Moving conversations to the Lounge.

[Mettle]

Not sure if this is in the right spot or not... but...

Should we still be moving conversations to the Lounge if the Lounge is now a 'members only' area? It seems a bit odd that someone might start a thread, then have it moved there, and never be able to see it again.

Just a thought on that because I noticed some classified ads being moved there and got to thinking that maybe now the person can't access their own post anymore. Same would go for stuff in from the Freshwater Discussions or anywhere else, I guess.

[darkdep]

This issue will be coming up for discussion at the next exec meeting.  Stay tuned.

[babblefish1960]

If a classified ad is unrelated to fish and related paraphernalia, it does not belong there, if the classified is something that would belong in the lounge and the poster is an OVAS club member, then the post is moved to the lounge.

As for conversations, I do not see what you mean, freshwater and saltwater discussions forums are still all about conversations relating to fish and open to participation to any registered user on the website. The lounge is for bona fide card carrying OVAS club members to have non fish related conversations.

[darkdep]

Mettle, if you're referring to a post someone recently put up for a lizard for sale in the classifieds, well, there's a bit of a catch-22 there...the classified ads area rules don't allow posts for non-aquaria related items, so it would be moved to the lounge.  Yes, poster wasn't an OVAS member, so although he couldn't himself reply in the thread, others could still view it and still PM him.

Yes, it's not perfect.  Adjustments need to be made, but which ones...

[succinctfish]

I don't see what the issue is here.  This is a fish site after all, not a lizard site.  If someone is posting herps for sale in the classifieds, then why not do that on a reptile/ herp site, not on a forum hosted by a fish club?  And feeder rats/mice whatever is disgusting, and frankly if that's allowed in group orders, it's offensive and enough to make me question my membership with the club.  I belong to an aquarium society, not one that encourages discussion of sticking things in mice heads.  Gross.  I understand actual club members chatting about their pets, but graphic discussion and having the site inundated by reptile/ herp discussions just seems very confused.  Is this a fish site or what?

[Mettle]

What if I was doing a group order for rats and mice to feed my peacock bass, doviis and piranhas? (If you're referring to the group order I posted for Canadian Feeders - which now has vinegar eels and some other aquaria-related feeders as well.)

Anyway. I just think its odd to be moving discussions to the Lounge when the person isn't a member. It would be best, imo, to simply send them a pm telling them that their post has been deleted and for what reason.

As for conversations in the FW and SW section. Sometimes things are posted there and deemed not to be of relation to those topics and so they get moved. I've seen it happen a couple of times... Just thought that the same problem might arise.

Don't all gang up on me because I asked a simple question.

I just find it weird that people on this site are so incredibly hostile towards people who also keep reptiles. I am a part of other groups/forums where they have sections for non-fish related talk because they realize that their member group is diverse and people who keep fish often keep herps and vice versa. If the Lounge is an area for alternate discussion why can't this be discussed there? People talk about their movies, their dogs, their birds, their kids, their computers... But that's a bit off from my original inquiry. Which I'll leave at that since it is apparently going to be discussed.

[PoisonJello]

since this is a club discussion I'm not sure if i should be making a reply but I see the point that you should have an area for just club card members, many sites that i have been members with usually had a sections for just members only, normally the sections were closed off from guests and non members so they couldn't even see what was being discussed (need password or usually setup so only member could see)

A lounge is still needed for the none card members for a few reasons, many people join forums and even become friends with other people on the forum, even though it is a fish site people do discuss other things on a site, since you have made the lounge private there has been a few posts already that really have nothing to do with fish in the freshwater forum (one being about people from kingston area)

its just a suggestion but instead of removing the lounge from public use.. maybe you should consider having Ovas Related section for just card members and and a second lounge to this section, just because I'm sure there is card members that ask questions in the lounge that non card members might be able to help them with if there is no card members that don't know the answer too

I'm not saying this just because i am not a card member, I have ran sites before and know its hard to keep everyone happy, and when people are not happy with the site they usually stop coming to a site

anyway if this post is out of place just delete it

[Jesse]

Why the personal attack on us herpers? There is nothing wrong with a group feeder order. We all know that this is a fish-related website, that is very obvious. Why is that offensive? Your fish need to eat, our snakes need to eat. If we were to start buying live mice all the time people would complain and we would be risking reptile health. Sticking things in mices heads? It is by no means grahpic, what is that about? Actually, why was that feeder order even brought into this post? Mettle didnt say anything about it. He was just speaking in general.

The reason we dont do posts on the OARA (reptile site) is because (IMO atleast) it has much less traffic and people like this site more. Until recently reptile related conversations and posts were welcome. I (and many others) feel that us herpers are becoming shunned out of the club more and more.

Do people have problems with reptiles? I mean I understand that this is a fish site, but there is nothing wrong with reptiles. Could we not just make a forum for reptiles on this site? There is alot of discussion about them and alot of "secret" herpers amongst us all. There are some forums on here that are near useless (IMO again the introductions forum is first that comes to mind). I think it would get alot of traffic.

All in all, as much as I like this site, I find it is going down hill. Since the day I was hired at Superpet Barrhaven I have been a supporter of this site, but now I am questioning my loyalty as these attacks on reptile enthusiasts (on and off site, all by OVAS members) are getting bigger and worse.

Feel free to delete this if you want.

