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Taking A Break

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chesca_27

chesca_27

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Oct 23, 2016
Messages
433
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354
Points
380
Location
Hertfordshire
I feel like I really need to take a break from this forum. Maybe it will be permanent, maybe my curiosity will get the better of me and I will rejoin. I really haven't been enjoying the forum recently.

I joined because I wanted help with a recently bereaved, seriously ill boar. I have tried to contribute to the forum and feel ignored and unvalued. I have asked for help on the forum and received little to no responses, memorably when I wanted help with my C & C cage. Did anyone help me with sourcing correx? No. As a result, I ended up being ripped off and I wasted an extra £15, which is quite a lot for a 14 year old who is trying to pay for her own cage upgrade. And later on, I see similar thread topics to what I've posted which receive far more responses giving suggestions I needed.

This forum is wonderful when you first join. Everyone is friendly and lovely and tries to help. That's the job of the forum buddies. But then, they get bored of you and move onto the next lot of new members and you get shunted to the side, unless you can make it into the forum clique in time. Yep, there is a forum clique which a lot of the notable contributors and mods are all a part of. They make inappropriate banter, but it's ok, because they're all mods.

I was very disappointed with the amount of swearing and inappropriate jokes made by a lot of the forum. For a family-friendly forum, there is some language I really would not like to read on a forum about guinea pigs. Using asterisks to cover your letters does not make swearing anymore ok as we all know what you mean and it just shows that you even know you shouldn't be swearing.

I think the final straw for me was when I watched a fellow member struggle with her guinea pigs and yes maybe she wasn't being the most helpful with her responses but at least she was actively seeking help. What did the mods do? They banned her. What for you may ask? I have no idea but I really don't think she was actually breaking any rules. Congratulations, you endangered the lives of nine guinea pigs by banning that member.

I think I have got out everything I have wanted to say for a while. Maybe I will take a break for a bit and feel like coming back on, now I have got that out of my system. If not, goodbye and thanks for the little help I received.
 
Hey Chesca,

As you can see I've been around the forum for quite some time. I'm not a Moderator nor staff member so I think I can safely respond from my point of view.

Their are a lot of members here, however some come and go, and it's not always possible to get the right people to respond to request for information etc. when required. People have lives, work, family, time constraints and issues. I don't believe people are purposely ignored, it's about getting the right people with the right information to see the post.

This is an open forum and whilst I'm sure everyone tries to keep it clean and keep the smut to specific threads, sometimes conversations just go array. That's life.

If you are ever offended by individuals members, then choose to 'mute' them. I can't comment on the 'final straw', and it's probably not appropriate for staff or mods to openly comment on the forum regarding that matter. Back room conversations can happen when their is a concern over welfare, just because you can't read what's going on doesn't mean nothing is being done. At work, I work on the basis, it's a need to need. I can be honest and say I once commented on a thread and I thought twice about posting but the content was appropriate, it got deleted...perfectly fine, no issues from me. that takes time, people, and don't forget no one gets paid for giving their advice or input.

Taking that all into consideration, honey, it's not personal. Sometimes it can appear text gets misconstrued etc, but it's really not.

Do stick around, if however you feel it is too difficult, I can understand and perhaps review the relevant threads as and when required. no one wants to feel they must move away from the forum. I've had breaks in the past, heck we probably all have at some point for various reasons.

If there is anything specific you need help with, don't forget you can pm a member who you feel or is tagged with that particular knowledgeable field.

Take your time, no rush. You may wish to go off line for a little while, but it is friendly, and I don't think for one minute that other members get pushed aside for new ones, nor is their a click...I'm in no click, I've just been around for a long time.
 
I am so sorry you feel that way. I have found the forum to be friendly and helpful. I must admit I paid too much for my corex in the end but I got so confused by lots of posts and my own research that I just went for some in the end. I've not noticed any swearing on the forum other than in the naughty corner and the title says it all, you don't have to look! I hope you feel better after a break and return to the forum. I will miss you, I like to see some younger members on here.
 
