Posts by Matthew Fox4

So, I set up this Pet sub mostly because I just love talking about all our little furry and feathered friends! And since that includes birds—yeah, we're definitely talking parrots too—I figured I’d go ahead and spin off a specific Parrot thread. Just a little space for us to geek out over them!

It’s like any other thread on here, really. You’ve got everyone from folks who don't know a claw from a beak to people who are basically experts on their pets. Everyone’s welcome to jump in, regardless of how much they know. Usually, the ones who are a bit lost just come by to pick the brains of the regulars who actually have the answers. But sometimes, you get a little condescending about what others don't know instead of just giving a straight answer. Like that lady Betty Hayes10 mentioned—she was just surprised that people didn't have more info, especially since they joined the conversation specifically to learn something new!

First things first... did you actually sit down and read even one article about tigers before you decided to go out and buy one?

... but hey, she actually answered the question. Unlike her, though, all you really did to help that guy on the forum was give him an answer:

Betty Hayes10 said:Of course not! I mean, come on... you don't exactly need a manual just to figure out how to play with a toy. It's not like you're trying to assemble a Boeing 747 or anything, right? Haha. Just grab it and go! 🙄

Do you really think this deserves anything more than just a warning for trolling and staying on topic? I mean, you didn't even get a formal strike, but the post was pulled just so we wouldn't discourage anyone else who actually wants to ask questions or jump into the discussion on that PDF from the local community center, you know? We don't want people feeling like they'll just get mocked if they try to participate.

Here we go again. Another one. A lady on the forum asks:

So, I was just sitting here thinking about getting a little feathered friend, you know? And I started wondering... which parrots are actually the best when it comes to training, especially if you don't want to drop more than $500? It’s such a big decision! I mean, I once tried to teach my neighbor's cat to high-five—total disaster, obviously—but birds seem like they might actually have a chance at being smart. Any tips? $233?

I can't even begin to tell you how much I agree with what Betty Hayes10 said earlier. It’s funny, actually... the world around me open the same topic constantly lately, like everyone is suddenly talking about this at once! It reminds me of this one time I was sitting in a coffee shop in Seattle—just sipping on my latte, minding my own business—and two people at the next table started arguing about the exact same thing. It was wild. Anyway, point being, there's just no avoiding it. It's everywhere!

Betty Hayes10 said:I don't know, I just don't think they're that great. Honestly? You're much better off heading down to the local animal shelter and picking up a dog or a cat instead. There are so many sweet pups and kitties just waiting for a home. Personally, I’d just skip the bird thing entirely.

So, since parrots are totally fine to have as pets here in the States, your take feels a little bit off to me. I mean, it wasn't officially flagged as being "off," but it basically got wiped out for that reason. It's just one of those things, you know?

So, just a heads-up, those two posts of yours where you were bashing people for keeping birds as pets got wiped out. Honestly, they were totally off-base and didn't really add anything to the Parrot discussion anyway. But don't worry! All those other times you jumped in with actual helpful advice for everyone else on the forum? Those stayed right where they belong.

Look, I totally get where you're coming from regarding whether people should keep birds as pets or not—you’ve definitely got some valid points there. But honestly? This just isn't the right place to dive into that. It feels a bit off to bring up all that stuff about parrots or any other kind of bird as a pet in this specific thread. What you really could have done was...

So, I was scrolling through that PDF about pets the other day, and it really made me think about how we view our little companions. It kind of opened up the same topic for me—you know, the whole debate over keeping birds as pets. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love animals. My neighbor actually has this gorgeous macaw that just screams every time the mailman walks by, which is hilarious but also... a lot. But it gets me thinking about whether it's actually right to keep birds in cages. Is it fair to them? Some people say it’s like having a tiny, feathered roommate, while others feel like we're just trapping them. It’s such a tricky thing to wrap your head around! What do you guys think? Is it okay to have a parrot, or should they all be out living their best lives in the wild?

The PDF actually brings up the same topic again... the world around me open the same topic.

Speaking of censorship, it hasn't been all that long since the moderators over at Reddit were getting all worked up about your right to free speech on a certain topic, scrubbing away any posts that even tried to challenge what you had to say.

Emily Ortiz3 didn't actually manage to start her own thread; instead, her top post was just pulled from another discussion on the main board and moved over here. Totally my bad for not mentioning that in her post—sorry about the confusion!

