Emergency forum

[Nifty-Chicken]

The staff will review the suggestions and see if it makes sense to edit / create new forum categories / sections.

Regarding search: I'll have to totally disagree about the search tools not "working well".

Between the built in search and the google search, you can find anything you need. If you can't find something it is either because of lack of knowledge of how to search properly, or the items you are searching for are not labeled / named correctly.

I've never found a situation where I couldn't find something using one of the search tools mutinied here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=47494

I challenge anyone to find something I can't find using one of those two search tools.

 

[dlhunicorn]

...I challenge anyone to find something I can't find using one of those two search tools.

I just used the search as many would > with a very often asked question:
What is the dosage for Eprinex?
I therefore used as keywords "eprinex" and "dosage"
... it only brought up eight results

 

[DuckLady]

I typed in the same thing, Diana, and got 2 pages of hits.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Searching, like anything else, is a skill and takes a bit of practice. Using natural language questions in almost any search tool (that doesn't have millions in funding behind it... i.e., Google, Wolfram Alpha, etc.) won't provide you the results your looking for, which is why search experience and best practices using things like Bayesian operators really help a lot. But of course, most people don't know how to use things like wildcards or operators like "AND, OR and NOT"

Again, if something isn't available via a search it either doesn't exist, is spelled wrong when posted, isn't titles / labeled properly, or the search is performed inaccurately.

Quantity isn't necessarily quality when doing a search. "only eight results" isn't a bad thing if one of them has what you are looking for.

If on the other hand you are searching for volume of results, do a search here for "Eprinex dosage" by post. I got about 50 results.

The bottom line is that we need:

1) Members to put very detailed information in their subject lines
2) More help building out our FAQ sections and the Learning Center on BYC

Oh, and a very easy search on "eprinex dosage" using the built in BYC search brought me this post: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1019105#p1019105

 

[Reinbeau]

I know the search is a powerful tool, but I have to agree with the others, you have to know how to use the search, it isn't something that's easy-breezy the first time you try to search for something - and if you're upset because you've got a problem, plowing through two pages of results and having to dig through those threads to find your info is overwhelming.

Would it be at all possible to have the keyword you used to search highlighted within the results? I've seen this in other forums (I'm not beating a dead horse here, Rob, but that feature is available in other software platforms <::cough::> and it makes finding your answer within the results alot easier.

I am all for having a separate emergency section, but refining it further than that is going to be a logistical nightmare.

 

[dlhunicorn]

well I got 89 pages when I searched for "ivomec eprinex" (without specifying "dosage") but it is not the number of pages.which counts..... many times I was looking for a specific post I had posted (several months earlier) and either I got too many pages of results (some threads can be ten pages long and it is not possible to bring up the specific post itself but only the entire thread) and I soon gave up (which is what happens a lot I suspect)...
no, I am not going to dis your search but it is not the solution to the problem ...what I am trying to say is that the suggestion I made would be a point to start sorting out things ...

ETA: @Terrie > the search I did (with the eight results) was a search in all forums (instead of just the emergency forum... weird huh?)

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Diana if you recall we had the ER section with a diseases section separate in the past, as well as Pests being with Predators and it did not work. Thing is when someone inexperienced needs help with a sick chicken they go to ER and give a vague description. They don't know what's wrong or they would not be posting the thread. So to have the sections separated and expect those asking to put it in the right place just never worked. They don’t know if they have a disease, a parasite or an injury.

While having one ER is big now that we have so many members if the person knows what the problem is and is looking for help in correcting it, yes the thread should be put in the right place, or moved there. An injuries section could be helpful however I don’t think an non-emergency injuries section would be busy enough.

We changed it to this due to the problems of the past and while this is not working perfect either at least all that need help are in the same place for those that can answer. I know the page 2 thing can be a pain though.

 

[ivan3]

My frustration with the emergencies subject line isn't so much winnowing acute/traumatic from chronic/subsidiary but, rather, the paucity of information offered by members.

If the sticky could be formatted so that it is made clear that those posting copy and paste the questions into their posts and answer, to the best of their ability, those relevant to their situation, a lot of `blue-skying'/`twenty questions' could be erased from the clock.

Maybe title the sticky: `Read This or We'll Shoot Your Chicken'.

READ THE STICKY: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3569

 

[dlhunicorn]

Quote:
no the pests belong in with the emergencies and the rest... I am suggesting it to be a section and then within that section:
EMERGENCIES needing immediate help
INJURIES
DISEASE
PARASITES and WORMS
TREATMENT Meds and Dosage
... or something similar > you get the idea

...and it did not work. Thing is when someone inexperienced needs help with a sick chicken they go to ER and give a vague description. They don't know what's wrong or they would not be posting the thread. So to have the sections separated and expect those asking to put it in the right place just never worked. They don’t know if they have a disease, a parasite or an injury.

...it is not the initial posting that is clogging things up (and once people get acquainted with the new layout then less will use the emrgency section when it is not necessary) > it is after the intial problem/panic has been more or less dealt with and people are chatting about how is it going etc. > this is the point they can be moved (by the mods) to the appropriate place (example: someone posts a scaley legmite problem and gets an answer and then it stays on page one for three days because fifteen other people come on with the same problem and chat about their different solutions > NOT in itself a problem but it stays on page one and sometimes an unanswered post gets pushed to page two) This way when someone DOES make the effort to find a similar post then they might find it easier to find in the appropriate section (like a parasite or worm problem)...
Some of these threads can be ten pages long (which in and of itself is not the problem IF all the threads are of a similar nature like all parasites/worms or all injuries etc.) but it is often no longer an emergency after page five....
Of course the inexperienced or the person in panic is not going to always have the time and knowledge to "put it where it belongs" (that can be done after the initial posting and things seem to have settled down (or god forbid the poor thing has died and there follows three pages of condolations > it is not the condolations that is the problem but it remaining on page one of the emergenciy thread!)

... I know the page 2 thing can be a pain though....

It is quite often three pages (for one day) ... what I find frustrating is revisiting a thread and then finding the bird has passed away... if I am in a hurry it would be helpful in such cases if the post had been moved off the emergency thread > I could then easily review those that needed help and then go back to the other section to offer my condolences or see how they were doing further when I have more time...
I notice that many who used to offer help regularly are doing so less and less and many have commented to me that this is the main reason for it... it has all become just too overwhelming.​

 

[DuckLady]

Quote:
Maybe the person that the suggestions and feedback should go to is the board owner who would then be aware of their concerns and is also the one in a postion to address it properly.

I know I have not been made aware of these overwhelming issues and if so many were concerned and contacting the board owner then he would have made it a priority to discuss it with the Staff.