just a question

[caseysmom]

There are a few members that just post pics of their pups but never comment on anyone else's or otherwise get involved in pettalk.

I just think that is kind of strange so I stay away from those usually, how does everyone else feel?

[Karen]

I comment, and try to draw them out.

[Jessika]

Maybe some are shy? I don't know I am usually one who doesn't post a lot of pictures hehe maybe they just like showing off their pets? Can't say I blame them hehe

[buttercup132]

I notice that too.
Some people are NEVER on pt unless its to post pictures of thier dogs.

I dont reply to everyones picture thread(in fact I rarley do)
But I always reply on other things and rarley post pictures anyways.

[BC_MoM]

Yeah, I notice that as well. Sometimes I find it rude, too, depending on who it is and how they are.

I try to comment on people's posts if I want to post pictures of my own dogs.

I see it like this:

If you want comments on your pictures, you have to comment on others pictures.

[Vela]

I agree, I beleive you get out of it what you put in, if you want people to care about you and your dogs they have to get to know you. If someone doesn't ever post to anyone else's threads or pics, I don't think they have a right to get mad if people don't post to theirs.

[cali]

II often dont reply unless I have something specific to say, I usually think "What would I like to hear" I know that I like to actually READ posts, I know that I dont like it when the only reply I get is a smily face or "awww" because thats doesnt interest me, I like responses that actually say something , so I tend to look at other peoples pictures and only respond if I have something to say that the poster can actually read. posting only a smiley or one word feels really rude, as if the person couldent be bothered, I know thats not always the case but that is how I feel about it, so unless I have something important or more meaty to say, I dont reply.

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

I've only noticed a couple people doing that on here (it's a major problem at a few other boards though). I try to reply as much as possible to other people's threads, I hope I'm not considered one of those who post lots of pictures (and I admit, I do post pictures quite often) without commenting on anyone elses threads.

[BC_MoM]

II often dont reply unless I have something specific to say, I usually think "What would I like to hear" I know that I like to actually READ posts, I know that I dont like it when the only reply I get is a smily face or "awww" because thats doesnt interest me, I like responses that actually say something , so I tend to look at other peoples pictures and only respond if I have something to say that the poster can actually read. posting only a smiley or one word feels really rude, as if the person couldent be bothered, I know thats not always the case but that is how I feel about it, so unless I have something important or more meaty to say, I dont reply.

Hmm.. I see what you're saying, and that makes complete sense! I kind of agree!

[Ginger's Mom]

Generally speaking, I agree with Vela. There are a few people who I believe may just be too busy, or not sure what to say, or just don't feel like "talking." If I believe someone is just using the board to boost their own ego without any real interest in dogs in general or this community, I will not open their threads. But, that is a decision I make on an individual basis after a period of time.

[cloverfdx]

But if people have time to post up 100s of photos of their own dogs, maybe they could spare a few minutes every now and then to comment on other peoples threads :confused:. I have the non commenting people on my ignore list so that does not bother me ;).

[Vela]

Well I also don't post to every picture thread, i have a family and work two jobs, but i try to input in other areas of the board as well. It's part of the reason i infrequently post pictures. Not that I don't want to but I'm very busy, and I totally understand only posting sometimes and if you feel you have something to say. I always enjoy all the pictures, even when I don't post to every thread, but there are only a few who post only pics and have no other input, it's not a big problem on the board here IMO. The only time I have a problem with it is when they get mad about people not replying, when they don't input otherwise.

[K9soul]

I don't see it as "rude" necessarily as long as they don't have any expectations of their own in regards to responses. If someone wants to come and post 10 pictures a day of their dogs, but never participate in the board in any other way, I have no problem with it as long as they don't expect people to lavish them with praise on their pictures every time. The less you participate in the board, the less people "know" you and thus will choose to focus their attention on people/pets they have come to know.

I look at pictures sometimes, but respond a lot less than I used to. This is for many reasons, foremost of which I type over 10 hours a day for two jobs now and simply do not have the time/energy to post meaningful replies like I used to. My wrists and hands are so sore and tired by the end of the day even typing one more sentence seems like more than I can handle :).