It would be super awesome if some kind soul could jump in and walk her through the process step-by-step so she knows how to start a new thread next time. 🙂

Walter Garcia53 said:honestly, I have no clue what I was thinking when I mentioned "linguistic character" (you can tell from my bio that I totally Blebnuo)

No hard feelings, really! After re-reading everything, I realized your explanation was spot on. But hey, more than just being right, you definitely earned some points for making me laugh over at Trash Quote 🤣

Terry Collins9 said:👍
Just wanted to add a little extra context regarding the definition of a railroad track:
A railroad track consists of the assembly of the lower and upper track structures, signaling and safety systems, telecommunications, electrification equipment, devices for securing road and pedestrian crossings, and other trackside installations, signals, and markings, including the track bed and the airspace above the tracks up to 40 feet—or about 45 feet near high-voltage power lines exceeding 220 kV—measured from the top of the rail.

It's good that you dropped the official definition in there. I was mostly just stuck on the difference between a single track and a full line because the person who started this thread seemed pretty confused by the terminology.

Not necessarily. If I remember correctly, the new line in Indianapolis is single-tracked.

It’s been ages since I was in Indianapolis, and I didn't even ride the streetcar while I was there... such a nice city, though. Really pleasant to visit. 😍 Definitely need to go back sometime. 🙂

My mental image of a double-track streetcar line comes straight from looking out a window in Chicago. I was actually wondering if there were any single-track streetcar lines out there, but nothing came to mind. So glad you brought that up!

Think of a railway line as the whole setup—all those tracks and lanes connecting one spot to another.

A single track, though? That’s just one lane, basically just two rails for a train to roll on.

Most of the rail lines out here in America are single-track, which can be a bit of a headache. You’ll see a train just sitting there at a station, waiting indefinitely for a train coming from the opposite direction to clear out first.

That's why you'll always see multiple tracks at the bigger stations; they need that extra space so trains can pass each other or pull over without clogging up the whole system.

It’s actually pretty different from streetcars, where the tracks are almost always double-tracked.

EDIT: Walter Garcia53, as you can see, it isn't just a matter of how we word things. 🙂

analogwalker5 said:Look, I get it, my post wasn't exactly top-tier, but why go through the trouble of deleting it entirely? If it’s bad, just archive it or something if you have to. Why does it have to be scrubbed from the site? Is someone actually going to drop dead because of it?

Before the Reddit admins decided on the whole "scrubbing posts" thing, they actually checked to see if there was any correlation between deleting stuff and users actually dying from it. So, don't sweat it—nobody’s going to kick the bucket over a deleted post. Honestly, people were more likely to die from laughing too hard or being embarrassed that some of these posts were even still up.

analogwalker5 said:Do you think the mods will actually step in if someone signs up and starts flooding the boards with posts in a language most of us here can't even wrap our heads around? I mean, I was just thinking about this the other day while I was grabbing coffee near Starbucks—it’s such a weird thought, right? Like, imagine walking into a local diner in Chicago and suddenly everyone starts speaking a dialect nobody recognizes. It would be so jarring! Anyway, just wondering if the admin team keeps an eye out for that kind of thing to keep the community vibe consistent. (like Turkish, Arabic, or Mandarin)? If that actually happens, man, I can only imagine the fallout. What kind of reaction are we even looking at? It’s gonna be wild. So, I just got hit with an instant ban. Like, totally out of nowhere. Just straight-up red cards everywhere. Honestly, it’s kind of wild how fast things can go south. It reminds me of that time I was playing pickup basketball in Chicago and one minute we were all having a blast, and the next, someone gets called for a technical and the whole vibe just shifts. One second you're cruising, the next you're sitting on the sidelines watching everyone else play. Anyway, yeah... direct ban. Total shutout. Deleting posts... you know, I was just sitting here thinking about how much digital clutter we all accumulate. It’s funny, really. You look back at stuff you wrote months ago and think, "Man, what was I even doing?" Sometimes you just want to hit that big red button and make it all vanish. Like cleaning out a garage on a Sunday morning—just tossing the old junk so you can actually breathe again. Does anyone else get that urge? Or am I just overthinking things today? Or... something else entirely? I mean, do you guys actually take a second to look at what this user is posting—like, maybe run it through Google Translate or something similar first? Or would you just assume he’s some random spammer or troll and hit him with a ban without even bothering to check if his messages actually make sense?
Thanks in advance!

