TicketyBoo
08-21-2003, 07:31 PM
While one of the most important aspects of CnQ is the sharing of information, one of the dangers lies in what happens when misinformation is shared. Just think about your own pets, the amount of information that is available about them, and how much of it ends up being false or dangerous. That, is what this post, is about.
Many arrive here with a wonderful enthusiasm for their pets. That's great! We love enthusiasm. Sometimes though, that enthusiasm can cause difficulties in the efficient flow of good, accurate information. While we appreciate that people truly just want to help, there are times when that attempt to help, does the opposite.
There are a few points, that we should all be thinking about, when we post with information that is related to care, health and safety of our pets.
1) Experience vs. Research. If you don't have personal experience with an animal, where is the information coming from? Was it through research? If yes, make sure you include WHERE you got the information, so that the person can look it up themselves if they need further clarification. This is also important because there is a lot of misinformation published about health and care topics for pets. Ultimately, if you don't know the answer to a question, it is often better to let those that do, do the talking. Often times, by guessing, we risk giving out MORE misinformation...and that can in the short and long term, hurt our animals.
2) Effective communication. Not everyone is good at this. But there are some basic things that can be done, to help with the sharing of info. Don't assume that the reader is going to be able to "read between the lines". We often do not have any more to go on, that the immediate post we're looking at. If something has been mentioned in another thread, but is important in this instance as well, mention it again. Quite often someone who is reading THIS post, has not necessarily read THAT post. There are over 3000 people on this forum, with 34,000+ threads and over 330,000 posts. It's safe to assume that any given person on the board, has not read every one of your posts.
3) a)Research, research, research. Remember those 330,000+ posts mentioned above? There is a good chance that the topic you need information on, has been discussed already. So give the search feature a try. If after you've looked for other discussions on your topic you still need some help. Ask away. A good thing to include in your question is "I did a search and found "x", "y" and "z", but I still have a couple of questions." That lets those people who are trying to help you, know where you're coming from. Sometimes finding the right information to help you and your pets have happy lives, takes some effort. But with a little bit of patience, some ingenuity and the right questions you'll be well on your way.
b) Consider the source. There is a LOT of experience floating around not only on these forums, but on the internet in general. It is important to understand that not all information is good information. It is also important to understand that if someone is correcting bad information, it's not a personal attack. Sometimes we don't know information is bad, until someone points it out and shows us the correct info. It's a lot of "live and learn" at times, and chances are someone has already done the "living" part so you can do the "learning" part. Experience is incredibly valuable. When taking advice consider the source (personal hands on experience, and the amount of experience), weigh it appropriately, ask questions for clarification and then make informed choices.
Don't get me wrong...like I said earlier we LOVE enthusiasm. And we're really glad that you're taking the steps to better the lives of your pets. Heck, most of us wouldn't be here if we weren't so passionate about proper care, education and learning. But in order for this place to run smoothly, it takes the effort and contribution of all of us. We're a community and that means we have to work together. Misinformation frustrates and breaks down the lines of communication and creates a lot of very unnecessary work. The ones who suffer for that, are our pets. That is precisely what we are all here, to avoid.
Many arrive here with a wonderful enthusiasm for their pets. That's great! We love enthusiasm. Sometimes though, that enthusiasm can cause difficulties in the efficient flow of good, accurate information. While we appreciate that people truly just want to help, there are times when that attempt to help, does the opposite.
There are a few points, that we should all be thinking about, when we post with information that is related to care, health and safety of our pets.
1) Experience vs. Research. If you don't have personal experience with an animal, where is the information coming from? Was it through research? If yes, make sure you include WHERE you got the information, so that the person can look it up themselves if they need further clarification. This is also important because there is a lot of misinformation published about health and care topics for pets. Ultimately, if you don't know the answer to a question, it is often better to let those that do, do the talking. Often times, by guessing, we risk giving out MORE misinformation...and that can in the short and long term, hurt our animals.
2) Effective communication. Not everyone is good at this. But there are some basic things that can be done, to help with the sharing of info. Don't assume that the reader is going to be able to "read between the lines". We often do not have any more to go on, that the immediate post we're looking at. If something has been mentioned in another thread, but is important in this instance as well, mention it again. Quite often someone who is reading THIS post, has not necessarily read THAT post. There are over 3000 people on this forum, with 34,000+ threads and over 330,000 posts. It's safe to assume that any given person on the board, has not read every one of your posts.
3) a)Research, research, research. Remember those 330,000+ posts mentioned above? There is a good chance that the topic you need information on, has been discussed already. So give the search feature a try. If after you've looked for other discussions on your topic you still need some help. Ask away. A good thing to include in your question is "I did a search and found "x", "y" and "z", but I still have a couple of questions." That lets those people who are trying to help you, know where you're coming from. Sometimes finding the right information to help you and your pets have happy lives, takes some effort. But with a little bit of patience, some ingenuity and the right questions you'll be well on your way.
b) Consider the source. There is a LOT of experience floating around not only on these forums, but on the internet in general. It is important to understand that not all information is good information. It is also important to understand that if someone is correcting bad information, it's not a personal attack. Sometimes we don't know information is bad, until someone points it out and shows us the correct info. It's a lot of "live and learn" at times, and chances are someone has already done the "living" part so you can do the "learning" part. Experience is incredibly valuable. When taking advice consider the source (personal hands on experience, and the amount of experience), weigh it appropriately, ask questions for clarification and then make informed choices.
Don't get me wrong...like I said earlier we LOVE enthusiasm. And we're really glad that you're taking the steps to better the lives of your pets. Heck, most of us wouldn't be here if we weren't so passionate about proper care, education and learning. But in order for this place to run smoothly, it takes the effort and contribution of all of us. We're a community and that means we have to work together. Misinformation frustrates and breaks down the lines of communication and creates a lot of very unnecessary work. The ones who suffer for that, are our pets. That is precisely what we are all here, to avoid.