[caseysmom]

I've only noticed a couple people doing that on here (it's a major problem at a few other boards though). I try to reply as much as possible to other people's threads, I hope I'm not considered one of those who post lots of pictures (and I admit, I do post pictures quite often) without commenting on anyone elses threads.

Gosh no your not one of those and it was just that last week someone got all bent out of shape and I was just thinking how could they get so mad when they take to interest in us.

[K9soul]

Gosh no your not one of those and it was just that last week someone got all bent out of shape and I was just thinking how could they get so mad when they take to interest in us.

I know what you are talking about and I agree that surprised me. I was under the impression that since the person never participated in the board much otherwise, they didn't really care if they got replies or not. I'm not really sure what the person expected.

I don't really know who Rhi could be talking about though. I can't really think of anyone that seems to post 100s of pics of their pet/s and never respond to anyone else :confused: But then I haven't been keeping up a lot the past few months. And what does ignoring them do if they never respond? :p You can still see that there is a post made by them if they are on ignore..

[Daisy and Delilah]

As already mentioned by others; most of us know of a situation where this happened a few days ago. It involved someone who only posts pictures occasionally and doesn't participate on the board at all(to the best of my knowledge). The person posted pictures, waited for a few hours and got upset that there were no responses. I don't have a problem with someone posting pictures, without other participation, except when they get mad at the board because no one responded. Pet Talk was under great stress and strain during that time and it really sort of irritated me that this person was so inconsiderate and insensitive to issues involving most of our members. Even after being informed of the issues, the person never came back with a response/apology. Now, who was being rude there? Like any community, people are better received if others have had the chance to get to know them. It's so unfortunate that anyone has to be that touchy and feels the solution is to leave the board permanently.

That's really the only incident I can think of right off the bat :)

[caseysmom]

Daisy and Deliliah, thank you for saying what I was trying to say. You said it very eloquently.

[Almita]

I agree I have noticed as well. I know a few in like a week or two that just posted pictures on here and then next minute they said "why is noone responding to me? :( " They said that in like 5 minutes like as if this was a Instant Messenger, where you reply fast. That is what irritates me the most. Like someone justs write something the next thing they get upset and mad because noone responded in a minute.

I also don't like it when they just post a little bit to someone like just a smiley or cute or awww. That makes it seem rude. I reply to all of the picture threads so they feel glad about it, also I reply it with which picture i like the most, and that they did a great job at taking the pictures, and can't wait for more pictures. So they are glad about what they posted.

I do remember that person last week that got all mad because noone replyed, but the person didn't comment on the other threads anywhere on the forum.

That is what annoys me about this whole situation.

[Alasse]

I hope i havent offended any one here :)

I posted pics of my animals here, and probably seemed to disappear not long after, but there was a reason, my parents have been staying and as i only see them once a year, plus working shift work, the internet was put on hold. They've now gone and i gotta try to catch up.

I try to post to others threads, mostly short though sometimes a bit more involved. I'm a bit confused though, short replies are considered rude ie: "awwwww cute", why is that? Personally i'd have thought that was better than nothing at all. *shrugs*

[Ginger's Mom]

I try to post to others threads, mostly short though sometimes a bit more involved. I'm a bit confused though, short replies are considered rude ie: "awwwww cute", why is that? Personally i'd have thought that was better than nothing at all. *shrugs*
This part of your post made me smile. This is a very big community, with many different opinions as to what is an appropriate response. Although someone may have said that they find those types of posts rude, you will also find people on here that say, they would prefer that people make some sort of response or acknowledgement of their post rather than none at all. So my advise to you is respond in the way that you feel is appropriate. :) And as far as posting pictures and then becoming involved in something else without having a chance to respond to others, that is fine, just don't complain that no one likes you or that people aren't trying hard enough to make you feel welcome, when you are not making any effort to truly belong. Personally, so far I think you are doing great. ;)

[GreyhoundGirl]

I hope I don't offend anyone here, but....

I usually don't look at threads that are started by someone I don't reconise the name of . Unless the title sounds interesting. ei: game, something to do with a greyhound or whippet ;) , or a question that I am somewhat knowlegable on.

JMO Of course

[cmayer31]

I read this board a lot, but don't participate too much. One of the reasons is that I come here a lot when I'm at work and I can view posts and enjoy them as a nice stress reliever.

