What do you think?

I voted other.
I happen to think that is is nice of them. To take the time to acknowledge a picture some one posted. MYOB
Whats next some people don't post enough?
Turn the computer off, open the door, go outside. There is a whole world to explore.

I am personally appalled that anyone would go out of their way to criticize another person's posts when the person is not doing anything but enjoying the camaraderie and fun of sharing their love of herps. And why not just toss out the persons real name just to make it more fun and make them feel like an ass!

What makes people think that EVERYONE who is posting is ONLY concerned about getting reputation power. Just because it is your main goal or thought, does not make it others. Did anyone ever think that maybe the people to whom others here want to "flame" is just posting because they enjoy a wonderful site they found in which they could feel like they are sharing their love of the corn snake??? The person could be young and inexperienced; the person could be handicapped some way. Geesh, does it make people feel better or more important to do this?

I, myself, post WOW posts to some of the photo category. If I am impressed with the picture quality or the specimen, I say so. If it is one of my friends and I want to compliment them, I say so. If it is a newbie and I want to make them feel welcome, I say so. I, personlly, would not refrain from writing "inane" 'that's beautiful' replies because others think I am irritating them. I don’t' think ANYONE should and this bashing of people because some people think that the reputation points and power are the beginning and end all of this forum is ludicrous. This is so sad and makes me ashamed for the people who got bashed.

IF a person is intentionally being a troll, then they should be booted. IF a person is giving repeated wrong information for the sake of writing, then they should be told so, and firmly if needed. IF a person is making replies because they like what they see and/or hear but refrain from telling people how to do things because they know they don't have that knowledge yet, then why the HELL does anyone think it is their right to bash them. This is petty and childish and totally uncalled for.

As was said, Simon used to do this all the time, come on and say "good looking" "welcome" "nice snake" and I will tell you that he was the first to welcome me and I have never forgotten that. My first replies were limited to the photo forum as I gathered knowledge about a hobby I love. As I grew more comfortable with what I learned and knew, I slowly started to reply to other threads. Darn, I cannot believe what I have been "hearing" lately. Has this reputation point thing gone to some heads, or what? If you think I am being rough and irritated, you are correct. GET A LIFE FOLKS!!!!!

The reputation point thing was fun but I am glad, after seeing some of the things that have been said/done this past couple weeks that it no longer exists.

And for people to PM and Email others bashing them for doing things that THEY feel are done wrong or badly when that person is only trying to fit in and enjoy their hobby really sticks in my gut. (I am NOT referring to people who PM or email to help a person understand something that is not being done properly and does it in a polite way) Come on folks; think about what you are doing. Is it your intent to embarrass the people that irritate you off the site? Because if it isn't, it sure looks that way.

I didn't ever really care much about rep points either way, I just wanted to say that I always thought it was just a nice gesture when someone gave a compliment on the photo gallery. I posted a pic of a motley stripe ghost that I was really excited about, and I got some nice remarks including one from Simon. I was grateful for the replies and took it as people being friendly. I don't post that much, I lurk unless I have something to say, but I do like to go to photo gallery and look at the pictures. (I voted for 'other'.)

excellent post Dianne

Excellent post Dianne.
That sums it up perfectly.
I seriously doubt he ever knew or cared that posting his replies would give rep points.
He was simply being nice to people taking the time to post their pictures.
There was nothing selfish about it.
His way of saying thanks and showing his appreciation.
I personaly appreciate responses even as simple as "nice" when I post photos.
At least I know someone appreciates the time involved to take the photos, upload them and post them here.
So, thank you Robert. I for one appreciate your efforts.
Jimmy

I seriously doubt he ever knew or cared that posting his replies would give rep points.
He was simply being nice to people taking the time to post their pictures.
There was nothing selfish about it.

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No, he did not. He simply was enjoying a hobby that he found later in life that was of high importance to his life. He just wanted to have other herp people to enjoy sharing his love with. It is a shame that he was "chased off" this site for such a totally ridiculous reason and anyone who wrote him degrading emails should feel ashamed. And I would like to think that they would write an apology and let it be known that he is as accepted here as anyone else is. Hurting someones feelings over such a thing is beyond reasoning.

He is not the only one that this "rep points" thing brought under the knife either.

I personally liked the rep points and if there was a way to implement it and have it for its intended use, that would be nice. But if this type of thing were to be a forgone result of it, then I would prefer not to see it.

Quigs said:

Yep, this poll is null and void now.

Honestly no offence at all to you, Dand. I tend to like reading your comments, bits of humour and sarcasm but I think this thread is what pushed Rich over the edge and pull the plug on the rep system.

Of course Cornman didn't help the situation any either!

