Breeders thread.

A while back someone suggested we have a breeding competition.
The ITFS as far as I know did this for years with great success.
The idea was open to suggestions.
A certain few people got the hump and decided to attack each other. They tried to be smart but ended up looking like idiots.
Another member posted a private pm up that was sent to him to try to increase the animonsity. He has now been banned for life.
He will under no circumstances be returning to the forum.
It beggars belief that certain people here continue to try to destroy this forum. I don`t know if you have noticed but many forums have closed down lately because of members leaving and flagging interest.
I am sick up to my stomach with what has been happening.
Grown men niggling away at each other and others stocking the fire.

Here is a little insight in what goes on behind the scenes.
Potential sponsors are contacted by phone and in person to get
them on board to support the forum. Every member of the clubs benefits from discounts of between 10-20% on their purchases
with the relevent sponsors.
I at the moment am trying to get another sponsor on board.
How can I sell the forum to someone by saying how great it is
and then for them to say all you`s do it kill each other.
I can`t do it.
There is a photocomp of the month that is sponsored by
www.petshoponline.ie and they give fantastic prizes.
Darragh and myself are in the process of tying up a new sponsor for an article section. All of this can die in a flash.
The members will leave and the sponsors will follow.
You will loose a wonderful medium in this forum.
A place where like minded people come together and give and recieve help.

As I was driving home from work today all I could think of was what am I going to say to these people. In the end I decided against warnings and threats and decided to post the truth.
Darragh and myself will not let certain members bring this forum down. It reminds me of the film the Commitments.
They had it all and they fewked it up with petty squabbling.
Well we might do a Jimmy Rabbit and tell those involved to go to hell.
I hate dictating to grown men. I hate the fact that the real members here have to read crap like this day in day out.
I apologise to those people who had to endure this B/S.
We will not let it happen again.

I hope everybody continues to enjoy the forum. To me it has
become another job. I have had phone calls all day.The fun has
Gone. I intend to bring it back.
I wont this to become part of my hobby again. I want
to look forward to logging in and see what is happening with
fish in this country.

So..Lets all have a good time and stop all the fighting.
Your friend......Anthony.<br><br>Post edited by: Anthony, at: 2007/08/04 00:20

Very well said Anthony and Darragh.

I am not going too stock the fire but it is hard for myself and others to put anything positive on the forum in case we get harrased by faceless others.

I check the forum every day but have noticed of late grown men fighting over nothing. I myself have beeen involved for many years as a fishkeeper and now as a trader.

I interduced neil Hardys Aquatics into ireland long before some shops every heard of them. I have noticed some of the more positive things discussed on the forum always been attacked by a few.

I never hide behind a nick name i always use my own name. It is great to see the positive response from some of the good retailers like Brittas, Wackers, Seahorse Ireland, And the others you all know who you are,

As traders it is in our interest to support a vibrant hobby and develop interest in the hobby.

As a fish keeeper i love to meet others to put faces to there names.
I will support any trader or fishkeeper who ever they may be but if the forum dies it will have a knock on effect in the hobby.

I also would like to thank the guys behind the forum as it is a thank less task. Please keep up the very good work.

Just something would it be possible for the moderators to meet and iron out any problems on the forum so everyone sings from the same sheet.

I also would like to say i am no expert but am learning every day, and willing to check out what members say on the forum.

I would just like to say that I appreciate the work that goes on in maintaining this forum, I think it is very important. I havent been that active on here as yet but it is a great resource. I know from experience how timeconsuming and frustrating running a club or forum can be and would just like to say thank you to the people who look aftr this site.

Kev

fully agree with what you said darragh . keep up the good work.

Darragh and myself are sick to death of writing these
warning posta every few weeks.
There was a heated argument going that I was unaware of.
I have not been around too much lately and I taught all the
crap that happened in the past was over.
The breeders program was an excellent idea.
I taught there was going to be serious taught put in to it and
we were going to see some excellent ideas coming up.
It beggars belief how it got out of hand.

Anyway..Steven taught it was funny to paste a private message on the forum. It posted solely to add kindling to an already
raging fire.
This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated. I had dictating
to grown men. It actually annoys me to write it this way.
This is why he got banned.

Later I seen his post about the Tropheus that I am selling.
Again he tried to be smart make me look like a rip off
merchant and a liar.
I write under the name Similis in cichlid forum. Those Tropheus are mine. This has been explained in the for sale section and I am not going to write about it any more.
He is banned and that is the end of the story.


In future, anyone causing trouble and or slating anyone for answering/writing posts will be banned too.
I have noticed that there are loads of members here afraid to post because they feel they will be ridiculed by the elitest
few here. That will not happen again.

The matter is not closed.
Lets all get back to being constructive and continue to promote fishkeeping in this country.


Anyway you know this yourself Stephen. <br><br>Post edited by: Anthony, at: 2007/08/05 03:01

i just want to support darraghs comments re. the impact the site and forum has had in encouraging the hobbies growth and improvement and the fellowship among fishkeepers and there is little doubt that the success of the show was in large part due to the forums influence and advertising power. We members need to be careful when
replying to posts or commenting on articles not to cause offence by being unduly aggressive or personal. having said that it would be a pity if we become too serious and pc., as the banter and slagging can be entertaining unless it goes over the top.

darragh wrote:

I am getting sick of this crap, I am contemplating pulling the plug on the forum of this website. ..... So now all users have a choice to make, they can look at the surge in interest in hobby generated by this website over the last few years and think about how to help improve the website, get more people into the hobby and progress the hobby in Ireland and maybe one day be significant website in the hobby or you can all argue with each and let the hobby descend back to anemic stature of 4 years ago.

The choice is yours, make it.

Darragh

I agree this forum is a great resource for fishkeeping in Ireland and can be a common meeting place for all the clubs and non club fishkeepers. It is the responsibilty of all members to ensure that it is not let degenerate any futher, to encourage new members and exisitng members and lurkers to post without fear.

I think Gerry Evans suggestion of a meeting of Admin and mods is an excellent idea. I think the moderators need to be more active and on the ball, before things escalate to lifetime bans, but everyone must be working to the same rules. Admin can not be online all the time.

Daragh (not the site owner one)

I have to agree that all the comments are correct. Thank you to Darragh and Anthony and to all the moderators for the time they put in and the effort involved. Most likely the ITFS club would not have an increased membership if the forum had not played a part and I am sure that the show would not have been the success it was without the advertising and effort put in from the forum users.

I know myself that I dont want to post as much because of being slated or belittled and to be honest it is not right.

So lets stop throwing out rattles out of our cots and behave like ADULT fishkeepers for a change.

Thanks