So many reefers always looking for praise…

[Paul B]

and claim that the younger generations and what is popular with them, is going to be the downfall of society

I think that way.

I feel the same way. I actually started a thread about this exact same issue a while back when I was particularly irritated after seeing a couple of replies that took a HUGE amount of effort and the op never even acknowledged them.

I started one also, but it was 25 years before computers were invented so I had to snail mail it to anyone who I thought one day would get a tank. I am still waiting for a response.

 

[WVNed]

I think that way.



I started one also, but it was 25 years before computers were invented so I had to snail mail it to anyone who I thought one day would get a tank. I am still waiting for a response.

You are not alone. But the water has boiled and the frog is dead.

 

[MaxTremors]

While somewhat self serving, those videos/pics can help inspire others to do the same. I daresay quite a few R2R members enjoy looking at the toy drive pics every year and seeing how happy the kids are.

I think that is exploitative. Poor or marginalized people are not props to be used for internet clout. Filming them without their consent (and even if consent is given, the power differential can make it questionable). At the very least, even with consent, their faces should be blurred. But even then, i just find it kind of gross and exploitative. If you want to give to charity or to those less fortunate, you should do it because you’re able to and because you want to, doing it for clout, to show off on social media, or to use it as ‘content’ kind of ruins and corrupts any altruistic motivation. It is no longer selfless and becomes transactional. So while I get that it can inspire other people to be charitable, there’s a really fine line between inspirational and exploitative.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

While somewhat self serving, those videos/pics can help inspire others to do the same. I daresay quite a few R2R members enjoy looking at the toy drive pics every year and seeing how happy the kids are.

But do you post everywhere that you are taking part in the toy drive? Probably not, because your humble and a decent human being.
Seeing the outcome of the toy drive is one thing, to try and get praise for taking part in it, is another.

 

[ZoWhat]

E V E R Y hobby has quite a bit of self pride in saying, "lookey what I've got"

Exotic cars
Restored muscle cars
Custom motorcycles
Wine collectors
Gun collectors
Stamp collectors
Coin collectors
Lawn and garden ppl
Baseball card collectors
Butterfly collectors
On and on....

..... everyone wants other collectors to say "Wow, your stuff looks great"

It's called VALIDATION

.

 

[Cell]

But do you post everywhere that you are taking part in the toy drive? Probably not, because your humble and a decent human being.
Seeing the outcome of the toy drive is one thing, to try and get praise for taking part in it, is another.

Don't we have badges for Toy Drive contributors?

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Don't we have badges for Toy Drive contributors?

If that's why you do it, that's on you

 

[Cell]

I would contend it matters not why.

 

[revhtree]

Don't we have badges for Toy Drive contributors?

We do not.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Howdy,

Heres the thing. Once you realize what this is all about, the rest does not matter. It is about that little critter in the water box. It doesn’t care if you have a $200 pump or $2000 pump. Keep it happy and the rest falls in line.

Try reverse psychology. Next time someone lists their tank and thousand of dollars of equipment give them a list you perfected after years of hard work. 3 X1 Dosers $210, 2 used AI HD 52 750, ATO $149, skimmer 399, 2 vortech $800, Maxspect Dc pump $270, sump and some other crap and grow some colonies.

Money don’t mean crap. It is all about the care and recreation of the habitat. You do need money to do it, but there are ways to make it happen

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Idk doesn't really bother me as much as certain big name people who constantly promote super expensive equipment.

 

[Ashish Patel]

Thats with everything I guess but in my mind this does not really work with dope reef tanks. The best tanks are achieved through years of learning curve and not driven by anyone's praise but their own!.

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

I don't even know what instragram and twitter is.

So you are saying you are old?

 

[Doctorgori]

ha you won’t get any “reaction” points by being brutally honest around here, esp when people ask for aquascape opinions…
I usually pass on posting on those,
yeah online reputation and recognition is becoming more and more important apparently
Sometimes your popularity is a function of courtesy and personality more so than knowledge…
Lots of freaking name dropping esp amongst the “who’s who” of our reefing culture….

 

[KeepSwimming12]

This might just be me but since I joined this hobby I get the impression that many people are in this hobby simply to get praised and to be put on a pedestal. I’m not talking about the ones who share their passion for the hobby, giving/taking advice, etc. I’m talking about the ones who do not care about the well being of their fish, corals, or whatever forms of life they buy just so they can be praised by others on social media. I feel like so many people just use this hobby as a way to flaunt like they have money. By having the latest and most expensive equipment, corals, fish etc. Regardless if they’ve done any research on it. They do it because it’s the newest fad…for likes and comments. I saw one guy the other day flaunting an octopus on his social media he just got mixing it with clearly non compatible organisms. It was a clear disaster in the making. I feel like people don’t care about the organism anymore as much as they do as the likes and comments they get on their social media of their picture perfect tanks. No one is original anymore…

I haven’t come across this very often which either means I’m rather lucky or it’s not as prevalent as other ways of engaging in the hobby which would be great if it’s true. I’ve come across a YouTuber that loses so many fish and abuses so many that I have no doubt he’s lost upwards of 100 fish at this point which is mind boggling. The idea that people don’t do research before buying fish is saddening to me because it suggests they buy merely for asthetic which suggests to me a regard for fish compatibility comes second which it most certainly shouldn’t

 

[Paul B]

So you are saying you are old?

Very old. To me, computers were invented like last Tuesday.

 

[Marco Vasquez]

That’s not just reefing but just how social media is. People want likes (we have a like button here) and followers. Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, whatever.

I get paranoid when people follow me. Why are they following me? I’m running away!!

 

[Isopod80]

This might just be me but since I joined this hobby I get the impression that many people are in this hobby simply to get praised and to be put on a pedestal. I’m not talking about the ones who share their passion for the hobby, giving/taking advice, etc. I’m talking about the ones who do not care about the well being of their fish, corals, or whatever forms of life they buy just so they can be praised by others on social media. I feel like so many people just use this hobby as a way to flaunt like they have money. By having the latest and most expensive equipment, corals, fish etc. Regardless if they’ve done any research on it. They do it because it’s the newest fad…for likes and comments. I saw one guy the other day flaunting an octopus on his social media he just got mixing it with clearly non compatible organisms. It was a clear disaster in the making. I feel like people don’t care about the organism anymore as much as they do as the likes and comments they get on their social media of their picture perfect tanks. No one is original anymore…

I agree. It's the same in other hobbies as well. Look how many people use reptiles and invertebrates to scare and impress others. In the 70s and 80s it was large exotic cats being walked down public streets on leashes. It's simply a testament to shallow people. While modern social media certainly makes it worse the fact is this has been going on for years. Too bad the animals catch the brunt of it.