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Forum swamped by animal rescue messages


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I hesitate to ask this, but am I the only one irritated by this section being swamped by animal rescue posts? Since they began last summer the number of people looking at the South West part of the forum seems to have collapsed. Are these posts coming from an organisation, a spammer, or a well meaning individual?

Anyway, they have wrecked this part of the forum, which I used to find very useful. Can they be stopped, or perhaps they can all be put within a single post? 

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IF we had lots of posts the animal rescue posts would not be so noticeable. I agree there are quite a few posts, but that is down to people not getting stuck in and posting about other things.

But I suppose that I never look at the forum by section, but click on 'active' so end up looking at any posts and would never notice if an area was not getting posts or excessive posts on a particular subject.

I salute the dedication of the animal rescuers and understand that they need to advertise in any way they can. And all I can wish them is, Good Luck.

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[quote user="JandM"]

Anyway, they have wrecked this part of the forum, which I used to find very useful. Can they be stopped, or perhaps they can all be put within a single post? 

[/quote]

Hey, for goodness sake. All those posts, as far as I can see, are genuine. Just dedicated people trying to help animals into a better environment.

You've made 47 posts since 2007, so not exactly a great contributor.

If you don't like it - don't read the posts - simple. [:@]

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I've never used the 'active' tool - didn't know about it, but will give it a go. Up to now I've just been scanning through the sections and seeing what's coming up.

But I don't think that this has anything to do with there not being enough other posts. If you look back to the first post from Phoenix PR, about last June, there was previously a fairly regular and well read succession of posts that attracted a good few replies. The animal rescuers may deserve to be saluted, but their efforts on here might be counterproductive, as these posts seem to have smothered the life out of this part of the forum. It looks like many people have given up on it. Pity.  

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We have always had animal rescue posts; we may have more at the moment because more people are struggling to afford their pets.

Like Idun I always click on the ‘active’ button.

It irritates me when people refer to these animals as boys and girls, but I am second to none in my admiration for their efforts.

Perhaps you could start some exciting threads of your own related to the south - west, or even of general interest.

Hoddy
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I suppose it depends on how one uses this forum. I for one am an occasional visitor and log in every couple of months or so to see what's going on, and if I have something to say, or ask, I make the odd post. Rather than use the active button, I generally look at two or three particular topics - including the South West section - that interest me. I've no idea if doing things that way is unusual. 

Anyway, I have noticed that since the animal rescue posts began on the South West  part of the forum last June, the number of posts on other subjects has fallen off sharply, and the numbers reading all posts in that section has dropped as well, to the point that there is now very little activity there. This suggests to me that many people have not just stopped posting here, but have actually stopped reading the South West section altogether.

I shouldn't have suggested that the animal rescue posts be stopped, but I do wonder if it might be better if they were placed within a single thread. That might leave a bit of visual space and eventually encourage other users to come back.

 

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I think that you may find that the postings in all the regional threads are significantly down: my impression is that overall there are significantly fewer people posting on ANY topic. If my impression is correct, then it may be down to the economic climate which may mean that fewer people are contemplating moving or buying, whilst others are returning to the UK.

I don't post elsewhere, but have got the impression that the same is probably true of other France-related fora.

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I have a feeling that the upsurge in animal rescue posts on here is largely due to the fact that another forum has clamped down on them.Or, at least, they have insisted that certain French legal requirements be observed and complied with. Hence, it's easier to post here where the same restrictions are not enforced.

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Well, I'm going to wade in as I don't feel able to sit on my hands any longer.

Firstly, I think the use of the word "swamped" is unwarranted.  Unlike the OP, I am a regular reader and contributor to the Forum and I have seen but a few so-called animal rescue messages well spread out over months.

Then, I don't see how anyone can conclude that, as a result of these "excess" posts, people have been "put off" posting.

It is true that the Forum is nowhere near as active as it was a few years ago and I am sure there are many more reasons for that than can easily be listed here.

And, no I am not one of those who are "irritated" by the animal rescue posts.  As far as I am concerned, the posts have their place, even if only one animal were helped or found a home.

To conclude, here is a post concerning the South-West and yes, with animal rescue at its heart [:D]

http://services.completefrance.com/forums/completefrance/cs/forums/2881884/ShowPost.aspx#2881884

Look, you don't need to be an animal lover, you don't need to like the animal rescue related posts, but there's nothing to say that an announcement like this Book Fair in the Dordogne might not hold some interest for lots of people.

 

 

 

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If you seriously want the posts to improve, rather than being an "occasional visitor" making "the odd post", get off your hands and start new discussions.

The forum IS quiet compared to the halcyon days we enjoyed in the past - people move on - new people come in, its the nature of the beast.

I started the Motorcycling section a few years ago and that has gone quite well, why not do something similar on your own particular interests ?

I'm guessing that won't be animal rescue LOL

.
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I check into the forum probably four or five times a day, yes it is much quieter than in days of yore.

I read the posts that are active and re-post as and when I feel like. There is no problem with animal posts, they are posted by those who are interested and concerned.

That surely is the nature of any forum.
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I think it's a good place to post animal rescue messages; it's often the Brits who are more caring about animals, and pets in particular, at least that's my impression (please don't launch into a contradictory barrage I'm only expressing an opinion, not a fact) and this is an ideal, if not the only, way to make contact with people of similar views.  I don't have any other interest in pets now, so I've no particular axe to grind, one way or the other. If a thread has the heading "Can you find a home for..." or "Lost dog..." then it's easy enough to skip over it if you're not interested.