Oh I'm sorry you have had this experience. I joined this forum last year when my boar Mo came down with a suspected URI - it wasn't thankfully- and I'm reasonably active. I haven't found any rude or mean comments on here (except once which was quickly deleted by a member of staff and wasn't aimed at me). I find this forum comforting and has saved me a huge number of unnecessary vet visits. Not only that but I've just got a boar for my Mo and so far I've had loads of helpful responses and well wishes from loads of members. As well as that I also shared my piggy instgram on a thread and it's so lovely seeing the other members off of the forum and getting extra pictures of their piggies. I realise not everyone finds this forum to their tastes and I totally appreciate your opinion. I've had a couple of threads where responses have been slow or I received none but you have to take into account that there's lots of threads made everyday and if you don't add the appropriate tags or tag a member it might not get seen. As well as the simple fact - they might not know the answer. If we are thinking about the same member who got blocked then i totally agree with the decision - the owner clearly needed help elsewhere as ours was being ignored.

Thank you The Guinea Pig Forum for all the help you've gifted unto me and i hope I repay some of it when I answer others.
 
I am sorry you feel that way. Sorry no one could really help with the Correx, it could just be that no one knew where to get it from cheaply or that your threads got bumped down - Unfortunately the nature of forums is as newer threads start others can be bumped down the forum list and missed. I personally and I know other members do to have a look to make sure that threads don't get missed but unfortunately as the forum isn't my day job I can't always ensure this is the case.
I don't think you not receiving a helpful reply on your corex thread was anything other than those people who saw it at the time couldn't help and answer you, it was coincidence that then someone else asks roughly the same thing and gets advice. The great things about forum's is they are searchable so often with some searching and a little time you can normally find answers but of course everyone here tries to help and answer threads when they see them

We do try and keep the forum family friendly and we are very aware or our demographic and the fact with have younger members on the forum. I think banter and language is kept to an acceptable level, sometimes things may go a little array but overall it is reigned in. If any threads are reported we look into them and take appropriate action

In regard to a poster being banned, I am unable to go into specifics as it is a confidential matter, I think I am aware of who you are referring too and honestly this was not a decision taken lightly and a vast amount of help was offered behind the scenes. And no we didn't endanger any lives of Guinea Pigs for they are not ours to endanger. Posters are not just banned here lightly unlike many places on the internet.

I am sorry you are feeling the need to take a break, but if you every have any issues or need advice the forum will always try and help when it can.

Thanks for contributing to the forum and despite the way you are feeling now, I do hope you have enjoyed your time here.
 
I'm sorry that you feel this way and that you feel the need to take a break from the forum.

In context this is a public forum manned entirely by volunteers who have jobs, families, their own piggies and other commitments. As a staff we do our best to try to ensure that posts do not go unanswered but as Lee has explained, newer posts do push older posts down the listings, and as we pop on from time to time it is inevitable that some posts may receive fewer responses than others. Sometimes it's simply that people don't know the answer.

I didn't see your post about correx. Many of us have never bought correx and wouldn't have any idea where it can be sourced at a reasonable price. If I'd seen it I would have commented to that effect. Not to be unhelpful, but sometimes by an answer being posted it will bump the thread back up the list again and may get other responses. As it is, I haven't been on the forum as much as I'd have liked in the last week or so as I have been intensively nursing a critically ill piggy, dealing with a terminally ill older piggy and having to take the decision to have her PTS, as well as holding down a demanding job and caring for my own family.

I'm also sorry if you've been offended by content on the forum. I'm sure no-one set out to cause offence. There is a report button at the bottom of every post. Members do use this facility regularly and as a staff we review all reports and we take action as appropriate. If you see posts that you consider are offensive or breach forum rules then please report them and action will be taken. We cannot read every post. To provide that level of service would require a subscription forum with paid staff and, I suspect, specialist software.

As for members being banned I must assure you that no decision to ban any member is taken lightly or without the full support of the staff. I am not at liberty to divulge the discussions we have had in our staff room in any given case. But I must state very clearly that no piggies have been endangered as a result of anything that this forum did or did not do. The duty to care for piggies rests with the owners, not the forum. Please bear this in mind. We can only offer our advice. We cannot force anyone to accept it or to follow it.

I hope you will reconsider your position, and will remain as a valued member of the forum. However if you choose to take a break the door will always be open to you and you will be welcome back at any time.
 