analogwalker5 said:I haven't really seen posts quite like this before, so I'm just asking theoretically here. Honestly, I feel like it would be a good idea to go back and check what the user actually wrote first, but... I'm 99.9999% sure that any posts written in "exotic" languages are just bot spam. I mean, come on—no actual human being would bother posting on a subreddit like this in a language that nobody else here can even read.
So, I was just wondering... are there actually any "approved foreign languages" allowed on here? Or is everything strictly English? Just curious!

It won't be long now... Wait, I think someone actually wrote this... It’s right there in the same PDF. Honestly, I think you actually answered your own question, so I don't really get why you're stressing about getting that post deleted just because it's in Bulgarian. To most people on Reddit, that language feels just as exotic as Mandarin. No matter how wild it looks to you, it's basically just gibberish to the rest of us!

Michelle Alvarez8 said:Look, I’m not giving this as advice—especially not to you. It’s just a simple way to preemptively shut down those "people are going to quote this" arguments. Honestly, some people just can't read for comprehension, can they?

Anyway, you’ve thrown out a mountain of inaccuracies and are trying to pass them off as facts. That’s just not okay. It’s one thing to not know how a specific tech works or how a certain system functions, but it’s another thing entirely to present your misconceptions as the absolute truth.

😕

Look, I’m not giving anyone advice here, especially not you.

So don't quote me then.

Reading comprehension? Zero points there.

My little gray cells send their regards from vacation 👋

Basically, you wrote a ton of inaccuracies and you're peddling them as facts.

That kind of blanket statement could have been slapped under anyone's post on any subreddit.

In the future, try using actual arguments instead of attacking people personally—because, to quote you, that "really isn't cool."

Sophia Thomas7 said:Trying to force higher image resolutions just because some guy posting from a smart coffee maker wants them is honestly absurd. On this site, we allow larger images until someone goes overboard—if we see an extreme case, we just edit it and drop a link back to the source. That’s pretty much our whole philosophy. Sure, maybe 800x600 might give some trouble to people still rocking prehistoric 17" monitors, but honestly, that's their problem to deal with.

I have a 19'' monitor. Should I tell it to stop acting like a 15'' brat and start behaving like a big, smart screen? 🙂

800*600 definitely messes with the page layout. I'll leave it to chance that maybe, through some weird glitch, it only does that on my monitor. Anyway, like I mentioned in my last post, it's up to the admins to decide on photo sizes.

I've said my piece on this thread and I don't plan on dragging this out further, since apparently I'm not just failing at reading comprehension, but I'm also failing at looking at things correctly—it's like I can't even process what's right in front of me on the screen.😵 😵 😁

Michelle Alvarez8 said:There are way too many inaccuracies here...

The actual width of the columns and cells allocated for posts isn't some fixed number—it’s dynamic. It depends entirely on how big your browser window is. So, while it hits its max width when you maximize the window, it doesn't actually depend directly on your monitor's resolution.

An 800px image will only wreck the layout on low-resolution screens—you know, those cases where there's just no room to breathe horizontally. On standard 16:9 monitors, this only really happens when people use photos well over 1000px. I think the last time I saw one of those was on MK, and it was about 1200px wide.

As for quoting, it's pretty easy to educate users with a simple "hey, please don't quote huge photos, just use a link instead." Plus, basic internet etiquette suggests that if you see your post has trashed the site's layout, you'll just edit it and swap the images for links. For the extreme cases? Well, we've always got our favorite memes to deal with. 😁

Not quite!

Michelle Alvarez8 said:There are way too many inaccuracies here...

The actual width of the columns and cells allocated for posts isn't some fixed number—it’s dynamic. It depends entirely on how big your browser window is. So, while it hits its max width when you maximize the window, it doesn't actually depend directly on your monitor's resolution.

An 800px image will only wreck the layout on low-resolution screens—you know, those cases where there's just no room to breathe horizontally. On standard 16:9 monitors, this only really happens when people use photos well over 1000px. I think the last time I saw one of those was on MK, and it was about 1200px wide.

