I'm not pissed off at all, these stories just annoy me.
Just a bit of info. The spider club is a non profit organisation. Added to the fact that all the people have day jobs, it would be very difficult to take a day off to fly to Cape Town, even if it was all expenses paid (which I would expect the journalist to pay, but doubt they would)

On that note though, I am sure I speak for Norman when I say that he wouldn't mind anyone phoning him to confirm a spider bite story. His number is on the thread above ( and he is based in cape town for that matter). Or they could contact me and I can put them in contact with someone.
How you would manage to get this number to everyone is another problem all together, but I seriously doubt they would contact anyway (my personal opinion).
Let me know if you need any other info...

Ceratogyrus wrote: I'm not pissed off at all, these stories just annoy me.
Just a bit of info. The spider club is a non profit organisation. Added to the fact that all the people have day jobs, it would be very difficult to take a day off to fly to Cape Town, even if it was all expenses paid (which I would expect the journalist to pay, but doubt they would)

On that note though, I am sure I speak for Norman when I say that he wouldn't mind anyone phoning him to confirm a spider bite story. His number is on the thread above ( and he is based in cape town for that matter). Or they could contact me and I can put them in contact with someone.
How you would manage to get this number to everyone is another problem all together, but I seriously doubt they would contact anyway (my personal opinion).
Let me know if you need any other info...

Cool cool,

Like I said just an idea... Also I didn't mean you or someone flying down to Cape Town, I mean let people around the country hold little workshop things or whatever and it can be on weekends. Not saying it's necessarily going to happen but I just feel if things like this bother spider lovers so much maybe something should be done about it, that's all. I went to one a few years ago about bats and it was amazing it taught me so much. I would actually love if they did the same thing for spiders, that's why I hanged around so long at the display the other day without even saying anything it's just so interesting.

I could even maybe help if you guys need any journalists numbers etc. Getting more sides to the stories will be in the journos interest as well so it would be a win win. There are a few ways to actually correct a wrong like this. Example is Beeld and as far as I know Media 24 as a whole gives you as the reader a chance to write your own letters/articles that are posted and do actually get read. Write one about how this might not have been a spider bite etc.

Like I say all just ideas, use them don't use them :spider: but educating people, which I'm sure is one of the aims the spider club and yourself have is better than just complaining. But anyway my original thing was just about the pic not the false reporting/misdiagnosis thing so ja. I will probably be joining the spider club myself at the end of the month if the budget allows, really interested in learning more about all eight legged creatures :thumbsup:

Norman does a spider display every weekend at the Cape Union Mart in Cape Town, so any of them could chat to him there.
As you would know now, the spider club has regular displays as well, so any of them are welcome to come there too and chat.

Like I said in the previous message, you are welcome to give out my details or Normans for any of them to contact. Most of the time it seems they don't want the story to get out and want to be the first to "break" it, so they might not always do all the necessary research. If it was, contacting someone like the Spider Club would be pretty easy (You can always give their details to anyone you like as well).

Look, we are obviously not going to agree on everything, but just putting it out there that there are people to contact if they need more info before spreading stories like this.

Now join the spider club. At R120 a year, its cheaper than most slings that you can buy on here.

Ceratogyrus wrote: Norman does a spider display every weekend at the Cape Union Mart in Cape Town, so any of them could chat to him there.
As you would know now, the spider club has regular displays as well, so any of them are welcome to come there too and chat.

Like I said in the previous message, you are welcome to give out my details or Normans for any of them to contact. Most of the time it seems they don't want the story to get out and want to be the first to "break" it, so they might not always do all the necessary research. If it was, contacting someone like the Spider Club would be pretty easy (You can always give their details to anyone you like as well).

Look, we are obviously not going to agree on everything, but just putting it out there that there are people to contact if they need more info before spreading stories like this.

Now join the spider club. At R120 a year, its cheaper than most slings that you can buy on here.

Unfortunately besides "breaking the story" it also depends on how much weight the editor thinks it carries that will determine the effort put into it. The only time I really think they'll do all that much in terms of research and contacting spider experts is if there's some sort of spider outbreak with a great number of people getting killed like in Arachnophobia :eyepoke: :spider: which we know will never happen. But other than that if a doctor says it's a spider bite who are they to disagree :S That's why I think some effort maybe even just a letter to the specific reporter or newspaper will be more effective than me giving out numbers, but I will do so anyway, :thumbsup:

Ja R120 is cheap but on my budget at the moment :swaet: but I should make it.

I asked Norman if he could write a letter to the newspaper and explain the real story to them.
Him and another guy have already sent responses to the newspaper explaining the true side of the story.
Will this change anything? As he said, the damage has already been done.
And I seriously doubt we would see an apology from the newspaper or doctor.

You probably won't get an apology but hey maybe it makes them think in future although I am sure more mistakes will be made as this will not reach all doctors or journalists but it might just be a start.