Idiotic people that think they know more than they really do...

[Jaiden23]

It infuriates me to no end how arrogant, self-centered, and ignorant some people are. There are certain websites (where you can freely ask and answer questions) that I cannot stand to post on anymore. The amount of people that feel that because their uncle's cousin's best friend once kept a reptile that that automatically gives them the right to be a specialist on that animal.

I cannot tell you how many times I've seen the following statement:

"Well I had friend that had a gecko so I know what I'm talking about..."

No, you don't. Once you've researched the species, learned the proper way to house and care for them, and have some experience with them yourself, then and only then can you ever claim to 'know what you're talking about'.

I have very little experience when dealing with leos, and by no means do I feel that I'm even close to being an expert, but I've spent some serious time researching them. If I don't know an exact answer to a question, then I research it and check several resources to get the most accurate information I can. Would it kill these people to look up a caresheet once in awhile before they go off spreading false facts? Ahhh!

I recently saw a post that read something like this...

"What watt UV bulb should I use with my new leopard gecko? Don't tell me to use an UTH, I've heard all that crap before and no I'm not going to do that, just answer my question. This is my animal and I will do what I want with it."

Why? Just...why?

There's a difference between not knowing and then correcting the problem once you've learned, and just being an irresponsible idiot.

I've tried answering questions for people on these type of websites before. I plan out a well written, thought out response that fully answers their question properly. It is alarming how many people will choose the answer that consists of two words only because it's what they really wanted to hear...

Don't ask if you aren't willing to take the advice!

:main_angry:

Sometimes I really wish that you had to take an exam prior to being allowed to own a pet.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

I have had this debate on another site I belong to many a t im. Most people want to be validated not corrected. They will get 100 responses saying to do something the opposite of what they did, and 1 response to tell them to keep going and they go along with the one response because they were validated and the rest of the 100 know nothing. It's human nature, some people are just stupid.

 

[Jaiden23]

I have had this debate on another site I belong to many a t im. Most people want to be validated not corrected. They will get 100 responses saying to do something the opposite of what they did, and 1 response to tell them to keep going and they go along with the one response because they were validated and the rest of the 100 know nothing. It's human nature, some people are just stupid.

It's depressing to say the least. It's a shame that so many people will only learn after they've already paid the price of losing a pet, and it's disheartening to think of how many will still continue to do things the same way even after watching their animal die because of it.

 

[gothra]

I'd been through this before, its really frustrating when you try to help but everything you said falls to death ear.

Some years ago in a local reptile forum, a kid asked why his gecko is lethargic and not eating; turns out that he is keeping his gecko in a critter box with wet soil as substrate, the poor gecko is kept in a bathroom, with no heat, and it is as thin as a toothpick. I tried my best to give him suggestion on the proper care in great length (not to mention I use English Windows and it takes me forever to type in Chinese). Then my post was completely ignored, he just continued to ask if someone "more experienced" can answer his questions; he only wanted to know what sort of drugs he could get from a pharmacy that'll cure his gecko. Not to my suprise, about a week later, he posted again and said his gecko died. I couldn't resist and said a few words which the whole thing ended in a big fight (most people jumped on me because they think the kid is already very sad that he lost his gecko, blah blah blah). I regretted so much, I was too imature get myself involved in an internet fight!

Lesson learned; now I understand many people don't want to listen to things that they don't want to hear. I still occasionally answer questions on the local forum, but I won't argue or get upset if someone thinks I'm wrong or my posts are being ignored (hey, I'm not always right, I could be wrong too and I'm still learning everyday).

 

[WftRight]

Sometimes I really wish that you had to take an exam prior to being allowed to own a pet.

If they ever instituted this kind of system, these same ignorant people would have just as much input as you do on the questions that would be on the exam. Their votes count just as much as your vote even though you have studied the issue and they haven't. Furthermore, while most of us believe that a UTH is better than a heat lamp for leopard geckos, there are very experienced reptile keepers who've been successful with the lamps. The argument that animals in nature deal with a heat source (the sun) that radiates heat downwards to warm surfaces also has merit. I'm certainly never going to support the idea of denying someone a pet just because that person doesn't use all of the techniques and equipment that I use. Ignorant people are frustrating, but the letting the government get involved is a recipe for disaster.


