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BOI out of control???

J

John Staursky / The Reptile Room

John Staursky
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Hello everyone,
I have been busy for a month or so and haven't checked in, but it seems like the BOI is getting a little nutty.
How about if people just state... "good guy" or "bad guy" posts and just tell us what happened without all of the opinions. I don't think people should even post on a thread unless they have input about the particular dealer at hand.
If eveyone states their own personal opinions about why a deal was bad the threads will just be endless with bickering.
Does that sound reasonable? Or are we all enjoying the drama? LOL (ohh no, I'm being a prty pooper again aren't I?)
Rich? What do you think? I mean, look at the threads... good guy,  2 views and maybe 1 reply.. bad guy, 1003 views and 75 replies??? Is that  what this was meant for?
John Staursky <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>
 
Thanks John for bringing this topic up.  I too believe that the BOI is out of control.  And I don't know what you can do about it.  I have wanted to post something like this for a couple weeks now, but have hesitated, out of my respect for Rich Z.

I read somewhere that bad news travels 7 times as fast as good news, and that seems to be the case on the BOI.  And I find myself being attracted to the scandelous gossip and dirt too.  And this is NOT the reason for the BOI's existence.  The BOI should be for information - not gossip nor a place for amateur sleuths to practice their craft. Worse yet, I feel that it could actually become a negative thing for the herp community in general.  

I would love to be able to help reform this BOI, because I appreciate it's value and respect the owner of this site.  I guess the only thing I can do is try to avoid reading the scandelous posts and only post when I have direct and helpful experience  with the topic at hand.

Thanks for bringing this up.
 
Just my take. People see a Thread title - "Joe Bloe's Reptiles". Second line reads - "Great service". They will just take note, put them on their list of vendors and move on.  There is very little controversy in good guy posts, you don't need to justify or prove details (for the most part). They see a bad guy post and they want to know details (explaining the higher number of views on a bad guy post). Is it a bad guy post for a minor reason (he didn't ship on Tues. But shipped fine on Wed) or a major problem (he took my money and won't email me back). Not the first scenario means I might deal with the vendor if he has a particular animal at a very good price, the second no way in H*%# I'll deal with him. Thereby needing more clarification on exactly what happened and more input from other players. Human nature is such that good guy posts will ALWAYS attract less attention than bad guy posts, no programmer, moderator or editor can change that. The nice thing about having threads with titles and descriptions you can skip over the ones that have gone in a direction you don't want to read about. Also what kind of a reputation (and traffic) would a boring site hold. "Yea, the boi is fine but they never give you the real story".  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>
 
I am open for suggestions, but good luck on coming up with something that is both feasible and something I haven't thought of already.

People are the problem, not the medium used to express their views.  I send out a lot of packages every week and I am sure a lot of other people do as well.  People get what they paid for, when they expected it, and that was the way it was supposed to be.  But I certainly do not expect to see every one of my customers post a GOOD GUY post about me.  Nor would I want that to happen.  But if I were to make a big mistake in judgement, then quite likely that would show up here.  And if I happened to have one GOOD GUY thread and one BAD GUY thread, I would bet money on which one would get the most views.

Like it or not, this site mostly works like a traffic cop.  When you stop for the red light, the cop standing nearby does not walk over to you and thank you for obeying the law.  But if you were to run that light, then you could expect you would get his/her unwanted, but warranted, attention.  There are likely thousands of good herp transactions taking place weekly.  There are a lot of good solid reputable businesses that I personally know of that I have never seen mentioned in the BOI.  So what is that telling you?

As for limited posts to actual first hand experience, that would be self defeating.  For instance, this thread would be deleted.  None of the people posting it have any experience running the BOI, so there is no first hand experience.  Only opinions are being expressed.  The person starting this thread did so with every expectation and desire to hear other people's opinions.  MANY other threads started on the BOI are done so with the poster's exact same thoughts in mind.

Remember, this is a BOARD OF INQUIRY, and everyone taking part in this forum has a say as part of this board.  And yes, BAD GUY posts are always going to get a lot more attention than the GOOD GUY posts.  That is just human nature.  Buy a new car and take it to show your friends.  If there is just one scratch on the shiny new finish, just about every one will find it and point it out to you.  That's just the way people are.

So John, let me ask you.  When you logged back in here after a long absence, which threads did YOU read first?
<img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>
 
Webslave and Daniel Wedeking,
               You both hit it right on the button!
                         "HUMAN NATURE"
I am as guilty or more! As anybody on the BOI of getting off subject, being sarcastic or whatever?  And because some don't understand a sarcastic remark, they go as far as to say its "INMATURE"  Life is way to short to be without humor! As far as Neil and Daves thread goes? I don't think 35 or so of those pages should be there. He said! She said! Shoulda! Coulda! Woulda!  But its not up to me. And you can't keep people from reading it.  I don't like reading the long winded posts that get repeated again and again and again!  BUT on the same note I do realize that a lot of people do like reading them. HEY! Have had it! The bottom line?  If you think its out of control? And you do not like it?  Than PLEASE feel free to go read something else.
HAVE A GREAT DAY
                           <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>
 
