A question and thanks for my Happy Birthday email

[KevinD]

First thanks, I know it is automated, but I appreciated the Happy Birthday wish, but I had a question.

 

This is a specialized website devoted to our partners in life, and you guys are very active.

 

 

The question is this, do you feel like facebook takes away from the site?

 

I'm old school and not going to do any advertising, I have a small hosting business, not for profit, more of a hobby, but I keep hearing the same things from clients over and over.

 

 

There saying everyone has turned into a facebook drone, and the personal aspect of whatever their web site has to deal with seems to have been robbed by facebook.

 

So my question is, over the years you have been here, do you see the same thing? Just your core users that know each other stay, and the rest come and go?

 

 

For the help I found here, Ill be a lifetime member because of the friendships, loyalty and sincere folks I have found.

 

In fact my situation has almost calmed to the point, Im going to try and set up a meeting with one of the members here.

 

 

I would never even consider doing that with someone on facebook.

 

 

I dunno, just wondering if anyone had any thoughts about the matter.

 

 

 

 

On the most important note Sukei is doing fine, we have found him an Avian Vet (He didnt need one, but I wanted to give him a good check up after all he has been through)

 

Vet reports he is more then healthy, again thank you all.

 

 

V/r

 

Kevin

[Ray P]

We may never meet our fellow members in person, but we all have a common connection with our feathered flock that is very strong.

We care and share all that we learn for their best interest. We hurt at the loss of our members and or the loss of any of our flock.

When I lost Cricket my Blue Fronted Amazon 2 1/2 years ago in was the members that shared my hurt.

I do not have that kind of connection of FB.

My wife and I have had birds long before we had a computer, and help was hard to find.

We know and understand what this community brings to its members and it goes beyond just friendship.

[Greywings]

There is value here in belonging to a "flock" that reaches out for answers and ideas and support. Hubby is on several Facebook groups I am on none, just don't want to open my life up to folks. On here we share our journeys into discovering how an alien mind works and how to reach across that species gap to touch that feathered soul the way they can touch ours. Grateful we have this platform.

[Timbersmom]

I'm very active on facebook but haven't found the groups there to be as helpful as this forum. I've been a member since I rehomed my grey, and the answers and support I found here were invaluable.

 

There are several members who have been here since I joined and are active, some pop in occasionally, and many are just "passing through," they ask a question or do an introduction and are never heard from again.

[SRSeedBurners]

The problem with the Grey groups on FB is they are too dang big. 'African Grey Parrots' is almost 17,000 members now. Really hard to keep up with a page that is that huge. When things get really dead around here, i.e. I can logon for several days in a row and there's nothing new, I start lamenting the FB groups because I know that's why a lot of these forums are now pretty empty. My Caique forum that was really neat has pulled the plug. Also a quail forum that I used to frequent a ton, I just checked: last post was May 8th of 2016. All stolen by Facebook.

 

Facebook is great for pics, videos and what I refer to as entertainment. What you lose is the searchable real information that ends up getting archived. These forums are the only way to do that.

 

Now for some entertainment that I saw on the African Grey Parrots page:

 

Remind you of anybirdys you know?

 

Edited March 6, 2017 by SterlingSL

[murfchck]

Happy Birthday!

The lack of internet has kept me away but I'mm Baaack! My facebook time is with lost parrots and that is pretty much it. Oh, there is a fresh parrot food one I am in for the goodies they post that one day I may get the energy to make, and also Felix, gotta love Felix.

[danmcq]

IMHO, this forum is unique and has always had the ability and right people here to take a new grey owner by the hand in each stage of their learning curve to the very experienced grey owner that knows all the basics but has questions on behavior, health, diet etc. that they wish to bounce off other grey or other parrot owners. I am on FB constantly and find amusing with the various videos and posts by friends that I follow.

 

With that said, none of the Grey or other Parrot groups hold a candle to this Forum and the valuable insight, knowledge and caring members it contains. It has become very slow here, but that does not indicate it is no longer relevant. It is not as flashy and entertaining as FB, but it is a treasure trove of knowledge and great advice. When i do see grey owners on FB asking about information, I point them here.

[Inara]

IMHO, this forum is unique and has always had the ability and right people here to take a new grey owner by the hand in each stage of their learning curve to the very experienced grey owner that knows all the basics but has questions on behavior, health, diet etc. that they wish to bounce off other grey or other parrot owners. I am on FB constantly and find amusing with the various videos and posts by friends that I follow.

