Forum Poll

[Murox]

I am generally more a 'reader' than a contributor, as I seem to make more mistakes as each year passes! I tend to use the 'like' emoji as moral support for someone who has bothered to make a good point, although it is true, it is a very vague emoji. I often don't know what to say in response, or come to the comment long after others have intervened. What about as a sympathetic response, for flippant or derogatory posts, few though they are, for obvious reasons, or general clapping hands for when a beginner does well or one of our many sages posts a succinct comment or advice, to name a few. Does it cost the Forum more to add extra emojis? I believe that to add too many, would, as Murox, says discourage members from adding a personal comment. There, I've done it.

Yes I believe adding personal comment is the lifeblood of any forum conversation, it certainly helps keep the dialogue moving.
I almost just clicked the like button then I thought how much nicer it is to actually write of few words of appreciation instead.

 

[Murox]

The "like" button is a straightforward and non-contentious way to show support for an opinion or some good or generous advice, without having to litter the thread with surplus words or to further inflame things when swords are crossed.

I think differently - even the symbol of thumbs up is not globaly acknowledged as a good thing.

 

[Murox]

Maybe we should have a 'not like' button specially for you

If the 'like' button is for approval, appreciation, support, agreement even which button is for the direct opposite?

 

[ldwgs]

There have been a few comments, recently, about how people perceive this forum. It was originally set up as a platform for people to air their views, experience and opinions of beekeeping and to provide a collective knowledge to those seeking assistance in their beekeeping endeavours in a free, lightly moderated, format. This remains the position but this is your forum and it seems appropriate that we should seek your views about how you currently perceive the forum and what, if any, changes you would like to see. It's a poll where you can select more than one option and offer comments if you wish. The results will be published after it closes. You can vote without commenting.

I can't see a poll

 

[pargyle]

I can't see a poll

Voting buttons at the start of the thread ... should be there everyone else seems to have them ?

 

[pargyle]

If the 'like' button is for approval, appreciation, support, agreement even which button is for the direct opposite?

There isn't a dislike button and if I've got anything to do with it - there never will be .... By all means disagree with posts but just hitting a 'dislike' button brings nothing to the party. The Like button along with the other emojis give a range of positive tokens - I can't see a benefit in introducing something negative about a post without offering an explanation why.

 

[Erichalfbee]

 

[Murox]

There isn't a dislike button and if I've got anything to do with it - there never will be .... By all means disagree with posts but just hitting a 'dislike' button brings nothing to the party. The Like button along with the other emojis give a range of positive tokens - I can't see a benefit in introducing something negative about a post without offering an explanation why.

Hmm. I don't actually wish for a dislike button, I merely pose the question; To use some of your words - just hitting the 'like' button brings nothing to the party either. I cant see the benefit of using any token without offering an explanation as to why.

 

[pargyle]

Hmm. I don't actually wish for a dislike button, I merely pose the question; To use some of your words - just hitting the 'like' button brings nothing to the party either. I cant see the benefit of using any token without offering an explanation as to why.

I'm a great believer in positivity and the words of my grandmother ring in my ear 'If you can't say anything nice then it's better to say nowt at all !'

So, if I'm reading it right from what you have said - we are in agreement that a dislike button would not be an asset ?

 

[Murox]

I'm a great believer in positivity and the words of my grandmother ring in my ear 'If you can't say anything nice then it's better to say nowt at all !'

So, if I'm reading it right from what you have said - we are in agreement that a dislike button would not be an asset ?

We are,

 

[user 20297]

I think differently - even the symbol of thumbs up is not globaly acknowledged as a good thing.

Maybe we need an emoji which means we agree to disagree....that might solve a lot of problems?

 

[user 20297]

Well we aren’t perfect. Newcomers can sometimes stumble into the matrix but one of the reasons for this poll was to gauge how deep this matrix was

The problems occur when The Matrix gets its kicks from the negative energy given out by those who are unprepared for it.

 

[user 20297]

Yes I believe adding personal comment is the lifeblood of any forum conversation, it certainly helps keep the dialogue moving.
I almost just clicked the like button then I thought how much nicer it is to actually write of few words of appreciation instead.

I frequently choose not to use the "like' button as a substitute for a negative response. Sometimes it's escalated to a "sad"/'disappointed' emoji That's got to be better than giving a full, negative sermon, as I sometimes, (as here), do. Emojis are invaluable.....essential when communicating online, and are a non-issue.

 

[B_north]

The written word doesn't have the nuance of face to face communication and so can easily be misconstrued, but i don't recognise your description of the forum.

I was going to hit the "like" button but................

I am very new and I don't really see an issue with this forum. Sometimes we read a comment with our own emotion inserted. A comment written calmly but succinctly by a person can be construed as short, and harsh by the reader.

I enjoy the information provided here, even if I am on a totally different climate planet than most of the contributors, and some of the conversations certainly become interesting to say the least.

Once the initial question has been answered it is when the conversation drifts off into the weeds that I sometimes learn the most. That is when I need to copy and paste the nuggets of info that might be hard to retrieve with the search engine.

I am on another bee forum and it is the same. You soon learn that it is just human nature and shrug it off.

 

[elainemary]

I enjoy contributing to and learning from the forum. It’s a great way to get quick feedback on a problem or just to confirm you’re doing / not taking the right steps in solving a beekeeping problem. I also like the way many are prepared to share their knowledge and latest science
Eg links to papers and videos. There’s a great spread of contributors: bee farmers, beginners, keen hobbyists, members with science backgrounds (would like to see more) , diy & great practical knowledge as well as those with keen interest in biology and behaviour.

