E-mail rule?

calliecritturs

rwbeagles

If a person is so in demand they can have an non active link in their sig directing to a website with email, or heck even their own email to direct people to.

The *only* reason they are emailing *me* is because they can't post.  A link to the thread doesn't do them any good if they can't post. 

I think Gina is saying a nonactive link in your signature line would allow a lurker to cut-and-paste to get to your website in order to email you right away instead of waiting to join here.  If I remember correctly, anyone can read just about any thread here without being a member.

Really, Callie, you don't want sweeping changes because of a few people who publicly complain, though it seems you don't want change simply because of how important *you* are.  I don't see the difference. 

calliecritturs

The *only* reason they are emailing *me* is because they can't post. 

That means they're reaching you through the link to your website that you have posted in your profile.  They don't have access to contact you through email unless/until they are approved members. 

I have an idea/suggestion - (Edit, same general idea as Gina's, lol!) what if you added a line to your siggie (so it's on every post that someone helping a dog w/these diseases can see any time they find your posts.)  Something like: "If you can't get onto the forum and need immediate help with your AIHA or IMHA dog, click on my name to view my profile, then click on View calliecritturs's web site ".

Then if you feel compelled and think we're overlooking someone who needs immediate help, we can approve the ID on the spot.  It's an idea.

calliecritturs

I would just really prefer that the powers that be not make yet another sweeping change because a few people complain (when others may have other views). 

  Even if a post limitation was put into place before activating email withing the forum, these same people are still able to email you directly because of your link to your website.  It wouldn't change that ability for people to email you outside of the forum.  They just don't have a username "handle".

sharismom

Really, Callie, you don't want sweeping changes because of a few people who publicly complain, though it seems you don't want change simply because of how important *you* are.  I don't see the difference. 

No, not at all and I said that.  I simply wanted to voice the opinion, and now I'm put in the position of having to "defend" the fact that I merely voiced my opinion. 

I explained above -- back when the sweeping change was made (and it is/was a simply on/off toggle they decided to switch) to not have all posts be announced via email it was explained by the techiesto the **many** of us who complained at the time that because of a few emailed complaints on that day the "decision was made" to disable that feature.  I was told time and again that since only the people who didn't like it were heard from they won.

*I* am not important -- but giving folks access to ask questions while waiting to be approved could make a big difference to some.  There are a bunch of us who are active in that thread, just as there are a bunch of folks active in other popular sections (as popular as the greatly diminished activity on here gets).  Any of us are available but a couple of them don't have home-available email (and probably don't want work email visible).    That thread actually saves lives -- it may not mean a whit to anyone else, but to the desperate folks looking for help it is important.

Do you see the difference now?  I hate spam too and I honestly don't really want to be flooded via Critturs either.  But if Gina was going to say her viewpoint I didn't see anything wrong with registering my own point.  That's all, it's done and at this point I'll simply email admin and say so. 

 

miranadobe

calliecritturs

The *only* reason they are emailing *me* is because they can't post. 

That means they're reaching you through the link to your website that you have posted in your profile.

Paige, I am trying to clarify this for my own understanding.  If a person isn't a forum member, he cannot see a member's profile, true?  So nobody can see my email in my profile if they are a lurker.

calliecritturs

anymore people have to wait SEVERAL days to be approved and I run into the situation MANY times where a dog critically ill with IMHA may not *make* it until they are approved and yet they're trying to get help/input from folks on the board.  The fact that someone CAN email me is a big deal for them and I'd hate to take that away.  I get SOS emails from people with sick/IMHA dogs pretty much every week.

Callie, you don't need to defend yourself.  I am simply pointing out that paragraphs like the above come across as if *you* are invaluable because most certainly the rest of us are mere humans.  That is how it comes across to me.  You have a lot of good information, but you are not the only one who does.

I just logged out to experiment and I went to HEALTH and pulled up the thread in question...and clicked Callie's username and then her WEBSITE LINK there. It took me directly to her homepage no problem. So really membership is kind of a moot point on this. Any non member, random person, could search on the disease acronym and find the thread...read it and contact Callie directly if they needed to, without having to join this forum. Problem solved.

 

ETA: Tina no you cannot CONTACT a member without being logged in...but WEBPAGE LINKS, are active on a profile and accessible to anyone that wants to click them. That is fine to me because if you have a URL and you put it there you probably WANT people to go to your site, or at least know you have one :)

ETAa: if someone wanted to make sure people could reach them quickly one would simply change the generic "homepage" link to the specific page in their site where one could email them "contact us" or "submit a request for info" page at said site. It's user controlled and thus you could send the seeker wherever you'd personally...prefer they go. Heck, I could Rick Roll anyone who click "visit rwbeagles webpage" if I wanted to! lol.

 

Gina, thanks for the clarification.  I don't have any link in my profile and the few times I've actually lurked but not been logged in and clicked on a person's forum name in error, I remembered getting a message saying you had to be logged in to see the profile.  I never click on the links, but seldom do I look at anyone's profile anyway.  I did, however, try it after I read your post before I logged in, so now I know.

sharismom

  I am simply pointing out that paragraphs like the above come across as if *you* are invaluable because most certainly the rest of us are mere humans.  That is how it comes across to me.  You have a lot of good information, but you are not the only one who does.

I truly don't mean to come across that way.  If I do I sincerely apologize!!!  There are about 5 who remain very active in that thread -- some still have IMHA dogs and are trying to help in the battle, and a few of us who have lost dogs & see it as a labor of love.  Some have email and some don't.

