Are you a LURKER?

[hhmoore]

This site gets alot of visitors. I've watched the traffic in a variety of our forums - and some threads get a lot of views, but minimal response. So, my question to you is: What does it take to get you to make a post? What is holding you back? I really want to know. Please take just a moment to respond to this poll. Then, when you get a few minutes, stop by the forum that deals with something that you keep & make a post...it can be a response to a current thread, or you can start your own (even something as simple as mentioning an animal you keep and how long you have had it).

 

[markface]

actually i do post , just not alot as of yet . i just joined this board a week or 2 ago and i am still familiarizing myself with it . i do plan on posting more in the future though . i think that one of the reasons some people might not post here is because they think of it as a buisness forum . mainly for those that deal in larger numbers of reptiles . atleast that is the impression i had at first . i've been visiting this site for close to 6 months and just in the last couple weeks have i actually started posting . up until then i thought of this site primarilly as a classified for reptiles site and a place for breeders , wholesalers , and retailers to get together . it wasnt until recently that i even knew that the forums were for anyone . now that i have actually looked over the forums i see i was wrong , but to people that come here new it can seem otherwise . just my 2 cents , i may be completely wrong , but its how i see it .

 

[hhmoore]

Mark, I appreciate the comments. One of the concerns I mentioned to other forum moderators was that we might foster the impression of a group of "good ol' boys" that, for any number of reasons, may not seem open to new comers. For me, the business end is secondary. I have a bunch of animals that I like (not nearly as many as I used to keep), and I breed some of them. Honestly, I didn't even advertise anything last year. What I sold, I sold at shows, from people happening across my website, or by people from here contacting me. Eventually, I figure I will have to advertise elsewhere...but until it seems necessary, I won't bother.
I frequent Fauna because I like the environment & I enjoy helping people. IMO, while there are a good number of very experienced people, most do not come off as condescending or rude to "newbies". I also like to relate with other reptile enthusiasts...it's just nice not to be the freak with the snakes, lol. Anyway, welcome to Fauna.

 

[coyote]

Brilliant idea Harald.
Good options too. If this poll is active enough it should provide some very valuable information.
Kudos!

 

[markface]

i wasnt trying to say anyone seemed rude or condesending , just that it appeared to me initially to be primarily a buisness forum . i think that the main reason i assumed this is because when you come to the forums the first few sections are mostly buisness forums . you have to scroll down quite a ways before you start hitting what i would call general public forums . just an opinion , but if you were to move the boi and other forums mainly geared towards buisness and the running of the forums down , and move the ones that are more hobbiest related up to where they are more visible , i think it might help . once again just my 2 cents worth .

 

[hhmoore]

My point was that on some of the other forums I have visited, people aren't necessarily kind to people with less experience. One in particular has a mod that is incredibly full of himself (full of something else, too, IMO). We clashed a bit in the beginning, but the hatchet seems to be buried.
I do appreciate your input, and that you expanded on your explanation a bit.

 

[hhmoore]

Wow - you lurkers are serious about what you do, lol. 62 views, and only 4 votes. That's pretty disappointing.

 

[jerichoharris]

I'm spend my time lurking and getting info with the forlorn hope that one day my Mrs will let me get a royal or a corn snake. I'm not holding my breath.

 

[hhmoore]

See that wasn't so hard. Welcome to Fauna, Grant. Is your Mrs afraid of snakes? Has she ever held or watched one?

 

[Roy Munson]

I'm very active on the cornsnakes.com discussion board, but not so active here. I didn't vote because none of the choices seemed to describe the reasons I don't post here much. I'm primarily interested in corns, so cs.com is the place to be. I'm also interested in other colubrids (e.g. kings, milks, rats), but those forums just aren't that busy here, and I don't find much of the info I'm looking for in them anyway. I also like to lurk the other snake forums here, but I really don't have much expertise to contribute. As a proficient researcher, I find posting questions and waiting around for replies in slow forums to be fairly inefficient.

I guess you could say that I am part of the problem.

 

[hhmoore]

Not part of the problem...but maybe part of the group we are trying to reach out to
Personally - I like to see people do there own research. Then, if there is something that doesn't sit right or make sense, ask.
I also understand being active on another forum that offers more of what you are looking for...or even just one that you have been on longer. I visit a few forums, but Fauna is the one I am active on. That is primarily because I have already carved out my niche here, but also because I just don't have the time to be active in all of them. I might check them regularly, but I might go months without a single post. Thanks for your comments!