Hey guys,
I hope you didn't take my post the wrong way, I meant no disrespect Rich, I think the board is great! All I meant was, I wish someone would post a good guy post and explain in more detail ... like so and so gave me a real nice albino cornsnake for $20, I was amazed at it's size and it was gravid also..LOL, you know, stuff like that.
My post was more directed at the people who bicker back and forth for pages and pages..lol.. even I, the gossip glutton that I am, don't have the patience to read all of the dirt..lol
Well if it makes any difference, I posted that late at night after experiencing some major snake deal burn-out..LOL
I know you all can understand that.
Take care,
John Staursky <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>
 
I dunno John, I've always felt that the BOI was an area that was always largely for opinion. Even with people relating facts from their deal experiences, it is rather inevitable that the opinion end of it takes control. Anyone reading has to use their own best judgement - filter out what doesn't concern or interest them and move on. You have to admit, the mud-slinging threads sure give you a perspective on who is really serious about the business and the animals over those people who are just interested in thrashing others.

Anyway, theres an old saying about opinions and airing them in public...  

AD
 
Yep I've got to agree with you John, for example I saw an inquiry about a breeder I've personally bought from and sold to so I decided to post my personal experiences only to find someone taking up posting space to express their own PERSONAL opinions about that breeders wife, not even the actual breeder and stating they wouldn't do business with that breeder because of the person they where married to, and keep in mind the person posting that never did business directly with that breeder !!  I would imagine wasteful personal opinion posts just like that is what you are talking about right John ??  OH wait a minute I just remember that person wasting that space and "abusing" the board was YOU !!!!!

Yep human nature.

Keep up the awesome job Webslave you are keeping this place running as smooth as you can !!!

Tony Basica's Weirdsnakes
[email protected]
 
Wasn't this exact subject covered in at least two other topics? Namely: BOI Etiquette and A Poll Concerning The Direction Of The BOI. In at least one of those topics, the overwhelming majority was to keep the BOI as-is and running. If the BOI had that many positive responses, then why bring it up now? Bottom line:

If it's not broke, don't fix it.

(Short enough, Tom?  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>   <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>   <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'> )
 
It's true!  I've posted more "Good Guy" posts than "Bad Guy" posts and I almost always see the "Good Guy" ones float away within a day or two without any responces. However, some of these breeders & dealers didn't have any previous info on here and I feel it will help anyone doing a search who is wondering about a particular selller's reputation.
I think what is great about this board is the ability to post and vent our frustrations about the actual deadbeat dealers who truly have ripped us off with no remorse whatsoever. I have been ripped off royally twice since I've been keeping reptiles. Once was about twenty years ago from a guy named Ed Chapman (anybody here remember him?LoL) and once more recently by that "John Paul" character from Pompano Beach!  I didn't post about Chapman because it was so long ago, but I've never forgotten that deal (about $1000 worth) where he basically got 10 of my first cbb litter of emeralds for $500! I REALLY wish this kind of thing was around then when that deal was still smoldering in my psyche!! I know I was only one of many who got ripped by Mr.Chapman at that time.
Where I see this Bad Guy thing getting abused is when people post way too prematurely, like "It's been a week and he hasn't called me or sent my animals!!" or when people are just being a little too nitpicky like "The monitor had two toes missing!" ...I guess you all know what I mean.  

John Hedger
 
Well, I will agree with you on the nitpicky thing...to an extent.  For instance, I wouldn't mind so bad if I got a monitor missing a couple of toes...as long as I was told about it before hand.  And waiting a week while someone else has your animals/money without receiving what you paid/traded for, and not hearing anything DEFINITELY is NOT cool.  Nothing nitpicky about a lack of communication is there?
But when someone gets an animal and gets mad because it bites them and wants to send it back, THAT is just plain kooky.  Or if it has one extra spot, oh good god the world is ending!!!  Of course if you say it has NO spots, then you have a valid complaint.  

But overall, this site is a valuable resource in so many ways.  But of course you will get the opinionated view in every bad guy post(and some good guy posts).  As almost everyone has said, bad news travels faster than good.  And bad news gets more reaction from people than good.  Why do you think shows like Jerry Springer are even still on the air?  Because he focuses on the normal home with good moral values?
 
John,

With the picture of the hair cut you gave your cat who are you to say ANYTHING is outta control  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>
 
John Reese,
       Yes John that was short.  You have come along way in a very short time!  I am proud of you <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>
 
I agree with Rob that lack of communication in a deal is not cool. But if it had only been a week and I hadn't heard from someone I would give him the benifiit of doubt that perhaps he is busy or some personal problem had come up, etc.  I wouldn't come on here crying about it and spread his name across this board in a "bad guy" post!  Some people seem to have no patience.  
However!! If it has been two or three weeks that would be a different matter!LoL  Perhaps a post of "concern" would be in order then !
 My primary point was that it is exposing the major rip-off artists, the "professionals" so to speak, that makes this board most valuable!...in my opinion.  The other minor offenses are a bit less of a concern to me, although in some cases worth posting about I'm sure!
John Hedger
 
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