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Possible rewording for forum description

Started by mattknepley , Oct 08 2013 06:33 PM

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11 replies to this topic

#1 mattknepley

NANFA Member

Smack-dab between the Savannah and the Saluda.

Posted 08 October 2013 - 06:33 PM

Haven't had anything new to post lately but needed a forum fix and was lurking around the id section. This seems to be the area where we have the highest probability of discouraging potential native enthusiasts. Enthusiasm for an id, excitement raised by a trustworthy appearing source (us), and impatience seems to place many neophytes in a defensive posture when we try to explain (with varying degrees of tact) why it is not ok to ask for an id of a fish swimming around in a "photo tank" that just so happens to have hot pink gravel, a skeletal pirate guarding a treasure chest and a few neon tetras swimming by.

While there does appear to be a more patient, forum rules aware, group of id questions being posted lately, I still go back to that first group. I'm wondering if maybe we couldn't do future id requesters, and ourselves, a favor by changing the wording under the "Identification Assistance" section of the forum. Instead of "Need help ID'ng your native fish?" it should read something to the effect of "ID assistance for fish photographed in the wild will be provided here. Pictures from home aquariums not accepted or answered." Definitely not as inviting as what we have now, but perhaps it would serve us better. I can understand why people miss the pinned note; this might not be as easy to ignore.

Forgive me if this idea has been thrown out there before and rejected for reasons I am not savvy enough to see on my own. O:)

Any thoughts?

Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."

#2 Guest_Skipjack_*

Guests

Posted 08 October 2013 - 06:52 PM

I like it, and actually it may work to our advantage. I absolutely hate having to moderate the ID forum. In one hand, you want to help the poster. in the other you want to protect both the poster, and NANFA. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

#3 Guest_Casper_*

Guests

Posted 08 October 2013 - 08:57 PM

Excellent idea and wording Matt K.

#4 Guest_gerald_*

Guests

Posted 09 October 2013 - 12:39 PM

Hmmm. ... i thought we already had that in there. Glad you discovered the omission.

#5 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 09 October 2013 - 02:26 PM

I think it is already there... I think what Matt is suggesting is to actually change the title and subtitle of that particular forum... which is an easy change...

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#6 Guest_gerald_*

Guests

Posted 09 October 2013 - 02:49 PM

Yes, the forum subtitle -- in case folks miss the "sticky" rules of that forum. Obviously some folks do miss it, so repeating it in the subtitle is a good idea. I tweaked Matt's suggested text a little. See if you like this, or Matt's version, or suggest your own:
Identification Assistance

current subtitle: Need help ID'ng your native fish?

Matt's revision: ID assistance for fish photographed in the wild will be provided here. Pictures from home aquariums not accepted or answered.

Gerald's revision: Photos of wild-caught unknown fish must be taken in the field. Photos from home aquariums not accepted.

#7 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 09 October 2013 - 04:08 PM

Changed it, just cause it is so easy to do... see if y'all are satisfied... also added some color and bold text in the forum rules on the first page to call attention to the requirements for this sub-forum.

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#8 Guest_gerald_*

Guests

Posted 09 October 2013 - 07:12 PM

That's perfect -- especially like the color text for emphasis.

#9 Guest_Skipjack_*

Guests

Posted 09 October 2013 - 08:03 PM

Looks great Michael. Now we have to pray that people are not colorblind. Hopefully this will grab their attention, and cut down on our need to moderate the ID forum as much.

#10 mattknepley

NANFA Member

Smack-dab between the Savannah and the Saluda.

Posted 10 October 2013 - 04:50 AM

Michael, I agree with Gerald and Matt 100%. It looks good and should prove much more likely to catch one's attention and underscore the seriousness of NANFA's position. Hopefully this will reduce some stress in the mod's lives. Thanks for all your work, folks!

Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."

#11 Guest_keepnatives_*

Guests

Posted 10 October 2013 - 06:36 PM

This is a great idea. Why not take it 1 step further? If someone clicks on "Start new topic" have that line directly where it now says
Posting a New Topic in Identification Assistance, so instead :

ID REQUESTS FROM HOME AQUARIA NOT ACCEPTED