Over-sensitivity in Birding?

Do you have a friend or family member that gets bent out of shape whenever their emotions take over? Perhaps the conversation turns uncivil and the individual becomes curt and snippy when you discuss politics, religion, politics mixed with religion, or simply the familiar Ford or Chevy debate.  I find the Mayhem commercials catchy simply because they imitate life. 

Do you believe this type of behavior exists in birding?

Unfortunately, I see this type of behavior in birding way too often regarding identification/misidentification, but the catch is that it almost only happens in online forums! It is easy to have a conversation while together outside regarding field-marks and even if disagreement occurs it is easy to finish the conversation with civility intact. Perhaps both individuals think the other is wrong and they may not trust each other afterwards, but that is the topic for a different blog post. Perhaps I am the only one that disdains this type of online behavior and if this doesn't resonate with you, please quit reading the post as it is completely irrelevant to you and the next time we talk you may be pissed at me if you do read it. If you aren't seeing this type of behavior than you may be the one doing it! Now that you have been forewarned, continue at your own risk.

So how do you get a friend to see that they are doing this type of behavior?  If I knew the answer to that question I would not be ruminating on the topic, my frustration level with some people would be significantly lower, and I might still be actively posting on Facebook groups. I can simply attest that telling individuals of their behavior isn't enough. I am not sure if the self-help books regarding emotions and self-awareness actually help or not, but there are industries and multiple solutions to deal with emotionally appropriate reactions to problems and our general lack of control. A common first step seems to be for the individual to be aware and admit a problem.

Even in online birding communities?

I regularly see individuals console others for making an incorrect ID.  As birders, we almost joke about the pain associated with dipping on a chase as if it is the common bond among each of us. Birders marvel at the struggle and repeat the nuances of ID challenges as if they are a rite of passage for small Accipters, Peeps, little Black-and-white Woodpeckers, and winter finches. This last challenge is so germane to the topic that I have a hard time separating the days in which I am drink the Kool-Aid and which days I distribute.

Being wrong is not a good feeling but it can be part of the learning process. Most individuals rightfully show gratitude towards the experts and appreciation toward the insight on the topic. Yet there are some other outcomes and perhaps as troubling to me are other types of online personalities that exacerbate the problem.

Nondesirable Outcomes

Seriously do I need to explain the problems here....these people don't believe the information, are ungrateful, hold grudges, delete the comments so they are never wrong, and revise history (as if no one remembers or has screenshots of past events). I hope it makes them feel better as it clearly pisses others off.

Other online personality types

The online forums have certain types of individuals, some are quite annoying while others simply reflect the needs of the individual as if they are the only one that matters. Within your personal forums and groups, you may know some pretenders and socialites. The pretenders have an eerie similarity to the copy-and-paste syndrome in online dating. The comments completely lack who they are as a person and often are unable to determine what is correct or how to apply the information to the specific situation when asked. The socialites may be the product of the acceleration of expected responses as being part of the online community. If you feel you have to be on your phone all the time.....well I'm simply glad that I am different than you. The first response and superlative comments have a time and place, but not when it comes to identification. Often the original question is posed by someone unable to tell the difference between valuable information and worthless information. If you don't know that your response is valuable to the question, then don't feel the peer pressure to respond immediately as it is probably going to fit in the latter category.


Fortunately, there are some amazing ABA groups that are targeted at specific identification needs and the moderators in these groups make sure the topic and rules are followed to ensure that everything above is avoided. If you are in the other groups, good luck. I hope everyone chose the red pill rather than letting your over-sensitive and likely fragile ego lead you toward the blue pill and denial. I need to leave much of this BS behind. I will have that awkward conversation with a few social groups, "It isn't you, it's me." Which of course is my nice way of avoiding a few people.