Whats your opinion on this situation? (boxerworld.com moderators are mean!)

[LiQiCE]

So I've been looking to adopt a boxer dog for the past 2 months or so. After exhausting the rescue resources, I decided to try emailing the two local breeders in the area because I thought they might have an adult dog up for adoption.

So I sent a similar email to both breeders stating that I was looking to adopt an adult dog, and asking if they had any dogs which might fit my criteria.
The first person to respond was very nice, stating that she had one girl boxer. I'm looking for a boy (just my preference) so I thanked her and moved on in my search.

The second person said that before she would give me any information she required that I write a 'term paper' about myself and why I want a boxer. I responded asking if she actually in fact had any boxers available for adoption, and she said the same thing, in short ... "no term paper, no info what-so-ever" ...

Do you think this is ridiculous or what? I understand the need to fill out an application or write a term paper if you're interested in adopting a dog, but I dont even know if there are any dogs available. Simply put, I figure why waste my time and their time writing a "term paper" if there isn't anything that interests me?

So I proceed to post this same question on boxerworld.com, a forum specifically for boxers. Another breeder (who is also a moderator) responds saying that it is the right way to do things and antagonizing me somewhat. So I defend my standpoint, and go back and forth with her. We were both not rude in anyway to one another, I simply stayed firm on my stance that I did not think I was wrong to have a simple yes or no question answered by the breeder before providing information to the breeder.

Next morning, I goto login to boxerworld.com and notice that it says Forbidden. I go onto the website at work and notice that I am now banned from the website, my IP address from home blocked permanently.

Don't you think thats a little extreme? I didn't do anything wrong in my opinion other than have a difference of opinion with a moderator. Just wondering what your thoughts are on this ...

I must add that I am a new user on that forum, I received no warnings from the moderators or the owner of the website (who apparently is the only one who can ban and IP block people). I simply was banned with no explanation. No questions asked. I sent an email to the owner of the website apologizing, and promising to not argue with anyone ever again on his website, and the email fell upon deaf ears.

BTW- I hope asking this question here doesn't get me banned from AnandTech too

 

[LiQiCE]

hey, I see someone voted ... Was wondering if you could provide your opinion? While I'd love for everyone to tell me I'm right and they're wrong ... I honestly do want to hear other people's opinions of the situation, whether it be for or against my opinion. (This is what I was looking for on boxerworld.com, but I got banned for asking it!).

 

[Yossarian]

that is the dumbest fvcking thing i've heard in the last 10 minutes >)

btw: pls write a term paper describing why we should reply to your poll.

 

[jonmullen]

Originally posted by: PipBoy
btw: pls write a term paper describing why we should reply to your poll.

4-6pgs double spaced 12pt font 1in margins and have it posted by tomorrow.

btw: I voted you were not in the wrong but should be baned just b/c I thought it was a stupid option.

 

[LiQiCE]

Yeah I was tempted to reply asking, "double spaced, arial 10 point font, 3-6 pages"? ... Or ask her to send me a term paper about herself. But I figured being a smartass wouldn't help me too much.

 

[kami333]

Gotta specify the margins too.

Personally, I find that forums that'll ban you for no reason (IE other reasons than not following the TOS) are not worth my time since they are usually run by rather tyrannical mods who don't like people (especially newbies) who disagree with them. These forums have a very narrow approach to any subject and I go to forums to get many opions. If I wanted a narrow view, I'd talk to myself.

(PS don't pay attention to me, too much jager and I'm blabbling now...)

 

[iwearnosox]

Let's all just go over there and ask questions about cats.

 

[dighn]

high levels of suckage

i voted you were not wrong but deserve to get banned, realy should be not wrong, dont deserve to get bane

 

[SeaSerpent]

You are not in the wrong. Just sounds like you are dealing with some weird people.

 

[CChaos]

That is absurd.

 

[LiQiCE]

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who thinks these people are a little bit weird.

I started to think that I was the weird one when I was talking to the people on that forum and a few people told me I was in the wrong.

I would normally just stay away from the boxerworld.com forums, but its the only forum I found thats specifically for the breed and seems fairly active. I guess I may just have to resort to going to generalized pet forums and asking any questions I might have about my dog (once I adopt one).

 

[Stark]

haha... they're not accepting any new registrations for their forums

ATOT in full effect!!

edit:
LINK

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: CChaos
That is absurd.

That is the dumbest thing I've heard recently. Sounds like a reasonable question to ask, so WTF is up with them copping an attitude over something so minor?

 

[Brutuskend]

Another reason I like MUTTS.

So many full blooded dog people are snobby about their dogs, and it sounds like these people fit that bill nicely.

I can understand them wanting to make sure that their dogs go to good homes, but to want info about you without ever stating if they even HAVE a dog up for grabs or not in absurd.

As for getting banned @ that other forum, if everything happened as you stated then that's ridiculous as well.
Personally though, I think maybe you didn't state all that went down there. Either that or you just got "lucky" enough to have signed up with a forum that happens to be run or moderated by the same person that wanted you to write the paper in the first place.

Personally, if that's the way boxer folks are as a rule, I would GET A MUTT!

(they are better dogs for the most part anyway,{healthier} and you don't have to deal with asshats like this!)

 

[Ime]

Since they are not accepting new registrations... I get the impression that the folks at that site want an elitist club. Where anyone who does not agree with their opinions is not allowed.

Bah, I say. Let them have their private site. There are plenty of other forums on the net.

 

[Toasthead]

them banning you shows me that their website is useless and youre probably better off not going there anyway.

