Is it just me? Have we lost a lot of members? Members posting differently?

[griffinkid02]

I just went back to the sections that most people will ask question, i.e. coop design, managing, flock, predators, etc. and it seems that every question has had some sort of answer. Even though I have made it a habit to post on the Random Ramblings I have also made it a habit that almost every time I am on I look to make sure that no real question has gone without any answer or participation. I am not alone in that and I hope that Sourland sees this because I know for a fact that he has made it a goal to always search through the new topics to make sure each has gotten some input and he has encouraged others to do the same. As for a recent trend that encourages newbies to search the forum rather then ask questions I don't think that is a very prevalent attitude even though it is quite obvious that you can get an answer to the easies to the most complex problem by doing a search. Regardless, I know that a lot of the old members get a kick out of answering questions and showing how they do it.

As for the newly engineered site being more difficult, I will agree with you but with a caveat. I was really used to the old site and when the new one came on it was more difficult for me as it was for a lot of people because it was new. I now find it to get easier and easier because it seems to be a more intuitive site. Keep using and it will get easier to use.

Speaking as a Newbie, though. I COULD scour the FAQs for most of my questions, and I do try to keep that in mind before asking anything that seems awfully obvious. But I could also just go to any number of websites and get my answers free from cold dry facts. So why am I here? Community. I want to meet and talk to people that don't just shake their head and grin in an "accepting" manor every time the subject of a chicken comes up and my eyes start gleaming. I have not posted alot on here, preferring to try to find my answers where they've already been given, but I have seen lots or places where a question was answered with "This has already been addressed and you can find the answer at *insert link here.* Please try reading FAQs before making unnecessary posts in the future" And there is a LOT of content available here, I could spend weeks reading threads on here and still not have seen everything there is to see. A big draw for asking a question and waiting a couple of days for several well thought out and specific answers instead of spending a couple hours doing research is the desire to start a conversation and get to know the other people here, or at least that's the case for me.

 

[wolftracks]

Ah yes! All of us crazy people who enjoy talking about chickens. Or other livestock. We're a weird bunch, but growing in numbers. Thank GOODNESS!

The problem with searching is finding an answer within a decent amount of time or even at all once you get started reading all that stuff. You can really lose yourself in there.

 

[Kelly G]

I'll search to find answers, but there's nothing like dialog.

 

[redhen]

I'll search to find answers, but there's nothing like dialog.

I agree. I don't care if the question has already been asked a thousand times,...if I'm not sure about something /anything,..I always ask the question. And can be quite annoying if I don't get an answer...

 

[wolftracks]

I've read almost everything in the illness section. Some things many times. LOL

I like dialog too. Makes you feel like someone cares or is even listening. I grew up with my nose in Encyclopedias and Science books, but OMG I love this site and real eople doing the same things, cept different. LOL

 

[Bunnylady]

I always ask the question. And can be quite annoying if I don't get an answer...

I'm not going to say it, I'm not going to say it, I'm not going to say it, . . .

 

[griffinkid02]

Well, in that case, I will respond in a collegial way and even though I am sure that what you say is true, on occasion, I still believe that a great many people on this site are very anxious to impart information to others because they like to show how they did it. When I first started raising chickens (only one year ago) I knew absolutely nothing and every bit of info came from the people on the site. I even had several persons contact me directly to show me the finer points of building a coop and run. The one problem that I did find is that there is almost too much info and a lot of it will never be applicable. I find that true in the disease and illness section. If you read all of it you will be up nights just thinking of the problems your hens will get when, in truth, if you keep a single flock without interaction with outside birds, you will rarely have problems. That is not true of the predator section where I took every disaster to heart and built my set up to be as predator proof as possible.

Yes, i have encountered this problem MANY times. I set out with a question in mind, take a deep breath and DIVE into the forums. And 2 hours later I am utterly lost to a maze of sidequests that started with, "They can DO that?" and "Wait, you mean this is REAL?" and unless it's something urgent, end up completely forgetting what I started out needing to know.

 

[Capvin]

I'm not going to say it, I'm not going to say it, I'm not going to say it, . . .

Who knew Bunnylady had any will power!! That is not what I heard.

Now, for all of you newbies, this is what is called thread stealing or hi-jacking and many of us have become experts.

 

[wolftracks]

It's not hijacking if some ideas flow to help.

I can't even remember which members I've looked for right now, but it seems like a lot of new people, who give up after from 1 - 12 post, never to be heard from again and several of us die hards that are here all the time.

I think the one frustrating thing about helping someone out is when they get incorrect info from someone you know you tried to help in the past and even when someone who's known here as informatve tries to step in, they are kicked to the curb. I've seen that so much the past year. I mean I've seen some of the top breeders try and help and get treated like they know nothing. Next thing you know, same newbie is asking why something is happening, steming from their original question and they take advise from the exact same group they did the first time, who later are posting "Oh I'm so sorry it didn't woork out" "So sorry your bird died" or just no response at all.

 

[EweSheep]

I've noticed it too! It used to be hopping but not so much anymore.

One thing is, warmer weather. People will get out more, less computer time. happens alot to folks that got the cabin fever or summertime when it gets a bit slow.

Others are having a hard time navigating the new site.

As for me, I don't post too much. Not friendly user like the old BYC but understand it was the demands and workload by Nifty that BYC needed the changes or it would probably collapse from the sheer weight of folks sharing chicken!