However, I find that people are put off from posting by the niggling arguments and put-downs, and this is surely more likely to be a reason for the reduction in traffic.

 

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I tried to make it clear that  I was referring to one part of the forum, ie the part for the South West.

Click on this - hope the link works..  http://services.completefrance.com/forums/completefrance/cs/forums/305/ShowForum.aspx

The word 'swamped may be unwarranted. I don't mind which word is used, but around three quarters of all posts within one thread over the last eight months or so all from the same source and on the same subject is quite a lot. To me it makes  the thread look like a one person show,  which I reckon is likely to put  a lot of  people off. The book sale item was interesting, but I wonder how many people missed it because they've given up on that thread.

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Hm.....I wonder whether it's necessary to organise the forum into geographical sections?

As the forum already has topic-related sections, do we still need the geographical divisions?

Just a thought in view of JandM's comment.

Any thoughts, anybody? Mods?

I have noticed that sometimes someone posts the same thing in BOTH a topic section and a geographical section.

As for how to get more posts and contributors, alas, I don't know the answer to that one [8-|]

 

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[quote user="Bugsy"][quote user="JandM"]

Anyway, they have wrecked this part of the forum, which I used to find very useful. Can they be stopped, or perhaps they can all be put within a single post? 

[/quote]

Hey, for goodness sake. All those posts, as far as I can see, are genuine. Just dedicated people trying to help animals into a better environment.

You've made 47 posts since 2007, so not exactly a great contributor.

If you don't like it - don't read the posts - simple. [:@]

[/quote]

I'm not entirely convinced that contributions like this are particularly encouraging to new (or existing, infrequent) posters.

The old "don't read the posts" argument, apart from being hackneyed, is something which really doesn't wash much of the time: how are people supposed to decide whether or not something is interesting/relevant/worth responding to/worth avoiding if they don't read it? And how are posters (animal lovers or otherwise) to be encouraged to participate if they aren't supposed to read stuff, and get their heads bitten off when they DO contribute.

I'm not feeling the love, people...

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It wasn't a general comment Betty it was aimed at the OP specifically as an option. The same option that all members have to any post on any forum - if you don't like it, don't read it.

As for biting peoples heads off - I must have missed that.
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* sigh*

By the way, I exhort one and all to visit the SW/Aquitaine section of the forum and argue that it is NOT swamped with animal rescue posts.

(I should add, at this point, that I've rescued a fair number of animals myself, and have fostered a rescue. I am not against the work done by rescue organisations)

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I suspect we've had a bit of a misunderstanding here. Regular and very regular posters (10,000 plus posts - wow!) probably always enter the various debates through the 'active' button, while the lesser 'occasional' types like me go straight to the subject areas that they're interested in. It's not obvious where each post comes from if you use the active route, whereas it's very clear when you go in via the subjects themselves. We've probably been looking at different things, or at least the same thing from very different angles.  

Anyway, I would be sorry to lose the regional threads as Sweet 17 suggests, even though they're a bit thin at times. They do provide a place that other topically organised threads don't.  

To me, it seems like a simple forum management matter. Can the animal rescue posts be placed into one thread? The posts would still be very prominent and, given the lack of other posts at the moment, would sit at the top nearly all the time. It would make the South West part of the forum look a lot less offputting, and might even encourage some new participation,

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Yes swamped is the only word to describe that part of the forum, like many others I only use the active topics page but even that sometimes seems rather heavy on animal rescue, someone somewhere with a big heart really has their work cut out.

I used to read the geographical part of the forum for my area but there was never any posts but for the more active areas perhaps something should be done.

How about scrapping the working with wood and motorcycling sections and starting an animal rescue one????

Before anyone goes on the defensive I enjoy the postings from both those sections and have started subjects myself but they are very thin on the ground now that the original protagonists have departed. The postings could eually be made elsewhere.

TBH there are too many sub forums, when I have wanted to start a thread I have scrolled down looking for a suitable home for it and you just scroll forever and forget what has already rolled past, its hard to make a choice.

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Wouldn't it be just as simple to make the title of the post location-appropriate?

I don't think (if someone is looking for a dog to adopt) that people are going to be looking by (dog) name - which seems to be the predominant method of titling these posts - but might be more attracted to something entitled "Lab x boy, Sarlat (24)" That way, they know it's in their area, and that the dog is the sort of size and sex they may be looking for.

It has been (maybe still is) the case that, if a potential adopter is too far away, people have been generous in  coming forward to help organise transport from one place to another, so it may do more harm than good (and it probably already is) to bung all the rescues into their own geographical forums.

After all, this thread began by pointing out that if you come into the forum by visiting only the section that pertains to your own geographical area, you see only the threads for that area. Logically, therefore, anyone looking for a rescue dog who lives in another region and does the same, may be blissfully unaware that there are loads of dogs in the SW looking for adopters.

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[quote user="Chancer"]How about scrapping the working with wood and motorcycling sections and starting an animal rescue one????

Before anyone goes on the defensive I enjoy the postings from both those sections and have started subjects myself but they are very thin on the ground now that the original protagonists have departed. The postings could equally be made elsewhere.

[/quote]

Interesting choice 'Chancer' and without me going on the defensive [:P] -  do the maths

Post counts.

Motorcycling - 4597

Working with Wood - 2806

Books & Lit. - 2042

French Antiques - 760

Getting Married - 245

Pregnancy & Birth - 161

Book Club - 3

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