spreading the word...

[millipede]

(anyone else ever type a long message, hit submit, and find you are not logged in anymore... it happens to me too often, I blame my isp mostly man is it frustrating... anyway)

Some of you already know that I've been trying to increase traffic to some of the other sites, I'll make this short since I already typed it once...... then it was gone.. anyway, anyone who doesn't know, there is a button near the bottom that says "support aquarium advice"... that's not just about donating or anything, it's also about reaching other people... There are several buttons you could place on your website and a poster you could print out and hang in a pet store, if they let you... I've been trying to come up with another way and I think I found it... Unless someone else already has and I missed it..... pet advice business cards... too often I'm in walmart and I see people about to do something they shouldn't or not get any good help from some of the staff... You really wouldn't be able to tell here, but I'm a little on the shy side and don't speak up enough... that's why I came up with this idea... Now I can just hand a card to someone and tell them what kind of help they can get here. I also plan on putting something like "referred by:millipede" or something on it... anyway, here is a few that I came up with just now... maybe the administrators will like the idea and come up with something as well... these ones are black and white because that's they type of ink catridge I have... black that is... anyway, thanks for listening to me ramble on again...

[Menagerie]

(anyone else ever type a long message, hit submit, and find you are not logged in anymore... it happens to me too often, I blame my isp mostly man is it frustrating... anyway)

I cut and paste with Word (going with broadband helps too ).

I like the idea of a card--I have mentioned this board to others, but I know if someone I did not know was blathering on to me about something, I would nod and agree vacantly, too. It's getting to the point where the more I learn on this site; the less I can stand being in the [acronym:a712f50b90="Large polyped Scleractinian (stoney) coral"]LPS[/acronym:a712f50b90]. The misinformation is horrible!! I used to teach Bio 100 lab at UI and the last couple weeks were student presentations--I dubbed it misinformation week. I don't know how many talks I sat through in which students who did their projects at the last minute would spout utter garbage.... Then I run into them at the [acronym:a712f50b90="Large polyped Scleractinian (stoney) coral"]LPS[/acronym:a712f50b90]

[millipede]

I forgot to add... as long as fishfreek doesn't have a problem, feel free to save and print the images I posted... or come up with your own... I think I'll be more comfortable to hand someone something like that than I would to just strike up a conversation... It also helps for them to have something in their hand with the site address on it... I was talking to a couple a few weeks back and they said they'd check out the site, but they were waiting for a new computer and they didn't write it down...so who knows if they'll actually remember it... now I have something to hand out if people want it...
I hear you Menagerie... Unfortunately the majority of people I see walking into pet stores are there to find something they like, that's all... and the salespeople see that... and so people end up with a huge oscar in a 10 [acronym:0e5db42474="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:0e5db42474] tank or a betta in a few ounces... anyway... I think we should consider ourselves crusadors... Now all we need are some Aquarium Advice capes...

[dralarms]

Now all we need are some Aquarium Advice capes...

I can see it now. Running around with an AA cape. Ever here of the men in the little white coats with long sleeves ? That's where I'd be if I tried the cape idea.

But the card idea is a good one.

[Allivymar]

Ooo! I wanna AA cape! And an AA bodysuit with big A's on the front *grin* and the ability to swim underwater for long periods of time

Actually the AA card is a neat idea. I have [acronym:90e4d04ffc="Identify"]ID[/acronym:90e4d04ffc] cards for all the places I'm a paid member to; the fish club I joined, and one of the other forums who put together a members only type of club. While this is not a paying type of forum persay, I'd still be proud to have a member card!

[BrianNY]

I think the card is an excellent idea as long as the [acronym:40a8f78a6e="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:40a8f78a6e] doesn't object. Anyone else have the experience of being snubbed at the [acronym:40a8f78a6e="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:40a8f78a6e] at the mention of "anything" on-line?
I think that they know that if one searches on line, they can buy for much less.

[Sparky]

I also have done pretty much the same thing. I would be in a pet store and see new people asking questions. Mostly the same questions I had asked to them myself just recently. I am very new at the saltwater stuff myself. I am not shy. If the pet store employee says something to them that I know from reading here or through some past experience of questioneds answered by the great people here, I will speak up. Sometimes the sales people get pissed, but most of the time they don't. I refer them to this site. I have even refered some people to this site that were thinking of putting in outdoor ponds.

Most of the new people that I have talked with at the stores don't even know places like this even exist. They are amazed when I tell them that there is a place they can go to get the real answers and not some quick answer so they but something now. Most of the people don't like the idea of having to wait to put together a saltwater tank. Most are impatient..(like me)...

Anyway, I think that is a great idea about the cards. You should make that up into a Word format so people can just download the file and print it up on the computer using card stock. Then it's just a matter of cutting them up to size. Great idea millipede.

Sparky

[dralarms]

Ooo! I wanna AA cape! And an AA bodysuit with big A's on the front *grin*

Are you gonna model it for us ?

[Allivymar]

[acronym:adf8cc314f="Laughing out loud"]LOL[/acronym:adf8cc314f] Sure!

Maybe I'll do that for Halloween this year. Course no one will understand it cept you guys, but I'd be amused *grin*

[TankGirl]

Able to leap a 20-[acronym:4843157555="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:4843157555] high in a single bound! Cycling tanks all over town! Oh! There's the beacon in the sky- I'm off to get the pacu out of that 10 [acronym:4843157555="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:4843157555], back in a flash....

I like the idea of a card, too. I tell people about the website but I don't know if they will remember. At the [acronym:4843157555="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:4843157555] it would seem that nobody participates in fishy boards - curious. I get the big eye roll when I mention aquarium forums.