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Thread: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

  1. #1
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Exclamation Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    As an admin over the years here I have seen and read what must be a bazillion posts.I try and reply where I can to them and engage members in discussions which is no surprise since this is a DISCUSSION FORUM. I made a lot of friends and connections and learned alot.

    I have noticed a change the last few years in how people use forums though that is a bit discouraging .Albeit, I am biased. I blame it on those arch villians of the internet... Facebook and Twitter.. j/k but...
    Now before any of the Fb junkies and tweety birdies get all up in arms hear me out. Im not slamming these medias but its not hard to see how they changed the way we interact online. Its made it easier in many ways. But even something good can have negative effects.

    I think thats the case with forums. The forums still get lots of traffic but people use them more like the Social Media Monster sites. They read. They may log in but they don't post much. Think about how you use those sites mostly. For many they are used to keep up with whose doing what. You generally have a list of hundreds to thousands of "friends" and "followers" on line.... but how many do you interact with or respond to.Not many really.

    As a result long indepth discussions do not really occur as the norm. Many use them as an instant messaging app. I think that as a unintended consequence people have been conditioned to using all social media that way....including forums.

    Its a shame in some ways because forums can build comradery and friendships by their very nature as a by-product of discussion and learning in a more localized setting. This makes the hobby more enjoyable. Forums also have a permanency ( is that even a word? lol) Try and find a facebook discussion a year ago...2years ..3 years ago... its not that easy... a forum though...no sweat.

    So where am I going here? I titled this thread. "Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back "When you post , be it a question,observation, or response, you are paying back the community here for anytime they have posted and helped you or responded to you. You also are paying it forward for the time when you need help or support or are looking for an interaction that goes beyond "being logged in". Its much like living in a neighborhood. There may come a time when your neighbor needs help with that tree that came down on his house . You can stand there and watch from your yard or you can roll up your sleeves and try help. What you decide can affect what happens when you are in need..

    Facebook and twitter as well as many other social medias have turned much of our online interaction into a spectator sport, imo. I have no proof. Just something I feel. Probably because most everyone has the ability with smart devices to be plugged in all the time. You can always be watching. That works very well for them and I have no problem with them ... to each his or her own. . But Forums function best when you leave the sidelines and participate.

    Just some thing to think about as you read the threads. Don't short change yourself by not interacting. You may end up making a few connections when you do
    interact. Whether you realize it or not you are here reading to learn about the fish and hobby probably... but if you dont post and no body else posts you really are missing out on the best part of the hobby. Sharing it with others like yourselves.

    Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back .
    Give it a try.

    Al
    Last edited by brewmaster15; 05-31-2018 at 07:16 AM.
    AquaticSuppliers.com Freeze Dried BlackWorms and other foods your Discus will Love!!!


    >>>>>I am a science guy.. show me the science minus the BS

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  2. #2
    Registered Member Larry Bugg's Avatar
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    Default Re: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    I'm with you Al. I think we have gained a lot with social media but we have lost as much or more. For me a good example is watching someone on social media post about a health issue with their fish. Joe Blow from Kokomo post and says turn up the heat, add salt, give them a PP bath ect, ect. The person immediately follow the advice without any knowledge of who Joe Blow is, what his experience level is or more important if he knows what he is talking about. On the forum people get to know the others and can get a fairly good idea about who is who and who to trust. Don't get me wrong, I'm on FB daily checking to see who is doing what and when but I'm also still here reading also.
    Larry Bugg

    NADA - Vice President
    Atlanta Area Aquarium Association

  3. #3
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    Oh man Larry, saw that yesterday in the SD group. Guy wanted to PP a group of fry and a member responded to mix so many grams of PP with water and add to the tank for 24 hours. Who knows what the strength of the pp was and I have never heard of a 24 hour duration.

    So the guy apparently did as suggested and posted a vid of the fry the next day where the fry were dying and gasping for air at the top of the water column. It was sad.