I'm also sorry that you're leaving the forum, I know if can be hard when posts aren't answered or answered quickly as I've experienced that myself. It can feel like you're being ignored but be assured that you're definitely not. Unfortunately I just think that's the way of life sometimes. I also have no idea where to get correx these days, it's been years since I bought it. I would've asked my mum to help me look (which I actually did at the time, even though I'm an adult lol).

As for the person banned, I can take a good guess as to who that could've been. I actually had to mute her because it was too distressing for me to have to read about the constant neglect and being powerless to save those piggies. I tried to advise, to help and so did many others. But we were ignored every time and she continued to put them at risk. That's why I had to mute her so I could no longer see those posts. It hurt my heart too much. I'm actually quite glad she was banned, she just upset people.

I hope you do come back one day, but until then I hope yourself and your piggies are well and happy. If you ever need any help, don't forget we are here and will do what we can.
 
Hi @chesca_27
I am one of the new entries of this forum, having been joined here for two months. First of all I want to say that I love people able to talk blunty, just like you have done:nod:.
Of course I am sorry for what you have felt, I can imagine your disappointment. Anyway, in my opinion a forum is useful for sharing experiences; for reading other owners' experiences and stories, also for learning something more and trying to not making the same mistakes with our own piggies. About the help we can ask for, honestly Google is faster than a forum and you can read whatever you want to going and visiting the right websites. Of course it can be helpful asking for an advice, but sometimes I see that threads become fastly invisible and go soon to pages 2-3-4 of "recent posts", pages which are normally not visited.
I also sometimes read conversations which go towards a direction I don't like, but this happens also in daily life with the talks around me. About me I can say that I really don't care of the "likes" and the points I get and I don't even care of being approved (or badly judged). I just like writing my opinion; then, if you like it, if you find it useful, if you don't like it at all... it is not my concern.
I have learnt a lot only looking at the pictures of the owners, I copied a lot of ideas and adjusted with some change for my personal needs. I was also astonished in reading some talk which is totally far from me, my way of being and my "culture"; this is the main purpose of a forum I guess: reading and thinking about what we are reading (and learning).
Living in Rome, so far from you, nobody could help me in finding the cheaper shop and the best vet; I have never asked for any advice, but I have found the good advice reading old threads (and visiting also other websites). Personally I like following the stories of other piggies, at least those piggies who often "come" here with a picture, a funny story and so on.
If you will change your mind I will be very glad to read also your piggies' stories and about your care of not wasting money, I can tell you that I also do my best for saving money. Despite that the correx for the cage I have built cost a lot; I spent more for the correx than for the whole cage!
I hope to read you again :D
 
I used to find the same thing, that when I started a thread noone would reply to it until I remembered that I am a international member and not everyone is awake when I am and by the time other members became more active my thread and been bumped down half a page. My point is that there is a search section in the forum that I use regularly that I have found most helpful and has answered many of my questions before I even need to ask them and is well worth checking out if you are in doubt about something. Also I find there is a time of day when the forum is at it's busiest and I tend to ask any questions I have around that time and find I am most likely to get replies then.
 
So sorry you feel ignored and undervalued. That's not a good feeling in any situation.
I am sure that no one involved with answering posts deliberately failed to answer your query. It will have been the number of queries being posted by people all over the world and the availability of the voluntary staff members who have to log in and read all the posts whenever they are able to.
Just remember that some or most of the staff started like yourself as a forum member, they do a grand job with restricted resources. I do hope you continue to contribute to this forum as you are obviously a very caring guinea pig owner and you can never have too many of those.
 
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worried val of york said:
So sorry you feel ignored and undervalued. That's not a good feeling in any situation.
I am sure that no one involved with answering posts deliberately failed to answer your query. It will have been the number of queries being posted by people all over the world and the availability of the voluntary staff members who have to log in and read all the posts whenever they are able to.
Just remember that some or most of the staff started like yourself as a forum member, they do a grand job with restricted resources. I do hope you continue to contribute to this forum as you are obviously a very caring guinea pig owner and you can never have too many of those.
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Hi,

