It should go without saying....

[hannah16]

Three times TODAY have I seen BF.Com members giving aggressive/negative remarks when the person posting the thread is asking for advice because they are unknowledgeable. Yes, they could google it, but to "hear" from people that have experience is much more reassuring since the internet can be misleading.

It should really, REALLY go without saying that we should be kindly giving out advice and commenting with care as to not hurt ones feelings. It happens sometimes without meaning to, but to say something very negative to someone needing advice... doesn't help. It discourages..

Please be nice to fellow members, it makes a better forum..

[ChoclateBetta]

Plus we here give more accurate answers than google.

[hannah16]

Thank you Choc.. I don't understand what is happening to our friendly forum..

[ChoclateBetta]

I have seen problems too.

[SpeakNow13]

People are so rude sometimes! I have learned a lot from this forum and def wouldn't have wanted to come back if people made me feel terrible when I asked a question.

[ChoclateBetta]

But compared to other forums like Yahoo there is actual info.

[hannah16]

It true BF.Com has PLENTY of info, but as a newbie, two years ago, if someone was aggressively rude to me, I'd probably wouldn't come back.. I mean, people need Advice; best way to get it is "speaking" to those with experience. They already went through the Do's and Don'ts...

[LittleBettaFish]

I think it also comes down to the individual's perception of what is rude/aggressive. Recently, a poster on here got some very factual information from quite a few experienced members. However, at the time, they thought they were being made fun of rather than helped by these same members.

That was a simple misunderstanding (I would never mock anyone who genuinely wants to learn) and it was soon cleared up and the thread went on its way.

I think with the written word where tone and humour doesn't often translate people can sometimes misunderstand what has been posted. I do agree that there are times where some posters are like a dog with a bone, but generally most of the time this forum is pretty family friendly.

I can understand frustration when it's clear the OP doesn't actually care about the welfare of their betta, but if it is a genuine ask for help by the OP then I don't see why it should be greeted with insults and rudeness. Not everyone is lucky enough to be born knowing everything. I certainly wasn't. I would have been mortified if I was toddling along doing what my LFS told me and came onto a forum only to be met with hostility.

That is what chases away people who might actually care about their fish, but who might not have thought to double-check everything their LFS told them.

[hannah16]

Originally Posted by LittleBettaFish

I think it also comes down to the individual's perception of what is rude/aggressive. Recently, a poster on here got some very factual information from quite a few experienced members. However, at the time, they thought they were being made fun of rather than helped by these same members.

That was a simple misunderstanding (I would never mock anyone who genuinely wants to learn) and it was soon cleared up and the thread went on its way.

I think with the written word where tone and humour doesn't often translate people can sometimes misunderstand what has been posted. I do agree that there are times where some posters are like a dog with a bone, but generally most of the time this forum is pretty family friendly.

I can understand frustration when it's clear the OP doesn't actually care about the welfare of their betta, but if it is a genuine ask for help by the OP then I don't see why it should be greeted with insults and rudeness. Not everyone is lucky enough to be born knowing everything. I certainly wasn't. I would have been mortified if I was toddling along doing what my LFS told me and came onto a forum only to be met with hostility.

That is what chases away people who might actually care about their fish, but who might not have thought to double-check everything their LFS told them.

I agree that there can be misunderstandings; but I'm addressing those members whom claim to be blunt, but actually, not only is the original poster offended, everyone else replying to the thread finds his/her reply rather rude.

Sometimes I feel like certain comments within a post from a "blunt" person are simply uncalled for.. They should follow the saying "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all."

Some people are asking opinions on there fish, but that doesn't mean you should make remarks that will offend someone..

All I'm asking is to please be respectful and kind when posting because even though there can be misunderstandings, members can be rude, so try not to be. There is no need for it, especially when it's someone seeking advice or they are tending to a sick fish/animal.

We're turning there forum experience into a bad one.

[ChoclateBetta]

Am I one of those?