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Actually this thread had nothing at all to do with my decision to axe the reputation points system. Matter of fact, I read it for the first time just a few moments ago. What got it shut down was when people began using it as a spiteful childish weapon against other members here. It was getting people upset and they were contacting me about it. Which, quite honestly, I really don't want to be caught in the middle of if I can help it. If I see a bunch of kids rough housing and acting like jerks on a school parking lot, I don't stop my vehicle and try to jump in and figure out who started it all. Same thing here. You all can pretty much do whatever you want as long as I don't hear about it. I just figure that "no news" is "good news".

Now then, I need to make a comment about something that was addressed in this thread and apparently was the catalyst for this reputation implosion. And that is the issue about people just posting "Good photo!", or "Great looking animal!" or the like as one liner responses to photos in the photo gallery. And to this I ask So what? What harm was done? Who was offended by that? If you post a photo of your favorite animal and you don't get one single cotton-pickin reply to it, how are you going to feel? So what if someone comes along and strokes the egos of those people posting their photos. Do you really think that people HATE to hear that kind of stuff about their animals or their photography skills? Perhaps, just perhaps, that person REALLY liked all those photos and was just excited about seeing them and felt he had to make some comment about them. So then how do you feel he felt after he saw that suddenly people were attacking him for what he was doing? Giving him negative reputation points for doing NOTHING but likely helping people feel good about the posts they made. And some people here made that a crime? What the heck for? What did it do to hurt YOU?

And you know what? I had one of those people send me an email, obviously crushed and discouraged by how they were treated here asking me to delete their account completely off of this site and remove all of their posts. Is that what some of you had in mind doing to someone here?

Now I am not going to mention any names or otherwise try to embarrass anyone, but I want EVERYONE engaged in this whole affair over the last several days to just stand back and do a self evaluation. Was what YOU did really justified? Was it something you are proud of doing? Do you think it may be in everyone's best interests here to just hold your tongue and not immediately think the absolute worst about someone right off the bat? Why in the world would you want to alienate people who are coming here because they have the same interest and love of corn snakes as do most of the rest of us? What's the point to doing that?

I am going to close this by asking any of you who might be a bit in the wrong here to please be a bit more considerate and try to give people the benefit of the doubt. And more pointedly, if someone is not HURTING someone or something, then don't try to force your opinion of values on them and judge them wanting because they are not you. Just because YOU wouldn't do something that way does not necessarily mean that it is wrong because someone else does.

Now, if this post of mine offends some people because I am jumping to conclusions, thinking the absolute worst of some people here right off the bat, trying to force my opinion of values on them and being hurtful just because they are not me and think like me, well, I do apologize..... :duck:

Rich Z said:

And you know what? I had one of those people send me an email, obviously crushed and discouraged by how they were treated here asking me to delete their account completely off of this site and remove all of their posts. Is that what some of you had in mind doing to someone here?
<snip>
Was what YOU did really justified? Was it something you are proud of doing? Do you think it may be in everyone's best interests here to just hold your tongue and not immediately think the absolute worst about someone right off the bat? Why in the world would you want to alienate people who are coming here because they have the same interest and love of corn snakes as do most of the rest of us?

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Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are: "It might have been".

Out of the zealotry of the few here compelled (for whatever motives) to "correct" the forum, we potentially lost someone interested in the hobby, potentially lost some good advice, potentially lost a sale, potentially lost a new morph. "For the want of a nail", as the old poem goes.

And the irony of it all is that, imho, the "whiners" will have more damage control of their own to do than those who complimented others on the pics of their snakes.

In other words: your dogma was run over by your karma. Deal with it.

Now, if this post of mine offends some people because I am jumping to conclusions, thinking the absolute worst of some people here right off the bat, trying to force my opinion of values on them and being hurtful just because they are not me and think like me, well, I do apologize..... :duck:

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Wut he said!

regards,
jazz

I dont post much i usually just read and must say ive learnt lots. I have only been keeping corns 10 mths so i dont know all or ever will but when i do post i usually get good helpful replies but when i post a pic that i think is good i hardly ever get any replies.Im from northern ireland and thats part of the UK please dont ter us all with the one stick just because you dont like or agree with someone else from the UK. Gardenmum and Rich are correct its nice to get a reply even if its only a few words at least it shows that the pic was looked at.I didnt even know that there was a rep. points thingy here until last wek when i read the posts all i wanted was help when needed and "friendly" advice.I am almost afraid to post or ask anything now in case im perceived as someone just after getting my posts number up or not getting a relpy at all. I feel that if i had a problem i would be better off e mailing someone i thought could help and therefore wouldnt show up as a post.Sorry about the rant which is very unlike me but i just couldnt sit back and say nothing any longer.

Now, if this post of mine offends some people because I am jumping to conclusions, thinking the absolute worst of some people here right off the bat, trying to force my opinion of values on them and being hurtful just because they are not me and think like me, well, I do apologize.....