Bill

 

[Jaiden23]

If they ever instituted this kind of system, these same ignorant people would have just as much input as you do on the questions that would be on the exam. Their votes count just as much as your vote even though you have studied the issue and they haven't. Furthermore, while most of us believe that a UTH is better than a heat lamp for leopard geckos, there are very experienced reptile keepers who've been successful with the lamps. The argument that animals in nature deal with a heat source (the sun) that radiates heat downwards to warm surfaces also has merit. I'm certainly never going to support the idea of denying someone a pet just because that person doesn't use all of the techniques and equipment that I use. Ignorant people are frustrating, but the letting the government get involved is a recipe for disaster.


Bill

I understand that people have their own methods that work perfectly fine for them. What bothers me, however, is the number of animals suffering on a daily basis because of lack of care. I find it incrediably irresponsible for someone to go out and purchase an animal on a whim when they haven't done any research on how to take care of it.

The use of a heat lamp was not my argument here, that was simply an example. I should have stressed that better.

No, I don't think anyone should be denied the right to own a pet simply because they have different husbandy techniques than I do, but I DO feel that they should be denied until they can answer a few basic questions about the animal, such as what it eats, what kind of environment it needs, and how much space it requires. I can't tell you how many posts I see that read something like this one:
"I got a gecko yesterday, what do these things eat?"
That is something that should have been addressed prior to the purchase of the animal, but unfortunately that's just how some people are.

Do I believe a system like this will ever be incorporated? No, of course not. I also believe that it would be better if petshop workers were instructed about the animals they sell, but they aren't and they probably never will be. Does that change my opinion? No, and that's all that it is, an opinion. I don't expect people to agree with me, I would be suffering from a serious God Complex if I did :main_laugh:. I simply wanted my opinion out there, with no intent to offend anyone, and if I offended you, WtfRight, then I am sorry.

 

[WftRight]

I'm not offended. I just worry about people making suggestions that could lead to a bureaucracy that could deny good people the right to own a pet. There are always people who have strong feelings for their way of doing things and would not hesitate to use the power of the government to force others to conform to their ideas. If we had a licensing system, these people would look for ways to infiltrate the system and change the system to reflect their values.

Personally, I'd love to see some kind of teaching on pets incorporated into high school health curriculum, but even that change would open the door to the wrong kind of people pushing their agenda. The teaching about pets wouldn't try to teach everyone about how to care for every possible kind of pet, but the teaching would focus on how to do the research and the need to do the research first.

Ultimately, the problem is that irresponsible people will be irresponsible regardless of what they are taught or what tests we force them to take.


Bill

 

[Iggers]

In a lot of cases I also think it's a matter of what people are told by a pet store. After all, they're going to believe what a "knowledgeable, animal loving" pet store employee says, not a random person over the internet. If people were told how to PROPERLY care for them by pet stores, I doubt there would be as many issues.

I remember going into a pet store when I first arrived here in the US and asking about leopard geckos. I was told to keep them on calcium sand, use an 80 watt bulb for heating, and to drop in a few mealworms a week. A ten gallon tank was apparently good for two geckos.

At the same time, I saw an 8 year old girl and her parents purchasing a malnourished leo, a five gallon tank, calcium sand, a bulb and a dome.

Sadly, it's not just with animals either. Irresponsible gun owners, for example. I have no issues at all with gun owners. I support ownership of firearms as long as they are kept securely, safely, and out of reach of children. Unfortunately, there are many gun owners that keep them loaded and in a dresser or drawer. Needless to say, we all know what happens when a child stumbles across a gun.

I honestly don't think there is anything that can be done about stupid people. They've been around forever, and they're not going away anytime soon.

 

[Echostatic]

i think if pet stores told people how to properly care for an animal, they would see sales tumble.

 

[The NY Gecko]

I believe this can all be summed up in one small statement.


You can't fix stupid.

 

[FelanMoira]

I honestly don't think there is anything that can be done about stupid people. They've been around forever, and they're not going away anytime soon.

Mass aerosolized birth control :main_laugh:

Oops did I say that outloud! I'm sorry - the 6 years of 911 dispatch jsut came out! :main_rolleyes:

 

[Franks_Geckos]

nOT ONLY CAN'T YOU FIX STUPID, but the sun shines on a dogs behind every now and then, and some clown who knows next to nothing will find a forum that lets them spew their husbandry methods to a bunch of newbies that don't know better, and the next thing you know, people everywhere are recommending that you put your leo on calci-sand and a strict diet of only waxworms.......... my point is.... don't believe everything you see, and certainly even less that you read, until you can prove it all out yourself.