Some things the forum might should approve on...

[Mers Guineas]

I joined 1-2 months ago, and left for a little because i didn't know how to post - and frankly I'm still figuring out how everything works. I'm sorry if this is not allowed.

I feel like some people on here can come off a little... rude. And yes, i have seen that pop up saying to not be rude, etc but i feel like it isn't 'fair' that the newer 'ranks' get this and not others, because i have seen lots of people, even staff, doing it. I made a topic asking what cage is best and someone answered in 2 sentences and then said some pretty rude things, and it wasn't as bad as I've seen but i feel like jumping to conclusions just because someone is a new member is not very nice. I asked what cage and no, apparently i had to learn not to buy from a pet store and that they aren't cuddly, etc and it sounds like the person said it thinks i'm either stupid or uninformed..

I don't think they are trying to do this, but they are coming off like this and even staff are doing this.
I feel like if this continues, new members and even old members will leave, people want a nice community.

 

[DJ Guinea Pig]

Agreed. I think it scares off new members. I would say it like, That cage is too small, change it. People can say it like, I am sorry but your cage is a bit small for guinea pigs. I suggest (Something you suggest) Would be a bit kinder.

 

[pinky]

I don't think that someone suggesting not to buy a guinea pig from a pet store or letting you know that guinea pigs aren't cuddly is rude. Both of those observations are important things to keep in mind when considering getting a guinea pig. If you read back on some old threads, you'll find that a lot of people assume the only place to get guinea pigs is from a pet store and they don't realize that the chain stores get their animals from pet mills. Quite often, we'll have threads on here where people had expectations that guinea pigs were supposed to be like a dog or cat and they're disappointed and want to rehome them. Someone offering you information is trying to help you make a smart decision. I'd say that is being helpful and honest, not rude. No one knows how much experience you've had with guinea pigs and since you came on here asking questions, they're giving you advice.

 

[Saylavi]

I try my best to be polite on the forum, but every once in a while somebody will post a question and it just baffles me "why didn't this person Google it?" ( questions like this include but are not limited to : what should I feed my guinea pig? How big of a cage do I need?) if you type that in the search bar either of this website or of Google, you would find A million other form posts asking the same question. Sometimes I will refer to another thread, usually I will just spell it out as simply as I can.
Another thing is that right under your name it says how long you have been a member of this form. When someone posts on here and they have the new member tag under their name, I give them a little bit of a break. But when I see cavie slave I assume that you had guinea pigs for a while, and that you're not new anymore.

 

[Soecara]

Honestly tone can not be conveyed in text, when you read something that comes off as rude a majority of the time that was not the persons intention. Rather than getting upset about how something has been written maybe try to get past that and take in the message that has been written, try to read it in a neutral tone and most of the time it won't sound rude.

Now on to the higher ranks (AKA older members) coming across as rude to newer members, you have to understand we have seen threads just like yours more than 100 times. Most of the time your questions has already been answered so many times by us and it can get a bit tiring to keep repeating the same information over and over again, this perhaps is the cause of the more blunt writing (stating things bluntly is much more likely to be read as rude in my experience). It is also safer to assume that new members are also completely new to guinea pigs unless they specifically state otherwise, it is safer to assume you know less than you actually do then to assume that you know everything already when giving you advice, and most new members either appreciate the advice (as they genuinely didn't know, and are now glad they do know) or they appreciate the thought but calmly explain that they already knew the advice and then they move on.

Now no you are not expected to know everything. However it is fair to assume that you should at least read some of the website before posting, it is in no way hidden that this is an anti-petstore, anti-breeding, pro-adoption website.

Now going back and reading the thread you are directly talking about, it is actually you who comes across as rude to me. Why? Because you excuse buying from a petstore rather than adopting even though you seemingly know full-well that this is not what this forum stands for.

Note it is recommended you read forum stickies before you begin posting, some I personally think new people should definitely read are ones from the kitchen (the most heated section of the forums) as they give you a very clear cut idea of exactly what these forums stand for.

Here are some sticked threads from the kitchen I would suggest you read (note some of these threads are very old, so some links contained within may not work, and the forum may have been a much more hostile environment then it is now- ie. The treads from 2006):
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/3447-About-this-forum
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/19775-R*E*S*P*E*C*T-sock-it-to-me-sock-it-to-me
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/47359-Buying-pigs-in-petstores
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/25334-What-is-Rescuing-and-Adopting
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/18757-I-got-a-new-guinea-pig!

 

[sallyvh]

This is a long standing, very educational forum. Most of the major posters are older, long time guinea pig owners with years of experience. Tone can be difficult to read from text and most of the time the posters have answered your question dozens of times before, so the replies you are getting are blunt and to the point. I really don't feel they are trying to come off as rude, they are just quickly answering your questions.

One of the things I love about this forum is the active and extremely knowledgeable members. I am a long term owner but if I ever do have a question I know I am getting solid advice on here and from guinealynx.

There is no benefit to your new guinea pig/s if you, as an owner, are coddled and told that improper care is acceptable. The members here like to give you the facts right away so you can make the changes necessary while learning and growing as a pet owner.

I will say, I recognize a few of the new members user names from the hamster hideout forum, which is an extremely different kind of environment from the guinea pig cages forum. I find that HH has a much more juvenile following and the communication between members is clearly of a younger generation.

If you are serious about learning about proper guinea pig care, you will stick around. You will be getting correct information here, as compared to the guinea pig section of the HH forum; which is riddled with some great, but also some really terrible info. It may just take some time to get used to the different communication style of the forum.

Again, we all hope you new members will stick around and learn all you can to give your present, or future guinea pigs the best life possible.