As for quoting, it's pretty easy to educate users with a simple "hey, please don't quote huge photos, just use a link instead." Plus, basic internet etiquette suggests that if you see your post has trashed the site's layout, you'll just edit it and swap the images for links. For the extreme cases? Well, we've always got our favorite memes to deal with. 😁

I have no clue when, what, or where you saw that. I'm just talking about the stuff I run into every single day, you know? And honestly, I’m not even sitting at Grunfov's computer right now.

Look, I don't have any say in the rules regarding photo sizes around here, so if you're looking to push for that change about the 1000-pixel limit or whatever, you'll need to pass that along to the admins directly.

Thanks for the tip on how to educate users and handle that whole "when you see someone totally wreck the Reddit layout" situation, but honestly, I already figured all that out during my first week on the job. So, I was just sitting here thinking about that whole "summa cum laude" thing. You know, that fancy Latin phrase they toss around at graduation? It’s wild how much pressure gets packed into those few little words. Honestly, it reminds me of when I was back in college in Chicago—I remember staying up until 3 AM fueled by nothing but lukewarm coffee and sheer panic, just trying to nail a single term paper. I wasn't aiming for the top honors, just hoping to pass without losing my mind, haha! But there's something kind of beautiful about people chasing that level of perfection, isn't there? Even if it feels a bit intense sometimes. Anyway, just a random thought crossing my mind while I was staring out the window today. Life moves fast!

I’m really not feeling the whole idea of bumping up photo sizes past the usual 640*480 pixels (though I won't count those contest shots people mentioned earlier).

The thing is, the width of this forum hasn't actually grown alongside our modern monitors. So, what happens? If someone posts an 800-pixel wide image, it starts pushing against the text area, totally ignoring the column where everyone's nickname and avatar sit. And don't even get me started on when someone quotes a photo—the posts just go all wonky 😁, you know? They become these weirdly stepped, stretched-out messes that make everything impossible to read.

As a potential fix, maybe we could look at increasing the height from 480 to 640 pixels instead, while keeping that 640-pixel width exactly where it is.

Once the site administrators decide to expand the overall layout dimensions, then we can finally start talking about bigger pictures.

Besides, there's still always a link option for anyone who wants to share a high-res version anyway.

I'm honestly just glad we're on the same page about renaming, cleaning up, and splitting the lizard thread to get things started right. I think it’s best if we move the chat regarding the final plan over to the existing thread instead. No real sense in dragging this onto the PŽK since there's no "A" for agreements in the title anyway, so let's just grab the folder for off

Lisa Young83 said:Actually, while we're waiting, I just wanted to circle back to the discussion happening on this thread before that "problematic" post popped up. It really highlights how the previous administration just didn't have the drive, the interest, or even the know-how to actually fix things. And now, people are basically throwing shade at the current moderator team, claiming they don't know what they're doing or that they aren't willing to play nice.

Just to clarify. When I said "previous administration," I was specifically talking about the old moderator crew.

My bad to the admin team for using the wrong term there!

Susan Perez60 said:Oh, "24 hours"? That’s funny, considering the post was reported on September 1st, 2013. I'd say that's a little bit more than 24 hours, wouldn't you?!

When asking a question over on the PŽK, the standard rule is usually to give it about 24 hours.

The report from September 1st actually got a response. The moderator who made the call will be the one to explain the reasoning behind the decision to you.

But, while we're waiting, let me just remind you of the whole debate happening in this thread before that "problematic" post showed up. It really shows how the old admin team didn't have the drive, the interest, or even the know-how to fix this thing. And now, people are going around criticizing the current moderation team, saying they don't know what they're doing or won't cooperate. It's just... well, you know.

Susan Perez60 said:Yeah, nobody even responded to my report either.

I reported this post

and all the follow-up replies because they have absolutely nothing better to do than clutter up a thread about lizards being pets. If you want to ask stuff like that, there’s a specific thread for it over in the "world around me" subforum. The mods didn't act on the report, and now this whole topic has turned into a total mess because it’s mixing wild animals with household pets.

So, I'm asking the moderators to please step in and move these posts to where they belong. If they aren't sure where, here's the link to the thread they should actually be in:

A user started the thread back on January 3rd, 3012.

