Value of the BOI

Having discovered the BOI a couple of months before it moved over here, we were rather interested in its value.  It's nice to have a place where you can inquire about someone you are considering dealing with.

There are some threads, though, that make me think twice about taking opinions too seriously here.  It seems like the same group of people use the BOI to argue endlessly about bad guys vs. good guys.  I've also noticed that most of this comes from Florida.

I guess that's one value of the BOI I hadn't figured on.  Note to self - avoid buying anything from anyone in Florida.   Or at least those who seem to do nothing but argue all day long with each other.

I agree with you but nothing is cut and dry in this world... you have to read beetween the lines and filter thru all the bs to get the info you need.
I still find it very useful even with all of the bs you have to filter thru..lol
John

Hey John, I like your graphic under your name <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

Mike H.

Yeah, but reading some of these threads requires a super bs meter to sort it out.  LOL  I'll still use the BOI, just wondering if anyone else had the same feeling about it.

Well, Neal, I guess you are welcome to add something of value here yourself.  Doesn't your own thread fit the criteria that you are complaining about?  This board is for people to inquire, investigate, or post experiences about other people and businesses they have done business with.  Your thread meets none of those criteria at all.

People are expressing their opinions, just as you are.  Whether or not someone will read these opinions and find any value in them is rather subjective.  Some people find it entertaining. Others use it as evidence of whether or not to consider doing business with the person expressing those opinions.  Just because something may be valueless to you, doesn't mean it has no value to everyone.

This board is what you all will make it.  Anyone whom doesn't care for it is welcome to request their money back at any time and go elsewhere.

<img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

Hey Guys,
   I know what you are saying and I agree! And I know that I have made the BS deeper at times myself. But thats life! The way I look at this site is? Its a slower and longer version of most chat rooms. That and the fact that what you post here does not go away for 30 days. Depending on??? The WEBSLAVE can delete anything that he views as tasteless, useless and or of no use to anybody!! And you have to live with your statements for that long! And I know some of the things that I have posted fall under at least one of these headings!<img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> Along with a lot of others. Even with all of the BS being slung around here. This site does a lot of good!!!
  Another way to look at it is? If this site with its 650 + members can create a safe and fair place for Buyers and Sellers to complete business deals? And if it only takes these 650 members to accomplish that? I say FANTASTIC!!!!!!! When someone comes into this site looking for info. on a person or business? They can run a name search. And they can't find it there? They need to hit the BOI with an inquiry of said person or business. And then they don't have to wade through all of the BS. PLEASE don't be offended by my statements here!!! This is just how I see it! Whether it be right or wrong?<img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>
    Tom

touche webslave <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

one thing i think we can all agree on is this board give us a few people by there own words or action none of us would buy from or sell to ,that alone makes it very valuble.the bs well call it the reptile springer show alwas some good entertainment at least.and florida contains many dealers seller and breeders so its natural to get a wide response from there,heck on canadain forums you even get some canadians lol.
craig goldie <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'>  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

Well I do agree that it is fun to read some of this B.S. I also know that with all of it , it make it hard for a person to get the truth on the person for which they need info.If people would only make comments on what they "PERSONALLY" know this board would be almost perfect,For example ,If a person starts a thread about the cleanliness of anothers tanks then the only people that need to reply are the people that "have been to see them" not people that "have never been there to see the tanks" or "have never even met the person they are defending".See the trouble I see every day on this board is people that start these flame wars and have no knowlege of what they are talking about but they keep typing away in the defence of someone that they have never ever met besides on the internet.So just because you know the person "DO NOT REPLY TO A POST UNLESS YOU KNOW PERSONALLY ABOUT THE TOPIC. <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

Well, I have to agree on one point....I've lived in Florida for just 5 years now (from NY, duh&#33<img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>, and I've decided that ALMOST EVERYTHING IN FLORIDA is in the NINETIES!!

The HEAT...
The HUMIDITY...
The AGE...and,
The IQ !!!!

It just baffles my mind when somebody walks in and asks for ONE "MICE"!! This happens A LOT!! What can you do???