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Agreed.

I feel that if i had a problem i would be better off e mailing someone i thought could help and therefore wouldnt show up as a post.Sorry about the rant which is very unlike me but i just couldnt sit back and say nothing any longer.

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Good job we stay in touch, Hows the new viv coming? have you disided what wood to use for it yet?

Everyone else

Does it really matter where people post? As long as their contabuting in a possative way, weather it be a 3 word sentence, or a book, were all here for the same thing arnt we? That thing is the love of our snakes.

oh my...I had heard several people make comments about people making one-line replies to posts in the photo gallery, but I really had NO idea things had gone this far.

I personally liked the reputation points, but if this is what it causes then I am honestly glad to see them go. I think this is petty. Robert and Simon have never been anything but nice to me. I post quite a few pictures in the photo gallery. It's nice knowing that someone takes the time to look at them...and that they enjoy looking at them. I guess next I am going to be bashed because I gave them SO many photo threads to post in...

I agree with Dianne and Rich totally, if someone's posts are not hurting anything, then leave them alone. You can simply use the "ignore" function and you don't have to read any of those posts.

In the past I have really enjoyed coming to this forum, but lately I've had to make an effort to be here. I actually had a couple of months or so where I hardly came here at all. I decided to give it another try and came back. It was stuff like this that made me leave in the first place.

Thank You Rich for removing the reputation system...Man, I wished I had posted on this a few days ago, but I bit my tongue and deleted what i had typed...I had thought it was Mr Wallace that was the subject of the original post on the thread...Was there ONE negative post in ANY of the remarks he has ever made? Nope, not one...Everything posted was a positive comment...And someone complained about THAT?...

C'mon folks, we all share a love and passion for corn snakes; it's why we're all here...I understand why some of you may have been upset about the rep. point thing but really, was it that important to warrant comments that caused a member to ask his account be removed?...I gave out rep points to Mr Wallace, and I have no problem telling y'all what they were for..."A continued, positive attitude towards this site and it's poster's"...if positivity offends you why not go somewhere else, like Kingsuck.com...I hear they encourage "being an @ss"

oldhand said:

Does it really matter where people post? As long as their contabuting in a possative way, weather it be a 3 word sentence, or a book, were all here for the same thing arnt we? That thing is the love of our snakes.

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Well said oldhand, I guess we've been throwing a lot of fuel on this fire over the last weeks....perhaps we can let it die out now and get back to the snakes?

Terri.....Don't leeeeeve meeeeeee!! I LOVE looking at all your pictures on the photo gallery, you give great advice, and you are REAL.

You're right, this is petty, which is why I'm not participating on this discussion(except for now). Don't let a few petty discussions run you off!

Much love,

Daniel

LOL Daniel...you've talked me into staying! It's comforting to know that someone would miss me if I left! I honestly do not want to leave, anyway. I am definitely going to be MUCH more selective about which threads I post in from now on. I think all of the "wars" over differing opinions are useless. I will not be part of them, if at all possible.

I am glad you've enjoyed seeing pics of my snakes! I will be posting more pics in the future! I have many more to "show off!"

YAY!! :dancer:

I can't wait to see more of your little guys!! Bring em on!

Daniel

DdotSpot said:

Terri.....Don't leeeeeve meeeeeee!! I LOVE looking at all your pictures on the photo gallery, you give great advice, and you are REAL.

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I second that Daniel! Terri, your snakes are AWESOME and should be posted as well as commented on. Stay with us! :wavey:

Well, Terri! You know how I feel about your advice and entertaining comments. It would be boring on here without you......and Cav too for that matter. I missed him when he was gone!

Thanks guys! I really appreciate your kind words!

Hmm, I had tried to make a reply to this thread early on, but I must have forgotten to hit "submit" or something. I agree this is crazy. Being on this forum for a few years now I have seen many people like this come and go, lots of them before there was any "rep" system, so what was thier motive? First that comes to mind was a girl named Silvertounge and there have been many others, I just don't remember usernames. I think it is great that someone is so kind hearted, positive, and enthusiastic that they want to compliment everyone. It's pretty sad when you can't compliment people without being accused of something. What harm was done by him having rep points anyway? Its not like this person ever gave any bad advice. :shrugs:

I think it would be nice if we had a cornsnakes.com cummunity forum for discusing issues like this. A good place for new members to introduce themselves and be welcomed. A place to talk about issues of behaviour on the site in a nice way. I've been here for a while now and really didn't realize how much of a cummunity this site is. Not just this thread , but everything thats been going on around here lately has really taught me alot.
added: To have a forum that would show new members that this is a cummunity right off the bat would stop some of the trouble before it starts. and yes I do realize I am to blame for some of the trouble around here.