The moderator asked if geckos and macaklin were the same thing, then merged it with the existing thread—which was called 'Macaklin' at the time—and renamed it to what we see today: Lizards (Allowed and Not Allowed) as Pets.

Then you commented on the title, the moderator told you to suggest a better one. You argued about the title again, basically disagreeing with part of the wording, and that's where the conversation just died out. I'm not sure if people used the little triangle icon to report or went through the PŽK, but this issue has been hanging around since January 5th, 2012. If we could wait over a year and a half, we can certainly wait a few more days. Besides, if this thread needs fixing, it'll get fixed! We're even planning to reach out to you to help us out with it. 🙂

Susan Perez60 said:I mean, why do we even need a specific moderator to tell the difference between "Hey, what kind of lizard did I just find in my bedroom?" and "Which lizard should I get as a pet?" It’s pretty obvious, right? 🤷

Look, if a moderator doesn't know much about lizards, it shouldn't matter. Any helpful member of the community who knows their stuff and wants to help can jump in to clear up confusion about reptiles or anything else that comes up. That’s basically how this whole board works. The moderators aren't here to act as subject-matter experts for every single topic.

Susan Perez60 said:bluerider2, obviously I wasn't aiming that at you! I was talking about those two moderators who both ignored my question before I finally lost my cool.
Sorry for crashing your thread, but hey, we can't exactly start a brand new discussion for every tiny little thing...

Nobody was ignoring you today, honestly. You posted at 3:08 PM and then started complaining about not getting an answer by 3:49 PM—that's only a 41-minute wait. I jumped in with my reply at 4:04 PM, and really, any admin could have stepped in to say that. I think it's only fair to give the moderator who actually made the call a chance to respond.

I'm not sure if you've sent any of us moderators a private message with complaints since September 1st, but I haven't seen anything. Whenever someone reaches out to me, I try to get back to them pretty quickly. There was that one time where things took a bit longer because we had to coordinate among the staff, and one of the guys was totally offline and couldn't check in.

Susan Perez60 said:So, after all that back-and-forth between the former and current moderators, can those of us who just hang out here on the forum actually get some answers? Like, seriously. Should I go ahead and start a whole new thread, or was my question right here enough? Just wondering. 🙄

The moderator who handles all things macaklin isn't hanging around the forum right now. No worries, though! As soon as they pop back online, they'll get back to you. I actually sent them a quick PM letting them know to check in on the PŽK the second they log in. Usually, the admin team mentions that waiting about 24 hours is pretty standard for getting a reply, so just hang tight for a bit!

bluerider2 said:First question.
I jumped on it and filed my report the second they opened up! So, I was scrolling through my phone the other day—just one of those mindless late-night sessions, you know?—and Temu popped up on my feed again. It’s everywhere! Honestly, it's kind of wild how much they've taken over. I saw this one gadget that looked almost too good to be true, and for a second, I was like, "Wait, is this actually happening?" It reminds me of those old-school flea markets you'd find out in rural Texas, where you think you found a diamond in the rough, but then you get home and realize it's just... well, different. It's funny how we all fall for those bright colors and crazy prices. I ended up clicking on a few things anyway, because, hey, what's the harm, right? Just a little bit of harmless fun. My bank account might disagree later, though! Anyway, has anyone else been sucked into the rabbit hole lately? It's such a trip. I mean, honestly, it felt kind of unnecessary... like, why even bother? She even went ahead and suggested that we should just merge this thread with the other one. First aid—my pet isn't feeling well, what should I do?So, here’s the thing—this whole thread was just left standing there all on its own. I totally get why the FD moderator is being so extra about it, though. Apparently, people keep telling her that this is a super common issue with Maltese dogs, so she's probably worried. But honestly? That doesn't change my mind. It still feels like a completely unnecessary topic, and if you ask me, it only stayed up because of some moderator bias. Or, at the very least, the title is just a total mess.

Since you were recently a moderator and have access to the backend on KLJ, you probably saw that I already laid out my reasoning to the team back on September 3rd. But hey, it’s really no big deal to say it all again! Honestly, so many owners of light-colored dogs—regardless of what breed they have—deal with that annoying reddish staining under their pets' eyes. It's such a common thing. I truly feel like having a dedicated thread for this would be just as helpful as our discussions on anal glands or dental issues. If we’re being strictly logical about it, all of those topics could easily fit under the First Aid – Sick Pet category anyway.

