Something I feel needs saying....

[TheSheepGirl]

I think it's more that some of those "experienced people" need to learn manners as well.

I have run into very rude advice givers in my time here and it sucks for those of us seeking help. Experience is no excuse for crude remarks and abruptly made comments that make the person accepting help feel like crap for not knowing or for what they did. Please note that none of those people are you guys.


You have been most helpful to everyone here Roll. Don't feel under appriciated, because you certainly are appriciated very much!

Thank you as well to all the other helpful people on this thread who post ridiculeless and helpful advice.

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Thanks for starting this Rolls!

If everyone would just remain respectful even if they don't agree and reread what they have typed before clicking Submit to check the tone it would be great.

For those reading one more thing, the bottom right of every post there is a clickable Report option that deals quite nicely with the rude posts. Reacting to them only fans the flames. Just saying.

 

[helmstead]

I think I'm done.

"Experienced". "Expert". Hmm. I've seen those two words in quotes a lot the past day or so. What a slap in the face that is. Some of us, you guys, actually ARE. Expert, ok...maybe glorified - but experienced - no doubt about it.

As for me, I spend my time on this board hoping to HELP someone. There are a handful of people willing to help me when I got started and I feel the duty to pass it on. Still, there are a lot of other ways I can fill my time...60 of them right outside my door, actually.

Helping doesn't always mean butterflies and warm fuzzies. Sometimes it's frankly a swift kick in the pants "you're not doing this right..." If you can't handle that, get pet rocks...because at some point ALL of us aren't doing something right - and we have to learn somehow.

I'd rather people learn it with a swift kick in the pants than by digging a hole to put a goat in. I've dug holes...it's not fun. The school of hard knocks sucks.

I'm glad I was able to help the animals I was able to help. I hope the ever filling archive here continues to help future animals...and I'm glad for the handful of friends I found through BYC and BYH. Back into lurkerdom I go.

 

[Our7Wonders]

I'm glad I was able to help the animals I was able to help. I hope the ever filling archive here continues to help future animals...and I'm glad for the handful of friends I found through BYC and BYH. Back into lurkerdom I go.

Please don't go. This board is such a great place because of all the different people that come together and bring their own slant on goat raising. If it were always cut and dry we could read about it in a book. But goats love to keep us guessing - and becasue of this the books don't always help us. I have learned so much from you and the other more seasoned goat keepers on this board. The differences of opinons make this such a REAL place - with REAL help - but those opinions sometimes clash and sometimes it's way too easy for people to be less than respectful when they're not face to face with the person they're dealing with. It's shocking to me sometimes how blunt/bold people can be here. I would imagine that those same people would never dare to say those things to someone's face. I'm sorry you had a rough time of it here lately.

I would hate to see you leave and hope you'll reconsider.

 

[mossyStone]

I think when peple offer advice any where to any one.. you have to be able to take some kind of crap sometimes .. You leave yourself open to it, not all people play nice.. Not everyone is going to agree with what ever it is your saying....Thats just a fact.. ... ..

I mostly lurk i read almost everything on this board, i joined to learn. Same when i joined BYC back in 2003, I wanted to learn about chickens.

Even on that board a few egos got out of control and ran off good people... it just seems to happen very sad indeed!

As Kim said If you can't think of something nice to say and you really think you need to say something, DON'T.... Just let it go!!!!
No one needs to feel belittled.....

 

[Roll farms]

I think if Kate (Helmstead) goes, it's a crying shame and I sincerely hope she reconsiders.

Please, Kate, stay....?

*big sad puppy eyes*

In "real life" I can be one of the harshest, most 'tell it to you straight'-types there is....I've had to learn how to behave / what not to say on message boards. If *I* can learn it, anyone can.

 

[lilhill]

The unkind remarks that sometimes follow "free, asked for" advice is why I just lurk.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

BIG sigh here...

I don't have much to add except to plead with folks, DON'T underestimate the value of EXPERIENCE. Have I read everything I can get my hands on pertaining to goats? Yes. Do I borrow veterinary textbooks from the clinic I work for and read them in my spare time? Yes. Is that a substitute for for the know-how of an experienced producer? Absolutely not.

Folks- while vets are invaluable they are HUMAN and there are things they just don't know. Mostly because it's not really within the scope of their job. Just look at the many, many threads about vets on here and see how veterinarians experienced with goats are such a minority. Not knocking vets, I work for a great one, but 9 times out of 10 he CANNOT answer my goat questions because they were one chapter in vet school 30 years ago and he doesn't treat them. Although I do have a specialist I work with for my goats, I can't be calling him up every time I have a question. I have to rely on my research, my limited experience, and mostly the experience of seasoned producers.

Not only can experienced producers provide answers to life-threatening questions, but do you really think you're going to call/text your vet's cell at 11 o'clock at night when your favorite goat is about to keel over and you just need some moral support from someone who's been there? Sometimes you really just need someone to say, "you've done everything you can, just keep trying."

We all know there is not ONE way to do everything. When you're experienced then you can choose which of the million ways works best for you. But what that means is that when someone says, "I do it this way" it's because they have learned THROUGH EXPERIENCE what works best on their farm. If your experience is different, fine. Share politely an alternate way of doing things. If you have no experience, then just listen and learn. When you're in that situation try both ways, try none, but don't make severe judgements about the validity or humaneness of a method without good information and experience behind it. And especially don't ask something like "how do you do this?" then mock someone when they share "how they do this."

It would be an absolute shame to lose Kate's (or Roll's) advice on this forum. Not every problem can be solved with BoSe, Pen G, probios, and baking soda- I promise. I almost lost one of my favorite herd members last week to something REALLY nasty and was supported every step of the way by Kate, a seasoned producer and friend. I can't even begin to say how much I appreciate that. Or the 6 AM New Year's Day support when I had an awful dystocia. Good luck finding ANY vet then. Seriously, a big thank you to Kate and people like her who share their knowledge, not for their own benefit but for the benefit of others.

 

[chandasue]

No joke. I've read about every book I could get my hands on before I got goats but I've learned so much more from all of you.
Thank you!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

It goes both ways.