How BAD is YA Dog Section's advice and "ratings"?

Question

It's amazing. People come here and ask a question.

Let's keep it simple. Let's say they ask about how to train their dog.

Other's come on and tell them to take their dog to an obedience school, or class.

They then get MULTIPLE thumbs down for that reply. I'd love to see the system changed, where you had to prove you have some knowledge to start rating the replies.

My other favorite one, and one of my sensitive areas, is when people come to this site and start asking for help because their dog has just bit another dog, or worse yet a person.

You then get folks here giving all sorts of idiotic advice that not only wouldn't solve the problem, but could potentially make the situation worse. As in the dog could cause severe damage to someone in a subsequent bite incident.

I have to wonder if the anonymity of YA was removed, if this same bad advice would be given out. How about if they sued both YA and the person who gave the bad advice?

Answer 1

Hello,
I have not been here for very long, but some people can be very mean, not only about the questions & answers but about someones spelling too, I've seen this on Yahoo. I also have my e-mail address so if someone wants to, they can e-mail me . When I answer a question I answer what I know, if I don't know it, then I move on to another one. I've gotten some thumbs up & down & some best answers, we don't get anything for them but points, so why should people care so much about them ? I know it's nice to see best answer when you get one, but again that's it. I like to think I have knowledge on dogs, I've worked with vets, I was a groomer. I still do on my dogs & my cats & my friends dogs & cats. I don't know all & I don't claim to. I just try to give my advice to what I do know. I think it's funny when people on here say all backyard breeders don't know what they are doing & if you do, you still get a thumbs down. It took me a lot of reading & working with vets & lots of questions to learn what to do BEFORE I even though about breeding my Cockers, the pups that I sold had their first shots, wormed & vet check up before I even sold them. They had their AKC papers & I took everyones name & number that I sold too, I even gave them some puppy food with the pups for the first week that they got them to start them out, but not good enough for some people on Yahoo ! Not all backyard breeders are bad & again, not all breeders are good either. But I'm looked down on because I don't call myself a breeder & I get thumbs down on my answers. I'm 52 years old, I don't play games on Yahoo questions & answers, I speak only on what I
know. I'm not trying to hurt anyone, just help them. Now about being sued , it would be very hard to be sued by someone on here, we are only giving advice on here, we don't clame to be vets & most of us tell people to call their vets. I like questions & answers, I have made new friends on here & a lot of people do know what they are talking about & do give good answers & questions !

Answer 2

This is a very good question. I haven't been here long, but I decided to come here with a sincere desire to help people.
The general pet owning public is uneducated for the most part . We also live in a society where people want instant gratification (i.e, "I want to know NOW!"), and want the quick fix to everything from training dogs to breeding. And that's what makes this forum a little dangerous.
There are clearly some people in the dogs section that have no business giving advice. It's scary when that answer gets chosen as best and gets "thumbs up"...usually because that's what the person wants to hear I guess. There are also some very educated people on here that clearly have a clue and are knowledgable and they get blasted and reported...like the others have said. Too many people are using the "ratings" as some sort of revenge...in their own twisted way.
Then you seem to have a group of people that believe that if you don't adopt from a shelter you are the scum from the bowels of hell...so any answer given by a person that owns a purebred, or shows dogs, is given an automatic "thumbs down"....go figure...

I don't know what the solution is, I just hope that anyone who uses this forum is able to sort thru the garbage, find the most logical answer, and follow up with a professional( if needed)....

Just some thoughts

Answer 3

Raising dogs is just that devisive of an issue. There are so many different opinions out there about what is appropriate and what isn't. My dog eats almost anything I eat--some people have a real problem with that, but as long as she stays a healthy weight (like she has for the past five years) I'm not changing it.

A lot of the thumbs about training may also come from dog owners who have never had a really headstrong dog. I haven't had one myself, and it made me wonder what kind of a person needs a professional trainer to get a dog to behave. Then I met a difficult dog and could understand how the owner had so much trouble with her, and that someone less dog-savvy than him would want professional help. And the 'dog psycology' folks will never agree with the 'respect, reward, and punishment' crowd. No one teaches paper training anymore--it's all about crates nowadays--and I've used paper training and never a crate for every pup I've had.

I guess all I'm saying is that there is more than one way to do it right, and people get really opinionated that their way is the best way.

Answer 4

That would be weird if YA and the adviser were sued, but the anonymity is probably going to stay.

That is me and my dog, and I'm available on email. Yeah, some things I post are just for fun, but I usually make that fairly clear.

But through the fun comes the aggression questions, the life or death situations, etc., and people on the internet come and go as they please. I think the community regulation should eventually even itself out - as long as we are all vigilant.

A lot of times the advice is bad, but I do wish I could make a quick comment as to WHY I gave a thumbs up or down. Even multiple choices like "misinformation, off topic, clever, right on" or something would be better than "up" or "down" if you ask me.

Answer 5

If you are going to malign answerers for being less than polite, you darn well better make it just as pertinent to askers. I will post an answer that is the dead honest reality, with the vast majority of knowledgeable aswerers givng a similar answer, then the asker will not want to hear it and use foul language and brate the anwerers for not agreeing.

As for the thumbs up/down, sometimes I will see a question, and there are a few people who have given answers almost exactly as I would have. Instead of typing an answer of my own that just echoes the rest, I will thumbs up those I agree with. I thumbs down answers I find detrimental to the animals in question, or are dead out wrong. If someone doesn't agree with an opinion I have, I don't do anything if it isn't detrimental to an animal.

As for anonymity, some folks on here are single females living alone. No way should their names and such be required here in cyberland as there are some scary freaks out there. That just isn't safe in this day and age.