So, let me wrap this up. It’s not really about anyone being biased or playing favorites—it’s more about a moderator just believing that the topic actually needs to be discussed. I honestly don't know who feels offended, slighted, or unfairly targeted by this, though I guess I don't really know how people handle reporting bad thread titles over at the PŽK either.

restlessangler said:I still can't wrap my head around why they shut that thread down, but oh well... whatever!

My bad! I totally missed the rules there, so I'm sorry about that. I'll go ahead and close this thread now and head over to some other topics where I can actually find the answers I'm looking for.

Honestly, I haven't seen anyone actually running two separate threads for the same pet at once in forever. It seems like the standard way we do things now is to first post a "Found" thread, handle all the heavy lifting there—you know, the medical stuff, the recovery, getting them back on their feet—and then once they're stable, you close that out and start a fresh one over in the Adoption section. That’s really what prompted my reaction earlier. Plus, we really need to be quick about closing old threads; otherwise, they just end up burying everyone else's updates onto the second or third page of the PPDF. That was my only reason for pointing them toward the KLJ. There are already active threads there with answers to exactly what they're looking for, and it's much easier to get some extra clarification that way.

So, I’ve only been a moderator for, what, six whole weeks? Honestly, life just hit me with a ton of stuff right at the start of my internship here, and between all those responsibilities, I haven't had nearly enough time to comb through every single one of the rules. I totally missed this. My bad! Seriously, sorry about that once again.

restlessangler said:If my memory serves me right, before the Blue Paw Association really shifted focus, it wasn't even all about the fundraising or those donation drives. It was more about just getting out there and helping the little ones you'd find wandering the streets. I honestly can't quite pin down when things started changing so much.

The new moderators just inherited this whole mess at Blue Paw, so honestly, I can't really give you a straight answer on exactly when things started spiraling like this regarding that specific issue. It's just how it was handed to us.

restlessangler said:Anyway, I’m just one tiny drop in the massive ocean of Blue Paw members who have drifted through here over the years. Honestly, I truly believe that rules aren't set in stone—they evolve, they shift, and they change as we go. At the end of the day, it’s really on me to either roll with the punches and adapt, or just move on. It is what it is!

I guess I have myself to blame. After being out of the loop for so many years, I finally decided to hop on here thinking I’d find a one-stop shop for support and actual helpful info. It’s funny, really—if you think about it. Out of all my pets, I think these are actually the only ones where I haven't had to reach out for financial aid or help with food. Just a weird little irony, I suppose!

I really hope the mods aren't going to come after me for posting this here. Seriously, I’m not trying to start any drama or anything—there’s zero anger on my end, I promise! It’s more like... I don't know, I just have this massive question mark hovering over my head right now. Honestly? I'm just feeling a little disappointed. :/

I’m really sorry I let you down like that—honestly, in my own clumsy way, I feel like I played a part in all this disappointment too. It just wasn't my intention. I truly hope you aren't thinking about leaving KLJ. We can just tackle all these hiccups, the moderator slip-ups, and the messy rule stuff as they come. If we work through it together, we can make sure everyone feels at home here on KLJ and, more importantly, keep doing good things for our pets and the animals we're helping.

Kenneth Ross8 said:Anyway, let's get back to the point!!
...The WHOLE POINT of this thread is:
just getting clear answers to specific questions about opening threads for animal rescue!

1. Have the rules changed?

The rules regarding opening threads to help animals haven't changed in the last month and a half.

2. Are the rules for opening group threads the same—meaning, you don't have to fill out a questionnaire for every single pet anymore?

For group threads, you don't need to fill out a questionnaire for every individual animal. But, if a separate thread is opened for one specific pet from that group, then yes, a questionnaire needs to be filled out on that new thread.

3. What are the rules when an animal shelter is running low on food and there’s nothing left to feed the rescues today?

Blue Paw doesn't have a specific rule for "when the shelter is running out of food," but so far, threads with that kind of content haven't been closed.

4. Why can't someone open an informational thread anymore?? Like, a user finds some kittens, they aren't asking for food or money, but they just need advice on how to raise them. The last thread like this was closed. The user is totally confused.

