just a little rant

i am so sick of seeing people respond to questions with "try a google search first" or "do some research before someone here 'gives' you the answer!"

if that's your response the just move on!!!

coming to this site to ask questions IS research! its most definitely better to get information from dedicated caring herp enthusiasts instead of some regurgitated out dated so called expert advice from a care sheet you might find somewhere else. I'm not saying that this site is the end all be all of reptile knowledge or that there isn't any other valuable information out there. when some one comes here to ask for advice or help or answers and i see some "veterans" telling them to do some research it irritates me. this IS research!!

if your only response is "google it" then why bother responding? it just makes you sound like an arrogant elitist.

it's okay to not know something. its okay to ask. since i have joined this site asking questions has been encouraged no matter how trivial or basic they may be. its just a select few who seem to know all there is to know and seem to be wounded when someone else comes here for help. just because this wasn't around when you were learning don't hate on someone for using this site for its intended purpose. bringing all of us herp lovers together to SHARE knowledge and experience.

sincerely,
Luke Lindsey

I agree!

...And this is why i love the canned reply feature. I just click two buttons and get nice big answers to the questions everyone asks over and over and over again.

This is an issue on every forum I have ever been on. The folks that have been around for a while forget they were newbs at one point.

With that said, people really should try to search, or at least look on the page they are posting on. Posting a question, when the same one was asked 3 posts below, or is a sticky, is just poor form.

Either way, I agree that the "search yourself" answer is useless. At least answer the question, and the suggest they search more or link them to the existing threads. They will eventually get it.

well how many posts are truly original? there will always be "my snake stopped eating." and "what morph is this?" and "what size tub?" and don't forget "what size prey?".

not to mention the ever popular "check out my bumblebee!"

fact is that there are always going to be redundant questions and redundant posts. what i LOVE about this forum is that there are so many points of view. just because it's been discussed doesn't mean that's all that there is to be said about the subject. and just because its been seen and done before doesnt mean that it isn't exciting for someone doing it or seeing it for the first time.

by the way...i have kept or been around snakes for about 30 years now and i have asked every one of those questions more than once. i even posted pics of my bumblebee a while back. he's not mine anymore but i still wanted to show him off.

Agreed! Personally I like when people ask questions, even mundane questions, it gives me the opportunity to a) help educate, and b) learn something I never knew before. I spend a lot of time on this site and almost everything I know about snakes was learned from here. It bothers me when some people put a couple hundred posts under their name and act condescending towards other members. I try my best to call these people out when I see them making unnecessary posts.

No such thing as a stupid question, and every snake is new to someone, post that picture.

I can see both points of view.

It's frustrating as a newbie to get that answer when you have asked politely and just want some polite responses. Especially when you genuinely want to learn, it feels disheartening to have people blow you off.

It's also frustrating to other people when they have done a lot of their own research and they see newbies expecting to have the answers handed to them.

I think the best solution is to provide links to articles that contain the information people are asking for. That way they can do their own research, but they aren't being blown off completely.

The canned responses are also very useful.

not to mention all the other posts that come up depending on your wording in the search:rolleyes:

exactly, some people are not very good at researching. It's a serious set back for some people.

I can understand both sides. When you're new to something like reptiles trying to understand the particulars of that alone can be challenging, and though ball pythons may be easier to care for as far as herps go (and it is relatively easy to get basic information) it can be hard for people to get used to having a pet that has thermoregulation needs, eats whole rats, lacks a need for attention.... all very different from more "common" pets. Coming onto a forum and asking simple questions gives reassurance and you know you're getting opinions from a community that more than likely has a number of people with experience. Getting involved in the forums, even with simple questions, also usually opens up information that you wouldn't normally see on a caresheet.

However, I also relate to the frustration of keepers when you see a single post saying "can sum1 tell me y my snake won't eat????" and whatever advice is given (from whatever info you can manage to get from the poster) is completely ignored. While I will applaud anyone doing research on their pets, if they only want an easy answer (where they can still keep their adult in a 10 gallon tank with a heat lamp and hot rock) it can get very very disheartening to try and help at all. Searching for answers shows some actual care in finding the information, and interest in the well being of the animal.

People will answer newbie posts the way they like. There are enough helpful members on here that even individuals who don't care about the correct information will get it. I don't use the "google" answer myself because if I really think that way about something, I'll just move on to the next thread ;)

It is annoying to see people just say "do a google search" How is the OP supposed to know what's right and wrong? I mean I JUST learned that BP's don't need to have a night time Temp except for when breeding. Almost EVERY caresheet says it though. It comes down to most people wanting to do the best they can for there pets. I've been around reptiles in the family for 10 years, helped take care of them for about 6, and owned mine for almost a year. I never had a problem with a RI until i got my pastel from a show and when it happened I freaked out.

Yes, I see both sides, but there is a canned reply for vetrans. BUT like it's been said, everyone was new once. i mean hell, i still learn every day... so do a lot of other people.

I tend to not say 'do your research' but rather try to articulate that specifics are a good thing.

As in the more information regarding an issue the easier it is to troubleshoot, and I think it helps newer keepers develop their herper brain (to think like a herper).

Also it gets them engaged and keeps them active in finding a solution. Regurging all the info has limited application if an individual cannot apply it specifically to their situation.

That requires discussion.

And that discussion excites people, stirs their passion for snakes, gets them involved, forms friendships, and makes 'this' a rewarding personal experience (rewarding for the helpers too!).

Great post Luke.

Bruce

Great post OP. If they are so elite that they take time out of their day to tell somebody to go do a search, they obviously have nothing better to do so they should've just answered anyway.

To the people that do this, please go join all the other reptile forums that welcome that type of attitude. There are plenty of them.

And google searching snake care usually results in us undoing a lot of misinformation.

People have been proven to attach strongly to the initial information they receive.

If I tell them to research I tend to also provide parameters... On this site, with keywords XYZ, special attention to specific posters that I consider experts with certain species, etc.