Since the format change...

I think we lost a few BEFORE the big change.
I sure do agree about the negative direction most nutrition threads go lately.

I've noticed that people don't respond to things as much as they used to....period.  I mean, it seems that if it's not under "General Questions and Answers" or "Anything and Everything" then the question can sit there unanswered for quite a while.  Newbies will come and ask questions they feel are important and it seems that everyone is too busy debating to help them out.  I've tried to help with what I can, but sometimes I may not have experience with a paticular topic.

Nutrition threads have always been passionate, and I think there are still valuable people who attempt to answer questions with honest, helpful, courteous advice, but those people aren't as flamboyant in their opinions as other people, therefore the helpful advice may get lost in the archive while a thread goes on and on and on with people bickering. Lately any thread that certain people are involved in turns nasty, and recent comments lead me to believe that people are doing this on purpose, for the fun of it. I sincerely hope the actions and nature of certain posters don#%92t run off people needing help or wanting to ask questions. They should be able to do so without being attacked.

It was not like this when I was new. I learned so much from everyone. I never felt afraid to ask questions or say things that other might disagree with.

Sure there were heated discussions, but not like this.

I too agree that people should not "attack" other people in these threads....although I understand how it is to feel passionatley about something that nobody else seems to understand.  It's hard to get a comprimise between both sides of the spectrum, the best we can do is to ignore the way some people choose to respond; because in the end, if you know something is right and somebody else is trying to tell you otherwise with no basis for their doing so except for a strong, un-substantiated opinion, you believe what you believe and there is no need to prove yourself if you know what's right.  

if you know something is right

 
But one of the problems with this is that everyone THINKS they are doing the right thing,,,or they wouldn't be doing it,,,except for the people that are asking. THAT is why the convesation does cause so many problems. 
Along with some people that just plain don't care how they talk to others!!

I am sure I will get slammed for this,

Now why would you think that? I'm sure this thread isnt an attempt to stir the pot or get a rise out of people or anything like that [sm=happy.gif]

This board is nothing like it was 3 years ago,when i joined.It was full of the same old familiar happy faces,there were rarely any nasty debates,it was a friendly community.I had never even heard of a warning or suspension as things never got that far for members to be threatened by those things. Then the board got bigger,there was an influx of newbies asking questions and then spitting the dummy when the replies they got were not what they wanted to hear,the regulars started dropping like flies partly because of this,but not solely because of it. Then i-dog got sold,it then reached a far wider audience,and here we are! This is just my theory ofcourse,i would be interested to hear from others who were here in the former i-dog years.

I

had never even heard of a warning or suspension as things never got that far for members to be threatened by those things.

 
Your right on that one!  I don't think I ever heard of someone even getting a warning from Jim....except for trolls.   
However, there were always debates, always some people that were very opinionated,,, but isn't that what makes a message board?    
Most of the the old trouble makers are gone, they are replaced by BIGGER troublemakers I think.  But I miss the nice people that left, the ones that just don't bother anymore.  The ones that tried to have nice things to say, whether they agreed with everything or not, they were always nice and would give you the time of day.  There still around, I see them post every now and again, but not on any conversation that is going to be argumentive. 

I can definatley see why some people left....even I have considered not even bothering with this anymore, but something unknown keeps motivating me to continue, lol

I am on about 2 dozen different forums, some all breed, some just golden retriever, even one poodle as the owner is a friend.  Never on any of them, have I see the rude remarks as I have seen here the past couple or days. It has been insinuated, hinted at and almost outright said that my dogs  (and others)can't be in good health because we feed them "garbage food".  Glenda posted a doubt about a study that was posted, and right below her post was one that used a quote from her post followed by  "People who are truely educated and well informed pay attention to studies and don't walk around w/their  heads in the sand."  To me that was a very nasty insult to Glenda, calling her uneducated and uninformed..  I also posted just above Glenda also with my doubts so I was probably included in that statment. However, it was Glenda's quote that was used.
 
In the past I never got involved in these squabbles, but then  nobody ever insinuated, hinted, outright said I and others were feeding our dogs garbage and there was no way they could be healthy. I saw feelings hurt here, especially over the feeding of RX food.   When you have not choice, you have no choice and it is wrong to critize that person. It is your dog that has the problems and maybe if it were you would be doing exactly the same thing--feeding what keeps the dog's problems at bay.
 
And NOBODY on this board is a total 100% expert about anything.  Everyone knows a little about a lot of stuff and a lot about some stuff, but nobody and I mean nobody knows everything there is to know about any one thing.
 
One one board, with about 75 members, we had one join and right awy started critizing others (not over food) and some threatened to quit if this didn't stop.  It did, and the moderator actually put it to a vote on the board  if we would allow her to stay or ban her.  Because she is in mid teens, we said yes. let her stay if she didn't get so critical of others for not thinking her way..  She has toned down and everything is fine and she has a lot of offer despite being so young.  She does agility and knows a ton about it.
 
 

Well, since I feel an irrational need to defend myself, and this is as good a place to post it as any…

I#%92ve been accused of launching and leading an "assault" on myorganicpets. That is simply not true and I#%92m going to cut and paste an e-mail I wrote about why I seem to be stalking her posts:

I am so frustrated with myorganicpets because of all the things she spouts off and then won't back-up or answer direct questions on.

I'm not trying to attack her, but this is an ongoing thing for me to ask her questions and not have her answer them. I don't know why I keep trying other than occasionally she puts flat-out wrong information out there for all the members and lurkers to read.

I think she makes some interesting points, but I'm not willing to take her word as fact since she's been proven wrong so many times. So I ask the questions and if she cares to, she can answer them.

Anyway, no malice or hijacking intended.[sm=happy.gif]

Now why would you think that? I'm sure this thread isnt an attempt to stir the pot or get a rise out of people or anything like that

It really is not an attempt to stir the pot or get a rise out of people or anything like that.

I am really sorry to cause an upset. My question pertained mainly to me not seeing the same names that used to be so very helpful to me. Thanks.

I have been here 2 1/2 years and there are many names I do not see here, but do see on a couple of other boards.  We alll recognized each other even tho i have a different name on them.  They reconized my dogs. 
 
But there are some I have not seen here nor anywhere else..unless they go by different names.  I remember Sunny was great with behavoir problems, but I have not seen any posts by her.

I was pretty active on the old board..changed my username out of confusion when the format changed so my #posts isn't accurate)
 
Anyways, I remember getting into a heated debate about Evo, grain-free kibbles, potatoes and solanine., etc.  It took a LOT of effort and time on my part to keep up with the thread and then I realized I HATE debating! 
 
I love to share info and learn, but not if it means getting myself into a long, drawn out debate.  And of course, once I get into one, I feel obligated to continue to respond or I'd look like a cop-out/unreliable source of info and it just becomes a big waste of my time and energy...
 
Now I just read posts and every once in a great while I'll add a neutral comment...
I feel like I know the absolute best way to feed my dogs after over 8 years of study and research and they are thriving.  Who am I to push it on anyone?  None of my business.  And if I just try to help someone new, someone else might disagree with my answers and then, blech, another long-winded debate. 
 
I've given up