- Mar 21, 2010
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Quote:
OK, touchy subject, but I'll jump in.
1) Everyone should know that you do not need to be a member of CI to participate in the forum, but you do need to register, and the forums are moderated.
2) Of course, I highly recommend that all those interested in supporting and promoting the Cochin breed (both Large Fowl and Bantam) join Cochins International. (On a personal note, hopefully you'll find this year's CI Breeder's Directory worth the price of the membership alone!)
3) The ShowBirdBid Message Forum is home to the forum for several breed clubs, including CI. The name itself "ShowBird" should give you the general sense to whom the forums are geared toward - people who show, or want to show, their birds. There seems to be, in my opinion, a general lack of tolerance for "backyard" flocks. Here's a few more things I've learned in the past couple of months - Do NOT mention BYC, do not use the word "lockdown", do not use acronyms, etc., etc. etc. DO always preface with the fact the you are a paid member in good standing of your breed club, and that you own a copy of the SOP.
4) That being said, once you get your foot in the door, there are hundreds of experts with hundreds of combined years of showhall experience to help you.
5) That being said, there are also one or two that seem to take pleasure in reducing you to a pile of chicken poo if given the opportunity, and it is because of this that I am very hesitant to post, or ask questions. In the thread on the Mid Valley Show results, I have wanted to ask why everyone feels Tom's white is better than the black - especially regarding the wing carriage, I see that the wing carriage on the white is just slightly higher, but is there something else I'm missing? I'd like to learn more about these small details. But I don't know how to properly ask the question without being told to go buy a copy of the SOP.
6) I really like how Tom opened the forum, suggesting that we start threads for the different varieties. (Thank you, Craig, for starting one today on Columbians!) And so now, after a month, and with the inclusion of your new Columbian thread, there are a total of three dedicated variety threads: Golden Laced, Mottled and Columbian. Is that the best we can do?
7) I'm on there every day reading and learning as much as I can absorb - and I look at the members that have been logged in over the past 24 hours. I see a lot of (top) Cochin breeders, but they never post. Why is that? Some are regional CI directors - I want to hear what they have to say! I want to see pics of their birds! I want to learn from them! It seems that the apathy has followed us from the old forum to the new one.
8) There are a lot of things on the new forum that I really like - in particular it's super easy now to post pics! (If you already have pictures uploaded on BYC - you can copy & paste directly from your BYC uploads just as if you were posting a pic here on BYC.) And I like the "thread" format, like here on BYC - you can open a thread for a particular topic, without having to read thru tons of other posts. And of course no more spamming!
9) I am treading very cautiously in the new forum when I post, as I am still considered an outsider because my birds aren't in the showhalls. I am trying to participate and volunteer in CI as much as possible, and will be doing the Breeder's Directory this year. I am doing the best I can with what I have, focusing on improving my Golden Laced to the SOP so that maybe someday they will be show quality. I am studying as many books as I can about their genetics. But until that time when I can compete in the showhalls, I will always feel out of place on the forum.
10) I love BYC - it is a melting pot of backyard flocks to showhall winners, and everyone is accepted. When someone on BYC says "I have a dumb question" - we all politely reply "There is no such thing as a dumb question - we're all here to help each other". That is not the response you will get on the ShowBird forums.
11) I recognize and appreciate the need for the ShowBird forums - a place to focus on showing and breeding to the SOP. I just wish they would recognize and appreciate that not everyone is starting at the top with show winners.
12) I must say here that most, if not all, of the negativity I have encountered on ShowBird has NOT come from CI or BYC members. Anyone can post on any breed club thread they choose to - there just seem to be one or two that like to provoke if given the opportunity.
13) I hope I'm not discouraging anyone from participating in the Cochin forum on ShowBird - quite the opposite. I truly feel it will be better and stronger with more contributions and participation!
14) On a personal note - Thank you, Tom, for your excellent moderation! Sorry you had to do it.
What she said...
