Photographing T Molts

CyclingSam

Arachnoknight
Joined
May 22, 2016
Messages
214
Ok, this may be somewhat of a rant. It really bugs me when posters upload a blurry mess of a photo of a molt and then ask for it to be sexed.

Most of my shots are taken on a Nikon Coolpix 5900, which was a really nice point and shoot almost 15 years ago (dang I'm getting old). https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Coolpix-5900-Digital-Optical/dp/B0007KQWEG This camera has a macro setting and does a dang good job even though it is old. Anyway, it is not hard to take a clear shot with cheap equipment. I'm willing to bet that most users snap a lot of their pictures with cell phones. Cell phones, even garbage cell phones, have come far enough to take good pictures, if the user will try a little. The following shot wast taken on a two-year-old Boost Mobile Samsung Galaxy S Prevail LTE 80 dollar special ya'll! I clipped the following to the camera lens: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Vivitar-3-IN-1-Mobile-Lens-Set-for-Mobile-Accessories/108641241 . I used the macro lens. My point being, great pictures can be taken on the modern-day budget phone if the user will try a bit.

2.25" DLS GGB

20170420_023532.jpg
 
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ledzeppelin

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
433
Although I agree with you, you have to understand that a lot of people that want their molts sexed dont really know what we need focused. If they knew they could easily sex them themselves. They think that the sex of the T can be seen from miles away if they provide a pic of the molt.. I mean this is aimed at people who post whole molts with bad resolution, not the people who take pics with potatoes.
 

CyclingSam

Arachnoknight
Joined
May 22, 2016
Messages
214
Although I agree with you, you have to understand that a lot of people that want their molts sexed dont really know what we need focused. If they knew they could easily sex them themselves. They think that the sex of the T can be seen from miles away if they provide a pic of the molt.. I mean this is aimed at people who post whole molts with bad resolution, not the people who take pics with potatoes.
Hmmm. I see your point. I wonder how to remedy this. Maybe modify the upload process for sexing to include instructions and/or a diagram or something.
 

bryverine

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 18, 2012
Messages
890
Once I found those black and white spermatheca sketches online, it became a breeze.

I know when I first started, I posted pics of what i hoped was a female when I was pretty dang sure it was male. I think (at least for me) it was out of desperation...
 

ledzeppelin

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
433
I know when I first started, I posted pics of what i hoped was a female when I was pretty dang sure it was male. I think (at least for me) it was out of desperation...
I feel you.. When I get a male I feel the need to post the pic anyways in hope that I missed something and it's actually a female :D
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
Why would this bother you? I see a blurry pic and do one of two things. Post they need to get a better pic or just keep on going. Life is too short to get bent out of shape over something like this.

I agree with the others though. A lot of people don't know what to take the photo of. A lot of people these days own nothing but a camera phone. Even knowing what to take a photo of and using a lens for it I have to take several just to get one that has he right parts in focus.

I try to post photos of both males and females for the species I have. I do this in hopes it'll help other when they are trying to sex their Ts. If it's a new species I've not sexed before I'll look up other peoples photos as examples to see what shapes I should be looking for.
 
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CyclingSam

Arachnoknight
Joined
May 22, 2016
Messages
214
@Trenor My wife asks me this question on a daily basis, but I still can't seem to get the concept through my thick head.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
I'm definitely with you on this one @CyclingSam. I absolutely understand the education piece of it in regards to telling them what we're looking for, but at the same time a bit of the responsibility needs to lay with the one trying to learn. When I would teach in college, the quickest way to make me angry was when students would allow me to lecture for days before speaking up about something I assumed they knew before the class. I think that the same thing applies here. Don't expect us to help if you haven't taken the time to literally type "How to sex a tarantula" into Google. I obviously don't expect them to be able to do it on their own immediately, but doing so will at least tell them what we need a picture of. I can't say that I get bent out of shape about it with sexing photographs, but it certainly does annoy me.

The one time that I did actually get angry is when a new hobbyist posted three pictures in a row of just a crumbled exuvia in his hand. This was after us telling him what he needed in the first picture. He wanted step-by-step instructions on the anatomy of the spider and what exactly he needed to shoot. Turns out he didn't even open the tutorial links people provided, he wanted us to type it out for him. Some people flat out refuse to learn without being spoonfed, and that's when I get angry.

I try to post photos of both males and females for the species I have. I do this in hopes it'll help other when they are trying to sex their Ts. If it's a new species I've not sexed before I'll look up other peoples photos as examples to see what shapes I should be looking for.
Now this is absolutely valid. What a lot of new hobbyists don't understand is that different genera have differently shaped spermatheca. Sometimes it can make sexing tricky. That's something that I'd consider a more advanced topic than a simple sexing, and I'm all on board with educating on that.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
People find the funniest stuff to get riled up about. I will admit that once I start arguing with someone over a topic and I feel I am right it's hard for me to let it go. :p

The one time that I did actually get angry is when a new hobbyist posted three pictures in a row of just a crumbled exuvia in his hand. This was after us telling him what he needed in the first picture. He wanted step-by-step instructions on the anatomy of the spider and what exactly he needed to shoot. Turns out he didn't even open the tutorial links people provided, he wanted us to type it out for him. Some people flat out refuse to learn without being spoonfed, and that's when I get angry.
You always have the option of walking away man. Why do people beat their heads against a wall knowing it isn't doing any good. If everyone just left them to themselves once it was clear the poster wasn't trying then they would be left with two options. Care enough about the topic to find out more or not care enough and just leave it.