It’s interesting that 75% responders say they find the forum interesting and useful yet only 33% regularly contribute. Any beekeeper however inexperienced will have something useful to contribute even by asking a question it helps us all think.

Would like to understand why people don’t contribute ? Is it lack of confidence, fear of saying the ‘wrong’ thing, or something else? The more people contribute the richer the knowledge and experience we’ll all gain, please take part!

 

[Murox]

I frequently choose not to use the "like' button as a substitute for a negative response. Sometimes it's escalated to a "sad"/'disappointed' emoji That's got to be better than giving a full, negative sermon, as I sometimes, (as here), do. Emojis are invaluable.....essential when communicating online, and are a non-issue.

You make a valid point, we can all choose whether or not to use the ubiquitous emoji. I agree that using 'whatever' media to help communicate your meaning is generally a good thing; using 'whatever' media as the sole method for that communication or even withholding it as you suggest may not be. Now whats on the other side of the coin I wonder?

 

[Hiveanidea]

Would like to understand why people don’t contribute ? Is it lack of confidence, fear of saying the ‘wrong’ thing, or something else? The more people contribute the richer the knowledge and experience we’ll all gain, please take part!

l really dislike the use of emojii comments……..this one especially. I have seen it used on this forum and have had it directed to me personally. This is a great place for beginners to seek guidance, information and read about other’s beekeeping experiences - even if there are at times, contentious opinions. There is no place for mockery or sarcasm that goes beyond wit and undermines the confidence of would-be contributor/beginners. B’s should be a joy to handle in a calm but decisive way, being kind and observant. Being roughly treated with little understanding of the consequences will only lead to one outcome.
l applaud the regular contributors who take time to give beekeeping advice and enjoy the occasional eccentric diversion. However, for some it often seems to be more of a club with a definitive pecking order.

 

[pargyle]

I enjoy contributing to and learning from the forum. It’s a great way to get quick feedback on a problem or just to confirm you’re doing / not taking the right steps in solving a beekeeping problem. I also like the way many are prepared to share their knowledge and latest science
Eg links to papers and videos. There’s a great spread of contributors: bee farmers, beginners, keen hobbyists, members with science backgrounds (would like to see more) , diy & great practical knowledge as well as those with keen interest in biology and behaviour.

It’s interesting that 75% responders say they find the forum interesting and useful yet only 33% regularly contribute. Any beekeeper however inexperienced will have something useful to contribute even by asking a question it helps us all think.

Would like to understand why people don’t contribute ? Is it lack of confidence, fear of saying the ‘wrong’ thing, or something else? The more people contribute the richer the knowledge and experience we’ll all gain, please take part!

Yes... this Poll can only go part way insomuch as it is assessing quantatively how the forum is perceived ... it may require a follow up. The forum owners were setting up a questionnaire on an annual basis to gauge some aspects of what people think about the forum in a more qualitative way. Perhaps that is next step when we can explore what it is that prevents people from actually posting - we know there are many who dip in here frequently, over a long period of time but do not post.

There could be many reasons for this - I, too, believe that everyone has something to offer - not always in beekeeping - we find lots of advice well outside the bounds of bee related information coming out at times and I've found lots of items of interest in the pages of the forum.

 

[pargyle]

l really dislike the use of emojii comments……..this one especially. I have seen it used on this forum and have had it directed to me personally. This is a great place for beginners to seek guidance, information and read about other’s beekeeping experiences - even if there are at times, contentious opinions. There is no place for mockery or sarcasm that goes beyond wit and undermines the confidence of would-be contributor/beginners. B’s should be a joy to handle in a calm but decisive way, being kind and observant. Being roughly treated with little understanding of the consequences will only lead to one outcome.
l applaud the regular contributors who take time to give beekeeping advice and enjoy the occasional eccentric diversion. However, for some it often seems to be more of a club with a definitive pecking order.

Hmmmm .. that last comment is an interesting perspective ... I can see why it may appear that way but, perhaps, it's a result of the fact that some people are very regular contributors and naturally get to 'know' each other (albeit virtually in most cases) by virtue of shared interests, similar ideas or sometimes sense of humour. Indeed, I think there is nearly as much traffic in Private Messages (which ONLY the participants in the conversation can see ... and no, the Mods and the owners cannot see any aspect of PM's or any statistics on them) as there is on the public pages.

I don't mind the forum being viewed as a club because, in effect, that is what it is, a virtual club ... but not an exclusive club or one where there is a perceived hierarchy or pecking order that is prescriptive.

Clearly, the numbers people post and the reactions they receive for their contributions are published beneath the members Avatar and the 'league tables' are also available publicly. Whether it tells us anything I'm not sure - I certainly don't view the number of posts or reactions as an indication of any hierarchy in the forum. Interesting though - we will have to think about it.

 

[nettle]

Over the years I seem to have developed an increasingly thin skin when it comes to online negativity. I left Facebook and Twitter for that reason. I absolutely detest the sarcasm and groupthink that goes on on those platforms, and now just have a very low tolerance for people commenting without respect for other people. It is possible to offer an opposing opinion, or to correct someone when they're wrong, without being personally insulting. You do see personal insults and condescending replies to people on this forum (one person seems to be particularly bad for this). So I personally prefer to read often and contribute little.

There's no question that this is an extremely valuable resource, and I'm always really grateful that people take time to reply to (probably very annoying) beginner questions. I use the search function all the time, but sometimes panic takes over and you want some direct opinions! I tend to stick to the beginner section where replies are likely to be more carefully worded.

I do admit to being a fairly sensitive person though, so maybe expecting other people to be nice on all parts of the internet is unrealistic.