On Tue, 15 Aug 1995, Stuart MacKay wrote:

> What do other tweeters think about advertising birding trips on the list

I have no problem with organizations like SAS, PAS, the Zoo, the
University in question, etc advertising trips in tweeters, whether
freebies or charged for. Indeed, I would've posted information on
the PAS trip to "visit Don in the Goshutes" (a for-pay tour and
fundraiser) if it hadn't filled up with a waiting list almost
immediately.

Where I would draw the line, though, would be fully-commercial
tours by folks like Portland's Full Circle Tours. I don't
feel compelled to give free advertising to for-profit groups.

Of course, things get muddy - PAS has contracted tours through
Full Circle, as has the Oregon Chapter of the Nature Conservancy,
and such cases aren't black and white. In some cases they've donated
considerable funds to conservation efforts in the Third World (earning
Portland Audubon special mention in a New Scientist issue as a
significant supporter of conservation in Costa Rica, in one case!)

My PERSONAL (emphasis on PERSONAL) feeling is that as long as a
non-profit who's mission fits some sort of reasonable
conservation/education profile is the sponsor I have no problem.

Perhaps we need to discuss this a bit and make a mention in
the tweeters info page?

How do other people feel? I can live with anything as long as
our tweetment is consistent - it isn't fair to dump on a group
in one instance and then welcome a similar group in another.


- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>