I know the internet was supposed to be our savior heralding a new golden age of fishkeeping etc BUT now with this current economic collapse I really don't see the small lfs and local clubs surviving without a strong internet presence and if it's all only on social media instead of forums like this I don't think it bodes well for anyone except the big players that can afford to do business with amazon. These forums are getting pushed to the fringe. The main difference is they're not selling fashion and without it they simply can't compete with the youth and beauty of social media. All the "legends" are dying out and the industry is just that: a cold dead fish. It's hard to be passionate when your livelihood depends on it, but this is what we signed up for and it's a thankless effort. Wear it as a badge of honor! Where's the global effort to save natural habitats? What happened to the cares list? What happened to the discus study group (dissolved after 100 years!)? I thought this was supposed to be educational? How did we allow internet vanity to take over such a noble cause? It's a low down dirty shame. This is actually the only forum i haven't been banned from yet and when that happens I'm done with the internet. I imagine "social media" is even worse, restricting/banning information that isn't brand name or in line with the widely accepted group think. I mean it's global I get it, so how can you police that? It's just sad for me because I found the hobby to be a haven for outcasts and misfits that otherwise would be forgotten, glossed over and all that experiential information lost. A place where I could be King Moonraiser in my fishroom instead of a poor working schlub. Now it's another mainstream outlet designed to push us all over to digital dependence. A place where everyone is in direct competition (even requesting to be specifically judged by anonymous randos) in live time. A place where I again certainly don't feel comfortable. Who can really learn anything in an environment like that? Constant insecurity is not healthy. Any and all effort should be welcomed and nurtured so we can ALL learn and grow. Social media is a perversion in the hobby. We wouldn't use pornography to teach sex ed. Why do it with the aquarium hobby?