 

[LiQiCE]

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
Another reason I like MUTTS.

So many full blooded dog people are snobby about their dogs, and it sounds like these people fit that bill nicely.

I can understand them wanting to make sure that their dogs go to good homes, but to want info about you without ever stating if they even HAVE a dog up for grabs or not in absurd.

As for getting banned @ that other forum, if everything happened as you stated then that's ridiculous as well.
Personally though, I think maybe you didn't state all that went down there. Either that or you just got "lucky" enough to have signed up with a forum that happens to be run or moderated by the same person that wanted you to write the paper in the first place.

Personally, if that's the way boxer folks are as a rule, I would GET A MUTT!

(they are better dogs for the most part anyway,{healthier} and you don't have to deal with asshats like this!)

Well, I was in a debate with the other person who happens to be a breeder and a moderator. I wasn't 100% nice because I am arguing with the person, but I was in no way rude to her at all. I knew she was a moderator from the get-go, so cursing her off or being downright rude to her would of course have gotten me banned. I did stand firm on my arguement that I should not need to provide information to a breeder before finding out if a dog is available. I was told by one of the other moderators that I am friends with that the breeders on the forum are very sensitive and any challenge to their "authority" is usually not tolerated. If I had known that beforehand I would have just held my comments to myself

I don't think all boxer people are the way that these people are. These people seem to be the "I'm a breeder and I'm the best" type of people, who spend their lives trying to breed the perfect dog. The rescue people that I have dealt with have been some of the nicest people I have ever met. The person I am working with to find a boxer has been extremely understanding of my needs, very honest, and has not tried to place me with a dog that she does not think will fit my personality and needs. After this experience, I will probably stick to rescues and skip the entire breeder route all together!

BTW- I hope you guys didn't cause a lot of trouble on their website, causing them to not accept any new registrations! Its funny, but at the same time its not really cool to flood another forum with spam.

 

[amnesiac]

Actually many people are very protective about their boxers, because they make good Pit dogs, which is exactly what they DO NOT want to happen to them.

All they want to do is verify that you want a boxer for legitimate purposes, not for exploitation or fighting.

Sorry that those people were such jackasses, but keep in mind that they are doing the entire boxer society a favor by screening potential owners.

 

[LiQiCE]

Originally posted by: amnesiac
Actually many people are very protective about their boxers, because they make good Pit dogs, which is exactly what they DO NOT want to happen to them.

All they want to do is verify that you want a boxer for legitimate purposes, not for exploitation or fighting.

Sorry that those people were such jackasses, but keep in mind that they are doing the entire boxer society a favor by screening potential owners.

amnesiac,

I understand the need to fill out applications, house visits, screening processes, and all of that ... I have been to visit the rescue that I am working with twice, and plan to go there a third time just so the owner can get to know me and I can get to know her.

However, I think that asking a question such as "Do you have any dogs available for adoption?" ... which is a simple yes/no question, is something that can be answered without asking for a term paper. If the breeder had said "yes", I would have had no problem filling out an application or writing the term paper.

I kindof relate it to any other purchase, if I were to call and ask a company if such and such were in stock, (or a hotel had a vacancy, or anything similar) I would expect an answer to the question before they needed any other information. People who are breeders are in fact running a business and they do make money off of the puppies they sell (breeders can ask upwards of $700 for a boxer puppy. For a reputable breeder, they can get well over $1000 for one puppy)... and while the "customer is always right" phrase might not fit the bill here, I do think that a little bit of customer service is necessary.

Please note that the breeder I emailed with was not rude at all, it was only the boxerworld.com moderator/breeder who was less than forgiving with my comments. She was very nice, I just didn't agree with her "no information without a term paper" policy. I think it would be a waste of my own time and her time to read through a term paper if she knew ahead of time that we would not be doing business.

 

[Yossarian]

You realize of course that you could have written the War & Peace of boxer term papers in the time it's taken to write and read all these posts

 

[conjur]

Sounds like the people are as inbred as purebreds.

 

[LiQiCE]

Originally posted by: PipBoy
You realize of course that you could have written the War & Peace of boxer term papers in the time it's taken to write and read all these posts

Yeah I was waiting for someone to say that

My assumption from the way the breeder phrased her sentences was that she did not have any dogs available for adoption. So I didn't bother writing the term paper. I don't know if I wanted to do business with someone who was so secretive too. Perhaps she would have me adopt a dog with a disease or a horrible habit, but hide that information from me? I dunno ... I just got paranoid after she refused to give information.

And the idea on this post was the principle of course! I'm just curious if I'm being unreasonable here or if these people are the ones who are being a bit unreasonable/over reacting (in the case of boxerworld.com).

 

[Yossarian]

I hear you, I would have given them the Judge Judy "SUCK IT!!" myself.

 

[yukichigai]

The only other place anything remotely like this ever goes on without someone trying to fix it is in some sections of state and federal government, particularly the equipment divisions. (Though not here so much) Anywhere else and the person running the thing would probably be fired or at least "encouraged" to change the system as soon as an upper-level manager tried to get something.

No, you weren't in the wrong, and yes, the mod was being a jerk. I second the motion we all go over there and post stuff about cats, but I suggest we all borrow AOL accounts from friends and do it. It's very hard to ban an AOL IP without irritating a lot if people. :evil:

 

[LiQiCE]

Well I did a whois info on boxerworld.com and the site is run by someone who lives in France. The moderator who wasn't so friendly was from New Zealand, so maybe there's a cultural difference in the way they do business in France or New Zealand versus here in the USA. Don't know for sure, I'm just saying...