Vuilbaard wrote:
@Spunky

Follow this link and you will see where they got the pic from...
www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?searchter...h_source=search_form

I know they made a mistake but like this thread is about something just pissing people off the same goes when people so easily call others/what they do pathetic. I studied journalism, have worked for newspapers and mistakes will be made. The pic they got was from shutterstock listed as a SAC SPIDER, journalists are not arachnologists so probably working on a deadline and just taking what they thought (from the given description) is a sac spider they just went with that pic.

I mean they're not just lying about it being a spiderbite as the origional topic of this thread was they simply used a wrong pic which they got from false info.

Ok. So what you are SAYING is that journalism is based on facts based on false information because they are always on deadlines and cannot take 2 minutes extra to make sure they post the correct picture? They'll just take any damn picture they can find, as long as they make their 08:03 deadline. Thanks, that really strengthens my faith in journalism overall - especially since this was a NEWS publication and not some Gossip column! I'm not an arachnologist either, but I managed to get the correct picture the first time I googled it.

It's not rocket science, is it? This is what I get when I google Sac Spider (maybe I have an advanced more sophisticated google than the other people.... who knows)





So yes, it pisses ME off when people that study for 3, 4 or how many years it takes to become a journalist post ridiculous, unresearched crap like this.

@Spunky... You're obviously looking for a fight or something :huh: but it's ok I didn't try to start one. All I'm saying that irritates me is when people get all high and mighty when someone makes a mistake like you never have or still do... For one they obviously didn't use google as they are not allowed to just use any pic from the net, they use a sight which they pay for and presume to be correct. So ja if they get fed false info like the picture which was labelled as a sac spider than yes there will be mistakes. Fine they got it wrong and they shouldn't but people are people, so send them an e-mail and tell them to correct it rather than being all "perfect" and just ranting about how pathetic they are.

But whatever you're obviously never wrong so I apologise humbly and beg your forgiveness i guess :huh:

Like I said I'm not starting a fight... so whatever :whistle:

I'm not fighting :tongue:

If people (like these journalists) broadcast their mistakes on the Net, they should be able to take the flack from people like me that read stuff on the Net I am the consumer and I'm simply complaining about the 'bad service' I received ...

If I send out false information to the shareholders of our company, then I have to take the responsibility for my mistake ...

So this is not directed at YOU (I'm sorry if you felt I tried to kick you in the groin), this is directed at the guy that didn't do his job properly.

Friends? Or Frienemies at least? :drunk:

Spunky wrote: I'm not fighting :tongue:

If people (like these journalists) broadcast their mistakes on the Net, they should be able to take the flack from people like me that read stuff on the Net I am the consumer and I'm simply complaining about the 'bad service' I received ...

If I send out false information to the shareholders of our company, then I have to take the responsibility for my mistake ...

So this is not directed at YOU (I'm sorry if you felt I tried to kick you in the groin), this is directed at the guy that didn't do his job properly.

Friends? Or Frienemies at least? :drunk:

:starwars: Frienimies :tongue:

Just sensitive when it comes to stuff like this as a lot of these journos are my friends and I feel the blame does not lie squarely on them alone... The person who supplied the photo, doctors giving wrong diagnosis etc.. but it's always the journos who get the blame.

I was thinking about it today, it's so easy to complain but we do nothing about it... If wrongfull reporting i.t.o. whether it's a spider bite or not is such a big issue then instead of just being pissed off at people who don't know any better and take the info as it comes to them why doesn't a group like The Spider Club of South Africa arrange something where they invite journalists etc to a evening of education and where they can voice their concerns :eyepoke: belive me journos will come, it may not be a big article but you will get some.

Just a thought because you can be as pissed off as you like but that won't change anything, no matter how much we want it to. :spider:

Vuilbaard wrote: I was thinking about it today, it's so easy to complain but we do nothing about it... If wrongfull reporting i.t.o. whether it's a spider bite or not is such a big issue then instead of just being pissed off at people who don't know any better and take the info as it comes to them why doesn't a group like The Spider Club of South Africa arrange something where they invite journalists etc to a evening of education and where they can voice their concerns :eyepoke: belive me journos will come, it may not be a big article but you will get some.

Are you telling me that journalists are going to come from Cape Town to get told that spider bites don't kill people? Sensationalism sells articles.
What type of info would you propose they give? As an honest question.
The main problem here is the doctors who love to blame everything on spider bites.

Ceratogyrus wrote:

Vuilbaard wrote: I was thinking about it today, it's so easy to complain but we do nothing about it... If wrongfull reporting i.t.o. whether it's a spider bite or not is such a big issue then instead of just being pissed off at people who don't know any better and take the info as it comes to them why doesn't a group like The Spider Club of South Africa arrange something where they invite journalists etc to a evening of education and where they can voice their concerns :eyepoke: belive me journos will come, it may not be a big article but you will get some.

Are you telling me that journalists are going to come from Cape Town to get told that spider bites don't kill people? Sensationalism sells articles.
What type of info would you propose they give? As an honest question.
The main problem here is the doctors who love to blame everything on spider bites.

No I'm not saying they will come all the way from Cape Town, but hey maybe you can arrange something like that there... I know sensationalism sells articles but even with that statement it shows that people don't really know journalists. All the journos I know want to tell the truth in their stories but they can only work with the facts they are given and like you say it's doctors who misdiagnose spider bites that create the perception. Also I'm not saying do it for only journos but maybe have workshops (maybe you already do) for the general public and just invite some journos along for one.

As for the info especially when it comes to journos use articles (like the above mentioned two) to raise your concerns about misleading reports. Offer your services maybe even that they can contact you for your opinion on the matter if another such story arose? I'm picking up that you think I'm being stupid with this, that's fine it doesn't bother me, I was merely defending something close to me the same as you were about something close to you. I was actually just sharing an idea I had not saying anything negative. Like I say it's easy to be pissed off and always see the wrong but very few (if anyone) tries to help others right.

My main thing was I felt the reaction was a bit harsh towards them using a wrong picture. You guys forget that for you spiders are something to be marveled at, for others it's something to be feared and people even doctors and journos (and even though it might be wrong) aren't going to spend time learning about something they don't like never-mind hate.

Be pissed off, that's your right, I was merely giving my 2cents but obviously I seem to have touched a nerve by defending people instead of spiders. :swaet: :spider: