The Thread
Act XV - Scene Two
GREETINGS
We are here to observe communications.
Please excuse our interuptive presence.
One of the challenges we will face will be to distinguish between what is fact and what is opinion.
We will observe and offer some thoughts on the following ...
LadyOctopus wrote:
I think this can be chalked up to a learning experience. Not a pleasant one.
Learning: A necessity of life.
The gathering of knowledge for a useful purpose.
Learning experiences can take many forms ... some are more difficult to possess than others, but they are most commonly considered to be positive experiences.
Along with gained knowledge, there are also thought-provoking attributes, which often lead to further experiences, creativity, and additional knowledge.
Valuable lessons are the result of learning experiences. These lessons transform into solid knowledge, which may then be applied to an endeavor, usually constituting a positive value.
LadyOctopus wrote:
Please also keep in mind that the original intent of this thread was for Damselblue to ask hobbyists' opinions on whether this would be considered ... "GOOD" i.e., quality rock ... OR "BAD" i.e., don't keep it in your system because those shapes are neither conducive to the healthiest beneficial bacteria population nor are they conducive to the highest quality or number of pods one could have.
We have observed that Damselblue's initial communication began with this statement ...
"I just want to know if this looks like good LR or bad LR."
It appears from this statement that Damselblue merely pondered which category her live rock fell into to ... good or bad.
The separation of extremes "good" versus "bad" could have narrowed the window of possibilities in regard to shared thoughts, but many responses offered additional advice and viewpoints.
We have noted that newly-created definitions of either "good" or "bad" places the entire communication process into disarray, destroying the intregrity of the communication.
The problem with EITHER-OR THINKING
is that it eliminates two very real possibilities
of NEITHER and BOTH.
LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE ...
Less Than Two Months Later
Damselblue posted some updates regarding her tank ... here is something she shared ...
"I am breeding copepods right now ... I have an 18 gallon refugium and live rock in the sump-fuge and in my main display, where I have a pile of safety rocks for the pods to hide in. It's going to be Pod City."
Hmmmm ... must not have been too bad
for bacteria and pods afterall.
We'd like to share some thoughts regarding some of the other comments offered by LadyOctopus ...
LadyOctopus wrote:
Damselblue is not a professional photographer with years of experience in the field of capturing the details of each shot. SHE IS DOING HER BEST TO SHOW WHAT SHE IS TALKING ABOUT ...
... Damselblue is neither trying to SLANDER this company or FALSELY PORTRAY the actual product she received.
From our observation, Damselblue's photo "skills"
were never put into question. However, Damselblue's own
perspective may have reflected in her photographs, as it was
not clear why certain features or vantage points were not shared.
Birdfish: "Not to dis Damselblue's photo skills, but the (probably digitally determined) exposures are very dark (underexposed) and very light (over exposed). What you lose in either case is color. Over and under exposed photos do not show the true story ... It is not Damselblue's fault, it's just how light and color work."
LadyOctopus wrote:
It is duly noted that one should follow the recommendations of the seller if one would like the seller to be receptive to complaints about the product.
In all of the research Damselblue has done, she found what she felt was good protection against bad hitchikers.
When Damselblue was advised that "the dip" was NOT recommended by the seller, she did not agree.
She stated that the seller had previously recommended the dip, which was not the case.
"I also have been told I did the right thing ... If you go to the website I have mentioned, you will see that treatment is recommended."
It appears that Damselblue DID actually expect the seller to be receptive, yet did NOT feel she needed to follow their advice when they attempted to give it.
LadyOctopus wrote:
Nothing done during the acclimation process affected the shapes of the rock received - can we focus on that for once?
We have observed that upon
first receiving her live rock,
Damselblue had this to say:
"The rock has very nice shapes, but the rock looks like base rock. ... LadyOctopus said it looks completely like base rock."
Some hobbyists commented positively about the shapes, while others had mixed opinions ... it appears that there was much focus placed on shape.
Both shape and size were discussed at length when the term "base rock" was evaluated.
LadyOctopus wrote:
The simple matter of the difference in type and quality of shapes ... keeps getting pushed to the side here and clouded with talk about coralline algae coverage ...
We have observed the following
comments made by Damselblue herself ...
"...where is all this coralline I was supposed to get?"
"...why was there about 5 percent on my rock?"
"...There is maybe 5 percent coralline algae ..."
The concern about the coralline algae coverage was posted by Damselblue ... others stepped in to comment, but it does not appear as though in doing so that they were pushing anything aside.
And, for individuals who have
posted negatively about Damselblue's
complaints, I have another message:
Have you forgotten what it was like when you started your first system? The amazing highs and lows brought with each new discovery?
Why are you criticizing a conscientous new hobbyist instead of attempting to educate and promote good reefkeeping practices?
Our observations show that many fellow hobbyists offered
excellent advice. Those who did not agree with some aspects of
the conversation or comments that were made, often replied with
helpful advice and insight.
"I guess I'm just one of those stupid people in the hobby that experienced people cannot stand. I'm here to learn."
Damselblue may have felt that others were being overly critical of her because she was a novice.
An impressive amount of shared knowledge was offered by those who were not in agreement with Damselblue.
Conscientiousness often requires a care and precision that can only come with experience and time.
We observed amazing "highs and lows" ... and some hobbyists attempted to quell some of those lows ... not to be critical, but to be helpful.
Promotion of good reefkeeping practices appears to be exactly what was offered.
The mind is like a parachute ... it only functions when it's open.
It is time for us to say good-bye.
We hope our thoughts and observations
have helped in sharing other viewpoints.
Now you are on your own ... may an
open mind be with you.
...Continue to Act XVI - Scene One