I mostly post on the weekends when I'm at home, but the number of threads that I post to is pretty limited, but I do enjoy every thread that I read. :)

I also post pictures occasionally, but it doesn't bother me if people reply or not. I just enjoy sharing Riley and Frankie when I remember to take a camera with me on our outings.

[JenBKR]

I'm a bit confused though, short replies are considered rude ie: "awwwww cute", why is that? Personally i'd have thought that was better than nothing at all. *shrugs*

I feel the same way - I am usually on PT at work and don't have time to respond to every picture in detail. I do often go in and look at picture threads, but don't often respond. Actually, one of the reasons I don't respond to them is because I used to respond as 'aw, how cute' or comments like that and (this happened a while ago) I got a PM telling me that I was just trying to get my number of posts up by posting such 'pointless' comments. I probably shouldn't have let that get to me but it did, so now I barely reply to picture threads.

[elizabethann]

Interesting thread....considering I'm one of those "aaaaaaaaaaawww....how cute" people.

[Daisy and Delilah]

JenBKR: Just curious. Why would anybody PM you to tell you you were posting pointless comments just to get your number up? To me, that is unthinkable on a board like this. Seriously. I'm appalled to hear that someone would be that bold. I'm really sorry you got that PM. I have never thought you make pointless posts and I can't understand why anyone would feel that way. If there's someone on this board PM'ing people to inform them of such nonsense, I guess I'd better be on the lookout for the same PM myself :p

[JenBKR]

JenBKR: Just curious. Why would anybody PM you to tell you you were posting pointless comments just to get your number up? To me, that is unthinkable on a board like this. Seriously. I'm appalled to hear that someone would be that bold. I'm really sorry you got that PM. I have never thought you make pointless posts and I can't understand why anyone would feel that way. If there's someone on this board PM'ing people to inform them of such nonsense, I guess I'd better be on the lookout for the same PM myself :p

I have no idea! It was a long time ago - to be honest I thought about leaving PT for a minute, but I know all of the other PTers that I really like so I just ignored that person, and added that name to my ignore list. I had under 1,000 posts at the time but I was really close to 1,000, so maybe she thought that I was trying to get to 1,000. I don't know. Thank you though for your response!

[Blue_Frog]

Here's my thoughts (from a realitive forum-newbie)... ;)

** warning: really long post, much longer than I meant it, once I went back and read it. Skip to the end if you want! **

I like to look at the picture posts -- seeing everyones pets is always really great! But sometimes - as a new member - it's hard to jump the mental hurdle, and break in and start posting on boards with people who have all been together for a longish time, who know each other and each others pets. Its not really being shy (im a goof and a talker so thats not a problem), and everyone has been really friendly here too! It's not intimidation either so much as it is trying to build up people's perceptions of me as a poster/responder.

I guess for me its trying to post intelligent, well thought out and/or interesting things since I dont have the post count (or tenure) here, and don't want to come across as a dreaded 'noob'! I like to try and post comments about the picture or pet if i can, but in a lot of cases [1] I've been responding to postings in forums asking for technical computer help, and such (things in my frame of reference per se), or [2] since i'm at work, i get a chance to browse through a lot of postings, but tend to take my breaks and lunch to make long(er) comments since I dont come here in the evenings or weekends, and sometimes [3] my first thought is the 'awww cute!', which i've been hesitant to post for the same reason that JenBKR mentioned happened to her (people thinking that i'm posting just to raise my post counts), even if awww-cute is what I think.

I've started a couple of threads since I started here in July, and for me I've always been more interested in the number of people that have looked at my post than the number of people that have replied. Its kind of along the same lines as what GreyhoundGirl was saying -- i'm still an unknown, and unless I have something interesting to say, or until I have been here longer to have my name become more recognized, well I really don't expect the kinds of responses that forum regulars get. I'm happy if a couple of people go in and look at my pets, or my posts, etc.


** end of really long post **


Summary: I look at a lot of posts, and I try to post when I have something to say specifically about the pet or the picture. I always appreaciate all comments (from in-depth to the aww-cute and smiley comments) in any thread I create, and I try to post in others' threads as often as I can.

