Would you be interested in a training blog?

[MandyG]

Hopefully, since I've done this before, my methods will be more refined and I'll be able to demonstrate it the right way without making too many mistakes.

It's ok to make mistakes, not only do you learn from it but we do too!

[budgiebuddy]

hey that is true he will make the mistakes for us so we don't have to !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Michael]

One of the things I am interested in attempting to study is modeling. I'm not sure yet how effective it will be and will give it up if it doesn't work well. But for instance rather than training targeting by the classic method, I want to put the Cape in cage to watch me target Kili around the room and then let the Cape out and see if it learned to target just from watching Kili. Same for recall. I know some of you may be disappointed not to see the simple one bird methods for training these but I already have videos of those training on Kili and Duke. If the modeling method is ineffective I will just use the typical method then.

[budgiebuddy]

that sounds like a good idea but it might not work cause it is only a baby but it is up to you i was wandering do you think if i got a big big cage that is ment for like two or three macaws do you think i could put a parakeet a senegal and a hybrid macaw in the same age to live together but seperate or do you think it wouldn't work i am just wandering cause it would save the hassel of having to go to seperate cages to to feed and get them all out

[MissLady9902]

You absolutely should not put all those birds together in the same cage!
If you don't want the hassle of opening separate cages then only get one bird.

[Michael]

Ok, as I prepare to get my Cape soon, I'm also finishing up preparations for my blog (which I coded from scratch unlike most blogs). You may have noticed a new link to it in the top left of the navigation menu on the forum (BTW if for anyone the addition of the link messes up the navigation bar when you are logged in because the Logout[yourname] button gets too big, let me know and I will downsize "Parrot Training Blog" to just "Training Blog" so it can fit better).

http://trainedparrot.com

While there is not yet much content, I am curious what people think of they layout and navigation? If you click on the article title, you're led to that specific article's page. Currently the long versions of blogs are all shown on home page but eventually when there is a lot of content, it will be just the start of the article on home page and click title to see in full. The author name is clickable to see all articles by that author (in case I have more writers later one). On the left you can click categories to see articles in that category. At the bottom of some articles (currently cage article only) there are tags and if clicked they lead to other articles that contain those same tags.

Do you think there is anything important missing? Is there anything else that you think I should add? If/when the blog gets a bit more popular I'll come up with some sort of subscription feature to allow people to receive updates by email when new articles come out. I'll make a nicer banner featuring both parrots when available. I wonder if I should make an about or author profile kind of page about my background/experience? It isn't very much really. I'm by no means an expert in parrot training. The purpose of the blog isn't to be a "train your parrot to jump through hoops, stop biting, and do anything you say on command in 15 days or your money back" but rather to show people what/how I do it to aid them in figuring out for themselves how to do it.

I'd especially like to hear feedback from folks who have their own blogs or visit many blogs.

[skeetersunconure]

oh i think thats a great idea michael count me in i really want to know how to train baby birds and stuff like that!

[Michael]

New Update

I have been analyzing the database structure of the forum and have confirmed that I will be able to do this feature I've long been considering for the blog. I want to integrate the forum/blog to some extent.

What I intend to do is to create a new forum category "Training Blog" or something like that. For every blog article I post, I will create a forum post in that category with a link to the article. Forum members will be able to post comments/replies/suggestions/ask questions in response to the article in that post directly on the forum. These forum responses will then also appear in the blog underneath the article as "comments." Most blogs allow readers to comment but I want to integrate the discussion with the forum. So if you are a forum member and logged in to the forum, when you click the "post a comment" link under an article, it will actually take you to the forum discussion where you can post a reply as your forum username. Non forum members will have to join the forum in order to comment. So basically all article comments will go through the forum but they will also be visible under the blog itself for non-members. Hopefully that will encourage non-forum people who find the blog posts helpful to come and join the discussion. I think this should create a nice exchange of parrot interest going both ways. It will encourage forum members to read and discuss the blog but it will also encourage strictly blog readers to join the forum.

This feature is not yet implemented but I am starting to work on it as it is rather complex to make. So if anyone has any questions/suggestions about this feature let me know. Let me know if anyone has any objections.

Some people may think I'm putting an excessive emphasis toward my blog idea on the forum but they can just skip reading the forum discussion section if it is a problem. I think the cross over is a good way to create more discussion and bring in new members. Lastly, it is my hope that eventually other members of the forum or parrot community will contribute to the blog as well so it will really be a cross-linked collaborative effort where the blog will be for articles and the forum for discussion.

[Michael]

I am more strongly considering having an email subscription to the blog. What I'd like to know is if I should send an email reminder every time a new blog post comes up or if I should send scheduled ones perhaps once a week reminding of the newest available posts? How would you prefer it if you said you'd like by email?

Even if you don't want blog by email but have a preference in terms of how you receive other newsletters, let me know.

[lzver]

My preference is to send an email when a new blog is posted.