There are honestly a lot of folks in the health section who have incredible amounts of information and often they respond to folks looking for fast, critical help.  If anyone wants to email me I'll be happy to give you a list but I really don't want to just splatter their names here without asking them first.  But diseases like pancreatitis, lymphoma, and others leap to mind (I may have some experience but it pales in comparison to others on here).

 

 

rwbeagles

So really membership is kind of a moot point on this. Any non member, random person, could search on the disease acronym and find the thread...read it and contact Callie directly if they needed to, without having to join this forum. Problem solved.

 PREEEEEEECISELY!

And to reiterate, Gina is further correct - you see an abbreviated version of someone's "Profile" when you are a lurker and click on a member's name.  Here's a screenshot of Callie's with a purple circle around the link to her website.  (Sorry to use Callie's as a reference, but, well, that's the issue at hand in part.)

It works, and that's how these previous folks would have been reaching her and could continue to reach her directly.  Since she prefers email over PM anyway, it's all in the wash - it doesn't matter in the short-term if they're members of the Forum if their purpose is to reach Callie immediately.  Aside from the support and sharing, of course, and this is only if there's some delay in getting them approved.

calliecritturs

There are honestly a lot of folks in the health section who have incredible amounts of information and often they respond to folks looking for fast, critical help.  If anyone wants to email me I'll be happy to give you a list but I really don't want to just splatter their names here without asking them first.  But diseases like pancreatitis, lymphoma, and others leap to mind (I may have some experience but it pales in comparison to others on here).

Right, but we're talking about the time frame for folks to get answers that haven't already been shared in the forum.  While folks are waiting for approval (if there's a wait), they have a wealth of knowledge to go through that is already posted.  That's the whole point of having a public forum.  (Yes, I know, the search sucks, but it's there.)  If someone contacts you because they can't get into the Forum, you can send us a note to approve them faster.  But, really, we're in here frequently enough and Approve/Disapprove IDs all day long.  There are times when all three of us are doing other things (like I should be right now - WORKING) and leave approving IDs to the end of the day.  If 12 hours makes the difference between life/death, I'm not sure how effective any online advice would be if they got it 12 hours sooner.  Not to diminish your willingness to, essentially, be "on-call" for these strangers/forum friends and their sick dogs.  Just being regretfully blunt because I don't have enough time to find euphemisms.  (Shoot, I don't even have time to check if I spelled that word right, so....) 

Johnny&Tessy

Hmmm, I got one a couple months ago and just deleted it.

Holy CRAPPOLAAAAAAAA what a great idea!  Has anyone ever told you how smart you are?  Well you are! 

I'm thinking that maybe we should close the forum and just keep what members we have left!  We don't need new people to join....just crowds the place even more.

EDITED by yours truly!

Johnny&Tessy

I'm thinking that maybe we should close the forum and just keep what members we have left!  We don't need new people to join....just crowds the place even more.

Now, if only someone had that idea on 4/17/2009.....  goofball!!    We're not keeping anyone out, other than spammers, and as evidenced by the start of this thread, sometimes their tactics mean they get in and harrass by email anyway.  About as equally common as people not getting approved w/in 24 hours.  Both have consequences impacting our membership and we will do the best we can by all concerned.  Give us Mods a few days to work w/Admin, etc?  Thanks for bringing both concerns out for discussion.

miranadobe

Now, if only someone had that idea on 4/17/2009

I personally think the wait period is ....let me find the right word....CRAP!  I can only imagine how many people try to join and then say forget about it just cause they have to WAIT to be approved???  People who are in a pinch and need advise, or suggestions, or whatever.  People with emergency situations?  People needing help NOW not TOMORROW. 

SPAM????   WTF  I don't like SPAM but it doesn't bother me either.  I'm capable of clicking a few buttons to delete something....I AM NOT THAT LAZY....I SWEAR I AIN'T!

Johnny&Tessy

I personally think the wait period is ....let me find the right word....CRAP!

 

That is your opinion and you're welcome to have it of course...but I would suggest that you probably have never been a member of a completely open public forum or group where this IS the case. Once a group gets over a certain size it is IMPERATIVE that you control the inflow of members.

People are nasty pieces of work at times as has occured on THIS forum while I was modding people who are BANNED...due their own behavior will simply come back under DIFFERENT names and re start things and troll, typically in the wee hours of the night. That is also a complete waste of a mod's time and sanity...deleting their posts and ID's over and over and over. That is ASIDE from spammers here to sell things. For every 1 person turned off by a wait with a legitimate question likely 10 spammers, bots, and hackers and turned off to search for easier prey.

The approval process is important. And most any forum or group worth it's salt will approve. There has been PORN posted into threads here and other forums where there is NOT. That is truly disgusting and unacceptable and these people should be ferreted out before they are allowed to join IMO. You can often tell simply by an email respond type approval, questionnaire, IP check or Googling the usernames they pick out. I have no idea how it is done here but I can say I am GLAD that it is done here!

Instant approval sites tend to turn into troll dens and cesspits in very short order. Be careful what you wish for. This is the internet and this forum is attached to a very large high ranked dog site...it would be overrun in NO time were such measured removed.

If a person cannot wait 12 hours to get answers? Maybe they can call their VET...or a TRAINER...or a SHELTER?? I mean there is still that avenue open to people...along with the world wide web itself where googling a simple term can yield a plethora of posts from here...there...or anywhere.

Great post, Gina and I couldn't agree more with every word you've written.