Opinions are like noses...

Queenbee

Queenbee

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I'm not normally a grouch about these things but its really ticking me off at the moment... There are so many threads where people are asking for one thing and getting another. I know this is a public forum, but more than ever it seems that some posters are using this as a deliberate attempt to just be obtuse and critical.

A couple of examples...

I asked in my thread about suggestions for topical treatments, but to begin with just got a load of 'opinions' saying if it was me I'd get the vet... I quite clearly did not ask 'how would you handle this?' I asked 'what topical ointment would you recommend?' And had already stated that if it got worse or no better then I would call a vet.

Another poster started a very specific thread about rehoming a horse, a last ditch attempt... She DID NOT ask what would you do, what are your opinions? And of course despite this the entire 'if it were me, personally I'd PTS!' Absolutely not the posts that were requested or were even relevant to the thread.


Why oh why can't people read threads properly and write their posts accordingly?! I'm not at all saying people aren't entitled to an opinion, or even to voicing it, but that should be on threads entitled 'what would you do?' Or 'what is your opinion?'


Honestly, at the moment there seem to be way to many people who can not read a damned thread title properly and write their post accordingly... As I said, normally I don't give a damn about this kind of thing, but its such a common occurrence at the moment... Why is it that people are so deliberately obtuse, and is it just me that gets narky about this kind of behaviour? I'm sure I won't care in a couple of days when I see people behaving like that on here... Perhaps I'm just hormonal... But I just had to have a bah humbug moment! Lol

Right, I'm getting back in my cage now:rolleyes:
 
Well I suppose posters could have responded with, I wouldn't use an over the counter remedy, preferring to get the vet.......
 
amymay said:
Well I suppose posters could have responded with, I wouldn't use an over the counter remedy, preferring to get the vet.......
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Or they simply could have abstained from posting as again I didn't ask whether they would use an over the counter remedy...

But to be honest it was the rehoming thread that ticked me off... It's like: cant you idiots read???! it really ticked me off as the posts were wholly unhelpful. Yesterday when I started my thread I just thought 'here we go again!' I'm all for the diversity and opinions on here... Just in their rightful place. If the thread is specific and doesn't call for opinions/views... Why the hell post a response if its just not relevant?
 
As my husband would say, RTFQ! ;)

I am sure that most people are just trying to be helpful though, even in a roundabout way.
 
Oops I think I'm guilty of this on a different thread. :o I do think that sometimes the 'conversation' moves on and different things pop up which leads the topic away from the initial post; just like in real life really. What irritates me more is when people don't read the responses to threads and pile in with advice or ideas that have already been covered or ruled out by the op.
 
People respond when they draw on their own experiences. People may speak from experience by doing what a poster had described and wished to save said poster if possible, from potentially enduring what they had to go through. This was the reason for my post on your thread.

I agree I have seen on some other threads that people miss the point entirely and it can turn into a witch hunt, which is not on.

I'm not sure about the other thread you were referring to in your OP, but as far as your thread re eyes is concerned, I didn't think what people said was all that bad with reference to your original question.
 
Snow queen - i did not see the thread about the eye - but i would just repeat what I was told by my husband whom is an optician

"over the counter stuff should be banned even for humans, and espeically should not be used on horses.

But then he has the same opinion on over the couner stuff for humans - this is one thing i wont mess with... as hubby says - it does not take much to loose an eye.

So would you have been happy with this post on your thread or not ?

And sorry if i have gone wrong on your thread now :)
 
touchstone said:
Oops I think I'm guilty of this on a different thread. :o I do think that sometimes the 'conversation' moves on and different things pop up which leads the topic away from the initial post; just like in real life really. What irritates me more is when people don't read the responses to threads and pile in with advice or ideas that have already been covered or ruled out by the op.
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This is different though isn't it... The natural progression of a discussion, versus... A wilful misreading of a post to use it as a sounding platform for your own views and opinions.

It's happened again in the bath thread... Someone clearly asking: 'I have a bath and want to use it in the field for water, how would you plug up the hole?' The first Darwin Award response was... Along the lines of baths are dangerous and your horse will die... Use troughs specially made for horses instead... Wtf?! It's like there responding to a completely different thread! The natural development of a thread to cover wider and associated topics is completely different from downright wilful misreading of the thread to fit your own response.
 
