What is the matter with everyone

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ronhalling

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As the title suggests, what has happened to our community ???, Since the forum was forced to shut down temporarily there has been very little activity within the tomes of our little group, especially in this general reptile discussion section, is it because new people do not like hearing the truth from experienced members from the group or has everyone just lost interest?, i noticed at the time of writing this post that there had been 83 "Members" that had visited today, surely at least 10% of those that had visited something new had happened in the last few days i.e. eggs hatching, eggs laid, new enclosure built, new snake bought or even some new pics of snakes in possession, previous to the shutdown the forum was rocking along at a nice clip, so how about we get going again and show our support for the new owner, post, post, post, stories, pics, new info and more. :) ..................Ron
 
Ive just come back after a stint of not really owning any reptiles,and recently getting back into them with a few new purchases,to find a few friends have been banned.I hadnt realized aps had changed hands either.
 
They've probably joined some other online reptile group.
i know I joined a lot of reptile keeping groups on Facebook while this site wasn't working, same with [MENTION=37955]Lawra[/MENTION]
 
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I also have notice that a lot of long time keepers don't seem to want to come on APS reptile forum or any other reptile forums much anymore like they use to.

I myself have been registered on APS reptile forum a few times since it first started way back in 2001, and l have be abuse or bullied by some who think they can treat others how they like and get away with it, that is one reason why l hardly post anything on this forum these days.

From what l can say it is because so many have started up their own groups on Facebook, they can chat online as well as buy and sell and swap there is just so many groups you can join on Facebook and you can start your very own group, that covers your interest no matter what species of reptile you like.

You don't have to pay a cent to buy - sell - swap on Facebook at all and this is the way to go these days, you can link up with those that you know and are happy to be friends with and chat to, you can block those that you don't want anything to do with on Facebook, if you decide to add someone to your block list they can no-longer make contact with you, or can they see photos or read anything you post on Facebook, so l think reptile forums are a thing of the past IMO.
 
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I poke about a bit but have mostly just lost interest in bothering with online forums of any kind too much these days...
 
Maybe they are too busy with their lives and trying to stay employed and simply don't have the time to post much here .

Perhaps others have had a gut full of the nastiness and the trolls and decided to not bother.

Maybe most of them just lurk and read and don't feel a burning desire to respond to anything posted here lately.
 
I think it's a bit of everything that people above have already mentioned: partly because the site went down, partly because of FB groups, partly because of APS' previous reputation,partly because of the more difficult times we live in.
But to answer the other part of your original post Ron, we're not breeding anything this season, building an aviary setup for our Mertens', increasing our rat breeding, and haven't bought anything new (yet :rolleyes:).
 
Face book took over and that for several reasons: 1/ people post under their real names and not under pseudonyms. 2/ You can choose to join groups(s) with particular interest and focus (plenty to choose from). 3/ Nasty and irrelevant comments are usually promptly deleted by admin. 4/ Stupid questions (yes, there is such thing) are largely ignored. 5/ There are many experienced keepers, breeders, professionals and academics involved (including vets) in some of the groups who are happy to help others. 6/ Free advertising. JMO

cheers
Michael Cermak
 
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Face book took over and that for several reasons: 1/ people post under their real names and not under pseudonyms. 2/ You can choose to join groups(s) with particular interest and focus (plenty to choose from). 3/ Nasty and irrelevant comments are usually promptly deleted by admin. 4/ Stupid questions (yes, there is such thing) are largely ignored. 5/ There are many experienced keepers, breeders, professionals and academics involved (including vets) in some of the groups who are happy to help others. 6/ Free advertising. JMO

cheers
Michael Cermak

Michael Cermak, l agree with what you have said in your post about Facebook has taken over well said, and l could not have said it better myself.

Regards,

Dragon_77...( Les ).8)
 
I am always happy to hear of ways to improve the forums to get some interest and visits back. I understand everyone uses Facebook and that it may be easier in certain respects to post things as well as sell/buy/etc however I have always found forums easier to find archived posts and information.

Yes APS needs some improvement, I agree and I have attempted to fix up a few things which I hope is generating interest but I would like to hear from you if its working or if its not.

The site feedback forum is available for anyone to suggest what can be done better -> https://aussiepythons.com/forum/forumdisplay.php/5411-Site-Feedback and my inbox is always open to suggestions
 
The change of ownership is definitely a step in the right direction.
 
