn them away from it with personal experience and to people who bought already so I can warn them to watch for subtle signs of illness. If I'd done that myself, maybe I could have saved my boy. I try to be tactful, but some people just don't get it, and at that point I get blunt and say it like it is.

People who truly care for their pigs won't waste time trying to interpret the tone because they're too busy gleaning the good information. People who get offended at the drop of a hat probably wouldn't listen to good advice anyway if it meant too much effort expended on their part.

[Paula]

I obviously don't much care about "sugar coating" things and I think it's fair to say that I'm more annoyed with the members who can't or won't or don't bother to check and see if their question has been answered before or to see what the stance is on breeding than just about anyone. However, there's not a reason that anyone must respond or deal with each and every thread, so instead of being annoyed and irritated about it, why don't. You. Just. Ignore. It.

Being snippy and snotty because you find it bothersome really isn't appreciated or necessary, and starting a thread to address the "issue" in vague and ambiguous terms really just opens up more room for hurt feelings where it really isn't necessary when it's just as easy and way less potentially hurtful than simply choosing to ignore the thread. Which is what I am doing at present with a highly annoying person who seems to feel the overwhelming urge to start a thread every day or at least every other day.

Bottom line, if it annoys you, the easiest and coincidentally best thing to do is to just leave it alone. No hurt feelings, no harm done, and once you've moved beyond it you don't have to think about it anymore. Beautiful.

Thread closed.