OK, touchy subject, but I'll jump in.
1) Everyone should know that you do not need to be a member of CI to participate in the forum, but you do need to register, and the forums are moderated.
2) Of course, I highly recommend that all those interested in supporting and promoting the Cochin breed (both Large Fowl and Bantam) join Cochins International. (On a personal note, hopefully you'll find this year's CI Breeder's Directory worth the price of the membership alone!)
3) The ShowBirdBid Message Forum is home to the forum for several breed clubs, including CI. The name itself "ShowBird" should give you the general sense to whom the forums are geared toward - people who show, or want to show, their birds. There seems to be, in my opinion, a general lack of tolerance for "backyard" flocks. Here's a few more things I've learned in the past couple of months - Do NOT mention BYC, do not use the word "lockdown", do not use acronyms, etc., etc. etc. DO always preface with the fact the you are a paid member in good standing of your breed club, and that you own a copy of the SOP.
4) That being said, once you get your foot in the door, there are hundreds of experts with hundreds of combined years of showhall experience to help you.
5) That being said, there are also one or two that seem to take pleasure in reducing you to a pile of chicken poo if given the opportunity, and it is because of this that I am very hesitant to post, or ask questions. In the thread on the Mid Valley Show results, I have wanted to ask why everyone feels Tom's white is better than the black - especially regarding the wing carriage, I see that the wing carriage on the white is just slightly higher, but is there something else I'm missing? I'd like to learn more about these small details. But I don't know how to properly ask the question without being told to go buy a copy of the SOP.
6) I really like how Tom opened the forum, suggesting that we start threads for the different varieties. (Thank you, Craig, for starting one today on Columbians!) And so now, after a month, and with the inclusion of your new Columbian thread, there are a total of three dedicated variety threads: Golden Laced, Mottled and Columbian. Is that the best we can do?
7) I'm on there every day reading and learning as much as I can absorb - and I look at the members that have been logged in over the past 24 hours. I see a lot of (top) Cochin breeders, but they never post. Why is that? Some are regional CI directors - I want to hear what they have to say! I want to see pics of their birds! I want to learn from them! It seems that the apathy has followed us from the old forum to the new one.
8) There are a lot of things on the new forum that I really like - in particular it's super easy now to post pics! (If you already have pictures uploaded on BYC - you can copy & paste directly from your BYC uploads just as if you were posting a pic here on BYC.) And I like the "thread" format, like here on BYC - you can open a thread for a particular topic, without having to read thru tons of other posts. And of course no more spamming!
9) I am treading very cautiously in the new forum when I post, as I am still considered an outsider because my birds aren't in the showhalls. I am trying to participate and volunteer in CI as much as possible, and will be doing the Breeder's Directory this year. I am doing the best I can with what I have, focusing on improving my Golden Laced to the SOP so that maybe someday they will be show quality. I am studying as many books as I can about their genetics. But until that time when I can compete in the showhalls, I will always feel out of place on the forum.
10) I love BYC - it is a melting pot of backyard flocks to showhall winners, and everyone is accepted. When someone on BYC says "I have a dumb question" - we all politely reply "There is no such thing as a dumb question - we're all here to help each other". That is not the response you will get on the ShowBird forums.
11) I recognize and appreciate the need for the ShowBird forums - a place to focus on showing and breeding to the SOP. I just wish they would recognize and appreciate that not everyone is starting at the top with show winners.
12) I must say here that most, if not all, of the negativity I have encountered on ShowBird has NOT come from CI or BYC members. Anyone can post on any breed club thread they choose to - there just seem to be one or two that like to provoke if given the opportunity.
13) I hope I'm not discouraging anyone from participating in the Cochin forum on ShowBird - quite the opposite. I truly feel it will be better and stronger with more contributions and participation!
14) On a personal note - Thank you, Tom, for your excellent moderation! Sorry you had to do it.
What she said...
They have been handled several times daily and are very sweet! Lots of color too! Thank you....