Since the Blue Paw PPDF is basically part of the Pets PPDF, any questions that already have existing topics over on the Pets section should be directed there. Opening yet another thread for a single animal would just create unnecessary clutter and make the Blue Paw PPDF impossible to navigate. In the thread mentioned, the user was given links to the relevant topic.

Look how sweet this user is being, trying not to spam their own adoption thread:

I don't want to spam my adoption thread, so I'll post here instead..

The little ones have fleas..

...the moderators are just trying to make sure the PPDF doesn't get cluttered with questions that are already covered in other parts of the Pets PPDF.

@Kenneth Ross8/">@@Kenneth Ross8, just a heads-up—if you have questions for the mods, please keep them over in the Announcements, Suggestions, & Ideas thread. That’s been the rule, and really, we want to keep it that way. Just, you know, please skip the provocative tones or those sneaky little insinuations. When questions are framed that way, it makes it impossible for us to engage. Honestly, at that level, the mods just can't—and shouldn't—respond to that kind of vibe. Also, don't forget there's always PMs if you'd rather keep things private; I've seen plenty of people reach out that way and get their answers.

Personally, I haven't gone rogue and implemented any random new rules on my own. I mean, I might suggest some new ideas down the road, sure, but whether they actually become "official" is entirely up to the decision-makers who handle that stuff.

As for when a moderator is stepping away or won't be active, they'll post updates in the designated spot so the right people stay in the loop.

Kenneth Ross8 said:Hey Admins,
Since we haven't heard back from the moderators regarding the question I sent over: First timer here! Just popping in to say hi., Round two!, Third time's a charm, I guess!, Fourth time's a charm, I guess!Hey there, we're reaching out to you.
We aren't the only ones who have brought this up. Honestly, I feel like I've seen this exact same thing pop up on the forums a dozen times already.
I honestly feel like all those written rules about starting a new thread—whether they’re general guidelines or specific ones—should apply to everyone across the board. I mean, if you're looking for any kind of help or support, those rules should hold weight for everybody, and yeah, that includes the moderators too. It just makes sense, right?
Rules for the Blue Paw Association PPDF: 1 I think you might have hit send a little too early! I was just sitting here with my coffee, ready to dive in, but there wasn't much to go on. What's on your mind? Feel free to drop whatever you were working on—I'm all ears! 2.
Since there's a whole thread dedicated to this, I’m really curious to hear what you guys think. Announcements, suggestions, ideas, calls to action... let's hear 'em!Are the moderators even here to give us an answer—even if it’s just something small? Honestly, it feels like they're acting in a way that just pushes away the very donors they need. I get it, maybe we don't feel like the most important people in their lives, but we are absolutely vital to the animals. Without the support from folks like us, so many pets wouldn't be rescued or treated through the Blue Paw Association. We're the ones making sure they actually have a shot at life.

So, since my colleague Chocolate Puma is busy prepping for her big Sunday night plans, I figured I’d jump in and reply to this post myself. I actually already posted on the moderator KLJ yesterday letting everyone know I won't be around for moderation duties for a bit—just some real-life stuff piling up that I need to tackle!

Just to get things rolling—if you click any of those links, you’ll see the moderator's note addressed to Zenabr1. It's all about filling out that questionnaire. According to the rules laid out in the PPDF, anyone looking for help with their charges has to complete it, whether you're running an official organization like the Blue Paw Association or just a regular individual helping out a pet. This whole requirement just went into effect, too. 11.02.2013. So, here’s what the moderators have been sticking to all this time, whether they were dealing with an entire Association or just one person. I mean, looking back, maybe things could have gone a different way with Noin Arka, but honestly? Chocolate Puma was just following the PPDF rules to a T.

So, let's talk about those four inquiries that apparently "aren't getting" any answers. Honestly, I feel like we should dive into this.

Hey everyone, just had a quick question... July 18th at 1:50 AM
Second inquiry - July 18th at 2:12 AM (posted after 22 minutes, and that was well after midnight)
3. inquiry - July 18th at 4:32 PM (Later that same afternoon)
4. inquiry - 26.07. So, I’m getting a yellow card from him now? Seriously? Just because I commented on how the moderators are handling things? It feels a bit much, especially since they posted the rule changes right there on the same page. And don't even get me started on that whole thread about Noin Arka... it's getting ridiculous. 18.07. Check this out! So, how exactly should the Association go about filling out the questionnaire? I was actually just sending a PM over to a fellow Forum member with the answer regarding that specific card, but also... I can't see the link you're referring to! Could you drop it in here? I'm ready whenever you are. Where can I actually see how these Associations fill out their questionnaires? Like, I mean specifically where it shows just the total number of animals they're looking after.

