Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

Anthony Todd — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:29:42 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]Laughed out loud - hadn't heard that one before.[/quote]

A new variation on [as an eminent Australian architect said prior to accepting]

"Awards are like haemorrhoids, sooner or late every @rsehole gets one"

So, Arlo, you have now a choice.....

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

Bob Russell — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:12:38 GMT

The site does work well - just look at the activity level! Some forums (fora?) get a post every few days, this one gets a post every few minutes. It always takes a 'hardcore' of members to keep a forum running and provoke responses.

On VetSurgeon this hardcore ranges from one extreme to the other so it is always lively! Long may it continue and congrats to Arlo!

Vet Practice clearly keeps a watch on the site and this often brings matters to an even bigger audience.

I like the term 'give a voice to the profession'!

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 11:56:59 GMT

[quote user="Martin Jones"]Worry not, Arlo - opinions are like @rseholes: everybody's got one and quite a few stink.[/quote]

Laughed out loud - hadn't heard that one before.

Plan to carry on as is for the moment - but as JGW said, have to try and stay tuned in to the, er, veterinary zeitgeist, which means listening to everyone's opinions, regardless of odour.

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

Martin Jones — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:07:51 GMT

Worry not, Arlo - opinions are like @rseholes: everybody's got one and quite a few stink.

In the meantime, carry on as you are; it's all working just fine. The availablility of expert opinion, coupled with some of the galleries, is starting to make a large impact on my CPD.

Up with this sort of thing.

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:32:56 GMT

[quote user="mariette asselbergs"]Arlo, I think you are taking the forums too seriously. [/quote]

You're probably right. I need to get out more. It's probably the danger of working so hard on a single project. One starts to take it all very seriously!

[quote user="J G Wray"] [quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]Must say, my first reaction on seeing the title of this post was: "Wow, how flattering is THAT!" ie that the VetSurgeon community is so successful that somone deems it representive ...[/quote]

Hang on, if you haven't given this a thought previously, why have you provided the petition facility and chased up the CCTV stuff on vetnurse.org?[/quote]

As I say, my objective (although probably in danger of sounding a bit far up my own bum), is to try and empower individuals. So when Anthony said 'lets have a petition', I thought: 'my job to help make that happen'. Doesn't mean to say that I see VetSurgeon.org / VetNurse.co.uk now going on to lobby Government on behalf of the veterinary profession. Its up to the member/s to take the petition wherever they want it to go.

[quote user="J G Wray"]I think your distinction will be too subtle for most.[/quote]

Maybe. Would it be clearer if I say I see the role of these sites as facilitators, rather than representative.

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

J G Wray — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 07:21:38 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]Must say, my first reaction on seeing the title of this post was: "Wow, how flattering is THAT!" ie that the VetSurgeon community is so successful that somone deems it representive ...[/quote]

Hang on, if you haven't given this a thought previously, why have you provided the petition facility and chased up the CCTV stuff on vetnurse.org?

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

Anyway, after a few minutes thinking about it, and I have to say that my objective with the site has always been, and will remain:

to give the professional a voice

and not

to be the voice of the profession

The difference, to my mind, is that being the 'voice of the profession' means representing the profession to many different outside audiences, including government, the public, animal welfare groups, charities and so on and so on. That requires the sort of formal - normally committee-based - structure that allows for representative groups within the profession to have a share of voice to the outside world. VetSurgeon.org doesn't have that kind of structure, and I don't think I want it to, either!

[/quote]

I think your distinction will be too subtle for most. Furthermore, BVA is supposed to allow their members, professionals, to have a voice in deciding policy, priority, and direction. BVA's history and structure are there, but I'm not clear what they're their purpose and direction is now.

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]Yes, as Wynne says, there is the danger of the site seeming to be overly dominated by the relatively smaller numbers of people that post in the forums, rather than just reading them. [/quote]

Two points. Firstly, the CCTV poll represents the opinion of over a thousand, rather than the opinion of a few and secondly, in reality the BVA is run by a small number of enthusiasts, with agendas ( in capitals - mainly LA dominated) as well and it's not very responsive.

JGW

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

mariette asselbergs — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:51:58 GMT

Arlo, I think you are taking the forums too seriously. For me it is like the pub, I can listen (read), pick up ideas, and give opinions without having to be too serious about it. Ask advice without feeling stupid. And find little gems like the latest on chinchillas with diabetes!!!

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 17:46:17 GMT

Must say, my first reaction on seeing the title of this post was: "Wow, how flattering is THAT!" ie that the VetSurgeon community is so successful that somone deems it representive ...