I have been put off by many things:
1: The method of change of ownership (As a group all members should be informed rather than a behind the scenes dealing).
2: The old site needed regulation but it just went from virtually nil to insanely ridiculous with over deletion of posts.
3: The holier than thou attitude of certain members who attack others rather than help.
4: The thinned skinned rule that prohibits commenting on how the site is run. It is a forum and people should be allowed to air their views within reason without them being deleted.
5: The double standard in advertising rules. For example sponsors posting in forum categories other than for sale with posts like "Just made this, will be adding them to our new line of....". I agree sponsors are great for the site but when you buy an advertisement it shouldn't allow you immunity in breaching the advertising rules that everyone else has to abide by. I remember a comment by a moderator saying how they were over people posting in the wrong categories, well all advertisement belongs either in the banners purchased or the "For Sale" section.

I know my post will be deleted because it will breach so many ridiculous rules that prohibit this site being a Forum but had make it a Dictatorship and hence the reason why myself and several friends either don't post here or have left. Only time will tell if this site will ever regain the popularity it once had.
 
Like many other APS members, I participate on other forums as well, and without exception ALL are much quieter these days, and probably for much the same sort of reasons mentioned by Waterrat, with Facebook being perhaps the number one alternative. I'm not on FB, which might explain my continued use of APS and other forums, but there wouldn't be many who aren't on FB.

Simon
 
The forum ownership & it's takeover is none of our business. That should happen 'behind closed doors', as was the case.

I think, since the takeover, thing have improved substantially. Stu is listening to the membership & communicating extremely well when site issues occur. The previous mods & owners were the ones with the 'holier than thou' attitude, collectively they were an arrogant group of individuals who ran this forum into the ground causing many members to leave. The forum is in a better place without them.

Sponsors pay money to support the forum, they deserve increased privileges.

Facebook is a joke, yes the groups are popular but you have no ability to search for information, hence the same/similar questions get asked again & again. Then there's groups (a Lace monitor group as an example) where people just post the same photos of the same animals in wooden boxes every few months. Boooooring. At least with forums like APS there is a wealth of information available to search through.

Hopefully things turn around & activity increases. Bitching about it with negativity isn't going to get anyone anywhere though.
 
I have been put off by many things:
1: The method of change of ownership (As a group all members should be informed rather than a behind the scenes dealing).
2: The old site needed regulation but it just went from virtually nil to insanely ridiculous with over deletion of posts.
3: The holier than thou attitude of certain members who attack others rather than help.
4: The thinned skinned rule that prohibits commenting on how the site is run. It is a forum and people should be allowed to air their views within reason without them being deleted.
5: The double standard in advertising rules. For example sponsors posting in forum categories other than for sale with posts like "Just made this, will be adding them to our new line of....". I agree sponsors are great for the site but when you buy an advertisement it shouldn't allow you immunity in breaching the advertising rules that everyone else has to abide by. I remember a comment by a moderator saying how they were over people posting in the wrong categories, well all advertisement belongs either in the banners purchased or the "For Sale" section.

I know my post will be deleted because it will breach so many ridiculous rules that prohibit this site being a Forum but had make it a Dictatorship and hence the reason why myself and several friends either don't post here or have left. Only time will tell if this site will ever regain the popularity it once had.

Rather than delete your post, I'll address some of your concerns. I don't expect it to change your views however I am hopefully it might explain some things in the interest of honesty.

1. The site changed hands to keep it running and functional after the issues that plagued it. At that time (and still) my efforts and time were devoted to resurrecting lost content and ensuring we weren't caught out again. As this was all at my own cost and effort with the help of a few others, I did not feel the need to promote the new ownership until I had something positive to back up my post with so that people could see an effort was being made and I wasn't looking for my own 2 minutes of fame.
2. New mod blood and an increase in mods will do that. I'll apologise openly if people thought I was part of the problem.
3. Fair call however that also brings up point 2 of your post. Would it be construed as over moderation of the site if we deleted the posts? I agree that the site needs better manners and we didn't handle it in the best way possible however that leaves us room for improvement
4. This will be changing and I have hopefully encouraged feedback with the newly created feedback forum as well as multiple posts asking people to PM me if they prefer. However we need to bear in mind that the site is run for a group of people, not individuals.
5. Sponsors pay for the privilege of advertising their products anywhere in the forum. I will concede that some posts went over the top however if it did not detract from the thread content. Some folks don't care for banners or know where the sponsor list is and some folks may have been using Tapatalk which does not show banners and information.