    I do direct folks here for better advice.
    Pat
    Last edited by Second Hand Pat; 05-31-2018 at 08:14 AM.
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


  4. #4
    Registered Member Jimmy Discus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    I just saw that post too Pat. Surprisingly, many people use PP and encourage other people to use without good knowledge about that. People learn things fast on fb
    Last edited by Jimmy Discus; 05-31-2018 at 02:01 PM.

  5. #5
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    If you havent seen this thread yet..

    http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...one-tried-this

    That sums up where a forum thread comes in. You would never ever ever find something like that thread on Facebook. The discussion.The back and forth banter. The whole thread is a masterpiece of members coming together and talking about and sharing their ideas in great detail. 30 plus pages of engaging discussion spanning months.
    Al
    Last edited by brewmaster15; 05-31-2018 at 02:39 PM.
    AquaticSuppliers.com Freeze Dried BlackWorms and other foods your Discus will Love!!!


    >>>>>I am a science guy.. show me the science minus the BS

    Al Sabetta
    Simplydiscus LLC Owner
    Aquaticsuppliers.com


    I take Pics.. click here for my Flickr images

  6. #6
    Registered Member warblad79's Avatar
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    Default Re: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    Quote Originally Posted by Second Hand Pat View Post
    Oh man Larry, saw that yesterday in the SD group. Guy wanted to PP a group of fry and a member responded to mix so many grams of PP with water and add to the tank for 24 hours. Who knows what the strength of the pp was and I have never heard of a 24 hour duration.

    So the guy apparently did as suggested and posted a vid of the fry the next day where the fry were dying and gasping for air at the top of the water column. It was sad.

    I do direct folks here for better advice.
    Pat
    I'm one of those who reply to that post. Sadly, he might need to cull everything and start all over again. I never PP my fry for more than 10mins and color should be lighter pink. It's unfortunate, most people in FB are misinformed.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    Forums are great learning tools and a solid place for interactions. The wealth of knowledge and experience is invaluable. Thank you Al just for this site alone.

  8. #8
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    You know Al, I have never felt comfortable with social media exactly due to what you said about relationships. I can't make friends on Facebook because of the way it works. Heck, I can't even carry on a conversation there. I tried twitter too and it was even worse.

    People go with what makes them the most happy. ATM it seems as though everyone is married to their phone and have nothing of substance to say. I hate it too.
    Mama Bear

  9. #9
    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
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    Default Re: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    There are good things about fb. I’m able to see loved ones grow up that live far away. Today my niece posted a picture of her belly with a sign that said, “EVICTION NOTICE MAY 31, 2018” before she went to the hospital To have her C-section. That’s the good part, but a lot of it is geared to provoke emotions/anger/hatred without logic or debate. I find myself spending more time here than there for that reason. I’m finding I have things in common with people besides fish “through” fish.
    Patty

  10. #10
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    Quote Originally Posted by Pices View Post
    There are good things about fb. I’m able to see loved ones grow up that live far away. Today my niece posted a picture of her belly with a sign that said, “EVICTION NOTICE MAY 31, 2018” before she went to the hospital To have her C-section. That’s the good part, but a lot of it is geared to provoke emotions/anger/hatred without logic or debate. I find myself spending more time here than there for that reason. I’m finding I have things in common with people besides fish “through” fish.
    Patty
    Lol...love that sign Patty. And yes you are right there are good sides to facebook..especially when it comes to staying in touch. I do see a solution though where you can get the best of both worlds.

    Give your niece a discus tank for their newborn and invite them here!
    al
    AquaticSuppliers.com Freeze Dried BlackWorms and other foods your Discus will Love!!!