[succinctfish]

I don't have a problem with reptiles.  Once again my point is this is a fish site, not a herp site.  If you don't like the way the herp/reptile site is working, then help to change it.  There are a lot of aquatic related interests that do not have a forum on this site, and quite a few folks who feel that there are enough or too many forums as it is.  Why would an aquatic site have a reptile forum, unless we're talking water snakes here?  If forums were going to be added, wouldn't it be more fitting to have an invertebrate or snail forum, or even paludarium forum?  Like I said earlier, if OVAS club members want to chat about their reptiles or herps in the lounge, fine.

[PoisonJello]

well i don't have any reptiles but this is the  Ottawa Valley Aquarium Society it doesn't really state that it is a fish only site..people do keep reptiles in aquariums and some do swim in water    so maybe Jesse has a bit of a point or maybe I'm just crazy..at least some tell me that I am crazy 

[Jesse]

Poisonjello said it pefectly. This is an "aquarium" site, not just a fish site. Ottawa Valley Aquarium Society. Alot of us keep reptiles in aquariums. AS for your comment about invertabrate forum and what not, they would be considered freshwater or saltwater livestock. Were not going to have a fish forum, liverock forum, plant forum etc (I hope you understand what I mean). The reptile forum would be about reptiles in general, we wont have a forum for snakes, one for lizards, one for frogs, catch my drift? Oh and last time I checked some people keep african dwarf frogs in aquariums, arent they considered a reptile/amphibian, not a fish?

[darkdep]

If you feel strongly about this issue, see this thread:  http://ovas.ca/index.php?topic=16803.0

[BigDaddy]

Jesse:

Let me make one very important clarification.  OVAS is the title of the club.  You have failed to read, however, the MANDATE of the club, which really describes what the club is supposed to be about.

My concerns are that that OARA is a CAOAC club, just as OVAS is.  CAOAC is about clubs helping clubs, and my concern is that OVAS having a dedicated reptile forum isn't helping the OARA get better.  Rather it is hurting them.  Call it professional courtesy.

[babblefish1960]

Poisonjello said it pefectly. This is an "aquarium" site, not just a fish site. Ottawa Valley Aquarium Society. Alot of us keep reptiles in aquariums.  Oh and last time I checked some people keep african dwarf frogs in aquariums, arent they considered a reptile/amphibian, not a fish?

Aquarium: a tank or bowl filled with water for keeping live fish and underwater animals.

There is no mistake in the use of this word, aquariums and aquarium societies around the world are for fish and aquatic life.

[Saltcreep]

I'll be another to say I don't know if this is the right place to post or not. In fact, I find it confusing enough trying to figure out where to post, that often, I just don't. Way back when I first found this site, I asked why there was no DIY or 'Equipment' forum. I still have the same question.  So, if I want to post about a fried heater where do I post? Do I post in the Freshwater forum just because the heater was in a freshwater tank? What if it was in a reef? The 'rules' for posting in the Lounge say it's not for aquatic stuff so, that seems out.

For the life of me, sometimes I can't figure out why posts get moved.

[succinctfish]

I realized after the fact that Mettle put this topic in OVAS club discussions, which if you are discussing forums, I don't understand why anyone on the site can post in here.  Perhaps this topic should be moved, as a club discussion, by it's nature should be for club members, and the only people so far challenging my statements have not elected to become club members at present.  This is one of my points about this topic; a lot of energy and conversation is taken up discussing this with folks not interested in being contributing club members. Perhaps this belongs in website discussions, although, really, it is club memberships which support this site. 

[Mettle]

My concerns are that that OARA is a CAOAC club, just as OVAS is.  CAOAC is about clubs helping clubs, and my concern is that OVAS having a dedicated reptile forum isn't helping the OARA get better.  Rather it is hurting them.  Call it professional courtesy.

Very relevant point that I think should be given some attention.

Just because one club possibly isn't up to a person's standards doesn't mean another one needs to be partly appropriated for the same use. Time and energy can be invested into OARA to help make it better at any point in time. Though from what I've heard, on a people level, the club is fantastic. It's just their site that might possibly need some work. But then again we don't all have DarkDep for a webmaster. 

[PoisonJello]

Just a thought but maybe there should be a forum for Aquarium Related Topic..that way when someone is confused about posting in salt or fresh about a heater they could just post in the Aquarium Related Topic forum same thing with lizards, snakes, frogs, etc..they could post that in Aquarium related, that might make it easier for some 

Ya i know i should stop posting crazy ideas but then again its a forum, your suppost to talk about crazy ideas 

No matter what you do to the forums i still enjoy reading and trying to help with others problems or ideas .. keep up the good work with the site

once i actually can afford to join the club i plan on it but live on a pension and only time i am in ottawa is when i take my wife to the hospital for her check ups, so can't see getting the card this year but i would love to attend a meeting or auction sometime..it sounds like you all have a great time

[charlie]

There are some forums on here that are near useless (IMO again the introductions forum is first that comes to mind). I think it would get alot of traffic.

All in all, as much as I like this site, I find it is going down hill. Since the day I was hired at Superpet Barrhaven I have been a supporter of this site, but now I am questioning my loyalty as these attacks on reptile enthusiasts (on and off site, all by OVAS members) are getting bigger and worse.

I personally have no issues with herpers, as to your thought of a reptile forum generating a lot of traffic, brings to mind the fact of additional cost to the club to accommodate higher traffic, which requires more financial support & loyalty  .
Regards

[FishPassion]

Very well said Charlie, we do pay our memberships to "support" this club and I would think that the modest fee charged will pay back in a very short time for any "new" members re: discounts at various stores for purchases made, just do the math.
Im not sure how this site is going downhill with the increased traffic and increased memberships, there must be something interesting that attracts all these ppl to this site and away from other sites...