Hope all that rambling makes some kind of sense from one newbie's perspective ... and I think this reply just ate up my entire lunch break! :)


.

[Zippy]

I try to post and comment on lots of peoples threads.it is only fair.I am happy if my pic thread gets a smile or a awww how cute.

[caseysmom]

I feel bad for even starting this thread, it was none of you, it was someone that got mad at us when we were all upset and busy with Kiara being missing.

Sorry if I made everyone think it was them.

[Argranade]

I try to post and comment on lots of peoples threads.it is only fair.I am happy if my pic thread gets a smile or a awww how cute.

I feel the same way I enjoy seeing those happy face's on my threads and awwww's it shows the person enjoyed reading/looking at pics on my post and did not take it as....there was not even a post there in the first place.

(Also I dont mind if someone just glance's and dont post if your just scanning the site before you head off to work,school ect..)

I try to post everytime I look at a thread to show I care about what that person has to say or how much I love there pets and photo's.

If I do add some smiley's and awww.. I usualy add more to the post then just that.


*Sorry I dont post in the Dog & cat section maybe its because I dont own one* :o Ill try to post there sometime!

[BC_MoM]

You know, but there are some people here who don't post at all in other's picture threads. They don't even reply to questions in their own, and yet they keep posting more. For the person I'm thinking of, it's like they think they're better than everyone on PT.

Situations like that bother me.

[Karen]

For the person I'm thinking of, it's like they think they're better than everyone on PT.

But you don't know that to be the case, that's a bad assumption to make. There could be many reasons why that person doesn't post more, shyness, lack of confidence in their word skills, never mind time constraints, so don't assume the woorst, okay?

[mrspunkysmom]

I feel bad for even starting this thread, it was none of you, it was someone that got mad at us when we were all upset and busy with Kiara being missing.

Sorry if I made everyone think it was them.

Even I checked to see if my insenstive self did something like that, but no, thankfully. I've been too busy working.

Glad Kiara was found.

[mrspunkysmom]

But you don't know that to be the case, that's a bad assumption to make. There could be many reasons why that person doesn't post more, shyness, lack of confidence in their word skills, never mind time constraints, so don't assume the woorst, okay?

That is true in many instances.

I have some comments, too.
The reasons people don't post are (incuding others listed for clarity and comprehensiveness):

Time constraints - people prioritize where they spend their time on the web; I'm busy with a new job this year and that is my priority.

Shyness - which can be from a quiet personality, from lack of confidence, from lack of trust

Lack of confidence - in language skills or otherwise,

Intimidation by comradery of current members - many boards are exclusive and only admit you into their inner circle after many months or years, like many small towns

Not comfortable with technology - For many people, the amount of skill needed to do something simple is overwhelming. Computer and Internet tech have improved so much over the last ten years, but it still has a long way to go so that your ordinary person doesn't need to be an expert just to post some pictures or put up a simple web page.

I'm actually comfortable with tech, but shooting and posting pictures takes time. I've never been much of a picture person myself, never have been very sentimental. I never even took pictures of Spunky's scar from the surgery.

Not sure what to say, but want to say something

Repulsed by excessive cuteness - I do talk to my kitties in some of the same fashion that I see written here. I also comment to myself on some of the pictures I see such as COTD, petfinder, or pictures here. I just cannot make myself write such stuff on the web. :yech: I would not have said something about this earlier, because 'to each his own', but there is an unwritten rule here that people that don't effuse over others' pictures and write silly comments do not deserve comment or attention. This is nothing new, since people have formed cliques since the dawn of time; just don't be surprised if all don't comply with your style.

That person may not have seen the thread about KIKI being missing. And the start of your post, you mentioned Kiara and I didn't connect the two. I searched for posts and finally connected the two. 'KIKI' turned up the post I was looking for.

So let people be people. Welcome all strangers and accept them. Make all comply by the same rules. If you have requirements for acceptance into community, post them in the FAQ (and at sign-up), including mushiness and comments requirements.

Communication is the key.

If this is not deleted I will be surprised.

Anne

[K9soul]

I agree everyone is different and has different tastes. There are certain things that strike me as excessive too (i.e. the use of 10+ emoticons per post), but everyone is different in how they express themselves. I agree that ANY community will have its groups of friendships, cliques if you will, although that gives it a more negative connotation.