Answer 6

I feel your pain. While some of the thumbs down reviews come from people who disagree because it's not the way they do things (for instance, I'll give a thumbs down to any answer that suggests sticking a dog's nose in its waste for housetraining; it might work for some dogs, but it's disgusting!!), I am sure that some people think they are just sssoooooo funny when they give every answer a thumbs down. If THAT's what they find entertaining...

There are regulars on here who really want to help and give knowledgable answers. And there are those who want to help but don't have the knowledge and expertise needed for some of the questions they answer. Then there are those who want to be smartasses. Hopefully those who post questions for serious issues are able to sort through the junk. I think it would be great if there was some way to prevent the jokers from answering the tough questions, but that likely isn't realistic.

Answer 7

I think there are several things going on in the Dogs section right now.

1. I think there is a backlash with some of the people who answer questions regardless of the answer they give. There's been some sort of weirdness with people who want the Spay/Neuter group (who are also some of the most educated dog people) to lose their accounts. So I think some of the thumbs down are just sour grapes.

2. You are correct that the anonymity of the Internet lets people say and do things they normally wouldn't.

3. People want to hear they are doing the right thing and don't want to be criticized - even slightly. If they read an answer (or many answers) that go against what they are doing (even if it really is the right answer - go to a vet, go see a trainer, old roy dog food is junk) they will give it thumbs down. People want quick fixes. That's why they are here in the first place.

4. The general public is uneducated about dogs. I didn't realize that until I started hanging out in this forum. It's not a bad thing, it's just a fact. People have a lot to learn and they don't like being told what to do by strangers. This medium (electronic, impersonal) is very difficult and it comes across as terse, rude and harsh. Combine that with telling someone something they don't really understand, or didn't know or that they don't want to hear, it becomes a negative.

Is the Dog section a bad place for advice. Nope. I learn from people every day. I'm a dog savy person and I learn something new every day. I also get new things to look up etc.

I even met someone in my own city that does rescue in here. How cool is that?

It's what you make of it. The ratings are worthless. I think you get out of it what you put into it and I don't really worry if people give me stars, thumbs up or down. I already know I have a lot to learn. I also have a lot of knowledge to share.

=)

EDIT:
And Cindy IS my name.

Answer 8

I think you raise an interesting point, and will throw in my two cents' worth.

As it is, YA! is a democratic system, where anyone and everyone can say something. The one you suggest is akin to a totalitarian regime, where in order to participate you would have to meet certain criteria for membership. And who would you trust to draw up that criteria and then enforce it responsibly? Not to mention, I doubt it would be a free service!

I for one would prefer to wade through the unhelpful answers and pick the one that's best for me. I would rather be given a wide range of answers and choose from there. For example, some posts are 80% filled with nonsense or wrong info, but the first sentence might actually be quite helpful. I may not pick it as Best Answer, but that doesn't mean that the Poster shouldn't post it.

I agree that some advice is harmful, but if dog owners are going to substitute seeing their vet or consulting a lawyer (in the case of a bite or damaged property &c.) for following the post they chose as Best Answer, then they're an idiot to begin with, and most likely wouldn't have followed the excellent advice no doubt someone else gave. (Hope that makes sense!!)

Anyway... that's just my opinion. I'm looking forward to hearing what others have to say!

Answer 9

I see where you're coming from, but YA is nothing more than a forum. Some of us know what we're talking about, and some of us just think we do. If a situation arises that is so dire that real concrete advice is needed, this is not the place to look for it. That is when you contact a professional. I come here to share what I know...but I do not, by any means pretend that I am a professional..nor do I believe that my advice should ever be taken over that of a veterinarian or trainer. And I take any advice that I am given with a grain of salt. I direct all of my serious inquiries to my vet...I just like hearing the opinions of others.

Answer 10

Well as you can see the thumbs down fairies have landed on this question too.

I think you have to take some advice given with a grain of salt. Then pour it on a open wound! Some is very bad and you know it is some youngster just goofing around.

I will look for those I know who are knowledgeable and read what they have to say. I don't answer training questions unless it about pups mouthing. That's it! I'm not a trainer. I ask questions of those who are. Or I will star a question for them to see and answer.
As far a biting goes I'm sorry but just one bite is one too many. I don't trust dogs who have bitten. Too much aggression going on for me to answer correctly, again that needs a trainer to handle. That's what I suggest!
I feel your frustration all the time and I do my best to be polite and to answer correctly and with my knowledge on the subject.
I personally feel the age requirement for being here should be raised. 13 is too young to know much of anything other than what they see on TV.
I have my e-mail open for anyone to speak to me directly so I feel that is sufficient for now. Unless Yahoo change their rules then I feel more comfortable with it the way it is as far as that goes.
It's a Sue happy world Sir. Anyone can sue anyone for just about anything. And they do!

Answer 11

Some people are more anonymous than others. I'm always available by email, although it sometimes takes me quite a bit of time to get back to people when they do email me.

Generally, there is a lack of respect in society at this time. People have not been raised for about the last 30-40 years or so to listen to others and weigh knowledge and opinions. As a friend of mine put it "kids raised in the last 30 years never learned critical thinking". This has led to people who believe everything they've read... or, conversely, people who believe nothing they read. What follows are opinions that are not based in fact. Add to that an overly permissive society where parents have not disciplined children... let alone their dogs. There's a complete disconnect between the discipline of learning and the discipline of structure... and it all just gets worse from there. Frankly, I believe EVERYONE should have to successfully raise a puppy to the age of 3 years BEFORE being allowed to have children... if you can't raise a puppy... how on earth do you think you can deal with a mouthy 2 year old?

Yes, some of the advice here is garbage. My sincere hope is that most people have some slight degree of common sense (although I do despair of this at times) and weed through the garbage and find the actual advice... of course, then again.. that requires critical thinking....

Bleh