Apologia: The last paragraph of this post deals with sightings. Please
scroll down if this thread has you already unraveled. I'm only in MWF,
so play catch-up often. RK

> On Thu, 26 Oct 1995, Irene Wanner wrote:
>
> > Is there another list where those of you who want to debate intelligence,
> > education and politics could do so?

I have been viewing the various debates on this matter for a few
days--lurking for once I guess--and would just like to throw in my two
cents' worth. About 10 days ago or so, someone wisely suggested that the
Reply button could be used more carefully so that threads did not
continue when they started to diverge from the appointed subject. I
think this is still good advice--and I would note that those who post
many of the more diverse topics do follow it: after a while we start
communicating to each other so that the thread ends on Tweeters, saving
people often six or eight messages per thread.
The liberal use of the delete key also helps if the respondent
has taken the time to change the message reminder at the top--another
tip I have found to be useful that came from discussions on this topic.
I would agree with Irene that sometimes the threads go a little
far afield, but some of the threads have also shown, in an intelligent
matter, the diversity of issues which are touched by involvement in the
activities and with the creatures we love. I would also note, however,
that Tweeters generally makes this connection well. OBOL is much more
restricted to sightings and field trip-type information, and any message
which is off topic there is flamed incessantly (one reasonable
Tweeters-type conservation message last month received at least three
posted flames, for instance). Indeed, one respondent on OBOL this
morning started his posting with an apologia about whether it was proper
to post an announcement regarding governmental meetings discussing an
area of high birding impact and use--a Tweet would've fired away.
Irene's suggestion is one worth thinking about, but I do feel I'm
on the middle ground here--heck, in the last two days, of 51 messages
I've received, 4 have been from OBOL, 1 was personal, and the remainder
were from Tweeters (if it weren;t for tweeters I;d get no mail at all).
Keep sending those interesting messages, and I'll keep deleting the ones
about ballot initiatives, etc. (BTW, these things sound like they are
very poorly written; I recommend voting down anything badly
written--ambiguity is wanted in literature but not in ballot measures).

BIRD SIGHTINGS
Also, Wednesday's Clark College Gull report had about 25 gulls
north of Scarpelli Hall. As the rain drives students inside, gulls
spread out. The flock was about half California and half some sort of
Glaucous-winged/Western mix (now officially called the Goulash Gull).
Good birding.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ray Korpi "If you accept the forms they give you,
Wk: Clark College you're doomed to your own ultimate blandness."
Vancouver, WA --Johnny Rotten
Hm: Portland, OR
address: rkorpi at clark.edu