Anyway, after a few minutes thinking about it, and I have to say that my objective with the site has always been, and will remain:

to give the professional a voice

and not

to be the voice of the profession

Giving the professional a voice is another thing altogether. That plays to what I think are the strengths of this site, and in particular, its unique position as the only organisation in the veterinary profession which exists for one purpose alone, which is to host professional communities in which individuals can have their say. i.e. we have no vested interests, no hidden agendas, and nor are we judgemental about professional matters.

For those who think some subject is worth of debate in the profession, VetSurgeon.org is visited regularly by representatives from BSAVA, BVA, the RCVS and others, so I don't think there's a better place to muster and lobby from.

Yes, as Wynne says, there is the danger of the site seeming to be overly dominated by the relatively smaller numbers of people that post in the forums, rather than just reading them. However, this will, I think, improve as we get more members, and as more and more people recognise that sharing information on this kind of platform is a perfectly normal and professional thing to do (I'm thinking it was only 10 years ago that forums were almost exclusively populated by geeks and extremists, now they are becoming ubiquitous and accepted.)

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

Anthony Todd — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 17:15:05 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]Problem with this site is a few opinionated individuals (like me ) can have a disproportionate influence.[/quote]

Don't agree. Certainly opinionated individuals can have an influence, but it isn't necessarly disproportionate because the opinion will be disputed and refuted [as I know too well]! One only has to look at the distillation of the CCTV petition to see that.

The good thing about any utterance here is that the utterer has no other motive or axe to grind, the utterer is not trying to conform or advance his political career.

Utterences here are pure, might be pure bollards, pure nonsense or pure gold but at least pure!

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

Hannah Wynne Richards — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:45:14 GMT

Problem with this site is a few opinionated individuals (like me ) can have a disproportionate influence.

Problem with BVA is that tohave an influence, you must both be off duty, and not too tired to attend sometimes distant meetings

Problem with BVU is it doesn't represent those members of the profession who are also employers

The advantage of this site is that it can act more quickly than BVA, in which an individual can have an idea-must wait for the next regional meeting to voice it-it gets carried-wait for regional representative to raise it in Council, wait for Council members to take it back to their divisions-wait for all divisions to discuss-wait for it toget back to Council before anything is done

Wynne

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:38:57 GMT

Ummmm........ since it's supposed to be a veterinary-surgeons-only forum so that we can talk amongst ourselves, if it's now The Voice of the Profession it means The Profession spends all its time talking to Itself. Buggrit, buggrit, millennium hand and shrimp, I told 'em.............

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

J G Wray — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:00:23 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]I feel more comfortable with the idea that VetSurgeons' grumpy, opinionated individuals such as myself, can influence the BVA rather than replacing it! On any forum there will be a 'backbone' of individuals that love to put forward opinions on any and everything (including me!). [/quote]

Quite so, but with the CCTV petition there is a collective voice rather than a multitude of disparate ones. The petition changes the status of this website if it achieves something of note.

Whilst the day to day activity and topics here are driven by "enthusiasts" - absent from BVA activites which are driven by what BVA are doing and seeking approval after the event - and they are fun - something absolutely missing from BVA - the CCTV petition has produced a weight of commn opinion seeking action on reform. The route to influence is non-BVA, being directed at Government, bypassing BVA and its vaunted access.

The message from BVA is that it is the only organisation vets need in order to obtain influence and representation. With the CCTV petition and any subsequent "influential" activity, the BVA's position looks less assured.

And then there is the very point you have made about individuals driving this site. The diversity of topics discussed is remarkable, in the true sense of the word, and absent from the BVA. The immediacy of social media allows this site to be more in touch with the veterinary "Zeitgeist" (I have to pinch myself whenever I write that word) and therefore allow Mr Guthrie, should he choose, to legitimately claim to be more in touch than BVA.

The CCTV petition may just mark a watershed in terms of maturity for this site.

JGW

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:02:24 GMT

In answer to the question in the title: good heavens, I hope not.

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

Bob Russell — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:55:48 GMT

I feel more comfortable with the idea that VetSurgeons' grumpy, opinionated individuals such as myself, can influence the BVA rather than replacing it! On any forum there will be a 'backbone' of individuals that love to put forward opinions on any and everything (including me!).

This website should be fun and treated as such! However it is also supportive in many ways (clinical case discussion and daily life) and can do seriously good things when enough members get motivated.

BVA cannot be described as fun but should be a lot more representative than one forum! There is room for both.

Re: Is this forum now the "Voice of the Profession"?

Mark Holmes — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 08:31:34 GMT

I really hope not Jon, as a regular contributor to the forum the "voice" would be influenced by mine. Then we're all in trouble. The profession does not want to be relying in anyway on an over opinionated, grumpy cantankerous pish-fountain like me!