    >>>>>I am a science guy.. show me the science minus the BS

    Al Sabetta
    Simplydiscus LLC Owner
    Aquaticsuppliers.com


    I take Pics.. click here for my Flickr images

  11. #11
    Registered Member Tshethar's Avatar
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    Default Re: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    I think you've got a good thing going here, Al, and I give you credit for maintaining it actively for so long. It's both a searchable database of old threads as well as a support group for hobbyists new and old who have problems or good things to share. My foray into discus keeping only lasted for a few painful months as I lost a batch of juvies one-by-one, but after more than a year away from the forum I found myself browsing again because I felt like I learned things when I was here, and also generally appreciated the ethos as well as the help and encouragement I received. (And personally I almost entirely opt out of other social media--no Twitter and keep FB to a bare minimum.)

    I agree with others that managing social dynamics in the internet age is a continually evolving challenge. In general I'm not too optimistic about it as a force for creating a sense of community; unfortunately the technology that could foster a greater sense of belonging often ends up doing the opposite, or so say some psych studies of teens/young adults, at any rate, from what I'm told.) But here I think the forum is a little different than other platforms, or at least has the potential to be. (For one thing, it probably helps that most of the people here all survived their adolescence....)


    While the everyday dynamics of forums like these may ebb and flow, there is some real substance here that goes beyond individual personalities. Even though I'm not experienced with discus and aren't actively keeping any right now (and so am unlikely to post most of the time), I still feel like I can learn a lot about the hobby here that helps both now and in the future. (For example, I've been able to think about fishroom designs (a man can dream, right?), learn about disease prevention and treatment, and think about other aspects of the hobby such as breeding and raising fry that can easily translate from discus to other species. And when I eventually jump back in, I'll be up-to-date on everything from water filtration, storage and changing systems to anoxic filtration strategies.

    And there's no clickbait! (Well, except for the FDBWs... ...all things considered, a small price to pay. Keep on keepin' on, and hope to continue picking up tips and tricks on all aspects of the hobby as I bide my time until the next go-round. I'll still lurk most of the time, but I do hope that others will keep sharing their knowledge and experiences on here. It's fun to check in when I have the time.

  12. #12
    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
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    Default Re: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    Great idea Al. She’s a veterinarian too. A vet with a discus bug would really be hitting the jackpot. I’ll definitely be hosting the next get together!
    Patty

  13. #13
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    I've been thinking about this. Could it be a fear of writing in complete sentences with correct grammar and punctuation? I thought of this because I am mentoring a guy from Taiwan. He's been here since here since he was 12 and he's in his 40's now so he speaks perfect English. I told him how much he was missing by not joining forums. He said that if he joined a forum and posted and made a mistake people would think, "Stupid Asian can't speak correct English." There was no convincing him in how wrong headed his thinking was.

    Think about it, all of us who post here aren't afraid to write. Dang, I'm dyslexic. Spell check is a great blessing but I would post even if it didn't exist. If people thought that I was stupid I would prove them wrong. I was never insecure about that kind of thing. Others might be.
    Mama Bear

  14. #14
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    Default Re: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    As a newbie i learn new things everyday by reading the posts and every little bit helps. So when i read so many grams of PP it was off to the beginners section for abbreviations

    PP - Potassium Permanganate

    Thanks for making so much information available to people of all levels of expiernece

    now off to read what PP does Ha Ha

  15. #15
    Homesteader Paul Sabucchi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Posting ... the ultimate pay it forward pay it back

    I agree with all these points, particularly that a veterinarian with a discus bug is a good thing (me being one, albeit on early retirement!). I have noticed a similar thing happening to a number of (fish) forums both international like African Cichlid Hub (I said I have a discus bug but not just that one, I caught the mbuna one way earlier) and the local Italian ones. As Al pointed out a post on a reputable forum allows the contributions to gain depth in a coherent way and you know who are the fishkeeping with decades of experience who's advice can be trusted. This "fad" with Facebook groups to me seems suited only for folk with attention deficit disorder but it may well erode the base even of good forums, so we better do our best not to allow this to happen (I'll try harder - for all it is worth!) Ciao

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