 

With that said, none of the Grey or other Parrot groups hold a candle to this Forum and the valuable insight, knowledge and caring members it contains. It has become very slow here, but that does not indicate it is no longer relevant. It is not as flashy and entertaining as FB, but it is a treasure trove of knowledge and great advice. When i do see grey owners on FB asking about information, I point them here.

 

Could not have said it better, Danmcq! Facebook, I keep limited to close friends and family, as I don't like all of the "click bait," and the security issues with it. Plus, for me it gets to be overload. Here, I trust the information when I'm seeking something, and I know that everyone here truly cares about each other and our fids. BFFs!! Best Flock Forever! And a happy late birthday, Kevin!

[Kya]

I have belonged to several bird groups on fb - I have even been asked to moderate a few of them. The members come and go, and they have nothing to lose for blasting someone for the way they do things, never taking into consideration that what works for one parront will never work for another. It's easier to hide behind your phone or computer on fb and stir the pot, in my opinion. There are lots of groups to move on to if you burn your bridges in one. After awhile, I realized I had never seen so many judgmental know it alls in my life, and I dropped out of the majority of the groups. There is one that I do really like (The Top Perch), it's well moderated and light hearted, and I've yet to see any judgment - I guess the clean up crew comes in pretty quick!

 

In a forum setting like this one, members actually get to know one another, and there is more respect. I have learned so many things on here about greys, even though I don't post every day, I'm always reading. The information here is invaluable. It comes from members who have years of experience, and those members come here to help when help is needed, or just cheer others on when they find themselves with a grey and aren't quite sure what to do from there. It's more like an internet home. More comfy...

 

Honestly, if it weren't for us living in Kentucky and a large part of our family living in Ontario Canada, I would not be on facebook at all.

[KevinD]

All these reply's are the things I speak of. There all lost on the gang mentality of facebook.

 

Whom ever runs this place, thank you, and please dont surrender to the facebook drones.

 

Ive watched them since Ive been back to the US, Ive seen them in restaurants and supermarkets and gas stations..... the only reason they reply to anyone or anything, is because their phone or watch or other attached device alerted them.

 

Its not because they read the post and actually have something to say, but rather dont want to be seen as not responding.

 

Every time I say something here is because I think I have something that may help someone, if not I dont say anything.

 

Susan is putting Sukei to bed, he says goood night see you in the morning

[SRSeedBurners]

Something I just read in another thread reminded me of another benefit of Facebook, not that I'm trying to justify it over this forum or anything: there are TONS of people out there just like me. When I first got my Grey and the other rascals we have, I felt like maybe something just wasn't right in my head. I had this overwhelming feeling to treat these guys like they are my flesh and blood children. I dote on them. I smother them with affection. I worry about them. They are pretty much the majority of what I think about on a daily basis. After getting onto several groups and seeing how other's feel about their birds...well now, I'm completely normal!

[Ray P]

I am going to jump in and say, You don`t have to be normal to be part of this group. You just have to love parrots and that is O.K.

In this forum we are the norm.

[Talon]

I have seen an enormous drop in participation here since Facebook has become such the norm for many people. It is very easy to share pics and videos to FB, and can be a chore to share them here. I also see many parrot groups there as well. I prefer not to join in the goings on as far as parrot groups in fb. People there don't care about us there like they do here. This is family, we mourn for each other's loss, love following each and every parrot here.

Even tho people don't spend much time here, it will always be our soft place to fall.

[Sam.A]

 

The question is this, do you feel like facebook takes away from the site?

 

 

I can't speak for this site, but I also own a forum which has around 12,000 members, and Facebook definitely has had an effect. Many members take to Facebook instead of posting in the forum.

 

The downside to Facebook is that information retrieval is not nearly as good as with a forum. Some FB groups have a search feature, but it's still nothing compared to a forum. But the world is on Facebook and it's easy to browse your favorite groups while you're interacting with family and friends. I do both forums and Facebook.

[katana600]

For my two cents, I have no facebook. My absence from the forum just recently is due to computer changes during a life phase change. Becoming a grandma from 1,000 miles a way with the rest of my family 1,000 miles in the opposite direction. Trying to learn to use a tablet instead of a laptop, new operating system, "weird" keyboard etc. when I haven't This forum has been with me through the first little redbellied hen we acquired, then through loving and losing two baby greys to rehoming my "parrot with issues". We all have a common bond in loving one or more unique characters with feathers. I trust the minds behind the scenes to guide and suggest changes because its not a quick snappy comeback, its like a family, but better..