 

[PaulSage]

I also like to lurk the other snake forums here, but I really don't have much expertise to contribute.

I don't have any expertise whatsoever, but look at how much I contribute!

 

[jerichoharris]

I don't think she particularly scared, just not too happy. Her main issue is that I'll be terrified (I always have been, but think the royal pythons look very nice and non-threatening) and she'll end up having to look after it. To be honest we haven't got the room right now, and we're planning to move over the next 12 months so it makes sense to wait until then anyway.

There's a reptile place not too far away in South London, so I'll take her along there, show her I can hold them without throwing a fit, and hopefully that will convince her.

She did stick a remarkably lifelike fake rattlesnake (utterly evil looking buggers if you ask me) at the bottom of the bed that made me yelp, and this hasn't helped my cause.

 

[hhmoore]

Well - I have to give you both credit then (for different reasons, of course).
Her recognizing that your fear/anxiety could dump the responsibility in her lap could be a big concern, especially if she has no interest in having a snake.
I think it is interesting and commendable that though you admit to being terrified, you still want one. I urge you to be realistic, though. Make sure you can deal with it before making the step. It the fair thing for all 3 of you.
It is also good to see people realistically assessing their lives and the changing conditions BEFORE making any type of pet purchase. Too many pets are the victims of "we're moving and can't take it with us" or "we just moved and can no longer keep it".
Since you have a reptile place reasonably close, I would guess that you have already spent some time working over your fears. Unless you feel you need her for moral support, you might want to make a few trial runs with holding a snake on your own...just to get you used to it. It wouldn't help your cause if you had some sort of melt down when the salesperson hands you the snake, lol. Besides, think how brave you'll appear when you overcome a longtime phobia .
Best of luck!

 

[jerichoharris]

I think the terror is/was a psychological connection between venomous/fangs/medical injections which I still hate with a passion. I'm not pretending pythons don't have teeth, but they just aren't the same if you know what I mean. There is another reptile place around the corner from where I work, and I have no issues with looking at, and being around the baby royals at all.

Obviously I'll spend some time in the place and hold a few different snakes to make sure I get one I feel comfortable with, and one that seems comfortable with me, before I buy.

I know that a larger boid is out of the question for many reasons, but if I'm comfortable with a 12 inch BP I can deal with a 13 inch BP and so on. It isn't going to suddenly grow 3 feet overnight so it will be a constant learning experience and one I'm sure I feel more and more comfortable the more experience I get.

At the end of the day surely it comes down to responsiblity and common sense. There are a million and one care sheets that will give you the basics, and forums like this if you need a bit of extra help, and I have no doubt if I'm spending £250 ($450?) in the reptile place they'll be more than happy to help me out if I need it.

 

[jerichoharris]

Apologies for the bits that don't make sense but apparently I'm not allowed to edit my posts.

 

[hhmoore]

No problem - it was simple enough to understand

 

[hhmoore]

over 150 views and only 5 voters

How pathetic is that? C'mon, you're in the privacy of your own home (or at work)...this is your moment to make yourself heard. . A couple of brave souls even managed to make a few posts. How about a few more, now.
What's YOUR story?
__________________

 

[tandy4000]

... One of the concerns I mentioned to other forum moderators was that we might foster the impression of a group of "good ol' boys" that, for any number of reasons, may not seem open to new comers.

I love fauna, but I do seem to get the feeling that there is kinda a group of "good ol' boys". Everyone in the "group" is really great, but I feel like I'm a real newbie compared to them and sometimes i'm just not very inclined to post because I'm not as experienced. I also feel bad that I haven't made any contributions to this site (I'm just tight on money now, I'll be paying by june). I really like the idea of the Fauna Mentor Program brought up by lucille.

One more thing, I think this poll should get moved out of the pythons discussion forum and put somewhere where more people will see it.

 

[hhmoore]

One more thing, I think this poll should get moved out of the pythons discussion forum and put somewhere where more people will see it.

That is a valid point - especially since the content is not specific to this forum. (Admittedly, I was planning on starting an appropriate thread here, changed my mind about the content, deleted what I had started, and just continued without considering forum placement). If Rich, or one of the other mods, wants to move it, I certainly have no objections...I started to just move it to the Feedback Forum, then had second thoughts about placement (how many lurkers wander through there?)