I am sorry you feel like it I hate people feeling like this. I've been a member since 2012 firstly under a silly name so changed it. I've not seen the swearing but tend to just leave expert advice to those more in the no and keep neutral about everything but I do admire you have the courage to speak your mind, as in my opinion people like this are the ones I trust in life. I do understand about cliques. I volunteered at a charity but left feeling undervalued and everyone was in a clique and it left me with depression, I ended up in tears and took it personally so I left as I took it to heart so much and I'd done nothing wrong but give up two mornings a week for free. I do feel the same sometimes and have taken breaks as well but came back recently as it has been helpful in dealing with the grief I've got having my guineas pts in the last year and not being able to have any. Sorry to ramble as in life there are horrid people, I have learnt to have only people in my life who make me feel good. X
 
Sian said:
Hi,

I am sorry you feel like it I hate people feeling like this. I've been a member since 2012 firstly under a silly name so changed it. I've not seen the swearing but tend to just leave expert advice to those more in the no and keep neutral about everything but I do admire you have the courage to speak your mind, as in my opinion people like this are the ones I trust in life. I do understand about cliques. I volunteered at a charity but left feeling undervalued and everyone was in a clique and it left me with depression, I ended up in tears and took it personally so I left as I took it to heart so much and I'd done nothing wrong but give up two mornings a week for free. I do feel the same sometimes and have taken breaks as well but came back recently as it has been helpful in dealing with the grief I've got having my guineas pts in the last year and not being able to have any. Sorry to ramble as in life there are horrid people, I have learnt to have only people in my life who make me feel good. X
Click to expand...
:hug:
 
Hi Chesca, I'm really sorry you don't feel valued or a full member of the forum everyone has something to give. I don't think your posts have been ignored, all of us have asked questions & had no answers. On other forums I think you can write bump a couple of times & the post will rise to the top again. Trouble is if you wanted a particular answer, where is the cheapest place to get cheap correx, you are going to get loads & loads of replies thinking they are the cheapest, or you get nothing because we bought ours ages ago & again don't know where, it's pretty daft others saying sorry I don't know. I don't think this forum is perfect but it's as near as. I think the mods & admin do a good job, seeing as they are pulling their hair out, as they are cooking there dinner & trying to answer your query at the same time. OK some comments are a bit close to the knuckle, but we are adults & just having some fun. I assure you I'm disabled & it certainly makes my day go quicker. Either have a break or don't go. If there is something you don't like press the report button or message a mod. You will be listened to whether they take your side or not. Whatever you decide Hun if you choose leave we will be sorry to lose you, but wish you well in whatever you do. &give those piggies a hug from us.
TiaMolly123 .........Sue
 
I actually think it is perfectly normal to feel like you need a break.
I often feel like that about real life to be honest!
Forums are tricky places, as often a comment or reply will sound one way when you type it, but it is clearly interpreted in a totally different way when it is read by someone else.
I will be honest and say I probably spend quite a bit of time popping on to the Forum on most days, but I do also take quite a few breaks of a day or two here and there where I don't log on at all.
I get a huge amount of enjoyment from this forum, and have learnt a lot, which has invariably made my piggies life a lot better, and at the end of the day that is enough.
Like I always say; 'Take what you need and give something back'. That's it.
I don't agree with everything I read on here, and I have certainly been on the receiving end of some posts that clearly did not agree with what I had to say, and that's ok.
Life is pretty dull when everyone feels the same and agrees all the time - I am ok with walking away from things that I don't need to be a part of.

And the one thing I do think many of us fail to knowledge is the staff who have been around for years.
They log on, and answer the same questions, kindly and with respect, day in and day out.
They don't judge, but always offer support and advice.
Even when they know that a lot of the time the original poster may never log back on to read their advice.
Or the original poster may completely ignore their guidance, which is based on years of experience.
I think we need to remember that these people keep replying and running the Forum, even though they know that in many cases their precious time (given voluntarily) will be totally wasted.
But they do it because they are committed to helping guinea pigs have a better life (and not just the ones in their home).
 
I am amazed by the commitment of the forum team, l come and go a bit depending on what is going on at the rescue and how l am feeling. But when l come back the same people are there trying to help members with their piggy problems.
I personally struggle with the same queries coming up time and time again. Of course to that person posting its a new problem and they need help, but l think, can l bear to type out the same stuff again. But the wonderful forum experts keep on calmly and kindly replying to questions.
 
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