It depends though. If a poster asks for arguments sake, for recommendations as to which bit to use to get her green 4yr old in a competition position, I'm not going to recommend a bit, I would be suggesting they learn about riding correctly & bringing on youngsters. Even if that isn't what they asked. And plenty of other similar type threads where the answer might not be what the op wanted to hear. If I asked for advice on joint supplements for my oldie, saying her first few steps after a night in don't show perfect flexion, then yes I'd expect replies along those lines. However if I asked for advice on joint supplements because my oldie was crippled with arthritis & unable to walk properly, then its logical people would tell me to get a vet.
 
Crimbowitch said:
Snow queen - i did not see the thread about the eye - but i would just repeat what I was told by my husband whom is an optician

"over the counter stuff should be banned even for humans, and espeically should not be used on horses.

But then he has the same opinion on over the couner stuff for humans - this is one thing i wont mess with... as hubby says - it does not take much to loose an eye.

So would you have been happy with this post on your thread or not ?

And sorry if i have gone wrong on your thread now :)
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No I don't take offence at that, my argument is that what we generally get for humans is what the vet would prescribe us anyway. I knew full well that a call out by my vet would in the first instance result in the prescription of a topical eye ointment... No more no less, so I just wanted to know what others used. My boy is very much on the mend after a few sessions with sterilised water and a couple of t bags last night anyway so I'm pretty sure he will be fine... Just a blocked duct. :)
 
The_angel_littlelegs said:
It depends though. If a poster asks for arguments sake, for recommendations as to which bit to use to get her green 4yr old in a competition position, I'm not going to recommend a bit, I would be suggesting they learn about riding correctly & bringing on youngsters. Even if that isn't what they asked. And plenty of other similar type threads where the answer might not be what the op wanted to hear. If I asked for advice on joint supplements for my oldie, saying her first few steps after a night in don't show perfect flexion, then yes I'd expect replies along those lines. However if I asked for advice on joint supplements because my oldie was crippled with arthritis & unable to walk properly, then its logical people would tell me to get a vet.
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Ah, but in the first instance, you could just choose to not post... And in the second... What would you expect the replies to be if say for instance you said... 'My horse is having trouble... It's stiff, a bit creaky, old etc, I'm going to try a joint supplement and if theres no change or improvement or it worsens in any way I'm going to get the vet out?' Would you welcome 'vet:eek::eek: now:eek:'?

See the problem on here sometimes is that people don't know who they are talking to and treat everyone like dummies who haven't got a clue... But there are also those who think they are bleeding god... Then there are those who are completely genuine but again, just a moment reading the post and thinking about what exactly the op is asking, then there are those who do it just to be contentious I think.


I'm not a novice, I'm pretty savvy, god even my vets respect my knowledge and my ability to make a well judged call on my own animals health and condition... So unsolicited advice does grate, especially when I need advice I've no problem asking for it specifically.
 
The_Snow_Queen said:
No I don't take offence at that, my argument is that what we generally get for humans is what the vet would prescribe us anyway. I knew full well that a call out by my vet would in the first instance result in the prescription of a topical eye ointment... No more no less, so I just wanted to know what others used. My boy is very much on the mend after a few sessions with sterilised water and a couple of t bags last night anyway so I'm pretty sure he will be fine... Just a blocked duct. :)
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He would have just recomended cooled boiled water, with a little bit of salt in (this is more comfortable for the eye of the horse as its a saline solution), and it also makes the water more sterile if you know what i mean, and if the eye was puffy - he would have said soak cotton wool in cooled salted boiled water that has been chilled in the fridge. Do not wipe one eye and then do the other - use a clean piece of cotton wool for each eye - and if no better within 24 hours get the vet
 
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Well thankfully he is much improved today :) I picked up some salt this morning and did the whole saline thing... Luckily there is no puffiness or inflammation to the eye... There was just the gunk, although this morning that was gone too, still weeping but clear...so a humongous improvement overnight, I'm hoping that come tomorrow he will be completely back to normal :)
 
I think the issue arises when the thread is emotive or open to opinion. For example your question about over counter treatment for eyes, eyes really are something not to mess about with so the choice you want people to make is offer you what you want to hear or go away and leave you to (in their mind based onavailable info provided by you) let your horse risk blindness. Instead people who are passionate about horses respond to suggest a vet. Perhaps rather than being offended that people have not responded only with cheap over counter treatments but have suggested vet, you consider maybe your horse needs the vet, or maybe a horse with the symptoms you described could need the vet.
 
