Posting links

[Wolf]

I know that Michael has mentioned this in the past and he thinks that it is time for a bit of a refresher on posting links on the forum. By rights I should be making this post in the announcement section of the forum, but I feel that I will have a better readership by posting it here.

To begin with this I am going to present the wrong way to post a link. and inform you that Michael considers this way to be spam and that any new posting of links in this manner will be treated as such by being removed and a pm sent to the party that posts in this way. So here is the wrong way to post a link....

Hey guys, I found this to be interesting ( link)

Now for the better way to use the link ....

Hey guys, I came across this article, study or whatever and I found that it was very interesting because it presents a new or different way of viewing the many different issues of parrot behavior. This article presents several points in it of which I find myself in disagreement ( or agreement) with points 1,3 5 and 9 because of these reasons ( explain your reasons)
(link)

This is just one of the ways that would not be considered to be spam and would be more beneficial to the forum. This very basically say that you shout read the link and tell us a bit about it to start or continue a discussion about it and then tell us what you found to be the most important features about the link and why. and post the link.

Since this is something that affect us all especially for those times when we wish to start a conversation based on a link, I thought that this would be the quickest and easiest way to reach the largest number of our members. I chose to post this here due to my observations that many of us do not keep an eye on the announcement section of the forum. So I want to remind you all to keep an eye on this section as from this point forward I will be doing any announcements in its proper place.

[Chantilly]

Thanks Wolf
True I dont often visit the announcements unless there is a new persons name at the 'last post'.
Will start looking there more

[Wolf]

Hey guys, while there has been a little improvement in this area Michael is not happy with it and thinks that there is still room for improvement and after looking at the most recent posting of a stand alone link, I must agree with him.

Michael suggests that the party posting the link read the link and then summarize it before posting the link. Again I must agree with him, but I am unsure as to what interpretation will be placed on summarize the article.
I remember something from my early years in school where it was explained to tell who, what, where, when and why. And that would make for a pretty good summery. I think that if we are going to post stand alone links that we should consider telling the story that is related in the article and then posting the link for those who are after more detail. Try to make the link a nice to have thing, not always a need to have item in order to understand what the article is about. The exception to this would possibly be if there is already an ongoing discussion about the topic that the link relates to.

Let's see if this improves this, shall we.

[~Karen]

Hey guys, while there has been a little improvement in this area Michael is not happy with it and thinks that there is still room for improvement and after looking at the most recent posting of a stand alone link, I must agree with him.

Michael suggests that the party posting the link read the link and then summarize it before posting the link. Again I must agree with him, but I am unsure as to what interpretation will be placed on summarize the article.
I remember something from my early years in school where it was explained to tell who, what, where, when and why. And that would make for a pretty good summery. I think that if we are going to post stand alone links that we should consider telling the story that is related in the article and then posting the link for those who are after more detail. Try to make the link a nice to have thing, not always a need to have item in order to understand what the article is about. The exception to this would possibly be if there is already an ongoing discussion about the topic that the link relates to.

Let's see if this improves this, shall we.

What post is in error of the way that Michael wants it done? Was it mine?

I'm not sure exactly what is wanted or if I have the time for story telling. I think I'll play it safe and just not post links. Too much stress!

[Michael]

Let me put it very simply. It should be possible to have a discussion on this forum without visiting the link being mandatory. Sure, it is totally fine to sources or even just something you think people will enjoy.

"Spam" is leading people astray. Sensationalist titles that make you have to click the link to find out what it is is more of a spammer tactic and not considered acceptable.

So when wolf said a "summary" to clarify, that just means enough info that forum members could partake in discussion without absolutely having to visit the link but a visit might be informative or an enhancement.

[Wolf]

I don't use a lot of links, especially to start a conversation with, I primarily use them when someone has asked a question and I know there is an article such as on parrot body language that will save me hours of typing to answer them or on target training their bird as part of handtaming the bird. In these cases here is a link that has the taming or body language information that has been requested. One of my more frequent links is to a thread in this forum which has a listing of safe and toxic foods and other things, by providing the link, I don't have to research and compile a new listing everytime someone wants this information. I also use links to provide the scientific study that supports whatever it is that I am saying in the conversation.

Even when used to begin a new conversation, I try to give the particulars of the article and the link becomes more of a 'see this is exactly what I read' type of thing, even though I have tried to give the general information in my comments about the article. As for time to tell a story, would you not say that everytime you tell me about what different behavior you parrot did today that you are telling me a story? A story does not need to be long or even particularly well thought out, it is just telling someone else something that you saw or experienced and sometimes what you thought about it.

[Chantilly]

Ok, got it, i think, so basicly instead of going
* thought this was an intresting link check it out- (link)

instead go

* Today I was reading this page about parrots doing (whatever) and found it intresting because (whyever) it stated that (statement here), it was a very interesting article- (link)
??

[Michael]

Ok, got it, i think, so basicly instead of going
* thought this was an intresting link check it out- (link)

instead go

* Today I was reading this page about parrots doing (whatever) and found it intresting because (whyever) it stated that (statement here), it was a very interesting article- (link)
??

Exactly, that starts a discussion. People can respond and chat. That's the purpose of a forum.

[Wolf]

That is exactly what we are trying to say. Thank you.

[Wolf]

Just bumping this back up.