First time posters

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Specializes in Critical care.

I'm pretty sure this topic has been brought up before, but why does it seem like so many first time posters get nasty when they don't hear what they want?

If they don't hear what they want they start calling you names and saying you are being mean.

If you point out they are violating TOS by having "nurse" in their username (and they are not a nurse) they get defensive and make it seem like we are being unreasonable.

Is the solution to just not respond to first time posters who obviously have no idea what nursing actually entails? The posters that seem to want the stars AND the moon... but if we did that then we'd probably get lashback for not responding. Are we just darned if we do and darned if we don't?

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Two words:

cognitive dissonance.

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I'm pretty sure this topic has been brought up before, but why does it seem like so many first time posters get nasty when they don't hear what they want?

If they don't hear what they want they start calling you names and saying you are being mean.

If you point out they are violating TOS by having "nurse" in their username (and they are not a nurse) they get defensive and make it seem like we are being unreasonable.

Is the solution to just not respond to first time posters who obviously have no idea what nursing actually entails? The posters that seem to want the stars AND the moon... but if we did that then we'd probably get lashback for not responding. Are we just darned if we do and darned if we don't?

Some of them seem pretty "baity" and probably aren't first time posters.

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Specializes in LTC.

They're trolls more than likely.

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Specializes in PMHNP-BC.

Well...I can say when I posted my first post I got no replies and it made me refrain from asking questions for a while. Later I tried it again and got more responses, it makes it a great place for answers if people take the time to speak with you and it also gives a broader perspective to what may be a regional problem. I would say that I have seen a lot of nurse bait on here recently from "doctors are better than NPs" to "why pay more in high cost areas"...I feel like we are being suckered into arguments with posters who have a main goal to cause discord. That may be some of these "new" posters.

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Specializes in Home Health (PDN), Camp Nursing.

People don't realize that forums are a community. You have to get a feel for how they run and what makes them tick. If you drive into the wrong neighborhood, jump out of your car and say something offensive to the first person you meet, well your gonna have a bad time. But because it's the internet everyone thinks that everyone else thinks just like they to. It is absolutely cognitive bias. I have occasionally had to remind myself that i need to slow my roll when I run against the TOS or get a naughty note from a mod. It's not my town, I'm not the sheriff. If i don't like it enough I can leave.

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Specializes in Critical care.
Well...I can say when I posted my first post I got no replies and it made me refrain from asking questions for a while. Later I tried it again and got more responses, it makes it a great place for answers if people take the time to speak with you and it also gives a broader perspective to what may be a regional problem. I would say that I have seen a lot of nurse bait on here recently from "doctors are better than NPs" to "why pay more in high cost areas"...I feel like we are being suckered into arguments with posters who have a main goal to cause discord. That may be some of these "new" posters.

If I feel like I can contribute, I reply to a post. I do agree that first time posters sometimes need encouragement. I tend to reply and not start threads.

I agree that some posts are very obvious trolls, but others...

I replied to a post tonight with an honest and frank response that answered all the questions. The OP escalated things very quickly (making a very rude and inflammatory comment to me) and a moderator deleted the entire thread. It looked to me that some additional comments were made by the OP before it was deleted (possibly inflammatory but directed to other posters). After my second post I dedcided I would not make any further replies. I just don't see why some people (that seem to have genuine questions but are very very misguided) jump straight to petty insults.

ETA: I do report posts that violate the TOS- most particularly usernames with "nurse" when the poster states they are not a nurse and posts that are nasty and target a specific poster.

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If I feel like I can contribute, I reply to a post. I do agree that first time posters sometimes need encouragement. I tend to reply and not start threads.

I agree that some posts are very obvious trolls, but others...

I replied to a post tonight with an honest and frank response that answered all the questions. The OP escalated things very quickly (making a very rude and inflammatory comment to me) and a moderator deleted the entire thread. It looked to me that some additional comments were made by the OP before it was deleted (possibly inflammatory but directed to other posters). After my second post I dedcided I would not make any further replies. I just don't see why some people (that seem to have genuine questions but are very very misguided) jump straight to petty insults.

ETA: I do report posts that violate the TOS- most particularly usernames with "nurse" when the poster states they are not a nurse and posts that are nasty and target a specific poster.

That one was a perfect example of bait. The OP knew too much to ask such goofy questions. Their bad writing was peppered with clues of their higher ability, as well. Someone was just a little bored and having a little fun.

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That one was a perfect example of bait. The OP knew too much to ask such goofy questions. Their bad writing was peppered with clues of their higher ability, as well. Someone was just a little bored and having a little fun.

I wish I'd seen what she said to me before the thread was deleted. Sometimes I wish they'd leave them up but lock them. That way we have the post history so if they pop back up we have a better idea how to handle it. I thought my response was quite restrained.

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There are some people who will never respond to a newb. I don't get that. Troll, sock puppet, sincere poster, who cares? Answer the question, AN! That's what we are here for. It is a message board.

That being said, I remember the first time Ruby Vee and Grn Tea liked one of my posts, I swooned.

And BostonFNP gave me my first (and only) cheer point. I still have it, in a glass case.

Over in the School Nurse Forum, we try to talk to everyone. School Nursing is a lonely place, in that there are no other nurses to bounce things off of. The sense of community I get from that forum is strong, and I'm very grateful for having it, and kinda proud that I'm a part of getting new nurses to stay and post and ask questions.

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And then there was the "Will deers come out of the bushes and attack me as I walk through campus my first semester of nursing school???" threads...

which are hilarious, as long as the OP is a good sport.

Oh deers, that was a fun thread.

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Specializes in PICU.

I think that some first time posters may really really want a question answered, but truly only want a response that proves that they are right, or were unjustly treated, etc. Sometimes I think it is hard to an originally poster to hear another side to the story, and once they realize that they may have been incorrect, or people don't side with them, they need to defend their side even more. I think it is hard with on-line communities because all of us come from both similar and very different areas, countries, and backgrounds.

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