Something Kenneth Ross8 totally forgot to mention is that... July 18th at 1:43 AM So, some spammy comment popped up—it was basically just repeating what the moderator already said to the thread starter—and yeah, it got flagged as spam and wiped out. Total clutter. It happened right when the Suggestions section was getting flooded, kind of at the same time...July 18 at 1:53 AMAnd on that same note... you might end up getting boxed in with some red cardboard, but don't worry, it won't be from Chocolate Puma or me!

So, let me try to wrap my head around this—basically, on that Noin Arka thread, one user fills out the questionnaire, and then the very next day right around noon, Chocolate Puma goes in and bolds the questions to make them stand out. Once that happened, the whole debate about how to actually fill out the form basically died because it was so obvious, you know? Everyone got the memo. Except, of course, for Kenneth Ross8, who just keeps on keeping on with the spam and the endless back-and-forth in the thread. They’re still over there arguing about whether an Association needs to write individual questionnaires for all twelve hundred animals they're looking after or not. Like, seriously? It's such a loop!

Kenneth Ross8 said:Honestly, with this current lineup of moderators, getting a straight answer to anything feels like mission impossible. It’s just frustrating. One of them is somewhat active, I guess, but then you've got others who haven't shown their faces in months. Sometimes I feel like I'm waiting forever just to get a simple reaction—it can take days! Just sitting there, staring at the screen, wondering if anyone even saw my post. It’s a bit of a drag.

That’s just not how it went down. One of our members had been waiting on an answer for a few days because the moderators needed to get on the same page regarding the decision. Since there are only three of us handling things here—and honestly, between work and life, we've all been pretty slammed lately—it took a little while to sync up. But hey, we finally got back to her via PM!

Just a quick heads-up for everyone—moderators aren't actually required to jump in and respond whenever someone decides to throw out a provocation. It’s just how things work around here.

Kenneth Ross8 said:Honestly, looking back at this past year, I really feel like the PPDF is just... dying. It’s been such a slow fade, you know? Just feels like we're watching it slip away. The thing is, when you’ve got moderators who are also sitting on the leadership boards of certain Associations, things can get a little messy. It’s that classic conflict of interest, you know? Like when someone's wearing two different hats at once—it just makes everything a bit complicated.

I can't really weigh in on this one. I’ve been acting as a moderator since June 26th of this year, but just to be clear, I’m not a member or part of the leadership for any animal rescue Association. So, there's absolutely no conflict of interest on my end!

electricstag16 said:So, I started this thread called "Castration - Health Benefits" where I just wanted to ask a super straightforward question and get some simple answers. But now the whole thing is locked. Does anyone know which rules I actually broke? Thanks!

Well, you actually tripped over a few different rules across three separate threads here:

- off-topic stuff or spamming
- trolling
- being disrespectful toward other users
- ignoring moderator advice and warnings (both in the thread and via DM)
- talking back rudely to mods when they tried to warn you

On top of all that, the way you started the thread wasn't really how we do things here—you didn't use the multi-quote tool, and instead of just editing your posts, you kept dropping new ones one after another in a really short amount of time.

Since you just joined us about a week ago, we were being pretty patient. We pointed you toward the forum rules, suggested better ways to communicate, and sent you warnings both on the thread and through private messages. We even let you start the thread in a non-standard way just because it had potential for a good debate, provided people weren't being obnoxious to each other. But since that didn't happen, the thread had to be shut down.

jadetrucker43 said:You really should have been saving those photos to your Flickr account or some other service where you can actually set up a private album or collection.

So, what you're saying is I should upload my pictures to Flickr first, and then just link them over to Reddit?

Can you point me toward which service would actually work best for what I'm trying to do? Honestly, I've never used any of these things before. Does Google Photos count as one of those options? And am I able to keep like two or three different albums on the same account? I assume so! I think it’s pretty obvious from my questions just how much of a total newbie I am with all this tech stuff 🙈