Anyway I know why this was posted and who caseysmom was thinking of at the time. Again, I have no problem whether someone posts a lot or doesn't post at all, but if they choose not to post to anyone else they should not expect as much familiarity and attention to their own posts, simply because of the many reasons already stated that people cannot post to EVERY thread and most will put more effort into posting towards those they are more familiar with.

I don't agree with some of the other posts in this thread. If people want to post a paragraph or just post "cute!" they shouldn't have to worry about offending. I appreciate posts that say more than one word, but I certainly do not consider it "rude" if they don't. I figure if all they say is cute, they simply want me to know they saw and enjoyed my pictures and I'm fine with that :). We can't weigh everyone on some scale based on how we ourselves think and communicate. I believe in accepting and embracing differences as much as possible, sometimes those differences are hard to relate to or understand, but making assumptions and judgments is not really fair. I know I hate it when I feel someone may be assuming negatively about me or judging me in some way based on 'appearances.' I don't think ANYONE likes being judged, and I think it's important to try and keep that in mind, when you find yourself judging someone else..

[Miss Z]

You know, but there are some people here who don't post at all in other's picture threads. They don't even reply to questions in their own, and yet they keep posting more.

Situations like that bother me.

That bothers me too. I post quite a lot of pictures on PT of my girls, but I would never expect anyone to reply to the thread. I'm quite happy to see the number of views, and it is nice to see people reply. I enjoy seeing pictures of other people's pets too, and try to visit dog and cat general to see pics in there instead of staying in pet general all the time. I usually reply, not necessarily with a huge amount of text, but just a line or two to let the person know how cute their pet is. I also feel the need to post a thankyou when someone replies on a thread I have started, I feel it's only common courtesy.

I have seen some instances of people who post a thread, then hang for ages about on 'Who's online' to see who's checking up on their thread (gah, I must be sad to check up on that kind of thing ;) ). Of course, it is a fact that people who have been here longer get more replies generally than newbies, but people have to learn to take the time to get to know everyone and take the fact that not everyone can reply straight away for granted.

[finn's mom]

I agree with the whole "you get what you give." I know I used to be on here all the time and used to comment a lot! I honestly never felt like I got from people what I put out, but, that wasn't ever too much of an issue for me. I still stop at Pet Talk daily, but, mostly to read my private messages. Every once in awhile (like today), I'll browse more than normal and I'll post a few times, too. There are also a few people that I will just about always post when I see a thread of theirs, simply because of individual experiences I've had with them, usually privately. It's not a snub to anyone if I don't post, I just don't allow myself much time online anymore (although I do find myself falling into that trap sometimes, and, I always regret it later!). I know that certain things bother some people, and, certain things bother a lot of people. I don't let myself get too backed up worrying about what others are going to think about my lack of posting lately. I honestly don't post hoping for reciprocation. I post because I have something to offer (or at least I hope so, anyway!). Anyway, I have posted some picture threads in the last few months, but, I typically post them because I get a private message requesting that I share. :) I haven't read this entire thread, but, I will after I post this. I just thought I'd at least put why I don't post as often as I used to, but, still will occassionally post photos.

[finn's mom]

All right, now I've read this entire thread, and, I guess I never saw the thread where someone got upset when they didn't get replies...people are hypersensitive about things like that, sometimes.

And, to the original poster, I don't want you to think that I thought this thread was directed to me in particular, because I didn't. I just wanted to share my perspective. So, maybe many others who've responded didn't necessarily feel that you were talking about them. Basically, all I'm saying is "don't fret." I don't think you really hurt anyone's feelings by posting this thread.

[caseysmom]

Thanks Finn's mom..I always enjoy your posts and pics so don't be a stranger.

[Cataholic]

Actually, one of the reasons I don't respond to them is because I used to respond as 'aw, how cute' or comments like that and (this happened a while ago) I got a PM telling me that I was just trying to get my number of posts up by posting such 'pointless' comments. I probably shouldn't have let that get to me but it did, so now I barely reply to picture threads.


