It takes a village

[Kaizen]

I’ve been critical of other venues for Cham talk in the past, and the forums will always hold a special place in my heart. But sometimes I encounter such obvious wisdom that I long for more cross pollination, so to speak. Suggest the forums on some FB groups and the results are disappointing. Likewise—and I have been guilty of this too—there is occasionally some negative FB sentiments here. I have come to appreciate that the chammunity is all the better for having both venues. On the one hand, the more rigidly administered FB groups have the advantage of focused discussion; on the other, the “free market of ideas” engendered here breeds creativity. Having this kind of diversity in the philosophy of the various venues is a boon to the chammunity! I only wish this jointly beneficial effect prompted sharing rather than team-picking.

Again, I’ve been as guilty as anyone of bias, but I’m not that smart, and it takes me time to see the big picture sometimes.

 

[kinyonga]

Diversity is good....as a rule.
Both methods...sticking to one topic and as you put it "free market of ideas" ...serve a purpose and should work well to help us grow...as long as they are not stifled by controls that limit freedom of ideas so you're not channeled down a narrow path that says "this is the only way". Just my two cents worth...wait s minute...we don't have cents any more....lets hope we till have sense!

 

[DocZ]

I agree with you. One of main issues seems to arise from giving care advice. If you have a group and you’re giving care advice, you almost have to have template and rules for lack of a better term, otherwise each of your members will be telling people different things that they “have to do or Cham is going to die right now!” You condition your members to give your care advice and to not allow any deviation, so that the same advice is given

if your groups “rules” don’t match another groups, you’re almost forced to say they’re wrong we’re right. Otherwise all of the care advice you’re giving holds little value to your members. It forces group members into tribes. I belong to several different FB groups. The ones that are handing out advice I don’t think is safe eventually get removed because I don’t feel like I can make a meaningful contribution to them because questioning their rules confuses new keepers and members and in a way it devalues the group. And it is met with staunch resistance from the groups administrators

I don’t agree that questioning the rules should cause this, but it definitely does in these groups. It would be much more helpful to be able to discuss the issues and hash out why it “has to be that way”, but if the answer is ambiguous it leaves new keepers at a loss for what to do, and they’ll likely pick the simplest, cheapest, easiest approach to avoid complicated, expensive care for their animals

Keep pushing the boundaries of our knowledge my friend. You are asset to this community as a whole