Possible suggestion/concern/rant

[Slug]

I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, its just something i've noticed for a while now and it kinda irks me. Might not be a big deal to some, might be a big deal to others who knows.

I've seen A LOT of responses to post as just a link to another site. Which cichlid will go with these cichlids. Oh just go to this cichlid site for all the answers. The answer is always www.cichlid-forum.com .

Google will tell you that. The point of a message board is to build a community and help others solve their problems. Its to share advice and experiences yourself not link your entire bookmark folder to someone else if you don't know. If you give them somewhere else to go, where does it leave this community? I would agree that referencing another site might be helpful, but just saying, here go to this website and all of your cichlid answers will be answered is a little bothering to me.

I guess i just hate to see people send other people away to another site like that. Give some advice yourself and build this board up to somewhere, where others might send people here.

Harsh? Eh maybe who knows, i guess i'll find out.

[pinkfloydpuffer]

Personally I try to answer all of the questions about puffers that I can, but if I'm not sure I suggest they post on The Puffer Forum. I am only one person, and I think people deserve multiple opinions.

I avoid the cichlid questions altogether lol

[Lucy]

Good point, Matt. I have to say I'm guilty of this.
However, in mine and others defense when someone asks very broad questions the links give the members a point to do some research.

[Shawnie]

im guilty of this also because theres such an array of cichlid options, and tank size as well as alot of other components, mean alot when doing the cichlid stocking...that site has a great cookie cutter to research ...other than cichlids, or ones I know about, I try to post accordingly ..but im deffinately guilty ...

[Slug]

Well i'm not saying never link there or anything. But do so more specifically or sum up something then provide a link backing you up. A link that will go straight to the specific profiles (I know for some newbies, a giant list of scientific cichlid names can be very daunting and going through them all is a task) rather then just linking the main page. Or link to a specific topic on the message board.

I just think right now we link to broadly, and it just makes it look like hey there is nothing to offer at fishlore so go sign up on this specific site.

[sirdarksol]

I've noticed this as well, and try to provide more information where I can (though, as with PinkFloydPuffer, I tend to avoid the cichlid questions).
There was a point (months ago) where a couple people were just posting "google it" whenever anyone had a question. As you say, anybody can do that on their own.

On the other hand, if it's a particular page in a site (like the cookie cutter cichlid thing), I can see posting the link with a little description of what it is, because while a search may turn up the cichlid site, it may not turn up the precise page that people are referring to.

[Shawnie]

Originally Posted by Slug

Well i'm not saying never link there or anything. But do so more specifically or sum up something then provide a link backing you up. A link that will go straight to the specific profiles (I know for some newbies, a giant list of scientific cichlid names can be very daunting and going through them all is a task) rather then just linking the main page. Or link to a specific topic on the message board.

I just think right now we link to broadly, and it just makes it look like hey there is nothing to offer at fishlore so go sign up on this specific site.

these kinds of threads can be daunting as well Chiclid tank!!!!!

but sometimes the links for cichlids, because theres so many choices, are deffinately needed...not to mention as far as I am concerned, the cichlid link gives more info than I can even begin to know and I dont have enough knowledge about something so the link is used...

[BlowPhish]

I've got a bunch of good fish sites bookmarked but I have found that you can't find everything your looking for in one place. So far for me the best source of info has been the books I bought.

[Mike19]

Originally Posted by Shawnie

these kinds of threads can be daunting as well Chiclid tank!!!!!

In some cases its better to give a link a long with some information as the poster has not done any or little research and expects everything to be told or given to him/her without going out to do their own research.


" give a man a fish he can eat for a day, teach a man to fish he can eat forever"

[Shawnie]

Originally Posted by Mike19

" give a man a fish he can eat for a day, teach a man to fish he can eat forever"

that thread had enough prime rib for a year~ LOL

[Mike19]

haha indeed

[Blub]

If I'm going to provide a link (For instance, I often link to several good online fish encyclopedias) I always try to include text on the subject... I think it's a good thing ot get that person researching for themselves a bit.