This forum has been much different lately.

[Callender Girl]

I saw this thread last night and decided against making any response; when I saw it again this morning and that it had gained some steam, I read all the posts and feel like I really, really want to answer.

I LOVE this forum. It has literally been a lifeline for some of my poultry and a way for me to keep in touch with the "outside world" since my early retirement and the pandemic restrictions.

It makes me sad to read about people wanting to leave the group. It is still a community of smart, helpful people who do a lot of good. Leaving seems to me like throwing out the baby with the bath water. Stay and make it better, if you feel it has strayed.

As a BYC member, I learned early on to make sure that when I didn't absolutely KNOW an answer, I should either refrain from commenting or make sure to explain that this is how I handled a situation in my experience, not that my way was the best or only way.

In my early days of membership, I was taken to task a couple of times by people who clearly knew more than I did, and it stung a bit.

But, as a former newspaper editor, I faced criticism on a regular basis, and I learned to separate the tone from the substance of the message. My BYC critics were right, and I was wrong. I accepted what they said and did not continue a pointless back-and-forth discussion.

We seem to live in a society where we want to divide and label people -- by their age, their beliefs, whatever. We can more easily discount a person's point of view if we call that person by a collective nickname.

We share this world with every single person in it. I have long admired a 1930's piece called "Desiderata," which lays out a blueprint for living a good life, including this: "Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story."

I want this forum to continue, and I want people on it to be able to express their opinions and their knowledge -- even when I disagree with their premise. Don't let a minority of posters take down a great resource for so many.

And, hey, if you disagree with anything I've said, I'm okay with that. I live in sweltering Iowa; I can take the heat!

 

[sdm111]

Here's a great example of what can go wrong when bad information is given. Probably idk 5 maybe 6 years ago maybe not that long ago anyway a younger fella was on here (he left for a good while but I see he's back and more versed in chickens) anyway he to my knowledge was pretty much just getting into chickens gamefowl to be exact. He had fowl pox run through his birds and not knowing any better and taking in information from this website unnecessarily culled his entire flock only to learn later by me that its a natural thing and I have it run through my 1st year birds usually every summer and I prefer to get it cause I never loose any and after they are immune for life. But the damage was done. I see he has been back so maybe he'll see this post and verify what I'm saying. Watch what you say it can have dire consequences just cause you want to be the first poster to a question

 

[aart]

I see this has de-railed a bit.

I knew it would.

 

[Sally PB]

I think @Callender Girl said it very well. I have found some trusted information sources here, some "fun/informative/interesting to read their posts" people here, and tried to help where I could or tag people knew more than I. Enough said.

Now I'm off to my usual "chat with chicken friends" threads.

 

[AntiqueB]

It especially bothers me to see misinformation on the emergency threads. These are people who posted looking for help quickly, and if they get back garbage. . .

I tag people who know a lot more than I do, and I read as many posts as I can, so that I can learn before I go spouting off. There are some really brilliant members here! Then I help if possible, try to contribute meaningfully to discussions, and learn as much as I can from the collective experiences of many people who have had many chickens for many years.

Reading about so many diverse topics written by so many rational people has opened my mind to things I probably wouldn't have considered a year ago: raising birds for meat, keeping quail, even spiders. Thank you to the respectful and knowledgeable people who post (you know who you are).

 

[Fuchsia]

I agree!
I don't even post that much on here anymore, I mostly keep my posting to PM's. I greet new members and reply to a few things but that's pretty much it.
This might just be me but I fell like in January-March a lot of kids/teenagers joined and started ruining the forum with a lot of unneeded stuff.

It's hard to get a good and correct response anymore. Some people I know have left the forum because of this.
I hope I'm not one of the people you are talking about though
If I am sorry

 

[sdm111]

I feel as though it’s just kids on here. There’s all these people making trouble, clogging up informational threads, or trying to answer things they don’t understand. I realize that it’s not fair to say it’s all kids that are doing this, but it really doesn’t feel like the same BYC. I barely post in public anymore because it’s not the same smart forum filled with knowledgeable members anymore- it’s like a birthday party.
I understand that it’s fun to talk, but keep the chat in the chat threads or PMs - and keep it appropriate.
I’m just tired of it.

Take this with a grain of salt, please.

 

[SD11]

I'm probably someone you are talking about but, I agree with you. I try to fix myself from posting a bunch of unneeded stuff.

I don't like all this gender stuff I've seen, there was just one thread with replies every once in a while. But now I see freaking rainbows everywhere. It has gotten ridiculous.
All these newly joined kids and teens went crazy with it. Its in everyone's signatures, custom titles, and in profile pictures.

 

[SacredWaves]

Very well, and tactfully, said. I agree chat threads are on here, and there's a reason for it. Although I have found most of the answers I seek are already on here. Thankful for that.

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

I communicate with very few people on this forum but .... Those few, I trust and have learned a lot from.

Don't you just hate it when you ask a question and the first answer is from someone that takes 12 paragraphs to explain that they don't know the answer, but are sure someone on the forum might.