Hmm... Bad Advice

[GoodMike]

Ok, i dont post very much on this forum, or any forum anymore. But i do lurk and read to keep up to date. Lately though, i find myself following around a few members to every post they make to double check that they arent spreading more bad advice. Anyone else notice how much bad, totally unresearch, mindless babble has been passed off as advice lately?!

Is it really so much to ask to actually understand what you are posting about when you are telling someone else what to do? Is it so much to ask to do some research before you pass on your "advice" to make sure what you are saying is even some what intelligible? People dont come here looking for only advice...but they come here looking for GOOD advice. So, before you decide to tell someone that they should boil their gravel cause it has algae on it, or add clownloaches to a 10 gallon tank (etc), maybe do some research on your own? and leave the advice giving to those who already have.

LASTLY, is it really necessary for everyone to post on a thread when they have nothing of value to add? or are simply going to repeat over and over what has been said? It just seems pointless to point and say "ya, i agree". at least add SOMETHING of substance, otherwise...dont waste the space. Trust me, your post count isnt THAT important...

I know im probably gonna be yelled at here cause i dont post alot, but i just figure the forum is a place where people should beable to come and trust the advice being given out. There are thousands of ways to keep fish, and they all work, so i suggest making sure the advice you are giving fits with in that...otherwise the forum is no better than going to your average petstore and asking them their advice...may be good, may be bad... shouldnt have to take that chance here.

[Gourami Swami]

Yelled at? Why? This is a very good post. I would have made it in General fresh forums so the people your aiming this at will actually read it.

[Osiris]

If you see some bad info out there, dont be afraid to post the good/correct info, only way a person knows the info their giving is bad/wrong is by someone telling them giving them another point of view

[fishbguy]

nice post mike. i completely agree with Osiris. if you see some bad info posted. don't be afraid to tell them that they're wrong and how to do it correctly. that's what I did with the post about boiling water. I think that no matter where it was made, it'll be read. when i come on to check on new messages, i always click on new posts and threads at the top left corner of the homepage, that way i see all of the post made since i was last on.

[GoodMike]

yes, but the point is, you shouldnt be posting info that you cant warrant! you shouldnt have to worry that the info that you are getting is completely wrong, and the person giving it has nothign to back up what they say. thats what we have bad petstores for

[flamingo]

Hehe sounds like chat the past week or so.

Certain people seem to go on about a certain fish, yet they know either nothing about it, or have never kept or even seen it in person. Even so, they link to a profile about a fish, and it says at the bottom "I have not kept this fish personally."
When someone has actually HAD that fish before, and is trying to help you out, I sure hope you at least listen up, rather than going the easy way- listening to someone saying that fish will be "easy" over someone giving you the straight facts.

[Baby_Baby]

Ya i agree.








hahah just kidding.
But I know what you mean its sort of like uhm dude what is your problem?
Nice post, I see no reason for you to get yelled at.

I'll come up with a mod post for this so people will get the message, and I'll send Chewie on the look out.

Cant say I didnt warn em :P

[goodie]

Off topic (real quick)
Baby_Baby, I love the cartoon in your Sig.


Ok, back on topic.
I support this thread, but I have nothing to add to it.

[redpaulhus]

The sad thing is -- the people who are doing this, aren't the type of people to read this type of thread and have an epiphany :
"OMG - that's me, I do that, I need to change"

Eventually, they tend to move on. This happens at every web forum at some point or another (but seems especially common on aquarium sites, since anybody who's put a fish in a glass container seems to think they are an expert, and our generation seems to misconstrue annecdotal evidence with scientific evidence:

"I bought a new red Toyota, and that very same day my fish stopped having ich, so you need to buy a new red Toyota if you want to cure ich"

(hmmm, it wouldn't have been the two weeks of formalin treatments and water changes, would it ? ) )

But you're right, it does seem to be on the upswing lately.
I also think we're getting alot of "trollish" posts lately...