I guess I need to address this again. Yes, I did come down hard on Joe about this. Why? Because I DO own both sites and it is my desire to have BOTH of them doing well in all aspects. Take a look on THIS site and see what I have posted in the
Linked Websites section:
Now why in the world would you suppose I have put such a thing HERE.
And then go over to the CornSnake Discussion forum over on FaunaClassifieds and look up at the top of that section to see this:
Good Heavens! I'm actually linking both sites via those links to have each one help the other! Not what in the world possessed me to do such a thing?
Gee, I don't know. So you tell me.
You don't suppose there is any possibility that some people might just find FaunaClassifieds via the search engines and be interested in corn snakes, now would you? Or conversely, they might find CornSnakes.com and have an interest in that other site? Stranger things have happened.
Websites like this one and FaunaClassifieds tend to become online communities. People often like to make a home of the one place they tend to frequent the most often. If some people on FaunaClassifieds have tended to make that their home, and they are interested in corn snakes, doesn't having a forum there for them seem a likely good thing to do? Why should I FORCE them to come here, register anew, before they can discuss anything about cornsnakes? In my opinion, that just doesn't make sense based on how both sites are doing and growing.
Further, I know most of the discussion forums on FaunaClassifieds have been slow and lacking in traffic, which is why I specifically appointed specific moderators to each one with the explicit directions to PROMOTE those forums and to get activity and participation UP. Do you honestly think I would request of Stephanie to NOT come to this site and try to solicit some people's help in that regard? LOOK at the forum over there since she took it over. And when you have done so, you tell me HONESTLY whether or not you think she is doing an excellent job of what I have asked of her.
As for the results of what I have done over there adding in moderators to promote the discussion forums, well I think the results speak for themselves:
That image of new posts made per week was taken on this previous Monday, which is why the topmost line only shows such a small number. But considering I started this plan on March 20th, I think it should be obvious to everyone the positive change it has made in traffic.
So do you really think I want people HERE to attempt to discourage ANY of my moderators from doing what I asked over THERE? Do you think I appreciate such a thing from anyone who in all reality has no real business belittling what my moderators or MYSELF is trying to do over there? Well in case that's a tough one to come up with an answer for, the answer is
NO not one little bit. At best, some people here could certainly help out, because really what is the harm? It would really hurt you THAT much? And at worst, you could just ignore that forum entirely, if that is your own choice, and not worry about it at all. But to try to discourage those efforts THERE with threads like THIS here, just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. What is the POINT? What is hoped to be accomplished?
I really don't see the point of this conversation at all, when no matter what choice anyone makes really should affect anyone else at all. You don't want to go to Fauna? Fine, then don't. No one is forcing you to. I welcome EVERYONE here, just as everyone here is welcome there. If the forum over there is redundant concerning this site, well so what? How many other sites are there out on the web with Corn Snake forums? Does the fact that I own this one and Fauna make any real difference to that fact? I run quite a few different sites, but certainly I don't try to limit anyone from posting certain topics in only one of them and not the others. Why should I?
Oh and another thing about the comments about the "nastiness" over on FaunaClassifieds. Not long ago I cracked down HARD on people engaging on that stuff over there. Some got booted out for good because they were not willing to remove the antagonism from their postings. I'm not saying it has been completely eliminated, but it is far and above better then it used to be. And I have no qualms at all about showing someone the door who proves to be way overboard in the manner in which they speak to other members. So please don't judge the FaunaClassifieds of today by what you say of the FaunaClassifieds last year. It's not the same place and I for one, and certainly glad of that fact.
And also concerning the comments about the how people use the BOI. Sorry I disagree. It is running exactly how I intended it to run. It's a peer based pressure cooker to try to force people to do business the right way. If I limited to ONLY those people with direct experience, it would be worthless. It would be far too limited and not give nearly the kind of feedback that anyone who wishes to remain in this business needs to see first hand. Quite frankly, it works much more effectively then any other avenue available to us in those kinds of situations. You are welcome to disagree with the methods, but you can't argue about the results.
Anyway, I hope that explains my position a little bit more clearly about quite a few issues that were covered. I do value input and opinions, but when they are apparently destructive to my goals, whether accidentally or not, then I do have to take exception. I'm doing what I think is best. Sometimes I am right and others I am wrong. But if I believe I am right and you believe I am wrong, well the only option you really have is to go create your own websites, do what I am doing, and see if you can do better at it then I am. If you think it is all so easy, well I think you are in for a surprise.....