I'm kinda torn on the whole spoon fed argument. I get that some people want others to look up everything for them and that doesn't help them long term. A lot of people just use it as a way to justify a snarky comment they just got called out about. IMO if you don't have time to spoon feed the why would you bother posting at all? That's like saying my time is too important to bother answering the question but not so important that I can't spend the same amount of time typing why I wont spoon feed you.

If it's not worth my time I just hop over to the next post. I've been doing that on a lot more post recently and I'm enjoying the boards a lot more. :D
 

CyclingSam

Arachnoknight
Joined
May 22, 2016
Messages
214
People find the funniest stuff to get riled up about. I will admit that once I start arguing with someone over a topic and I feel I am right it's hard for me to let it go. :p
I have a confession. I have final exams to be studying for right now. When I am supposed to be preparing for finals, I go out of my way to do two things: deep clean my house and look for nonlife-impacting things to get upset about.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
If it's not worth my time I just hop over to the next post. I've been doing that on a lot more post recently and I'm enjoying the boards a lot more. :D
100% agree. I've really been trying that lately (not exactly succeeding yet). The posts just get exhausting after you've answered the same question a few times in a single week. I'm really not a fan of those who post "search it!" to every question, because that defeats the purpose of a forum. We'd just be Wikipedia at that point. But I'm torn between wanting to help and getting legitimately upset when someone spent more time asking for help than trying to help themselves. Especially when they're asking a basic question about an animal they've had for years. You couldn't find ten minutes in all these years to look up or ask about proper care for your animal? If we're talking about pet peeves, then that does it for me.

I really think that it's all about the attitude in the post. If I see that they're a budding hobbyist who is excited to learn, man oh man, I'm all on board to answer every silly question they have. But if they ask a question and immediately start to argue? Or worse yet, they've had the spider(s) for years under bad husbandry? That sets me off.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
I have a confession. I have final exams to be studying for right now. When I am supposed to be preparing for finals, I go out of my way to do two things: deep clean my house and look for nonlife-impacting things to get upset about.
I also have a confession. While I should be working on a programming task that is due next Tuesday. I am instead on the Tarantula Boards discussing tips for living a life with less stress. :p
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
100% agree. I've really been trying that lately (not exactly succeeding yet). The posts just get exhausting after you've answered the same question a few times in a single week. I'm really not a fan of those who post "search it!" to every question, because that defeats the purpose of a forum. We'd just be Wikipedia at that point. But I'm torn between wanting to help and getting legitimately upset when someone spent more time asking for help than trying to help themselves. Especially when they're asking a basic question about an animal they've had for years. You couldn't find ten minutes in all these years to look up or ask about proper care for your animal? If we're talking about pet peeves, then that does it for me.

I really think that it's all about the attitude in the post. If I see that they're a budding hobbyist who is excited to learn, man oh man, I'm all on board to answer every silly question they have. But if they ask a question and immediately start to argue? Or worse yet, they've had the spider(s) for years under bad husbandry? That sets me off.
I hear you. Most people (myself included) are at times quick to defense. Especially, if they feel like they are being ganged up on. If they are or are not being ganged up on doesn't matter as long as they feel that way you get that response. You know, as well as I do, that often people will go for the zinger style post cause that's the one that is rewarded with a lot of likes. And if someone complains, the default is to go into you don't know me and you can't judge my intent based on words argument. I personally find that bogus. I am an avid reader and I've never had trouble discerning the character's intent in a book based on just the words in the book. But that's the excuse used to cover for the tone they used. What I wrote and what I meant can be confused is I was not clear in my expiation but tone is usually easier to get. I often see how easily we point to new people as having a confrontational tone but a lot of members on here defend when they are accused of the same.

I always try to remember a lesson my head instructor taught me. He said it's easy to love (spend extra effort on) the good child. It takes more effort and patience to work with the others. I got pretty good at helping the kids everyone that drove everyone else nuts. Most of them did really well and all they needed was a little more early work.

And if something hits me wrong I try not to jump straight into this:

I just move on to something else. :)
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
And if someone complains, the default is to go into you don't know me and you can't judge my intent based on words argument. I personally find that bogus.
Oh man, absolutely. That along with "Do you have a peer reviewed publication to back that up?" are two of the most outlandish demands that are frequently thrown around here. I've definitely been accused of being snarky when I certainly didn't mean to, but I can recall that happening exactly once. It's not a common mistake like people make it out to be. I mean, at the end of the day, I legitimately want to help people on here. I enjoy it. But it's sometimes challenging when having to deal with conflicting personalities or personal annoyances.
 
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