Introduction Suggestion....

I am one of the new people that did not officially introduce myself prior to posting.  I had been reading the forum for quite a while prior to posting.  I ended up posting, because I was very concerned about the health of a dog.  It turned out that I was able to help the owner find a diagnosis for a problem she was having with her dog.  I had lost a dog with the same disease, and could not remain quiet.  That being said, I am sorry I did not officially introduce myself.  As I said, I had been reading and received a large amount of useful information and really appreciate all of the information I have received.  Most of the time when I post, I try to give encouragement to others.  I promise, I am not here to cause conflict.  Life seems to be so full of conflict, already.  I am here to learn how to better love and care for my dogs, give and receive support, and just to gather information.

A little about my pet family.  I have a golden retriever that I got after a family didn't want anymore because of their children.  Gracie is 7 almost 8.  I also have three Westies--Ages 8, and two that are 1.  I love all of my dogs, but I am a huge Westie fan.  They suit my personality, are a good size for me (at least for the life span I am now in), and are able to do many of the things that I love to do.  I love to take all of my dogs on vacations with me which are often places that we can go hiking.  I lost one dear Westie almost two years ago, and it still hurts so very much.  She was only two and we had such a very special bond.  I know she was given to me at a time in my life when I needed her most.  She will always be a part of my heart and I am so very thankful for every minute that I spent with her. Our family also has Katza the cat.  She especially likes to keep the younger Westies entertained.  It is funny to watch her walk up to one of them as if to say, see if you can catch me now. 

I would just like to add that I have really enjoyed and benefited by being a part of this forum.

Very nice post Westiegirl13 and I think (JMO) you are very typical of new members - here to chat with like minded 'dog people', learn some new stuff and offer your own experiences and help where you can. I think it is great if people introduce themselves but I hardly feel it has to be mandatory. How would an introduction "filter out the people that were there to cause trouble." ?

It's rather odd to me when people hit the ground running and their first few posts are attacks on other members. It's like any social group, I think you will be more accepted if you meet others first, then engage in discussion. You would never walk up to a group of strangers on the street and insult one of them, why would you do it on a message board?

I have no problem with 'first posts' being strongly opinionated, blunt, to the point or even controversial. Attacks on other members is bad form whether it's your first or your 2,000 post. I think often new members who come off a little strong are probably taking their cues from posts written by some long standing and high post count members. After all they are the ones that set the tone of the board not the newbies.

denise m

Very nice post Westiegirl13 and I think (JMO) you are very typical of new members - here to chat with like minded 'dog people', learn some new stuff and offer your own experiences and help where you can. I think it is great if people introduce themselves but I hardly feel it has to be mandatory. How would an introduction "filter out the people that were there to cause trouble." ?

It's rather odd to me when people hit the ground running and their first few posts are attacks on other members. It's like any social group, I think you will be more accepted if you meet others first, then engage in discussion. You would never walk up to a group of strangers on the street and insult one of them, why would you do it on a message board?

I have no problem with 'first posts' being strongly opinionated, blunt, to the point or even controversial. Attacks on other members is bad form whether it's your first or your 2,000 post. I think often new members who come off a little strong are probably taking their cues from posts written by some long standing and high post count members. After all they are the ones that set the tone of the board not the newbies.

If someone has to actually take the time to write an intro post and wait to be approved, I do think that it would deter most people clearly here to troll around, and spam, etc.  It seems to work well for the board I am discussing, who has lots of members with varying opinions and has to deal with controversy just by the nature of what kind of board it is.  Honestly, I don't think that most members here come on all that strongly, and either way I am not talking about new members that have "strong opinions."  I am talking about members who are clearly here to be jerks rather than actually add anything to a thread.  I can actually think of three examples off the top of my head from the last few days,

Most people who come on here as new members are like Westiegirl13--wonderful members who are here to learn and share their knowledge and love of dogs.  However, most members on here do not involve themselves in personal attacks but we still have rules about that.  

sillysally

If someone has to actually take the time to write an intro post and wait to be approved, I do think that it would deter most people clearly here to troll around

I don't know how well that would work. How much can you say in an intro? I am so and so, have this or that dog, we walk, I feed whatever. It's not until they get in a discussion more extensive than "howdy" that we learn what they are about.

And welcome, Westie Girl. Most times, you are the kind of newbie we usually get. Someone with a passion for dogs who is here to learn or help and teach, or both.

Personally, I would HATE the requirement to "be approved" before posting. It would definitely turn me off of the board.

I visited a Boxer forum that had an "introduction first" requirement, but I decided not to follow it because I don't have a boxer, wasn't planning on being a serious member, and was just looking for info on some health issues my BF's boxer was having. So I typed up a nice post, put it in the "health" section, introduced myself, described the problem, and asked if anyone else had experience with boxer with this particular disease.

I go back there in a few hours to see if anyone had responded, and my post had been DELETED. Because I hadn't posted an introduction first. Personally, I just think it's stupid to post an introduction if you're only on the board for one specific question and don't plan to really contribute in any other ways.

I agree that the "obvious trolls" are frustrating, but IMO that's an issue best left up to mods (haha, sorry mods). I hate seeing rules that are made for very specific problems resulting from a small minority of posters but affect the entire forum population in a difficult/negative manner. 

I don't think it's a bad idea, but I don't think it's necessary.  From what I've seen, people who join here just to troll or post insults are editing and banned or reprimanded by mods, so it's not like tons of people are getting away with it. If someone is getting away with it, report the posts to the mods.  For whatever reason I rarely read the Intro forums on any board I go to so I'd hate missing out discussions with new people just for not having posted there first.