I did not take over APS to make money nor did I do it to make a name for myself. I took over the site and its content to ensure it stayed up for the Reptile Keepers & Enthusiasts of Australia to share their opinions, insights and views and to encourage new keepers while at the same time having an open resource that's easier to navigate than Facebook.

Whats been done is done and its going to be a hell of a long road forward and the best I can offer to the membership of APS is that I will try to fix up what I can however I can't promise to fix it all.

Stuart
 
Personally, I think charging private breeders to advertise their animals was a massive step in the wrong direction. With fb and the other online classified sites being completely free and reaching a far broader audience it seems counter-productive to be charging for the service, especially at the price it is offered at.

I have been around these forums for about a decade and one of the biggest problems was admins/mods deleting people from the forum because of their own personal problems with members.
 
Some members moved to ARF during the shut down, like me, but decided to stay. But yes, Facebook is totally to blame. I'm a member of the Aussie invertebrates forum, but it maxes out at about 2 posts a day now, because people have moved to FB.
 
like you say you have been around these forums for about a decade and so have l ( Les ) and one of the biggest problems was admins/moderators deleting people from the forum because of their own personal problems with other members.

l had my profile and account by the previous owner and moderators on this forum deleted a few times when l complained to them how l was being treated by other members on here at times which is not good at all, we all should be treated with fairness and full respect on any reptile forum IMO, otherwise no-one will want to be part of this forum or share their knowledge and experience they have gained in reptile keeping and breeding with other members.

l myself have been into keeping and breeding reptiles since 1982 and l see myself has having a lot of experience and knowledge about reptiles, but l don't know everything and l still am learning just like you all are and enjoy sharing what l know and have learnt over the years with anyone who is new to the reptile hobby when l can.

Regards,

Dragon_77...( Les Whyte ).
 
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Facebook is a joke, yes the groups are popular but you have no ability to search for information, hence the same/similar questions get asked again & again. Then there's groups (a Lace monitor group as an example) where people just post the same photos of the same animals in wooden boxes every few months. Boooooring. At least with forums like APS there is a wealth of information available to search through.

Chris, I dare to disagree, at least in part. Facebook is not a joke, it's packed with information and navigating it is just like on any other forum. The point is - you have to choose the right groups to be in and be very resilient to friendship offers and group invitations otherwise you will be reading about people's private problems, kids, politics, food allergies, etc. to no end. The groups that have smart admin and moderators are good and productive, those whose in the hands of ego-driven idiots and 10 minute experts are to be avoided. At least you have that choice there. One group I am particularly fond of is administered by a vet and moderated by other vets and people in the vet industry. The help, advice and solutions they offer are simply great, and no charge for consultation. There are also many specialist groups where members indulge in intelligent debates on various topics. I left APS because the previous owner was a moron and I since found face book to be a very good medium.
 
Well !!! how about that, we are talking and airing problems from the past that Stu can now address, I do not have any interest in the way the forum is run nor do i want to, but the new owner cannot fix what he does not know is broken, so now we have the ability to tell the owner/admin/mods what is burning our bums i think we should all do it.
Facebook has it's place and it's supporters, I too belong to a couple of different Facebook groups but they are just that "groups" and after a couple of days it becomes very hard to keep track of particular posts, whereas in a forum like this posts are so much easier to keep track of and because most of the people in this forum are not fly by nighters information they give out is priceless imo, ok some long time members here can be a bit callous when replying to posts that come across as being inane or have been answered so many times before, 1 long time member in particular who is a bit abrasive in his replies, gives out advice that is almost encyclopedic, but because of his attitude to people gets a lot of flack, but if we were to ignore the caustic comments and concentrate on the advice enclosed in his replies we would all learn a lot more than we now know.
I don't know why people pinpoint advertising as a problem in this forum, if you want to pay for advertising that is pointed at a particular audience then this is the place, if not then sell on facebook or GT, having advertising spread out in the forum is just common place nowadays and should not even be thought about as a problem.
There are so many pro's about using forums such as APS that the con's fade into insignificance as far as i am concerned. What i would like to see here for the time being until this forum gets all it's teeth cut is a helpful hints section for the admins/mods to peruse until this forum is to a stage where it is a smile zone for everyone. :) .....................Ron
 
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