Please Read Before Posting In This Section

MacandHunter · Post by **MacandHunter** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 5:26 pm

Welcome to the HCA new members! Hope your enjoying your time here so far.

I'd like to say that there have been some topics posted in this section that often needed to be moved. I just want to clarify the kind of topics that should be posted in this section.

Post topics here that say:
You are new to this forum.
You are new to this forum, and have a question about hermit crabs.
You are not new to this forum, but you have new hermit crabs to introduce.

Don't post topics here that are:
Just asking a question about hermit crabs, with no hints that you are new to the forum, or owning hermit crabs.

So, just remember to introduce yourself here, and maybe ask some questions in your first topic. But after that, please look for the right section when you have a question to ask.

Thank you. If you have any questions regarding this subject, please post here.

Post by **JediMasterThrash** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 4:58 pm

Next, We'd like to clarify the kinds of responses that should be posted in this section.

Templates/Questionnaires:

We want new crab owners to feel as welcome as possible. Unfortunately, in our experience over the past several years, templates and questionnaires, no matter how good, complete, or well thought-out they are, tend to overwhelm some crabbers. They impose a standard of crab care, and open the new crabber up for potentially unwanted responses and advice regarding their every deviation from the imposed standard conditions, food, and setup.

Now, on the other hand, we understand that some crab owners come here for advice and help, and would find the templates as helpful starting points.

Our policy is that if a new crab owner just posts to say "Hi, I just got crabs!" or "Check out these pictures of my tank!", we can point them to check out the caresheets and FAQ, but go no further. We should just welcome them, and share with them our enjoyment of our shelled companions.

However, if a new crab owner specifically asks for advice, help, or to know what they could improve in their crabitat, then please give any advice you can. But please bear in mind that there is no single standard of crab care that everyone must adhere to.

Our disclaimer is that no template or questionnaire is officially approved by the HCA, so any that are posted by members are solely the responsibility and opinion of the member who posted it.

Thank you again. If you have any questions regarding this subject, please post here.

hermietastic · Post by **hermietastic** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:07 pm

So if someone has not enought depth to their substate we are not allowed to say anything?

Kilimanjaro · Post by **Kilimanjaro** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:26 pm

Hermietastic, I think we are allowed to suggest that they add more substrate. We have always gave helpful advice to new members and no one has had any problem.

If we just said, "Welcome to the HCA" and gave no helpful hints, we wouldn't be much help. Then the new crabbers would have to take time to find out they need deeper substrate and post additional topics.

hermietastic · Post by **hermietastic** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:29 pm

Ok. So I could say, "I would add a couple inches of substate for molting, destressing (to relive stress) and just for fun! It is so funny when you wake up and you see holes everywhere! LOL!

"

Kilimanjaro · Post by **Kilimanjaro** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:30 pm

That's what I would do. I have been giving advice and crabber tips to new members since I joined and no mods have ever complained about it.

Tetracolor · Post by **Tetracolor** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:53 pm

Yah, I typically give out a teeny bit of advice to and I've never been asked to stop so I'm sure as long as it's not an overwhelming amount you should be a-okay.

Post by **JediMasterThrash** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:06 pm

But remember, this is the New Crabbers sub-forum, and not Crabitat Conditions sub-forum.

We have seen many times when a new crab owner comes onto a board (not just this one, but all hermit crab boards), and is extremely excited and happy about their new crabs and crab tank. And then instead of the warm welcome they are looking for, they get 10 responses along the likes of "your substrate is too shallow", "I don't see a salt-water dish, don't you know they need salt-water", "is you're humidity at 80%? You need a glass lid", "don't feed them commercial food or they'll die", etc, etc.

And we have seen the new member get upset and leave, because instead of making friends, they just got berated for not having the proper setup.

This is what we want to avoid. If members remain on this forum, they are more likely to eventually learn and adopt the best care techniques. If we scare members away, then we've lost a chance to help.

There is nothing wrong with letting someone know that crabs need deeper substrate. If someone asks for help or advice, then as was stated, by all means, give advice. And if you want to offer advice out of the blue, at least make friends first, and find something good to say about their crabs or setup before commenting on something that could use improvement. But just take into account how new the member is, and how well they might take your response.

Once they start posting in the Crabitat Conditions, or Food & Water, or Emergency forums, then the constructive advice is more likely to be called for. We're just saying that the "New Crabber" forum is a place for new members to introduce themselves; there are half a dozen other sub-forums where we can debate about crab care methods.

Post by **JediMasterThrash** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:10 pm

Kilimanjaro wrote:That's what I would do. I have been giving advice and crabber tips to new members since I joined and no mods have ever complained about it.

1613 wrote:Yah, I typically give out a teeny bit of advice to and I've never been asked to stop so I'm sure as long as it's not an overwhelming amount you should be a-okay.

Kilamanjaro and 1613 are both right here. We've never said that giving advice is bad. We just don't want to overwhelm or scare away new members. That is all. There is no clear-cut line you can draw and say this is OK and this is too much. Just think before you post, and I'm confident there won't be any problems.

hermietastic wrote:Ok. So I could say, "I would add a couple inches of substrate for molting, destressing (to relive stress) and just for fun! It is so funny when you wake up and you see holes everywhere! LOL! "

And what hermietastic has done here is made the advice fun, and friendly. You are all very good at dealing with new members, and presenting advice.

The problem is that templates begin to lack the friendly and personal factor. Instead of a friendly comment like "I love watching my crabs climb! If you increase the humidity, you'll see more activity during the day", they get:
4. What is your humidity?: I don't know...
Follow-up: "You need to get a hygrometer and maintain 75% humidity".
It looses the friendly factor, and creates an overwhelming todo list.

hermietastic · Post by **hermietastic** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:54 pm

Whenever their is a new crabber, I always say, Hi! Don't forget the salt water, deep subsatate, and gauges! Welcome! You will love it here, hermies are sooooo adicting!

Is that okay?

Tetracolor · Post by **Tetracolor** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:09 pm

Yah. Sounds pretty ok (from my understanding of this subject anyways) to me.

I typically say something around those lines also.

Post by **JediMasterThrash** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:47 pm

Sounds great, hermietastic! [smilie=bigsmile.gif]