BYC Recognition Awards - Educator, Friend, Spirit, & Greeter

[WVduckchick]

Very true Two Crows, and I agree with you.
My original thinking came to mind mainly because so many people use mobile now, and badges aren't visible on mobile. So I just thought a reference list would be helpful.

 

[Birdrain92]

The problem that I see with this is that no one person can be an expert in all areas of even the category or forum that they know most things in. So if a person has an issue with something, say medical, and they contact someone from the list of members with Educators badges in the Emergency section, the member they contact might not know ALL there is to know about the condition needed to fully help this person. There are SO many members out there with a lot of knowledge and expertise that may not be on BYC all that much or have been on BYC long enough to be recognized and do not have any badges at all! So this person that is seeking knowledge might be missing out on precious information that might save a birds life. It is by far BETTER, in my opinion, if a person has an issue to start a thread in that area so that more opinions and possibly more experience with this issue is brought up. No one person can know it all. BYC is large enough that MANY people have so much to offer, getting more opinions on an issue is always a better idea than the opinion of just one person. This is the foundation of BYC....LOTS of members helping out that one member that needs help.

Maybe not like a singular expert but maybe a badge for the area they tend to help out a lot in. For example, I've seen casportpony in Peafowl, Duck, Emergencies, and in the Chicken I believe. So place a badge for each one or maybe once you've achieved so many species you get a badge like, Mixed Poultry, meaning that the person has experience with many different species. Maybe do like the person tends to thrive in info with this/these bird species. Kind of have it for the search engine. Type in, "Info about peafowl" and it gives a list of members that appear to be knowledgeable about peafowl to get some knowledge from different sources. That could sometimes be a lot easier than just digging through a long thread or if you're new you don't know hardly anyone.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: The problem that I see with this is that no one person can be an expert in all areas of even the category or forum that they know most things in. So if a person has an issue with something, say medical, and they contact someone from the list of members with Educators badges in the Emergency section, the member they contact might not know ALL there is to know about the condition needed to fully help this person. There are SO many members out there with a lot of knowledge and expertise that may not be on BYC all that much or have been on BYC long enough to be recognized and do not have any badges at all! So this person that is seeking knowledge might be missing out on precious information that might save a birds life. It is by far BETTER, in my opinion, if a person has an issue to start a thread in that area so that more opinions and possibly more experience with this issue is brought up. No one person can know it all. BYC is large enough that MANY people have so much to offer, getting more opinions on an issue is always a better idea than the opinion of just one person. This is the foundation of BYC....LOTS of members helping out that one member that needs help.
I understand what you're saying, and I've had to answer a few PM's with "sorry, I have no idea... probably best to start a thread".

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

I decided to make a "BYC Member" article that anyone one can edit. So maybe people can go there and write a brief bio about what birds they have and any special interests? https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/byc-members


-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Quote: I think it's probably still best to start a new thread... Example - one with a sick pea should start a new thread, then the people that frequent the pea forum can tag those they think might be able to help and maybe someone else will be able to help. Meanwhile, the person with the sick pea can read through the various threads. Same is true for the other forums...

-Kathy

 

[TwoCrows]

Another reason to start a thread about an issue is that contacting someone with an issue helps ONLY the person with the problem. Where as if a person starts a thread, others with the exact same issue can find, read and participate in a thread and in turn help them as well.

As for finding people in the different forums with the knowledge, again, badges don't always mean anything. Plenty of people with great knowledge that do not have badges. And by posting in an area with these members WITH badges, if they know the answer, they WILL answer the question too. Its a win win situation.

We all have our areas of expertise and if you KNOW someone knows something about an issue, of course it never hurts to shoot them out a PM. But your chances of getting multiple answers is greater when starting a thread.

Also, lots of us have ways to treat or work with something. BUT...what works for me may NOT work for you for a multitude of reasons. So when others jump in to help someone, many times the right answer for that person becomes apparent. Again, it helps many people instead of one.

 

[Teila]

Another reason to start a thread about an issue is that contacting someone with an issue helps ONLY the person with the problem. Where as if a person starts a thread, others with the exact same issue can find, read and participate in a thread and in turn help them as well.

As for finding people in the different forums with the knowledge, again, badges don't always mean anything. Plenty of people with great knowledge that do not have badges. And by posting in an area with these members WITH badges, if they know the answer, they WILL answer the question too. Its a win win situation.

We all have our areas of expertise and if you KNOW someone knows something about an issue, of course it never hurts to shoot them out a PM. But your chances of getting multiple answers is greater when starting a thread.

Also, lots of us have ways to treat or work with something. BUT...what works for me may NOT work for you for a multitude of reasons. So when others jump in to help someone, many times the right answer for that person becomes apparent. Again, it helps many people instead of one.

Time zone is a factor also.

 

[TwoCrows]

Quote: I think it's probably still best to start a new thread... Example - one with a sick pea should start a new thread, then the people that frequent the pea forum can tag those they think might be able to help and maybe someone else will be able to help. Meanwhile, the person with the sick pea can read through the various threads. Same is true for the other forums...

-Kathy
X2 It is important to get the knowledge out there. PM's are behind the scenes and while you might help someone save the life of one bird, threads can save thousands of birds. I am not saying that a person should never PM someone, but a thread is WAY more valuable to ALL of us than a private conversation.

 

[casportpony]

Another reason to start a thread about an issue is that contacting someone with an issue helps ONLY the person with the problem. Where as if a person starts a thread, others with the exact same issue can find, read and participate in a thread and in turn help them as well.

As for finding people in the different forums with the knowledge, again, badges don't always mean anything. Plenty of people with great knowledge that do not have badges. And by posting in an area with these members WITH badges, if they know the answer, they WILL answer the question too. Its a win win situation.

We all have our areas of expertise and if you KNOW someone knows something about an issue, of course it never hurts to shoot them out a PM. But your chances of getting multiple answers is greater when starting a thread.

Also, lots of us have ways to treat or work with something. BUT...what works for me may NOT work for you for a multitude of reasons. So when others jump in to help someone, many times the right answer for that person becomes apparent. Again, it helps many people instead of one.

I am all for new threads instead of PM's.

-Kathy

 

[TwoCrows]

Quote: X2!