Solved Suggestion for New Member Questions

[triciayoung]

As a greeter, 1-2 out of 5 of the new members have birds other than chickens. I think we should change the questions wherever it says "chickens" to "chickens/birds"

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Thanks for being a great "Greeter" and for your suggestion!

I was looking at the template here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-member-introductions-sample-questions-template.125892/

Since BYC is focused mostly on chickens, we have most of the questions directed specifically about chickens. That said, we do have the question about other pets, and people don't have to only answer about chickens when talking about their birds.

So, we're inclined to leave it as it is for now, but we'll keep noodling on the idea.

 

[triciayoung]

Thanks for being a great "Greeter" and for your suggestion!

I was looking at the template here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-member-introductions-sample-questions-template.125892/

Since BYC is focused mostly on chickens, we have most of the questions directed specifically about chickens. That said, we do have the question about other pets, and people don't have to only answer about chickens when talking about their birds.

So, we're inclined to leave it as it is for now, but we'll keep noodling on the idea.

Thank you for the good reasoning. My intent is to make everyone feel welcome, get motivated to contribute, and believe they "are in the right place". At the same time, while new members preface their post stating they do not have chickens but they have...it does not appear the word "chickens" is stopping anyone that has other birds from joining.

 

[EuroChook]

Thanks for being a great "Greeter" and for your suggestion!

I was looking at the template here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-member-introductions-sample-questions-template.125892/

Since BYC is focused mostly on chickens, we have most of the questions directed specifically about chickens. That said, we do have the question about other pets, and people don't have to only answer about chickens when talking about their birds.

So, we're inclined to leave it as it is for now, but we'll keep noodling on the idea.

As a new member myself, may I put forward my view, please?

6 out of 7 questions deal with chickens, 1 deals with no animal at all. Question 6, indeed, asks about other pets. But the grammatical phrasing of "other" invokes the condition that the respondant is already believed to own chicken/s, given in the form of "in addition to the chickens you own, what other pets do you own?" So essentially all questions ask about chickens, or expect chickens to be owned, with the exception of the question which deals with no animal-- that one asking how one discovered BYC.

Having said all that, I am not anti-chicken. Our family has only ever owned chickens. And I am privileged to have a special case, a hen named Kato, who I rescued from certain death. And yes, BYC is, of course, Backyard Chickens. Not Backyard Quail, or Backyard Emu. But obviously, by kindly giving membership to people who own animals other than chickens, your good and popular platform shows also that it is not solely for chicken owners to the exclusion of all other poultry owners.

While I understand BYC intends to stay true to its original vision regarding chickens, might I suggest even a small statement of inclusion be added, maybe as a preface or post-script to questions as they already stand? Perhaps a statement, a single simple line, that allows people to know they may feel free to substitute their fowl in place of chicken as the latter occurs in the questions--something like, "In the following questions, feel free to substitute your bird type for chicken in the event you don't own any," that sort of thing, which might bring an even greater sense of inclusivity, and promote a sense of union between all fowl owners, (and might encourage a new, treasured bond between neighbor and neighbor, and bring about world peace...Hm. Too far. But who knows? Maybe?)

Anyway, I love it here. Thank you for giving me membership. And it is clear that BYC does care about all bird owners. I can see that by the very thoughtful answers and concern shown between all members here, regardless of them owning chickens, a variety of birds, or no chickens at all. We can't lie--we ourselves love chickens, our clucking, crowing darlings; but we don't count you out if you own a duck, (or even if you ARE a duck). It would be great to see that in a modest statement prefatory to the questions.

All in all, thank you for your time.