#18: MINI RANTS - 20 "PET" PEEVES

Pet Peeves

1. Puns. "Pet" Peeves was a stupid title. :)
2. Common Names. Speak or write an intelligent and international language. Don't be a simpleton.
3. Scientific Names written incorrectly. I don't care how you pronounce a scientific name. As long as the person you are speaking to understands what you are referring to it's all good. And you're speaking an intelligent and international language. But don't write them like an ignoramus. Let's use Poecilotheria subfusca as our example. You can write out in full like I just did. Notice the italics that should be used if you can. You can even get fancy and write it with the species author as in Poecilotheria subfusca Pocock, 1895. Once the genus has been mentioned you can then abbreviate it as P. subfusca. But the genus always begins with an uppercase letter (i.e., capital) and the species name always is completely lower case. P. Subfusca is wrong and it drives me nucking futs. Even worse, I've seen some write as p. Subfusca. Must be some stylistic bullshit kinda like e.e. cummings using all lower case letters to write crap poetry. I see these errors every day and they are like nails scratched on a blackboard and send me into a rage. I know, my problem. I'm medicated. I'm trying. But it is flabbergasting how many knuckleheads haven't learned this simple protocol. I realize that "smart" phones switch to uppercase when you type a period. But you know that too. Take a second to make the correction or do what I do and just leave out the period for speed's sake. But don't capitalize the beginning of a species name (specific epithet).
4. Calling scientific names "Latin names". More tarantula names are derived from Greek than Latin and names are also derived from geographical places, honorifics (people's names), etc.
5. Handling. Arachnids are not companion animals. There is no symbiosis, no mutual bond. Your interaction is irresponsible and selfish and, at worse, endangers the arachnid. They receive no pleasure. You receive no affection. Leave them the flock alone. Observe. Marvel. Enjoy. Don't touch.
6. Pseudonyms. Use your real name. Don't be a coward or hide behind some silly persona. As admin of the BTS Faffbook I deny all join requests from people using pseudonyms. On my personal page I accept no pseudonym users as "friends". Mark Pennell and I were behind the "Campaign for Real User Names" years ago. We forced all BTS Forum members to use their names. I always wished Arachnoboards would have followed suit. Hiding behind your keyboard and typing your opinions without signing your actual name to them is cowardice. If you like some "cutesy" handle at least have the decency and manners to sign your posts with your real name. I'm not having a conversation with some "SpiderDude123456".
7. People who ship via USPS. See Blog #9. Criminals.
8. People who brown box. See Blog #15. Criminals.
9. Pseudo Dealers. See Blog #10. Jokers.
10. Photo Thieves. See Blog #7. Criminals.
11. Lists that exceed ten.
12. The cancellation of Hannibal after three seasons.
13. Faffbook. Friend Face. Facebook. I'm on my third personal page. Twice before I was smart enough to stay away from Zuckerberg's cesspool of diarrhea for a period of time. Then I gave in, again. Now I have 600 "friends". How many will be at my funeral? 
14. Religion.
15. Cucumbers and olives.
16. Democrats and Republicans.
17. Lazy writers who use "ur" or "u" or "2" or other shortcuts, and poor writers that write "your" when they mean "you're" and "their" when they mean "there" and vice versa.
18. Private messages on forums or Faffbook. Please email and write an intelligent letter. You're really not too busy to craft a letter instead of a texty, tweety blurb.
19. Faffbook. It deserves to be listed twice. I hate that I can't cut it out of my life. Instagram is so much cooler.
20. Writing lists.