Ok, point one... This thread is not only related to the 'eye' thread... It's towards an opinionated irritating predisposition of a few on here. Point two... If the vet prescribes the same bleeding ointment as you would get over the counter what business is it of anyone else's if I go to boots and buy the same stuff to treat MY horse, emotive or not I asked for a name of an ointment... Not a bleeding soap opera. If someone feels strongly that should be their issue... I'm sick of the you should PTS, you're going to hurt your horse etc... When that has absolutely nothing to do with the thread... Emotive or not, it's not the question being asked and therefore not the appropriate answer to the threads.
 
We could look at this another way QB. It's quite clear that there are a lot of novice horse riders/owners on this forum. Maybe when people reply 'call the vet' or 'don't use topical ointments' etc they are really saying it for the benefit of these people who may be reading the posts? It's one thing to have a conversation with someone else who has real life experience and another who's just Googled a subject. For those with the experience, it's VERY clear who the Googlers are and who has actual factual experience; but that doesn't mean that everyone on here can tell the difference.
 
I concede SF that is a very fair point, but not everyone is expressing their opinion for that reason and many people are able to differentiate between novice and not novice
 
Spring Feather said:
We could look at this another way QB. It's quite clear that there are a lot of novice horse riders/owners on this forum. Maybe when people reply 'call the vet' or 'don't use topical ointments' etc they are really saying it for the benefit of these people who may be reading the posts? It's one thing to have a conversation with someone else who has real life experience and another who's just Googled a subject. For those with the experience, it's VERY clear who the Googlers are and who has actual factual experience; but that doesn't mean that everyone on here can tell the difference.
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Sorry being thick here... how do you know if someone has googled something ? i tend to take each post at face value... i only post about what has happend directly to me, or to someone i know 1st hand..... do people honestly pretend on here that they know more than they do - and if so what on earth is the point of that ??
 
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Crimbowitch said:
Sorry being thick here... how do you know if someone has googled something ? i tend to take each post at face value... i only post about what has happend directly to me, or to someone i know 1st hand..... do people honestly pretend on here that they know more than they do - and if so what on earth is the point of that ??
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I have to say when certain issues are presented and people are asking for advice or ideas I'm not averse to googling, but I will always cite the link... And explain that it's something I've read/found as opposed to personal experience... I don't particularly think there is anything wrong with googling, but yes I agree with you, to pass it off as personal experience is pretty sad :(
 
OP if you want a forum where you decide who is allowed to post, and what the content is, then I guess you are going to have to run your own forum. This is pretty much a public space and in much the same way as in other public spaces, people will give their opinions, whether others want to hear it or not.
 
FestiveG said:
OP if you want a forum where you decide who is allowed to post, and what the content is, then I guess you are going to have to run your own forum. This is pretty much a public space and in much the same way as in other public spaces, people will give their opinions, whether others want to hear it or not.
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Ho hum, no hum, no hum... *whispers* I'm pretty sure you missed the bit where I said I recognised that this was both a public forum and that people were entitled to their own opinions... I just think there is a distinct lack of respect for others on here at the moment... And perhaps I'm lacking in patience of others... I think I already kind of said this too with the whole 'I may be hormonal' line... I just don't get why you can't ask a straight question and get a straight answer... It's a bit like asking...

Question: 'What does this fruit taste like'

answer: 'it's red'

Cue head-desk moment, I mean its like 2 people talking different languages with no interpreter, I just find it frustrating when you come on here asking a simple question and ou just need a straightforward answer, and it gets bogged down with unsolicited advice from people who seem to only be saying what they are saying because they want to strut their knowledge and prowess and their 'better than thou' attitude. As I said, I'm narky, but you can tell those types, just as you can tell the googles and the genuine people. And sometimes you just think for the love of god!!! Just tell me what the hell the sodding fruit tastes of!!! I can already see its red!!!

If someone wants to hit my royal narkiness over the head with a bat... Go ahead:o
 
Lol yeah I hate that as well and folk use the whole 'if you post on an open forum' crack to excuse the fact that they are being downright rude and unhelpful.

Totally get you SQ ;)
 
Its a comment on the OP's point and not aimed at anyone in particular just like the OP's point so how is it any less helpful? Don't get where you are coming from with saying its rude. Its just what I don't like about uncolicited advice on threads and more relevant to the OP than talking about here horses eye which was a whole other thread (which I didn't read sorry OP :o) as far as I can't see.

Not aimed at poster either :)
 
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