That is really unbelievable! (I don't mean I think you are telling a story, but, that someone would even state such a thing! Makes me remember why I have occasionally posted a PM. People like that are secret bullys, and **need** to be exposed). Sorry to hear you have taken that particular PM to heart. :(

[Catlady711]

I usually don't look at threads...Unless the title sounds interesting. ei: game, something to do with a greyhound or whippet ;) , or a question that I am somewhat knowlegable on.

JMO Of course


I'm kinda the same way, except in my case it's not just greyhounds or whippets lol

I have dial up, and threads with alot of pictures takes a long long time to load so I generally don't look at ones that have alot of pix, and I don't post pix either, 'cept my siggy. No offence to anyone, I like pix of critters, it's just my dial up can't handle it.

[Twisterdog]

I hardly ever look at picture threads. I don't have time, for one thing. My computer is old and slow.

For another thing ... and gosh, I KNOW this is going to sound rude, I'm sorry in advance ... but I don't necesarily want to look at the same dogs or cats over and over and over and over again. I mean, I like to look at everyone's pet a couple of times, it's interesting to see what types of pets everyone owns and make the connection between the pet and the person. But looking at the same dog in a slightly different pose or in a different costume or whatever several times a week is just not for me. (And, BTW, I have absolutely NO ONE in particular in mind when saying this, so NO ONE better take it personally and be offended.)

I guess I'm just not that into pictures. I have some pictures of my dogs on the computer, but not many and I rarely take new ones. I can't even find the camera, actually.

If I do take the time to open a picture thread, I usually comment though, because it's a subject that caught my attention and interests me. I rarely post pictures, either. And I NEVER open the threads that say, "89 pictures" in the title. I appreciate the warning, though, because my computer would take FOREVER to open that.

I guess, not really being a picture person, I don't really understand what the big deal is. You post a picture; maybe someone comments, maybe they don't. You see a picture; maybe you comment, maybe you don't. Same with regular posts ... sometimes you make a post that generates pages and pages of responses. Sometimes you get one or two. It's not a big deal either way, as far as I can see.

[Lobodeb]

I agree with the saying, get what you give. I know there is one person in particular that seems notorious for posting pics yet never posting in others' threads. When I first joined PT, I tried commenting in this person's thread but quickly saw that he/she never posted in mine, so I simply stopped commenting. It bugs me, I'll admit. Especially since this person posts very regularly, yet not much changes in the picture.

I don't post in every thread for the simple fact that I might not have anything more to add. For example, if there's 3 pages of "awww he/she is so cute," then I really don't feel the need to add another. And since I haven't been around much, not many people reply to my threads anymore, but oh well. Get what you give, right?

I do have to disagree with the person who commented about not knowing technology (sorry, I'm too lazy to look for your post to quote you). If you're techologically saavy enough to post pics, you should know enough to post a comment.

One thing I always try to remember while I'm at PT is something that Karen said a while back. Pardon my paraphrasing, but it was something along the lines of, "we're all here because we like pets, and sometimes that's the ONLY thing we have in common." I think that is so true, especially seeing the number of arguements that have been going on.

[trayi52]

Sometimes I don't respond to posts because I just don't know how to word what I want to say. It is in my mind but it just will not come out right, and sounds so stupid! So I just keep my mouth shut. I think it has something to do with me being bi-polar. My mind is jumbled at times, and then sometimes it is just as clear as can be. Right now it is a bit on the jumbled side. LOL!!

Willie :)

[mruffruff]

Willie, I know what you mean. I think my age is catching up with me. Sometimes I want to post a reply, but when I type it out it, sounds pretty dumb or pointless. So I just don't post. When I do, I don't worry about who or how many views/answers I get.

Some days it takes a lot of concentration to remember how to post pictures. Since no one asks, I don't worry about it.

I'm in an older age group than most people so my interests are different. And I have a lot of 'been there, saw that' attitude just from living so long.

I do appreciate it when a thread of pictures is noted in the title with the number of pictures. I can bypass it if I'm pressed for time at work. Our network is very slow.

[G535]

I'm pretty much the same, far too old to fit in, I delete my comments before I post them lately because they seem rather silly. I still come here a few times a day just to read up on what everyone is doing and check out all the cat photos.