But, there are quite a few wholesalers, importers, breeders, etc., in FL because of the gorgeous weather.... that DOESN'T make us ALL Mental Migdets!! There are MANY, VERY INTELLIGENT Herpers IN FLORIDA who are probably the most REPUTABLE people you will EVER meet!! All I'm saying is ....If you DON'T know the animal....KNOW THE DEALER!! That goes for just about everything you buy! Find a dealer you like AND TRUST....and STICK with him/her....once you build a solid business relationship with someone....you should NEVER have a problem again...That doesn't mean that if you saw something you really wanted that was being offered by another dealer, you shouldn't get it, but...before you do....ASK the dealer you TRUST about the animal....if he's as reputable as you think he is...he/she should have NO PROBLEM with giving you a good or bad rating on that particular dealer (or, he MIGHT even know the animal in question?)...
Just try NOT to judge everybody by the actions of a few.....Neil

I totally agree with you Dave! Although it really is just a pipe dream to think that anything is going to change for the better in those regards. In fact, I think this board would lose some of it's appeal if it was toned down to the point where nobody posted their opinions, and only posted first hand facts.  Being on the wrong end of a BAD GUY post on this forum is probably one of the worst places to be on the internet. Those folks who have found themselves in this position should probably focus more on WHY they are in this position, and not spend so much time complaining about it.  This board has made it almost impossible for people to make a living screwing unwary herpers out of their hard earned money. I say that's a good thing! Sure there's gonna be moments when we all get side tracked, like the recent Neil Gubitz string. But hey, one man's trash is another man's treasure. If Neil was smoking around reptiles at a moment in time when 1 individual was present and happened to be offended, who am I to say that this person is an idiot? Perhaps it wouldn't have bothered you, or perhaps it wouldn't have bothered 99% of the human population. But at that one moment in time it DID bother someone. Who am I to say that this persons opinion is wrong? Who am I to say that your opinion is wrong? Especially since both opinions are based on facts. In other words, even if you weed out all the folks that don't have "first hand knowledge" in that string, you've still got a flame war on your hands. See what I mean? It's the nature of the beast! Personally, I'm just gonna kick back and enjoy the entertainment, and continue to do things that DON'T result in me being on the wrong end of one of these BAD GUY posts!

Tom Burns
<a href="http://www.treeboas.com">Upper End Exotics</a>

Tom...I liked your answer, but, you're mistaken about 2 things....

1. I AM an idiot!!, and...
2. Lennox IS wrong!!

Other than THAT....you were RIGHT ON!!


<img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> ....Neil

Tom,I agree with to a point and then you lost me.I do think that people should speak their opinions it is when they step out of the scope of a opinion and try to say that it is fact ,when the truth is that they have no personal bases other then they think a person is O-kay.See this board is a double edged sword for example:John Doe is mad at Frank Smith because he thinks he was over charged for a snake (when in fact he was not) so John comes to the BOI and post that Frank is a crook and sold a sick snake.Now all of John's internet buddies start to bash Frank for selling a sick snake to their friend John claiming that they were there and saw the snake ,their friend John would never lie.....ect.when in fact they have never saw the snake or have never met John and the snake was in perfect health meanwhile Frank who is a newbe to the herp world has a "BAD GUY" name due to the fact that he has no friends on the board.So a totally innocent person is black balled because of a lie.I know that people are sitting there thinking that it never happens well I have been in the reptile buisness for many,many years and I have seen it happen time and time again and even more so now with the internet.My point is this,no matter how much a person likes someone unless they have personally witnessed it or have proof of a matter stay out of it,fine post your opinion but state it as just that your "OPINION". <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

Dave....I wouldn't go defending Frank so quickly!! I SAW THAT SNAKE!! It was half dead, riding the back of an Iguana carcass, covered in OLD FECES!! He oughta be castrated!! Then have the "piece" arrested for cruelty to Animal Husbandry!! <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> ....Neil

Well said Neil. I might also add that in my personal opinion there are fewer complaints about people being ripped off than a few months ago. I feel like the BOI has made a difference in this respect.

Best Regards,

I agree with Craig,  I have ruled out dealing with many people just because of their posts to this board.  Many of them have no complaints against them, but the way they conduct themselves makes me think twice.  I know I may be missing out on some good deals, but there is nothing out there that I need so badly that I would deal with certain people to get it.

Steve Schindler